Followers of the Franciscan way adhere to specific beliefs within the larger belief system of the Catholic Church and will look to these beliefs to determine what God is like, how men and women should view and interact with God, and what determines spirituality. Franciscanism was born through the work and teaching of St. Francis of Assisi and of St. Clare. Their values and beliefs shape the spirituality of Franciscans today and form a unique view of God as he relates to men and women.
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Franciscan theology, the nature of God sets him apart from all created things. He exists without dependence on any outside person or thing and operates outside the limitations of time and space. God is infinitely loving and infinitely creative, and this creativity led to the existence of the present creation. God also retains the freedom to choose and has exercised this freedom by initiating the Incarnation and the Eucharist, allowing him to be present with mankind, and by offering the gift of salvation.
Jesus Christ came to earth by means of the Incarnation as a freely chosen demonstration of the love of God. He remains with mankind today through the Eucharist. Christ demonstrates to people what God is like and what mankind is intended to be. His death on the cross, though not a requirement for God to save mankind, was nevertheless an unparalleled demonstration of love that was intended to draw people to God.
Even before people chose to sin, God had already chosen to show his love by means of the Incarnation. Mankind's sin led to a particular method for Christ's coming, but he chose to become human as an expression of love. The Franciscan celebration of Christmas takes on special significance as a reminder of the demonstration of God's love when Christ came to earth.
The life of every person is significant in God's eyes, because each human has received special gifts from Him. God cannot be limited by humans and cannot be compelled to act based on human intervention. When we come before God, we must realize that we are poor in his presence, that our ability to do good works comes from Him, and that He does not owe us anything.
Human beings can take no action that will result in earning God's justification. God freely chooses to offer mercy, justification and forgiveness because He divinely loves mankind, not because humans earn those gifts. God gives people the option not to participate in his love. They can also choose to cooperate with God's plan and work with Him on salvation while acknowledging that even their desire for good comes from God.
