Note: Credits to the rightful owners
of the photo and screenshots grabbed online.
October 4 is the feast of the very
famous Saint Francis of Assisi — patron of animals, ecology, environmentalists
and merchants.
I first came to know St. Francis in my
early days as a Recollect seminarian in Baguio City. Admittedly, his life and spirituality
left a deep impact in my perspective and way of life since then. His prayerful
and simple life and his love for animals attracted me so much that I almost
wanted to become a Franciscan at that time. My desire to know him more led me
to meet and established friendship with Franciscan Conventuals and Capuchins. These
new found friends introduced me more deeply to St. Francis through the books
they gave me for my spiritual readings. Life would never be the same for me
after knowing Francis of Assisi.
Inspired by St. Francis, I personally
took the pen name, Francesco, in
gratitude to what he has done in my life.
One of my favorite prayers until now
is Francis’ Prayer of Peace. I still
remember that every time I celebrate my birthday in the seminary, I used to
request our music director to play it as Communion song. The song serves as an
inspiration and a call — to be a messenger of peace to all peoples always and
everywhere.
The Peace Prayer of St. Francis is a
famous prayer which first appeared around the year 1915 A.D., and which
embodies the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi's simplicity and poverty. According
to Father Kajetan Esser, OFM, the author of the critical edition of St.
Francis's Writings, the Peace Prayer of St. Francis is most certainly not one
of the writings of St. Francis. This prayer, according to Father Schulz ...
first appeared during the First World War. It was found written on the observe
of a holy card of St. Francis, which was found in a Normal Almanac. The prayer
bore no name; but in the English speaking world, on account of this holy card,
it came to be called the
Peace Prayer of St. Francis.
Who is Saint Francis?
Let
me share to you this short bio of Francis written by Franciscan Father Leonard Foley published online at http://www.americancatholic.org/features/francis/who_was.asp
Francis
of Assisi was a poor little man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking
the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually
following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit and without a
mite of self-importance.
Serious
illness brought the young Francis to see the emptiness of his frolicking life
as leader of Assisi's youth. Prayer—lengthy and difficult—led him to a
self-emptying like that of Christ, climaxed by embracing a leper he met on the
road. It symbolized his complete obedience to what he had heard in prayer: "Francis! Everything you have loved and
desired in the flesh it is your duty to despise and hate, if you wish to know
my will. And when you have begun this, all that now seems sweet and lovely to
you will become intolerable and bitter, but all that you used to avoid will
turn itself to great sweetness and exceeding joy."
From
the cross in the neglected field-chapel of San Damiano, Christ told him, "Francis, go out and build up my house, for
it is nearly falling down." Francis became the totally poor and humble
workman. He must have suspected a deeper meaning to "build up my
house." But he would have been content to be for the rest of his life the
poor "nothing" man actually putting brick on brick in abandoned
chapels. He gave up every material thing he had, piling even his clothes before
his earthly father (who was demanding restitution for Francis'
"gifts" to the poor) so that he would be totally free to say,
"Our Father in heaven." He was, for a time, considered to be a
religious "nut," begging from door to door when he could not get
money for his work, bringing sadness or disgust to the hearts of his former
friends, ridicule from the unthinking.
But
genuineness will tell. A few people began to realize that this man was actually
trying to be Christian. He really believed what Jesus said: "Announce the kingdom! Possess no gold
or silver or copper in your purses, no traveling bag, no sandals, no
staff" (see Luke 9:1-3).
Francis'
first rule for his followers was a collection of texts from the Gospels. He had
no idea of founding an order, but once it began he protected it and accepted
all the legal structures needed to support it. His devotion and loyalty to the
Church were absolute and highly exemplary at a time when various movements of reform
tended to break the Church's unity.
He
was torn between a life devoted entirely to prayer and a life of active
preaching of the Good News. He decided in favor of the latter, but always
returned to solitude when he could. He wanted to be a missionary in Syria or in
Africa, but was prevented by shipwreck and illness in both cases. He did try to
convert the sultan of Egypt during the Fifth Crusade.
During
the last years of his relatively short life (he died at 44) he was half blind
and seriously ill. Two years before his death, he received the stigmata, the
real and painful wounds of Christ in his hands, feet and side.
On
his deathbed, he said over and over again the last addition to his Canticle of
the Sun, "Be praised, O Lord, for our Sister Death." He sang Psalm
141, and at the end asked his superior to have his clothes removed when the
last hour came and for permission to expire lying naked on the earth, in
imitation of his Lord.
For more
details about the Basilica of Saint Francis in Italy, click this: http://www.assisionline.com/assisi__162.html
If
there is one thing that Saint Francis would be teaching us today that would be
love, respect and care for all, humans beings and animals alike.
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