Right on, Andrew! Franciscan spirituality has a lot of applications in our everyday world, once we get used to putting the "Franciscan lens" to our eyes whenever we relate to it.
Francis used his own physical poverty as a living "audio-visual" to point to the spiritual poverty that is our human condition. We can use the simplicity of our Franciscan life to free up our God-given resources to help alleviate extreme poverty. Like Francis, the CSDC equates the poverty caused by oppression, vulnerability, fraud, usury, exploitation and injustice with evil. (323)
Although in our family we have investments, by which we try to foster "good administration, preservation and increase of wealth" in our own finances (no guarantees in this, or any, age!), I try to forget about it for the most part, not wanting to get caught up in "staring at the ticker tape machine." Would you believe I want to emulate Francis' attitude of humble availability and openness to God, leading to solidarity with and generosity towards the poor? Like St. Paul, I have needed the financial support of others sometimes, too. The CSDC (324 & 325), like Jesus, exhorts us to "seek first the Kingdom of God", in which a "new manner of social life" would be made possible "in justice, brotherhood, solidarity and sharing". Difficult, yes, but don't we all yearn for it?
