Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Sister Mary Ann Spanjers offers a Franciscan Discernment Blog post entitled: The Jubilee of Year of the Transitus of St. Francis-Discovering How to Live Our Baptismal Call.
Franciscan Spirituality Series—The Jubilee Year of the Transitus of St Francis –Discovering how to live our Baptismal Call
Welcome back to our Franciscan Discernment Blog. During this Jubilee Year of St Francis, we celebrate his Transitus from this life into the everlasting new life of joy with God. For Francis it was a discovery of how to live his baptismal call; which I find very compelling because that is something I can relate to, I think all of us can. At the moment of our Baptism we forever belong to God, we can never undo our Baptism, we are his daughter, his son. It is through our Baptism that we receive the gifts and graces of God through the Holy Spirit. This was key for Francis conversion; he discovered that he could live his Baptismal graces and virtues through the help of the Holy Spirit.
Francis biographers grasped that his conversion was centered on poverty, whom he named Lady Poverty, She took him by the hand and led him through the world, where he learned his call;
Material poverty—owning nothing and
Ontological poverty—being rooted in one’s existence as a creature and the knowledge that one is not equal to God. Poverty means radical dependency, recognizing one’s utter dependency on God.
Ilia Delio, well known Franciscan spiritual writer tells us, When I ask the question “who am I?” I begin a life of poverty, because the answer is one of radical dependency. I am not the source of my own life; I come from God and belong to God.
This life of utter dependence upon God, materially and ontologically becomes essential to the life of Francis and his followers. It is also essential for us. A young man in Detroit where I was speaking a few months ago, asked me, along with prayer, what is the best way for young adults in the secular world to deepen their relationship with God. I told him to pay attention to the “stuff” in his life and to try to simplify his needs. It is the stuff in our lives that take priority which distract us from God. This could be the material things I think I need, or the “stuff” which takes up our time, how much time do I spend on Instagram, LinkedIn, social media, gaming, leisure…. How much time do I spend interacting with others in meaningful conversations, or with nature, listening to the birds or with God in silent prayer? What stuff in your life limits your freedom? In your heart? In your everyday interactions?
May we, like Francis discover the Holy Spirit’s baptismal gifts and graces to help us respond to the love relationship of the Father.
The world needs you. God calls you. We invite you.
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