Summary: This article presents labour and finances from the perspective of Francis of Assisi and the Franciscan Theological Tradition. The discourse is founded on a Christian anthropology, which asserts that we are a totally unmerited gift from God’s free will and goodness, and so we are called to the free and complete giving of ourselves. Labour is grace and the economy is intrinsically linked to public happiness. Christian identity needs to be expressed not only at personal and religious levels but also through economical solidarity. The “Monti di Pietà”, which started in Spain in 1431, respond to this logic of freedom, self giving and collective responsibility.