| St. Francis Of Assisi |
Article Index for St |
Shopping Assisi |
Website Links For Francis |
Information AboutSt. Francis Of Assisi |
|
]] Saint Francis of Assisi ( 1182 – 4 October 1226 ) founded the Franciscan Order or "Friars Minor". He is the Patron Saint of Animal s, Merchant s, Italy , Catholic action and the Environment . BOYHOOD AND EARLY MANHOOD Born Giovanni di Bernardone, commonly known as Francesco. He was either born in 1181 or 1182. His father, Pietro, was a wealthy cloth merchant. Of his mother, Pica, little is known. Francis was one of several children. Rebellious toward his father's business and pursuit of wealth, Francis would spend most of his youth lost in books (ironically, his father's wealth did afford his son an excellent education, and he became fluent in reading several languages including Latin). He was also known for drinking and enjoying the company of his many friends, who were usually the sons of nobles. His displays of disillusionment toward the world that surrounded him became evident fairly early, one of which is shown in the story of the beggar. In this account, he found himself out having fun with his friends one day when a beggar came along and asked for Alms . While his friends ignored the beggar's cries, Francis gave the man everything he had in his pockets. His friends quickly chided and mocked him for his stupidity, and when he got home, his father scolded him in a rage. In 1201 he joined a military expedition against Perugia , was taken prisoner, and spent a year as a captive. It is probable that his conversion to more serious thoughts was a gradual process relating to this experience. It is said that when he began to avoid the Sport s of his former companions, and they asked him laughingly if he was thinking of marrying, he answered "Yes, a fairer bride than any of you have ever seen" - meaning his "lady Poverty ", as he afterward used to say. He spent much time in lonely places, asking God for Enlightenment . By degrees he took to nursing the most repulsive victims in the Lazar House s near Assisi . After a Pilgrim age to Rome , where he begged at the Church doors for the poor, he had a mystical experience in the Church of St. Damian just outside of Assisi, in which the Icon of Christ Crucified came alive and said to him 3 times, "Francis, Francis, go and repair My house which, as you can see, is falling into ruin." He thought this to mean the very ruined church in which he was presently praying, and so sold his horse together with some cloth from his father's store, to assist the priest there for this purpose. ]] Pietro, highly indignant, attempted to bring him to his senses, first with threats and then with corporal chastisement. After a final interview in the presence of the Bishop , Francis renounced his father and his patrimony, laying aside even the garments he had received from him. For the next few months he lived as a begger in the region of Assisi. Returning to the town where he spent two years this time, he restored several ruined churches, among them the little Chapel of St Mary Of The Angels, Assisi , just outside the town, which later became his favorite abode. During the later part of his life St. Francis, along with his close friend Thomas, were on a mountain where St. Francis was praying when suddenly he saw a vision of an angel on a cross. This angel bore holes into St. Francis's feet, hands, and chest. This is the first account of Stigmata in history. However, no one knew about this occurance until after his death when Thomas told a crowd of Franciscans that he witnessed this account. THE FOUNDING OF THE ORDER OF FRIARS MINOR , Subiaco, Italy]] At the end of this period (according to Jordanus , on February 24, 1209 ), a Sermon which he heard on the Gospel Of Matthew 10:9, where Christ tells his followers that they should go forth and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is upon them, and that they should take no money with them, that they should take no walking stick for the road, and that they should wear no shoes -- made such an impression on him that he decided to devote himself wholly to a life of apostolic poverty. Clad in a rough garment, barefoot, and, after the Evangelical precept, without staff or scrip, he began to preach repentance. He was soon joined by a prominent fellow townsman, Bernardo Da Quintavalle , who contributed all that he had to the work, and then by many other companions, who are said to have reached the number of eleven within a year. In his humility Francis chose never to be ordained a priest, and the community lived as "fratres minores", in Latin, "lesser brothers". The Franciscans are sometimes called Friars, a term derived from "fratres", in Latin, "brothers". The brothers lived a Simple Life in the deserted lazar house of Rivo Torto near Assisi; but they spent much of their time wandering through the mountainous districts of Umbria , always cheerful and full of songs, yet making a deep impression on their hearers by their earnest exhortations. In 1209 Francis led his first 11 followers to Rome and asked the Pope's permission to found a new religious order and succeeded in gaining the approval of Pope Innocent III . At first his attempt to speak with the Pope was refused; but the following night, Innocent III saw in a dream the church was crumbling apart and a poor man appearing to hold it up. The next morning, recalling the poor man he had refused the day before, he recognized him as the man he saw in his dream, and decided to change his verdict the following day. ST. FRANCIS, NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT Many of the stories that surround the life of St. Francis deal with his love for animals. Perhaps the most famous incident that illustrates the Saint’s humility towards nature is recounted in the ''Vigina'' (The Little Flowers), a collection of legends and folk-lore that sprang up after the saint’s death. It is said that one day while Francis was traveling with some companions they happened upon a place in the road where birds filled the trees on either side. Francis told his companions to “wait for me while I go a preach to my sisters the birds.” The birds surrounded him, drawn by the power of his voice, and not one of them flew away. Francis spoke to them: “My sister birds, you owe much to God, and you must always and in everyplace give praise to Him; for He has given you freedom to wing through the sky and He has clothed you…you neither sow nor reap, and God feeds you and gives you rivers and fountains for your thirst, and mountains and valleys for shelter, and tall trees for your nests. And although you neither know how to spin or weave, God dresses you and your children, for the Creator loves you greatly and He blesses you abundantly. Therefore…always seek to praise God.” Another legend from the '' Fioretti '' tells us that in the city of Gubbio , where Francis lived for some time, there was a wolf “terrifying and ferocious, who devoured men as well as animals.” Francis had compassion upon the townsfolk, and went up into the hills to find the wolf. Soon fear of the animal had caused all his companions to flee, but the saint pressed on and when he found the wolf he made the sign of the cross and commanded the wolf to come to him and hurt no one. Miraculously the wolf closed his jaws and lay down at the feet of St. Francis. “Brother Wolf, you do much harm in these parts and you have done great evil…” said Francis. “All these people accuse you and curse you…But brother wolf, I would like to make peace between you and the people.” Then Francis led the wolf into the town, and surrounded by startled citizens he made a pact between them and the wolf. Because the wolf had “done evil out of hunger” the townsfolk were to feed the wolf regularly, and in return, the wolf would no longer prey upon them or their flocks. In this manner Gubbio was freed from the menace of the predator. Francis, ever the lover of animals, even makes a pact on behalf of the town dogs, that they will not bother the wolf again. This legends exemplifies the Franciscan mode of charity and poverty as well as the saint's love of the natural world. However, the academic establishment agrees that St. Francis actually had a rather conventional attitude towards his worldly environment. He did believe that the external world was inherently good as a sign and revelation of God's providence and goodness, its purpose being to inspire our respect and love, but this was not an unusual philosophy in the thirteenth century. His belief in the universal ability and duty of all creatures to praise God is remarkable. MAIN SOURCES FOR THE LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS
For an exhaustive list of sources, see {Link without Title} . MAIN WRITINGS BY ST. FRANCIS
For a complete list, see {Link without Title} . SEE ALSO
EXTERNAL LINKS
Founders Of Roman Catholic Religious Communities |
|
|