FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY St. Francis and Jesus On Poverty For whatever the reason, Francis is more excessive about poverty than Jesus. Perhaps he was reacting to his former frivolous life style or his father’s greed. What is more, in some Franciscan writings Jesus is made out to be a dirty, destitute beggar living on the streets. But from what we have seen from Scripture we know this is not true. Money Concerning money, for instance, Jesus never forbade his disciples from having or handling money as did Francis. Although He instructed his disciples to “Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper …” in their belts (Mt.10:9), they did have a common purse. We know that Judas was the bursar (Jn. 12:6: 13:29). It is interesting to note that in John 4:8 the Disciples went into town to “buy” bread and Jesus handled money when he spoke of rendering to Caesar what was Caesar’s (Mt. 22:21). Perhaps the instruction to “Take no gold, nor silver” was meant specifically when the disciples dispersed from the group to go on a preaching tour. The verse “Take nothing for your journey…” (Lk. 9:3) may indicate this. In the episode of the Rich Young Man (Mt. 19:16-24) Jesus said to him, “…go, sell what you possess and give it to the poor…and come, follow me.” Jesus knew how attached the young man was to his possessions. He knew that in this case a radical break was necessary if he was not to remain possessed by his possessions. But Jesus was not advocating that the Gospel way of life is to have nothing. We see that Jesus did not demand this of Zacchaeus; giving away half his possessions was sufficient (Lk. 19:8). Perhaps Jesus was calling the rich young man to follow him in a closer manner as one of His select disciples. Perhaps He was not expecting this of Zacchaeus. Begging There is no example in the Gospels of Jesus begging (except if you count Jesus asking for water from the woman at the well) as there is of Francis. Once again, in John 4:8, the disciples went into town to “buy” bread, not to beg for it. Often Francis and his followers are pictured begging from door to door. But in the instruction Jesus gave his apostles, he tells them that when they came to a town to preach they were to find a person that would take them in and they were to “stay there until you leave the place” (Mk. 6:10, also see Mt. 10:11; Lk. 9:4). Luke 10:7 is the most specific: “And remain in the same house… do not go from house to house.” Work and Begging Perhaps the image of Francis and his followers begging has been over emphasized over the centuries. In both Rules Francis admonished the friars to work for their living. The chapter on begging in both Rules comes after the chapter on working. In the Earlier Rule, the relation between working and begging is more explicit: “And when it is necessary, let them go for alms.” (7:8) In other words, when all else fails, and they cannot support themselves by their work, they were not to feel ashamed to beg. Francis’ strongest emphasis on work, however, comes in his Testament: “…I used to work with my hands, and I (still) desire to work; and I firmly wish that all my brothers give themselves to honest work. Let those who do not know how to work learn”. Asceticism Compared to St. Francis, Jesus also does not appear to have been an ascetic. There are no accounts, for instance, of Jesus putting ashes on his food (1 Celano 51) or depriving himself to the point of ill health. The image we get of Jesus from Scripture is one of a balanced, disciplined man who controlled his physical appetites (fasting) and gave priority to the spiritual life, but without denying legitimate concern for his physical life.
Posted on: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 23:51:53 +0000
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