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Dec 12, 2023 · One of the most famous miracles attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi is an ability to preach to birds and other wild animals. On one occasion, he approached a large flock of birds that did not fly away when he came near, but rather waited patiently for him. Saint Francis of Assisi preached a sermon to the birds, which all began to sing when he ...
Mar 10, 2022 · The Lord worked powerfully in the life of St. Francis of Assisi. The mandates He gave the little Saint, one at the beginning of his life, and the other towards the end of his life, came to him through Miracles of the Cross. Francis knew the power of the Cross. He spent his entire life with his eyes on the Cross, carrying his Cross, embracing his Cross, adoring his Cross. The Miracle which Our
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- Overview
- Francis’s vision and the stigmata of the Crucified
At Christmastime in 1223, Francis participated in an important ceremony when he celebrated the birth of Jesus by recreating the manger of Bethlehem at a church in Greccio, Italy. This celebration demonstrated his devotion to the human Jesus, a devotion that would be rewarded in most dramatic fashion in the following year. In the summer of 1224, Francis went to the mountain retreat of La Verna (Alvernia), not far from Assisi, to celebrate the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15) and to prepare for St. Michael’s Day (September 29) by fasting for 40 days. He prayed that he might know how best to please God; opening the Gospels for the answer, he came upon references to the Passion of Christ three times. As he prayed during the morning of the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (September 14), he beheld a figure coming toward him from the heavens. St. Bonaventure, minister-general of the Franciscans from 1257 to 1274 and a leading thinker of the 13th century, wrote:
As it stood above him, he saw that it was a man and yet a Seraph with six wings; his arms were extended and his feet conjoined, and his body was fixed to a cross. Two wings were raised above his head, two were extended as in flight, and two covered the whole body. The face was beautiful beyond all earthly beauty, and it smiled gently upon Francis. Conflicting emotions filled his heart, for though the vision brought great joy, the sight of the suffering and crucified figure stirred him to deepest sorrow. Pondering what this vision might mean, he finally understood that by God’s providence he would be made like to the crucified Christ not by a bodily martyrdom but by conformity in mind and heart. Then as the vision disappeared, it left not only a greater ardour of love in the inner man but no less marvelously marked him outwardly with the stigmata of the Crucified.
For the remainder of his life, Francis took the greatest care to hide the stigmata (marks resembling the wounds on the crucified body of Jesus Christ). After the death of Francis, Brother Elias announced the stigmata to the order by a circular letter. Later, Brother Leo, the confessor and intimate companion of the saint who also left a written testimony of the event, said that in death Francis seemed like one just taken down from the cross.
Francis lived two years longer, in constant pain and almost totally blind (he had contracted an eye disease while proselytizing in the East in 1219). Medical treatment at Rieti was unsuccessful, and after a stay at Siena, he was brought back to Assisi, where he died at the Porziuncola. He was buried temporarily in the church of San Giorgio at Assisi. On July 15, 1228, concluding a process of unprecedented speed, Francis was canonized by his former protector, Pope Gregory IX. On the following day, the pope laid the foundation stone for the basilica that Brother Elias would build in Francis’s memory, and in 1230 the saint’s body was transferred to the lower church of the basilica.
At Christmastime in 1223, Francis participated in an important ceremony when he celebrated the birth of Jesus by recreating the manger of Bethlehem at a church in Greccio, Italy. This celebration demonstrated his devotion to the human Jesus, a devotion that would be rewarded in most dramatic fashion in the following year. In the summer of 1224, Francis went to the mountain retreat of La Verna (Alvernia), not far from Assisi, to celebrate the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15) and to prepare for St. Michael’s Day (September 29) by fasting for 40 days. He prayed that he might know how best to please God; opening the Gospels for the answer, he came upon references to the Passion of Christ three times. As he prayed during the morning of the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (September 14), he beheld a figure coming toward him from the heavens. St. Bonaventure, minister-general of the Franciscans from 1257 to 1274 and a leading thinker of the 13th century, wrote:
As it stood above him, he saw that it was a man and yet a Seraph with six wings; his arms were extended and his feet conjoined, and his body was fixed to a cross. Two wings were raised above his head, two were extended as in flight, and two covered the whole body. The face was beautiful beyond all earthly beauty, and it smiled gently upon Francis. Conflicting emotions filled his heart, for though the vision brought great joy, the sight of the suffering and crucified figure stirred him to deepest sorrow. Pondering what this vision might mean, he finally understood that by God’s providence he would be made like to the crucified Christ not by a bodily martyrdom but by conformity in mind and heart. Then as the vision disappeared, it left not only a greater ardour of love in the inner man but no less marvelously marked him outwardly with the stigmata of the Crucified.
For the remainder of his life, Francis took the greatest care to hide the stigmata (marks resembling the wounds on the crucified body of Jesus Christ). After the death of Francis, Brother Elias announced the stigmata to the order by a circular letter. Later, Brother Leo, the confessor and intimate companion of the saint who also left a written testimony of the event, said that in death Francis seemed like one just taken down from the cross.
Francis lived two years longer, in constant pain and almost totally blind (he had contracted an eye disease while proselytizing in the East in 1219). Medical treatment at Rieti was unsuccessful, and after a stay at Siena, he was brought back to Assisi, where he died at the Porziuncola. He was buried temporarily in the church of San Giorgio at Assisi. On July 15, 1228, concluding a process of unprecedented speed, Francis was canonized by his former protector, Pope Gregory IX. On the following day, the pope laid the foundation stone for the basilica that Brother Elias would build in Francis’s memory, and in 1230 the saint’s body was transferred to the lower church of the basilica.
Francis died in Assisi on October 4, 1226, and was canonized two years later in 1228 by Gregory IX. His tomb is today in the Basilica of Saint Francis. Saint Francis is celebrated on the day of his birth in Heaven, on October 4. He is the patron saint of Italy, animals, ecology, and Cubs. Miracles of Saint Francis
Early Life A Turning Point Towards Greater Purpose Embracing a Life of Sacrifice and Spiritual Service The Birth of a New Mission "Fioretti" Stories About St. Francis The Chapter of 1212 The Friendship of St. Francis and St. Clara The Meeting of St. Francis and St. Dominic in 1215 Tales of Kindness and Compassion The Chapter of 1219 Mission to the East and Return The Birth of the Third Order ...
- Assisi, Italy
St. Francis of Assisi (born 1181/82, Assisi, duchy of Spoleto [Italy]—died October 3, 1226, Assisi; canonized July 16, 1228; feast day October 4) was the founder of the Franciscan orders of the Friars Minor (Ordo Fratrum Minorum), the women’s Order of St. Clare (the Poor Clares ), and the lay Third Order. He was also a leader of the ...
Jul 19, 2019 · Biography of St. Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Animals. St. Francis of Assisi (c. 1181–Oct. 3, 1226) is the Roman Catholic Church's patron saint of animals, merchants, and ecology. He abandoned a life of luxury after reportedly hearing the voice of God, who commanded him to rebuild the Christian church and to live in poverty.
