If you’re Christian, most likely you’ve heard the phrase: “Preach The Gospel At All Times And If Necessary Use Words.”

This quote, often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, is frequently recommended as a primary method of evangelization. But, did St. Francis of Assisi really say this? And, did he really live this out as his primary means of evangelization?

The truth is, there is no evidence that St. Francis said this.

However, St. Francis’ life and actions did provide a great deal of evangelization on their own. In a society where many clergy lived extravagant lifestyles, St. Francis’ vow of poverty was a stunning image of the Gospel.

Often, portrayals of St. Francis focus on his connection with animals. However, he was also a Catholic saint who fearlessly preached the Gospel.

It was said that he would go to the extravagant parties of the rich and preach the Gospel to them. When walking the paths of Assisi, St. Francis would often preach the Gospel to those he met. St. Francis is often depicted with birds because, according to legend, he even preached the Gospel to them. If he went so far as to preach to birds, then surely he wasn’t afraid to preach to the people he met.

Now that we’ve cleared that up, what can we learn from this phrase?

There is no doubt that our lives should proclaim the Gospel. But, we should also be able to articulate the Gospel to others. As Pope Benedict says in Verbum Domini, “It is not a matter of preaching a word of consolation, but rather a word which disrupts, which calls to conversion and which opens the way to an encounter with the one through whom a new humanity flowers” (No. 93).

St. Francis lived this “both/and” rather than an “either/or.” If he did ever say, “Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words,” then he must have thought it was necessary to do so.

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