After his encounter with the leper, when Francis embraced and kissed him, his life continued to change in profound ways. His trust in God deepened steadily as he was drawn closer to the vocation for which we now remember him.  

Even before this decisive moment, however, there were signs of the trust Francis would need to find his order. After returning from captivity, he still entertained dreams of honor and glory in battle. Yet, those ambitions began to mingle with a growing call to leave everything behind and follow Christ. Though it would take time for that call to be realized, his friends noticed that he had become distant and distracted. They would remark that Francis must be very deeply in love. “Yes,” he would reply, “I am going to take a wife more beautiful and worthy than any you know.” He was speaking of Lady Poverty.  

In our modern world, poverty is rarely regarded as a virtue. It is often seen as a sign that people cannot “make it in the world.” Francis, however, would come to show that voluntary poverty can be a powerful expression of trust in God’s goodness and care. By desiring nothing worldly for himself, he relied entirely on the Lord to provide what he needed. 

This week, let us consider what attachments may be holding our trust. May we learn from Francis to hold worldly things lightly and to rely more fully on God’s faithful care.