Tag: St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi: A “Nice” Man or a Soldier of Christ?

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What is the man-in-the-street’s perception of  St. Francis of Assisi? Is it one  that is only shaped by the art that portrays him as soft and sweet, as just the saint of ecology and cuddly animals? Is he a man to be taken seriously only because of his love for nature? A “nice” non-threatening man willing to compromise and make everyone laugh and feel good?

Was St. Francis non-threatening? He never physically or psychologically threatened anyone. Yet, he did confront people with his profound belief and commitment to the Gospel message. He was as non-threatening as Jesus casting out demons, moneylenders, or the tricks and insults of the Pharisees. He was as non-threatening as our Savior confronting a rabid judgmental crowd and extending His hand to the woman caught in adultery.

Francis was a man who embodied the justice and mercy of Christ. His mission was to joyously proclaim the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and explain how it directly applies to our lives.

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    St. Francis was not a rebel, revolutionary, or environmental reformer. He did not rail against the sinful imperfections and established order of the 13th century Church.

    However, he certainly did challenge the established  religious and social conventions of his day. He asked his fellow Italians: “Does your life reflect the life of Christ, and, if not why not?” He was not a social reformer but a reformer of the soul and spirit. He waged war, not against his neighbor and the Church, but against the sinful imperfections he perceived within his own mind, body and soul.

    He did love nature, but only in reference to God. His love was not simply for the value and beauty of nature itself. He did not divinize nature. To do so is an attribute of paganism; it is heresy. He believed that the natural world, and all that is contained pointed to and is an indication of the Holy Trinity’s truth, goodness and beauty.

    St Francis knew that the natural world is a reflection of the Lord’s creative diversity. It is a mirroring of His intimate action and the expression of His love. Do not trees, flowers, birds and wolves, and the entire cornucopia of plants an animals do this by their very existence? They follow God’s intimate plan by existing, living, and in their own unique way, proclaiming the glory of God. 

    How did he know this? As a sacred warrior he knew it because he was a man of the Scriptures and Sacraments. The Gospels and the Eucharist were his sword and armor; they were his rations, the “kit,” he needed to do battle on behalf of God.

    He did not do battle with sin and the materialistic world in order to compromise the Catholic faith and have a “let’s all be religious buddies” attitude that promoted a watered down faith and a feel good theological commonality of “your god is my god.”

    He did not disrespect others; yet, when he met with the Sultan during his mission to the Holy Land he did not venerate the Koran or say that other faiths and religious traditions had the truth about God. He did exactly the opposite; he confronted the imams with the challenge of the Gospel. Yes, he confronted them with the Truth, and they refused to accept it.

    He was a committed and militant Roman Catholic. He did not condescend or lord it over others in the spirit of triumphalism. His tactics involved conquering his sins, his natural desires, and the “normal” perceptions of the world. His overall strategy was  to model and convince others to give full belief, glory, and worship, not to the world, but to our Lord Jesus Christ. This could be accomplished by attending Holy Mass, receiving the Holy Eucharist with a clean soul, and applying Sacred Scripture to their  lives

    St. Francis, of course, did love his fellow man, but he was at war with his own sinfulness. He was a saint that exuded joy, yet, in the privacy of his own cell he shed tears over what he perceived as his own sins and failings. He commanded his brothers not to be sad and dejected in front of others, rather, to go to their own cells and there beg God for forgiveness and humility.

    So why add the words “sacred warrior” to the many labels of a man and saint that cannot be labelled? When all is said and done, St. Francis of Assisi, as a warrior, vanquished himself. He overwhelmed his worldly desire for the honors of military service. He overcame his passions and distractions. He was victorious over the common day desires for wealth, position, power, and yes, even the great gift of the love of a wife and children. In its place he strapped on the humble sacred warriors garments of love for the Eucharist and the Holy Scriptures. Poverty, chastity, and obedience to God were his cincture.

    The painting below shows the wounds in Francis’ hands and side. For his extraordinary witness to the love of God Jesus blessed him with the stigmata: an award, an honor, a medal far above anything that the world could provide.                                                                               

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    Cimabue, original name Bencivieni di Pepo, modern Italian Benvenuto di Giuseppe, (born before 1251—died 1302), painter and mosaicist, the last great Italian artist in the Byzantine style, which had dominated early medieval painting in Italy.

    Let us echo the words of St. Francis in his short prayer: Praise and thanks to Our Lord, Jesus Christ, “My God and my All.”

    A profitable source for study are the authentic quotations compiled by Fr. James Meyer O.F.M. in his The Words of St. Francis – An Anthology (Franciscan Herald Press: Chicago, 1952). Meyer’s Anthology is backed up with sixteen different scholarly sources specializing in determining the actual words of St. Francis. It provides excellent insights through Francis’ words on poverty, chastity, obedience, prayer, and the rule that his brothers and sisters in Christ are to follow.

    I have written about the virtues of St. Francis before, on October 4, 2012: https://fraangelicoinstitute.com/2012/10/04/the-virtues-of-st-francis-of-assisi-a-model-for-sacred-artists   . I mention this not to sound a tinny trumpet and jangly bells but to request, if possible, the reader become familiar with it since it sets the stage for this post.  

    All photos were taken at Assisi, Italy. The Basilica is pictured behind the statue of St. Francis.

    Copyright © 2011- 2021, Deacon Paul O. Iacono – All Rights Reserved. Permission to reprint must be obtained from the author in writing. Students, and those interested, may quote small sections of the article as long as the proper credit and notation is given. Thank you.

    St. Francis of Assisi, Faith, and Grace

    The following is my homily for the 27th Week in Ordinary time delivered at St. Francis of Assisi Church Wakefield, Rhode Island USA, October 6, 2013. The memorial of St. Francis of Assisi was celebrated on October 4th. 

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    This weekend, as the Church remembers the life of St. Francis of Assisi, let’s pause for a moment and examine the virtues that energized Francis’ life.

    We can begin by saying that he was a simple man. He pursued simplicity. This does not mean that he was of limited intelligence, or that he pursued simplicity for simplicity sake, rather, it means that he was successful at eliminating everything from his life that did not enhance his love of Jesus and service to his fellow man.

    In other words, he was continually aware of the four eternal goals of life: keeping our soul in the state of grace, awareness of judgment by God, eternal life, and companionship with God Himself.

    He realized that “to be simple is to see things with the eyes of God. St. Francis pursued simplicity because he innately knew that God Himself is simple.”

    Other characteristics of Francis’ life are the virtues of faith and love. St. Francis understood that by praying for faith, by acting faithfully and lovingly, his spiritual life would be stressed – like an athlete preparing for a match – enabling him grow stronger in faith and love of God. He knew that if he committed himself to it God’s grace would assist him in this spiritual exercise.

    In St. Francis’ life story we see his extraordinary reaction to his father’s demand for repayment for the fabrics he took, and sold, to benefit the poor.

    How did he react when accused by his father?

    In innocence and detachment he publicly disrobed –  a humble nude standing majestically in the Assisi town square.

    Michelangelo should have attempted to sculpt that scene in marble. For what was the scene?

    It was the image of the young Francis, not confronting the Goliath of military invasion, rather, the Goliath of a garden serpent (in the form of acceptance by society and his father’s love) who tempted him to return to the sweet life, “la dolce vita”.

    But it was also the image of the grace of a Divine call to live a virtuous and detached life, filled with love for God and His creation.

    The simple grace of Francis’ vision would be the stone that would bring down the giant of his own ego and worldliness.

    Now let’s apply this to our Gospel (Luke 17: 5-10).

    In today’s parable Jesus demonstrates the power of faith for overcoming temptation and obstacles.

    But what did Jesus mean when He said that our faith could move trees and mountains? (see  also Matt.17: 20; Mark 11:23)

    In the Middle East  – even to this day – the term “mountain mover” is used for someone who could provide the solutions to great difficulties.

    So when Jesus tells us that if our faith was just the size of a mustard seed we could “uproot trees and mountains,” His emphasis is on His grace working in conjunction with our faith.

    The gift of His grace is sufficient to assist us in dealing with our problems. Jesus doesn’t say that all our problems will instantly go away, rather, He says that we will be able to endure them, and yes, like Christ Himself, even overcome them.

    So, we know St. Francis of Assisi today because he responded, in a heroic way, to the specific grace that he was given as a disciple of Christ.

    Faith and grace was infused into his soul, and ours, at the moment of Baptism. If we choose to participate in Christ’s Sacraments, and do so on a regular basis, grace will build upon grace, and like Francis, our perception will become clearer, we will understand our personal Christian duty, and know how to respond to it.

    With today’s Gospel, and St Francis in mind, we can say that God wants us to respond to His grace and scale the mountains of our own difficulties – to climb upon the crosses of our everyday life – because it is through this effort that we receive, in His love, the ability to be His partners in eternity.

    At the end of his life, if St. Francis had been asked the question of what did he accomplish, he would have probably answered that he accomplished – nothing.

    Rather, he may have said that it was as a loving disciple of Christ that he responded to the gift of God’s grace – and that it was God’s grace working through him that enabled him to perform good deeds and loving actions.

    Let us pray that, in the spirit of St. Francis, we respond to God’s grace with the same faith, love, and generosity of spirit.

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    Copyright © 2011- 2013 Deacon Paul O. Iacono All Rights Reserved. Notes on the art: The first image of St. Francis is a 13th century contemporary image of him. It is found in the Benedictine Monastery in Subiaco, Italy. Thanks to Digitalnun at www.ibenedictines.org. The second and third paintings are by Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516). Bellini painted this around 1480. The third painting is a close-up of a section of this painting by Bellini which shows a curious and loving rabbit peeking out of his den just as St. Francis receives the stigmata. The last photo is of a cloak that was worn by St. Francis. You may observe it and other personal items of St. Francis, such as his prayer book, slipper, and a cincture in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy. Quotations on simplicity based on a 1936 sermon by Fr. Ronald Knox. The reference to “mountain mover” and its usage in the Middle East was provided by D. Schwager. My thanks to him.

    The Virtues of St. Francis of Assisi – A Model For Sacred Artists

    In our celebration of the memorial of St. Francis of Assisi we must pause for a moment and examine the virtues that motivated and energized his life.

    We can begin by saying that he was a simple man. He pursued simplicity. This does not mean that he was of limited intelligence, or that he pursued simplicity for simplicity sake, rather, it means that he was successful at eliminating everything from his life that did not enhance his understanding and love of Jesus.

    In other words, he kept to what was essential in life: “God, the state of our soul, judgment and eternal life.” He realized that “to be simple is to see things with the eyes of God. St. Francis pursued simplicity because he innately knew that God Himself is simple” (from a sermon by Fr. Ronald Knox, 1936).

    Other characteristics of Francis’ life are the virtues of faith and love. St. Francis understood that by praying  for faith, by acting faithfully and lovingly, his spiritual muscles would be stressed, making him  grow stronger in faith and love of God. He knew that God’s grace would assist him in this spiritual exercise if he committed himself to it.

    Thus we see his extraordinary reaction to his father’s demand for repayment for the fabrics he took, and sold, to benefit the poor. How did he react when accused? He publicly disrobed; a humble nude standing majestically in the town square. Michelangelo should have attempted to sculpt that scene in marble. For what was the scene?

    It was the image of the young Francis, not confronting the Goliath of military invasion, rather, the Goliath of a garden serpent who tempted him to return to the sweet life, la dolce vita. It was the image of the grace of a God given vision to live a virtuous life. Its simple grace would be the stone that would bring down the giant of his own ego and worldliness.

    The magnificent Florentine painter, Giotto (1226-1337), born the same year St. Francis died, painted these virtues of St. Francis at work when he portrayed Pope Innocent III’s dream of Francis holding up the pillars of the Church.

    It was St. Francis, and his fellow friars that would live in their daily lives the virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience. These virtues, within the Franciscan perspective, would sweep the imagination of Europe and even gain respect in the Mid East.

    How does this apply to an artist? Sacred artists must strive for balance in their spiritual and artistic life. Giotto is a wonderful example for us because he combines the principles of action and contemplation. Like Francis, Giotto was balanced. He achieved simplicity in his portrayal of spiritual truths, and was able to witness  continual dedication to combining action (art) with contemplation (prayer during the creative process).

    Giotto was a master of painting sacred images that made St. Francis’ life come alive. For example, he captures the spirit of Francis in the Holy Land and brings a favorite story about him to life. In the year 1219 during the Fifth Crusade, Francis traveled to the Holy Land, where he was captured and beaten by the Muslims.

    St. Bonaventure tells us in his history of the Franciscan Order that St. Francis was brought before the sultan Al Kamil, and he preached to him about love and the meaning of Jesus’ life. When Francis finished his sermon he then challenged the Sultan’s imams to a religious test to determine which was the true religion – Islam or Catholicism. The painting below, entitled Trial by Fire by Giotto, illustrates the drama of that moment.

    “Francis said to the Sultan: “Please have a bonfire lit, and have your imam, along with me, enter the fire – so let it be that his God is the true God whoever emerges from the flames unhurt.”

    The Sultan’s eyes lit up – now this is a man of faith!

    His imams, however, felt that they had better things to do.

    But from that moment on Al Kamil was so impressed with Francis that he gave the Franciscans safe passage to travel and stay unhindered, anywhere, in Muslim occupied territories; and as a direct result of this act, eight hundred years later, if you go to Jerusalem you will see that the Franciscans are still the Catholic Religious Order responsible for the maintenance of the holy shrines.

    Theologian Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio teaches us that “St. Thomas Aquinas explains that a virtue, like a physical muscle, is a habit – a power or capacity – that gets stronger when its exercised – and atrophies – when it is not.” St. Francis shows us that faith and love, prayer and service are the main muscles in our spiritual body; and for artists they are the virtues that keep our lives balanced. Are we not all artists?

    The life of St. Francis of Assisi was, itself, a work of art. For it was one in which the person, Francis, cooperated with the grace of God and allowed himself to be sculpted by the Divine Artist Himself; may we all be as courageous to do the same.

    *Readers are welcome to read my post of March 4, 2021 entitled St. Francis of Assisi: A Nice Man or a Soldier of Christ  –  https://fraangelicoinstitute.com/2021/03/04/st-francis-of-assisi-a-nice-man-or-a-soldier-of-christ/

    Copyright © 2011- 2021, Deacon Paul O. Iacono – All Rights Reserved. Permission to reprint must be obtained from the author through making comment on this post in its comment section. Students, and those interested, may quote small sections of the article as long as the proper credit and notation is given. Thank you.