St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)
October 4
Born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone to prosperous
cloth merchants, Pica and Pietro. His
mother baptized him Giovanni in honor of St. John the Baptist. His father was
away in France on business when the boy was born. “Frenchy” was the nickname
his father gave him, perhaps because his mother was of French descent or it might
reflect his father’s love for French
culture and commercial success in France. Francesco’s youth was filled with
some carousing and engagement with troubadour culture. It was a time of
chivalry and knighthood. He lived during the rise of city-states in Italy, who
frequently clashed for power and prestige. After setting off to war as a
knight, Francis endured a year’s imprisonment, followed by a long illness. This
led him to reassess his life and ambitions and dedicate himself to God’s
service. He would eventually describe himself as “the herald of the great
king.”
There was a dilapidated chapel on the hillside near Assisi named
for of San Damiano where Francis retreated to find solitude and prayer. One day
Christ spoke to him from the crucifix, saying “Rebuild my house, for it is
nearly falling down.” Francis took this quite literally and repaired San
Damiano, as well as two other nearby churches. This however took on greater
meaning as it applied to Francis’ influence and effect on the larger Catholic
Church.
An encounter with a leper left a great impression on
Francis. Instead of avoiding the person, Francis embraced and kissed them. He
wrote, “What had previously nauseated me became a source of spiritual and
physical consolation for me.” (Testament.) Francis overcame his fear,
his hesitation, and his own ego on that road and afterwards was ready to care
for the poor and suffering. Francis and his followers ministered to people
suffering from leprosy.
Some of his friends joined him and he attracted others, so
much so that in 1209, twelve of them went to Rome to seek approval from the
Pope, Innocent III. They initially called themselves “Penitents from Assisi”
but later came to be known as the Friars Minor or Lesser Brothers. They
dedicated themselves to prayer, manual labor, and preaching the gospel. Living
in poverty and simplicity were actually part of a broader religious movement at
this point in history. Francis wanted to be sure and show loyalty and obedience
to the Catholic Church and differentiate from other “spirituals.” Francis
exhibited classic Catholic devotion to the Eucharist and to the Blessed Virgin
Mary. He showed great respect towards those in authority, especially priests
and was concerned for their formation, education, and well-being. He was ordained
a deacon in order to proclaim the gospel. He had great respect for the Bible,
so much so that he admonished the friars to take care of any scrap of paper
they might find, lest it contain the words of Scripture.
In response to Chiara of Assisi’s desire to live out the
gospel as Francis and his followers were, Francis helped her organized the
“Poor Ladies of San Damiano” as the Second Order of Franciscans or “Poor
Clares” is known. There is a great tradition of complementarity between men and
women within the Franciscan family, which began with this friendship between
Saint Clare and Francis, but can also be found in his relationship with Lady
Jacopa and others. Laity also asked Francis to be able to join in his vision
and way of following the gospel, and so the Third Order or Secular Franciscans
was also formed. Later developed Third Order Religious, as other men and women
took up the Franciscan way to live in consecrated life. You might even say
there is a “Fourth Order” of those who just love and admire and respect Saint Francis
of Assisi, but do not take a vow or join in any official way.
He is credited with establishing the tradition of Christmas
crèches and manger scenes in homes and churches. Francis set up a living
nativity scene on Christmas Eve in 1223 in the Italian village of Greccio to
help people visualize the humble, impoverished reality of Jesus' birth. It included
a hay-filled manger, a live ox and a donkey, but no human actors portraying
Mary or Joseph initially stood in the scene; it centered on the empty crib, to
highlight the poverty of the child born in Bethlehem.
Francis was canonized in 1228, less than two years after his
death, by his one-time advisor, the former Cardinal Hugolino, who was then Pope
Gregory IX.
About a hundred years later, a wonderful collection of
stories about Francis and his followers was written in Latin and then
translated into Italian: Fioretti or Little Flowers. Most famous are how Francis preached to the
birds, befriended the wolf of Gubbio, his encounter with the Islamic Sultan,
and one whole section devoted to the apparition of the seraph. In September of
1224 while Francis was on retreat praying on Mount La Verna, he received the
marks of Christ’s passion in his hands, feet and side, known as the stigmata.
This is celebrated on the Franciscan calendar on September 17th. Much of the Fioretti however, tells of
the actions of the other friars, such as Brother Juniper and Brother Giles, and
the growth of the movement. The earliest
definitive or authoritative biographies of Francis were written by Thomas
Celano and Saint Bonaventure.
In California, the sixth mission and the city on the bay that grew up around it were dedicated to San Francisco de Asis in 1776.
