Pray for guidance like Francis

Pope Leo XIV has declared a Jubilee Year of St. Francis, encouraging action inspired by St. Francis of Assisi. The Franciscan Friars of Our Lady of Guadalupe Province will offer monthly challenges to help us reflect on living according to the Gospel in Francis’s spirit. This is the second reflection in the series. 

Our world needs peacemakers, bridge builders and messengers of Christ’s love. How are you called to live like Francis? 

From The Major Legend of Saint Francis, Chapter Six by St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio: 

Humility, 
the guardian and embellishment of all the virtues, 
had filled the man of God with abundance. 
In his own opinion 
he was nothing but a sinner, 
though in truth he was a mirror 
and the splendor of every kind of holiness. 
As he had learned from Christ, 
he strove to build himself upon this 
like a wise architect laying a foundation. 

He used to say that it was for this reason 
that the Son of God came down 
from the height of his Father’s bosom 
to our lowly estate, 
so that our Lord and Teacher 
might teach humility 
both by example and by word. 

Humility as a path of discernment 

Humility – such a familiar word, yet one we often misunderstand. Measured by contemporary perceptions, humility can seem either like an unachievable moral ideal reserved only for saints or a posture of weakness and passivity. Yet humility lay at the very heart of Francis’ understanding of himself and his relationship with God. 

But was humility useful? For Francis, humility proved to be anything but weak or passive. It became the active means by which he discerned God’s will – both for his own life and for the movement he inspired. In embracing humility, Francis embraced vulnerability and openness – attitudes that are, in many ways, a dare.  

A dare to trust not in some ethereal or distant spiritual presence, but in a God who actively desires and initiates a loving relationship with humanity and with all of creation. 

Through humility, Francis sought guidance from God. Not knowing where to go or what to do, Francis affirms in his Testament: “No one showed me what I should do, but the Most High Himself revealed to me that I should live according to the form of the Holy Gospel.”  

Humility – being open to possibility and potential, wonder and beauty – provided Francis with a path to listen attentively to God's guidance as he and his companions embarked on a journey toward new horizons. 

Humility also enabled Francis to recognize a God who wants what is best for us – a truth revealed especially in this Easter season. The Resurrection reminds us that God desires us to dwell once again in the garden of paradise. Humility calls us to turn away from power and control, from holding back or repressing that which seeks to free us, so that we may recognize Christ always accompanying us on the journey of life. 

Rather than an attitude of shame that demeans us, humility allows us to surrender our preconceived notions of what must be done to the prayerful posture of “God’s will be done.” It allows us to let God lead, living our lives on God’s terms here and now – which is, ultimately, what the Resurrection is all about, and the only way to live a fruitful, joyful, and fulfilling life. 

Reflect 

What fears, hurdles or obstacles stand in your way when it comes to embracing humility in your own life? 

What is your reaction when you hear humility described as a dare? 

What stands in the way of seeking guidance from God in your life right now?