by Claudia Windal

Created on: September 27, 2010

Francis of Assisi's essential spirituality was that of all creation being equal in the eyes of God. This is not how Francis was raised in that he was born into a wealthy family and stood to inherit his father's successful material business. In his youth, Francis wanted for nothing. When he announced his desire to become a soldier, his family purchased all that he would need in battle, and young Francis left home to fight in the Crusades. There he was wounded and returned to Assisi, a humbled and broken young man. When he recovered, he rejoined his social circle of friends who partied and flirted to their hearts content. One day, Francis passed by a leper who was begging for alms. Francis was repulsed but could not take his off this young man. Finally, Francis dismounted and shared some of his food with the beggar. That action began a total rethinking of his place in life and society and that this beggar was equal to Francis in the eyes of God.

As if directly confirming his experience with the beggar, Francis one day visited the crumbling chapel of San Damiano. The only thing that had been left intact was the crucifix. Francis sat before the crucifix and the Christ spoke to him entreating him to "rebuild by church." Taking this command literally, Francis began stone by stone, to rebuild San Damiano. As he did, he realized that the Christ was calling him to conversion. The church that Jesus spoke about was comprised of individual beggars, lepers, woman, wounded, angry, lonely, unchurched, women and men who needed to know the visible presence of Jesus in their world. Francis was called by the Christ to be that presence as he reached out to everyone he met with a spirit of equality and relationship.

Francis realized that the life he had lead up to this time was contradictory to the revelation he had at San Damiano. His very father employed men, women and children paying them less that the very basic wage and providing them no time for themselves and/or their families. All his father cared about was that they work ceseasely so that he might live a life of luxuary. He went to his father's business and in a public place denounced his father and committed himself to walking with the poor. Those his father was livid, promising to disown Francis, Francis went away to live the command that he had received from Christ.

Soon, Francis was surrounded by others who chose to follow the Christ as he did. As small but growing community emerged. In addition, a young wealthy woman

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