The Lives of the Saints volumes are filled with the biographies of very special people who chose to follow Christ in simplicity, meekness, and poverty, but none more so than St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis lived 800 years ago, so compared to our standard of living today everyone was living a simple life. After all there was no electricity, automobiles, cell phones, or Internet. But by 1200 A.D. standards, his was not a simple life—but rather a life of luxury. He came from a wealthy family, he liked to party, and sought adventure at every turn. But after experiencing war, imprisonment, and a near-death experience, things began to change for him.

The Scripture passage that St. Francis says truly changed his life is from Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus sends out his disciples to preach that the kingdom of God is near. He tells them not to take gold or silver or copper for their belts, no sack for the journey, nor a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick (Matthew 10:9-10). St. Francis took Jesus’ words literally, and this became the way he dressed and traveled everywhere. He became so enamored with the simple life that a friend once asked him if he would marry. He said, "Yes, a fairer bride than any of you have ever seen," referring to his ‘lady poverty.’

While Jesus may not be calling us to a life of poverty as radical as St. Francis’, we are called to remove whatever barriers we have created between us and God so that we can give freely of ourselves without holding back for fear of losing something. Living simply can mean not letting our stuff and desire for more stuff to possess us completely. Living simply can also mean letting go of our fears and anxieties about security and well-being and trusting in God’s loving care. Living simply can mean really living for the first time.

Another aspect of Francis’ simple living was a deep relationship with and appreciation for God’s creation. When we picture Francis we almost always see him surrounded by birds and animals. In his simple living, Francis was open to receive all the riches of nature. By possessing nothing, he possessed everything that creation had to offer.

Our response to Jesus’ call to live simply must include a healthy respect for nature and the environment. The world is out of balance now, and we wonder why. Yet in the problems we face is held the very answer to our questions. Rampant materialism and consumerism is draining the natural resources of the world—and we sit back and wonder why we have shortages. We are so hungry for energy we would choose to run our cars with fuel made out of grain even if half the world goes hungry because of it. We want to possess the world for our own selfish purposes. This is a huge danger we are facing today. The Compendium of Catholic Social Doctrine says, “the cultural challenge that consumerism poses today must be met with greater resolve, above all in consideration of future generations, who risk having to live in a natural environment that has been pillaged by an excessive and disordered consumerism.” (Section 320) To counteract this destructive pattern we simply must live simply!

Jesus’ teachings are clear. We are called to live simple lives—trusting God, respecting nature, and sharing what we have with those who do not have. I wish I had the courage to do this all of the time!