Welcome to Franciscan Month 2026
Introduction
The Month of October as a Yearly Month Dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi as Patron of the Environment and Peace in the World
A reflection from Murray Bodo, OFM
In declaring 2026, the year of St. Francis, Pope Leo has once again called attention to the depth and breadth of the world's interest in Saint Francis. In this, the 800th Anniversary year of his death, Francis has emerged as a saint who is as relevant today as he was in his lifetime.
Five Weeks of Living the Gospel
Each week of October is anchored by a theme drawn from the Franciscan tradition — an invitation to reflect, act, and grow .
week i • oct. 1-3
Meeting St. Francis and St. Clare
We begin at the beginning — with the people themselves. Who were Francis and Clare? What drove them to walk away from comfort and toward something radical? This week we encounter them not as statues or icons, but as real human beings who chose a different way.
Discover how St. Francis and St. Clare responded to God's call and followed Jesus with courage, joy, and faith—living the Gospel and often looking to the Virgin Mary as a model of trust and openness to God.
Videos:
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The INSPIRING Life of Saint Francis of Assisi by See U in History / Mythology
Readings:
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Francis: The Journey and the Dream by Murray Bodo
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Clare: A Light in the Garden by Murray Bodo
Reflection:
"A Lifelong Transitus: Embracing the Gospel Like Francis and Clare" by Fr. Marc Sheckells, OFM
The year is 1226. A young man named Francis of Assisi is enduring the difficult experience of dying. Years of illness, hardship, and travel had made him weak. Nearly blind and depending significantly on his brothers, he asks them to lay him on the bare ground near the small chapel of the Portiuncula. The community gathers around him to pray and sing. This moment is Francis's Transitus, his passage from earthly life to eternal life.
week ii • oct. 4-10
Opening Our Hearts to God's Love
Francis' entire life was a response to being loved. This week we slow down and open ourselves — to prayer, to silence, to the experience of being known and held. The Franciscan way begins not with doing, but with receiving.
Discover how St. Francis and St. Clare responded to God's love by growing in forgiveness, gratitude, and inner peace — following the example of Jesus.
Readings:
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The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12), a series of blessings spoken by Jesus at the opening of the Sermon on the Mount, describing the values of God's Kingdom and the character of its citizens
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Nourishing Love: A Franciscan Celebration of Mary by Murray Bodo
Reflection:
"In the Plan All Along: John Duns Scotus and the Primacy of Christ" by Denise Clare, OFS
Once upon a time, there lived a man from Duns, Scotland who, as the story goes, was a fan of pointy hats, which he believed funneled knowledge into the brain. These hats became popular among his followers, known as “Dunsmen,” as they signified high intelligence. By the mid-1500s, 250 years after the Scotsman’s death, his ideas were considered overly complex – and his followers were thought to be terribly behind the times. Their once-fashionable hats came to be known as “dunce caps” and viewed as symbols of foolishness rather than intelligence.
week iii • oct. 11-17
Caring for the Earth, Our Sacred Home
Francis called the sun his brother and the moon his sister. His Canticle of the Creatures is one of the earliest and most beautiful expressions of care for creation. This week we explore what it means to live in right relationship with the earth — and with each other.
Discover how St. Francis and St. Clare recognized all of creation as a gift from God and lived with gratitude, humility, and care for the Earth—our shared home—following the example of Jesus.
Video:
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Canticle of Creation by Simon de Voil
Readings:
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Visit the Laudato Si’ Action Platform
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Study Guide for Laudato Si’ by The Interfranciscan Commission for Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation
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On the Care for our Common Home: Group Reading Guide to Laudato Si' by Bill Huebsch
Reflection:
"Making Transitus with a Crucified Creation" by Br. Jimmy Kernan, OFM
As we celebrate the 800th Anniversary of the Transitus, the death and passage of St. Francis to eternal life, I am reminded of the 2015 people’s pastoral written by the Catholic Committee of Appalachia, The Telling Takes Us Home: Taking Our Place in the Stories that Shape Us. In one section titled “Practicing Resurrection in Crucified Places”, the writers of the document put it quite bluntly, “We crucify Earth and each other in many ways."
week iv • oct. 18-24
Living the Gospel Through Compassion
Francis kissed the leper. Clare stood at the window with a monstrance and turned away an army. Compassion in the Franciscan tradition is not sentimental — it is demanding, courageous, and transformative. This week we ask how we are called to go toward what is difficult.
Discover how St. Francis and St. Clare lived the Gospel through compassion, forgiveness, and love—following Jesus by bringing healing, reconciliation, and kindness to others. "If you forgive others..." (Matthew 6:14)
Video:
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Saint Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio: A Miracle of Peace by A Saint Once Said
Readings:
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The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi, preface by Valentine Long
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Mercy in Padre Pio by Stefano Campanella
Reflection:
"Living the Gospel with Compassion: A Franciscan Perspective" by Christopher Leone, OFS
To live the Gospel from a Franciscan perspective is to allow the words and actions of Jesus to become visible in daily life. The Gospel is not only something to be studied, preached, or admired; it is something to be embodied. For Saint Francis of Assisi, following Christ meant choosing a way of life shaped by humility, simplicity, mercy, and compassion.
week v • oct. 25-31
Living Simply with God: Purpose and Service
We close the month where Francis would have us: in simplicity, in service, and in joy. Not the simplicity of deprivation, but the freedom that comes from wanting less and loving more. What does it mean to live with purpose — and to carry that into every ordinary day of the year?
Discover how St. Francis and St. Clare lived simply and served others with love—following Jesus by finding purpose in caring for those in need and trusting in God. "Let each one love and care..." — St. Francis
Readings:
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Learning to Live Simply by Sue Erschen
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Live Like Francis: Reflections on Franciscan Life in the World by Jovian Weigel and Leonard Foley
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Eager to Love: The Alternative Way of Francis of Assisi by Richard Rohr
Reflection:
"Why Does the Idea of Living Simply Sometimes Seem So Complicated?" by Sr. Susanna, OSC
For Francis, following Christ and living simply meant living with singleness of purpose, in union with God and all creation, and with humility. Sounds straightforward, right? Intellectually, we can understand the synergy between simple living and service: each strengthens and completes the other. Indeed, the Franciscan way of Gospel living has attracted countless people for over eight hundred years.
Building a World of Kinship
The thread running through all five weeks is the vision of a world of kinship — recognizing our connectedness within our common home. One family in solidarity and community, fraternitas, and harmony in the spirit of Francis and Clare. This is not merely a theme for October. It is an invitation to a way of life.
Franciscan Month celebrates the Franciscan way of life, educates others about this way, and offers a prayerful perspective on living Franciscan in today’s world.
“I entreat all my friars, ministers, and subjects to put away every attachment, all care and solicitude, and serve, love, honor, and adore our Lord and God with a pure heart and mind.”
