Francis's Beliefs

St. Francis had many accomplishments in his life. According to the legend he could speak with God and Christ. They told him to abandon his life of luxury and live a life of poverty to repair a Christian church, which then made him became a believer of the faith, his reputation and fame spreading all over the world of Christianity. St. Francis also was known for preaching for animals, he got a lot of criticism from this and earned the name “God’s Fool” but he went on to listen to God and Christ. His most famous and important accomplishment was becoming a Saint on July, 1228.

Francis of Assisi lived about eight hundred years ago. He was born in the city of

Saint Francis of Assisi was born in Assisi, Italy in 1181. His mother named him Giovanni after John the Baptist, but his father did not want his child to be a ‘Man of God’

Francis spent his early years as the spoiled son of a merchant from the nouveau rich class. He was accustomed to violence and even went to war in a battle between Assisi and Perugia. This all changed later, as he become truly selfless. One of his friends noticed this sudden change in Francis and asked him, “Francis are you going to take a wife?” In response he said, “I will marry a nobler and fairer bride than you ever saw, who shall surpass all others in beauty and excel them in wisdom.” The lady he was referring to was Lady Poverty. He would go on to sell off all his possessions including his own horse and attempted to give the money to the decaying St. Damian Church which the priest would not accept. It is worth noting that the priest did not take the money because he found the change of heart within Francis startling. “The priest was amazed, and wondering at a change of circumstances incredibly sudden, refused to believe what he heard; and, thinking he was being hoaxed, he would not keep the offered money.” The skeptical reaction of the priest shows how radical and revolutionary Saint Francis’ generosity was, but also how rare a man like Francis was at a this point in

Francis of Assisi was able to create an order for his followers, he was also able to come up with a set of Franciscan values. These values are important to the way that he believed led the best life. Five of the most important Franciscan values to me are service, peace and reconciliation, creation, transformation, and inclusion. Service is not only giving, but it is also about receiving. When volunteering your service you are helping other, and you are learning more about yourself at the same time. St Francis of Assisi lived in poverty so he could love and care for everyone. St. Francis was always helping out people out of the kindness of his heart; he never expected any service or money in return. Peace and reconciliation is also another important value that Francis believed in. Peace and reconciliation means that if I hurt someone I should ask for forgiveness, but if someone hurts me I should be able to forgive them. St Francis of Assisi lived by these words knowing that he wanted to live in peace with all and to be reconciled to all. Next, Francis believed in and loved all things created. Francis believed that creation is a reflection of God’s goodness and beauty, which led him to believe all humans are members of the same family. Understanding creation allows for us to understand each other and all of creation better. The value of transformation is the way of growing, creating or destroying. Transformation allows us to encounter new thoughts, people, a

Padre Pio has become one of the most popular saints in the world. St. Pio of Pietrelcina or Padre Pio, was born in the small Italian village of Pietrelcina on May 25, 1887. Then known as Franscesco, in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, he was born to two peasant farmers, Giuseppa and Grazio Forgione. The day after his birth, he was baptized at the Castle Church near his home. The town of Pietrelcina was very religious and saint's feast days were celebrated throughout the year, this had a strong influence on the Forgione family. From early on it was clear that Franscesco was a special child of God. As child he was very pious and decided he wanted to be a priest at a very early age. At age 16, he became a Capuchin novice and received the

“Failure doesn’t mean you will never achieve, it just means it takes a little longer.”

Saint Francis of Assisi had a great childhood, but as he got older his father began to beat him. He lived the life of luxury, and was the the son of a very rich cloth merchant. He was born in Circa, Italy in 1181. He abandoned the life of luxury, for a life devoted to Christianity, and God. He was very devoted into living in poverty, and he rebuilt the Christian church. He is the patron Saint of ecology and animals. He wanted to go to the Christian church reportedly after hearing God’s voice. He insisted that this was his calling and his adulthood confirmed it.

St. Francis of Assisi was born in Umbria in the year 1182. He was a child every father hoped for, he was filled with life, a determined and courageous individual. He was gifted with rather good looks, qualities that attracted friends and a gift of leadership. His father was an extremely wealthy merchant in Assisi. But this son, his favourite, was the one who broke Peter Bernardone’s heart. The boy turned on his father, and in a vicious event that eventually resulted into a public scene. St. Francis of Assisi stepped away from his father, his business and left his father in a state of immense emotional suffering.

Francis of Assisi once stated “for it is in giving that we receive.” Service has played an instrumental role in my life since a very young age. I have logged over 500 hours of volunteer work while serving in the military. However, for this assignment, seven hours have never meant so much to me. I have a certification as a Direct Service Advocate through the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV); therefore, seeking meaningful service with Crisis Intervention Services was simple. Every article we have read throughout this class proves that service is important, but helping someone who has reached the most fearful part of their life is a life changing experience for everyone involved.

Giovanni Bernardone, more widely known as Francis of Assisi, was a Catholic friar that founded the Franciscan Order in the early thirteenth century. The Franciscan Order, under the spiritual guidance and teachings of Francis and his disciples, became one of the largest sects of the Catholic church today. Francis’ teachings brought about a reform in the Catholic church that changed ideas on grace and salvation of the Christian

As Francis Xavier once said, “I will go anywhere and do anything in order to communicate the love of Jesus to those who do not know Him or have forgotten Him.” Francis Xavier would go out of his way to inform people about the good news of the Lord. He spread the good news all around the world along the side of Ignatius Loyola. Consequently, Francis Xavier was declared a saint on March 12, 1622, by Gregory XV. Although Francis Xavier had always planned on leading an academic life, he later became one of the founders of the Jesuit order and spent much of his life spreading the word of the Lord and converting people all around the world to the Catholic Church.

“Moreover, he did not even keep his drawers, but stripped himself stark naked before all the bystanders.” This does not sound like the description of a typical Saint, but Francis of Assisi was certainly not a typical Saint. His devotion to Jesus Christ was unmatched as he dedicated his life to authentically following the ways of his Savior. Initially, Francis’ undertaking of replicating the life of Jesus over a millennium removed from his time on Earth was not taken well by Italian society and many considered him to be a madman. His methods and ways were appalling to many at the time. Ironically, his devotedness to Christianity was most threatening to the institution of the Church itself. His staunch stance against materialistic objects and

and worthy, but an austere man, taking up where he laid not down, reaping where

In “The Life & Times of St. Francis,” St. Francis was born in Assisi and was raised in a church going family. In his younger years, he enlisted into the military until he eventually came back to the church. He dedicated his life to Christ and the church in 1207 and ultimately became a friar, a deacon, and a preacher in his adult years. St. Francis believed in the gospel and worshipping God. In 1210, he was the founder of the Franciscan movement which was made up of orders about the teachings and spiritual disciplines of the founder, associates, and followers. Moving forward to 1212, St. Francis dedicated his life to preaching and