"I conjure you brothers, kissing your feet and with the charity of which I am capable, to show all reverence and all honor possible to the Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in Whom the things that are in heaven and on earth are pacified and reconciled to the Almighty God." (St. Francis of Assisi)
Like the holy Apostle St. John who reclined his head against the Heart of our Lord at the First Eucharistic Banquet, Francis lived out his religious life in the same manner. The core of his consecration centered on the Eucharistic Christ whom he loved as his God and his All. He longed and prayed that his brothers would have the same ardor for the Most Blessed Sacrament. Therefore Francis gave constant example and admonition to his followers to revere the Eucharist above all else.

The spirituality of Francis was focused on the Person of Jesus Christ. While he fondly recalled in prayerful memory the biblical stories of the Jesus who walked along the shores of the Sea of Galilee and was crucified on Calvary; Francis did not surrender his life simply to this great historical figure. Rather, Francis surrendered his life to this same Jesus who LIVES ever-present in the Blessed Sacrament. This is the Jesus that lives present to us today in the same way.

Francis showed his utter devotion to the Blessed Sacrament in countless acts of love and reverence. For instance, Francis enjoyed restoring and cleaning Churches where the Eucharist was poorly kept or even neglected in the tabernacles. He began by first restoring the little Church of San Damiano. After this, whenever Francis traveled, he stopped at the Churches to sweep up the floors, dust the altars, and rekindle the oil lamps, which had burned out before the Holy Sacrament.

Though Francis had an undying commitment to poverty and simplicity, he would stand to see the Houses of the Lord in shambles or unkept. Often he himself cleaned altar linens and baked communion breads. He sent his brothers with precious chalices and elegant vestments to give to poor priests who had none. He encouraged his brothers to bake the host and often sent them to their missions with fancy irons to make them.

When Francis was ill, he would beg the clerics to celebrate Mass in his sickroom in order that he could receive the Lord. When this was impossible, Francis entered so deeply into prayer that it seemed he was present spiritually at a Mass, which he could not attend. Nothing could separate him from his Beloved Master.

Not only were the brothers encouraged by Francis to foster great devotion to the Eucharist, they were also expected to promote this zealous piety in the hearts of all Catholic men and women. Francis' model of Eucharistic love was so strong, it served as an inspiration for centuries of followers, starting with St. Clare of Assisi who was the first woman to follow his ideals.

Like Francis, Clare looked to the Eucharistic Lord as her dearest Love, the source and summit of her life and the strength and protection through which she could give herself in life and death to God. Once, Clare and her sisters were threatened by the invading Saracens who began to scale the walls of their poor monastery. Clare, sick and unable to move on her own, asked the help of her sisters that she might hold up the Sacred Pix containing the Blessed Sacrament as her last hope of refuge against these evil men. When Clare lifted the Pix and uttered confident prayers to her Eucharistic Savior, the confused Saracens scattered, terrified and resolved to never return to disturb Clare and her sisters again.

Over the following centuries other great Franciscan brothers were also inebriated with Francis' zeal for the Eucharist. Some of these figures included St. Bonaventure, Alexander of Hales, Duns Scotus (all considered Theologians of the Eucharist), St. Paschal Baylon and St. Maximillian Kolbe - to name a few! The Eucharistic Spirit of Francis is still very much alive today in his brothers and sisters throughout the world. We, the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, esteem this greatest of Franciscan devotions as the joy and strength of our religious life. Together with Francis, we pray before our Eucharistic King,

"We adore Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, here and in all Thy churches which are in the world, and we bless Thee, because by Thy Holy Cross, Thou hast redeemed the world." (Prayer of St. Francis)