WordBytes of Franciscan Moments

Insights from the World Around Us

We all have Franciscan Moments, when we gain insights or new spiritual growth from examples in the world around us. St. Francis of Assisi was especially gifted in this. When he meditated, he learned a lot from Brother Sun and Sister Moon and from all of nature around him. He saw spiritual lessons in everything.

A Franciscan Moment can happen with anything around us. It doesn’t have to be in nature. Today, we have technology and other man-made creations in our environment, and God can use any of it to teach us lessons.

The picture of St. Francis you see on this page shows him preaching to the birds, with his back to someone who has refused to listen to his spiritual wisdom. Because the townspeople rejected the truth, St. Francis has left the town, entered the woods, and begun preaching to the birds, for he cannot keep God’s wisdom to himself. He will preach to whomever listens. The birds are paying close attention — better than the people did! There is even a bird flying in to join the crowd, drawn by the message he has heard on the winds.

May we listen like those birds.

• Why sawing wood on a hot summer day isn’t as bad as you think
• How cabbage can teach us to love or enemies
• How drought produces new growth
• God is the admin of a huge computer system
• God puts on a really great show
• The light of Christ revealed on rust and dew drops
• What is the Meaning of the Tau? (St. Francis’ Cross)