Saint Francis’ 'way of beauty' : revisiting an experience for a renewed prophetic presence in the world

Abstract

In this dissertation it will be asked the question ‘what is beauty?’ in relation to the other two transcendentals; Truth and Goodness. Then the focus will be on Francis of Assisi’s encounter with Beauty as a life changing experience. An experience which changed his way of envisaging creation and humanity. Lastly, taking St Francis Way of Beauty as a model, the dissertation aims at presenting a model of prophetic performance of the Gospel for a renewed human and integral ecology. Francis’ evangelical life journeyed towards Beauty and the encounter on Mount La Verna was the pinnacle of ‘claritas’ for Francis. Nonetheless Francis’ experience of Beauty today in Franciscan spirituality is a reminder that we are on a journey. A journey to discover who we as Christians are meant to be. As Francis journeyed through his Evangelical life towards that moment of ‘claritas’, we also are called to walk, to discern, to long for that eschatological moment, when we will experience God as Beautiful as He really is. When this search is authentic it automatically becomes a sign for humanity, a sign of a prophetic life which is still on a journey towards Truth, a fraternity that needs God’s mercy so that one day we will know what Good really is, a beautiful life which is only a glimpse of what Beauty really looks like. Through a life of poverty, not mere financial or materialistic poverty, but through a life of self denying and an interior life in discovering our true, good and beautiful self, we start an inner journey to discover the presence of Beauty in us, or better still try to grasp our free self engulfed in Beauty itself.