Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-10/4/1226) was born into a well-off family unit at Assisi, Italy, the son of a wealthy merchant named Pietro di Bernardone. Francis received little formal education and during his formative years. As an adolescent, he was all the rage, attractive, appealing and was mostly preoccupied in having fun; enjoying practical jokes and was usually the central source of entertainment of the party. Francis was brought up in luxury and cheerfulness. He spent a substantial segment of his possessions in wasteful pleasures. He used to drink with the young princes of the land. Once Francis was teasing and laughing with his friends. A beggar came along crying for alms. Francis was so sympathetic and kindhearted that he gave whatever he had in his pocket to the homeless person. His companions poked fun at him for his benevolent act. The sight of the beggar set him pondering about the poor quality and wretchedness of mundane life. He gave a great deal money to the poor. His father considered this act of Francis as waste of money and berated him. Sometime after this, a battle broke out amid the men of Assisi and a neighboring city in 1202. Francis volunteered for it, but got captured after the first battle and exhausted a year in imprisonment. On his return to Assisi and was hailed as a hero. But during the course of his captivity he had undergone a reformation and reconstruction of character and outlook. Although he was once again picking up the tab In his social circles and parties, he was now questioning his reason for continuation. After sufficient consideration, including clear dreams and spiritualist mental pictures, he turned away all worldly gratifications, sold all his property and donated the money to the Church. He then began an enduring fervor of compassion for the sick and poor. Later on, Francis was laid up in bed for many months on account of some serious disease. This experience of sickness was also instrumental in leading him to reflect on the purpose of life. Eventually the Lord put aside his sickness, as he had to accomplish a significant undertaking in his life.. Francis meditated and pleaded to the Peer of the realm for control and direction as to his future. He had a vision of Lord Jesus. He had a strong strength of mind to abandon and relinquish his previous fashion of livelihood, to stride a life of wholesomeness and spotlessness and to contribute his life to the overhaul of civilization.
“It was a different place when Damien came there and made his great renunciation, and slept that first night under a tree amidst his rotting brethren: alone with pestilence; and looking forward (with what courage, with what pitiful sinkings of dread, God only knows) to a lifetime of dressing sores and stumps.” (Bunson, 250)
During his life in Sudan, Francis was taken away from his family to become a slave. He lived with Giemma who was his master. Francis job was to take care of the herd. When he first tried to escape Francis took the animals deep into the forest, and started running but got caught by a man
Saint Gregory of Tours was born around the year 538 at Arverni, which is now Clermont-Ferrand. He belonged to the Gallo-Roman family, which was a very prestigious family. He was also related to the houses of Gaul. Gregory’s original name was Georgius Florentius. He took the name Gregory to honor his late grandfather who was named Gregory. His Grandfather was the Bishop of Langres. When Gregory was young, his father died and he went to live with his Uncle. His uncle, Gallus, was the Bishop of Clermont. Gallus educated him until his death in 554. Gregory’s mother left to live with friends in Burgandy and left her son to Avitus who became Bishop of Clermont after Gallus. Avitus taught Gregory all about the Scriptures. Gregory was not too impressed with the scriptures. Gregory got seriously ill and wasn’t supposed to recover. He did recover though and this made him more mindful of God and the scriptures. Gregory then became a friend with the Bishop of Tours whose name was Euphronius. Euphronius died in 573 and Gregory succeeded him as Bishop of Tours.
The medieval synthesis refers to the understandings of people that enabled them to see the universe as n orderly place. These understandings refer to the religious and philosophical aspects of the world. It also refers to the sense that many of the things we live in the modern period are things that were not in truth united in perfect harmony. This synthesis was between the society and the church that forms a view of what is called medieval synthesis. The classical thought was synthesized and reintroduced through the contributions and ideas of Peter Abelard, Saint Thomas of Aquinas, Dante and Chartes Cathedral that influenced the religious and philosophical aspects in the late middle age.
The main character of the book is Francis Assisi, and Cunningham provides a vivid account of his life and ideals in the world. Francis of Assisi
St. Boniface once again yearned to explore and travel. Through such ventures he could express the meaning of God to non believers and convert as many as possible. After continuos begging, Abbot Winbert gave in and Boniface’s petition was granted. During this journey, Boniface’s first obstacle appeared. “King Radbod, the King of the Frisians, and Prince Charles, the noble Duke of the Franks broke out in ...
Francis was born at Assisi in Umbria in the early 1180’s. His fath er was Pietro Bernadone, a very wealthy cloth merchant. His baptized name was Giovanni but it was changed to Francesco. Francis received a decent amount of schooling as a child although he did not show much interest in it. He was very spoiled and did not want to go into his father’s business. He had high status, was handsome, wore fine clothing, and was very well known with the people of Assisi.
His family was a low nobility. Before Thomas’s birth, his mother was told by a holy hermit that her son would achieve unequal sanctity. Following his fate.at the age of five, he was sent to a monastery to preach the word of God. Thomas stayed at this monastery until age ten. Until political climate forced his return to Naples.
These feelings push him to attempt to kill himself in a heroic way and joining the army. “And I recognized in her eyes now what I could not deny: betrayal. My betrayal of her in her eyes,” (Cormier 96-97). Throughout the whole story, Francis feels remorseful about Nicole’s corruption, he feels didn’t do anything to help. Guilt and betrayal follow him when he thinks about Nicole because he just stood there and didn’t do anything. Even though there was nothing really for him to do, he still thinks that he is responsible for what has happened to Nicole and thinks he has to do something to fix
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian monk who founded the monastic order of the Franciscans. He was from a wealthy family and spent most of his youth carousing the streets of Assisi with other young nobles. After fighting in the war between Assisi and Perugia, he contracted an illness and had his first mystical experience. After he was healed, Francis had another mystical experience while praying in a neglected church: “After a period of prayer and meditation, Francis heard the voice of Jesus coming from a nearby crucifix: ‘Francis go, repair my house, which, as you see, is falling completely to ruin’.” It was this call that inspired Francis to leave Assisi, determined to live more simply with his fellow monks.
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
Saint Catherine of Siena is the saint that I have chosen to be my saint. She was very interesting to me, and her story was very intriguing. She is the patron saint of fire prevention, bodily ills, sick people, miscarriages, nurses, and illness. She was canonized in 1461 by Pope Pius II. Her feast day is now celebrated on April 29.
Francis was famous for his love of all creation. He called for simplicity of life, poverty, and humility before God. He worked to care for the poor. Thousands were drawn to his sincerity, piety, and joy. In all his actions, Francis sought to follow fully and literally the way of life demonstrated by Christ in the Gospels. He died in 1226, at the age of 44.
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.
St Ignatius of Loyola is an inspiring person and has touched the lives of many people even now centuries after his death. Loyola has affected the lives of an uncountable number of people, either directly or indirectly. He started as an extremely brave and tough soldier and turned into the founder of a powerful religious order. He was born in 1491 in Spain and founded the Jesuits in 1540 at the age of 49.The Jesuits today are still a devoted religious order. Everything they do is in God’s name, hence their motto AD MAIOREM DEI GLORIAM this literally means “for the greater glory of God”. (Linten, Seven Things) Many Jesuits (and even non Jesuits like Pope John Paul II) sign their documents with amdg at the end to show that they do their work for God and not solely for themselves. (Linten, Seven Things) The Jesuits have survived multiple persecutions and yet have still remained a major influence in the church and in universities around the world. If it were not for an unfortunate cannonball shattering a soldier’s leg then none of this may have happened.