September 5 – Francis and Clare: Living Prophecy
Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words. St. Francis
Gregg’s Reflection
Soon after we married, Genie and I saw a movie called Brother Sun, Sister Moon about Francis and Clare. I was taken, and it sparked a deep yearning in me to see a spiritual path so compelling unfold. Their lives modeled something that felt deeply authentic, a way of faith stripped of pretense and filled with the presence of Christ.
Francis of Assisi, the son of a wealthy merchant, was changed by suffering, captivity, and a vision of Christ calling him to rebuild the church. He walked away from wealth, kissed the leper, and discovered joy in simplicity and kinship with creation. His followers became known as Franciscans. Clare of Assisi followed him, renouncing her family’s privilege to live in radical devotion and humility, founding the order of the Poor Clares.
Their prophetic power did not come from sermons or authority but from embodying the gospel in their lives. They critiqued a broken world not with condemnation but by showing a different possibility — a life of joy, peace, and simplicity. Their witness still echoes today, asking us whether our lives, not only our words, reveal Christ’s love to the world.
Scripture
Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
Matthew 11:9
Ancient Quotes
Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.
St. Francis of Assisi
They say and they do not. But the true servant of Christ imitates his Lord, both in word and deed.
St. Clare of Assisi, Letters to Agnes of Prague
Modern Quotes
Jesus seems to have taken every possible opportunity of getting away to a quiet and lonely place for prayer and reflection… What interests us here is the powerfully simple way in which prophecy and mysticism form an inseparable whole in the life and spirituality of Jesus.
Albert Nolan, Jesus Today: A Spirituality of Radical Freedom, p. 72
Prophets are never mainstream. They hold a completely different vision of life… They are always disturbingly different, always stirring up the consciousness of those left behind.
Joan Chittister, The Time is Now: A Call to Uncommon Courage
Journaling Prompts
- Where in your life might God be calling you to simplify?
- How could embracing humility or poverty of spirit free you to love more deeply?
- What prophetic witness might your life offer without a single word spoken?
- How might Francis and Clare’s example shape your choices today?
Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 36 Reflection: Prophetic Voice