St. Francis of Assisi truly changed the world with his radical poverty, love of God, and JOY. I am SO excited for this episode on one of my favorite saints! Even better, this episode was filmed over the summer in Assisi while I was leading a pilgrimage through Italy.

We go through Francis’ life story—his lavishly wealthy upbringing, fighting in the Crusades, and eventually losing interest in worldly desires. He eventually renounced his wealth, his family, and his inheritance, for Francis realized his true inheritance was in Heaven. St. Francis never intended to start a movement with his devotion to radical poverty, but people began to follow him in droves, giving away their possessions and serving the poor.

That spirit of Francisican love and intense JOY is alive and well today, nearly 800 years after his death.

I share more about how one of the most pivotal moments of St. Francis’ life inspired a Mumford and Sons song (true story!), how our desire for control is precisely what is making us unhappy, and we close with what I think is one of the most beautiful prayers ever written, St. Francis’ Canticle of the Sun.

Whether he’s one of your favorite saints like me, or you only know him as “that hippie saint,” there is SO much to learn about St. Francis of Assisi in this episode. Let’s dive in!