Francis, formator of a new life
Formative elements in Francis of Assisi
Day by day the blessed father Francis was being filled with the consolation and the grace of the Holy Spirit and, with all vigilance and concern, he was forming his new sons with new instruction, teaching them to walk with steady steps the way of poverty and blessed simplicity (1 C 26).
Celano and the other biographers of St. Francis often presented the saint as a master and formator of his brothers with his own particular pedagogical capacity. Dante also, in his Divine Comedy, called Francis ‘Father and Master’1. Some formative elements in Francis of Assisi are outlined for us in the text from Celano cited above and are to be noted with attention. He stated that Francis did his best to form his first Friars, that is, to give them their form of life, a way of thinking and acting, a goal to be reached. This formation of the first Friars did not resemble any method of external education that was according to different rules of behaviour, but through this formation Francis formed the man in his whole being and did it with great love and diligence. For this he taught them new principles and animated all to walk along a determined path, that is, to take on a formative process. This presentation of Francis allows us to speak of St. Francis as the Pedagogue.
Andrea Mercatali, a Friar and scholar in the science of Pedagogy, states: «St. Francis is not a pedagogue, if we consider pedagogy from the scientific point of view, which presupposes a theoretical-practical systemisation of the principles of education. However, he carried out a pedagogical activity»2. This pedagogical activity was carried out as the formation of the person of the Friar in his whole integrity of thinking and acting. It is based on behaviour of love and diligence, applying new principles3. Celano, in his text, did not state these new principles clearly. The intention of this our presentation will be, precisely, the formulation of these principles. For that purpose I will try to outline these new principles of Francis in accordance with the testimony of the Franciscan sources, without, however, pretending to be able to exhaust all the richness that this field could offer. In my opinion, an attentive reading of the same Franciscan sources would allow for the drawing up of the following six elements for a formative principle in St. Francis.
1. Acting with simplicity
We must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh, but, instead, we must be simple, humble and pure (2LtF 45).
Francis found the key for reading his own life and the events of his time in pure and holy simplicity1. In fact, simplicity was the basis of activity for Francis. Simplicity distinguishes and creates a separation between wisdom of the world and the real wisdom that is revealed in the Kenosis of Jesus Christ. Confusing the knowledge of the world, simplicity directs life towards the real wisdom that is shown in the poor and humble Christ. Finding his way of life in true wisdom, that is, in the incarnate Christ, Francis integrated his whole life, all events and the whole of reality into the panorama of integral salvation revealed in Christ through acting in simplicity. In this way simplicity, placed at the base of the orientation of every act, favours a life in the Spirit of the Lord. For Francis, simplicity of heart became the principal characteristic of the planning of everyday life and of his way of praying and contemplating. He interpreted both the concrete events of life and the word of God revealed in the Gospel in the light of simplicity. The same simplicity served to overcome the distance between the reality lived every day and the proposals of the word of God so that real life and faith were harmoniously and credibly united. This acting in simplicity helped Francis to maintain a critical distance with regard to ego-centrism and anthropocentrism in the world, to discover the mystery of salvation in the incarnate, poor and humble Christ, to unite everyday life to faith in a convenient and credible way and to organise his own life project in accordance with the Spirit of the Lord.
Simplicity, as an element and principle of formation, outlines: The character of the person of the Friar – he is simple and without complications and caprice; The style of life of the Friar – he lives in poverty and humility, that is, he promotes a simple style close to the ‘humus, to the reality of life; And to his relationship with God – he integrates himself into the plan of salvation revealed in Jesus Christ by living according to the spirit of the Lord and of his holy operation.
2. Orientating towards an objective
Let all the brothers strive to follow the humility and poverty of our Lord Jesus Christ and let them remember that we should have nothing else in the world except, as the Apostle says: having food and clothing, we were content with these. They must rejoice when they live among people considered of little value and looked down upon, among the poor and the powerless, the sick and the lepers, and the beggars by the wayside. (RnB IX 1-3).
In his simplicity, Francis slowly discovered the goal of his life: to follow the footprints of Jesus Christ. The incarnated Christ, discovered in the Gospel, became the centre of all his attention. Jesus Christ, in which the very God reveals Himself2, became a real model and not merely an ideal in the life of Francis3. The objective of the journey in simplicity became, concretely, to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the everyday reality of his time. Based on this adhesion to God in Christ, Francis oriented his Friars towards a unique formative ideal: to encounter God in Christ in the reality of life4. The formative objective of Francis was to learn to live the Gospel of the poor and humble Jesus Christ. Included in this formation was the whole of the human being in the true sense of the word. In all the dimensions of them being men, the Friars are invited to develop their own personality in the light of gospel values5. Orienting the Friars towards the objective in Jesus Christ, Francis proposed a new spiritual-theological level, a new practical level of life and a new social level. As the spiritual-theological level, Francis indicated the model of the Man-God, Jesus Christ. The novelty of this proposal was articulated in seeing the Man-God in his poverty and humility, i.e., in the profound incarnation of self in human, created nature. But this specific presentation of Jesus did not remain simply a vision of piety and religiosity: the very spiritual-theological vision was incarnated on a practical level of life. The Friars had to remember that it was not permitted to have anything else in the whole world except food and clothing and that they had to be content with that6. The spiritual-theological vision was embodied in the very modus vivendi of the Friars. Poverty, humility and simplicity became an objective to be reached, to practise concretely in the behaviour of non-appropriation of and spoliation from all that is superfluous. This incarnation of the spiritual-theological objective in the reality of everyday life brought the Friars close to a new social level also. They had to be content with living among despised people of little importance7. Part of the formative objective presented by Francis was also a new way of positioning himself in the society of his time, which brought about, as a consequence, a new social level. Through the formation of his Friars, Francis sought gospel perfection in following the one model of life, Jesus Christ, and the integral promotion of the human person on the level of the individual as well as in the social dimension8.
3. Proceeding in a fraternal spirit
Let each one confidently make known his need to another that the other might discover what is needed and minister to him. Let each one love and care for his brother as a mother loves and cares for her son in those matters in which God has given him the grace. (RnB IX, 13-14).
In his simplicity, Francis not only presented a formative objective to the individual person, but rather did his life project provide for an integration of the individual person into the fraternity, which, in its entirety, proceeded towards the realisation of gospel values. The proposed values were assimilated and personalised by each one in company with the other, one’s brother9. One and the other are the principal protagonists that act reciprocally in realising a life that is truly evangelical. To the great respect, love and diligence towards the individuality of the person will be added the attention and obedience towards the group, the fraternity10. In the formative project of Francis there is found a great balance between the space given to the individual, his needs, his desires and dreams, and the free integration within the fraternity with its own needs, values and models of life. It is a matter of inserting and of submitting oneself to the fraternity that, at the same time, should be repaid with fraternal-maternal love accompanied by great attention to the individual Friar. Care, which is an expression of great and real empathy towards one’s brother, towards people in general and towards all creation, is required to achieve this end11. The only aim of this fraternal life is to put the spirit of the Gospel into action in accordance with the diverse circumstances. The fraternity, therefore, becomes a place of evangelisation and of the promotion of the proclamation of the Gospel in the world as its mission. Formation, for example, through obedience to the Rule, wishes to help the sharing of life, work, the mission and the vocation itself as an expression of the gospel project. To conform oneself to the fraternity means to be prepared to live together with people of the same vocation in order to live the spirit of the Gospel in the reality of the world.
4. Experiencing the word of God
Then, one day at Mass, he heard those things which Christ tells the disciples who were sent out to preach, instructing them to carry no gold or silver, a wallet or a purse, bread, walking stick, or shoes, or two tunics. After understanding this more clearly because of the priest, he was filled with indescribable joy. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what I want to do with all my strength’. And so, after committing to memory everything he had heard, he joyfully fulfilled them… Applying all the care of his heart to observe the words of new grace as much as possible, he began, inspired by God, to be a messenger of evangelical perfection and, in simple words, to preach penance in public. (L3C 25).
The organisation of the life of Francis with its corresponding formation proposed the passage from theory to praxis12. At the basis of Francis’ journey, and that of his first Friars, was the will to try out in a practical way in reality the concrete actualisation of the word of God, to begin to take the Gospel seriously and to live it in accordance with his own understanding, without seeking any guarantees attached to this choice. Despite all the possible insecurities that their behaviour bore, Francis and his followers had confidence in the word of God. They allowed themselves to be led by the Gospel in the big and small events of each day. In this way they gave to the word of God the possibility to act through their bodies, their thoughts, their works and their discourses. To try out the word of God means to form oneself in such a way as to see what happens if one simply lives the values of the Gospel. This way of testing calls for unconditional listening to the divine word itself and requires, besides, allowing oneself to be instructed by Jesus Christ himself through the immediateness of the encounter with him in the Word, in the sacraments, in the Church, in creation, in the poor and in the marginalised. Francis wanted to bring his Friars to this immediate encounter with Jesus Christ. He therefore promoted, both in each Friar and in the fraternity, a great openness to the world, to men, to the Church and in a very special way to the lepers of his time. Each encounter that is tried with great openness and empathy becomes, then, an encounter with God himself and an experience of his presence. The practising and testing of the Gospel with all one’s strength and enthusiasm becomes in reality, and at the same time, a formation of the complete man and makes him capable of walking towards God by sharing the joys and the sufferings with one’s own brothers, by helping the poor and marginalised and by promoting love of justice and the gift of peace13.
5. Provoking life according to the Gospel
One time, when blessed Francis was visiting the Lord Bishop of Ostia… he secretly went from door to door for alms at mealtime. When he returned, the Lord of Ostia was at table together with many knights and nobles. When blessed Francis approached, he put the alms, which he had collected, on the table and sat down next to the cardinal… The cardinal was somewhat embarrassed that blessed Francis went begging alms and laid them on the table… After blessed Francis had eaten a little, he took some of his alms and distributed a little on behalf of the Lord God to each one of the knights and chaplains of the lord cardinal… After the meal, the lord bishop got up and went to his room, taking blessed Francis with him… and said to him: ‘Why, my simple little brother, did you shame me today coming to my house, which is also the house of your brothers, by going out for alms?’ ‘On the contrary, Lord Bishop’, blessed Francis answered, ‘I must be a model and example of your poor, especially because I know that in this religion of the brothers there are, and will be brothers, Lesser Brothers, in name and deed, who, for the love of the Lord God and by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, who will teach them in all things, they will be humble in all things, obedient, and of service to their brothers. There also are and will be those among them who, held back by shame and because of bad habit, are and will be scorned by humbling themselves, by demeaning themselves by begging alms and by doing other servile work of this kind. Therefore, I must teach by deed those who are or who will be in religion… (MP 23).
This and many other excerpts from the sources show us how Francis, experiencing the Gospel in his own way, became a real provocation throughout his ambience. He interiorised the values of the Gospel in such a convincing way that he felt himself a model and example, spurred by the love of God and inspired by the Holy Spirit to teach the gospel values to others by his deeds, that is, through his behaviour. In a certain sense his behaviour became a real and proper provocation. Francis wanted to provoke a life in the other according to the very values that he himself felt and lived. The action of Francis became a strong stimulus for the other to adhere to the Gospel with his own life also. Francis solicited the other, be he Friar or simply poor man, cardinal or pope, to orient his existence in a direction that would guarantee full maturity in conforming self to Christ14. Francis, with his formative behaviour, provoked and stimulated in the other that which was good and beautiful so that the other would become transfigured towards full human maturity in Christ. In this point, the formation to the Gospel coincides with human formation. But Francis not only understood himself as a model called to arouse in himself, first of all, and in others the values of the Gospel. He wanted his Friars also to be, in this way, real instigators of a life in accordance with the Gospel. This service of provocation, as it had been in Francis, requires great freedom: freedom from oneself and freedom from things. Poverty helps in this point and unites itself to this freedom, which is a freedom in favour of the promotion of gospel values, to be free to be able to give testimony to the truth and life according to the Gospel15. Through this, Francis wished to form himself and the other Friars to this freedom, whether in those who, in the eyes of men, are considered to be of little importance or in those who are considered great and powerful. His Rule, all his precepts and admonitions tried to educate the Friars to a living sense of this gospel freedom16, a freedom that is transformed into a positive provocation in the name of God.
6. Depicting the new life
While the holy father was staying at San Damiano, he was pestered by his vicar with repeated requests that he should present the word of God to his daughters, and he finally gave in to his insistence. The ladies gathered as usual to hear the word of God, but no less to see their father and he raised his eyes to heaven, where he always had his heart, and began to pray to Christ. Then he had ashes brought and made a circle with them round himself on the floor, and then put the rest on his own head. As they waited, the blessed father remained in silence within the circle of ashes, and real amazement grew in their hearts. Suddenly he got up, and to their great surprise, recited the ‘Have mercy on me, God’, instead of a sermon. As he finished it, he left quickly. The handmaids of God were so filled with contrition by the power of the mime that they were flowing with tears… (2C 207).
At the centre of the life and activity of Francis, if we wish to call it that, there was the vocation to give testimony to the Gospel in word and in deed. This testimony of Francis was often carried out in a very special way: through vivacious representation and depiction loaded with meaning 17. Francis lived profoundly his character of jester and troubadour. All his affectionate, imaginative and creative nature was involved in this testimony18. His way of behaving became a spectacle that invaded the soul of the onlooker with great amazement. Acting in this way, Francis expressed much more than could be said in words. In one scene of rich content, he depicted the new life of the true apostle of Jesus. This method of representing and depicting the Good News became, in Francis, a real and proper method of formation in order to reach the spectators in the depths of their being. His method of acting strikes one, makes one reflect and spurs one on to take positions in the face of one’s behaviour and of the message transmitted. Francis in this way involved each onlooker in his spectacle in order that no one should remain simply an observer, but each one would, in some way, become a participant in the great representation of the new life according to the Gospel. The very person of Francis became, therefore, a living and stimulating image. Francis achieved the purpose of his preaching not through any moralistic or threatening discourse and much less through authoritative orders or by making appeal to the law of the Rule but rather did he, with intuition, imagination, sensitivity, understanding and the capacity for immediateness, reach the hearts of men19. He never played the clown but behaved as “God’s fool”. Having totally taken his being from God, he visibly expressed his faith and showed the sentiments that he had tried out before God. This honesty and sincerity in the expression of his faith in life was re-assumed and concentrated in a scenic representation. Francis did not assume any theatrical role, but rather presented himself and his relationship with God. This real and accurate spectacle left nobody indifferent. Here lies the educational and formative fact. To see and hear Francis educated and formed. It was an education and formation, pedagogy, without scientific and professional methods, but not without profound efficiency.
7. Francis, a Master of formation
As the different excerpts from the Franciscan Sources show us; Francis presented himself as a master of formation. His personality reached its full maturity in the encounter with the Gospel20. In the Gospel, Christ offers himself to Francis as the only true master. And Francis wanted to conform to the life of Christ with his whole being. Francis would never have considered himself a master of formation. In Francis himself it is seen how the whole of life became a process of formation through the encounter with God in reality. The confrontation of everyday reality with the living message of the Gospel spurs and promotes ever new experiences, which serve to make ever new steps in the formation of the integral man towards the perspective of salvation. Francis wished to share his experience with others, his brothers, nothing more and nothing less: to share the experience of God in life. This formative process through the very life lived brings man, in a unique way, towards the realisation of self in God. The formation lived by Francis and his first Friars was, in this sense, the path towards real, evangelical and integral humanism21.
Without pretending to exhaust the topic discussed, I would like to sum up this formative path with the following features of a formation based on St. Francis:
- To live, act, think and speak with simplicity;
- To orient the whole person in his integrity towards the objective of the one formative ideal: to encounter God in the reality of life;
- To proceed in and to encourage a just balance between attention to the individual person and integration into a fraternity;
- To try out the word of God with its concrete embodiment in one’s own life;
- To provoke and arouse that which is good and noble in each one in order to be able to live the Gospel in sincerity.
- To represent and depict the new life in Christ with all the possible dimensions of human life.
© 2020, JBF, MZF
1 Cf. Freyer, Fool and ignoramus.
2 Cf. Freyer, Gott der Vater; also Freyer, God the Father; cf. also Freyer, Christology.
3 Cf. Mercatali, 240.
4 Cf. Mercatali, 242, 248.
5 Cf. Brüman, 100.
6 Cf. RnB IX, 1-2.
7 Cf. RnB IX, 3.
8 Cf. Temperini, 438.
9 Cf. Temperini, 422.
10 Cf. Mercatali, 243.
11 Cf. Brüman, 91; Mercatali, 244; Temperini, 423.
12 Cf. Zavalloni, 79.
13 Cf. Zavalloni, 24.
14 Cf. Mercatali, 239.
15 Cf. Freyer, Homo Viator, 380.
16 Cf. Brüman, 96; Zavalloni, 79.
17 Cf. Brüman, 92.
18 Cf. Mercatali, 250.
19 Vgl. Franziskanische Leitlinien.
20 Cf. Sticco M., L’originalità del pensiero di san Francesco nell’educazione, in Fiamma Viva 6 (1926) 627-640.
21 Cf. Temperini, 437.
Franciscan Note 