“Poor and Free”: Not an Oxymoron!

This Lent, Franciscan Mission Service presents “Poor and Free: A Spiritual Yes to Less”! Beginning on Ash Wednesday, March 5, with an interview of social justice activist Shane Claiborne, our weekly series contributors focus on the joyful freedom of spiritual poverty.

While Christians are called to value loving relationships over possessions, American culture can seem to promote money and materialism instead. However, the Good News is that detachment of ownership leads us to greater reliance on God which makes us more available to love and serve the poor.

Does this mean that you have to literally give away everything like St. Francis of Asissi to be happy? Is it a sin to be rich? Can you love God and still make money? And why are good works empty actions without selflessness? Our series engages questions like these as we look toward the liberating poverty of the Crucifixion and the joy of the Resurrection at Easter.

Join us this Lent and explore spiritual poverty with insightful interviews and reflections every Friday at this blog.

Subscribe to Franciscan Mission Service’s blog and receive our blog updates including the “Poor and Free: A Spiritual Yes to Less” interviews with activists, clergy, and spiritual directors every Friday in Lent that focus on how spiritual poverty makes us free and joyful!

To whet your appetite for our interview with social justice activist Shane Claiborne we’re posting on Ash Wednesday, here are two videos of Shane introducing his spirituality, relationship to God, and philosophy of service.