Text is from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.
Saint Francis Of Assisi.
Confessor.
Feast Day 4 October.
Greater-Double.
White Vestments.
"Saint Francis in Meditation".
Artist: Francisco de Zurbarán (1598–1664).
Date: 1635-1639.
Current location: National Gallery, London, England.
Source/Photographer: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/
(Wikimedia Commons)
Born at Assisi, in Umbria, Italy, Saint Francis was raised up by God to work at the same time as Saint Dominic for the moral regeneration of the World at a most troublous period.
[Francis, says Dante, was a true Seraph by the love which devoured his Soul; Dominic, by his enlightened knowledge, ranks with The Cherubim. The former lived 1182-1225, the latter 1170-1221. It is related that Saint Louis, King of France, used to say that, if he could divide himself, he would give half of himself to Saint Dominic and half to Saint Francis].
He had been Christened "John", but was called "Francis", by his father, to celebrate his return from a successful business journey in France.
"The more the sublime enthusiast," says Montalembert, "hid himself and depreciated himself to make himself worthy by humility and men's contempt to be the vessel of Divine Love, the more, by a wonderful effort of of Grace, men rushed to follow him."
Saint Francis of Assisi.
Illustration: PINTEREST
Francis soon had disciples (Communion) who reduced themselves to the same poverty as himself and shared his ardour for the conversion of the people. "My Brothers," he would say, "let us Preach Penance, by example, rather than by word."
He gave them a Rule, which was approved by Pope Innocent III in 1210. In the following year, he obtained from The Benedictines the little Church of Our Lady of The Angels, called "Portiuncula", which was the cradle of his Order [The property of The Benedictines of Mount Subasio was thus called because it was made up of small portions of land. After having restored The Church of Our Lady of The Angels, Saint Francis obtained from the Pope the grant of a Plenary Indulgence for all The Faithful who visited it on 2 August, the Anniversary of its Consecration. For the last few years, all Parish Churches enjoy the same privilege (Note: This Text was written in 1945)].
The new Religious Family, with which he enriched The Church (Collect), multiplied so rapidly that, at The General Chapter held at Assisi about ten years after its birth, there were five thousand Brothers.
Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Aleppo, Syria.
Photo: 8 January 2011.
Source: Own work.
Author: Preacher lad.
(Wikimedia Commons)
[In 1264, The Franciscans possessed already 8,000 Houses. The Friars-Minor have given to The Church twenty-nine Saints, sixty Blesseds, five Popes, and many Cardinals, Bishops, and Learned Men, such as Saint Bonaventure, Alexander of Hales, Roger Bacon, Duns Scotus. The Capuchins six Saints and eleven Blesseds. The Conventuals one Saint and one Blessed. In 1936, The Friars-Minor numbered about 24,500 Members, The Capuchins 13,500, and The Conventuals 3,000, not to mention the 83,000 Regular Tertiaries and the 1,904,000 Secular Tertiaries.]
Wishing to consider themselves the least among Religious, Saint Francis gave them the name of Friars-Minor, and he himself remained a Deacon all his life. After this first Order, he Founded another Order, "The Order of Poor Clares", thus called after Saint Clare, the illustrious Virgin of Assisi (Feast Day 12 August).
Lastly, in 1221, he Founded a third Order, called "The Order of Penance", on which the Popes, and especially Pope Leo XIII, who considered it an honour to belong to it, lavished the greatest encouragement and the richest favours.
Saint Francis sent his disciples to France, Germany, Spain, Africa; he himself wanted to go to Palestine and Morocco, but Divine Providence stopped him on the way. The Divine Love which burned in him caused him to be surnamed "Seraphic".
On 4 October 1226, he gave up his Soul to God while finishing the last Verse of Psalm 141: "Bring my Soul out of prison, O Lord, that I may praise Thy Name."
Mass: Mihi autem.
