One of my favorite Saints
by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

Saint Francis of Assisi is one of my favorite Saints. Saint Francis is a peoples' Saint. He lived a very monastic life in the 12th Century in Assisi, Italy, but he and the early friars were mendicants and worked among the people in that region. To get a good picture of Saint Francis and the early friars, you could read, "The Little Flowers of Saint Francis." 

Although that document is not one of the primary sources it nonetheless gives the reader a good idea of Franciscan life in the day of Saint Francis. Today, Franciscans are numerous. There are Franciscan religious, the Order of Friars Minor, the Capuchins, the Conventuals, and other groups as well as Franciscan sisters and a lay component also founded by Saint Francis, the Secular Franciscan Order.

Saint Francis bore the Stigmata, the wounds of Christ on his hands, feet and side and he suffered a great deal all his life. Another Franciscan, the Capuchin Saint (Padre) Pio also bore the Stigmata. He was once asked if he was always in pain, to which he replied that they were not for decoration. Saint Francis, however, knew the value of suffering and the need for it. Did you know that suffering, when offered up, is a beautiful way of sharing the Cross with Jesus? It is a great way to expiate or atone for our own sins and the sins of the world. It helps lessen the pain of Jesus. Anything we can do to lessen His suffering show Him our love. We all need to go through some sort of purification and suffering can be a purification. God created us with beautiful souls. As infants, our souls pure and holy and were then fitting residences for the Holy Spirit, but where are we now? If you would like to know the answer to this question just make a general examination of conscience reviewing your lifetime.

Every sin, no matter how small is a disappointment in our relationship with God. Saint Bonaventure, another great Franciscan, a Doctor of the Church, who know Saint Francis well mentioned in one of his writings that people who sin do not love God. And that people who love God and still sin, do not love Him enough.

Saint Pio, who suffered much, knew, as Saint Francis knew, that he was richly blessed with the opportunity to share Christ's suffering in reparation for their shortcomings, no matter how few or how small they were.

I pray that people who are suffering realize what a great opportunity they have to offer their sufferings, humiliations, their relationship problems or in whatever way they feel hurt, for reparation for those who have thrown away God's love through sin. Considering offering your sufferings for Jesus because you love Him. He loves you. He gives us grace to overcome any obstacle. He died for us so that we may live with Him in eternity forever. Saint Francis, Saint Pio and Saint Bonaventure offered their pain for reparation too.



 Fred Schaeffer, OFS © 2006, rev. 2021 (8/12/2021)