St Francis of Assisi
Born 1182
Died 1226
Feastday October 4th
Son of Pietro Bernadone, a rich cloth
merchant. Though he had a good education and became part of his father's business,
he also had a somewhat misspent youth. Street brawler and some-time soldier.
Captured during a conflict between Assisi and Perugia, he spent over a year as
a prisoner of war. During this time he had a conversion experience, including a
reported message from Christ calling him to leave this worldly life. Upon
release, Francis began taking his religion seriously. He took the Gospels as
the rule of his life, Jesus Christ as his literal example. He dressed in rough
clothes, begged for his sustenance, and preached purity and peace. His family
disapproved, and his father disinherited him; Francis formally renounced his
wealth and inheritance. He visited hospitals, served the sick, preached in the
streets, and took all men and women as siblings. He began to attract followers
in 1209, and with papal blessing, founded the Franciscans based on a simple
statment by Jesus: "Leave all and follow me." In 1212 Clare of Assisi
became his spiritual student, which led to the founding of the Poor Clares. Visited
and preached to the Saracens. Composed songs and hymns to God and nature. Lived
with animals, worked with his hands, cared for lepers, cleaned churches, and
sent food to thieves. In 1221 he resigned direction of the Franciscans. While
in meditation on Mount Alvernia in the Apennines in September 1224, Francis
received the stigmata, which periodically bled during the remaining two years
of his life. This miracle has a separate memorial on 17 September. In the
Middle Ages people who believed to be possessed by Beelzebub especially called
upon the intercession of Saint Francis, the theory being that he was the
demon's opposite number in heaven. 1
1.
Taken from the Patron Saints Index at
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintf01.htm
“The time is fast approaching in which there
will be great trials and afflictions; perplexities and dissensions, both
spiritual and temporal, will abound; the charity of many will grow cold, and
the malice of the wicked will increase.The devils will have unusual power, the
immaculate purity of our Order, and of others, will be so much obscured that
there will be very few Christians who will obey the true Sovereign Pontiff and
the Roman Church with loyal hearts and perfect charity. At the time of this
tribulation a man, not canonically elected, will be raised to the Pontificate,
who, by his cunning, will endeavour to draw many into error and death. Then
scandals will be multiplied, our Order will be divided, and many others will be
entirely destroyed, because they will consent to error instead of opposing it.
There will be such diversity of opinions and schisms among the people, the
religious and the clergy, that, except those days were shortened, according to
the words of the Gospel, even the elect would be led into error, were they not
specially guided, amid such great confusion, by the immense mercy of God. Then
our Rule and manner of life will be violently opposed by some, and terrible
trials will come upon us. Those who are found faithful will receive the crown
of life; but woe to those who, trusting solely in their Order, shall fall into
tepidity, for they will not be able to support the temptations permitted for
the proving of the elect. Those who preserve their fervour and adhere to virtue
with love and zeal for the truth, will suffer injuries and, persecutions as
rebels and schismatics; for their persecutors, urged on by the evil spirits,
will say they are rendering a great service to God by destroying such pestilent
men from the face of the earth. but the Lord will be the refuge of the
afflicted, and will save all who trust in Him. And in order to be like their
Head, [Christ] these, the elect, will act with confidence, and by their death
will purchase for themselves eternal life; choosing to obey God rather than
man, they will fear nothing, and they will prefer to perish rather than consent
to falsehood and perfidy. Some preachers will keep silence about the truth, and
others will trample it under foot and deny it. Sanctity of life will be held in
derision even by those who outwardly profess it, for in those days Jesus Christ
will send them not a true Pastor, but a destroyer.” 2
“For the working of the holy Spirit will choose
uneducated young men, and sophisticated ordinary persons who are looked down
upon. Without precedent, without teacher, in fact contrary to the training and
personal character of those who teach, the Spirit of Christ will choose them
and will fill them with a holy reverence and a very pure love of Christ. And
when the Spirit has increased the number of such persons in various places,
then it will send forth a wholly pure and saintly shepherd and leader,
conforming to Christ” 3
References
2. Works of the Seraphic Father St. Francis
Of Assisi, Washbourne, 1882, p. 248
3.
The Little Flowers of St Francis of Assisi, p. 169