Page 13 - Faith Connections Issue 3

ISSUE 3 OCTOBER 2021

ST. FRANCIS

By Trisha Kurian, Grade 6

My favorite saint is St. Francis of Assisi. He was born in 1181 or
1182 and his father was a wealthy silk merchant, and he lived
a high-spirited life typical of a wealthy young man. Around

1202, he joined a military expedition and had to spend a year
as a prisoner, where he re-evaluated his life and turned to

Jesus. While in a chapel, he had a mystical vision of Jesus, in
which He said “Francis, Francis, go and repair My house which,

as you can see, is falling into ruins”. He started repairing
dilapidated chapels around Assisi. He renounced his wealth

and lived a life of poverty and service, especially to the lepers.
St. Francis established the Fransiscan orders, the Order of
Friars Minor, the Poor Clares and Third Order of Brothers and

Sisters of Penance. Absolute personal and corporate poverty
was an essential lifestyle for the members of his order. They

went about exhorting the people of the countryside to
penance, brotherly love, and peace.
St. Francis set out to imitate Christ. He had a deep affinity for the Eucharist and

respect for the priests. He preached, "Your God is of your flesh, He lives in your
nearest neighbor, in every man." He believed that nature itself was the mirror of God.
Francis preached the Christian doctrine that the world was created good and beautiful
by God but suffers a need for redemption because of human sin. He called all

creatures his "brothers" and "sisters" and even preached to the birds and supposedly
persuaded a wolf in Gubbio to stop attacking some locals if they agreed to feed the
wolf. His deep sense of brotherhood under God embraced others, and he declared that
"he considered himself no friend of Christ if he did not cherish those for whom Christ

died"
He was canonized on July 16, 1228, and his feast day is on October 4. He is one of the
patron saints of Italy. In 1979, St. Francis was declared the patron saint of ecology. It
is a popular practice on his feast day, October 4, for people to bring their pets and

other animals to church for a blessing. St. Francis is a great role model for all
Christians. We should adopt St. Francis's deep faith in Eucharist, brotherly love for
others under God, and kindness and service to all life on earth. All these traits will
help us imitate Christ.

PAGE 14 ROSARY & ALL SAINTS EDITION | ISSUE 3