St. Francis of Assisi

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Hey there everyone! I took a day off#40daysofsaints to bring you a giveaway for Oofos yesterday! Check it out here if you haven'talready. Also, I don't know if you noticed but Sundays are not included in Lentso I will not be posting on Sundays and if I do, it will not be a part of#40daysofsaints. Today, we are talking about St.Francis. I figured that we haven't talked about many men and there areplenty holy ones so let's talk about St. Francis of Assisi.
---Francis was born the son of a wealthycloth merchant in Assisi (a town in Italy) around the year 1181. He was wealthyand lived the life of the rich and famous as a young man. He loved showydisplay and is said to have been a favorite individual amongst young nobles ofAssisi. He was such a happy individual and a born leader. People loved himdearly. As a young adult, he was involved in wild parties. He is said by Thomasof Celano (his biographer) that, "he attracted to himself a whole retinueof young people addicted to evil and accustomed to vice" (source).Francis loved to party but he wanted more.He wanted to be known as a knight and a hero. He knew that battle was the bestplace to win the glory and prestige in which he desired. Assisi declared war ona near by town of Perugia and Francis finally got his chance. Many of thetroops were killed and the wealthy soldiers were taken prisoner to be held forransom. It is believed from those who were with him that Francis never lost hishappy manner while being imprisoned for an entire year. He was chained in adark dungeon for one year and he remained still unchanged. He continue to partyas much as before he went away to war.He still had the deep desire for glory.The call for knights for the fourth crusade gave him the chance to meet theglory he so strongly wanted. Before Francis left, he put on his suit of armordecorated with gold and his magnificent cloak. Being the son of a wealthy farmer,he also took a horse. Francis left Assisi and one day's ride away, he had adream. In his dream, he saw a vast hall hung with armour all marked with thecross. He was then told by God that he had it all wrong and was to return hometo Assisi. Francis returned home and never made it to battle.When he returned home, he spent more timein prayer, went to a cave and wept for forgiveness for his sins. One day hecame across a leper, instinctively repelled with disgust, he embraced the manand gave him all the money he had. Francis was filled with joy.
Story fromCatholic Online: Hissearch for conversion led him to the ancient church at San Damiano. While hewas praying there, he heard Christ on the crucifix speak to him, "Francis, repair mychurch." Francis assumed this meant church with a small c -- the crumblingbuilding he was in. Acting again in his impetuous way, he took fabric from hisfather's shop and sold it to get money to repair the church. His father sawthis as an act of theft -- and puttogether with Francis' cowardice, waste of money, and his growing disinterestin money made Francis seem more like a madman than his son. Pietro draggedFrancis before the bishop and in front of the whole town demanded that Francisreturn the money and renounce all rights as his heir.The bishop was very kind to Francis; he told him toreturn the money and said God would provide. That was all Francisneeded to hear. He not only gave back the money but stripped off all hisclothes -- the clothes his father had given him -- until he was wearing only ahair shirt. In front of the crowd that had gathered he said, "PietroBernardone is no longer my father. From now on I can say with complete freedom,'Our Father who art in heaven.'" Wearing nothing but castoff rags, he wentoff into the freezing woods -- singing. And when robbers beat him later andtook his clothes, he climbed out of the ditch and went off singing again. Fromthen on Francis had nothing...and everything.Franciswent back and repaired the San Damiano church with his the work of his ownhands. Eventually Francis realized that God wanted him to repair his Church--not in the building sense. Francis began to preach. Soon, others wanted tojoin Francis in the way he lived (sleeping in the open, begging for garbage toeat and loving God). Francis' brotherhood included individuals from all walksof life. There are so many great stories about Francis preaching to birds,another about Francis preaching to a wolf that had been eating human beings.Francis followed the Gospel literally sending his brothers out to preach two bytwo.Francisnever tried to abolish poverty, he made it holy. Francis and his companionswere barefoot beggars wearing sacks and constantly filled with the joy of theLord, celebrating the gift of life. People began asking themselves, “Could onebe happy and own nothing?” Francis’order grew to 5000 in ten years. The order experienced a lot of pressure fromoutside control which made the order conform to the standards of others whobelieved Francis’ idea of radical poverty was too harsh. Francis gave up authorityof the order. Francis’final years were filled with suffering as he prayed to share in Christ’spassion. Francis experienced stigmata (marks of the nails and the lance woundthat Christ suffered) in his own body. After years of wandering, he became illand began to go blind. He never recovered from his illness and died on October4, 1226 at the age of 45. Francis is considered the founder of all Franciscan orders.FeastDay: October 4Patron Saint of animals, merchants andecology
Prayerto St. Francis: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there ishatred, let me sow love;
where there isinjury,pardon;
where there isdoubt, faith;
where there isdespair, hope;
where there isdarkness, light;
and where there issadness, joy.
O Divine Master,grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled asto console;
to be understood asto understand;
to be loved as tolove.
For it is in givingthat we receive;
it is in pardoningthat we are pardoned;
and it is in dyingthat we are born to eternal life. Amen
That's all for today,