Give up everything and do a St Francis?

[PraRFLEsEkHm]

Peace to All.

Darin, I was especially pleased - and, now troubled again - by your post. As I had ALMOST convinced myself that that calling was not, COULD not, be valid…

Although the answers to this post SEEM to make sense…on the surface anyway - most of them also seem to disregard the Power of God to fulfill His will.

I too have been feeling that pull, and, after seeing your post, and checking in on the Franciscans of the Primitive order - have found that I am NOT alone.

Perhaps, then, God IS renewing His call to ‘Fix My Church’ in this day and age…calling for ALL to return to the Gospel - as it IS…rather than how we would LIKE it to be. “Sell all that you have, take up your cross, and follow Me”…and, too maybe…He is saying through that call “Lean NOT to your own understanding of My Word, but follow what is PLAINLY written…FIRST, for - God is the SAME…yesterday, today, and forever…”

If He wanted that from us THEN…why WOULDN’T He want that from us NOW? God DOES NOT change…WE DO - and usually AWAY from Him and His will - because we want an easier softer way to Him…one without real sacrifice, without real hardships, and also - then - without His Power working through us - not JUST in us - THROUGH us…affecting change throughout the world - just as it was in the beginnings of the Church. The Apostles CHANGED THE WHOLE WORLD! The seemingly simple act of Paul going to Rome…changed the face of Europe FOREVER…bringing the light of Christianity to them…and so…to us as well.

the only thing God changes is the heart of us sinners - everything else He is inflexible in…including what he wants, and will accept from us - once that has taken place. We are here to serve Him…not to drag Him along with us where WE want to go - and then cry and ask - “Where are you?” when he doesn’t give us what we expect!

I’ve always felt that if I were to just BE IN HIM…as He is in me - fully and completely dedicated to Him - then the Literal Truths of the Bible would once again be made manifest on this earth…as it is written…“Greater works than these shall you do in my name, and for the Glory of God”

If you wish, please PM me, and we can discuss this in more detail…I am very interested in keeping up with you, and perhaps joining with you in this…
Peace

 

[PraRFLEsEkHm]

Peace to all

Another Saint of this era would be Padre Pio. Franciscan also, by the way

 

[DarinHamel]

Thanks,
I was feeling pretty alone. I wasn’t exactly expecting to encounter hostility from my fellow catholics for doing what St Francis did. Back in his time it was just as extreme a decision with all the same naysayers.
Darin

 

[nobody]

I’m reading GK Chesterton’s book on St. Francis of Assisi, and came to this part that reminded me of this thread, so I wanted to post it here:

“That we all depend, in every detail, at every instant, as a Christian would say upon God, as even an agnostic would say upon existence and the nature of things, is not a illusion of imagination; on the contrary, it is the fundamental fact which we cover up, as with curtains, with the illusion of ordinary life. That ordinary life is an admirable thing in itself, just as imagination is an admirable thing in itself. But it is much more the ordinary life that is made of imagination than the contemplative life. He who has seen the whole world hanging on a hair of the mercy of God has seen the truth; we might almost say the cold truth.”

Also, this is the classic Martha and Mary. Martha is jealous of Mary - Jesus says that Mary has chosen the better part. Both Martha and Mary end up saints. “Marthas” are the hands, “Marys” are the heart, we are all one body.

Enough of my rambling.

From a jealous Martha.

 

[DarinHamel]

It is tough waiting for next year. I want to go St Francis right now but have been told to wait. So I will wait.