This much-loved saint was the son of a wealthy merchant and born in the 13th century. After a carefree life with other well-to-do young mean, he underwent a dramatic conversion experience - in prayer, he heard Christ calling from a crucifix in the church of San Damiano, saying 'Rebuld my church". And he took the message literally, building a new church there with his own hands. Disowned by his father, who felt he had humiliated the family, he gathered companions and went to Rome where they sought permission from the Pope to establish a new religious community which became one of the great Orders of the Church, the Franciscans. In popular culture, St. Francis has become the 'patron saints of animals' because of his approach to nature - loving the simple, everyday things provided by God and being grateful for them. His feast-day, along with that of St. Leonard, is thus associated with the blessing of animals. READ FULL BIO
THE SAN DAMIANO CROSS
The San Damiano Cross is the large Romaneque rood cross that St. Francis was praying before in 1205 when he is said to have received the commission from the Lord to rebuild the Church. It now hangs in the Basilica of Saint Clare (Basilica di Santa Chiara) in Assisi, Italy, with a replica in its original position in the church of San Damiano nearby.
San Domiano at St. Joan of Arc
You will undoubtebly notice the beautiful crucifix that is proudly displayed for veneration in our church narthex (click image on left to see close-up). It is a replica of the San Damino Cross. The artist is unknown, but he / she depicted the scene of the crucifixion in the Byzantine style that is associated with Eastern iconography. In addition to Jesus crucified, there are portrayed various saints, angeles and historical figures not he panels of the cross. On the left side are the fixtures of the Virgin Mary and St. John the Apostle to whom Jesus entrusted his mother. On the right side of the cross are the figures of Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of James and the centurion who, in the gospel of Matthew, implores Jesus to heal his servant. Peering over his shoulder is the centurion's son whom Jesus healed.
The smaller figure on the left is the Longinus, the traditional name of the soldier who pierced Christ's side with his lance. The smaller figure on the right is Stephaton who, while not mentioned by name in the scriptures, is said to be the soldier who offered Jesus the sponge soaked in sour wine.
At both ends of the cross bar are angels who look on in awe at the event of the crucifixion. Their hand gestures indicate that they are discussing the wondrous event of Jesus' death that forever changed the course of history.
CLICK HERE and also HERE to see close up images of the cross and more description on the symbolism and meaning of each figure. Read more about the small and beautiful church of San Damiano below.
SAINT FRANCIS AND THE WOLFE OF GUBBIO
Picture left: Monterosso and the statue of St. Francis with the wolf of Gubbio. The most famous lookout point. From here you can see all five towns in Cinque Terre.
By Michael Cummings:
The story of the saint and the wolf is that the wolf terrorized the inhabitants of the small Italian town. Not only did the wolf kill and devour livestock but it began to attack and devour humans. All attempts to kill the wolf failed and the people of the town would literally shut the town down in fear whenever the wolf would appear. St. Francis heard of this and decided to go and meet the wolf. The huge wolf rushed toward Francis as soon as he saw the saint approaching his lair. St. Francis made the sign of the cross and commanded the wolf in the name of God to stop his terrorizing of the town. Immediately, the wolf became docile before the saint. Francis went on to condemn the wolf for his attacks not just on animals but upon men and women who are made in the image of God. Francis told the wolf that if he ended his attacks he would see to it that the inhabitants of Gubbio would provide him with the food he needed. The story goes that the wolf placed his paw in Francis’ hand in agreement. Francis then walked the docile wolf back into the main square of Gubbio to the astonishment of the inhabitants and there reiterated the promise. Again the wolf placed his paw in the saint’s hand in agreement. The saint had tamed the wolf.
Recently, I have been reading Romano Guardini’s book The Lord. I came across the following passage and it has cast a new light on the story of St. Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio. CLICK HERE to read the rest of the post about 'taming the wolf within'.
MEDIEVAL URBAN LEGEND: "Preach the Gospel, and use words if necessary"
I believe that few saints are as misunderstood as St. Francis. We love to talk about his love for animals and we are intrigued by his radical selflessness and poverty. But is the St. Francis we love to put next to our birdbath an adequate portrayal of the man who rebuilt the Church in the thirteenth century? Or have we created a more comfortable and more politically correct Francis so that he’s easier to love?
One example is the famous quote of St. Francis, “Preach the Gospel, and if necessary, use words.”
The problem is… he never said that. Even though it’s one of the most ubiquitous quotes attributed to him, there is no evidence of the quote in any of his biographies until the twentieth century.
While the sentiment is good—they must know we are Christians by our lives—it is often used to give us a pass for not sharing the Gospel message with words. Yes, our neighbors, friends, and family should know that we are Christians because we live differently. Our faith is not something restricted to what we do on Sunday morning, and the Creed we profess every week must impact our behaviors, choices, and actions throughout the week. Once we allow our faith to impact our daily lives, the world will take notice. Blessed Paul VI reminded us that it is “primarily by her conduct and by her life that the Church will evangelize the world” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 41).
But that doesn’t give us a pass when it comes to actually speaking about the Gospel message. The best example is Jesus. Jesus certainly felt the need to use words... many words.
St. Peter instructed his disciples, “Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” (1 Pt 3:15). Yes, it presupposes that we are living lives that make people call us to account for the hope. But it requires that we speak words of defense and explanation for that hope. We have to be willing to preach the Gospel with words.
For too many years, we’ve acted like evangelization isn’t something Catholics do. Door-to-door inquiries are left to the Jehovah Witnesses and the Mormons. Asking people if they’re saved is left to our Protestant brothers and sisters. We just go to Mass on Sunday and take care of ourselves. Right?
MUSIC: THE PRAYER OF SAINT FRANCIS
Francis also stayed at the small and beautiful church of San Damiano here during his long illness; here, in 1225, he composed his Canticle of the Sun. South of the city, already existed in 1030; it had been an ancient property of Benedictine fathers (take a virtual tour). It is a place immersed in nature and would be still unknown if it hadn’t been the site of Saint Francis’ conversion in 1205. It hosted a crucifix (today in the Basilica of Saint Clare) with Christ appearing not to be suffering, but opens his arms in a hope gesture. It spoke to Francis telling him, metaphorically, to restore his Church going broke: an order which the young man interpreted quite literally.
Canticle of the Sun is also known as the Canticle of the Creatures or Laudes Creaturarum (Praise of the Creatures) was written in an Umbrian dialect of Italian but has since been translated into many languages. It is believed to be among the first works of literature, if not the first, written in the Italian language. The Canticle of the Sun in its praise of God thanks Him for such creations as "Brother Fire" and "Sister Water". It is an affirmation of Francis' personal theology as he often referred to animals as brothers and sisters to Mankind, rejected material accumulation and sensual comforts in favor of "Lady Poverty". See lyrics here.
Here is the song - Canticle of the Sun
The Canticle of the Sun is often confused with The Prayer of Saint Francis (make me a channel of your peace). But while Saint Francis did indeed write the Canticle of the Sun, he did not write Make Me a Channel of Your Peace - which was composed around 1912. Around 1920, a French Franciscan priest printed the prayer on the back of an image of St. Francis, without attribution. The prayer has been known in the US since 1927, when its first known English translation appeared in the Quaker magazine Friends' Intelligencer under the mistaken title "A prayer of St. Francis of Assissi". Senator Albert W. Hawkes and the saint's namesake Cardinal Francis Spellman distributed millions of copies of the prayer during and just after WWII.
Below are 3 renditions of the Prayer of Saint Francis - the first is from Tajci (who lead a night of praise at St. Joan of Arc). The second is from Susan Boyle (American Idol). And finally, the third was filmed in the hometown of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy. It was an honor for Angela Hastings to be able to film at such a holy place where St. Francis walked and preached the Gospel to the poor people of this land. Listen to Angela Hastings rendition while watching various scenes from Assisi, Italy.
MORE RESOURCES ABOUT ST. FRANCIS' STORY
Bishop Barron's trailer about St. Francis from his new program The Pivotal Players
Additional videos, including a 3 minute summary and a very informative documentary