Feast of St. Francis of Assisi
Quick Notes from Liturgical Living
October 4th, 2024 was Saint Francis of Assisi’s feast day! Here is a little bit about the life of this great saint and how we remembered him as a family.
Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most well-known Catholic saints. Whatever your position is in relation to the Catholic Church, you have undoubtedly seen his likeness in the form of a portrait or garden statue. You may have even seen him presented as an example of a life of spiritual peace and connection with nature. The appeal of Saint Francis is particularly relevant in modern times because of his radical humility and his rejection of materialism. Saint Francis of Assisi is the saint that I thought I knew the most about because of his popularity in mainstream culture. However, the more I have learned about him, I’ve realized that his story is even more complex and interesting than I ever knew.
Saint Francis grew up in a wealthy merchant family in Assisi, Italy, in the late 12th century. Francis lived a comfortable life and was well respected in his hometown. As a young man, Francis fought in a war against neighboring Perugia. During his military career, he experienced imprisonment and serious illness. After a vision from God and a mysterious encounter with a leper, Francis’s life changed dramatically. He left his pursuit of military prestige to set out on a higher battle, as a knight for the Lord. Francis’s new way of living was inspired by the humanity of Christ. Modeling self-denial, he took a vow of poverty and renounced his inheritance from his father. A lesser-known fact about Saint Francis is that he was a great evangelist and preacher, calling people to conversion and the love of God. Francis spent time in solitude and among animals as he traveled from place to place, sharing the gospel. He was even known to preach to and befriend animals. St. Francis was the first Saint to receive the incredible blessing of the stigmata, physical wounds resembling those of Christ’s, on his body.
The life of Saint Francis reminded me of this very perceptive quote from every Catholic’s favorite Anglican:
“There are no real personalities apart from God. Until you have given up yourself to Him you will not have a real self. Sameness is to be found most among the most 'natural' men, not among those who surrender to Christ. How monotonously alike all the great tyrants and conquerors have been; how gloriously different are the saints.” - C.S. LewisSaint Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals and ecology. To celebrate his feast day, we took a little trip across our neighborhood to our favorite nature center. On the way, we listened to and sang, “I’m in the Lord’s Army”, in honor of Saint Francis’s calling. Once there, we went on a short hike through the preserve to the intracoastal waterway. Thankfully, this park has paved trails, so the baby could ride in the stroller, and I could save my back a bit. The goal of our hike was to see how many animals we could spot and reflect on the beauty of God’s creation. David even brought along his camera to capture some of the wildlife we encountered!
David, much like Saint Francis, befriends animals, referring to them as, “Friend Bird”, “Friend Bug”, or “Friend Goat”. I have nicked named him “Little Francis”, because of this special quality.
Here are some photos that David took on his mini digital camera:
Before our nature adventure, I showed the boys Francis: The Knight of Assisi from CCC of America’s Saints and Heros collection. This movie is only 30 minutes long and was actually very educational and entertaining for me as well!
Quotes from Saint Francis:
“Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that have received - only what you have given.”“I have been all things unholy. If God can work through me, He can work through anyone.” "Do few things but do them well, simple joys are holy."Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us!
He took awesome pics!! ❤️🫶🏼