St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis is considered a legendary hero and a popular saint. He was born in
1181, the middle of a time of great increases and expansions in the medieval West, in
Assisi, the place where this was strongest. His parents were Pietro and Pica Bernardone.
His father was a wealthy silk merchant. St. Francis spent his childhood in extravagant
living and pleasure-seeking. He was always in trouble and ran around Assisi with his
friends, eating, drinking, and having a good time. He went to war to fight for Assisi
against Perugia and was taken prisoner in 1202. Eventually he was released and once
again, returned to his old carefree ways. He became seriously ill for a while but then
returned to the wars in 1205.
He experienced a vision of Christ at Spoleto which was then followed by another
vision while he returned to Assisi. One vision was of Christ telling him, "Go and rebuild
my church. It is falling down." These visions are what changed his lifestyle forever.
Despite his wealthy, comfortable life, St. Francis chose a life of poverty. He wore rags
and wooden shoes on his bare feet. His father became furious at this and threatened to
disown him. Francis returned his father's money and clothes that he had taken to help
rebuild the church and severed relations with his father.
St. Francis rebuilt San Damiano with money begged from his townsmen. He
went on a pilgrimage to Rome in 1206, identifying himself with the poor and helping to
take care of those who suffered from 'leprosy'. For two or three years he lived alone,
wandering. Eventually, seven disciples joined him. Some of them were older, some
middle-aged, but they...
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...op-out' from society.
These humorous portrayals keep us from seeing how stern and devoted he really was.
They don't show his unbelievable and undeniable love for God. Still, St. Francis is
Probably one of the most favorite and most loved saints of all.
Bibliography:
1. Delaney, John J. Dictionary of Saints. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1980.
2. New Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 6. Ill: Jack Heraty & Associates, Inc., 1981.
3. Jörgensen, Johannes. Saint Francis of Assisi: A Biography. New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1947.
4. Cunningham, Lawrence S. Saint Francis of Assisi. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1976.
5. Duquoc, Christian and Casiano Floristàn. Francis of Assisi Today. New York: The Seabury Press, 1981.
6. DePaola, Tomie. Francis: The Poor Man of Assisi. New York: Holiday House, 1982.
Like when he was forced to take the job with the fertilizer plant, he began to get ill from working
He helped raise his family and had an effect on sibling and how they were brought up. His two
Dutto, Rev. L. A. The Life of Bartolomé de Las Casas and the First Leaves of American Ecclesiastical History St. Louis, MO: B. Herder 1902
Aquinas, St. Thomas. COMMENTARY on SAINT PAUL'S EPISTLE to the GALATIANS. Trans. F. R. Larcher. Albany: Magi Books, 1996.
Chapter one, ‘Beginnings at Assisi,’ offers a vivid description of the social, political, economic, cultural, demographic description of Assisi and its inhabitants. Here, the author describes the life of Francis and the situations and circumstances prompting his journey to spread the ideal gospel life to the world. This chapter is relevant in determining the circumstances that instigated a need for reforms in the Catholic Church. This chapter is applicable in my life because it offers insight on the fundamental Christian I can rely on in my daily life.
There is a lot that has been said about the missionary trips of this distinguished servant of Christ which started about fourteen years after his transformation. His travels have left many Bible scholars confused about his powerful impact and how he founded of the Western Christian Church.
New York, NY: Pantheon Books Zimmerman, B. (1912) The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. St. Teresa of Avila. The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Robert Appleton Company.
Stead, G. Christopher. The Easter Sermons of Gregory of Nyssa. Edited by Andreas Spira and Christoph Klock. Patristic Monograph Series No. 9. Philadelphia: The Philadelphia Patristic Foundation, Ltd., 1981.
When he returned, he gave up everything he owned. It disgusted him. In fact he got rid of so much that he left naked. Soon after, God had called on him to rebuild his church and so Francis ran and got enough money to have the church repaired. Upon his return to town, he was called a madman. It certainly did appear that he was. He had gone from being very wealthy to choosing to live a life of poverty.
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.
but not in an honorable way. Francis' father sends him to war so Francis can get
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.
Francis was born with the baptismal name of John, to Peter Bernardone and his wife Pica, in the fall of 1182 while Peter was away. A well to do businessman in fabrics, furs and fine apparel, Peter was not pleased with the baptismal name that Pica had chosen in honor of John the Baptist, so he insisted on the name Franciscus or Francis in English. Francis was brought up in the privilege that Peter’s business permitted and Peter was grooming him to take over this business one day. During this grooming process, Francis came across many classes of people and all walks of life learning from each person. While learning the tools of Peter’s trade, Francis was learning that a life of privilege supported his life of parties, partiers, and an elaborate wardrobe. Even though his parents did not discipline or control his lavish behavior, they were concerned for his lack of interest in Peter’s business. However, Francis did take note of his wealth when a beggar came to his father’s shop; Francis dismissed him, but later saw his actions as greedy and was re...
Pollen, John Hungerford. "St. Ignatius Loyola." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company,1910. 23 Mar. 2014 .
Bainvel, Jean. The New Catholic Encyclopedia. New York City: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15006b.htm (accessed September 23, 2011).