St. Francis Of Assisi Analysis

“And if I endure [pain, suffering, rejection, and humiliation] patiently and without dismay, I say to you, therefore, that therein lies perfect joy, true virtue and the salvation of the soul.” St. Francis of Assisi was born in 1181 in the town of Assisi Italy, the son of a wealthy cloth merchant. He was expected to inherit his father’s business or become a knight and for the first 25 years of his life he lived an extravagant and sinful life. Eventually, after a long conversion he began teaching, founding the Franciscan order in 1209 at the age of 28. After some time he gave up the authority of his order and settled down to being just another brother. He received the stigmata in 1224 and the rest of his life was filled with suffering and joy. Throughout his life, St. Francis was virtuous and especially in suffering, was filled with joy. He found
Francis gained the greatest joy. Desiring the greatest humility, he began to wear rough and uncomfortable clothes, using only a rope to tie up his tunic. However his humility was shown not only through the way he dressed, it became visible in his every action. One time, while on a pilgrimage some highway robbers jeered at him, spat upon him, and threw him in a ditch. Instead of hardening his heart towards them, he cheerfully picked himself up and continued on his way while singing. Another time, when he began to rebuild the church in Assisi, rather than ask for donations and funds, he lowered himself and begged in the streets of Assisi for the stones to rebuild it. Even when he was given stones, he dragged them away himself and worked with the craftsmen in rebuilding the church by hand. Humility, though it is the virtue which is the most difficult to live out, is the root of all joy. St. Francis lived out humility in all things, lowering himself to be a servant of the beggars and finding happiness through his humility and his generosity as