Why a Little Portion? Why now?
It won't be easy. But it will be awesome.
It’s the Jubilee Year of Saint Francis. In making this declaration, Pope Leo XIV said, “this Year of St. Francis spurs all of us, each according to our possibilities, to imitate the poor man of Assisi, to form ourselves as far as possible on the model of Christ…may the hope that has seen us as pilgrims now be transformed into zeal and fervour of active charity.”
In this inaugural post, I want to make something clear – for myself and for you: This will not be easy. To follow the example of Saint Francis is not to take a sentimental path; it requires a journeying downward, letting go of our egos, and undergoing a conversion of heart toward God and our neighbors.
As if to make this point, the pope’s decree quotes a letter from Saint Francis:
“And in this I want to know if you love the Lord and love me as his servant and yours, if you will do this, namely, that there may never be a brother in the world who has sinned as much as he could sin, who, after seeing your eyes, goes away without your merciful forgiveness, if he asks for it.”
This sentence sums up Saint Francis’s way.
It starts by calling us to Jesus’s Greatest Commandment: “Love God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul, and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31) Francis calls on his brother to start by “loving the Lord.” Next, he asks for his brother to love Francis as God’s service and theirs. Francis identifies himself primarily as a servant of God and connects this directly to his service toward his brother. Francis provides clear advice but does not seek to situate himself above his brother in any way.
Next, Francis calls us away from judgment. This is one of my greatest spiritual challenges right now. I suspect I’m not alone.
Francis asks us to consider all of humanity, and then to consider someone, “who has sinned as much as he could sin.” With all the crookedness of the human heart, our minds can turn to some dark places if we contemplate what this could really mean. And yet, what is Francis asking us to do? To embody a mercy so full that it can be felt simply by looking into our eyes. Nothing short of a profound spiritual conversion will suffice.
The true path of Francis
To live mercy fully requires a total renovation of our hearts and souls. This last clause is a strong representation of Saint Francis’s aversion toward doing anything halfway.
He did not just abandon his path of becoming a wealthy knight, he gave away all that he had.
He did not just donate funds to help the Lepers; he loved them, lived with them, and served them.
He did not just read the Gospels; he took them literally and reoriented his life around them.
When he assembled a remarkable community of brothers and sisters, Francis did not seek to be their hierarchical leader; he was their brother.
Where we’re going
Francis’s way sounds familiar because it is Jesus’s way. If we confine Saint Francis to the bird bath, the garden, or cute children’s books, we might miss the way that his radical lifestyle turned the world upside down – and can do the same in our lives.
So, Our Little Portion is an opportunity to go deeper. Our name comes from the Portiuncula in Assisi: The church that Saint Francis rebuilt by hand and that became the place from which his movement would grow. Through Saint Francis’s intercession, let’s search our own hearts and courageously ask God what he wants to change. Let’s truly let go of our egos, of our materialism, and of anything that stands between us and God.
I am writing this as someone who has completely figured this out and who can show you the path forward… Just kidding! I am writing as someone who needs these words as much as you do, and who is excited about this opportunity to walk together. We’ll explore many of these themes in much more detail in the months ahead, with experts who can serve as our guides.
Together, we will explore the life of Francis and his companions, learn about the basics of Franciscan spirituality, and hear stories of solidarity that are based on Francis’s example. If we do this right, we’ll learn more about Jesus and his call to us, too.
Earlier this year, I traveled to Assisi to walk in the footsteps of Francis and his companions. I stood inside the Portiuncula or “Little Portion” church that Francis built. I hope that we can build our own little movement together.
Along the way, I want to hear your questions, receive your comments, and field your criticisms. I want to know what you want to learn about and know any questions we can put forward to our experts.
This is not going to be easy. But it’s going to be awesome.
