When I was a young girl, I attended Catholic elementary school (yes, complete with plaid uniform, oxford shoes, and nuns). I remember in first grade, one of the first orders of business was assigning each of us students a patron saint. The selection was based entirely on our first names, and would stay with us as we progressed through each grade; our responsibility was to learn more about our saint through various projects, and share their life story with the class.
I was assigned St. Francis of Assisi (1181/1182 – October 3, 1226). After my 6-year-old self got over the initial irritation of not getting a “girl saint,” I realized how lucky I was. While other kids were dealing with heavy issues like persecution and martyrdom, my saint was known for wandering the forest and talking to animals. Score!
It was decades later before I realized the true fortuitousness of this assignment—and began to wonder how much it had actually influenced my life. For St. Francis of Assisi wasn’t just sitting around chatting with birds and chipmunks; he was one of the earliest and foremost proponents of voluntary simplicity.
Francis was born into a life of privilege, the son of a wealthy Italian cloth merchant. His early years were carefree, and full of the worldly pleasures consistent with the prosperous class of which he was part. As a young man, though, he became disillusioned with this life; and on a business trip to Rome, decided to exchange his sumptuous clothes with that of a beggar. From then on, much to his father’s ire, he embraced the poor and destitute, distributing his wealth freely to them. Eventually, he renounced his inheritance, and went out into the world to preach with only the clothes on his back.
Within a year, Francis had eleven followers and founded a new religious order: the Friars Minor, or Franciscan Order. They earned their food with manual labor, never touching money or accepting more than they needed. They had no possessions, and preached a simple doctrine of voluntary poverty, and love for all living creatures. (Francis felt it was man’s duty to protect all nature—thereby earning him the role as patron saint of the environment as well.) What’s truly remarkable: Francis lived this life of simplicity and spread his message with such joy that, after eleven years, his following numbered 50,000 men and women!
As a minimalist, I consider St. Francis to be a personal role model. Granted, I fall far short of his ideal—for example, I still feel compelled to have a financial cushion, and find it hard to trust that the universe would provide for me if I let everything go. However, I am eternally grateful for the lesson I learned from him early on: that true joy isn’t found in money or material goods, but in giving freely to others and living with less.
If you’re also inspired by Francis’s story, here’s five ways that following in his footsteps can help with your decluttering:
1. Be generous. Give your stuff away, realizing that someone else may need it more than you do. Why let something sit in your closet, unused and unloved, when it can make another person’s day? (Need ideas on where to send it? Here’s 101 places to donate your stuff.)
2. Embrace “just enough.” You don’t have to give up all your possessions and wander the world barefoot; but it’s very liberating to reject excess, and live with only what you truly need.
3. March to your own drummer. Francis took a lot of flack from his friends and family for giving up his material wealth. Similarly, don’t be afraid of what others may think of your minimalism—you don’t need to own a couch, TV, or houseful of tchotchkes just because your peers expect you to.
4. Celebrate nature. When you find pleasure in the natural world (taking a walk, going to the park, growing a garden), you’ll have much less need for commercial entertainment and its accessories.
5. Be an example. Francis inspired others not just by words, but by “walking the walk.” If you want to gently nudge your partner or kids onto a more minimalist path, lead by example; when they see the joy you find in a newly-decluttered space, they may very well follow suit and embrace the idea of paring down.
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
Awesome. Superb. I shall re-read this comment time and time again. Well done Francine. Thank you.
I meant “post”, not “comment”. One is a bit elderly… ;-)
Wonderful, inspiring post. Truly a gem :) (Even though I think saying that the Universe provides for us is not quite right, I believe it is God who does.)
I for one am thankful she used the word “Universe”. I am not religious and find many simple living websites to be preachy – and I want to thank Francine for broaching the subject in as neutral a manner as possible. We have a lot to learn from the multitude of minimalists from all religions – including those that no longer exist (a number of Native American religions for example) – without interjecting their religiosity into the equation.
Completely agree, Katie.
Yes indeed. It is God who provides for us. There are many who know it but feel uncomfortable saying it. I’m glad you don’t feel that way. Good for you.
Wonderful post! San Francesco is really a great inspiration. I am fortunate to live not far from his Assisi. :-)
Thank you for sharing this, Francine! While I knew St Francis was associated with caring for animals (I’m not Catholic), I was suprised how much his life paralleled that of the Buddha. Both lovely and inspiring stories!
Thank you for the beautiful, inspiring and informative post, Francine. I didn’t know much about Saint Francis of Assisi but I’ve always loved his prayer.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
I picked St Therese of Lisieux as my confirmation saint. Her her practical ways and simplicity has always been inspirational. One of my favourite quotes from her:
“Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what you want me to be – and becoming that person.”
Truly love St Francis of Assisi…he is a wonderful example in so so many ways!
When my my mother-in-law passed away many years ago a Catholic co-worker gave my husband a small card with St. Francis of Assisi on the front and a prayer on the back. Although neither of us are Catholic, we found great comfort from it.
If only some of our repellantly rich corporate, banking and celebrity friends who covet more and more and more could get the message…
To clarify, my perspective comes from being somewhat pan-religious. I take what appeals to me from my Catholic upbringing, my Buddhist study, my science background, a deep reverence for nature, and things I’ve read about other religions. My personal spirituality (or philosophy, if you want to call it that) is a blend of all these influences. A little unorthodox perhaps, but it works for me. :)
Wonderful post! I love reading about historical minimalists.
St. Francis has most touched my life through the works of artists. So many influential pieces are depictions of his life.
I love that he preached love for the natural environment and all creatures (he called animals his brothers and sisters) which seems to be lacking from the church these days, as they fear it being “nature worship”.
Great post!!
I have also read about St. Francis in my adult life, and let me say, LUUU-CKY pick of a saint. You might have got one that taught you how to be stoically abused.
Anyway. St. Francis is wonderfully inspring. Not only because he chose an extreme voluntary simplicity, but because of the joy he took in it. He tried to show that this was wasn’t just more moral, or even just the lacking suffering that buddhism shows–it is extremely, excitingly joyful.
Beautiful post, Francine, thank you. Apple, what a lovely and simple prayer, whether addressed to Jesus, Buddha, the Universe, or any entity – thanks for sharing!
Wow! How impressive!
Wonderful post! Thank you so much for this.
Everytime I read your posts I want them to just keep going and going! I love this post today.
I have always tought the whole monk/acetic lifestyle quite romantic actually, would love to try living like that at some point. Great post.
Yup, me too. I tried 5 days of meditative silence with several like-minded souls and it was AWESOME.
Have signed up for next year’s retreat too!
inspiring post. Saint Francis knew the value of nature and animals.
Wonderful! I just finished the book, “The Lessons of St. Francis-How to Bring Simplicity and spirituality into Your Daily Life” by John Michael Talbot. Beautiful book that gave me a whole new perspective on simplicity.
“Because they had nothing, they feared in no way to lose anything”-
Thomas of Celano
“the virtue of simplicity is a time-tested tool that we can use to prune our lives. Voluntarily submitting our lives to an ongoing pruining process removes our irregularities, trims our unproductive growth, and prepares us for a future of fruitfulness and productivity.” This is one of MANY quotes and essays in the book. One of the best books I have ever read, and very life-changing.
Bridget
Great comment Bridget. I have a blooming native garden and love and can relate to the pruning analogy you mentioned.
Thanks, I’ll look into this book.
Saint Francis is my FAVORITE!!!
I find reading lives of the saints very interesting because often there is a transformative experience where one disowns/disregards the material and becomes more concerned with spiritual/works of mercy/simplicity, etc. Thank you for this post.
I really good post, thank you. I appreciate when someone can find such profound PEACE with less…. I’m getting there, piece by piece
Or PEACE by piece ; )
Less really is more and thanks for finding such creative and inspiring ways to remind us.
I love St. Francis. It’s my mom’s name and my son’s Confirmation name. My youngest just got assigned this saint for a project. And now this post. Spooky.
And I love the “Make Me a Channel of your Peace” song. Sometimes I sing it to remind me of what’s real.
A truly good man – what a wonderful, uplifting post – thank you!
Thank you for this inspiring post! I will go right ahead and make a websearch and choose my own guiding saint for some philosophical inspiration!
/Sara
St. Francis didn’t believe the “universe” would provide his needs, he trusted in God.
Francine said SHE doesn’t believe the universe will always provide. I don’t think any one doubts that a Catholic saint would believe in god. But we can all be inspired by his lessons, regardless of what path we walk.
Great article and I love your five simple points to remember at the end.
Generosity and being a leader and leading by example are very important attributes that I strive to have in my own personality. It’s amazing what we can learn from someone who lived such a simple but remarkable life!
As St. Francis is a role model for Catholics, Jesus is the same role model for Christians. He traveled with only the clothes on his back, had to lodge with others, needed hospitality to gain meals and kept traveling revealing God’s message to everyone. Even his disciples were told if you were given food and lodging, bless the house you are at. If you are turned away, take your blessing back and wipe the dirt from your sandals…work and earn your keep. Preaching the gospel throughout the land had it’s costs and Jesus and his disciples had nothing but everything. Simplicity at it’s finest.
Thanks Francine, your post reminded me of an amazing woman who taught me to play piano. Her name was Sister Francis, and she was a nun at the convent where I took music lessons. She was named after St Francis of Assisi, and she once told me about one of her most treasured experiences in life: going to visit the place where he lived. She too, of course, was a minimalist due to being a nun, and she always had all the time in the world to talk when I returned on regular occasions to visit her years after my lessons had finished.
Great post! St. Francis, the saint of the minimalist Catholics. I should start praying to him so he’ll intercede for me before God and then I will advance in my minimalist pursuits. He was a true minimalist.
Interesting that his love for animals is only mentioned in 2 comments…
Thank you for writing Francine. I adore the way you dance lightly upon subjects. ;)
I was not raised Catholic, but I did read a book about Saint Francis written by Nikos Kazantzakis quite a few years ago. It was a beautiful fictional/biographical work on the life of the saint. I could due to read it again because it has been so long, but I remember being incredibly moved not only by his devotion to the animal and natural world but also by the simple life he advocated. It was within a few years of reading about Saint Francis that I became a vegetarian and tried to create a simplified life for myself. What a great saint to point out to all of us. Merci’.
George Carlin talks about STUFF
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac
Love your blog!!! I have been decluttering so much that my neighbour might think I’m moving, lol, feels great!
I knew of St. Francis’ love of animals and a simple life, but I never really thought of him as a minimalist – but of course he is! One of the first and finest :)
Thank you for such a lovely post, I will certainly revisit it for inspiration.
Long time lurker, first time commenter. I too enjoyed this post, and St. Francis is certainly special to many of us, of many faiths.
“Having nothing, they in no way feared to lose anything.” This is a lovely line. But, it’s only true if it is a CHOICE to have nothing.
If you have nothing because others violently rip away what you have, or having nothing means that your children suffer, then you fear to lose any little that you do get.
It’s a blessing beyond measure to be able to choose to have nothing.
Francis Assisi also wrote a lot of beautiful hymns about creatures and God.
I really enjoyed your post!
While I was raised Catholic I was never confirmed. However, when I learned about St. Francis it was usually in conjunction with St. Clare of Assisi (I still have comic books for the both of them), who was a good friend of St. Francis. She was the original founder of the Order of Poor Ladies (later renamed Poor Clares); ;ike the Franciscan order they aimed to live simply. I always admired her. While my parents did not name me directly after her, I still find pride in the fact that the spelling of my name matches the common English spelling of her name.
You would do well and likely appreciate learning about San Francesco di Paolo.The founder of the Order of Minims. If you are inspired by St .Francis , give up the silly notion that the “universe” is going to provide what you need. It’s not Christian and Francesco was a Christian. Francis was not a new-ager. He believed in DIVINE PROVIDENCE. God provided him with everything he needed. That’s a totally different concept. The Franciscan Brothers Minor in Ft. Wayne Indiana live that way today. You can do it. No cushion; no health insurance, etc. Pray for this gift and God will give it to you!.
True joy is found in complete surrender to the WILL of God.
Pax et Bonum
Loved the discussion. Having just what you need is the optimum. I keep reading about people stocking up for all kinds of reasons. Here in the Midwest, we have water, in California, there is a shortage, but do the celebrities need huge lawns?
Most people throughout history had far fewer possessions than we do. Even silverware settings were only a recent invention. People would travel with their own knife and spoon.