INTRODUCTION
In his Earlier Rule, Francis encouraged the friars to preach through their actions rather than their words (Let all the brothers, however preach by their deeds). For Francis, gestures and symbols were as important as the words themselves. In the Franciscan sources, Francis depended as much on dramatic gestures and images as he did upon words he spoke (or didn’t speak) to preach his message. The meal at the Greccio provides an excellent example of how Francis used both of these elements, as well as words to make manifest “sermon”. This paper will examine this Greccio meal through the lens of two sources, the earlier Assisi Compilation and the later work, The Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul by Thomas of Celano. The Greccio meal will be compared and contrasted in these two sources, especially with regards to the significance of Francis unspoken actions within these writings. For Francis, actions did indeed speak louder than words.
Source Texts
The first account in which the story of the Greccio meal may be found is in a collection of early Franciscan documents known as The Assisi Compilation. This gathering of early sources arose soon after the election of Crescentius of Iesi as Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor in 1244. After his election, Crescentius ordered all of the friars to send him written accounts of whatever they could recall about the life of Francis. Since many of the friars who had personally known Francis
were reaching the end of their lives, Crescentius was attempting to preserve the oral memory of “those who knew him”. It was this directive of Crescentius which gave birth to the
collection of accounts which later came to be called The Assisi Compilation. This compi...
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...rding to the Assisi Compilation, was effective (Some of them began to weep loudly, considering how he was seated on the ground, wishing to correct them in such a holy and simple way).
The Greccio meal recorded in both The Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul and The Assisi Compilation are both interesting sources for looking at the more dramatic side of Francis’ ministry and the methods which he utilized to preach his message. While it may be difficult to parse the account of the meal from the historical and the hagiographical, the essential elements, primarily Francis use of performative preaching are accurate. From the standpoint of homiletics, Francis use of silent gestures and drama may have been looked down upon. But Francis uses of these things were effective at convincing his intended audience, and is that not the goal of all preaching?
The work begins with Section I, ‘The Background’ which consists of a general overview in medieval women’s social and religious history. The first section delineates the basic societal framework for Western European women in the High Middle Ages and outlines the cultural forces at work in shaping their lives. The second part of this section reviews the changes in religious consciousness concerning sacramental practices and fasting, from the Church Fathers to the late medieval hagiographers. It should be noted here that although more careful attention is given to the practice of ‘fasting,’ especially in the latter portion of the work which I will be examining in more detail, the ‘feasting’ in question more generally denotes the ‘love feast’ of the Eucharist than the fe...
The tendencies of Baroque translated differently in parts of Europe. In Italy, it reflected the return of intense piety through dense church ornamentations, complex architecture, and dynamic painting. Calabrese’s work exhibits the combined artistic stimuli of the 17th century and culminates in the acquired Caravagesque style that alters how paintings were composed from then on. Executed at the height of Calabrese’s most creative phase, St. John the Baptist Preaching is indicates the monumentality of change in urbanization as well as the return of Catholic permanence in the 1600’s. Aside from the Baroque power of the artwork, Calabrese’s St. John is a piece worth gravitating to and stands as reminder of the grandiose excesses of Baroque art.
Unlike other texts of the time, Augustine’s confessions are less of an epic tale or instructive texts, both of which soug...
Francis of Assisi is one of the most influential personalities in the entire world. In the book ‘Francis of Assisi: Performing the Gospel Life,’ Cunningham recounts the life of this humble monk who lived in the medieval times, and shaped the Christian life, which spread in Western culture throughout the rest of history. I believe Cunningham accurately accounts for the life of Francis of Assisi, and in doing so; he provides a trajectory of the Christian faith from its early and historical proponents through its fusion with western culture, and its subsequent spread throughout the world.
The book begins with a prologue, in which a letter is sent from a musician working for a cardinal in 1347. It is sent from the papal court of Avignon and is received by some of the musician's ...
highlights the importance of the sacraments and the clergy, can be seen as a response on
Aquinas, St. Thomas. COMMENTARY on SAINT PAUL'S EPISTLE to the GALATIANS. Trans. F. R. Larcher. Albany: Magi Books, 1996.
St. Augustine considers his mother as a crucial factor in his conversion to Catholicism. However through the analysis of his Confessions it leads me to believe that St. Augustine’s mother was not a decisive figure. Monica was in the background keeping him in thought and prayer however Augustine’s watershed moments came as a result of his own examination of readings as well as his conversations with his friends and mentors. Therefore I argue that Monica had delayed Augustine’s baptism and it was his own experiences that allowed him to come to God.
There are six practices that Francis helped put in place transformed Christianity for good. His practices are still preached today. Friendship, Francis was friends with everyone. He had the ability to accept those in poverty and the wealthy, but even more he was able to accept the purity of nature and animals. Francis preached that we all are equal and have something to offer one another. Poverty is another practice that Francis had spoke of. He felt by giving everything you have and living with nothing allowed you to become one with poverty. Spirituality was also something that no other leader had ever preached as an important time no matter who or what, faith is the ultimate connection to follow God. Francis cared for everything no matter what it was, human, animal even things such as rocks needed to be cared for. Finally Francis's last practice was death. Francis felt that death was his sister. Everyone would be encountered with it and it was something not to be feared, but be more looked at as peaceful (Sweeney,
Every human has a experienced struggles that had drawn them down the wrong road, some express it physically and some mentally. St. Francis of Assisi has been accustomed to express his sorrow of emptiness in his heart a multitude of ways. Throughout his lifetime, he was faced with obstacles that he was not able to overcome himself. Saint Francis knew that he needed someone else to help and guide him past these obstacles. There has been three times where Saint Francis was in aid of help or wisdom from someone: during his early years, when he was captured in the act of war, and his attempts to rebuild the Christian church.
St. Francis was an Italian Catholic and a talented poet. As an Italian, his heart moved naturally to deep affection, love and enjoyment. As a poet, he could see right through the outcome of those answers. One night during a dream, he saw his house turned into a palace. The walls of this palace were hung with glorious armory, banners, shields, and swords – all instruments of war. Suddenly he heard a voice, it explained that this was to be his palace, the gathering place for all his knights. The arms were theirs, the banners, and tokens of their countless conquests. To complete this wonderful dream, a gorgeous bride awaited him. St. Francis awoke charmed. A few days after that, he left Assisi to go to Southern Italy to enlist. He reached Spoleto, wh...
From the Catholic observation point, the Church presents two parts: One representing its divine nature as the untarnished body of Christ, and one direc...
In this brief monograph, we shall be hunting down and examining various creatures from the bestiary of Medieval/Renaissance thought. Among these are the fierce lion of imperious, egotistical power, a pair of fantastic peacocks, one of vanity, one of preening social status, and the docile lamb of humility. The lion and the peacocks are of the species known as pride, while the lamb is of an entirely different, in fact antithetical race, that of humility and forgiveness. The textual regions we shall be exploring include the diverse expanses, from palace to heath, of William Shakespeare, the dark, sinister Italy of John Webster, and the perfumed lady's chambers of Ben Jonson and Robert Herrick.
Saint Francis of Assisi was a uniquely spiritual man who gave up a life of wealth and position to lead a life of poverty in accordance and service to God. Embracing a life according to the Gospels, Francis went on to establish a Monastic Order, known as the Franciscans. In the midst of the political climate within the religious community of Italy, Francis emerged a champion for the poor and sick, with humility and no regard for himself. Francis exhibited his love for God through his love and admiration for all of God's creation including nature. The principles of Saint Francis are as relevant today as they were in thirteenth century Italy; service and love to all of God’s creation.
Confessions takes readers through Saint Augustine’s spiritual wandering prior to becoming a virtuous and highly influential bishop in the Catholic Church. The early stages of the book have Augustine reflecting on his childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood – parts of his life where he feels that he is dangerously far away from God. “At one time in adolescence I was burning to find satisfaction from hellish pleasures. I ran wild in the shadowy jungle of erotic adventures. ‘My beauty wasted away and in your sight I became putrid’,” displays how Augustine’s focus on worldly things