Saint Francis
Saint Francis
Saint Francis
Saint Francis of Assisi (born Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone; 1181/1182 October 3, 1226)was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. St. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in history.Francis was the son of a wealthy cloth merchant in Assisi, and he lived the high-spirited life typical of a wealthy young man, even fighting as a soldier for Assisi.[4] While going off to war in 1204, Francis had a vision that directed him back to Assisi, where he lost his "free life". On a pilgrimage to Rome, Francis praied with the beggars at St. Peter's. The experience moved him to live in poverty.Francis returned home, and started to pray on the streets. He founded the Order of Poor Clares, which was an enclosed order for women, as well as the Third Order of Brothers and Sisters of Penance. In 1219, he went to Egypt where crusaders were besieging Damietta, hoping to find martyrdom at the hands of the Muslims. By this point, the Franciscan Order was no longer sufficient. He returned to Italy to organize the order and his organization was endorsed by the Pope.In 1224, he received the stigmata,he was the first person to bear the wounds of Christ's Passion.He died in 1226.
-The stigmata
On 17th september 1224,on mount Verna Francis is praying and he see a Serafino (celestial spirit) crucified.. Then he have stigmata: on hands and feet he have wounds how Jesus crucified. Saint Francis is always painted with stigmata.
Perhaps the most famous story of St. Francis is when he tamed the wolf that was terrorizing the people of Gubbio. While Francis was staying in that town he learned of a wolf so ravenous that it was not only killing and eating animals, but people, too. The people took up arms and went after it, but those who encountered the wolf were killed. Francis decided to go out and meet the wolf and he met it.Francis made the Sign of the Cross toward the wolf who immediately slowed down and closed its mouth. Then Francis called out to the wolf: Come to me, Brother Wolf. I wish you no harm. At that moment the wolf lowered its head and lay down at St. Francis.They came to an agreement : the wolf's stopping to frigth the people and them are giving food to him.
The Canticle of the Sun, also known as the Laudes Creaturarum (Praise of the Creatures), is a religious song composed by Saint Francis of Assisi. It was written in the Umbrian dialect of Italian but has since been translated into many languages. It is believed to be among the first works of literature, if not the first, written in the Italian language. The Canticle of the Sun in its praise of God thanks Him for such creations as "Brother Fire" and "Sister Water". It is an affirmation of Francis' personal theology as he often referred to animals as brothers and sisters. Saint Francis is said to have composed most of the canticle in late 1224 while recovering from an illness at San Damiano, in a small cottage that had been built for him by Saint Clare and other women of her order. According to tradition, the first time it was sung in its entirety was by Francis and Brothers Angelo and Leo, two of his original companions, on Francis' deathbed, the final verse praising "Sister Death" having been added only a few minutes before.