Level 5 St Francis of Assisi (Lesson for 28 Oct 2017) 1
St Francis of Assisi 2
Early Life of St Francis Francis was born in Assisi, Italy in 1182 3 He grew up leading a privileged life as the son of a wealthy cloth merchant Francis loved to learn and sing songs as a boy His father wanted him to become a businessman and taught him about the French culture
About the age of nineteen, Francis went to battle against the nearby town of Perugia. Francis was captured and taken prisoner. He was held prisoner in a dungeon for a year before his father paid the ransom and he was set free. The Good Samaritan Going to battle 4
Visions from God Finally, when praying in a church, Francis heard God tell him to "repair my church, which is falling in ruins." Over the next few years Francis began to see visions from God that changed his life. The first vision was when he was sick with a high fever. At first he thought that God had called him to fight in the Crusades. However, he had another vision that told him to help the sick. Francis gave all his money to the church. His father became very angry with him. Francis then left his father's home and took a vow of poverty. 5
6 The Franciscan Order As Francis lived his life of poverty and preached to people about the life of Jesus Christ, people began to follow him. By 1209, he had around 11 followers. He had one basic rule which was "To follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps". Francis was a devoted follower of the Catholic Church. He and his followers traveled to Rome to get the approval for their religious Order from the pope. At first the pope was reluctant. These men were dirty, poor, and smelled bad. However, eventually he understood their vow of poverty and blessed the Order
Third order of St Francis The sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Order of St Clare Other Orders The Franciscan Order grew as men joined and made vows of poverty. When a woman named Clare of Assisi wanted to take similar vows, Francis helped her start the Order of the Poor Ladies (Order of Saint Clare). He also started another order (later called the Third Order of Saint Francis) that was for men and women who didn't take vows or leave their jobs, but lived out the principals of the Franciscan Order in their daily lives. 7
Love for nature Francis was known for his love of nature and animals. There are many stories about Saint Francis and his preaching to animals. It is said that one day he was talking to some birds when they began to sing together. Then they flew into the sky and formed the sign of a cross. It was said that Francis could tame wild animals. One story tells of a vicious wolf in the town of Gubbio that was killing people and sheep. The people of the town were frightened and didn't know what to do. Francis went to the town to confront the wolf. At first the wolf growled at Francis and prepared to attack him. However, Francis made the sign of the cross and told the wolf not to hurt anyone else. The wolf then became tame and the town was safe. 8
Death The of Good Samaritan St Francis 9 Francis became ill and spent the last few years of his life mostly blind. He died in 1226 while singing Psalm 141. He was declared a saint of the Catholic Church only two years after his death.
He was named the Patron Saint of Ecology because of his love for nature and God s creation 10
Interesting Facts about Saint Francis of Assisi St Francis of Assisi receiving the stigmata October 4th is observed as Saint Francis feast day. It is said that he received the stigmata two years before he died. This was the wounds of Christ from the cross including his hands, feet, and side. St Francis traveled to the Holy Land St Francis receiving the stigmata Francis traveled to the Holy Land during the Crusades* hoping to conquer the Muslims with love rather than war. He set up the first known Nativity scene to celebrate Christmas in 1220. He believed that actions were the best example, telling his followers to "Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." 11 (*) The Crusades were a series of wars during the Middle Ages where the Christians of Europe tried to retake control of Jerusalem and the Holy Land from the Muslims
Prayer of St Francis of Assisi Prayer for Peace 12
Feast Day 4 October 13
The San Damiano Cross is the large Romanesque rood cross that St Francis of Asssi was praying before when he is said to have received the commission from the Lord to rebuild the Church. It now hangs in the Basilica of Saint Clare (Basilica di Santa Chiara) in Assisi, Italy, with a replica in its original position in the church of San Damiano nearby. Franciscans cherish this cross as the symbol of their mission from God to commit their lives and resources to renew and rebuild the Church through the power of Christ. The cross is a crucifix of a type sometimes called an icon cross because besides the main figure, it contains images of other saints and people related to the incident of Christ's crucifixion. 14
The Tau Cross Usually made of wood, which is shaped like a T and is often worn by Franciscan friars. Tau is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet and was used symbolically in the Old Testament. It was already spoken of in the Book of Ezekiel: The Lord said to him, Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over the abominations (Ez. 9:4). The Tau is the sign placed upon the foreheads of the poor of Israel, it saves them from extermination. It was then adopted by the very first Christians, for a twofold reason: - (1) As the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, it prophesied the Last Day and had the same function as the Greek letter Omega as it appears in the Book of Revelation: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. (2) The Christians adopted the Tau, because its form reminded them of the Cross on which Christ was immolated for the salvation of the world. St. Francis and the cross Because of the Tau s resemblance to the cross, this sign was very dear to St. Francis of Assisi, so much so that it occupied an important place in his life as well as his gestures the telltale sign of a deep spiritual conviction that the salvation of every man is only in the Cross of Christ. In him the ancient prophetic sign was actualized, regained its saving power and expressed the beatitude of poverty, which is an essential element of the Franciscan way of life The Tau, which is backed by a solid biblical and Christian tradition, was received by St. Francis for its spiritual value. The Saint of Assisi took hold of this sign in a manner so complete and intense that, at the end of his life and through the stigmata impressed in his flesh he became the living image of the Tau that he had so often contemplated, drawn, and especially loved 15