17/03/2026
Spiritual Message for the Month of March 2026: Being A Secular Franciscan: Being A Penitent by Fr Joseph McKay OFM, National Spiritual Assistant
St Francis of Assisi began his vocation not as the founder of a religious movement but as a lay penitent whose life embodied the medieval call to continual conversion. His dramatic renunciation of his former way of life, symbolised in his public stripping before the bishop, marked his first conscious act of penance. From that moment, Francis embraced poverty, exchanged his fine clothing for a simple tunic, worked with his hands, and dedicated himself to repairing ruined churches. He sought solitude for prolonged prayer before the crucifix of San Damiano, practiced fasting and bodily discipline, gave alms generously, and cared tenderly for lepers—acts that he later recognized as the turning point of his conversion. During this period, he referred to himself simply as “Francesco, one who does penance,” and it was in this penitential state that others were first drawn to him. His early companions did not join a founder of an established order but a man whose humility, charity, and joy were the visible signs of a life wholly shaped by penance.
Those lay men and women who followed his example became known as the fratres et sorores de poenitentia, the Brothers and Sisters of Penance. Their way of life was shaped by the Memoriale Propositi, a practical and accessible rule that outlined a daily pattern of Gospel conversion suited to ordinary Christians. The Memoriale Propositi required regular prayer, including morning and evening prayer and the recitation of the Our Father, together with frequent participation in the Eucharist. It prescribed fasting on Fridays, in Advent, in Lent, and on vigils, fostering a spirit of simplicity and discipline. It commanded the rejection of violence in all its forms, a striking requirement in the conflict ridden communes of medieval Italy and encouraged the seeking of peace and reconciliation in households and communities. The Memoriale Propositi and subsequent Third Order of St Francis Rules placed emphasis on modest living, honest labour, generosity to the poor, care for the sick, and fidelity to the Church and its sacraments. In this way, the penitential life inspired by Francis took shape as a lay vocation grounded in humility, peace, charity, and steady transformation of life.
Over the centuries, Christian penitential practice has developed in response to changing pastoral needs and deeper theological reflection. In early Church, penance was public, prolonged, and often severe. A penitent confessed grave sins before the community and entered a recognised form of life, an order, marked by fasting, prayer, and exclusion from the Eucharist. This practice was communal in character and emphasised both the seriousness of sin and the need for visible reconciliation with the community. Between the eighth and thirteenth centuries, however, the influence of irish monastic spirituality led to the emergence of private and repeatable confession. Penitent Christians now approached a priest individually, and “tariffed” penances—such as fasting, almsgiving, psalm recitation, and pilgrimage—were assigned from penitential guidelines. While still long and rigorous, often lasting several years for serious sins, these practices were more personal, adaptable, and accessible than the earlier public forms. Penance was seen as a form of punishment for one’s sins.
By the thirteenth century, the Church sought to unify its penitential discipline. The Fourth Lateran Council introduced the discipline of annual confession, which encouraged regular participation in the sacrament and led to penances that were more moderate and devotional in nature. Often existing lay penitent groups were required to follow the Memoriale Propositi and subsequent Third Order of St Francis Rules, whether they were associated with Franciscan family or not, as a sign of orthodoxy. Later, the Council of Trent reaffirmed the sacrament of penance during a time of theological controversy, emphasising frequent confession, moral discipline, and the role of the confessional as a stable pastoral structure. Penances in this period were typically short prayers or small acts of devotion intended to foster virtue and nourish the soul. In the twentieth century, however, concerns emerged that confession risked becoming routine. The Second Vatican Council and the revised Rite of Penance in 1973 renewed the sacrament by recovering its biblical and communal dimensions. Penances today emphasise healing, reconciliation, and acts of mercy or justice that repair relationships and promote conversion.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarises this enduring call to penance in a way that unites ancient tradition with contemporary pastoral insight. It teaches that penance begins with a profound conversion of heart, a turning back to God with sincerity and humility (CCC 1427–1432). It requires the confession of sins to a priest, undertaken with honesty, trust, and contrition (CCC 1455–1458). Penance also includes “satisfaction,” concrete acts that repair the harm caused by sin and support the penitent’s continuing conversion (CCC 1459–1460). Above all, the Catechism emphasises that the sacrament restores the penitent to communion with God and the Church and strengthens the soul with God’s peace and grace (CCC 1468–1469). It affirms prayer, fasting, and works of mercy as ongoing expressions of penitential life (CCC 1434, 2447). The Catechism 1435 states:
'Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation, concern for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice and right, by the admission of faults to one's brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for the sake of righteousness. Taking up one's cross each day and following Jesus is the surest way of penance.'
The contemporary Rule and Constitutions of the Secular Franciscan Order preserve the Franciscan penitential tradition in a form suited to modern Christian life. They call members to daily conversion, attentive prayer, and faithful participation in the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. They emphasise simplicity of lifestyle, responsible stewardship of creation, and a commitment to peace making and reconciliation in the spirit of Francis. They encourage works of charity, justice, and solidarity with the poor and the marginalised, drawing members into active service for the transformation of society. In all of this, the Rule presents penance not as harsh discipline but as a Gospel shaped way of life—centred on Christ, inspired by Francis, and expressed in humility, joy, and love.
Across the centuries, the focus of Christian penance has shifted from public burden to private discipline, from tariffed acts of asceticism to devotional prayer, and today to restorative healing and mercy. Yet its essential purpose remains unchanged: to return the sinner to the embrace of God’s mercy, to restore communion with the Church, and to foster a life of ongoing conversion. This same spirit animated Francis at the beginning of his journey and continues to guide all who follow him in the way of penance today.
Fr Joseph McKay OFM
National Spiritual Assistant
📷 Crucifixion, 1441-1442 (St. Francis of Assisi) by Fra Angelico (1387-1455)
