Principles Day 11 – The Good Life

Day Eleven — The Third Aim (continued)

Although we possess property and earn money to support ourselves and our families, we show ourselves true followers of Christ and of Saint Francis by our readiness to live simply and to share with others. We recognise that some of our members may be called to a literal following of Saint Francis in a life of extreme simplicity. All of us, however, accept that we avoid luxury and waste, and regard our possessions as being held in trust for God.

I find myself heartachingly weighed down

with all the clutter of this modern life. 

I dare not take a short walk into town 

without some talismans to keep me safe:

keys, smart phone, money. Be Prepared! – if not,

just think what dire disasters lie ahead:

a sunset left unsnapped, a cake unbought,

a meeting left untweeted, text unread. 

St Francis stripped off, threw the gold coins down,

and free from clutter walked through his new life

in rough and ready robe from town to town, 

without desire to stay well fed or safe. 

God grant that we too, might learn how

to turn from future fears, and live the now. 

Principles Day 12 – A New Attitude

Day 12 – The third aim: to live simply

Personal spending is limited to what is necessary for our health and well-being and that of our dependents. We aim to stay free from all attachments to wealth, keeping ourselves aware of the poverty in the world and its claim on us. We are concerned more for the generosity that gives all, rather than the value of poverty in itself. In this way we reflect in spirit the acceptance of Jesus’ challenge to sell all, give to the poor and follow him.


My latest purchase – oh, the joy it brings –
a joy that never lasts. It's not enough.
An empty heart cannot be filled with things,
but only love: I will not worship Stuff.
I will not hug my treasure chest to me,
be Scrooge, or Silas Marner with my gold:
fling wide the lid! And throw away the key –
a locked chest makes the heart grow stale and cold.
What joys our lavish, reckless maker shares:
fresh water; Ave Verum; birds at dawn;
electric cars; wind farms; well-crafted chairs;
a fox in sunshine basking on our lawn.
We prize them when this truth is understood:
God saw all God had made, and it was good.

Principles Day 25 – Love is patient and kind

Day Twenty-five – The Second Note of the Order, love

Jesus said, ‘I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ (John 13.34-35) Love is the distinguishing feature of all true disciples of Christ who wish to dedicate themselves to him as his servants. 

Love is patient, likes to watch things grow
at their own pace. Friendship, seeded by chance
becomes a sacred grove where we may go
for shelter and delight; and children dance
to life's unfolding rhythms as they learn
that there's a time to rest, a time to run,
a time to wait, a time to take your turn.
Love keeps no score of wrongs; it feels the pain
both of unmeant and of deliberate slights,
but will not let the dross of them congeal
and clog the soul, or plague with restless nights.
Love blesses what we do and what we feel:
a light in darkness, bridge across the abyss,
a father lifting up, a mother's kiss.

Coals of fire – Principles Day 9

Day Nine — The Second Aim (continued)

As Tertiaries, we are prepared not only to speak out for social justice and international peace, but to put these principles into practice in our own lives, cheerfully facing any scorn or persecution to which this may lead.


Do I dare throw my hat into the ring?
Will I be ridiculed? Will I be heard?
Will all my thoughts and passions seem absurd?
Amidst that market place of dogmas, echoing
With talk of hope and threats of reckoning,
When boundaries between right and wrong are blurred,
Why should the punters take me at my word?
Dare I presume my speech is anything?

Yet that’s not right. It’s time to cast off fear.
When angels touch your lips with burning coal
And fire for justice catches in your soul,
Dread of rejection starts to disappear:
When words and deeds form one harmonious whole
Then those with ears to hear will surely hear.

Perfect Love – Principles Day 7

Day Seven — The Second Aim
: To spread the spirit of love and harmony. 
The Order sets out, in the name of Christ, to break down barriers between people and to seek equality for all. We accept as our second aim the spreading of a spirit of love and harmony among all people. We are pledged to fight against the ignorance, pride, and prejudice that breed injustice or partiality of any kind.


Unclean! The angry cry rings down the years

wrenched from some primal instinct of disgust. 

Our bodies need to learn which foods to trust

and which to shun, but somehow healthy fears

of germs and toxins turn to hateful sneers

against outsiders, and we deem it just

to spurn the unclean other; feel we must

stay safe and pure, protect the Church frontiers. 

When Francis felt his gorge rise at the sight

of lepers begging, what he learned was this:

no child of God’s unclean. And with a kiss

what once was bitter turned to sweet delight. 

The Gospel message that we need to hear

with him is: Perfect love casts out all fear. 

I would like to acknowledge that I got the idea of the disgust instinct leading to an irrational fear of outsiders from Richard Beck’s book, ‘Unclean: meditations on purity, hospitality and morality’ (Cascade Books 2011) which I heartily recommend.

Preach without ceasing – Principles Day 6

Day Six — The First Aim (continued)

The primary aim for us as Tertiaries is therefore to make Christ known. This shapes our lives and attitudes to reflect the obedience of those whom our Lord chose to be with him and sent out as his witnesses. Like them, by word and example, we bear witness to Christ in our own immediate environment and pray and work for the fulfilment of his command to make disciples of all nations.

I passed a fervent preacher in the street:
dark suit, dark Bible, darker words as he
assailed the shoppers who tried not to meet
his fierce, judgmental eyes. But how are we
to make Christ known and loved in all the earth?
'Preach without ceasing, and if need arise
use words.' And all our words are nothing worth
unless we greet and meet with loving eyes
the folk whose paths we cross. St Francis danced
and sang, embraced and shared his bread with those
he met. And some poured scorn, and some, entranced,
saw Jesus' love reflected in his gaze.
Knowing we're loved, may we like Francis show
the Father's love; let living water flow.

Money, sex and power – Principles Day 4

Day Four – The Object (continued)

When Saint Francis encouraged the formation of the Third Order he recognised that many are called to serve God in the Spirit of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience in everyday life (rather than a literal acceptance of these principles as in the vows of the Brothers and Sisters of the First and Second Orders). The Rule of the Third Order is intended to enable the duties and conditions of daily life to be carried out in this spirit.

Set free in Lady Poverty's embrace
our Father Francis set us an example
of how to meet the challenges we face;
but living simple lives is rarely simple.
Those raucous sirens, money, sex and power
distract us from the Dove's more gentle voice,
and tempt us to postpone another hour
our promised aim of taking up the cross.

Come down, O Love divine, and help us learn
the beauty of desire set free from lust;
wealth given, wanting nothing in return;
communities of service, built on trust.
Give us anew, most holy Trinity
the spirit of divine simplicity.

Naked Spirituality - a pre-response to Brian McLaren

When I wrote this I had just bought Brian McLaren's book with that title and thought I would write in response to the title before reading it.

Naked before God, like St Francis.

Stripped of burdens, but also of shields.

A life without iphone - how can that be!

No piano, guitar, or desk or pen,

but still with my mind, my voice, my me.

Does that give me the right to be here at all?

So let's go further: increase the pain –

no job, no degrees, no role in life.

Who's left? A puzzled man, and scared,

but still loved by family, friends and wife.

Does that give me the right to be here at all?

And I think I can see where this road will end,

the road of Job, an earthly hell.

A man without contacts, health or home –

am I still me? Do I have a soul?

What gives me the right to be here at all?

And now, standing naked, alone, bereft,

my identity gone, my being unfurled –

only now do I see how utterly much

my faith was wrapped up in the things of this world.

What makes me think I am here at all?

And now, can I muster the courage to be?

Is ‘God’s child’ an empty phrase in my mind?

Yet one flash of hope breaks as now I see

that God too stands naked, and undefined –

freed from my cleverness, culture and creeds,

is the future the greatest adventure of all?

First thoughts on St Francis

The little man stands before the crowd

as his father raves and rants in fury:  

'This son – disgraceful, wasteful son –

refusing his father's reasonable demands,

adding nothing to the family coffers,

stealing to fund his ridiculous schemes. 

Useless soldier, no head for business,

bringing shame to Pietro di Bernadone, 

who twice sent him out in the brightest armour,

and would clothe him in finest purple silk

if only he'd take his allotted place,

the next strong branch in the family tree.'

But the crowd and the kindly, worried bishop,

no longer attend to the spluttering man,

for his son has quietly cast off his clothes,

which lie, with the gold, at his father's feet,

and the bishop is offering his cloak to the man,

impressed by the soul but unnerved by the flesh. 

The father's rage flares at this new outrage. 

'Damn his eyes! Damn his belly, his buttocks, his mouth!

Let him freeze, let him rot, get him out of my sight!'

And the little man leaves in a borrowed cloak,

seeking his place in a different world.

Written in response to Howard Worsley TSSF, who led a course at Lee Abbey on St Francis in the 21st century, and inspired me to investigate becoming a member of the Third Order.