Today is Monday, the feast day of Saint Francis, and we are making the five-hour drive from Genoa to Assisi. Already, my heart is swelling in anticipation of our arrival. Francis is so much more to me than a historical figure with the title “saint.” He embodies an energy that possesses my soul. I pray that it might also possess my mind, imagination, and will. My goal is not to imitate Francis’ behavior as much as it is to bring his spirit of joy, love, and determination into everything I do. Francis was called to rebuild a crumbling church. In my own small way, I want to spend my life restoring a sense of the sacred in a world that is crumbling because it has forgotten God. This is, I pray, the mission of the Assisi Institute.Brother Francis,
May we, too,
Bring your spirit
Of joy, love, and determination
Into all we do.
My Assisi Journal
