Practical Advice
How to Deal with Temptation
St. Francis had a direct approach when a friar would come to him and confess that he was struggling with temptation. He would tell the friar to to jump into a freezing stream and remain there until the temptation went away. St. Francis would then walked away with a grin on his face.
Loving Your Neighbor
"Let us love our neighbor as ourselves (cf. Mt 22:39). And if there is anyone who does not wish to love them as himself, at least let him do no harm to them, but rather do good."
By Their Actions You Shall Know Them
"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men."
Despairing in One's Faith
When Brother Leo once despaired of ever being truly pure of heart, St. Francis gave him the following advice:
"The sadness of not being perfect, the discovery that you are really sinful, is a feeling much too human, even borders on idolatry. Focus your vision outside yourself on the beauty, graciousness, and compassion of Jesus Christ. The pure of heart praise Him from sunrise to sundown. Even when they feel broken, feeble, distracted, insecure, and uncertain, they are able to release it into His peace. A heart like that is stripped and filled - stripped of self and filled with the fullness of God."
Do As You Say
St. Francis was humbly grateful for advice that others offerred to him, including advice given to him by a peasant who lent him an ass. In a stern voice, the man admonished St. Francis to be as virtuous as he claimed to be. He warned him not to say one thing and do another, for many people relied on his integrity. St. Francis thanked the man and kissed his feet.
