Transitus of Francis of Assisi
What would you do today if you knew you might die tomorrow?
—Francis of Assisi, Letter to the Faithful
Drawing on an early account of Francis praying outside, Ilia Delio reflects on Francis’ understanding of God as love:
Francis was praying alone …, uttering a mantra in the form of a question: “Who are You, O God? And who am I?” [1] The more Francis wandered into the fields of nature, the more he wandered into the fields of his own heart. The outer world invited him to enter his inner world. There he encountered the mystery of God who was at once, Most High, and yet infinitely near; more intimate than his own self. Francis experienced God as his “All”: All good, All love, All present, All merciful. As he exclaimed, “Deus meus et omnia,” meaning “My God and my All!” The more he found God within himself, the more he saw God outside himself where every detail of nature spoke to him of God. As the Franciscan penitent Angela of Foligno exclaimed: “All creation is pregnant with God!” [2] Prayer led Francis into the truth of his own reality and into the truth of the world. Nothing was outside the embrace of God’s love.
It was love that moved Francis into other worlds: the world of the leper, the world of the poor, the world of earthworms and wolves, into the world of everything, because only in the world is God born through love. However, one must be able to see and listen to the sounds of divine love crying out in the birthpangs of the new creation. Francis set his heart on God’s passionate love, his mind on knowing this love and his eyes on seeing this love.
Delio describes Franciscan prayer as a desire to grow in God’s life and love:
Prayer is an invitation to grow in love: as we grow into God’s life, God’s life grows in us. We are reborn in the Spirit through the power of love, entering into the chaos and uncertainty of the world. Love does not retreat from suffering and pain but enters into the darkness of life with energy and hope that the future will be different; love creatively empowers life toward more life. Life in God is a gamble in love that requires faithful commitment, even when darkness persists and suffering prevails. To grow in love through prayer is to throw ourselves into the heart of God…. Only when we can weep at what is not yet loved can we live into a new reality; for love is waiting to be born. This is the heart of Franciscan prayer.
References:
[1] See The Deeds of Blessed Francis and His Companions 9.37, in Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, vol. 3, The Prophet (Hyde Park, NY: New City Press, 2001), 455–456.
[2] See The Book of the Blessed Angela (Memorial) 6, in Angela of Foligno, Complete Works, trans. Paul Lachance (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1993), 170.
Ilia Delio, preface to Franciscan Prayer: Awakening to Oneness with God (Cincinnati, OH: Franciscan Media, 2024), vii–viii, ix–x.
Image credit and inspiration: Dimitri Kadiev, Be Praised—mural of Francis and Clare on the side of the CAC (detail), photo of paint on adobe wall. Click here to enlarge image. This mural art on the outside of the CAC represents Francis’ love and acceptance of life in its varied and diverse manifestations.
Story from Our Community:
I am getting married for the first time at age 63. I was exposed to much negativity about my body and sexuality, and that affected me for many years. My marriage now would not be possible without the beautiful teachings of Richard Rohr and Cynthia Bourgeault. I’ve come to understand that love between partners is at the heart of Christ’s teaching. Our love for each other is a stepping stone to realizing God’s love, as demonstrated by the love between St. Francis and St. Clare. My marriage embodies the beauty and truth of these teachings.
—Louise N.
