*humbled*

St. Franci of Assis (From "The New Mystics" by John Crowder")

To the shock of everyone, this wealthy son of Assisi voluntarily and quite joyfully chose a life of poverty, renouncing all his possessions. Francis had a romantic charm and beauty that inspired the very Renaissance. His playfulness and exuberance was unlike the stereotypical ascetic, shunning the world around them. He was knows as God’s juggler, as he was full of song and poetry. While he demonstrated simplicity and humility of Christ, Francis showed that it was all an outworking of an inner happiness, not religious misery. He was always moving his feet around and dancing because of a cheerfulness he could not seem to contain. Francis began hanging out at a dilapidated old church called San Damian.

Then one day, he heard the audible voice of God come from the crucifix hanging there, saying “Rebuild my Church.” Francis took this literally, and began begging for stones, which he hauled one at a time up the walls of the old building in back breaking labor. But God would use Francis for a much larger building campaign – the church... Crowds would bring Francis the sick for healing, and would throng him to cut off a piece of his tunic. He healed the blind. Tumors vanished when he prayed. He was once preaching in a small village and the whole congregation was so touched, the entire group asked to be admitted to the monastic order as one corporate body. Francis asked Rome if he could live by a written rule that was no more than the bare words of Jesus.

Pope once said to Thomas Aquinas, “Ah Thomas…the church can no longer say, "Silver and gold have I none."

"That is true, your holiness," replied Aquinas but then neither can it now say, "Arise and walk,"

The church had secular and material power but no spiritual authority. (p. 97)