Monroe Doctrine Essay, Research Paper

Faith And Franciscanism

Fr. Patrick Donahoe, T.O.R.

Summer, 2001

Important Events In The Life Of Saint Francis

At Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania there is a beautiful Chapel on

campus. It is called the Immaculate Conception Chapel. The chapel is unfastened to all those wishing

to see, or possibly worship and pray. Anyone sing the chapel has the fantastic oppurtunity

to see the beautiful stained-glass Windowss throughout the chapel, and in peculiar the six big

Windowss picturing some of the most of import events in the life of St. Francis. Having the

oppurtunity to see the chapel I would wish to compose about four of the six stained-glass Windowss

of Francis? s life.

First, a brief background into Francis? s life. Francis of Assisi was born in 1182 in

Umbria, Italy. Francis? s male parent was Pietro Bernardone, who was a affluent Assisian fabric

merchandiser. Francos? female parent was from a baronial household of Provence. At baptism, Francis received

either the name John, or Giovanni, but subsequently his male parent changed it to Francesco, after his love for

France where he did a batch of going for his work.

At age 20, Francis went with the townsmen to contend the work forces from Perugia, whom

they were often at conflict with. The Assisians were defeated this peculiar clip, and Francis

was among those captured for more than a twelvemonth. In that clip he became sick and he began

thought of infinity.

After his release he set about making good workss, mending churches, and prophesying

brotherly love and peace to all those who would listen, Even the animate beings and birds stopped to

listen to Francis preach. At a topographic point called Gubbio there were some wolves doing mayhem and

Francis tamed them down. Francis personal appeal, his loveable, liveley nature had people listening to

him and desiring to follow him, which brings me to the 1st window that I would wish to discourse.

The First Teritaries.

Francis had such great bravery to talk God? s word, that he left his household and set out

for Rome. Francis along with some of his comrades foremost received tonsure, so they were

appointed deacons of the church. The group of work forces were called the Friars Minor. ? About 1211

they obtained a lasting bridgehead near Assisi, through the generousness of the Benedictines of

Monte Subasio, who gave them the small chapel of St. Mary of the Angels or the Porziuncola. ?

( Robinson 4 ) . From this colony came the Franciscan Order. , whom of which Francis was

the laminitis.

In 1212, Francis met Clare, a immature inheritress of Assisi. Clare besides had the same values

in God, people, and the universe, and left her household and followed Francis. Francis clothed Clare

in a Minorite wont, with her caput covered. Francis cut Clare? s hair to demo her willingness to

waive her secular ownerships and therefore received her to a life of poorness, repentance and privacy.

There were other pious maidens who joined Clare and they became known as the the first

monastery of the Second Franciscan Order of Poor Ladies, or Poor Clares. The Poor Clares

settled at St. Damian? s which besides was given to them by the Benedictines.

In May of 1217 the first general chaper of the Friar Minor was held at Porziuncola.

The order was divided into states and Franciscan missions. Francis continued prophesying

and people continued to follow him, so Francis devised the Third Order, and is now called of

the Brothers and Sisters of Penance which was intended for ballad people. This order was

subdivided with the Secular Franciscan Order, The Regular T.O.R. ? s. The Second Rule of the

First Order of St. Francis is based on the three vows of obeisance, poorness, and celibacy.

The 2nd window to be discussed will be Christmas Mass at Greccio. ? It was during

Christmastime of this twelvemonth ( 1223 ) that the saint conceived the thought of observing the Nativity? in

a new mode? , by reproducing in a church at Greccio the praesepio of Bethlehem, and he has

therefore come to be regarded as holding inaugurated the population devotedness of the Crib. ? ( 7 ) .

Francis said, ? I should wish to observe the coming banquet of the Savior with you and to

mark His birth

in Bethlehem in such a manner as to stand for every bit absolutely as possible the

agony and hurt that He endured in His babyhood to salvage us. ? ( Englebert 271 ) .

Therefore Francis started the imposts of Christmas Scenes as depicted in the stained-glass

Windowss with Baby Jesus being held by his cot in the trough, surrounded by a shephard with

his staff. with an ox and buttocks looking on. While others looked at the drama, Francis proclaimed the

Gospel transition about the birth of Jesus. He started the usage of the drama for the intent of

sermon,

The 3rd window depicts Francis having the Stigmata. The window is demoing Jesus

on the Cross with Francis standing below and to the side of the Cross with his weaponries

outstretched to Jesus having the Stigmata, the five lesions of Jesus in his custodies, pess, and

side. Stigamtum is the remarkable version of the word, intending lesion. The Stigmata represents

the deeper unity between Francis and the agony of Jesus Christ, Jesus presence on the

Cross, and the agnony Francis was in, was keenly connected to the agony of Christ.

Thiis article explains that in 1224 Francis left Portiuncola for La Verna. ? We know merely

that he chose to take with him a few mendicants harmonizing to his bosom: Leo, Angelo, Illuminato,

Rufino, and Masseo, the faithful comrades of so many other journeys. ? ( Cooper 303 ) . Now

geting at Mount La Verna, the group could non assist but stare at the beauty of the topographic point and

countryside. Hundreds of birds and fluttered and sang around him, so covered him. Francis

said to his comrades: ? beloved brothers, I believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is pleased to hold us

settee here, since our brothers and sisters the birds are giving such a joyous welcome. ? ( 305 ) .

One twenty-four hours while Francis was praying at that place, all of a sudden from the highs of Heaven a seraphim with

six wings of fire flew fleetly down. It was Christ who was in this signifier to attest Himself to

the Saint. ? Two of his wings covered his face, with two others he flew, and the last two covered

his organic structure. He fixed his regard upon Francis, so left him, after forming the marvelous Stigmata

of the Crucifixion on his flesh. ? ( 310 ) .

Francis, and his comrades so left the mountain, but non before Francis command farewell

and gave the mountain a approval.

The last window shows Francis in Glory. The window depicts Jesus with a beautiful,

glowing Crown on his caput, as Jesus is the King of the Jews. He besides had on a long robe and

was possibly sitting on a chair or a rainbow. Francis was looking up at Jesus with his weaponries

outstetched as if giving himself to Jesus.Both are connected in glorification in this window by the

Stigmata. Besides, in this window are three angels watching Francis give his life offering to God.

Most of Francis? s life he was frail, thin and sallow. But in 1225 he became soberly sick

and he stayed about two months in the garden of St. Clare at San Damiano. There he

composed the Canticle of the Sun, it was besides called the Canticle of our Brother the Sun. The

Canticle expressed the congratulations of the Lord giving us the Sun, Moon, H2O, air current, Earth, fire, the

stars and all of God? s animals. There are many poetries to the Canticle but one of the last poetries

is? Praise be my Lord for our female parent the Earth, the which doth sustain us and maintain us and

bringeth forth frogmans fruits and flowers of many colorss and grass. ? ( Hutton 291 ) .

In 1226 Francis knew he was deceasing, alomost blind and couldn? T wal, he was taken to

Portiuncula. Francis wanted Brother Angel and Brother Leo to come and sing the Canticle of

Brother Sun. On October the 3rd Francis? s some of Francis last word? s were a approval.

? Behold, my boy, I am called by God: I forgive my brothers, both present and absent, all their

discourtesies and mistakes, and, in every bit far as I am able, I absolve them. I want you to denote this to

them and to bless them all on my behalf. ? ( Masseron 123 ) .

In decision, Saint Francis was laminitis of the Franciscan Order. Francis? s appeal and

soft ways had many people, animate beings, and animals following him.. ? His individual was in no manner

imposing, yet there was about the saint a daintiness, grace, and differentiation which mad him most

attractive. ( Robinson 13 ) .