St. Francis of Assisi - The Life and Prayers of Saint Francis of Assisi

The Life and Prayers of

Saint Francis of Assisi

Wyatt North

Wyatt North Publishing

Wyatt North Publishing, LLC 2012

A Boutique Publishing Company

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ISBN: 978-1-62278-114-0

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Foreword

Introducing an exciting new series from Wyatt North Publishing. The Life and Prayers series combines professionally researched and written biographies of iconic Christian figures with an anthology of prayers.

The Life and Prayers of Saint Francis of Assisi is the second book in this wonderful series. One part biography, one part prayer book, Saint Francis of Assisi is an essential book for any Christian.

Saint Francis of Assisi is quite possibly the most popular of all Christian saints. Perhaps it is his adoration for all living things or his unrelenting generosity that has made so many people open their hearts to him. Perhaps it is the deep conviction and piety expressed not only by the saint himself, but in his name, in the Franciscan orders throughout the centuries.

Whatever the reason, in a world that is quickly developing in a direction diametrically opposite to the saint's own simple asceticism, Saint Francis of Assisi still stirs strong emotions and compassion. How close he found God, in the very nature around him, is inspiring.

All books in The Life and Prayers series come complete with a Touch-or-Click Table of Contents, divided by each section.

This edition has a linked Table of Contents and has been wonderfully formatted (searchable and interlinked) to work on your eBook reader.

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The Life of Saint Francis

I. Introduction

Saint Francis of Assisi is quite possibly the most popular of all Christian saints. Perhaps it is his adoration for all living things or his unrelenting generosity that has made so many people open their hearts to him. Perhaps it is the deep conviction and piety expressed not only by the saint himself, but in his name, in the Franciscan orders throughout the centuries.

Whatever the reason, in a world that is quickly developing in a direction diametrically opposite to the saint's own simple asceticism, Saint Francis of Assisi still stirs strong emotions and compassion. How close he found God, in the very nature around him, is inspiring.

But we are also taken by how unlikely Saint Francis story is. Not in the respect that it rings untrue; it is easy to unearth how Francis path developed. Rather, it is surprising. The young man we first get to know, a strutting boisterous peacock, feathered in abundant wealth, is so unlike the unassuming and impoverished ascetic. Even so we see gentleness, generosity, and a deep emotional sensitivity that is consistent throughout the saint's life.

The man we are about to meet was, in the prime of his life, a short and exceedingly slight man. He had very fair skin, yet his eyes and his hair were dark. His features were small and angular. Later in life he wore his hair in the tonsure style, the top of his head shaved and his remaining dark hair growing in a crown around his head. From the earliest days of his order, he wore a dark tunic or robe, tied shut with a simple cord, and no sandals. He was incredibly charismatic, although later sources have called him physically unattractive.

He certainly did not start out as a man of letters, but Saint Francis did write for himself and left us texts in his own words to learn about his life and his spiritual thoughts. Aside from the rules he wrote for his order, several letters remain, as do prayers and the Testament of Saint Francis . Aside from Saint Francis own writings, numerous people, contemporaries and successors alike have written down the life of the saint. The earliest biography was commission by Pope Gregory IX and written by a Thomas of Celano in 1230, just four years after Saint Francis death. Other notable early writings on the life of Saint Francis include the works of Saint Bonaventure and the collection known as Fioretti di San Francesco ( The Little Flowers of Saint Francis ), which contains important clues about how the life and works of Saint Francis were seen outside of the Franciscan Order.

The Testament of Saint Francis

The following was written by Saint Francis and is provided for reference, skip to section II to resume The Life of Saint Francis.

This is how God inspired me, Brother Francis, to embark upon a life of penance. When I was in sin, the sight of lepers nauseated me beyond measure; but then God himself led me into their company, and I had pity on them. When I had once become acquainted with them, what had previously nauseated me became a source of spiritual and physical consolation for me. After that I did not wait long before leaving the world.

And God inspired me with such faith in his churches that I used to pray with all simplicity, saying, We adore you, Lord Jesus Christ, here and in all your churches in the whole world, and we bless you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

God inspired me, too, and still inspires me with such great faith in priests who live according to the laws of the holy Church of Rome, because of their dignity, that if they persecuted me, I should still be ready to turn to them for aid. And if I were as wise as Solomon and met the poorest priests of the world, I would still refuse to preach against their will in the parishes in which they live. I am determined to reverence, love and honor priests and all others as my superiors. I refuse to consider their sins, because I can see the Son of God in them and they are better than I. I do this because in this world I cannot see the most high Son of God with my own eyes, except for his most holy Body and Blood which they receive and they alone administer to others.

Above everything else, I want this most holy Sacrament to be honored and venerated and reserved in places which are richly ornamented. Whenever I find his most holy name or writings containing his words in an improper place, I make a point of picking them up, and I ask that they be picked up and put aside in a suitable place. We should honor and venerate theologians, too, and the ministers of God's word, because it is they who give us spirit and life.

When God gave me some friars, there was no one to tell me what I should do; but the Most High himself made it clear to me that I must live the life of the Gospel. I had this written down briefly and simply and his holiness the Pope confirmed it for me. Those who embraced this life gave everything they had to the poor. They were satisfied with one habit which was patched inside and outside, and a cord, and trousers. We refused to have anything more.

Those of us who were clerics said the Office like other clerics, while the lay brothers said the Our Father, and we were only too glad to find shelter in abandoned churches. We made no claim to learning and we were submissive to everyone. I worked with my own hands and I am still determined to work; and with all my heart I want all the other friars to be busy with some kind of work that can be carried on without scandal. Those who do not know how to work should learn, not because they want to get something for their efforts, but to give good example and to avoid idleness. When we receive no recompense for our work, we can turn to God's table and beg alms from door to door. God revealed a form of greeting to me, telling me that we should say, God give you peace.