Following the Gospel literally, Francis and his companions went out to preach two by two. At first, listeners were understandably hostile to these men in rags trying to talk about God’s love. Soon these same people noticed that these barefoot beggars wearing sacks seemed filled with constant joy. They celebrated life. Soon those who had met them with mud and rocks, greeted them with bells and smiles. Francis did not try to abolish poverty, he tried to make it holy. When his friars met someone poorer than they, they would eagerly rip off the sleeve of their habit to give to the person. They worked for all necessities and only begged if they had to. But Francis would not let them accept any money. Francis said, “If we had any possessions we should need weapons and laws to defend them.” Francis reasoned “You can’t starve a fasting man, you can’t steal from someone who has no money, you can’t ruin someone who hates prestige”. They were truly free.
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