Reluctant Saint Continued

p.149 Ugolino and Francis represent two approaches to reality that are by their very nature in tension: the prophetic witness of the charismatic individual and the longer arm of the Church's tradition, which is able to foster and disseminate what is good by means of social structures not available to an individual. It is also important to keep in mind that Francis himself was a product of the Church: it was precisely the 1,000 year old tradition of prayer, of proclaiming the Scriptures, of worshiping God-- and the documentation of this tradition in books and manuscripts-- that had fed his soul and had led him onto the path of sainthood

p.164 Francis's insistence on radical poverty, on simplicity of life and the fundamentally lay organization of his society were aspects of his thinking that were understood by neither the official Church nor by society at large.In fact, he caused considerable irritation and displeasure everywhere; his way of life contradicted much that was avidly suported by the Church and the culture.

p.185 When questioned about the meaning of following in his footsteps, Francis referred to the last sections of the Rule he had drafted in 1220 and 1221-- the document rejected and diluted by the fraternity. Thesense of his words was clear:

* God is the absolute good and must have priority in our lives.
* Our lives themselves manifest the praise of God
* We give thanks for the beauty of the world.
* We long to believe fully in the triune God, Who created, redeemed and will finally act in love to save us forever
* We long to desire nothing but God, on Whom we depend and in Whom we hope.
* We want to love God because He has first loved us.
* Doing penance means constantly turning to God
* We are poor because God alone is rich, and everything good belongs to Him. Therefore, we need not be concerned about ourselves, our honor, our earthly goals. We can abandon ourselves and leave ourselves open to him Who gives us everything. He is not unfeeling or indifferent, but He constantly draws near to us, speaks to us, saves us.
* For all these reasons, we are also concerned for the well-being and salvation of all mankind
* We prefer the celebration and the living out of faith rather than disputing about it-- hence we go among unbelievers and preach to others mostly by example.