Living Authentically like St. Francis of Assisi

Do you want to be a saint? Fr. Mark-Mary reminds us that to live like the saints, we must pray like the saints. In this video, he shares how we can pray like St. Francis of Assisi.

At the end of his life, St. Francis dictated a document called “My Testament.” Fr. Mark-Mary explains that this document was his final words to his brothers. St. Francis concludes his writing by telling his brothers “not to place any gloss upon…these words.”

Living Without Gloss

Fr. Mark-Mary explains that by “gloss,” St. Francis means not to water down your prayers and not to filter your Scripture reading with your own interpretations. Instead, we should receive God’s Word as it is. Fr. Mark-Mary says living without gloss means ” responding authentically and wholeheartedly” to God’s call. It means being true to who you are in front of others and God.

“It’s a beautiful virtue to be who you are,” Fr. Mark-Mary says. “Everyone is so worried about what other people think. We spend so much effort putting on a mask.”

How St. Francis Lived Without Authentically

Sharing a story of how St. Francis lived this mantra in his own life, Fr. Mark-Mary talks about a time when it was cold, and St. Francis’s habit needed a patch from being worn down. St. Francis agreed to the patch, but because he wanted to live without gloss, he insisted that they patch the outside and the inside. He didn’t want to hide anything. He wanted everyone to see him for who he is.

Fr. Mark-Mary says we should desire to live with this same freedom. He says, “I propose the grace to live like this is received by praying like St. Francis.” This prayer involves responding to the Lord without lies and receiving his love without expectations. We do this not because it is “easy or convenient” but because we should take the Lord “at his Word.”

How Can We Do This?

One way to live without gloss is to pray and serve God privately. Fr. Mark-Mary says, “When you’re doing something, do it secretly.” Don’t do something so others can see you and rejoice in your accomplishment or good deed. Fr. Mark-Mary reminds us, “Your Father who sees you in secret will reward you.” We should go to a place of intimacy with God, sit with him, and allow him to speak truths to our hearts.

Fr. Mark-Mary finishes his video by saying, “If you want radical freedom, live without gloss. And the grace for that comes from praying like St. Francis.”

St. Francis, pray for us!

View the full video below!

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