Why I am a Franciscan

With Brother Damien Joseph, Society of St. Francis

These are my reflections on this occasion of my renewal of vows to the Third Order of the Society of Saint Francis.

This is why I am a Franciscan.

In today’s Gospel Jesus tells the disciples that “those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them”.

When I think about these words I envision being intertwined with Christ and Christ being intertwined with me, so much so that there ceases to be an “other”. We become one.

During the Eucharist we say the words “ we are one body for we all share the one bread, the one cup.

When we become one with Christ we give life to the bread and the wine. We become Christ in the world.

Francis of Assisi was the son of privilege who, through a series of unfortunate circumstances ( which included war, imprisonment, delirium from fever, not to mention his own partying) met Christ and Christ challenged him to face his greatest fear. ( the leper ).

And then he was challenged to become poor. To become the “other”. To let the poor abide in him. It changed Francis’ life. His choice changed the life of the Church and the lives of infinite numbers of people touched by Franciscan ministry across time.

St. Clare was a young girl from a privileged family who wished to follow Francis and become a Brother. The social expectations of women at the time would not make a path for that, but she fought the Church very hard to secure the privilege of poverty. She persisted.

My favorite quote from Clare goes something like “ you become who you love.”

It took the last 10 years of ministry for me to understand what she meant by this.

You have to relinquish your privilege to really become the “other” you minister to.

You become the “other”. They become you. You become intertwined. You become one body. And every hurt, injustice, sickness that the “other” suffers becomes yours.

You are no longer able to walk away or drive home to the suburbs or even walk back into the red doors if your parish church. Because you have become the one you love. You have accepted the poverty, and having given up continuing to live as an individual with individual needs, aspirations and successes. You are willing to bear the burden of the suffering of the one you love, even if you can’t solve their problems.

You bear their suffering because you love. The way Francis did with those he served. The way he did when he received the wounds of Christ who he loved.

Because we are one; there is no “other”.

This is why I am a Franciscan.