If I were considering living an apostolic life I would want to be influenced by St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis viewed wealth and possessions as hinderances to experiencing the path set before us by Jesus. He believed that what is truly important in life is the status of our hearts and that the best use of our lives is to grow in the Lord and give our resources to others. He found great value in giving glory to God and taking care of the brethren. He thought that the best way to do that was to get rid of the distractions of materiality. St. Francis believed that the way to live the the vita apostolica was to give glory to God in all things and value Him above all else. In order to do this and observe the the holy gospel, one must focus their life on their relationship with God and their service, which are connected.

St. Francis loved God’s creation and wrote about its glorious role in his life. His rich appreciation for the way God ordered the world and governs it are made explicitly known by his writings. The core of this man values God’s ways and God’s desires above all else.

St. Francis’ extreme viewpoint was not accepted well by the papacy. They did not agree with the extremity of his rules and would not restrict the brothers from carrying things with them while they travelled or having possessions. Francis felt betrayed by the people thought supported him. He felt that his order was taken from him and watered down from the true teachings of Jesus.
Francis’ rule focuses on explicitly laying out guidelines in order to guide the brethren towards a life totally focused on Jesus. For materiality, he wanted to set up a structure in which they had necessary material things already handled for them and everything unnecessary stripped away. Francis desired for his brethren to live as humble servants of humanity and experience pure relationship with God. This rule evidences that Francis believed the richness of other monasteries was corrupting and distracting to the hearts of the brethren. He saw poverty as a blessing and wonderful way to experience the world.
In his canticle, Francis promotes the fact that all things belong to God, were made by God, and are for God. He talks about how the glory of God is encompassed in the wholeness of his creation, physical and spiritual. He challenges the views of the Cathars by exploring the wonders of the world before us and praising God for them. I think he was gently trying to show those who did not know what a blessing and wonder the physical world is and how God intended it for our good.