St. Francis, why are people always after you?

There is an often-told story of a conversation that Saint Francis had with Brother Masseo, one of his original followers. Brother Masseo was tall, handsome, and considered to be one of the best preachers of the new budding order. One day, Brother Masseo, noticing the large crowds drawn to Francis in every town they visited, asked:

“Francis, why you? Why are people always after you?” 

Francis, curious to know the reason behind the question, replied, “What do you mean, Brother Masseo?” 

“I mean, why is everyone running after you? Everywhere we go, why does everyone want to see you or hear you and obey you? You’re not a handsome man. You’re not a learned man. You’re not a nobleman. So why is everybody after you?”

Upon hearing Brother Masseo’s question, Francis rejoiced in humility, lifted up his gaze toward heaven, knelt down, thanked the Lord, and began to address Brother Masseo’s question. He responded by quoting 1 Corinthians 1:27:

“God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” Praise God that I am none of these you described. God chose me for there is no other more sinful and more unworthy. God is showing the path to simplicity and truth and that He does this through such lowly dirt as me.

Saint Francis of Assisi may not be “Instagram-perfect.” He’s not a big social media personality but he’s always been one of my top influencers, and I often look to him for guidance on how to follow Jesus Christ, the ultimate influencer. Francis didn’t leave us any major writings, or wall posts, or photos. He didn’t care about his looks or getting likes, but he preached authentically, and if necessary, he used words. 

Francis didn’t just preach about Christian poverty, he lived it, giving up all his belongings. He didn’t just preach about peace, he lived it, even venturing out to Jerusalem during the Crusades. It was his authenticity, humility, faith, and charity that will continue to draw people in. Eight hundred years later, his enduring message of God's peace, hope, and love to this world continues to resonate with us in this modern world and his path is a tested and proven path to Christ that continues to have a lasting influence.