The Life of St. Francis

The Life of St. Francis of Assisi

St. Clare continued……..
The Poor Ladies went barefoot, slept on the ground, ate no meat, and observed almost
complete silence. Later Clare, like Francis, persuaded her sisters to moderate this rigor:
“Our bodies are not made of brass.” The greatest emphasis, of course, was on gospel
poverty. They possessed no property, even in common, subsisting on daily contributions.

When even the pope tried to persuade Clare to mitigate this practice, she showed her
characteristic firmness: “I need to be absolved from my sins, but I do not wish to be absolved
from the obligation of following Jesus Christ.” Contemporary accounts glow with admiration of
Saint Clare of Assisi’s life in the convent of San Damiano in Assisi.

She served the sick and washed the feet of the begging nuns. She came from prayer, it was
said, with her face so shining it dazzled those about her. She suffered serious illness for
the last 27 years of her life. Her influence was such that popes, cardinals, and bishops often
came to consult her—Clare herself never left the walls of San Damiano.

Francis always remained her great friend and inspiration. Saint Clare of Assisi was always
obedient to his will and to the great ideal of gospel life which he was making real.

Franciscan Media

St. Bonaventure’s Life of St. Francis of Assisi includes fantastic accounts of Francis’
travels in the Middle East. Francis purportedly traveled to Morocco, Egypt,
and finally to Jerusalem.

The dates of Francis’ journey to the Holy Land are somewhat in dispute, but he left
Franciscan friars behind him to care for the Christians of Palestine. These friars became
the Custodia Terrae Sanctae, and, for over 700 years, have served as guardians both
of the holy places of Galilee and Jerusalem, and have also cared for the local
Christian congregation.
Faith ND

How did St. Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malik al-Kamil become friends?
They met only once in late 1219, for about two weeks. Francis and Brother Illuminato
went to preach the Gospel to the sultan, who immediately recognized Francis as a
very spiritual man. The sultan was a very devout Sunni Muslim. He gave Francis an
ivory horn that is displayed in Assisi’s Basilica of St. Francis. Francis died in 1226;
the sultan died 12 years later.

St. Francis took the Gospels literally:
“Love your enemies, and pray for those who
persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
It perfectly shows Francis’ willingness to build bridges. The Crusades were still in full
swing at this time. Francis’ willingness to meet with and talk to the sultan showed a level
of tolerance that few of his day could match, although Sultan Malik al-Kamil was himself
known for his tolerance of other faiths.

They were well matched for this meeting. The sultan honored him as much as he was able,
and having given him many gifts, he tried to bend Francis’ mind toward the riches of the world.
But when he saw that Francis most vigorously despised all these things as so much dung, he
was filled with the greatest admiration, and he looked upon him as a man different from all
others. He was deeply moved by his words and he listened to him very willingly.

This meeting between Francis and the sultan has received a great deal of attention in our own
century. The need for peace and understanding is as great in our time as it was during the
Crusades, and sometimes as little valued.

Francis still sets an example for us. And Jesus’ command still holds true.

From his earliest days, according to the biographer Thomas of Celano, Francis “burned
with devotion toward the mother of all good.”
When Francis abandoned the world, he placed himself under the loving care and protection of
his heavenly Mother. He asked her to be his guide and advocate in his new life of poverty
after the pattern of her Son.
Thomas of Celano tells us: He embraced the Mother of Jesus with inexpressible love, since
she made the Lord of Majesty a brother to us.
He honored her with his own Praises, poured out prayers to her, and offered her his love in a way
that no human tongue can express. But what gives us greatest joy is that he appointed her the
Advocate of the Order and placed under her wings the sons he left behind, that she might
protect and cherish them to the end.
St. Bonaventure adds “and, through her, we have obtained mercy”. In these simple words of the
early biographers, we see the deepest foundation for the reverence Francis showed
toward Mary. For him, the Incarnation was the basis of his whole spiritual life, and he would go
out of his way to follow in every way the example of the word made flesh. Therefore, it
would seem only natural that he “owed” a special love to this unique woman, who
brought God within our reach and “made the Lord of Majesty a brother to us.”
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