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SAN FRANCISCO DE ASÍS PARISH Flagstaff, Arizona 928.779.1341 It's and "YOU ARE LOVED!"
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ABOUT ST. FRANCIS, OUR PATRON SAINTContents:
A Brief Biography of Saint Francis for Visual Artistsby Susan Lamb Bean The life of Saint Francis naturally lends itself to
portrayal in the visual arts. Baptized Giovanni di Bernardone in 1182, he grew up in the fortified hill town of Assisi north of Rome. His father, a prosperous cloth merchant, nicknamed him Francesco ("Frenchy") and raised him in luxury, expecting his pampered son to one day win a title in battle or a least increase the family fortune. Francis was generous, lighthearted, fond of parties, and much loved by his many friends. Enchanted by the roving troubadours of his day, he composed and sang charming songs in French. A romantic who believed in the chivalric ideals of courtly love and noble knights, at the age of twenty he rode out with his friends to wage battle against a neighboring town, Perugia. They lost and were imprisoned. Ransomed a year later, Francis returned to Assisi profoundly shaken by the futility and suffering of war. He set off again to become a knight, but heard God’s voice and went home instead, giving his expensive outfit to a beggar en route. After searching his soul, he rejected the life planned for him and sought to imitate the life of Christ in poverty, chastity and obedience. At that time, many perceived the Church to be caught up in worldly concerns – politics, war, and the pursuit of wealth and power. Praying constantly, Francis roamed the countryside and in the tumbled-down chapel of San Damiano he heard God say, "Francis, go and repair my house which, as you see, is falling into ruins." From that moment on, his life was transformed. He not only rebuilt San Damiano, but his example lead to reform and renewal of the whole Church. Francis’ personality didn’t change; he was still renowned for his merriment, always singing, overflowing with love and compassion, greeting everyone with "Pace e Bene!" (Peace and a blessing!). Women– like the beautiful Chiara (Clare)– became Ladies of Poverty, or Poor Clares. Francis also initiated a Third Order for those who chose to follow Christ within their families and communities. The life of Francis, though one of material poverty and simplicity, was nevertheless spiritually rich, full of joy and gratitude. Near his death, although in great physical pain and almost blind, he composed the exuberant Canticle of the Creatures, the first poem in the Italian language. Some picturesque incidents associated with Francis:
The life and teachings of Saint Francis are an ideal subject for the visual arts. After all, it is said that Francis himself believed one ought to "Preach the Gospel always. If necessary, use words." To link to parish "home page," click here
The Canticle of the CreaturesNOTE: This song was written by St. Francis shortly before his death. It is the first poem in the Italian language.
Most High, all-powerful, good Lord, Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessing. To You alone, Most High, do they belong, and no man is worthy to mention Your name. Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, who is the day and through whom You give us light. And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor; and bears likeness of You, Most High One. Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful. Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather through which You give sustenance to Your creatures. Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water, which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste. Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom You light the night and he is playful and robust and strong. Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs. Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love and bear infirmity and tribulation. Blessed are those who endure in peace for by You, Most High, shall be crowned. Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no living man can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin. Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will, for the second death shall do them no harm. Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks and serve Him with great humility. The following prayer is taken from the Mass for the feast of St. Francis, October 4th: Father, you helped Saint Francis to reflect the image of Christ through a life of poverty and humility. May we follow your Son by walking in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi, and by imitating his joyful love. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, you son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. To link to parish "home page," click here
This is the blessing St. Francis wrote for Brother Leo:May the Lord bless you and keep you. May he show his face to you and be merciful to you. May he turn his countenance to you and give you peace. May the Lord bless you, (Brother Leo). To link to parish "home page," click here
More Thoughts and Information about St. Francis"This little man had no money but he acted as if he were richer than a millionaire. His body was scarred and racked with pain, but he sang sweeter than any lark. He smiled as he dined with a prince; he laughed as he shared his last crust with a leper. Somehow he had learned to love everything that lived....He had a secret, a key to God and the universe. The world has been trying to probe that secret ever since." ( Francis of Assisi: The Song Goes On. Noonan & Gasnick, p. 1.) Francis was raised in an merchant household where he had many fine things. He was very popular and a social leader among his friends. After attempting to become a knight to fight a local battle, Francis was imprisoned. He was released and illness followed. After a long convalescence, his life took a different turn. Francis felt the need to seek deeper meanings in his life. The cave — Francis went into hillside caves in the area of Assisi to pray and meditate. Solitude and prayer gave him the courage to face himself and find God. The leper — Leprosy was common in Francis’ day. As an upper middle-class youth, he disdained and avoided those who were undesirable. Once Francis was approached by a leper. He gave the man a coin, then turned away. In a moment of inspiration he turned back to the leper, approached him, and kissed him. Francis wrote later, ". . . that which was bitter to me was changed into sweetness of soul and body." (Francis’ Testament.) This was the real turning point in Francis’ life. The beggar — Francis realized that it was material things that kept him from union with God. He took Christ’s command literally to have nothing. Francis renounced his inheritance, gave up his possessions, dawned a rough tunic and went about Assisi begging for his food. Although he was ridiculed, he found great joy and freedom in not being controlled by material things. Later he told his followers to possess nothing, for if they did, they would have to fight battles to defend their possessions. Francis and his followers were joyful beggars. The preacher — As Francis and his followers moved about the towns of Umbria working and begging to obtain their food, they preached the Gospel to the townspeople. More men joined Francis as "brothers," women chose to follow him under the direction of his friend Clare, and he wrote a rule for married people who desired to practice his teachings of peace, simplicity, and charity. In this rule, Francis forbade those who followed him to bear arms. With this action, he set in motion the downfall of the entire feudal system. The reformer — While praying in the ruined chapel of San Damiano, Francis heard a voice asking him to ". . . rebuild my house, which is falling into ruins." He took this message from God literally and began collecting stones to rebuild the falling walls of San Damiano. Later in his life he realized that it was the Church itself that he was called to rebuild, a Church that had become so obsessed with civil power that it needed to be reminded that Christ came to the poor, the oppressed and the spiritually wounded people of the world. The peacemaker — Francis lived at the time of the Crusades. He was caught up in the conflict to free the Holy Lands from Islamic forces. He traveled to Egypt where he found that the Christian crusaders were as evil and immoral as he had thought the Moslems to be. He met with the Sultan to attempt to establish peace and win him to the Christian message. Although Francis was unsuccessful, he and the Sultan parted peacefully. Nature — Francis found God in creation. He was joyful and peaceful in spirit; he was in touch with creation. Birds would be silent when he preached, animals were comfortable in his presence, and wild animals became tame at his command. A wolf threatened the townspeople of Gubbio, so much so that children were fed to it to appease it. Francis went to Gubbio, addressed the wolf, and told him that he would be cared for in the town if he did not threaten the people. The wolf lived peacefully in the town of Gubbio from then on. Christmas — Francis felt so strongly about the story of the birth of Jesus, that he reenacted the story with live people and animals in the town of Greccio on Christmas night. The people gathered around the Christmas crib and celebrated Midnight Mass. Francis and the people experienced the presence of the Christ Child. This was the first Christmas Crib. The blind man — On his return from the Holy Land, Francis was afflicted with a terrible eye disease that caused him extreme suffering and near blindness. This was incurable and lasted until his death. The stigmata — Two years before his death, Francis, while in prayer at a mountain place called La Verna, received the wounds of Christ on his own body. His hands, feet and side had open wounds that were painful and bled. He wore sandals to cover his feet and kept his hands covered so that the wounds would not be visible as he did not want to attract attention to himself. Missionaries — It was the Franciscan followers of St. Francis who established the California missions and settled other parts of our Southwest. Depiction of Franciscan institutions would be appropriate. The musician — As a youth, Francis knew, loved and sang European troubadour songs throughout the streets of Assisi. After his conversion and in spite of his illnesses, Francis sang continually the praises of God and the glory of creation. He was a most joyful saint expressing himself in song whenever possible. His Canticle of Brother Sun attests to his musicality and joyfulness of spirit. To link to parish "home page," click here
A Small Bibliography of Additional Resources aboutSt. Francis of Assisi
It is impossible to offer anywhere near a complete
bibliography of books about St. Francis as more has been written about
him than any other person who has ever lived according to the Library of
Congress. Here are just a few...
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Clothed in a simple robe, Francis wandered with his companions through a
medieval landscape of great beauty, where he encountered allies and
adversaries from salivating wolves to knights in shining armor.