BishopTrees, birds, rocks… and humans are all born from the hands of God. How beautiful it is that God placed simplicity and purity in the human soul. So that humans can always live like children, entrusting everything in God’s hands and always living with God. But since Adam and Eve committed the sin of arrogance and listening to the temptation of the serpent, from the moment humans distanced themselves from God, humans gradually lost the awareness of the presence of simplicity and purity within themselves. And from then on, most humans no longer saw God and no longer recognized God. When Jesus came and lived among humans, He also showed humans a way to see God. That is the way of the beatitudes: ” Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God ” (Matthew 5:8). And when we have a pure heart, we will show simplicity, practice simplicity, eliminate selfishness and limit desires.
Simplicity, rusticity, modesty, and purity are virtues that our times need more than ever. Without these virtues, people will gradually lose their simplicity and make their lives complicated and burdensome.
In the movie “ Brother Sun, Sister Moon, ” there is a scene that speaks of the forgotten nature of man. It is set in a contrasting context: Francis and a group of shabbily dressed disciples are standing in the middle of the magnificent Vatican. Francis, when he comes to ask the Pope for his blessing and approval of the Rule, speaks joyfully of the beauty of nature, the simplicity and trust of inanimate creatures, and the priceless gift of God’s grace and love. The Pope stands up and says with emotion: “ Francis, my dear son, because we are so haunted by original sin, we often forget our innocent nature.” It is true that as people grow and become conscious, they often forget their innocent, simple, and pure nature. They do not realize that these natures are the wonderful antidote that God uses to transform the culture of money, exclusion, luxury, and madness.
Each person should find their own simple nature, because this is necessary to save people from depravity. In human relationships, “live simply so that others can live” (Gandhi). If we find a way to apply simplicity to life and distinguish between what is wanted and what is needed, we will not waste our wealth on useless things. For example, people today should be simpler in the way they dress and more economical in shopping. In reality, some women spend a lot of time choosing their fashion, they have to spend hours standing in front of the wardrobe to see which outfit is suitable for them that day. Although they are also women, for the poor Clara sisters, because “their habit must always reflect poverty and simplicity” (Sir 117). So when standing in front of the wardrobe, it is simple to choose, either this brown outfit or that brown outfit. Applying a simple life to real life is not easy, but in the long run, this way of life will bring us joy, happiness and freedom. In my contemplative life, I always pray and hope that one day very soon “the world will awaken to escape from materialism and consumerism” and will live a simple life, a healthy balanced life.
Those who desire happiness and peace should first choose a simple, frugal life, and peace and happiness will come later. As for those who believe in God, they must do one more thing, which is to pray to simplify their lives. So each person should be simpler in their thinking, not too complicated and demanding to know everything. As the book of Proverbs says: “Thinking and worrying are the work of man, but the answer comes from the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:1). Do not be afraid to live simply and purely in an age where there are thousands of ways to deceive, argue and bring each other down. Because Saint Francis of Assisi experienced the power of simplicity, he said: ” The pure simplicity of holiness defeats all worldly and carnal wisdom .” Indeed, simplicity lives the wisdom of God: “ The wisdom from God is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality or hypocrisy ” (James 3:17). Nowadays, many people are trying hard to research and learn to show themselves to be wise. But wisdom calls people to return to simplicity. Especially wisdom calls on rulers: “ You rulers of the world, love justice, have honest feelings about God and seek Him with a simple heart. For those who do not challenge Him will be found by Him, and those who trust in Him will be seen by them .” (Wis 1:1-2), each of us should live “really simply, really simply” because “living simply is living truly” (Henry Davit Thoerau).
When a person lives truly in their soul, they always have a pure simplicity and a simple, frugal life. Every time we meet them, we see a gentle elegance in them. They always love life and live close to nature. They always respect everyone and everything around them. In the 21st century, have you met these people? I have, that is the poor saint of Assisi, he still lives from the 13th century to the 21st century, his life is an invitation for people to return to their nature of simplicity and gentleness. He is the inspiration that teaches me to admire nature and respect all creatures, he helps me to return to the simplicity and purity that is in my soul. As Saint Francis felt, I also feel that “every creature on earth has emotions, everything longs to be loved, also suffers and dies like us”. So let us imitate Saint Francis to live simply so that everyone can live and nature can live. With the choice of living simply, simplicity will accompany us and lead us to a close relationship with nature: When we love and care for nature, all the trees, flowers… these scenes will bring us a pure joy. Because our lives are surrounded by the wonders of nature. As Saint Francis contemplated these wonders with a very clear eye. In the book “Life Sings of Love” there is a passage that says “Saint Francis said to Leo: Leo, every morning when the sun rises and gives us light, do you see how the birds sing and how people’s hearts dance in their chests with enthusiasm? Do you see how the rocks and the waters laugh? Then the water ran and babbled, the water became a stream, then a river flowing down to the sea singing, on the way, the water washed and purified everything. And when we were thirsty, the water cooled our hearts, how perfectly the human body adapted to the earth and the soul adapted to God”. For the soul that loves the simple and small, they are always surprised by all the beauty, just a passing butterfly or the faint scent of a flower is enough to make their soul overflow with joy. Whenever we are too busy and worried, let us stop to admire a flower, even a tiny wild flower growing by the roadside. Let us stop to feel the gentle breeze caressing our cheeks, let our hearts meet the rays of dawn because God still blesses us every time the dawn breaks. Let us stop to listen to the soft sounds, because the rustling of leaves is so pleasant and the whistling of the wind is so pleasant. Let us contemplate all creation “because every creature, no matter how small and insignificant, manifests God’s goodness” (GCGS).God, our good Father, also constantly bestows blessings upon mankind through his creatures:
“He visited the earth and poured out rain and dew.
May you be filled with wealth and prosperity
The spring of heaven stores immense water
Clearing the land to prepare for rice to bloom
Water each bed and level each mound of soil.
Let the rain make the seeds germinate
Four seasons God pours grace
He sowed fertile soil throughout the path.
Green wilderness
The mountains and hills are beautiful and cheerful.
White sheep covered green fields
Golden rice fields swaying in the valley
“The sound of singing rises up” (Ps 64:10-14)
Every time I read this Psalm, my heart is filled with joy, joy because of God’s loving care. As Francis pondered and wondered, “Are people blind or insensitive that they do not see the miracles that happen every day: like the bunches of grapes, what a great mystery: we eat them and we are quenched, we press them and soak them and we have wine.” And there are many other miracles that still happen in life. These miracles that happen show us that God is very close to us, He is right next to us, right in our hearts and He is taking care of us with His own hands. But unfortunately, when bitter realities happen in life, it is easy for us to forget the blessings that God gives us from nature. With a simple life, let us take time to care for the environment around us, because as Pope Benedict XVI commented: “Experience shows us that indifference to the environment is always harmful to human coexistence. It has always been shown that peace with nature and peace among people are always inseparable.” So “each of us needs to live simply, humbly, and lowly in order to become brothers and sisters of all creatures, to place ourselves among all creatures, not to place ourselves above them. The attitude of domination and exploitation must be replaced by an attitude of sharing, protection, respect, and brotherhood with all creatures.” (G Ng Phuoc).
Throughout the ages, there have been many examples of people who have lived and returned to their true nature of simplicity and purity. Especially the examples of the saints. These two virtues are like two pairs of wings that lift them up to God. And the book The Imitation of Christ also teaches that: “Man must rely on two wings to lift himself above the world: these two wings are simplicity and purity of heart, simplicity of will and purity of heart.”
I would like to tell you a little about the lives and examples of two saints who perfected their natures through simplicity of will and purity of heart. They were Saint Francis and Saint Clare, a pair of friends as pure as angels, who lived the same ideal of following the poor crucified and risen Christ, and they always had the same thoughts, the same love, the same soul and the same intention” (Phil 2:2). The lives of Saint Francis and Saint Clare were expressed by the virtues of “simplicity, humility, poverty, charity, brotherhood, obedience, joy, and admiration”. These virtues are called the Franciscan charism.
For Saint Francis, thanks to his simple and pure soul, he sincerely enjoyed living in peace with all creatures, he was passionate about contemplating God in nature, because for him all things bore the mark of the Creator and they brought him joy and happiness because he saw God still present in all beautiful things: with joy he praised God through the song “Brother Sun, Sister Moon”. He was close to all creatures and he called them all brothers, sisters and mothers. He not only treated all creatures politely but also all people. With a peaceful soul he taught his brothers: When meeting people, say “May the Lord give you peace”. And he himself took care of lepers, these people were for him the image of the suffering Christ. With an open heart full of tolerance, he wished to be an instrument of God’s peace, his heart ached when he saw war and suffering in people, what he could do he did his best to build love in people, and he went to meet the Muslim king, something that no one dared to do at that time. In his life of prayer, his soul constantly thought of God. Especially when praying in nature. When contemplating a worm, with innocent and pure thoughts he prayed: “Lord, when the worms thought of you, they transformed into butterflies”. So let us imitate Saint Francis, desire peace, do something to build love in people. Let us live in harmony with all creatures, because by contemplating the beauty of all creatures, Saint Francis recognized “the wisdom, power and goodness of God” (1Col 80). To have a pure vision like Francis, let us preserve our hearts, purify our souls to become simple and holy and to have much joy in life: Thanks to simplicity, Francis had much joy, especially the joy of having God with him. For him, joy does not mean the absence of difficulties and suffering. But he knew how to take all difficulties lightly because of his love for God. Like the joy of the apostles when they were persecuted: “The apostles rejoiced because they found themselves worthy to suffer for Christ”. People are often happy when they have close friends by their side, sad when they are alone, this joy is fleeting. Let us find joy like the apostles and Saint Francis, their greatest joy is to live for God and have God present in their souls. Saint Francis also taught his brothers: “Blessed is the religious who finds joy and delight only in the most holy works of God, and through them he joyfully and joyfully leads people to the love of God.” (HN 20). “Where there is poverty and joy, there is no greed and stinginess” (HN 27).
To have true joy and happiness, we should practice living a simple and pure life and not be afraid that others will despise us. Because like Saint Francis, his simple life became an example of respect and courtesy. As Toma Celano, the first person to write about the life of Saint Francis, sang: “How beautiful, how splendid, living a pure life, teaching with simple words, carrying in his heart a pure heart, loving God with all his heart, being charitable to others, obeying completely, submitting in peace and purity like an Angel”.
As for Saint Clara, “She was the most faithful disciple of Saint Francis” both in spirit and in life. When reading her stories and writings, we can see that Saint Clara was a saint who loved simplicity and poverty. As a young lady in a noble family, Saint Clara voluntarily gave up everything and chose the path of “following the poor and crucified Christ”. From the depths of her soul, only Christ could bring true joy. Like Saint Francis, she lived a poor and simple life. This poor and joyful lifestyle is expressed in many of her letters and rules. All her joy was joy in God, a pure joy radiating from a soul that had shaken off all the vanities of the world.
For Saint Clare, her vocation was a noble one, so she preserved her vocation with conviction. She lived the vocation God gave her with ease and lightness. In her second letter to Agnes, she expressed the joy of living her vocation in “Whatever you hold on to, hold on to it firmly; whatever you have done, continue to do it, never let it go. But move forward with quick steps, so that even your steps are not covered with dust. Go forward with confidence, joyfully and quickly on the path of true happiness” (2 T to Agnes 11-13). And when she chose to marry Christ, she felt that only in the poor Jesus could she have peace and be kept pure in body and soul by Jesus. In his second letter to Agnes he wrote: “Jesus will always keep your heart pure and whole, when you love Him you will always be pure, when you touch Him you will be more pure, when you consent to Him you will be a virgin.”
The life of Saint Clare helps us understand that following Christ and living in poverty and simplicity is the key to opening the door to freedom of the soul. Even within the four walls of the Dominican Monastery, she did not feel constrained, there she lived an austere but joyful life, a poor but happy life. Her joy and happiness were signs of the presence of God.
Through the life of Saint Clare and those who have met the Poor Sisters, people will change their view of the Hermits: Hermits are always austere and often have a sad face. For the Poor Clare Sisters, as well as their Holy Mother, their lives have gentle joys, full of patience and silence with the daily companionship of God.
The life of a Clare nun is a life of returning to pure simplicity. Only longing to seek God and longing to live for the Beloved. Every nun is suffering “a sweet torture of having to love in separation, possess in faith and wait in anguish”. The search for the beloved has the appearance of a gentle hide-and-seek. In silence, sisters find their true selves. And find two pairs of wings to lift themselves above the world: that is, to live in simplicity of will and purity of heart”. When within the context of four walls, it is necessary and a priority for sisters to know how to live in silence, love solitude and pray diligently, these means help sisters open their hearts and be ready for God to break in.
When she was alive, Saint Clare, fearing that her children would stray from poverty, simplicity and humility in the future, told them in her will: “In Christ I encourage all my sisters, present and future, to diligently follow the path of holiness, simplicity, humility and poverty” (Dc Cl 56). Indeed, in all the activities of the Sisters of Clare, simplicity and poverty are like two older sisters walking on either side to guide their younger sisters on the right path. “The habit and dress of the sisters always reflect poverty and simplicity” (Sc D117). In the spirit of work, the sisters are also invited to express the virtue of simplicity and poverty “Sisters, find joy in any work, no matter how humble or heavy” (Sc D115). In particular, simplicity and humility are clearly expressed in sisterhood: “As sisters, we must respect and love one another. Moved by the spirit of charity to serve and obey one another voluntarily, we are determined not to be sad but to rejoice always in the Lord” (Sir 92).
Choosing a poor lifestyle helps sisters always live with a simple heart like a child, that is, always entrusting and trusting in the care of God’s providence as a good Father. And Pope Gregory encouraged sisters when he gave them the privilege of living in poverty: “He who feeds the birds of the air and clothes the lilies of the field will not leave you without food or clothing until he himself comes to you and serves you in eternal life.” When you completely trust in God’s providence, sisters are led into a close relationship with God, that closeness helps sisters have much joy, this joy is spread peacefully in the monastery, that is why the monastery always has new vitality every day.
Therefore, although living within four walls, thanks to their close relationship with God, the sisters are always close to everyone through a life of prayer and intercession, and living close to nature, they encounter God in everything. With a contemplative soul, Saint Clare always “encouraged the sisters to praise God when they saw beautiful trees and flowers, as well as when they saw people and other creatures”. It can be said that within these four walls, the Clare nuns are living happily in love, carrying their crosses every day when accepting the suffering and challenges that come in life, praising God with quiet prayers, and immersing themselves in a life of prayer in the solitude hidden in their cells and finally ending their life as pilgrims and strangers in this world to return to their true homeland.
Just like the saints, each of us can enjoy true happiness right here on earth, if we just let go of the heavy things that bind us, and return to the simple, frugal, and pure life that God placed in each person’s heart.