St. Francis of Assisi Free Essays

St Francis of Assisi During the medieval ages many people depended on religion. Upon those people was Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, also known as St Francis of Assisi. Although St Francis lived a life full of wealth and content, he did not feel fulfilled by the way he lived his life. We will write a custom essay sample on St. Francis of Assisi or any similar topic only for you Order Now St. Francis was born around 1182 C. E. in the Italian city of Assisi. The son of Pietro di Bernardone and lady Pica he liked to speak French and fell in love with France and was given a good education, but was not a scholar. For instance, Francis spent most of his time partying and â€Å"enjoying† life. He savored a very rich and effortless life where no one governed him and he was free to do what he pleased. Everyone adored him and he became the leader of a group of people that were addicted to participating in immoral acts. Therefore, Francis did not feel complete with his life as a wealthy person; he wanted to be a noble. Francis felt that battle was the perfect place to obtain the glory he strived for. For example, in 1202 Francis got his chance for glory and declared war on Perugia. This shows that although he was eld captive for a year, chained in a harsh dark dungeon, he did not change his style of life. As a result he returned to his life full of wealth and pleasure. Soon after his release Francis became ill, and this caused him to consider the course of his life. Subsequently, in 1205 he set out to Join an expedition, but again felt ill. For example, Francis heard a voice telling him to return to Assisi, Italy. He later reflected on his life and had a change of heart. As a result, Francis’ change of heart was symbolized by his encounter with a leper, a person suffering from leprosy, utside of Assisi. Afterwards Francis devoted his life to prayer and contemplation of God and Jesus of Nazareth. He gave all of his possessions to the poor and managed to change the trajectory of his life with the help of god. For example, Jesus spoke to Francis in the church of St. Damian, and told him to rebuild the church. He took cloth from his father’s warehouse to help rebuild the church and his father became upset, therefore Francis gave up family ties and his riches to embrace a world of poverty. This shows that Francis now had nothing but at the same time he had everything. As a result he preached a message of prayer and poverty, his character and charisma attracted followers. The people who followed Francis combined prayer with service to the poor to create a monastic ideal. His followers were known as the Friars Minors. Francis created a set of rules that were designed to let his followers live a simple life. His goal was for him and his followers to live a life as close to that of Jesus and his Apostles lives’. In conclusion, St. Francis devoted his life to God and helping others in need. In 1219 Francis made an attempt to convert the Muslims in Damietta, Egypt. Sadly Sultan A1-Malik refused to convert to Christianity, and Francis returned to Italy. During his absence disaster had struck, thousands had Joined his order and it had fallen apart because it lacked a set of rules to keep order. This shows that they needed to establish a set ot rules and in 1 hey created a set ot rules that were approved by church leadership. Then in 1224 Francis received the stigmata, which were marks on the hands and feet resembling wounds from Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. This caused him great pain and his health continued to fail. Francis returned to Assisi where he died October 3, 1226. As a result he was later canonized as a saint July 16, 1228, because he helped others and followed the steps of God. In conclusion, St Francis of Assisi truly deserved being considered a saint. He came from a wealthy family and had all he could desire. But Francis did not feel absolute so he had a change in heart to live a basic life committed to god and helping others. Therefore his canonization was well Justified. How to cite St. Francis of Assisi, Papers St. Francis of Assisi Free Essays In the year 1181, a Giovanni Bernardone was born to an aristocratic family in Assisi, Umbria Italy. His father had been abroad, traveling for his businesses, while his child had been born and he came with the displeasing fact that his son was named after what the Italian thought of as the version for John the Baptist. Not wanting his son to be a Son of God, he began referring to his son as Francesco, otherwise known as Frances. We will write a custom essay sample on St. Francis of Assisi or any similar topic only for you Order Now Growing up, Frances grew up as a very privileged child, using his father’s money to his advantage. He and a group of boys would run around town stirring up trouble ‘til late, and Frances was known as the party animal . St. Frances of Assisi referred to that time as, â€Å"I lived in sin. † [â€Å"St. Francis of Assisi – Saints Angels. † Catholic Online] Francis, whose father urged him to join him in his business, wanted more than wealth: power. Eager to receive it, he quickly joined in the battle against Perugia, Assisi’s long time enemy. Many of the troops were killed, and those who weren’t were taken into captivity to be ransomed.Francis had been kept in captivity for almost a year in a small dungeon with several other men, but once his family had paid the ransom he returned to his old reckless ways. Seizing another opportunity to become a knight, Francis joined the Fourth Crusade boasting that he would return as a great prince. But less than two days into the journey, he received a vision from God that came to him in his dreams telling him that, â€Å"You have mistaken the meaning of your vision. Return to your own town. † [Chesterton, G. K. â€Å"Francis the Fighter. † St. Francis of Assisi,. New York: George H.Doran, 1924. 39. ] Unwilling, he returned back to Assisi, humiliated and ashamed that he had gone away in the first place. In Assisi, he had not returned to his old ways but began to mope around the pastures and streets, believing he had no purpose. One day he had been roaming around an abandoned field when off in the distance he saw a figure, which, as he drew closer, was a leper. And suddenly, a revelation came to St. Francis. This was what he was afraid, being poor and alone. Embracing the leper, he kissed him on both cheeks and gave him all of the money he had on him.Riding on toward the town, he has said that when he turned around the leper had disappeared, nowhere to be found. He always looked at it as a test from God, which he had rightly passed. St. Francis first got his start when he came across the Church of St. Damien which had been neglected to rubble. As he entered the collapsing Church, he heard a voice telling him to restore His house, and Francis realized that God was speaking to him. Like he had always done when he needed financial help, he ran to his father.His father, never being a man of God, put his son away under lock and key, declaring him a thief. Francis was put in front of the bishop, whom declared that Francis had to repay his father the money. Francis then did something which declared his love for God: He referred to God as his only father, and shed all of his clothes as to repay his Earthly father. Running out into the streets on a snowy winter day, he ran through the streets of Assisi in nothing but rags taking refuge in the run down Church of St. Damien. He became a beggar, the one thing he had always feared, begging for nothing but stones.With the stones had built the Church with his own bare hands. Completing the Church, he began to live the Gospel, which no one had ever done before. Living out in the Church, Francis began to value nature, not looking at it as a whole but individually and as a child of God. St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment for he focused most with God on nature and how each and everything, living or nonliving, was a creation of God, therefore a child of God. He’s also a patron saint of merchants, and his own country, Italy. St.Francis, though not a patron saint of, is frequently represented with poverty since he lived as a beggar and hermit, no solid roof over his head. St. Francis’ was canonized on July 16, 1228 by Pope Gregory IX where by that time he had been succumbed to blindness and became crippled with the way he had lived in his younger years. His Feast Day is on October 4th, and is celebrated universally. One of St. Francis’ major shrines is the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Assisi, Italy, which is the mother Church for all Franciscan Orders. Locally, we can find a St.Francis of Assisi Church in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. St. Francis has many prayers, both inspired by him and those that he has written himself. One of the prayers he had written when he was nearing his death was the Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon, where he prayed to God during a time of need. He was undergoing an eye surgery to restore his sight, where they had to burn most of his face off, and he used this prayer as a reassurance. One of his most famous prayers which had been inspired by his life was the Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.This prayer is considered somewhat of the beatitudes of the Franciscan community. St. Francis of Assisi is one of my favorite saints because of where he had come from. Most saints start off poor and burdened but Francis had everything and still chose to continue with God. He devoted his life to the poor and to nature, not regretting leaving his past life. He practiced what he preached, leaving a life filled with poverty and pain, suffering from the stigmata and blindness. St. Francis served his God throughout his life, though in the beginning unknowing. He was indeed, one of the greatest saints. How to cite St. Francis of Assisi, Papers