St. Francis of Assisi

1. St. Francis of Assisi “I have been all things unholy. If God can work through me, he can work through anyone. “

2. Founder of the Franciscan Order • Born at Assisi in Italy (Umbria) circa 1181-1182 • Died there, 3 October, 1226

5. Giotto 1267-1337 Approval of Rule of Francis Basilica of St. Francis, Assisi

6. Biography • Father: Pietro Bernardone, wealthy cloth merchant. • Francis was one of several children. • At Baptism in the Church of San Ruffino (Patron Saint of Assisi), he received the name of Giovanni, which his father afterwards altered to Francesco

7. San Ruffino • Assisi • Architectural Style: Romanesque

9. Francis showed little liking for a merchant's career. He was spoiled by his parents No one loved pleasure more than Francis:witty, sang merrily, wore fine clothes, and enjoyed showy display. Very popular among the young nobles A “party animal”, Francis showed a sympathy with the poor and gave much to charity

12. At about 20, Francis went to war with the Perugians . Assisi was defeated and Francis was taken prisoner for more than a year • A fever which he received turned his thoughts to the things divine – he saw an emptiness to the life he had been leading • When healthy his eagerness after glory reawakened and his fancy wandered in search of victories

13. If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.

15. He yearned for the life of the Spirit • His friends asked him if he would get married and he said"Yes, I am about to take a wife of surpassing fairness." • She was no other than Lady Poverty whom even now he had begun to love • After a period of uncertainty he began to seek in prayer and solitude the answer to his call;

16. One day Francis drew near a leper that filled him with disgust • he dismounted, embraced the leper, and gave him all the money he had. • Made a pilgrimage to Rome and was pained at the cheap offerings he saw at the tomb of St Peter and emptied his purse • Exchanged clothes with a beggar & stood for the rest of the day fasting among the beggars at the door of the basilica

17. St. Peter’s Basilica in St. Francis’ Time

19. Not long after, while Francis was praying before an ancient crucifix in the chapel of St. Damian's • he heard a voice saying: Go, Francis, and repair my house, which as you see is falling into ruin." He took the command literally • Gave wealth to the priest in charge of the church • His father, a miserly man was angry at his son's conduct, and to avert his father’s wrath, Francis hid himself in a cave near St. Damian's for a month. • When he returned to the town, emaciated with hunger and squalid with dirt, Francis was followed by a hooting rabble, pelted with mud and stones, and otherwise mocked as a nut • he was dragged home by his father, beaten, bound, and locked in a dark closet.

20. San Damiano, Assisi

21. San Damiano, Assisi • Replica of Cross • Cross to which Francis was praying is housed in Santa Clara

22. San Damiano Cross

23. Freed by his mother, Francis returned to St. Damian's, where he found shelter & renounced his inheritance and family ties • He stripped himself of the clothes he wore, and gave them to his father saying: "Hitherto I have called you my father on earth; henceforth I desire to say only “Our father who art in heaven” • surrender of all worldly goods and honors • Francis wandered into the hills improvising hymns • Returning to Assisi, he traversed the city begging stones for the restoration of St. Damian's.

25. Francis restored two other deserted chapels: St. Peter's, some distance from the city, and St. Mary of the Angels. • Meantime he redoubled his zeal in works of charity more so in nursing lepers

26. Portiuncula and St. Mary’s

30. In 1208, probably 2/24, Francis was hearing Mass in the chapel of St. Mary of the Angels, near which he had then built himself a hut; • The Gospel told how the disciples of Christ were to possess neither gold, silver, scrip for their journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff, and exhort sinners to repentance & announce the Kingdom of God • Again he took these words as if spoken directly to himself, and threw away the poor fragment left him of the world’s goods--shoes, cloak, pilgrim staff, and empty wallet. • At last he had found his vocation

31. Obtaining a coarse woolen tunic of "beast color", the dress then worn by the poorest peasants, he tied it round him with a knotted rope, • Francis went forth at once exhorting the people of the country-side to penance, brotherly love, and peace. “Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.“

32. The people had ceased to scoff at Francis; they now paused in wonderment; • his example even drew others to him. First three being: Bernard, Peter, Giles • In a spirit of religious fervor, Francis repaired to the church of St. Nicholas and sought to learn God’s will by thrice opening at random the book of the Gospels. • Each time it opened at passages where Christ told his disciples to leave all things and follow Him. "This shall be our rule of life", exclaimed Francis • After this they procured rough habits like that of Francis, and built themselves small huts near his at the Little Portion (Porziuncola)

33. Is religious life habit forming???

34. Franciscan Habit • The Franciscan habit is a simple long gown (brown, black, or grey) with a detached “capuch” (hood) and a white, knotted wool cord. • The cord has three knots symbolizing the three religious vows of Poverty Chastity and Obedience.

35. When the number of his companions had increased to eleven, Francis found it expedient to draw up a written rule for them. • This first rule of the Friars Minor has not come down to us in its original form, but it appears to have been very short and simple, a mere adaptation of the Gospel precepts already selected by Francis for the guidance of his first companions, and which he desired to practice in all their perfection

36. If God can work through me, he can work through anyone

37. Francis and his followers set out for Rome to seek the approval of the Holy See (vatican) • It seems that Guido, Bishop of Assisi, who was in Rome, sent Francis to Cardinal John of St. Paul, and that at the instance of the latter, the pope recalled Francis whose first overtures he had rejected. • It is said innocent was moved by a dream in which he beheld the Poor Man of Assisi upholding the tottering Lateran basilica and then gave a verbal sanction to the rule submitted by Francis and granted him and his followers leave to preach repentence everywhere. • Before leaving, they all received the tonsure, • Francis himself being ordained deacon later

38. Dream of innocent III • Basilica of St. Francis • Giotto

39. The followers adopted the Roman Rite as their mass which would become the predominant Catholic mass • The Friars Minor -- for thus Francis had named his brethren, either after the minores, or lower classes, as some think, or as others believe, with reference to the Gospel (Matthew 25:40-45) and as a perpetual reminder of their humility

40. Mt.25:40-45, the Last Judgement And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'

41. While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.

42. During Lent of 1212, Clare came to Francis. • Clare, a young heiress of Assisi, moved by the saint’s preaching, sought him out, and begged to be allowed to embrace the new manner of life he had founded. • By his advice, Clare, who was then 18, left her home on the night following Palm Sunday, and with two companions went to the Porziuncola, where the friars met her in procession, carrying lighted torches. • Then Francis, having cut off her hair, clothed her in the Minorite habit and thus received her to a life of poverty, penance, and seclusion. • until Francis could provide a suitable retreat for her, and for St. Agnes, her sister, and the other pious women who had joined her, he eventually established them at St. Damian's • Francis eventually established the sisters at St. Damian's, and which thus became the first monastery of the Second Franciscan Order of Poor Ladies, now known as Poor Clares

43. St. Clare’s, Assisi

47. About 1213 Francis received from Count Orlando of Chiusi the mountain of La Verna, rising some 4000 feet above the valley of the Casentino, as a retreat, • "especially favourable for contemplation", to which he might retire from time to time for prayer and rest. • For Francis never altogether separated the contemplative from the active life

49. 1217-18 he visited Rome and was apparently the occasion of Francis's meeting with St. Dominic • The year 1218 Francis devoted to missionary tours in Italy • He usually preached out of doors, in the market-places, from church steps, from the walls of castle court-yards. • Allured by the spell of his presence, crowds, unused to preaching in the vernacular, followed Francis from place to place; church bells rang at his approach; processions of clergy and people went to meet him with music and singing; they brought the sick to him to bless and heal, and kissed the very ground on which he trod, and even sought to cut away pieces of his tunic