ST FRANCIS IN THE PRESENT

St Francis affected the past in a very influential way - so how has he impacted the present?

How he affected religion

St Francis affected the Christian church by contributing and helping everyone in the Catholic church in a positive way. St Francis had helped a leper which affected the community because it showed how much compassion he had for his community and the people he was surrounded with.

After doing that he had a second calling telling him to repair the Christian church and took this mission very literally and went to repair the church. He sold his father's cloth for money to get supplies, then decided he would rather live as a poor person instead of having a rich life with his father. This was the beginning of a change in lifestyle for Francis who before his visions, had had a privileged life that involved partying and drinking. Francis knew that his calling impacted the Church as well, and he also knew that this calling could and would change history forever.

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Without Saint Francis, the Church would probably still be the way it was

St Francis knew that he had to take a stand to the greed and corruption that the Catholic Church of the 13th Century. Without St Francis, no one would have interpreted Jesus' task for Francis the way Francis did.

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Francis created a better sense of appreciation

St Francis was a steward for creation, meaning that he considered the environment around him and knew what he had to do in order to preserve the environment. While we have only just recently realised what we are doing to creation, St Francis knew that the Church needed to take action.

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Francis set in stone the morals of the Church

Francis tried to persuade individuals living in Assisi and nearby areas that the Church's morals had changed and had been restored to its former glory. Francis wanted others to recognise that the Church could be the way it was meant to be.

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The Franciscan Charism

Francis called us to live by the Holy Spirit and the Gospels to live alongside Jesus and to live through his life, his sacrifices, and achievements as the Son of God.