From the Friars: Francis: Lover of Chastity
Some people believe that we Franciscans should relax our life of penance. “You Franciscans do not eat very well.” “You should accept more help from the faithful.”
St. Francis of Assisi, by Philip Fruytiers – Source, Public Domain, Link
While I appreciate these concerns and what concerns me is a loss of balance between generosity to others and a fiery focus on the Spirit of the Lord through penance. The first is essential on the communal level and the second necessary to grow in the spiritual life on a personal level. How do these two virtues harmonize?
Saint Francis learned how to connect charity and penance in an outstanding way. Every time he visited someone who had invited him to eat dinner, he fulfilled the Lord’s mandate regarding charity towards others. St. Francis always kept in mind the precept of Our Lord Jesus Christ regarding the reception of food with gratitude (Luke 10:7). But a question can arise, “If there are so many benefactors willing to invite us to their home and would gladly prepare exquisite dishes for us, including clean the convent and do our laundry for us, what is the reason we do not take advantage of such charitable works done for us?”
A Story from the life of St. Francis holds a possible answer. One night, Saint Francis was deep in prayer and the ancient enemy, said to Francis, “There is no sinner in the world who, if he repents, would not receive God’s blessing. But everyone who kills himself with a cruel penance will never find mercy!” (Legend Major, V). Immediately, the Saint recognized the trap that the devil had placed before him, so that he would become spiritually cold and lose the burning desire to unite himself with Christ through penance.
According to Saint Bonaventure, penance leads to the virtue of chastity. This is shown in the story when St. Francis was seriously tempted to deny his vow of chastity, start a family and have children. His fiery response was to throw himself naked in the snow to root-out this desire from his heart. This action (albeit exaggerated) from the life of St. Francis illustrated that the purpose of penance is to cultivate and deepen chastity. And since chastity is the virtue that leads us to a more generous and selfless service towards others, I believe that the answer to harmonize penance and charity lies in chastity.
Saint Francis was a lover of chastity.
So, I invite you to the Supper of the Lord in the Church, which is both your house and my house!
— Fr. Francis