Reflection 10 (15:34): Interior Journey and Final Prayer
- Feb 15
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 1
The journey of Saint Francis of Assisi invites us into a profound meditation on change, faith, and the search for meaning beyond worldly success. Gerard Thomas Straub’s film, The Loneliness and Longing of St. Francis of Assisi, captures this spiritual odyssey with a quiet intensity that resonates deeply. This series breaks the full length film into clips that are conducive to pausing, watching, and pondering. (Click here for questions in PDF format for small group handouts.)
Reflection Questions on Quotes from the Film:
"He no longer wanted any behavior from his past to have any power over his present, which was consumed by a love of God"
Do you ever find yourself unable to let go of a past behavior, decision, event, or situation that seems to have power over your present? What could/would it feel like to be free of any guilt, shame or regret that keeps you from God?
"We are doers, performers who always have an itch to be acting. It's hard for us to simply sit before God and listen. How can we speak about God or share God's love when we haven't fully experienced it ourselves?"
Have you ever been intentionally still? If so, how would you describe the experience? Does stillness facilitate prayer? Have you experienced God in stillness? If so, how would you describe the encounter?
Gerard Thomas Straub, a Secular Franciscan as well as the the producer, writer and director of The Loneliness and Longing of Saint Francis, ends with a prayer from his heart.
If you were offering a heartfelt prayer, would you make Gerry's prayer your own? Would your prayer be somewhat or substantially different? What would your prayer be?
