Books on St. Francis

Inspired by the vision of St. Francis, we commit ourselves to the Gospel as our way of life.

Our world view is centered in Christ, we see Jesus Christ as the beginning, the way and the goal of all creation. This world vision reveals to us a God who is Father and a life which is love. This demands of us a life as brothers and sisters of all people and of creation.

We are on a pilgrimage, trying to reach our Father, trying to live a life of love. We have not yet arrived; we are sinners, but we are called to be saints.

As sinners, weak human beings, we must undergo a continuing conversion, returning always to the Father as prodigal sons and daughters. Christ was poor and Christ was crucified; we seek to share in his poorness and in his suffering. We further commit ourselves to the service of the poor.

In making our way through life, we are guided more by simplicity, humility and littleness rather than by power, prestige and status.

Like Christ, like Francis, we seek to become instruments of peace, peacemakers. Acknowledging the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit, we declare our loyalty to the Church in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation with her ministers and shepherds.

We are conscious of our obligation to share in the life and mission of the Church. We are lay apostles called by Christ to continue his work on earth. Our life and our spirituality however, are characteristically secular, in the world and for the world.

Joy sustains our lives, fulfills our living, we seek the same for others.

To achieve all this is difficult; hence we declare our need for Christ’s Eucharist, for personal, communal and liturgical prayer.1969 Assisi Third Order Congress