“Whatsoever you do to the least of your brothers and sisters, you do unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)
After receiving visions from God, Francis made his entire life a pursuit of a deeper encounter with Christ. His embodiment of Christ’s words and teachings was greatly manifested through his actions. Legend has it that he once met a leper on a journey and instead of avoiding him, Francis kissed and embraced the outcast. To him, the leper was Jesus incognito.
ST. FRANCIS AND THE LEPER © RANDY GREVE – FLICKR | CC BY 2.0
Rebelling against his father’s wishes to inherit the family business, Francis spent his days seeking wilderness hideouts and quiet churches to pray, as well as nursing the sick, as what Christ would have done. Not long after, he yet again received a strong prompting from God to rebuild the church and lead a live of poverty. Francis was determined to pursue this new radical life of discipleship. In obedience to God, he sold his assets to raise funds for the church which, however, greatly angered his father. When news spread to the local bishop, Francis was instructed to return his father the money he earned. Nevertheless, he expressed his persistence by not only returning the money, but he also stripped himself of his clothing and gave them all back to his father. This notable act symbolised a severance from his old life and the commitment of his new life in Christ.
Read on about how he was a prominent preacher.