Francis of Assisi

October 4 is a fun day in many churches. It’s the Feast of Saint Francis, and for many churches, of various denominations, that’s a perfect day for the blessing of the animals. Many different kinds of animals — along with their human companions — gather for the blessing: dogs, cats, parrots, ferrets, even snakes and hamsters. It makes for a worship experience that skids along the thin line separating order from chaos. In the midst of the barking and meowing that join into the prayers of the day, one cannot help but think about how the good friar from Assisi would surely approve.

The Patron Saint of Animals and the Environment was born Giovanni Francesco Bernardone in approximately the year 1181 or 1182. He was the son of an affluent merchant, and all indications of Francis’ early life suggested he would follow his father in the life of a merchant. But after spending time as a prisoner of war during a regional conflict in his twentieth year, Francis came home to where he suffered a serious illness — from which he emerged with a commitment to pursue a life of prayer. During a visit to Rome, the wealthy young man was moved by encountering the suffering of poor beggars on the street; and then, taking seriously Jesus’ call to leave all and follow Him, Francis did just that: he abandoned his life of middle-class luxury and adopted voluntary poverty in the name of his faith. Soon others joined him, and so the Franciscan Order was born.

Unlike many other mystics, Francis did not leave behind much in the way of the written word, although a small number of letters, songs and texts are reliably attributed to saint of Assisi. One of the most loved of Francis’ works is the “Canticle of Brother Sun,” perhaps the most succinct statement of how his love for God manifested as a profound sense of delight and kinship with the natural world.

This song of praise offers glory and thanksgiving to God by honoring element after element of the natural world. Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brother Wind, Sister Water, Brother Fire, and Sister Mother Earth are each celebrated in turn. Full of sensuous imagery and poetic descriptions of the beauty of nature, this thoroughly Christian song of praise never fails in declaring that the beauty of nature unites in giving glory to the Creator of All Things. No wonder that Francis, the champion of the poor, has become especially loved as a voice for the world of nature.

What can we learn from St. Francis today? Perhaps few of us are called to embrace the life of joyful renunciation that marked the lifestyle of Francis and his followers. But while it is not necessary to be poor in order to follow Christ, still there could be an important message in the Franciscan ideal. After all, we live in a time when spiraling energy costs and rapidly diminishing resources have forced all of us to rethink what is required in order to protect our natural resources. The spirituality of St. Francis is the most truly holistic approach to caring for Mother Earth. Loving nature is only half of what is required. Equally important is the decision to choose a life of simplicity. Reducing the amount of resources we consume, and reusing and recycling all that we can, are all values consistent with the Franciscan ideal of holy poverty. When we live simply, we love nature. And when we do both, God is glorified.

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6 Responses to “Francis of Assisi”

  1. Joseph Says:
    March 7, 2008 at 9:32 pm

    Thanks for this writeup on my favorite mystic.

  2. John Says:
    May 8, 2008 at 7:26 pm

    Happy to have found you- I began in this tradition, left my roots years ago and now am returning. I was just skeptical, but an experience or two with Holy Spirit changes that. I love God’s fool and he is the source of much of my inspiration along with the earliest church fathers- Jesus’ continue to bless this site.

  3. sam Says:
    June 13, 2008 at 7:04 pm

    5″When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to (E)stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners (F)so that they may be seen by men (G)Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

    6″But you, when you pray, (H)go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and (I)your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

    7″And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their (J)many words.

    8″So do not be like them; for (K)your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

    9″(L)Pray, then, in this way:
    ‘Our Father who is in heaven,
    Hallowed be Your name.
    10′(M)Your kingdom come
    (N)Your will be done,
    On earth as it is in heaven.
    11′(O)Give us this day our daily bread.
    12′And (P)forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
    13′And do not lead us into temptation, but (Q)deliver us from (R)evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]‘

    14″(S)For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

    15″But (T)if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

  4. sam Says:
    June 13, 2008 at 7:11 pm

    4And Jesus answered and said to them, “(F)See to it that no one misleads you.

    5″For (G)many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.

    6″You will be hearing of (H)wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.

    7″For (I)nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be (J)famines and earthquakes.

    8″(K)But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

    9″(L)Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and (M)you will be hated by all nations because of My name.

    10″At that time many will (N)fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.

    11″Many (O)false prophets will arise and will mislead many.

  5. sam Says:
    June 13, 2008 at 7:17 pm

    Either you are an anti-christ or a form of one that is a tool of Satan.

    “Above all, be lovers of your souls.” Clare of Assisi a 13th century mystic Catholic nun

    Did Christ teach us to be lovers of ourselves through false christs and false spirits. These are just idols without a statue.

    What spirit leads you? Test the spirits against scripture. It is good to throw off the shackles of legalism, but do not replace them with another false sacrement.

    Beware Christian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  6. Peter Says:
    June 14, 2008 at 12:54 am

    Dear Sam,

    I pray for you that the true Spirit of Discernment from the Holy Spirit of God will give you supernatural discernment, beneath the superficial cultural, linguistic, and religious differences, to see that the spirit of these 13th century saints is the same as the Spirit of Christ that inspires Scripture and its life-giving interpretation, passing all the Scriptural tests of those who proclaim Jesus Christ come in the flesh. May you see that “becoming lovers of your souls” is a healthy, organic part of the process of “loving your neighbor as yourself” in response to loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. May you experience a full-orbed, first-hand revelation of the supreme love of God for you in Christ Jesus, causing you to fall to the ground as Paul did and worship Jesus, and then to find Him as Francis did in all the places in your path where He is waiting so graciously and powerfully to reveal himself to you. You will then be free from feeling the necessity of judging and condemning others even as you strive to preserve the purity and honor of the true revelation of truth and life and reality as it is in Jesus.

    Yours in respect and love,
    Peter

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