Lessons from Saint Francis

1. Saint Francis came from a well off family. He didn't need to experience poverty to appreciate those suffering from it. It is important to remember not to think we are better than someone else, just because their circumstances are different then our own. We should always have sympathy and compassion towards others.

2. Saint Francis was a normal person. He went to parties and festivals, he ran around Assisi with his friends, he spent way too much money. But God was able to work with him. God was able to do amazing things with Saint Francis. This says to me that God can use anyone, and therefore we should all be ready to be used by God.

3. Sometimes, you have to see the bigger picture. People in Assisi were consumed with making money, with being better than their neighbors and hating the people in Perugia. The people in Perugia were consumed with making money, intrigue, and hating the people in Assisi. The two cities fought for decades. But once someone, Saint Francis, put the focus on something bigger, God, then there was peace.


I don't want to be Saint Olson. I don't know if that would even be possible. But I want to be able to rest easy, knowing that I tried my best to make things better for everyone around me. When I'm gone, I want people to be proud of what I did for my community. I want Charlotte/Concord to be my own little Assisi.