Feast Day: St. Francis of Assisi

Today is the celebration of St. Francis of Assisi, known throughout the world as the man of great charity toward all God's creation. St. Francis, who lived a wild youth, had an amazing conversion experience which led to his founding the Friars Minor, popularly known as the Franciscans.

Francis begged God to allow him to suffer as Jesus had on the Cross. While on retreat at a mountain-top monastery near Assisi, on September 17 1224, St. Francis got his request: the stigmata, the five wounds of Christ.

We were blessed to visit this mountain monastery in the Tuscany back in 2000. We were in the middle of our Jubilee Year Pilgrimage and thought we'd stay at LaVerna for a few days, using it as our base for visiting Siena, Assisi and other towns around the area. When we arrived at Chiusi della Verna, we felt such peace ... we ended up staying on the mountain for four days (only coming down one day to do laundry in the town below the fortress-like monastery). What a blessing to pray and walk the path of Francis and other Franciscans who continue to pray and work and love in Francis' shadow!

Below is a painting by Ghirlondhiao (1449-1494) that shows the mountain of LaVerna ... where Francis and others came to pray and retreat from the world ... the place of such unbelievable peace even today ... a place we couldn't leave ...

St. Francis had a great devotion and faith in God and everlasting life.  Reportedly, as he lay dying, he was heard to pray ... "bring my soul out of prison".

St. Francis, you who bore the wounds of Christ without complaint, pray for us in our trials and tribulations ... help us to offer these to God.

St. Francis, pray for us!

A lovely St. Francis quote ... and one I use at the bottom of my By Hand, With Heart letterhead ... says:

He who works with his hands is a laborer.

He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.

But, he who works with his hands, his head, and his heart, is an artist

 

Feast Day: St. Francis of Assisi

I used to think of St. Francis as kind of a goody-goody saint.  The saint with the birds on his shoulder and the bunnies crouched at his feet.  The smiling, sweet, kindly saint who loved everyone. 

When I grew up (actually, I'm stilling growing up in my faith!), I began to read more about this little man with a huge heart from Italy.  I began to see that he was NOT, nor had he ever been, a goody-goody saint.  His life was hard and he was a hard-taskmaster for his brothers and sisters under his care.  He was tough for God ... whom he loved so much he asked for, and was granted, the stigmata ... a bleeding of five wounds in the same spots where Jesus bled on the Cross. 

St. Francis received the stigmata while on retreat at a mountain in LaVerna ... in the mountains near Assisi.  In 2000, we were privileged to stay in the guest house on this mountain.   Our original plan had been to use Chuisi dellaVerna Santuario as our base and visit Assisi and Siena ... but, as Francis and other holy Franciscans, we stayed and rested and reveled in the peace and beauty and sanctity of the mountain retreat, attending daily mass, receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation and meeting and eating with Franciscan sisters, brothers and priests -- most of whom only spoke Italian.  This was a very blessed time in the midst of our nearly four week Jubilee Pilgrimage to France and Italy, four weeks that were replete with blessings.

St. Francis once wrote to his followers:

Let us also love our neighbors as ourselves. Let us have charity and humility. Let us give alms because these cleanse our souls from the stains of sin. Men lose all the material things they leave behind them in this world, but they carry with them the reward of their charity and the alms they give. For these they will receive from the Lord the reward and recompense they deserve. We must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh. Rather we must be simple, humble and pure. We should never desire to be over others. Instead, we ought to be servants who are submissive to every human being for God's sake. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on all who live in this way and persevere in it to the end. He will permanently dwell in them. They will be the Father's children who do his work. They are the spouses, brothers and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Dear Lord, help me to live more like St. Francis and less like me!  Help me to give completely, especially of all the things I THINK I need.  Help me to focus on You and not on what the world says I should.  Help me to love as You love.  AMEN!