St. Francis "use words if needed"

[Jim_Baur]

Did St. Francis say this?

Did anyone say it before him?

THANKS!!!

 

[Boulder257]

What is the real story then. I have heard so many versions of what transpired that led to this quote that I am very interested in what really happened.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Great. Except that they are wrong. Sort of. Father Francis did not say exactly this. What he said was (from the Rule of 1221):

In Chapter XVII of his Rule of 1221, Francis told the friars not to preach unless they had received the proper permission to do so. Then he added, “Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds.”

Pretty much the same, no?

 

[dmar198]

Did anyone say it before him?

A similar piece of advice was suggested by St. Peter in 1 Pet. 3:1: " Likewise you wives, be submissive to your husbands, so that some, though they do not obey the word, may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives."

It’s the same idea of evangelizing through our behavior instead of the spoken word.

 

[Boulder257]

Here is the story I have heard and I am sure it is urban legend:

St. Francis and another brother walked into a town to preach the gospel. As they walked through the town they visited with people, talked with the poor and sick, and were kind to every one they saw. After leaving the town the brother asked St. Francis “when are we going to preach to them” and St. Francis answered, “We just did.”

Just goes to show how many stories there are out there about this one commonly known/used phrase. I doubt we will ever find the origin, but if someone knows PLEASE share it with me!

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

I get your point. But citing a misrepresentation of what Francis meant/said is not an argument against what he really said.

His meaning, I am pretty sure, is basically: it is good (even laudable) to talk the talk, but only if you also walk the walk.

I admit that what he actually said makes far, far better sense than what he was supposed to have said. What he was supposed to have said is a dumbed down, smarmy version of what he really said. But it isn’t awful. It, like any only one sentence taken out of context, can certainly be misunderstood. That, however, is the fault of the too selective reader, not St. Francis.

 

[Jim_Baur]

THANKS!!!

I will keep watching this.

THANKS!

 

[Bruised_Reed]

Great. Except that they are wrong. Sort of. Father Francis did not say exactly this. What he said was (from the Rule of 1221):

Pretty much the same, no?

That’s how I’ve understood it.

No disrespect to Dr. Hahn but I would expect what he said from an apologist. (Ifinish my thought below…)

. . . and here is the Peter Herbeck article

renewalministries.net/files/newsletters/january_2014_newsletter_web.pdf

Go to page two and find:

I think most Catholics have heard this quote at
one time or another. It’s the line we as Catholics
like to use when speaking about evangelization. As
you probably know, it is attributed to St. Francis.
There is a double irony in using this phrase.
First, St. Francis never said it, and second, it is
often used to imply that somehow St. Francis only
rarely found it “necessary to use words.” The saint’s
approach to preaching couldn’t be further from
the truth. St. Francis loved to preach:
“He filled all the earth with Christ’s Gospel,
so that often in one day he would make the
circuit of four or five villages or even towns
preaching to everyone the Gospel of the
Kingdom of God: and, edifying his hearers
not less by his example than by his words,
he had made a tongue of his whole body.”

(
First Life of St. Francis, Thomas of Celano,

Chapter IV, #97)

I suppose people might interpret it as a cop out from “preaching” but if I have an opportunity to preach but I have a reputation of being jerk, my preaching isn’t going to mean very much.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

I suppose people might interpret it as a cop out from “preaching” but if I have an opportunity to preach but I have a reputation of being jerk, my preaching isn’t going to mean very much.

Exactly.

 

[Jim_Baur]

The reason I asked was Mother Therese said the scientists are always trying to show that God was (that is close to a direct quote). She said that it is love that demonstrates God existence.

I was studying the Gospel of St. John and Jesus says: “if you do not believe me, believe the works that I do.”

THANKS!

I will continue watching. THANKS!!!

 

[InspiritCarol]

At first I thought you were sewing sour grapes, but, no, you’re absolutely right.

So it occurs to me that in order to preach the gospel with or without words, one must first know it. And that, my friends is where we are so sorely lacking these days. Not because we don’t hear it in Church; but because it isn’t written in our hearts.

Seriously. How many people reduce the Gospel to the “golden rule”: “Love your neighbor as yourself”; but entirely leave off the first part: “Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the Law? Jesus answered:Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.”
Matthew 22:36-39

Or know “The truth shall set you free” but leave off: "Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

I could go on.

Hey, and thanks for setting the record straight *again *about St. Francis.