St Francis of Assisi

Oct 4- Feast of St Francis of Assisi

 “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” - St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi (c. 1182-1226) founded the Franciscan orders, including the Poor Clares and the lay Third Order. He and St. Catherine of Siena are the patron saints of Italy, and he is also the patron saint of ecology and animals.

Youthful years

Born in Assisi, in Umbria Italy, in  1181 or 1182, to wealthy merchant Pietro Bernardone and his wife Pica, he originally received the name Giovanni (or John) but was called Francesco (or Francis) by his father's choice.

Heir to his father’s vast wealth, he grew up in the lap of luxury, living a life of pleasure he endeared himself to the elite community through his natural generosity, wit, and charm. 

When Francis was 20 years old, he seized the opportunity to fulfil his youthful dreams of glory by fighting in the perennial battle between the warring towns of Assisi and Perugia. He was captured and imprisoned in a Perigean dungeon for a year before his father ransomed him. Upon his release, Francis suffered a severe illness. Still determined to make a name for himself, he responded before fully recovering to the Fourth Crusade’s call for knights (c. 1202–1204) to recapture the holy city of Jerusalem, under the control of the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid Sultanate. 

Wearing newly acquired golden armour, Francis set out to join the war in Italy but relapsed into illness before reaching the battlefield. In his weakened state, Francis sensed God drawing him away from self-glory and the military life — and into service for God’s glory. 

Total turnaround for Christ

Instead of going to war, Francis returned ignominiously to Assisi and the mocking ridicule of family and friends. Despite the jeers, he dedicated himself to constant prayer to better understand God’s will for his life. 

Fighting the urge to revel with friends of his former lifestyle, Francis spent countless hours in solitude and fasting. He so yearned for Christ that his friends teased that he “must be in love.” To their shock, Francis announced, quoting Dante, that he was indeed in love and “about to take a wife of surpassing fairness.” With this bold declaration of adoration for God and the lifestyle he was called to live, began Francis’s total and complete holy surrender to a life of service. 

Francis’s devotion to God was soon tested when he passed a leper by the roadside. Before his spiritual awakening, lepers repulsed Francis. But as he approached the man, the shame of his own prejudice overtook him. Filled with an unexplainable love for the beggar, Francis dismounted his horse, gave all his money to the leper, and kissed the man’s diseased hand. 

This gesture inspired by the Holy Spirit ignited a new passion in Francis to offer everything he was and everything he owned to God — so that Christ’s love would flow through him unhindered.

Soon afterwards, he made a pilgrimage to Rome. Pained at the miserly offerings he saw at the tomb of St. Peter, he emptied his purse thereon. Then, as if to cast off his fastidious nature, he exchanged clothes with a tattered mendicant and stood for the rest of the day fasting among the horde of beggars at the door of the Basilica.

Disowned by family

Francis again sought God’s guidance through prayer and scripture. Not long after his return to Assisi, whilst Francis was praying before an ancient crucifix in the forsaken wayside chapel of San Damiano outside the town, he heard a voice saying: "Go, Francis, and repair my house, which as you see is falling into ruin."

Believing that God was guiding him to repair the dilapidated church at San Damiano structurally, Francis sold a sizable portion of his father’s textile goods, along with his own horse, to pay for the project. 

When Francis’s father Pietro Bernardone heard what his son had done, he beat the young man, dragged him before Bishop Guido of Assisi, and demanded that Francis renounce his rights as Pietro’s heir and repay the money for the missing textiles. 

Bishop Guido told Francis to return the money and trust God. Francis willingly complied with these instructions and acquiesced to his father’s demands. “Pietro Bernardone is no longer my father. From now on I can say with complete freedom, ‘Our Father who art in heaven,” he said after removing his clothes and handing them all back to Pietro. 

Francis joyfully embraces a life of Poverty.

Francis returned to San Damiano to refurbish the chapel using funds he collected by going house to house begging for money. As Francis laboured to repair the church stone by stone, God began building the man into a servant-leader.

During the repair project, God made it clear that Francis’s ultimate mission would involve repairing spiritual breaches—by preaching repentance, proclaiming the Good News, and showing Christ’s love to all, without prejudice. 

On a certain morning in 1208, probably 24 February, hearing a sermon preached from Matthew’s Gospel, Francis knew he would undertake his Holy mission the way the Apostles had by instructed by Jesus Christ himself. He would quite very literally ... "... go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.” (Matthew 10:7-10)

Francis accepted God’s call to service and poverty by saying, “This is what I wish; this is what I am seeking. This is what I want to do from the bottom of my heart.” He would later teach that his vow of external poverty was just an outward display of an inward call to total self-denial that Jesus Christ personified. (Philippians 2:5-8)

The First Rule the Friars Minor, as it is called, has not come down to us in its original form, but it appears to have been very short and simple, a mere adaptation of Matthew 19:21, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.", which he desired to practice in all their perfection.

The Second Rule the Friars Minor was taken from Luke 9:3, 'And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece"'. 

The Third Rule the Friars Minor was taken from Mathew 16:24, 'Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."'

First Franciscan Order

In 1209, Francis and twelve of his closest followers journeyed to Rome to seek the approval of Pope Innocent III (r. 1198-1216). There are differing accounts of Francis's reception by Pope Innocent III. It seems likely, however, that his friend and mentor Bishop Guido of Assisi, who was then in Rome, commended Francis to Cardinal John of St. Paul, and that at the instance of the latter, Pope Innocent III took a closer look at the bizarre proposition of Francis of going out into the world to preach repentance and belief in the Gospel, as it appears, he initially rejected quite abruptly and rudely. 

Francis's submission to Papal authority, and a prophetic prompting given to the Pope in a dream in which he beheld the Poor Man of Assisi upholding the tottering Lateran (the land in Rome given to the Catholic Church by Emperor Constantine in 311 AD), prompted Pope Innocent III to give a verbal sanction and grant the saint and his companions leave to start the Franciscan order and preach repentance everywhere. Before leaving Rome they all received the ecclesiastical tonsure, which is a religious ceremony and rite of initiation that involves shaving or clipping a portion of the head to mark a person's entrance into a new stage of religious activity or development.

Francis was ordained deacon later on (he was never ordained a priest) and around circa 1211 the Franciscans obtained a permanent foothold near Assisi, through the generosity of the Benedictines of Monte Subasio, who gave them the Porziuncola, a little chapel of St. Mary of the Angels (now site of Papal Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi) 

Francis travelled through villages preaching radically Biblical ideas about living a communal life in keeping with the Gospels. Spiritually thirsty people came from everywhere to hear him preach. Francis and his followers ministered to the unreached masses with God’s Word always upon their lips. Legend says that Francis was so zealous for God that he preached the Good News even when only animals were available to listen. This earned him the title “God’s fool,” which he wholeheartedly embraced. 

Second Franciscan Order of Poor Ladies, or Poor Clares

During the Lent of 1212, Francis received joyous and unexpected news. Chiara Offreduccio (now known as St Clare, c. 1911-1253), a young heiress of Assisi, moved by his preaching at the church of St. George, sought him out, and begged to be allowed to embrace the new manner of life he had founded. On his advice, Clare, who was then but eighteen, secretly left her father's house on the night following Palm Sunday, and with two companions went to the Porziuncola, where the friars met her in procession, carrying lighted torches. Then Francis, having cut off her hair, clothed her in the Minorite habit and thus bestowed on her a life of poverty, penance, and seclusion. Clare stayed provisionally with some Benedictine nuns near Assisi until Francis could provide a suitable retreat for St Clare, for her sister Caterina Offreducia (now known as St. Agnes, c. 1197-1253), and the other pious women who had joined her. He eventually established them at San Damiano, in a dwelling adjoining the chapel he had rebuilt with his own hands, which was now given to the saint by the Benedictines as domicile for his spiritual daughters, and which thus became the first monastery of the Second Franciscan Order of Poor Ladies, now known as Poor Clares.

Outreach to the enemies of Christianity

In May 1219, Francis was committed to evangelizing the Saracens, the Arab and Turkish forces professing Islam led by the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, al-Malik al-Kamil (r. 1218-1238). The embattled Sultan faced the looming threat of another Crusader war, what became known as the Sixth Crusade (1228–1229) or the Crusade of Frederick II  (r. 1220-1250), an expedition of highly trained and the best-equipped troops to recapture Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and the rest of the Holy Land. 

Francis formed his own revolutionary campaign to reclaim the world for Christ - calling Christians to be instruments of peace. Francis risked his life by travelling to Egypt to talk with Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil. During their meeting, Francis respectfully shared his faith with the Muslim leader in such a compelling way that the Sultan granted him access to sacred Holy sites and requested that Francis “pray for him so that he would follow God more closely.” He was not afraid to carry the Gospel into the heart of enemy territory, such was his zeal!

Francis Erected the First Nativity Scene in 1223

Francis was so moved by the reality of Jesus’s sacrificial birth, earthly life, and death on the cross that he contemplated these loving acts constantly. He genuinely believed that if others could “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,” like Francis, they would be unable to resist the love of their Savior. 

Out of his desire to show the world Jesus, Francis obtained permission from the church to create a Christmas display that would visually represent the setting of Christ’s humble birth. In a cave in Greccio, Italy, Francis set up the first nativity scene—complete with a real manger and a live ox and donkey. 

When asked why he wished to create such a display, Francis replied, “I want to do something that will recall the memory of that Child who was born in Bethlehem, to see with bodily eyes the inconveniences of his infancy, how he lay in the manger, and how the ox and ass stood by.” 

Francis Praises God in All of Nature

Francis’s renowned love and care for the environment and animals make him the most popular saint among nature-loving groups. Francis was always transparent about why he enjoyed such an affinity with creation. He referred to every element in nature as his “brother” and “sister” because he recognized the fingerprints and majesty of God the Creator in them. 

Not only was Francis awestruck by God’s masterful design in creation, but he also had spiritual eyes to discern that the Almighty had equipped every living thing with a unique means to offer God praise, writing the refulgent ode to creation, called the Canticle of the Sun. 

St Francis's Canticle of the Sun

O Most High, all-powerful, good Lord God,
to you belong praise, glory, honour and all blessings.
Be praised, my Lord, for all your creation
and especially for our Brother Sun, 
who brings us the day and the light;
he is strong and shines magnificently.
O Lord, we think of you when we look at him.
Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Moon, and for the stars
which you have set shining and lovely in the heavens.
Be praised, my Lord, for our Brothers Wind and Air
and every kind of weather by which you, Lord,
uphold life in all your creatures.
Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Water,
who is very useful to us,
and humble and precious and pure.
Be praised, my Lord, for Brother Fire,
through whom you give us light in the darkness:
He is bright and lively and strong.
Be praised, my Lord,
for Sister Earth, our Mother,
who nourishes us and sustains us, 
bringing forth fruits and vegetables of many kinds
and flowers of many colours.
Be praised, my Lord,
for those who forgive for love of you;
and for those who bear sickness and weakness in peace and patience
- you will grant them a crown.
Be praised, my Lord, for our Sister Death, whom we must all face.
I praise and bless you, Lord,
and I give thanks to you,
and I will serve you in all humility.

Prayer of St. Francis (Prayer for Peace)

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, and joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

This luminous poem perfectly captures the ethos of St. Francis of Assisi and he is often mistakenly identified as its author but scholars now agree that it was first published 700 years after St Francis of Assisi died, in 1912 to be precise, with the title “A Beautiful Prayer to Say During Mass” by Father Esther Bouquerel (c. 1855–1923), in a small spiritual magazine called La Clochette (“The Little Bell”).

Here is how it came to be attributed to St. Francis, quite by accident a few years later, during WW1, a Franciscan priest distributed cards with images of St. Francis on one side and this prayer on the other—much like the vintage card above. On those cards, the prayer was labeled simply, “Prayer for Peace.”

The name, "Prayer of St Francis" solidified on January 22, 1927, when the Quaker magazine Friends’ Intelligencer first published the prayer in English as “A prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.” It ran between articles about increasing violence around the world with titles such as “Critical Days in China” and “The Mexican Crisis.”

As violence and conflict continue even today throughout the world, these words of peace and humility remain as urgent as they were during the First and Second World Wars. And Father Bouquerel’s prayer surely communicates the values St. Francis stood for—from his doctrine of evangelical poverty to his teachings on peace.

Stigmata

Through his pious imitation of Christ's mission to spread the Gospel, Francis also shared in the Lord's sufferings. He miraculously received on his body the stigmata, Christ's five wounds that appeared on his hands, feet, and side, in September of 1224, becoming the first person to be miraculously blessed by these physical signs of a mystical union with Christ. Only a handful of holy Saints have received this distinction including St Catherine of Siena (c. 1347-1380), St. Margaret Mary Alacoque of the Sacred Heart (c. 1647-1690), St Gemma Galgani of Lucca (c. 1878-1903)  and St Pio of Pio of Pietrelcina aka Padre Pio (c. 1887-1968).

His health collapsed over the next two years, a “living sacrifice” made during two decades of missionary preaching and penance. 

Death and canonization

St. Francis of Assisi died on Oct. 3, 1226. Pope Gregory IX, his friend and devotee, canonized him in 1228. St. Francis spent the last few days before his death praising the Lord and teaching his companions whom he loved so much to praise Christ with him. He, as far as he was able, recited Psalm 142: "I cry to the Lord with my voice; to the Lord I make loud supplication". He likewise invited all creatures to praise God and, with the words of the Canticle of the Sun he had composed earlier, he exhorted them to love God. Even death itself, considered by all to be so terrible and hateful, was praised, as he was prepared joyfully to meet it, and invited it to make its abode with him. “Be praised O Lord for my sister death.” 

Typically, feast days of all saints are celebrated on their death anniversary to mark the day they go to heaven, but in the case of St Francis of Assisi the feast is on October 4th not October 3rd ... let's see why this came to be.

The earliest biography of St. Francis by the friar-poet Thomas of Celano stated that "on Sunday the fourth day of October, in the city of Assisi ... came forth from the prison of the flesh and took his happy flight to the abode of the heavenly spirits, perfecting what he had begun."

When St. Francis of Assisi was canonized by Pope Gregory IX, the date of his feast was fixed on October 4, " We decree that his feast be celebrated worthily and solemnly by the universal Church on the fourth of October, the day on which he entered the kingdom of heaven, freed from the prison of the flesh."

The city of San Francisco is named after him

Almost 600 years after his death, in 1776 Franciscan monks arrived in Yerba Buena in Northern California and named the mission San Francisco, after their holy founder St Francis. That name would pass on to the City of San Francisco.

This spirit inspired St Junipero Serra to name the missions after saints with names like San Diego de Alcala aka San Diego, San Juan Capistrano, San Antonio de Padua, San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, San Jose, Santa Clara, Santa Barbara, San Carlos, San Mateo, San Bruno, San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo or Carmel for short, San Miguel, San Juan Bautista, San Rafael etc.

References

1. Saint Francis of Assisi’s Story. (2024, September 21). Franciscan Media. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-francis-of-assisi/
2. St. Francis of Assisi. (n.d.). Catholic News Agency. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-francis-of-assisi-614
3. Griffin, A. (2023, July 28). 10 Inspiring facts about Francis of Assisi. Christianity.com. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/10-inspiring-facts-about-francis-of-assisi.html
4. Goodyear, M. & H E Butt Foundation Magazine. (2024, August 16). A few thoughts on the “Prayer of St. Francis.” Echoes Magazine. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://hebfdn.org/echoes/prayer-of-saint-francis/
5. Why St. Francis of Assisi is celebrated on October 4. (2022, October 4). Aleteia. Retrieved October 4, 2024, from https://aleteia.org/2022/10/04/why-st-francis-of-assisi-is-celebrated-on-october-4