Daily meditations, scripture readings, and action-based spiritual exercises written for the Advent and Christmas season are based on the writings of the much-loved St. Francis of Assisi. He threw off the trappings of wealth and found Christ in the simple life. We are each invited to examine our spiritual life, to listen to the wisdom of St. Francis in these daily reflections, and to follow in the footsteps of Christ. Lord, it is often easier to say that I want to be your follower than to do what it takes to be your follower. As Francis admonishes, let me not only recount the lives of the saints but also seek to imitate their courageous example. (Prayer from Christmas, day 2) St. Francis of Assisi calls us to embrace a life of radical Christian discipleship. For Francis, to live the life of a disciple of Christ meant that one had to embrace the poverty and humility of Christ as made manifest in Christ's own birth. This Advent and Christmas, find the great expression of God's overflowing love for each one of us through reflection and prayer.
