Mission Integration

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Francis, A man with a message

More than 800 years ago, Francis of Assisi was born to a wealthy cloth merchant in northern Italy. A leader of youth, he lived life to the full. He loved to sing, dance, and lead his peers in celebration. And they followed him.

But life became empty. He felt a deep stirring within. The voice of the Spirit spoke: "Franci, go and repair my church which is completely falling into ruin."

Not being a man of half measure, he took the Lord at his word and began to repair the old ruined chapel of San Damiano. Only later did he come to realize that the Lord was asking him to renew his people-- the Church. And Francis responded.

He began to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and live His Way of Life. Before long, this itinerant beggar-preacher became widely known for his holiness and radical self-giving to the Lord. Prayer, poverty, affectionate love fore creation and loyalty to the Church's mission became hallmarks of Francis. Within his own lifetime, many gave up their possessions and decided to be just as he -- penitent preachers of the Gospel. In 1209 they gave birth to the Franciscan brotherhood: the Order of Friars Minor.

Clare of Assisi

The second founding figure of the new spiritual outlook in the 13th century was a woman called Clare. She was born of a noble family in Assisi, Italy in 1193.

At the age of 19, Clare heard St. Francis preaching and was so taken with the enthusiasm and love of Christ that Francis of Assisi exhibited, she vowed to meet with him and learn the secret of his happiness.

In 1212, on Palm Sunday night, Clare went in secret from her house to the tiny chapel of the Porzuncula in the valley beneath the city of Assisi. There Francis and his Brothers met her and invested her with the Franciscan habit. Thus began the Second Order of Franciscans, the Poor Clares, often called the Poor Ladies of Assisi.

One of the first things to be said of Clare is that she had a clear sense of her own spirituality before she ever heard St. Francis preaching. Independently of him, she chose a radical life of penance for herself and for those who followed her.