It must be emphasized that Francis seeks his alternative way of life not in an ideal world but within the reality of this world. E. Auerbach, a French scholar, describes the letter to a minister written by Francis (cf. LMin) in the following terms:
The contents of this letter form a doctrine which forces one, to the uttermost limits of one's strength, not to seek to avoid confronting evil and not attempt to oppose it directly. An exhortation not to flee this world but to suffer evil with passion and to plunge oneself into the midst of its torments…Francis approaches here an extreme situation which borders on the theologically questionable when he writes: ‘You shall not want them to be better Christians’ for may one, for the sake of one's own testing by suffering, suppress the desire to make one's neighbor a better Christian” Only by submitting oneself totally to the ravages of evil can one prove through one's convictions the power of love and of obedience. That is more valuable than any solitary meditation remote from the world (E. Auerbach)
These very impressive words, however, must again be put in a very concrete context. The letter cited from the Saint's writings (Letter to a Minister) deals with the everyday contradictions within a definite community. The first step towards the great goal of peace, therefore, starts in the ability to face up to contradictions in human relationships.
In Francis’ case, this ability to face up to contradictions is linked with another very important basic attitude - “compassion” (sympathizing with the other person.). The biographies clearly show how much Francis of Assisi - through his encounter with the Crucified - attained a new ability. It is about every form of solidarity that feels the suffering of others as if it were one's own.
This aspect of Francis' personality is often forgotten. Francis is just as much the “sufferer” and the “shedder of tears” as the “merry mendicant” and “ever joyous brother”. For days on end, he weeps and suffers agony. From this suffering, he turns to his brothers and sisters, to the leper and the beggar, the worm on the wayside, the lamb in the field, the tree about to be felled, even to the rocks on which he is treading… He seeks to keep this attitude ever alive by contemplating in the story of the Passion. Finally, it bursts forth in his own body when, two years before his death, he receives the Stigmata. This ability to suffer with the other person has an important place in the series of first steps directed towards peace.
CCFMC, Lesson Unit 23, C 3
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