From the Friars: The Lowest Place
Francesco Bernadone was a very ambitious man. He was rich, popular, and longed for greatness in the eyes of the world. His goal was to earn knighthood by heroism in battle, which was the only way to become a knight in those days if you were not of the nobility. His father bought him the finest armor and horse and he set off to fight under the famous warrior, Walter of Brienne.
St. Francis of Assisi, by Philip Fruytiers – Source, Public Domain, Link
But Jesus spoke to him in a dream and called him to a different kind of knighthood. After much prayer, penance and seeking God’s Will, Francis came to understand his vocation and mission as a lesser brother.
In 13th century Italy, society was divided into clear class divisions. The lowest were the peasants or minors. The conversion experience of St. Francis turned his world upside down (Acts 17:6). Instead of worldly greatness, he now sought the lowest place as Our Lord exhorts all of us in the gospel reading for today. He tried to imitate the self-emptying of Jesus in the Incarnation, the Cross and in the Holy Eucharist. Known as the Poverello, the little poor man, St. Francis named his order the friars minor, or lesser brothers, to remind them that they should always seek to be the least of all.
The ironic thing about the admonition to seek the lowest place is that by doing so we are exalted. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Lk 14:11) Even on the natural level people admire genuine humility. St. Francis became famous during his own lifetime by doing everything possible to avoid becoming famous. But the point is that in our hearts we recognize that we are nothing without God. Any good we have or have done is only by His grace. If this becomes the truth that we live by, then Jesus Himself will raise us up to share His Glory.
Amen.
— Fr. Peter