It is important for us to remember that Francis, as a young man, was rather self-centered and arrogant. He shared the material goods he had, but this was mainly to gain attention and popularity. His motives were not at all altruistic. 

After his conversion, however, Francis was moved to compassion for people. He embraced a leper, someone he had once found repulsive, and this was the beginning of a new attitude for him. 

Francis especially cared for the brothers. He truly saw himself as a father to them, and his own trust in God as Father inspired his care for those who followed him. He encouraged them to share their needs with him, and he cared for those needs as best he could. 

Francis also taught the brothers that they should care for one another. He wrote in his Rule that if a mother loves and nourishes her physical child, a friar is called to love and care for his spiritual brother with even greater devotion. Brothers should trust each other enough to confide their needs to one another, and if they were truly fraternal, they should stand by one another just as much when he was sick, weak, sinful, or unproductive. 

One last thing that Francis would tell the brothers was to care for themselves. As his life was waning, he expressed regret that he had treated his own body, which he called “brother ass,” so poorly. In this, he was teaching an implicit lesson to balance our ascetical life with our very human needs. 

Care for one another is a universal virtue for Christians. For Francis, fraternity among the brothers held a very important place. 

This week, let us trust in God as Father as Francis did, and let that trust move us to care for one another, and for ourselves, with fraternal devotion.