The Admonitions of St. Francis of Assisi
With Franciscan Clarean Commentary
Admonition I. Of the Lord’s Body
The Lord Jesus said to His disciples: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from henceforth you do know Him, and you have seen Him.” Philip said to Him: “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him: “So long a time have I been with you, and you have not known Me? Philip, he who sees Me sees also My Father.” The Father dwells in light inaccessible, and God is spirit, and no one has ever seen God. Therefore He can only be seen in the spirit, for it is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing. But neither is the Son, in what is equal to the Father, seen by any one other than the Father, other than the Holy Spirit. Whence all who saw the Lord Jesus according to humanity, and did not see and believe according to the spirit and the Godhead that He is the true Son of God, were all condemned. So now all who see the sacrament of the Body of Christ, which is sanctified by the word of the Lord upon the altar by the hand of the priest in the form of bread and wine, and do not see and believe according to the Spirit and the Godhead, that it is truly the most holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, are condemned. As the Lord says Himself: “This is My Body and My Blood of the New Testament,” and “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has life everlasting.”
Clarean Commentary:
Francis here is utterly Eucharistic. For him, the Incarnation doesn’t stop at Bethlehem — it continues at the altar. The danger is looking at Christ’s Body and seeing “only bread.” For Clareans today, the challenge is both mystical and practical: do we recognize Christ’s Body in the Sacrament, and also in the broken bodies of the poor, the sick, the outcast? To fail to see is to miss God.
Admonition II. Of the Evil of Self-Will
The Lord said to Adam: “Of every tree of paradise you shall eat, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat.” He could eat of every tree of paradise, because while he did not go against obedience he did not sin. For he eats of the tree of the knowledge of good who appropriates his will to himself and prides himself of the good things the Lord says and works in him; and so through the suggestion of the devil and the transgression of the command it became the apple of the knowledge of evil. Whence it is necessary that he suffer punishment.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis reads Eden as a warning against self-will. Sin is not just doing bad things — it’s taking the good and saying, “This is mine.” For Clareans today, this cuts deep: the root of violence, greed, and injustice is self-will run wild. Our call is to surrender, to live in obedience to God and in solidarity with creation, rather than grasping for control.
Admonition III. Of Obedience
The Lord says in the Gospel: “He that does not renounce all that he possesses cannot be My disciple.” And: “He who will have left father or mother, brother or sister, wife or children, houses or lands, for My sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall possess eternal life.” Let all the brothers take care that on no account they make anything their own, neither house, nor place, nor anything; and as pilgrims and strangers in this world, serving the Lord in poverty and humility, let them confidently go seeking alms. Nor should they be ashamed, for the Lord made Himself poor for us in this world. This is that summit of the highest poverty which has made you, most beloved brothers, heirs and kings of the kingdom of heaven, poor in goods, but exalted in virtues.
Clarean Commentary:
Obedience here means freedom from possession. If we hold nothing, nothing can hold us. Francis frames poverty as a royal inheritance — not misery, but dignity. For Clareans today, this is our radical stance: true liberty is not in owning more, but in needing less. Our obedience to Christ frees us from obedience to Mammon.
Admonition IV. That No One Should Take Superiority Over Another
I did not come to be ministered unto, but to minister, says the Lord. Let those who are set over others glory in this office as much as if they were set to wash the feet of the brothers. And if they are more troubled by the loss of the office than they would be by the loss of the office of washing feet, so much the more do they gather to themselves a purse to the peril of their soul.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis demolishes clericalism. Leadership is not privilege but foot-washing. If you crave titles, you are lost. For Clareans today, this is how we define authority: service, not domination. The true minister is the one who bends low, not the one seated high.
Admonition V. That No One Should Be Proud but Glory in the Cross of the Lord
Consider, O man, in what excellence the Lord has placed you, for He created and formed you to the image of His beloved Son according to the body, and to His likeness according to the spirit. And all the creatures under heaven serve, know, and obey their Creator, each according to its nature, better than you. And even the devils did not crucify Him, but you with them have crucified Him and crucify Him still by delighting in vices and sins. Wherefore it is of you that the Apostle says: “He that glories, let him glory in the Lord.”
Clarean Commentary:
Francis levels human pride: creation itself obeys God better than we do. Our glory is not in our cleverness or power, but in the Cross. For Clareans today, this humbles us. We must walk gently, knowing even sparrows live closer to God’s law than we often do. Our only true boast is that Christ has loved us to the point of the Cross.
Admonition VI. Of Imitating the Lord
Consider, O brothers, the Good Shepherd, who bore the passion of the cross to save His sheep. The sheep of the Lord followed Him in tribulation and persecution, in shame and hunger, in weakness and temptation, and in all other ways, and they received everlasting life from the Lord. Therefore it is a great shame for us, the servants of God, that the saints have worked deeds and we wish to receive glory and honor by merely recounting them.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis confronts the easy temptation of storytelling without sacrifice. It’s not enough to admire the saints — we must imitate them. For Clareans today, this means resisting a “museum faith” where we only preserve the memory of Francis, Clare, Dorothy Day, or Oscar Romero. Instead, we live their fire in our own skin.
Admonition VII. Good Works Must Follow Knowledge
The Apostle says: “The letter kills, but the spirit quickens.” Those are killed by the letter who desire to know words only so that they may be esteemed as wiser than others and be able to acquire great riches to leave to their relatives and friends. And those religious are killed by the letter who do not wish to follow the spirit of divine Scripture, but who desire rather to know words only and to explain them to others. And those are quickened by the spirit of divine Scripture who do not attribute to themselves, but to the Lord God most high, whatever they know and desire to know, and who do not allow their knowledge to remain only in words, but who demonstrate it by their work, and with holy simplicity, they hand it down to others.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis warns against being “Bible-smart but Gospel-dead.” Knowledge without love is lethal. For Clareans today, this rebukes both dry scholarship and empty preaching. Study is holy, but only when it blossoms into action. Our theology must touch the street, or it is just noise.
Admonition VIII. Avoiding the Sin of Envy
The Apostle says: “No one can say the Lord Jesus but by the Holy Spirit.” And: “There is none who does good, no not one.” Whoever envies his brother of the good that the Lord says and does in him, commits sin of blasphemy, because he envies the Most High Himself, who speaks and does all good.
Clarean Commentary:
Envy isn’t just petty — Francis calls it blasphemy. To resent another’s gifts is to resent the God who gave them. For Clareans today, this means celebrating the successes of others in ministry, not competing. If a neighbor’s garden blooms, praise God. Envy strangles community; gratitude makes it flourish.
Admonition IX. Love Must Be in Deed, Not in Word
The Apostle says: “The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” Therefore those are blessed who, when they speak, perform all their works for love of God and who by word and deed confess that they know Him, and who “do not love in word only, but in deed and in truth.”
Clarean Commentary:
This is Francis’s echo of 1 John: love must get dirt under its nails. Words without deeds are hollow. For Clareans today, this is our street theology: we do not just preach Christ — we serve Christ in the hungry, the unhoused, the broken. Love must become bread, blankets, and bandages.
Admonition X. Of the Mortification of the Body
There are many who, when they sin or receive injury, often blame the enemy or their neighbor. But it is not so, because each one has the enemy in his power, that is, the flesh, through which he sins. Therefore blessed is that servant who, having such an enemy in his power, always holds him captive and wisely guards himself against him, because as long as he does this, no other enemy, visible or invisible, can harm him.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis shifts the battlefield inward: the flesh, the ego, the untamed desires. He warns against always blaming “the devil” or “the world.” For Clareans today, this is spiritual maturity: know your inner battles. Liberation starts in the heart. The true enemy is often not “out there” but within us. To live Clarean is to practice self-awareness, self-discipline, and gentle mastery over the impulses that enslave us.
Admonition XI. No One Should Be Corrupted by the Wickedness of Another
The Apostle says: “No one can excuse himself, for by the mouth the sinner is bound, and by the mouth he is loosed.” Blessed is that servant who, when corrected, willingly endures, modestly obeys, and humbly makes satisfaction. Woe to that religious who does not keep the good things which the Lord shows him, and who excuses himself of sin which he has committed; for sin which he conceals, he makes double.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis is blunt: don’t hide your sin, and don’t excuse it. Confession frees; concealment enslaves. For Clareans today, this is about honesty and accountability — no cover-ups, no blaming others. Communities die in secrecy but heal in truth.
Admonition XII. Blessed Is the Servant Who Would Be Found as Despised and Little by Men
Blessed is that servant who is not quickly lifted up for the praise and favor which men say or do toward him, but rather regards it as what is said of him or not said of him. For as much as a man is in the sight of God, so much he is and no more.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis cuts through vanity: you are not what others say you are. You are only what you are before God. For Clareans today, this is freedom from both flattery and insult. Our worth is not tied to applause, likes, or titles. Only God’s gaze matters.
Admonition XIII. Blessed Is the Servant Who Is Found Patient Under Reproof
Blessed is the servant who, being rebuked, willingly bears it modestly, obediently, and patiently. Blessed is the servant who, when corrected, does not excuse himself and humbly admits his fault.
Clarean Commentary:
Correction is not humiliation, but an opportunity for growth. Francis sees patience under reproof as a blessing. For Clareans today, this challenges our defensive instincts: instead of dodging blame, we can learn to embrace correction as grace. Humility is not weakness; it’s openness to transformation.
Admonition XIV. Blessed Is the Servant Who Does Not Take Revenge for Injuries Done to Him
Blessed is the servant who does not take revenge for injuries done to him, but bears them patiently. Blessed is the servant who when he is reproved endures patiently, modestly, and humbly, without excusing himself.
Clarean Commentary:
Here Francis echoes the Sermon on the Mount. Revenge is poison, patience is healing. For Clareans today, this is our call in a world obsessed with retaliation: we choose peace, we refuse vengeance, we bear wrongs without bitterness. Nonviolence is not passive; it is the courage to absorb harm without becoming harm.
Admonition XV. Blessed Is the Servant Who Would Love and Respect His Brother as Much When He Is Far From Him as When He Is Near Him
Blessed is the servant who loves his brother as much when he is sick and cannot help him as when he is well and can help him. Blessed is the servant who loves and respects his brother as much when he is absent as when he is present, and who would not say anything behind his back which he would not say with charity before his face.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis insists on integrity in love. True love is constant — not just when it’s convenient, not just in someone’s presence. For Clareans today, this means no gossip, no two-faced affection. Our love must be whole: to speak with honesty, to act with consistency, and to respect every person whether near or far.
Admonition XVI. Blessed Is the Servant Who Always Remains Under the Rod of Correction
Blessed is the servant who does not excuse himself and patiently bears shame and reproof for sin, when he did not commit the fault. Blessed is the servant who endures such correction patiently, willingly, and humbly.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis doesn’t glorify abuse — he honors the humility of one who refuses to lash back even when falsely accused. For Clareans today, this calls us to radical patience, but also to discernment: we don’t accept injustice as good, but we learn to endure suffering without becoming bitter or vengeful.
Admonition XVII. Blessed Is the Servant Who, When Reproved, Bears It Patiently
Blessed is the servant who when reproved bears it modestly, obeys humbly, and makes satisfaction willingly. Blessed is the servant who is not obstinate but who makes amends readily.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis is circling back — because pride is stubborn. True freedom is not in defending ourselves endlessly, but in letting correction soften us. For Clareans today, this is about being teachable. To be corrected is not shameful; to refuse growth is.
Admonition XVIII. Blessed Is the Servant Who Does Not Delight in Himself More Because of the Good That the Lord Says and Does Through Him Than in That Which He Says and Does Through Another
Blessed is the servant who does not exalt himself because of the good the Lord says or does through him more than because of the good He says or does through another.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis smashes spiritual pride. Gifts are gifts — not trophies. To envy another’s grace or to gloat in our own is to forget it all comes from God. For Clareans today, this means rejoicing equally when God uses us or someone else. The mission is bigger than our egos.
Admonition XIX. Blessed Is the Servant Who Does Not Look for a Reward but Who Receives What the Lord Sends
Blessed is the servant who does not look for a reward for his work, but who receives what the Lord sends him. Blessed is the servant who does not glory in himself, but gives glory to God.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis reminds us: ministry is not a transaction. We serve without expecting thanks, applause, or comfort. For Clareans today, this is vital: our reward is God’s joy, not recognition. When we stop needing to be seen, we become free to love fully.
Admonition XX. Blessed Is the Servant Who Keeps the Treasures of the Lord in Heaven
Blessed is the servant who stores up treasures in heaven and not on earth. He who hoards for himself on earth loses what he has stored in heaven. And he who spends his life for himself loses his soul and will forfeit heaven.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis echoes Jesus: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” The question is not whether we store treasure, but where. For Clareans today, this is a call to live uncluttered, generous lives, investing in relationships, justice, mercy, and love — treasures that moth and rust cannot touch.
Admonition XXI. Blessed Is the Servant Who Refers All Good to the Lord
Blessed is the servant who, when the Lord does good through him, does not exalt himself, for he is more guilty of robbery than the devil if he keeps back what belongs to the Lord.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis pulls no punches: spiritual pride is theft. To take credit for God’s work is robbery. For Clareans today, this reminds us to stay rooted in humility. Every healing, every word of wisdom, every good deed belongs to God. We are instruments, not owners.
Admonition XXII. Blessed Is the Servant Who Knows How to Keep the Secrets of the Lord
Blessed is the servant who does not carelessly reveal every word and secret of God, and who is not swift to speak, but wisely keeps silence.
Clarean Commentary:
Not everything God shows us is meant for the megaphone. Some revelations are treasures to be pondered in silence, like Mary did in her heart. For Clareans today, this calls for discernment: when to speak boldly and when to keep holy things veiled in quiet reverence. Wisdom is knowing the difference.
Admonition XXIII. Blessed Is the Servant Who Will Not Be Hasty to Speak
Blessed is the servant who does not speak everything he has in his heart, and who is not hasty to speak, but who weighs what he ought to say and how he ought to answer.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis warns against loose tongues. To blurt without discernment is to wound. For Clareans today, this is especially urgent in our age of instant posts and thoughtless tweets. Holy speech requires pause, prayer, and purpose. Sometimes the holiest act is restraint.
Admonition XXIV. Blessed Is the Servant Who Is Not Haughty Among His Brothers
Blessed is the servant who is not haughty among his brothers, and who is not quick to say “I told you so,” but who is gentle and humble, giving thanks to God for every good thing.
Clarean Commentary:
Nothing poisons community like arrogance and smugness. Francis insists on gentleness. For Clareans today, this means choosing humility over the need to be right, gratitude over gloating. A gentle spirit keeps the family of God whole.
Admonition XXV. Blessed Is the Servant Who Puts Himself Under the Yoke of Obedience
Blessed is the servant who willingly submits to obedience, and who does not seek to be above others, but who chooses to be the least and servant of all.
Clarean Commentary:
Here Francis echoes Christ washing feet. Obedience is not about hierarchy; it’s about mutual service. For Clareans today, this is countercultural — we resist the cult of self-promotion by choosing servanthood. Freedom comes not in lording over, but in loving under.
Admonition XXVI. Blessed Is the Servant Who Trusts in the Lord
Blessed is the servant who trusts in the Lord, and does not seek to be seen as holy by others. The more he is considered worthless and of no account by men, the more he is esteemed in the sight of the Lord.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis flips the world’s scoreboard. To be dismissed by people but cherished by God is true success. For Clareans today, this means letting go of the hunger for approval. Our worth is not measured in status or likes but in God’s hidden delight.
Admonition XXVII. Blessed Is the Servant Who Does Not Make Himself Glad Except in the Works of the Lord
Blessed is the servant who does not delight except in the works of the Lord, and who does not rejoice except in the holy words and deeds of the Lord.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis is jealous for holy joy. He warns us not to anchor our gladness in passing things but in God’s life breaking into the world. For Clareans today, this is a call to cultivate joy in justice, mercy, prayer, and creation — the works that reflect God’s heart. Holy joy is rebellion against despair.
Admonition XXVIII. Blessed Is the Servant Who Attributes All Good to the Lord
Blessed is the servant who refers all good to the Lord, for he who keeps back anything for himself hides his Lord’s money, and what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.
Clarean Commentary:
Francis closes where he began: humility. All belongs to God. To hoard glory, credit, or gifts is to bury the treasure. For Clareans today, this is the final word: live transparently, let all goodness flow back to its Source. When we stop clutching, God multiplies grace through us.
Sister Abigail Hester 
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