MORE LIKE ST FRANCIS | KAIROS GLOBAL | SEPTEMBER 2026

Author: Jecko George

Audio

Intro: Jecko George writes about the lessons and conversions in his life inspired by St Francis.

Praise God! I cannot begin my testimony without first thanking God for all the blessings He has showered upon my life, for taking me from the kingdom of darkness and leading me into the Kingdom of Light, making me His son, holding me in the palm of His hand, guarding me as the apple of His eye, and for giving St Francis of Assisi, who continues to help me walk the way of Christ.

My name is Jecko George. I was born and brought up in a traditional Catholic family from the Thrissur district of Kerala, India. My parents are both teachers by profession. I am currently working in Dubai as an engineer, and I live here with my wife, Elza, who is my constant support, and our four children.

My personal encounter with the Lord happened after my schooling, when I was struggling to secure admission to an engineering college. During that difficult time, I attended a retreat where I encountered the living Lord Jesus. There, I repented of my sins, surrendered my life to Him, and accepted Him as my personal Saviour. Before that encounter, I had little inner joy and very little hope – years of personal, financial, and academic struggle had left me introverted, shy, and lacking in self-confidence. Deep within me, I longed to come out of those struggles, but I did not know how. But when I experienced Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life, everything began to change. I grew in love for the Holy Bible, Mother Mary, the Holy Eucharist, and the lives of the saints, through which God moulded me into a renewed person.

My love for the saints drew me to St Francis of Assisi, who has shaped me most. What draws me to him above all is his radical ‘No’ to the ways of the world, the moment he encountered Truth and could no longer live for anything less. Francis was born into wealth, with the world open before him – yet he walked away from all of it, because he had found something the world could never offer.

I did not inherit his wealth, but I have inherited his choice. There are still moments when the allure of money, position, and worldly success knocks quietly at my heart, moments when I wonder what my life might have looked like had I chased those things instead of Christ. In those moments, it is Francis who comes to mind, reminding me that to be poor in spirit is to be rich with God – a richness that compensates for everything the world thinks I have missed. 

St Francis taught me to live with simplicity, completely dependent on the Lord, asking only for the bread I need each day. He lived his whole life as a brother rather than a priest, considering himself unworthy; a lesson in humility. He also taught me to give Christ first place: my family, career, and ministry are all blessings from God, but must never outweigh the One who gave them. As Scripture says, No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer (2 Timothy 2:4).

Fittingly, Francis is the patron saint of the Jesus Youth movement, where I have found my vocation and continue to serve. His love for the poor shaped my own first ministry in Jesus Youth, the Pro-Life ministry, and my family's privilege of caring for our elderly grandmother. When I read of Francis embracing the leper, I see how far I still have to grow in love and compassion. His call to ‘rebuild my Church’ reminds me that wherever we are – family, parish, workplace, movement – we are called to build up the Body of Christ. During my one-year Full-Timers' Training, I tasted something of the life Francis lived: wholly given to the Lord and to community. And his love for creation calls our family to simple acts of stewardship – conserving water and electricity, reducing waste, caring for what God has made.

To every person reading this: the world will always offer you something seemingly better than what Christ offers. Francis heard that offer too, and said no to it – not because he despised the world, but because he had found something greater. What you give up for Christ is never a loss. Poverty of spirit is the only wealth that never runs out.

I conclude with the prayer St Francis prayed before the Crucifix:

Most High, glorious God,

enlighten the darkness of my heart.

Give me true faith,

certain hope,

and perfect charity.

Give me sense and knowledge, Lord,

that I may carry out

Your holy and true command. Amen.

Jecko George is a civil engineer working in the construction industry. He lives in Dubai, UAE, with his wife, Elza, and their four children.