feast day: October 4
patron of:
- animals, merchants and ecology
about:
- born in 1181
- died 4 October 1226 at age 45
- Italian: San Francesco d'Assisi
- born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, but nicknamed Francesco ("the Frenchman") by his father
- founder of the Order of Friars Minor also known as the Franciscan Order
- was the first recorded stigmatic in Christian history
- abandoned a life of luxury for a life devoted to Christianity after reportedly hearing the voice of God, who commanded him to rebuild the Christian Church and live in poverty
- He is considered as the first Italian poet by literary critics. He believed commoners should be able to pray to God in their own language, and he wrote often in the dialect of Umbria instead of Latin. His writings are considered to have great literary and religious value.
- He did try to convert the sultan of Egypt during the Fifth Crusade
- 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
- The anonymous 20th-century prayer "Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace" is widely but erroneously attributed to St. Francis.
main writings:
- Canticum Fratris Solis or Laudes Creaturarum; Canticle of the Sun.
- Prayer before the Crucifix, 1205 (extant in the original Umbrian dialect as well as in a contemporary Latin translation);
- Regula non bullata, the Earlier Rule, 1221;
- Regula bullata, the Later Rule, 1223;
- Testament, 1226;
- Admonitions.
THE PEACE PRAYER / THE PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS
source: http://www.shrinesf.org/franciscan-prayer.html
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, the truth;
Where there is doubt, the faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
-----------------------------------------
PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_of_Saint_Francis
The first-known publication of the prayer was submitted anonymously to the French publication La Clochette in 1912.
- Seigneur, faites de moi un instrument de votre paix.
- Là où il y a de la haine, que je mette l'amour.
- Là où il y a l'offense, que je mette le pardon.
- Là où il y a la discorde, que je mette l'union.
- Là où il y a l'erreur, que je mette la vérité.
- Là où il y a le doute, que je mette la foi.
- Là où il y a le désespoir, que je mette l'espérance.
- Là où il y a les ténèbres, que je mette votre lumière.
- Là où il y a la tristesse, que je mette la joie.
- Ô Maître, que je ne cherche pas tant à être consolé qu'à consoler,
- à être compris qu'à comprendre,
- à être aimé qu'à aimer,
- car c'est en donnant qu'on reçoit,
- c'est en s'oubliant qu'on trouve, c'est en pardonnant qu'on est pardonné,
- c'est en mourant qu'on ressuscite à l'éternelle vie.
- Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
- Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
- Where there is injury, pardon;
- Where there is discord, harmony;
- Where there is error, truth;
- Where there is doubt, faith;
- Where there is despair, hope;
- Where there is darkness, light;
- And where there is sadness, joy.
- O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek
- To be consoled as to console;
- To be understood as to understand;
- To be loved as to love.
- For it is in giving that we receive;
- It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
- And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
links/ sources:
- PRAYERS of SAINT FRANCIS (source: National Shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi, San Francisco, CA)
http://www.shrinesf.org/franciscan-prayer.html
- "PRAYER OF SAINT FRANCIS" (source: Wikipedia):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_of_Saint_Francis
- "Canticle of the Sun" (also known as the "Canticle of the Creatures" or "Laudes Creaturarum" ("Praise of the Creatures") (source: Wikipedia):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canticle_of_the_Sun
- "SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI, FOUNDER OF THE FRIARS MINOR, CONFESSOR—1181-1226" (source: EWTN):
https://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/FRANCIS.HTM
- "Francis of Assisi" (source: Wikipedia):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi
- "Who was St. Francis?" (source: American Catholic):
http://www.americancatholic.org/features/francis/who_was.asp
- "St. Francis of Assisi" (source: Catholic Online):
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=50
- "St. Francis of Assisi: Patron Saint of Animals" (source: About Religion):
http://angels.about.com/od/MiraclesReligiousTexts/p/Francis-Of-Assisi-Miracle-Man-And-Patron-Saint-Of-Animals.htm
- "St. Francis of Assisi" (source: Catholic Encyclopedia):
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm
- "St. Francis of Assisi" (source: Bio):
http://www.biography.com/people/st-francis-of-assisi-21152679
- "Stigmata" (source: Wikipedia):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stigmata
