Flora Cantábrica

Saint Francis of Assis

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Saint Francis of Assis
October 4
O Lord, make me an instrument of Your Peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring Love.
Where there is offense, let me bring Forgiveness.
Where there is discord, let me bring Unity.
Where there is doubt, let me bring Faith.
Where there is error, let me bring Truth.
Where there is despair,
let me bring Joy.
Where there is darkness, let me bring Light.
O Master, grant that I may not seek so much to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that one receives;
in forgiving that one is forgiven;
in dying that one is resurrected to Eternal Life.
Life Story
They say that Saint Francis was declared a saint by the people before the Supreme Pontiff granted him that honor, and that if a vote is held among Christians (even Protestants), everyone agrees in declaring him a true saint. Everyone, even non-Catholics, loves and esteems him.
He was born in Assisi, Italy, in 1182. His mother’s name was Pica, and he held him in high esteem throughout his life. His father was Pietro Bernardone, a man who greatly admired and loved France, after whom he named him Francis, which means «the little Frenchman.» As a young man, Francis enjoyed attending parties, outings, and gatherings with lots of music. His father owned one of the best clothing stores in the city, and the boy had plenty of money. Business and studies didn’t appeal to him. But he had the quality of never denying a favor or help to a poor person whenever he could. He was twenty years old when a war broke out between Assisi and the city of Perugia. Francis went out to fight for his city and was taken prisoner by the enemy. His imprisonment lasted a year, a time he used to meditate and seriously consider his life. Upon his release, he rejoined his city’s army and went to fight the enemy. He bought himself a very elegant suit of armor and the best horse he could find. But along the way, a poor soldier who had no means of buying armor or cavalry met him, and Francis, moved, gave him all his luxurious military equipment. That night in his dreams, he felt that, in exchange for what he had given, he was presented with better armor to confront the enemies of the spirit.
Francis did not reach the battlefield because he fell ill, and in the midst of his illness, he heard a voice from heaven say to him: «Why dedicate yourself to serving the day laborers, instead of consecrating yourself to serving the Supreme Leader of all?» So he returned to his city, not to have fun and revel, but to meditate seriously about his future. Seeing him so silent and thoughtful, people commented that Francisco was probably in love. He would say, «Yes, I am in love, and she is with the most faithful, pure, and sanctifying bride in existence.» The others didn’t know who he was, but he knew very well that he was falling in love with poverty, that is, with a way of life that was as similar as possible to the utterly poor way Jesus lived. And he became convinced that he should sell all his possessions and give them to the poor. One day, walking through the countryside, he found a leper covered in sores and felt a great disgust for him. But he also felt a divine inspiration telling him that if we do not act against our instincts, we will never be saints. Then he approached the leper and, overcoming the terrible repugnance he felt, kissed his sores. Since performing this heroic act, he was able to obtain from God great strength to master his instincts and always be able to sacrifice himself for others. From that day on, he began visiting the sick in hospitals and the poor. He gave them everything he had with him.
One day, while praying before a crucifix in the Church of San Damiano, he thought he heard Christ say three times: «Francis, you must repair my house, because it is in ruins.» He believed that Jesus was commanding him to repair the walls of the Church of San Damiano, which were badly deteriorated. He went home, sold his horse and a large quantity of fabric from his father’s store, and brought money to the Father Chaplain of San Damiano, asking him to let him stay there and help repair the ruined building. The priest told him that he would allow him to stay there, but that he would not accept the money (he was afraid of the harsh reaction his father, Pietro Bernardone, would have). Francis left the money in a window, and when he learned that his enraged father was coming to punish him, he prudently hid. Pietro Bernardone sued his son Francis before the bishop, declaring that he disinherited him and that he had to return the money he had earned from the fabrics he had sold. The prelate returned the money to his angry father, and Francis, stripping off his shirt, his coat, and his cloak, gave them to his father, saying: «Until now I have been the son of Pietro Bernardone.
From now on, I will be able to say: «Our Father, who art in heaven.» The Bishop gave him the clothing of one of his field workers: a simple tunic, made of ordinary cloth, tied at the waist with a cord. Francisco drew a cross in chalk on his new tunic, and in it he will wear and spend the rest of his life. This will be the habit of his religious afterward: the clothing of a poor peasant, of a simple worker.
He went through the fields praying and singing. Some guerrillas found him and said, «Who are you?» – He replied: – I am the herald or messenger of the great King. The others did not understand what he meant by this and instead of his answer they beat him. He continued happily, singing and praying to God. Then he returned to Assisi to dedicate himself to the construction and reconstruction of the little church of San Damiano. And to do this he began to walk the streets begging for alms. The people who had previously seen him rich and elegant and now found him begging for alms and dressed so poorly, made fun of him. But he managed to rebuild the small church, the Porziuncola. This name is very dear to Franciscans all over the world, because it was in the chapel of that name that Francis began his community. Porziuncola means «small piece of land.» It was a small farm with a small chapel in ruins. It was 4 kilometers from Assisi. The Benedictine fathers gave him permission to go and live there, and our saint liked the place because it was peaceful and solitary and because the chapel was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Virgin Mary.
At the Mass for the feast of the Apostle Saint Matthias, heaven showed him what it expected of him. And it was through the Gospel of that day, which is the program Christ gave his apostles when he sent them out to preach. It says: «Go and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Do not take money, sandals, or a double garment to change. «You have received freely, give freely.» Francis took this literally and resolved to dedicate himself to the apostolate, but in the midst of the strictest poverty. Saint Bonaventure tells of a man who met the saint whose face had been horribly disfigured by cancer. The other tried to kneel at his feet, but Francis stopped him and kissed him on the face, and the sick man was instantly cured. And the people said: «One doesn’t know what to admire more, the kiss or the miracle.»
The first to join him in his life of apostolate was Bernard of Quintavalle, a wealthy merchant from Assisi, who frequently invited Francis to his home. At night, he pretended to be asleep and saw the saint get up and spend many hours dedicated to prayer, repeating: «My God and my all.» He asked him to accept him as his disciple, sold all his possessions, gave them to the poor, and went to accompany him to the Portiuncula. His second companion was Peter of Cattaneo, Canon of the Cathedral of Assisi. The third was Friar Giles, famous for his simplicity. When Francis already had 12 companions, they went to Rome to ask the Pope to approve their community. They traveled on foot, singing and praying, filled with happiness, and living off the alms people gave them. In Rome, they didn’t want to approve this community because they thought it was too strict in terms of poverty.

ut finally, a cardinal said: «We cannot forbid them from living as Christ commanded in the Gospel.» They received approval, and they returned to Assisi to live in poverty, in prayer, in holy joy, and great brotherhood, next to the Church of the Porziuncola. It is said that Innocent III saw in a dream that the Church of Rome was about to collapse and that two men appeared to support it and prevent it from collapsing. One was Saint Francis, founder of the Franciscans, and the other, Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominicans. From then on, the Pope proposed to approve these communities.
Francis was sometimes attacked by terrible impure temptations. To overcome the passions of his body, he sometimes had to roll among thorns. He could repeat what the ancient saint said: «I treat my body harshly, because it treats my soul harshly.»
Clare, a very holy young woman from Assisi, was inspired by the life of poverty, prayer, and holy joy led by Francis’s followers, and, abandoning her family, fled to become a nun following his wise guidance. With Saint Clare, he founded the Poor Clares, who now have convents all over the world.
Francis had the rare quality of being endeared to animals. Swallows followed him in flocks and formed a cross above where he preached. When he was alone on the mountain, a blackbird would come to wake him with its song at midnight prayer. But if the saint was sick, the little animal would not wake him. A little rabbit followed him for some time, with great affection. They say that a ferocious wolf obeyed him when the saint asked him to stop attacking people.
Francis retreated to Mount Alvernia for 40 days to meditate, and he thought so much about Christ’s wounds that the same wounds formed on his hands, feet, and side. The followers of Saint Francis became so numerous that in 1219, more than five thousand Franciscans gathered in Assisi at a general meeting called «The Chapter of the Mats.» The saint was deeply moved by the sight of vocations appearing everywhere and the many requests from diverse regions to send his fervent disciples to preach. He urged them to love Jesus Christ and the Holy Catholic Church deeply, and to live with the greatest possible detachment from material goods. He never tired of recommending that they fulfill as exactly as possible everything commanded by the Holy Gospel.
Francis traveled through the countryside and villages inviting people to love Jesus Christ more, always repeating: «Love is not loved.» The people listened to him with special affection and were amazed at how much his words influenced hearts to inspire them with enthusiasm for Christ and his religion.
He arranged to go to Egypt to evangelize the Sultan and the Muslims. But neither the Muslim leader nor his fanatical followers would accept his messages. So he went to the Holy Land to visit on a devout pilgrimage the Holy Places where Jesus was born, lived, and died: Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jerusalem, etc. In memory of his pious visit, the Franciscans have been charged for centuries with guarding the Holy Places of the Holy Land. Because he did not take proper care of himself in the harsh sands of the Egyptian desert, his eyes became diseased, and when he died, he was almost completely blind. One more suffering that the Lord allowed him so that he might win more rewards for heaven.

San Francisco, que era un verdadero poeta y le encantaba recorrer los campos cantando bellas canciones, compuso un himno a las criaturas, en el cual alaba a Dios por el sol, y la luna, la tierra y las estrellas, el fuego y el viento, el agua y la vegetación. «Alabado sea mi Señor por el hermano sol y la madre tierra, y por los que saben perdonar», etc. Le agradaba mucho cantarlo y hacerlo aprender a los demás y poco antes de morir hizo que sus amigos lo cantaran en su presencia. Su saludo era «Paz y bien».
Cuando sólo tenía 44 años sintió que le llegaba la hora de partir a la eternidad. Dejaba fundada la comunidad de Franciscanos, y la de hermanas Clarisas. Con esto contribuyó enormemente a enfervorizar la Iglesia Católica y a extender la religión de Cristo por todos los países del mundo. Los seguidores de San Francisco (franciscanos, capuchinos, clarisas, etc.) son el grupo religioso más numeroso que existe en la Iglesia Católica. El 3 de octubre de 1226, acostado en el duro suelo, cubierto con un hábito que le habían prestado de limosna, y pidiendo a sus seguidores que se amen siempre como Cristo los ha amado, murió como había vivido: lleno de alegría, de paz y de amor a Dios.
Cuando apenas habían transcurrido dos años después de su muerte, el Sumo Pontífice lo declaró santo y en todos los países de la tierra se venera y se admira a este hombre sencillo y bueno que pasó por el mundo enseñando a amar la naturaleza y a vivir desprendido de los bienes materiales y enamorados de nuestra buen Dios. Fue él quien popularizó la costumbre de hacer pesebres para Navidad.
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