Apostleship of Prayer - Saints
October 4 - Francis of Assisi
Francis was born in 1181. He was the son of a wealthy cloth merchant of the town of Assisi. He was originally called John but came to be called Francesco, i.e., the Frenchman. This was so as his mother had been born in Provençal in France and his father, at the time of his birth, was also in France. When he was young he helped his father in his store. While he was fighting in a war between Assisi and Perugia he was captured in a battle and spent a year in a prison. When he was released he immediately returned home. On the way he heard a voice coming from a derelict church exhorting him to "Go and repair my house, which you see is falling down". Francis took this to mean that he was called to repair this old Church. Later he came to realize that he had a mission to the whole church.
Francis traveled as a pilgrim, begging for his food. He did this for three years and then seven others joined him. Together they lived a communal life at he Portiuncula near a leper colony on the outskirts of Assisi. They then began to go out to preach to the people in the surrounding towns and villages. One of the things that distinguished their preaching from that of other wandering preachers was their complete obedience to the Church and their orthodox preaching. When their preaching tours were completed the friars returned to their monasteries for their own private and liturgical prayers. Their houses were simple, there were no chairs nor tables. they slept on the floor and they had few books. Only later did they become famous as theologians and lecturers in the universities.
The Order rapidly grew and so there were over one thousand members. A rule was necessary. this Francis supplied. It became a well organized Order devoted to reform. Francis resigned form the position of General of the Order as he realized that he was not a person for organization.
Two other incidents in his life happened now. First friar John at Grecchio prepared the first Christmas crib at which Francis preached. Tears welled from the eyes of everyone present. The second was the close rapport that he had with the animal kingdom. He preached to the birds, to a wolf at Gubbio. Francis had a deep sense of identification with all of creation.
Soon after he received the stigmata in a mystical experience, he became extremely sick and gradually went blind. He died at the age of forty-five in the year 1226.
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