Let Us Begin: Saint Francis’s Way of Becoming Like Christ and Renewing the World

Kimberly Andrich reviews a new book by Thomas Griffin, which examines the influence of Saint Francis and how his example can be lived out today.

Let Us Begin: Saint Francis’s Way of Becoming Like Christ and Renewing the World

by Thomas Griffin

Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor

There seems to be a general consensus that our world is broken. Catholics and other Christians largely believe our world needs to be restored to Christian morals and values, that our world needs a greater adherence to God and to His Truth. Though sometimes it feels utterly impossible to get to that place from where we are now, many sense a call to work for the restoration of Gospel values and a life lived in faith in our families and society. 
 
Saint Pius X said, in his 1905 encyclical Il Fermo Proposito,

[The active life of Catholics], inasmuch as it proposes to restore all things in Christ, constitutes a real apostolate for the honor and glory of Christ Himself. To carry it out right one must have divine grace, and the apostle receives it only if he is united to Christ. Only when he has formed Jesus Christ in himself shall he more easily be able to restore Him to the family and society. (#11) 

 
In order to be truly effective, the actions of those desiring to help restore families and society to God must be rooted in a deep prayer life and in a love for God. The interior life of such a person will fill like a reservoir and flow over from the abundance of grace which God gives to it. A person united to Christ and transformed to become more like his Savior becomes both an intercessor for and Jesus’ hands and feet to a world in need. 
 

Becoming like Christ with Saint Francis 

A new book by Thomas Griffin, Let Us Begin: Saint Francis’s Way of Becoming Like Christ and Renewing the World, uses the example of Saint Francis of Assisi as well as the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, who emulate the Christ-like saint, to help us to understand how union with God and conformity to Him is necessary for the reform and renewal of the Church, our families, and the world. 

 
God called out to Francis at a young age: “Rebuild My Church!” But it was not so much a physical church He wanted Francis to work to restore as it was His universal Church. In a similar way, it was not first through action that Francis was called to restore the Church but through union and transformation of his own heart. And it was only by doing such that he was effective in carrying out God’s plan. 
 
Griffin shared that, so much did Francis want to conform His life to Christ’s, in proposing a new religious order, he “wanted to live a life similar to how Jesus lived with his disciples, and he wanted to live according to Jesus’ precepts” (23). Such a life, rooted in the Gospel, led St. Francis and his followers to a radical life of poverty, simplicity, and sacrifice which helped them to be conformed even more to Christ. 
 
Perhaps we are not all called to live life in Christ in the same way St. Francis and his followers did, but they set an example for us of allowing Christ to enact such a change in us that we are radically different inside and out. 
 
Griffin’s writing helped me to understand more about St. Francis and what a radical, Christ-like saint he is. He was a favorite saint of mine in college, and, now that I understand better what made St. Francis’ life so transformative, my interest is certainly renewed. 
 

Reaching out 

Griffin makes it clear that Saint Francis did not stop at reform of his own heart. He says of Francis,

His commitment to personal faith in Jesus allowed him to make contact with the Son of God in such a way that it healed and transformed him. Then Jesus used Francis as a conduit to transform and heal others. (61)

Francis deeply cared for others, as Jesus did, and, from the place where Christ dwelled in him, Francis reached out and gave of himself to others, bringing a great many to Christ. Francis became the face of God to the poor and to those who did not know Him. 
 
Let Us Begin contains numerous inspiring and thoughtful insights as to how we also can live as true disciples of Christ. Griffin shares how personal repentance and reform are integral to renewal at all levels, still today. He encourages us also to be people of deep prayer and faith, reaching out in charity, giving ourselves to those who are in need. It all begins with living lives of prayer in union with Christ in order to become more like Him and reflect Him to others. 

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Copyright 2024 Kimberly Andrich
Images: Canva