The Franciscan Way of Life...

The Franciscan way of life is a harmonious complex, which at the center is the Triune God and love of all creatures. Poverty is a part of it, but it must be put in its proper place. For Francis the deepest poverty, is that of being identified with minority. It thrives in the humble recognition that all that is god in humankind comes from God, belongs to him and should be returned to him in thanksgiving.
Poverty is an essential element of Franciscan life. As Franciscans, we are called to live a life in which material goods should matter little. As Franciscans, we are called to a life that rises above the din of the world of commerce, commercialism and consumerism. It is not easy to do, as we are all children of the world of mass media and global communications.
How well we live our ideal of poverty will in some measure serve as a call and a challenge to others to do the same. It is a way for us by our personal example to continue the invitation of Jesus: "come follow me."(Mt 19:21)
Our call to live a life of poverty is not meant as the be all and end all. In fact it provides the framework by which we are called to a life of Gospel Service. For when Jesus issued the invitation to the rich young man to "come follow me" he was echoing an invitation he had already given to his apostles and disciples to "follow me and I will make you become fishers of men."(Mk 1:17)
At the heart of our lives as followers of Francis - indeed as prophets of love and servants of reconciliation - is a life of prayer. Just as Francis models for us a gospel life of poverty and a gospel life of service so also he models for us a life of prayer.
Without a doubt a true sense of prayer and life of prayer is at the core of our lives as Franciscans. When prayer weakens we weaken. When we stop praying we soon stop believing. Prayer is our life link to the Heart of Christ. We must never underestimate that, nor take it for granted.
If we consciously root our lifestyle, our prayer life and all our service commissions within the framework of this spirituality, our way of life will be attractive to those who wish to follow in the footsteps of Francis. But, the example of our way of life will not be sufficient if we do not clearly extend the invitation to others to join in our life, in our prayer, and in our service.
Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, said it best: "The authenticity of my faith in Jesus Christ must be evidenced in action, in solidarity with and in service to others."