St Francis of Assisi

St Francis of Assisi

 

St Francis of Assisi (1181 – 1226) abandoned all things for the love of Christ. He lived a life of perfect poverty living by begging and even then only accepting the worst food that people had to give. He preached to all the love of God and the love of all the created world; because having renounced everything, he celebrated everything he received, or saw, or heard, as a gift.

He founded the Friars Minor and with St Clare, founded the Poor Clares.

For the last two years of his life he bore the stigmata. St Francis of Assisi is patron saint of ecologists.

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Prayer of St Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

where there is hatred, let me sow love,

where there is injury, pardon,

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console;

to be understood

as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning

that we are pardoned

and it is in dying that

we are born to eternal life.

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Some inspiring quotes by St Francis of Assisi

‘It is no use walking anywhere to preach,

unless our walking is our preaching.’

‘All the darkness in the world

cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.’

‘Start by doing what is necessary;

then do what is possible;

and suddenly you are doing the impossible.’

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