Born in 1181 in the town of Assisi, Francis Bernadone led a carefree life of relative comfort and luxury until his conversion as a young man. In this time, he felt a strong calling to serve the poor and reject all worldly possessions.
Francis’ example of selfless love inspired others to follow him and together they preached the love of God to all and sought ‘to follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps.’
A new religious order, the Friars Minor, was officially approved by the Pope in 1210, more commonly known today as the Franciscan Friars. The Franciscan order, which he founded, today numbers tens of thousands of members around the world.
One of the most well-known saints within the Catholic Church, Saint Francis is now venerated as the patron saint of Italy, the poor, animals and ecology.
Saint Francis rejected a life of comfort and security to follow Jesus, choosing a life of poverty, chastity and obedience.
He preferred to live and work among the poor and serve those who society had rejected, seeing in them the figure of Jesus Christ.
One day, when he was praying before the crucifix in a church in Assisi, the image of Christ on the cross spoke to him saying, “Francis, go and repair my church which is falling into ruin.”
Though at first Francis interpreted this message literally to mean he should repair the church in which he was praying, he was to later understand the broader intention that he should restore God’s Church on earth.
Around this time, Francis was riding his horse through a valley when he came upon a leper. Instead of avoiding him as he normally would, Francis felt inspired to embrace him and give the leper alms. As he turned around to look again, the leper had disappeared. Francis understood that he had encountered Jesus Christ, and chose to see Him in all the poor and rejected.
Francis also travelled widely, fearlessly preaching the Gospel at the risk of losing his own life. During one of the crusades in Egypt, Francis crossed into enemy territory and asked to speak to the sultan.
When he was granted an audience, he preached the Gospel to the sultan and urged him to become Christian, displaying courage in sharing God’s message. Although the sultan did not convert, he gave Francis safe passage to the Holy Land where he continued to preach.
Towards the end of his life tells of when Francis was praying on a mountain in Italy when he saw an angelic creature crucified on a cross. Afterwards, he was left with marks on his hands, feet and side. Francis therefore became the first saint to receive the ‘stigmata’, the wounds of Christ on the cross.
Saint Francis’ message to ‘follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps’ is as relevant today as they were when he preached these words more than eight centuries ago.
The friars imitate his example by living simply and in community with the poor and marginalised of today’s world, showing Christ’s mercy through acts of service, evangelisation and prayer.
We participate in Christ’s renewal of all things through our prayer, fraternal life, service of the poor, and evangelisation, as a complement to the work of those whose mission is to serve parochially.
