29th April
I am a Franciscan tertiary. One of the things that drew me to the way of St Francis was the example of living simply. Francis himself chose absolute poverty as his lifestyle, but for those in the third order – those who aim to combine the spirit of Francis with everyday as opposed to monastic life (a movement established by Francis himself), living in poverty is revisioned as living simply.
For me this is not buying more than I need. I don’t need numerous pairs of running shoes and leggings. I don’t need new outfits every season. I don’t need to fill my kitchen with juicers/ air fryers/ rice cookers/ food processors etc. Rather I can make things last, I can mend things (when our sheets wear thin in the middle, I cut them in half and resew them, edges to the middle). I do without items. I take pleasure in having things that have a history – my current jacket was my husband’s school blazer.
The Green Tau 