When Francis was just about 20 years old, he joined the war between Assisi and Perugia. He got weaker and weaker. When he returned to Assisi, he was too ill. His mother took care of him, so he realised the love and care from his mother and everyone who has helped him.
After Francis returned healthy, he started to help lepers instead of running away, but his father and his friend were upset about that. Francis didn't care about what others said and found his destination, the Christianity. Francis always stopped a little church of St. Damian. One night, he had a dream. In the dream, God said to him: "Go to repair my house, which is in ruins." Next day, Francis took his father's fabric, sold them, and gave the money to church.
He also started travelling then. While he was travelling, he attracted many followers. In 1209, Francis had a lot of followers and found a group called Franciscans. This group helped other people and brought Christianity to towns as they travelled instead of prayed in church all day long.
During the last years of his relatively short life (he died at 44) he was half blind and seriously ill. Two years before his death, he received the stigmata, the real and painful wounds of Christ in his hands, feet and side.
On his deathbed, he said over and over again the last addition to his Canticle of the Sun, "Be praised, O Lord, for our Sister Death." And at the end asked his superior to have his clothes removed when the last hour came and for permission to expire lying naked on the earth, in imitation of his Lord.
St. Francis, Rabbits and Fish
One day a brother brought a rabbit that had been caught in a trap to St. Francis. Francis advised the rabbit to be more alert in the future, then released the rabbit from the trap and set it on the ground to go its way. But the rabbit hopped back up onto Francis’ lap, desiring to be close to the saint.
Francis took the rabbit a few steps into the woods and set it down. But it followed Francis back to his seat and hopped on his lap again! Finally Francis asked one of his fellow friars to take the rabbit far into the woods and let it go. That worked. This type of thing happened repeatedly to Francis—which he saw as an opportunity to praise the glory of God. If the simplest creatures could be so endowed with God’s wonder, how much the more so we humans!
Fish were also known to obey Francis. Whenever a fish was caught and Francis was nearby, he would return the fish to the water, warning it not to be caught again. On several occasions the fish would linger awhile near the boat, listening to Francis preach, until he gave them permission to leave. Then they would swim off. In every work of art, as St. Francis called all creation, he would praise the artist, our loving Creator.
A Prayer to St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow charity;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, the truth;
Where there is doubt, the faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light; and
Where there is sadness, joy.
O, Dirine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying to ourselves that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
My views
It is clear from an early age that St. Francis was a kind person. When he says sorry to the beggar it shows he is growing out of the rebellious young schoolboy he was. This is shown when he says sorry to the Beggar. From then on he seems to lead a good life, teaching and learning about kindness. There was even a prayer written as tribute to him.
He is supposed to be the first person to get the stigmata. This is obviously unknown. It is also unknown whether he could really communicate with animals. In any case he was a very holy and religious man.
