Eloi Leclerc, in his book Francis of Assisi: Return to the Gospel, describes the historical period into which Francis was born as one in which humanity, coping with complex changes, had become forgetful of its covenant with God. He describes Francis’ ability to discern these critical changes through the lens of the Gospel and call people to required conversion as his unique contribution to history. Leclerc reminds us that this gift today — eight centuries later — “still possesses a potential for renewal and rejuvenation.” Can the vibrant creativity with which Francis lived his original evangelical experience — his radical walking in the footprints of Jesus — be retrieved today?
Provided by the Commission on the Franciscan Intellectual & Spiritual Tradition (CFIT)