As the time of the Mendicants drew near, the church had fallen into a state of disrepair. The Gospel message of Jesus, where looking after “orphans and widows in their distress” as well as keeping “oneself from being polluted by the world” is the perfect religion, was simply not heard any more (James 1:27). To some, this was a sickening event, and in order to combat against that problem, the Mendicants came to be. The Mendicants, through their rejection of worldly pleasures and conveniences, aimed to return to this perfect Gospel. As shapers of Christian identity, they called all back to practice religion as Jesus himself had taught it, care for those most vulnerable in the world.
Notable among all the mendicants is St. Francis of Assisi. As the namesake of the current Pope, his legacy is certainly still felt. St. Francis epitomized the call to live in solidarity with the impoverished. As St. Bonaventure writes in his biography Life of Francis, at the start of his public ministry, St. Francis strips in the public square (2, 4). This is not done to be indecent, but to show that he has nothing for himself, not even the clothes on his back. This simple act of humility sets the stage for the rest of his life, as St. Francis lives with as little as he can from this world for the sake of experiencing God as much as he can.
Following St. Francis’ example, St. Clare also showed herself to be in solidarity with the poor. Together, these two, along with the rest of the mendicants, showed themselves to be living the Gospel of Christ, and compelling Christians around them to do the same.
Notable among all the mendicants is St. Francis of Assisi. As the namesake of the current Pope, his legacy is certainly still felt. St. Francis epitomized the call to live in solidarity with the impoverished. As St. Bonaventure writes in his biography Life of Francis, at the start of his public ministry, St. Francis strips in the public square (2, 4). This is not done to be indecent, but to show that he has nothing for himself, not even the clothes on his back. This simple act of humility sets the stage for the rest of his life, as St. Francis lives with as little as he can from this world for the sake of experiencing God as much as he can.
Following St. Francis’ example, St. Clare also showed herself to be in solidarity with the poor. Together, these two, along with the rest of the mendicants, showed themselves to be living the Gospel of Christ, and compelling Christians around them to do the same.