(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Spring 2026  Issue #119)

2026: A Year to Begin Again with Francis of Assisi

By Layna Maher, OFS • National Formation Commission Chair

Returning to the Original Grace

Every vocation begins with a moment of grace, a turning point that gives life new meaning. For St. Francis, it was embracing the leper. For us, it may have been a quiet call to live the Gospel in the spirit of Francis while remaining in the world.

Francis wrote in his Testament: “And after the Lord gave me some brothers, no one showed me what I had to do, but the Most High Himself revealed to me that I should live according to the pattern of the Holy Gospel.”

This is the heart of our vocation. Article 4 of the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order reminds us that our life is “to observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of Saint Francis.”

The Gospel has not changed, but our zeal can fade. To “begin again” is not to start over in failure. It is to return to the source with renewed love.

Conversion as a Lifelong Journey

Francis never saw himself as finished. His whole life was a journey of ongoing conversion. In his writings, he describes those who do penance as people who love God fully and bear fruit in their lives.

Secular Franciscans can live these fruits daily by having patience in conflict, integrity in work, mercy in judgment, and simplicity in lifestyle.

The Year of St. Francis invites us to reflect:

  • Have we chosen comfort over sacrifice?
  • Has convenience weakened our faith?
  • Where is God asking us to rebuild?

“Rebuild My Church”

Before the crucifix, Francis heard the call: “Rebuild my Church.” He began by repairing a small chapel, but his deeper work was renewing hearts.

We share in that mission not by leaving the world, but by transforming it from within. Francis urged his followers to be “gentle, peaceful, modest, meek, and humble.”

This spirit of humility, minoritas, is essential in family life, work, and society. Imagine if every fraternity became known for peace, care for creation, and love for the poor. This is how the Church is rebuilt today.

Beginning Again, Together

At the end of his life, Francis, though suffering and nearly blind, chose praise. He asked that the Canticle of the Creatures be sung. His final witness was humble gratitude.

To begin again in 2026 is to rediscover that joy. Not shallow happiness, but the deep freedom of living sine proprio, without clinging, without fear.

This year is a gift to the whole Church. It calls us to personal reflection, communal renewal, and a deeper commitment to the Gospel life.

Let us return to the writings of Francis. Let us renew our promises. Let us ask for the grace to live simply, love deeply, and serve humbly.

Eight hundred years after his passing, Francis still calls to us: Live the Gospel. Repair what is broken. Begin again.

TAU-USA 119 heads of wheat rising up to the rising sun

Image by KBCH from Pixabay