“Listen, sons of the Lord and my brothers, pay attention to my words. Incline the ear of your heart and obey the voice of the Son of God. Observe His commands with your whole heart and fulfill His counsels with a perfect mind. Give praise to Him because He is good; exalt Him by your deeds; for this reason He has sent you into the whole world: that you may bear witness to His voice in word and deed and bring everyone to know that there is no one who is all-powerful except Him. Persevere in discipline and holy obedience and, with a good and firm purpose, fulfill what you have promised Him. The Lord God offers Himself to us as His children.”
Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) in “A Letter to the Entire Order” 116-117 as recounted in Lent and Easter Wisdom from St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi, comp. John V. Kruse (Liguori: Liguori, 2008) 111.
Few in human history lived with the resolve exhibited by Francis of Assisi. This excerpt from “A Letter to the Entire Order” offers at least two significant clues why the Franciscans went on to influence countless people around the world. It drips with Scripture and unswerving commitment!
We can locate at least four verse from God’s Word that echo through his voice: Acts 2:14; Isaiah 55:3; Psalm 136:1; and Hebrews 12:7. Does Scripture flow as readily from your lips and mine? That only happens when we are profoundly familiar with it, which takes an investment of time.
As we begin week three of Lent, consider in prayer the role of Scripture in your life. Do people hear it in your words and see it in your witness? Francis would say to “persevere…with a good and firm purpose” so that people may come to know the Lord! There is no more generous gift we can give them!