Poverty is a hallmark of Franciscan spirituality, in fact Saint Francis was known as Il Poverello, the poor one. You may even have a Poverello House, which cares for the poor and marginalized, in your community, but his poverty goes far beyond just giving up his worldly belongings, it is living with and for the poor, it leads to his compassion for all people. 

Pope Francis said of his namesake, Saint Francis: "Brothers and sisters, let us not be afraid to strip ourselves of worldly trappings and return to the heart, returning to what is essential. Let us think of Saint Francis, who after stripping himself, embraced with his entire being the Father in heaven. Let us acknowledge what we are: dust loved by God, called to be dust in love with God. Thanks to him, we will be reborn from the ashes of sin to new life in Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit."  Pope Francis was referring to the famous story of Saint Francis stripping himself naked in front of his Bishop as he renounced his family’s wealth and gave everything he had to the poor, as quoted in Seven Key Moments in the Life of Saint Francis.

Shortly after Francis’ experience in the Church of San Damiano, where Christ spoke to him from the cross, telling him to ―Go, rebuild my Church, Francis, dressed in rough clothing, took precious merchandise from his father’s store, and sold it to his customers, in order to pay for the rebuilding of the fallen-down chapel. He also sold his father’s horse. Francis’ father, Peter, would have preferred to see Francis go back to wearing fancy attire and throwing parties for his old chums. He was aghast and embarrassed, moreover, to learn that Francis was often caring for the lepers, who were living in the valley below Assisi. 

In response, his father, boiling with rage, dragged Francis before the bishop of Assisi and demanded the return of his property and goods. Francis readily agreed to this. In the hearing of all present, Francis said―From now on I will no longer say, my Father Peter Bernadone, but Our Father who art in heaven. Francis gave back to his father not only his property and goods, but the money and all his clothes as well, carefully placing his clothing on the ground. 

The bishop, admiring Francis’ fervor, drew him into his arms and covered him with his mantle. The bishop understood that Francis’ actions were inspired by God—and were part of God’s way of leading Francis into an amazingly new form of life. Francis’ heart was overflowing with joy. His heavenly Father had set him free of all attachment to earthly things. 

Francis was now ready to serve the Lord simply and without fear. For all who follow St. Francis of Assisi today, this kind of poverty and detachment can lead to the freedom to, in St. Matthew’s words, become children of your heavenly Father, for He makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:45-48). 

This action of Francis may have shocked his father and the townspeople, but clearly the bishop saw Francis’ devotion to God and his determination to give up his worldly possessions and to live in poverty.

While I certainly don’t recommend that any of us go strip ourselves naked in front of our Bishop, we can strip ourselves of attachments to worldly things as Francis did, in order to devote ourselves more closely to God and neighbor.

Read more about the life of Saint Francis in my recent book, Francis of Assisi, Universal Saint