Rule 12

Witnessing to the good yet to come and obliged to acquire purity of heart because of the vocation they have embraced, they should set themselves free to love God and their brothers and sisters.

Simple living, without adornments, sets our hearts free to embrace out vocation, and to love our sisters and brothers without limits. Loving God and neighbor is what Franciscan life is all about. When a Secular Franciscan stops at nothing, to help another person, then we are truly set free in our love for God.

This love for neighbor has to come from the heart. There are no conditions and codicils, the love we should have is a spontaneous love, similar to the love of a child. A child doesn't look about him to examine what it costs him/her to love... and neither should we adults. Found in Mt 10:7-10a, "As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick." - Without cost you have received, without cost you are to give...

Again, when you live simply, and most of us are very far away from that, I know I am - we can really love God and our sisters and brothers as we love ourselves.

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5-10-2008