Sermon on the Mount

A Franciscan Clarean Perspective on the Sermon on the Mount

The Sermon on the Mount is not just Jesus giving “good advice.” It’s the manifesto of the Kingdom of God, a vision for a radically different world. For Franciscan Clareans, it reads like the blueprint for our way of life—rooted in poverty, peacemaking, compassion, and joy.

1. The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1–12)

The Beatitudes are the DNA of our spirituality. Francis and Clare lived them to the bone:

Blessed are the poor in spirit → This is holy poverty, not misery. Francis and Clare gave up wealth to find the true riches of God. Poverty is not lack, but freedom.

Blessed are the meek → Meekness isn’t weakness. It’s the courage to resist domination without becoming a dominator. Think of Clare holding the Blessed Sacrament up against an army, unarmed yet unshaken.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice → For us, this means climate justice, LGBTQ+ dignity, liberation for the oppressed. Jesus is saying: stay hungry, stay thirsty.

Blessed are the peacemakers → Francis went unarmed to the Sultan; Clare healed divisions in her community with gentleness. Peacemaking is not neutrality—it’s holy troublemaking against violence.

2. Salt and Light (Matthew 5:13–16)

Franciscans and Clareans aren’t meant to hide in cloisters of comfort. We’re salt and light, out in the streets, on the margins, glowing with the strange joy of Christ. If the Gospel doesn’t taste different because of us, we’ve lost the saltiness.

3. Radical Nonviolence (Matthew 5:38–48)

“Turn the other cheek” isn’t about being a doormat. It’s about refusing the cycle of violence. Francis stripped naked before his father in court; Clare defied family expectations with holy stubbornness. Love of enemy is not optional—it’s the Franciscan scandal of mercy.

4. Prayer and Simplicity (Matthew 6)

The Our Father is at the center. Notice: it’s “our,” not “my.” Clare’s Poor Ladies lived this—everything was communal, even their prayer. Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures echoes this: God is not remote but as close as Brother Sun and Sister Water. Simplicity in prayer mirrors simplicity in living.

5. Treasure in Heaven (Matthew 6:19–34)

Francis literally preached to the birds about this: no hoarding, no anxiety, just radical trust. Clare called her sisters to cling to “the God of poverty.” Consumerism is today’s false god; Jesus’ call is as prophetic as ever: stop worrying about what to wear—fast fashion is killing the planet anyway.

6. The Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12)

Francis kissed the leper. Clare blessed her sisters in tenderness. That’s the Golden Rule in action: treat every creature as kin. This extends to creation itself—ecospirituality is not an add-on, it’s the heart of Franciscan living.

7. Building on Rock (Matthew 7:24–27)

The rock isn’t doctrine, it’s practice. Live the Beatitudes, pray simply, love enemies, unclench your fists around possessions—that’s the foundation. Francis and Clare built their lives on this rock, and the storms of empire, patriarchy, and poverty couldn’t shake them.

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In Short:

The Sermon on the Mount is the charter of Franciscan Clarean life. It’s Jesus saying:

Don’t climb ladders—descend in love.

Don’t hoard—share.

Don’t fight—heal.

Don’t fear—trust.

Francis and Clare didn’t just admire these teachings. They lived them, fiercely and joyfully, in ways that made emperors, bishops, and even their own families nervous. And that’s the challenge for us today: to hear the Sermon on the Mount not as pious poetry but as a radical call to remake the world in the image of God’s justice and mercy.