Following St. Francis of Assisi

Kyle Kramer
Sep 3
2 min read

Updated: Sep 24

On October 4, the Church celebrates the feast day of one of its most beloved saints, Francis of Assisi. St. Francis has always been popular among Christians but all the more so now since our charismatic pope has not only taken the name Francis but has also, in so many ways, walked in his footsteps.

St. Francis is known as the patron of the environment, and statues bearing his likeness perch over the gardens or yards of many parishes and devout families. I care deeply for God’s creation, and I’ve always had a special devotion to St. Francis. I love his beautiful nature poetry, and I’m charmed by stories about how he preached to the birds or tamed the ravenous wolf that terrorized the Italian village of Gubbio.

It’s easy to see St. Francis as a happy-go-lucky, saccharine saint who benignly blesses birds, bees, and believers. If we stop there, though, that version of St. Francis could likely relegate environmental concerns to a fashionable pastime for those who have the leisure and money (or guilt) to trouble themselves.

As I see it, a more powerful reason to honor St. Francis as the patron of ecology is because he took a radical step away from luxury, status, and security—and toward poverty, humility, and radical trust in God. He showed us a different way to live, and that way is at odds with our have-it-all consumer culture, which is busy destroying our world in order to provide us the luxuries and comforts we’ve grown used to (if we have means), and which we may even feel we deserve at any cost.

St. Francis didn’t live his life of renunciation with gritted teeth and iron-willed discipline. He may not have been as happy-go-lucky as he’s often portrayed, but I don’t think he was dour, either. For him, a simple life was a love affair: he fell madly in love with Lady Poverty, and this love led him to a life of deep and abiding joy and solidarity with others, even amid hard- ship and challenge.

If we’re ever going to really address the root causes of our world’s environmental problems, we’re going to have to take a long, hard look at our lifestyles. That’s not easy, but St. Francis can show us the way: a way not only of good stewardship, but of abundant blessings, too.

A New Perspective

1. A great way to honor St. Francis and the environment is to take the St. Francis Pledge at catholicclimatecovenant.org.

2. To simplify your possessions, try this: for a specific period of time—maybe a

week or a month—get rid of two things you own for every one nonfood item you purchase.

3. Memories last a lifetime and take up no room in your

house or in a landfill. Spend your money on experiences instead of more stuff.