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Saint Francis was born in Assis English

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Saint Francis was born in Assis

 

The homage of a simple man (LM 1,1)

 

Saint Francis was born in Assisi in 1182, to wealthy and bourgeois parents, cloth merchants, Pedro Bernardone and Madonna Pica. In his youth he grew up in a worldly environment and, after acquiring a certain knowledge of letters, he devoted himself to the lucrative business of commerce. He was a happy young man and fond of parties, but within correctness and honesty, and no matter how much he dedicated himself to profit living among greedy merchants, he never put his trust in money and riches. God had instilled in the innermost part of the young Francis a certain generous compassion for the poor, which, growing with him from childhood, filled his heart with such kindness that, now becoming a non-deaf listener of the Gospel, he decided to give alms. to anyone who asks for it, especially if he claimed the motive of God’s love for it.

 

2. Donation of the cape

 

Once he was met by a noble gentleman, but poor and poorly dressed. At the sight of such poverty, his compassionate heart was touched, and, immediately stripping off his ornaments, he clothed the poor man with them, thus fulfilling, at the same time, a double work of mercy: to cover the shame of a noble knight and to remedy the need of a poor

Prayer before the Crucifix of Saint Damien

 

But, recalling the purpose of perfection that he had made and remembering that to be a knight of Christ he must first of all overcome himself, he got off his horse and ran to kiss the leper. Since then he sought solitude and devoted himself entirely to prayer. He clothed himself with the spirit of poverty, the feeling of humility and the affection of a tender compassion towards lepers, beggars, poor priests and all who suffered.

 

One day Francisco went out to the field to meditate, and as he walked by the church of San Damiano, whose ancient factory threatened ruin, he entered it, moved by the Spirit, to pray; and while he prayed prostrate before the image of the Crucified, he suddenly felt flooded with a great spiritual consolation. He fixed his eyes, filled with tears, on the Lord’s cross, and behold, he heard with his bodily ears a voice coming from the same cross that said to him three times: «Francisco, go and repair my house. , it’s about to be ruined all of it! » Francisco was shocked, because he was alone in the church, when he perceived such a wonderful voice, and, feeling in his heart the power of the divine word, he was taken away in ecstasy. Returned to himself, he prepares to obey, and he concentrates all his efforts on the decision to materially repair the church, although the divine voice referred mainly to the repair of the Church that Christ acquired with his blood.

 

So he arose, arming himself with the sign of the cross, took with him various cloths ready for sale, and hurried to the city of Foligno, and there he sold everything, including the horse on which he was riding. Taking the price from him, he returns to the city of Assisi and goes to the church, whose repair he had been ordered. He devoutly entered its enclosure, and, finding there a poor priest, after paying him courteous reverence, offered him the money obtained to be used for the repair of the church and the relief of the poor. He then humbly asked her to allow her to live together for some time in his company. The priest agreed to Francisco’s desire to live in his house, but he refused the money out of fear of the parents. Then the Saint just threw him into a window.

 

The surrender of property

 

When Francisco’s father found out what his son had done, he ran, all enraged, to San Damiano. Francisco, hearing the screams and threats, hid in a cave. A few days later he reproached himself for his cowardice, left his hiding place and went to the city of Assisi. His fellow citizens, seeing him in the strange mood he presented, took him for a madman. As soon as the father heard the clamor of the crowd, he rushed forward and without commiseration dragged him home, whipped him, and locked him in chains. In the midst of so much adversity, Francisco, full of deep joy, thanked God and felt more willing and courageous to carry out what he had undertaken. Not long after the father was forced to leave Assisi, and the mother released the son from prison, letting him go. Francisco returned to the place where he had dwelt before

 

But the father returned, and, not finding his son at home, ran bellowing to the right place to get, if he could not divert him from his purpose, at least get him away from the province. Francis, comforted by God, spontaneously went out to meet his enraged father and told her that he was willing to joyfully suffer any evil for the name of Christ. Seeing the father that it was completely impossible to change him from his intent, he directed his efforts to recover the money. And having found it, at last, in the niche of a small window, his fury subsided somewhat.

 

The father then tried to bring his son to the presence of the bishop of the city, so that in his hands he would renounce the rights of the paternal inheritance and return everything he had. Francisco was very willing to do so and, arriving in the presence of the bishop, he did not stop or hesitate about anything, he did not wait for orders or utter any word, but immediately took off all his clothes and gave them back to the father. In addition, drunk with a wonderful fervor of spirit, he takes off even his breeches and presents himself to everyone totally naked, saying at the same time to his father: «Until now I have called you father on earth, but from now on I can say with absolute confidence: Our Father, who art in heaven, in whom I have deposited all my treasure and all the security of my hope »

 

When contemplating this scene, the bishop, admired by the extraordinary fervor of the servant of God, got up instantly and crying, welcomed him into his arms and covered him with the mantle that he himself wore. He then ordered his people to provide him with some clothing to cover the limbs of that body.

 

The dream of Innocent III

 

Many companions soon joined Francisco. The first was Bernardo de Quitaval, followed by Pedro Cattani, Gil, Silvestre and others. Seeing the servant of Christ that little by little the number of the brothers was growing, he wrote in simple words a small way of life or rule, in which he placed the observance of the holy Gospel as an unshakable foundation, and inserted a few other things that seemed necessary. for a uniform way of life. Wishing, however, that his writing would obtain the approval of the high pontiff, he decided to present himself with that group of simple men before the Apostolic See, trusting only in divine protection.

 

In Rome they met the bishop of Assisi, Guido, who, knowing what they were trying to achieve, was delighted, and pledged his word to help them with his advice and resources. The bishop had already told Cardinal Juan de San Pablo, an important man in the papal curia, about the life of blessed Francis and his brothers, and these news had given rise to the cardinal’s desire to see the man of God and some of the your brothers. So when he found out they were in Rome, he summoned them, lodged them in his house, and, built on his words and examples, he recommended them to the pope

 

hen they were introduced to the presence of the High Pontiff, Francis explained his objective, humbly and earnestly asking him to approve of the above-mentioned way of life. As Innocent III observed the admirable purity and simplicity of soul of the man of God, the determined purpose, and the fiery fervor of his holy will, he was inclined to piously agree to his requests. However, he deferred to fulfill the petition of the poor Christ, since to some of the cardinals it seemed a new and so arduous thing, that it surpassed human forces. Cardinal Juan de San Pablo intervened, warning them: «If we reject the demand of this poor man who only asks for confirmation of the evangelical way of life, let us guard against inferring an injury to the Gospel of Christ himself.» Hearing such considerations, the apostle Peter’s successor turned to Christ’s poor poor man and said to him: «Pray, my son, to Christ that through you he may manifest his will to us, so that, when we know it more clearly, we can access with greater security. your pious wishes.

 

In addition, Pope Innocent showed them a heavenly vision that he had had those same days, assuring that it would be fulfilled in Francis. In effect, he reported seeing in his dreams how the Lateran basilica was about to collapse and that a poor man, of small stature and despicable appearance, supported it by huddling his shoulders so that it would not come ashore. And he exclaimed: «This is indeed the man who with his works and his doctrine will sustain the Church of Christ.»

 

The approval of the Rule by Innocent III

 

For this reason, full of singular devotion, Inocencio agreed in everything to the request of the servant of Christ, and since then he has always professed a special affection for him. So he gave her everything he asked for and promised that he would grant her even more. He approved the Rule, granted the servant of God and all the lay brothers who accompanied him the faculty to preach penance and ordered that the tonsure be made so that they could freely preach the word of God.

The vision of the chariot of fire

 

At about midnight, it suddenly happened that, while Francis was bodily absent from his children, some of whom were resting and others persevered in prayer, a fire chariot of admirable brightness entered through the door of the brothers’ shack, giving three laps throughout the stay; a luminous globe rose above the same car, which, showing the aspect of the sun, illuminated the darkness of the night.

 

5. The renunciation of the goods (LM 2.4)

 

When Francisco’s father found out what his son had done, he ran, all enraged, to San Damiano. Francisco, hearing the screams and threats, hid in a cave. A few days later he reproached himself for his cowardice, left his hiding place and went to the city of Assisi. His fellow citizens, seeing him in the strange mood he presented, took him for a madman. As soon as the father heard the clamor of the crowd, he rushed forward and without commiseration dragged him home, whipped him, and locked him in chains. In the midst of so much adversity, Francisco, full of deep joy, thanked God and felt more willing and courageous to carry out what he had undertaken. Not long after the father was forced to the mother freed the son from prison, letting him go. Francis returned to the place where he was absent from Assisi, and he had dwelt before.

 

But the father returned, and, not finding his son at home, ran bellowing to the right place to get, if he could not divert him from his purpose, at least get him away from the province. Francis, comforted by God, spontaneously went out to meet his enraged father and told her that he was willing to joyfully suffer any evil for the name of Christ. Seeing the father that it was completely impossible to change him from his intent, he directed his efforts to recover the money. And having found it, at last, in the niche of a small window, his fury subsided somewhat.

 

The father then tried to bring his son to the presence of the bishop of the city, so that in his hands he would renounce the rights of the paternal inheritance and return everything he had. Francisco was very willing to do so and, arriving in the presence of the bishop, he did not stop or hesitate about anything, he did not wait for orders or utter any word, but immediately took off all his clothes and gave them back to the father. In addition, drunk with a wonderful fervor of spirit, he takes off even his breeches and presents himself to everyone totally naked, saying at the same time to his father: «Until now I have called you father on earth, but from now on I can say with absolute confidence: Our Father, who art in heaven, in whom I have deposited all my treasure and all the security of my hope

 

When contemplating this scene, the bishop, amazed at the extraordinary fervor of the servant of God, got up instantly and crying, took him into his arms and covered him with the mantle that he himself wore. He then ordered his people to provide him with some clothing to cover the limbs of that body. Immediately they presented him with a short, poor and vile cloak, belonging to a peasant who was in the service of the bishop. Francisco accepted it very gratefully.

 

Later, freed from the attraction of worldly desires, Francis left the city of Assisi and retired to solitude to listen alone and in silence to the mysterious voice from heaven.

 

6. The dream of Innocent III (LM 3,10)

 

Francis now settled in the humility of Christ, recalls the order that was given him from the Crucifix to repair the church of San Damiano, and, as truly obedient, returns to Assisi, ready to submit to the divine voice, at least begging for what is necessary for said restoration, which was followed by that of another church, dedicated to San Pedro, and that of Santa María de la Porziúncula.

 

Many companions soon joined Francisco. The first was Bernardo de Quitaval, followed by Pedro Cattani, Gil, Silvestre and others. Seeing the servant of Christ that little by little the number of the brothers was growing, he wrote in simple words a small way of life or rule, in which he placed the observance of the holy Gospel as an unshakable foundation, and inserted a few other things that seemed necessary. for a uniform way of life. Wishing, however, that his writing would obtain the approval of the high pontiff, he decided to present himself with that group of simple men before the Apostolic See, trusting only in divine protection.

 

In Rome they met the bishop of Assisi, Guido, who, knowing what they were proposing to achieve, was very happy with him, and pledged his word to help them with his advice and resources. The bishop had already told Cardinal Juan de San Pablo, an important man in the papal curia, about the life of blessed Francis and his brothers, and these news had given rise to the cardinal’s desire to see the man of God and some of the your brothers. So when he found out they were in Rome, he summoned them, lodged them in his house, and, built on his words and examples, he recommended them to the pope.

 

When they were introduced to the presence of the High Pontiff, Francis explained his objective, humbly and earnestly asking him to approve of the above-mentioned way of life. As Innocent III observed the admirable purity and simplicity of soul of the man of God, the determined purpose, and the fiery fervor of his holy will, he was inclined to piously agree to his requests. However, he deferred to fulfill the petition of the poor Christ, since to some of the cardinals it seemed a new and so arduous thing, that it surpassed human forces. Cardinal Juan de San Pablo intervened, warning them: «If we reject the demand of this poor man who only asks for confirmation of the evangelical way of life, let us guard against inferring an injury to the Gospel of Christ himself.» Hearing such considerations, the apostle Peter’s successor turned to Christ’s poor poor man and said to him: «Pray, my son, to Christ that through you he may manifest his will to us, so that, when we know it more clearly, we can access with greater security. your pious wishes.

Francis and his family withdrew from the papal presence, and the Saint, devoted to prayer, came to know what he should say to the pope. And indeed, when they presented themselves again to the High Pontiff, Francis narrated to him the parable of a rich king who was pleased to marry a beautiful but poor woman, from whom he had many children, adding his interpretation: «There is no reason why fear that the children and heirs of the eternal King will perish of hunger … ». The Vicar of Christ listened with great attention to this parable and its interpretation, being deeply admired; and he recognized that, without a doubt, Christ had spoken through the mouth of that man.

 

In addition, Pope Innocent showed them a heavenly vision that he had had those same days, assuring that it would be fulfilled in Francis. In effect, he reported seeing in his dreams how the Lateran basilica was about to collapse and that a poor man, of small stature and despicable appearance, held her by pulling her shoulders so that she would not come ashore. And he exclaimed: «This is, indeed, the man who with his works and his doctrine will sustain the Church of Christ.»

 

7. The approval of the Rule by Innocent III (LM 3,10)

 

Innocent III had been impressed by the words of Cardinal Juan de San Pablo in favor of Francis’s project: «If we reject the demand of this poor man as something entirely new and extremely arduous, since he does not ask but the confirmation of the of evangelical life, let us beware of thereby inferring an injury to the Gospel of Christ himself. For if anyone were to affirm that within the observance of evangelical perfection or in the desire for it there is something new, irrational or impossible to fulfill, he would be convicted of blaspheming Christ, author of the Gospel. Later, the pontiff was astonished when he heard from the mouth of Francis the interpretation of the aforementioned parable of the king’s children and the poor woman: – born, by virtue of the Holy Spirit, of a poor mother, in the image of Christ the King – they must be engendered in a poor religion by the spirit of poverty. For if the King of heaven promises his followers the eternal kingdom, how much more so will he supply them with all that he commonly grants to good and bad? » Finally, when he recognized in Francis the man who held the ruinous basilica, the pope was convinced that the hand of God was there.

 

For this reason, full of singular devotion, Inocencio agreed in everything to the request of the servant of Christ, and since then he has always professed a special affection for him. So he gave her everything he asked for and promised that he would grant her even more. He approved the Rule, granted the servant of God and all the lay brothers who accompanied him the faculty to preach penance, and ordered that the tonsure be made so that they could freely preach the word of God.

 

Orally approving a rule, as Innocent did on this occasion, did not then mean a kind of simple tolerance. It came to be a true approval, thanks to which the younger brothers were not later affected by the prohibition of the drafting of new monastic rules, dictated by the IV Lateran Council in 1215, a prohibition that did affect, for example, the Order of Santo Domingo. On the other hand, the tonsure of the brothers constituted them clerics, removing them from the jurisdiction of the princes and placing them under the tutelage of the Church.

 

8. The vision of the chariot of fire (LM 4.4)

 

Having obtained the approval of the Rule, Francis undertook with great confidence the return journey to the valley of Spoleto, ready to practice and teach the Gospel of Christ. Along the way he was talking with his companions about how to faithfully observe the Rule received, about how to proceed before God in all holiness and justice and how they could be of benefit to themselves and serve as an example to others.

 

Already in the valley of Spoleto, they began to deliberate on the question of whether they should live in the midst of the people or rather retreat to solitary places. Francis went to prayer and enlightened by God came to understand that he had been sent by the Lord in order for him to win for Christ the souls that the devil endeavored to take from him. That is why he preferred to live for the good of all others rather than for himself, encouraged by the example of the One who deigned to die alone for all.

 

Consequently, he was picked up with his companions in an abandoned slum, Rivo Torto, near the city of Assisi. There they kept to the dictates of holy poverty and continually surrendered to divine prayers. The brothers begged Francis to teach them to pray, and he told them: «When you pray say: ‘Our Father’, and also: ‘We adore you, Christ, in all the churches throughout the world and we bless you, because by your holy cross you redeemed the world «». He also taught them to praise God in and for all creatures, to honor priests with special reverence, to firmly believe and simply confess the truths of the faith as upheld and taught by the Holy Roman Church.

 

While the brothers were dwelling in the aforementioned place, one Saturday the holy man went to Assisi to preach, according to his custom, on Sunday morning in the cathedral church. He spent the night, as other times, devoted to prayer, in a hovel located in the garden of the canons.

 

At about midnight, it suddenly happened that, while Francis was bodily absent from his children, some of whom were resting and others persevered in prayer, a fire chariot of admirable brightness entered through the door of the brothers’ shack, giving three laps throughout the stay; a luminous globe rose above the same car, which, showing the aspect of the sun, illuminated the darkness of the night.

 

Those who were awake were astonished, the sleeping ones awoke full of terror, and they all understood that it had been the same Saint, absent in the body, but present in the spirit and transfigured in that image, the one who had been shown to them by the Lord in the luminous chariot of fire

 

The vision of heavenly thrones

And since, both in himself and in all his subjects, Francis preferred humility to honors, God, who loves the humble, judged him worthy of the highest positions, as revealed in a heavenly vision to a brother , Fray Pacífico, a man of remarkable virtue and devotion. Said brother was accompanying the Saint, and, while praying with him very fervently in an abandoned church in Bovara, he was caught up in ecstasy, and saw in heaven many thrones, and among them a more important one, adorned with precious stones and all resplendent with glory. Admired of such splendor, he began to inquire with eager curiosity who would occupy that throne. At this he heard a voice say to him: «This throne belonged to one of the fallen angels, and now it is reserved for the humble Francis.»

The test of fire before the Sultan

 

In fact, the sultan observing the admirable fervor and virtue of the man of God, she listened with pleasure and insistently invited him to remain with her. But the servant of Christ, inspired from on high, replied: «If you resolve to convert to Christ, you and your people, I will gladly remain in your company for his love. But, if you doubt in abandoning the law of Muhammad in exchange for the faith of Christ, order a great bonfire to be lit, and I will enter it together with your priests, so that you will know which of the two beliefs is to be held, without a doubt. , as safer and more holy ». The sultan replied: «I do not believe that among my priests there is anyone who, in order to defend his faith, wants to expose himself to the test of fire, or who is willing to suffer any other torment.» He had observed, in effect, that one of his priests, a man of integrity and advanced in age, as soon as he heard about the matter, disappeared from his presence. Then, the Saint made him this proposition: «If in your name and that of your people you want to promise me that you will convert to the worship of Christ if I come out of the fire unscathed, I will enter the stake alone. If the fire consumes me, blame yourself for my sins; but if divine power protects me, you will recognize Christ, strength and wisdom of God, true God and Lord, savior of all men.

Seeing the sultan in this holy man such a perfect despiser of the goods of the earth, he was greatly amazed at it and was drawn to him with greater devotion and affection.

 

The miracle of the fountain

 

On a certain occasion, Francisco wanted to move to the hermitage of Mount Alverna to devote himself there more freely to contemplation; but, as he was already very weak, he had himself carried on the ass of a poor peasant. It was a hot summer day. The man went up the mountain following the servant of Christ, and, tired from the long and rough walk, he felt faint from a burning thirst. At this he began to shout insistently behind the Saint: «Hey, I’m dying of thirst, I’m dying if I don’t immediately have something to drink for a snack!»

 

Without delay, the man of God got out of the jumentillo, and, kneeling on the ground and raising his hands to heaven, he did not stop praying until he understood that he had been heard. Finished the prayer, he said to the man: «Run to that rock and you will find there living water, which Christ at this moment has mercifully drawn from the stone for you to drink.»

he thirsty man drank from the water sprouted from the stone by virtue of the Saint’s prayer and extracted the liquid from a very hard rock. There was no stream of water there before; nor, due to more diligences that have been carried out, has it been subsequently found

Preaching to the birds

 

  (Approaching Bevagna, he came to a place where a great multitude of birds of all kinds had gathered. When the saint of God saw them, he hurried to that place and greeted the birds as if they were endowed with reason. expectantly, with their eyes fixed on him, so that those who had perched on the trees, bowing their little heads, were looking at him in an unusual way when they saw him approaching them. And, addressing the birds, he urged them to listen to the word of God, and he said to them: «My little sisters birds, you must praise your Creator very much, who has clothed you with feathers and has given you wings to fly, has given you pure air and sustains and governs you, without concern. some of your part ».

 

The death of the knight of Celano

 

On one occasion, after returning in the spring of 1220 from his journey to Syria and Egypt, he came to Celano to preach; and there a devoted gentleman insistently invited him to stay and eat with him. So he came to his house, and the whole family was overjoyed at the arrival of the poor guests. But, before starting to eat, Saint Francis, following his custom, paused a little with his eyes raised to heaven, directing supplications and praises to God. At the end of the prayer he called aside in confidence the kind gentleman who had hosted him and spoke thus: «Look, brother guest; defeated by your pleas, I have entered your house to eat. Now, then, listen and follow my advice with alacrity, because it is not here, but somewhere else, where you are going to eat today. Confess your sins immediately in a spirit of sincere repentance and that there is nothing left in your conscience that will manifest itself in a good confession. Today the Lord will reward you for the work of having received his poor with such devotion ».

That man immediately put into practice the advice of the Saint: he made a sincere confession of all his sins with his companion, put all his things in order and prepared himself as best he could to receive death. Finally, they all sat down at the table. The others had hardly begun to eat, when the owner of the house, with a sudden death, breathed out his spirit, as the man of God had announced to him.

 

The impression of the sores

 

Raising himself, then, to God at the impulse of the seraphic ardor of his desires and transformed by his tender compassion into the One who, because of his extreme charity, wanted to be crucified: one morning of a day close to the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross , which is celebrated on September 14, while he was praying on one of the flanks of the mountain, he saw a seraphim descend from the highest point of heaven with six wings as fiery as they were resplendent. In very fast flight he advanced towards the place where the man of God was, stopping in the air.

 

Then the effigy of a crucified man appeared between the wings, whose hands and feet were extended like a cross and nailed to it. Two wings were raised above his head, two were extended to fly and the other two remaining covered his entire body.

 

So instantly the marks of the nails began to appear on his hands and feet, just as he had seen shortly before in the image of the crucified man. The hands and feet were seen to be pierced in the middle by the nails, in such a way that the heads of the nails were on the bottom of the hands and on the top of the feet, while the tips of the nails were at the bottom of the hands. opposite side. The nail heads were round and black on the hands and feet; the tips, formed from the same flesh and protruding from it, appeared elongated, twisted and riveted. Thus, also his right side, as if it had been pierced by a spear, hid a red scar, from which he frequently flowed holy blood, soaking his tunic and breeches.

The death of Saint Francis

 

At last fulfilled, in Francis, all the mysteries, his most holy soul freed from the bonds of the flesh and submerged in the abyss of divine clarity, this blessed man fell asleep in the Lord.

One of his brothers and disciples, James of Assisi, saw how that happy soul rose straight up to heaven in the form of a very bright star, carried by a white cloud over many waters.

Verification of the sores

 

On emigrating from this world, blessed Francis left the signs of the passion of Christ imprinted on his body. In those happy limbs you could see nails of her own flesh, wonderfully made by divine power and so natural to her that, if pressed on one side, they would instantly stick out on the other, as if they were hard nerves from one side. single piece. The sore on his side, similar to that on the Savior’s wounded side, also appeared very visible on his body. The appearance of the nails was black, similar to iron; but the wound on the side was reddish and formed, due to the contraction of the flesh, a kind of circle, appearing to the eye as a beautiful rose. The rest of his body, which had previously been brown, both from illness and from his natural way of being, now shone with an extraordinary whiteness. The limbs of his body were so soft and supple to the touch that they seemed to have returned to being tender as those of childhood.