Spiritual Giants: St. Francis of Assisi

¹⁷ So I’m telling you this, and I insist on it in the Lord: you shouldn’t live your life like the Gentiles anymore. They base their lives on pointless thinking, ¹⁸ and they are in the dark in their reasoning. They are disconnected from God’s life because of their ignorance and their closed hearts. ¹⁹ They are people who lack all sense of right and wrong, and who have turned themselves over to doing whatever feels good and to practicing every sort of corruption along with greed.

²⁰ But you didn’t learn that sort of thing from Christ. ²¹ Since you really listened to him and you were taught how the truth is in Jesus, ²² change the former way of life that was part of the person you once were, corrupted by deceitful desires. ²³ Instead, renew the thinking in your mind by the Spirit ²⁴ and clothe yourself with the new person created according to God’s image in justice and true holiness.

²⁵ Therefore, after you have gotten rid of lying, Each of you must tell the truth to your neighbor^[a] because we are parts of each other in the same body. ²⁶ Be angry without sinning.^[b] Don’t let the sun set on your anger. ²⁷ Don’t provide an opportunity for the devil. ²⁸ Thieves should no longer steal. Instead, they should go to work, using their hands to do good so that they will have something to share with whoever is in need.

²⁹ Don’t let any foul words come out of your mouth. Only say what is helpful when it is needed for building up the community so that it benefits those who hear what you say. ³⁰ Don’t make the Holy Spirit of God unhappy—you were sealed by him for the day of redemption. ³¹ Put aside all bitterness, losing your temper, anger, shouting, and slander, along with every other evil. ³² Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other, in the same way God forgave you in Christ.