Simplicity
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

The word "Simplicity" is often misunderstood. "Simplicity of lifestyle and a readiness to share all we possess in a spirit of gratitude become the foundation of our Franciscan life." (From: The Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order with Catechism and Instructions).  A long time ago, when I was still living in Europe, in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, in my pre-teen years, I knew a lady who often helped in our household and baby-sat for my parents (I was in her charge). Her name was Gertrude, and she was a Secular Franciscan Tertiary, and what seemed to me, a very holy soul.

She lived with another Franciscan Tertiary, whose name I have forgotten, in a small apartment, in utter simplicity. She did not have anything to speak of, but what she had, she shared. I revisited her, as an adult, in 1963, and she still lived with the other lady in that same small apartment. Every once in a while, I lifted her up in prayer, because she was a major influence in my upbringing, and the fact that she was a Franciscan probably contributed to my desire and vocation to become one, later on.

Gertrude was not married but had been. Her husband had walked out on her, because she was always sick, and he was an alcoholic. During her life, she was fighting Tuberculosis (TB). Normally, we think of TB being a disease that attacks the lungs, but it can attack other parts of the body too. She wore prostheses (artificial legs), having lost both legs to just above the knee, as a result of TB. If she did not joke once in a while about having cold feet at appropriate times, no one who knew her casually would know that she had prostheses because she did not even use a cane. Nevertheless, she was in constant pain, particularly just after World War II; when her limbs were of poor quality and did not fit right. She never complained.

Though she lived simply, she was not a simple person. She knew a lot, and had a lot of common sense. She could not do enough for people who were in trouble. She did a lot for my parents, particularly my mother who was very ill at the time. She also helped my mother when she was suffering under Nazi persecution during the war. My mother came from Jewish origins.

Simplicity is also acceptance of the inevitable. We can complain about the high humidity, but we cannot change it, so why complain about the inevitable? We make our lives so complicated, when in fact, we only make ourselves and those around us miserable by complaining. Life is a gift from God no matter how it turns out. We must be thankful for it. Our pride often gets in the way of things. I know mine does too. There are people who stew about life when it doesn't go their way. They cannot let go and keep thinking..."Now if I could just" do this or that.... that's how you get yourself sick, by overly worrying about life. Instead of praying about it, we theorize about it, and fear the worst. Quiet acceptance, accepting in simplicity, and life in general as a fine gift from God ••• let us be thankful for this life, for having brought us together as Franciscans ... God has given us the gift of Franciscan joy so let's apply that to our lives as we live the Gospel among our brothers and sisters.

Fred Schaeffer, OFS

June 26, 2022, rev. December 6, 2024

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