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| St. Francis of Assisi Faceted Tiger Eye & Bronze Rosary |
Where there is injury let me sow pardon. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love. St. Francis of Assisi has given the world these divine guideposts. All of us recognize them. We lift our voices to them at Mass, we instruct our children with them, we strive to live up to them. Today is this beloved saint’s feast day, October 4th.
St. Francis founded the Franciscan Order and was a stigmatic. He is the patron saint of animals, the environment, and one of two patrons of Italy (with Catherine of Siena). He is symbolized by the bird, representing his love of nature and the human soul. It is a lovely and fitting tradition for Catholic churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his feast day. I suppose that among non-Catholics, and without question among Catholics, St. Francis is one of the most recognized saints in history because of the iconic images of him communing with the birds and other animals. For those of us who derive so much pleasure from the natural world, he seems unique among the beloved faithful.In 1219 Francis and a few companions left on a pilgrimage to Egypt. It is directly due to St. Francis’ influence, that after the fall of the Crusader Kingdom, it would be the Franciscans, of all Catholics, who would be allowed to stay in the Holy Land and be recognized as "Custodians of the Holy Land" on behalf of Christianity. In parting, consider this gem from St. Francis: Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words. Blessings to all. Debbie Athas, 15 Promises Rosaries
4 comments:
Debbie,
Thank you so much for writing about St. Francis. I didn't know that he went to Egypt and I didn't know that because of that, the Fransiscans became the custodians of the Holy Land
Great post! It is interesting that one of the least known stories about St. Francis was his peacemaking with the Muslims in The Holy Land.
Pope John Paul ii held a peace conference with world leaders in Assisi called the Assisi Peace Conference. Obviously, Pope John Paul ii was well aware of St. Francis's successful peace efforts. =)
Another tidbit that no many know about St. Francis is that he was the one who began The Way of the Cross, otherwise known as The Stations of the Cross, for the pilgrims that could no longer venture to the Holy Land.
"Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." That is one of my favorite quotes, and one that speaks volumes!
Thank you, Christine! Those are great informative additions to the post! There is much to be learned about St. Francis, I have learned! I appreciate your kind words. God bless! Debbie
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