Centred on Christ
Francis and Clare centred their entire lives around Jesus Christ. When Francis wrote a Rule for his brothers he began, ‘This is the life of the Gospel of Jesus Christ’, and described the purpose of this life as being ‘to follow the teaching and footprints of our Lord Jesus Christ.’
Clare too, in the Rule she wrote for her sisters describes the purpose of their life as being ‘to observe the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.’
‘The brothers who lived with him know
that daily, constantly, talk of Jesus was
always on his lips, … He was always with Jesus:
Jesus in his heart,
Jesus in his mouth,
Jesus in his ears,
Jesus in his eyes,
Jesus in his hands,
he bore Jesus always in his whole body’.
(Thomas of Celano, Life of Saint Francis,
115) |