Saint Francis of Assisi--Patron Saint of Animals

"Not to hurt the creatures brethren is our first duty to them,

but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission -

to be of service to them wherever they require it."

Saint Francis

Saint Francis is an inspiration to the love in my heart for the animals. This love for the creatures and its foundaton for the respect of all life, is an inspiration for us all.

Saint Francis--The First Advocate for Animals

Saint Francis was a man before his time--about 600 years to be exact. In a time when animals were last in line to be treated with any respect, Frances understood the need that respect begins with the lowliest of all. To understand the genuine holiness of Francis and his great love and respect for all creatures, consider the world in which Francis lived. Italy in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries was a place of constant war, political scheming, and, often, outright cruelty. And in that world people treated animals with even worse cruelty than they treated their neighbors. In fact, the unnecessary infliction of pain and suffering on animals was a social norm right up until the latter half of the nineteenth century, when the legal system began to adopt anti-cruelty laws.

Francis anticipated these laws by over six hundred years. He wasn't a mere sentimentalist about bunnies and birds and pets-he simply lived from his heart the respect for all creatures-animal and human-that Christ's Incarnation brought into the world. Through humble divine love, Francis discovered the same compassion that human laws, centuries in the future, would require of us all. And so Francis was a perfect example, in a reverse sort of way, of the fact that "love is the fulfillment of the law."

Francis' compassion for all creatures, however, was not an "anything goes" liberality. Nor was it a political attempt to advocate "diversity"-and sin. It was a compassion deeply grounded in the reverent awareness that divine Will calls us, one and all, without discrimination, to repent our sins. Just as Christ sat with sinners in order to preach to them, Francis cast his joyful love upon all that everyone might repent a life of sin and choose to live in holiness, as Francis himself had chosen. "Woe to those who die in mortal sin!" he wrote in his majestic canticle.

May we all aspire to the holiness of life with which Saint Francis served his Creator.

Source: Lessons from the Life of Saint Francis of Assisi, Part 9/The National Shrine of Saint Francis

Saint Francis and the Birds

Francis Blesses the Birds

One of Francis's most famous sermons is one he gave to a flock of birds. One day while Francis and some friars were traveling along the road, Francis looked up and saw the trees full of birds. Francis "left his companions in the road and ran eagerly toward the birds" and "humbly begged them to listen to the word of God." One of the friars recorded the sermon, which overflows with Francis's love for creation and its Creator: "My brothers, birds, you should praise your Creator very much and always love him; he gave you feathers to clothe you, wings so that you can fly, and whatever else was necessary for you. God made you noble among his creatures, and he gave you a home in the purity of the air; though you neither sow nor reap, he nevertheless protects and governs you without any solicitude on your part."

Thomas of Celano records that the birds stretched their necks and extended their wings as Francis walked among them touching and blessing them. This event was a turning point of sorts for Francis. "He began to blame himself for negligence in not having preached to the birds before" and "from that day on, he solicitously admonished the birds, all animals and reptiles, and even creatures that have no feeling, to praise and love their Creator."

*Source:Catholic Conservation Center Website

Did You Know?

He founded the religious Order of the Franciscans; with St. Clare, he founded the Order of the Poor Clares; and the Third Order for lay people.
Francis spent nearly a year as a prisoner during war time as his father raised the money in 1203 to pay his ransom.
The people of town of Gubbio alerted Francis to the presence of a ferocious wolf in their countryside. All efforts to trap the wolf or drive him away had failed, so they called upon the Saint to intervene. He went out with only the message of the Gospel: no weapon, no sanctions, no threatening bravado. Francis met the wolf and called him to repentance for the chaos and harm that he had caused. The wolf and the townspeople agreed to live in peace; the wolf would refrain from attacks and the townspeople would feed the wolf for the rest of his life.
Though Francis considered himself unworthy to be a priest, he had been ordained a deacon so that he could preach the Gospel with the blessing of the Church. At Greccio, wearing the dalmatic, the vestment of a deacon, he proclaimed the Christmas Gospel at Mass and, with his simple gesture of placing an infant in the manger, forever imprinted our hearts and minds with the love of God made flesh in Bethlehem's tiny child.
Thus Francis began a tradition that persists to this day: the Christmas crèche.
On 14 September 1224, in the solitude of prayer on Mount Alverna, while praising God and pouring out his love for Him, Francis beheld the crucified Christ borne aloft by six wings. In this moment of seraphic ecstasy, he who had sought to imitate Christ in all things, received the marks of his Lord's crucifixion-the stigmata-on his hands, feet, and side.

Francis' Call to Live Simply

From Riches to Rags--Francis Begins His Vow of Poverty

Francis eagerly sought the glory and honor of battle and in 1201, at the age of 19, outfitted himself as a knight in order to join the war with Assisi's rival, Perugia. After an abrupt defeat, however, Francis spent nearly a year as a prisoner of the neighboring city-state while his father raised the money in 1203 to pay his ransom.

Though he turned frequently to the Sacred Scriptures for comfort, imprisonment and illness had shattered his self-assurance. Moreover, instead of reassuring him, the Gospel challenged Francis with the still unfamiliar values of Christian discipleship.In 1205 he again tried to outfit himself as a knight, but after suffering another illness, he had a vision that marked the beginning of his conversion. He was 23 years old.

Uncertain and pensive, he returned to Assisi where his initial depression soon became an emotional crisis. His old way of life and his old friends left him feeling disillusioned and empty.
His evident dissatisfaction with the material comforts of his life frustrated his father, particularly as Francis spontaneously began to share his family's wealth with the poor. Indeed, the lack of understanding between the two provoked harsh, angry words from the father and a sullen, hostile silence from the son. Pietro failed to recognize the turmoil in his son; Francis could not express himself to his father.

Born of a crisis of human understanding, his search for inner peace and new direction put Francis on the road to conversion.

One day in 1206, as Francis, now 24 years old, prayed in the tiny church in San Damiano, Christ spoke to him from the crucifix saying, "Rebuild my Church." So Francis set about the task of rebuilding the forsaken wayside chapel of St. Damian in the valley below Assisi. Although he believed that the task of "rebuilding" the Church was just a matter of stones and mortar, his life-style changed accordingly.

*From the Website of The National Shrine to Saint Frances

Francis' Call to the Vow of Poverty Part 2

Many people thought that he had gone mad, and his family must have been embarassed by his behavior. Nonetheless, some were attracted to the simplicity and sincerity of his new life.

The growing friction between Francis and his father exploded publicly in October of 1206 when Pietro Bernardone pursued his son to the central piazza of the city and demanded repayment for all that Francis had squandered in his generosity to the poor-and for the money Francis had spent in his restoration work.

Before all the townspeople gathered there, Francis stripped himself naked, renounced his hereditary rights, and gave his fine clothes back to his astonished father. The Bishop of Assisi, who had witnessed the dramatic gesture, wrapped his cloak around the young man, who thereafter dressed himself in a simple flaxen tunic tied at the waist with a cord. Hence Francis solemnized his "wedding" with his beloved spouse, the Lady Poverty, under whose name he surrendered all worldly goods, honors, and privileges.

Whatever the attitude of the people around him, Francis began to recognize the true nature of God's call. While Francis thought initially that he was called to reconstruct a dilapidated building-and though he also restored two other deserted chapels, St. Peter's, some distance from Assisi, and St. Mary of the Angels of the Porziuncola in the valley below Assisi-he gradually came to recognize his vocation in rebuilding the spiritual life of the Church by bearing witness to the saving power of the Gospel.

*From the Website of The National Shrine to Saint Frances

Saint Francis-The Patron Saint of Ecology

Saint Francis' Love of Nature

Canticle of The Brother Sun

Most high, all-powerful, all good, Lord!
All praise is yours, all glory, all honor
And all blessing.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy
To pronounce your name.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made,
And first my lord Brother Sun,
Who brings the day; and light you give to us through him.
How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars;
In the heavens you have made them, bright
And precious and fair.

All praise be yours, My Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all the weather's moods,
By which you cherish all that you have made.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water,
So useful, lowly, precious and pure.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
Through whom you brighten up the night.
How beautiful is he, how gay! Full of power and strength.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Earth, our mother,
Who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces
Various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through those who grant pardon
For love of you; through those who endure
Sickness and trial.
Happy those who endure in peace,
By you, Most High, they will be crowned.

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death,
From whose embrace no mortal can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those She finds doing your will!
The second death can do no harm to them.
Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks,
And serve him with great humility.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Translation by Benen Fahy, O.F.M.
from St. Francis of Assisi: Writings and Early Biographies
edited by Marion A. Habig, copyright 1973, Franciscan Herald Press

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interesting Links About Saint Francis

The Blessing of Pets: Article about the blessing of pets.
Churches Where Animals Can Be Blessed: Just some of the churches, who each year, bless pets.
Life of Saint Francis: Comprehensive article about the life of Saint Francis.
Prayers of the Franciscans: Prayers for the blessing of pets.
Saint Francis and Animals: A few stories of Francis and the animals first recorded by Thomas of Celano during the 13th century. -retold by John Feister
The Saint Francis Walk: Absolutely beautiful!
Saint Francis Greeting Card: Send a card to bless a pet!
Dogs That Touched the Lives of Their Owners: The story of how "Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog" that has been a fixture at or near the top of the New York Times' best seller list for almost a year came to be.
Francis of Assisi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Francis of Assisi from Wikipedia encyclopedia
Franciscan Friars T.O.R. - Basilica St. Francis: The building site of the basilica of St. Francis of Assisi opened in 1228 upon the desire of Pope Gregorio IX.
The National Shrine of Saint Francis: The National Shrine of Saint Francis of Assisi in San Francisco.
The Ark: The only United Kingdom Catholic society concerned with every aspect of animal welfare, rights, and theology
St Francis: Nice website about St. Francis of Assisi with stories.
Pope Quotes--Animals: Interesting Pope quotes about the welfare of animals

A Few Animal Rescues Inspired by Saint Francis

The Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary: Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary is a nonprofit registered charity in Montgomery Texas, created to provide a permanent home where captive born wolves and wolf-dogs may live out the rest of their natural lives in safety.
The Little Guild of Saint Francis for the Welfare of Animals: A beautiful pet shelter in northwest Connecticut who pledges to "protect and rehabilitate distressed animals and promote humane education."
Saint Francis Society Animal Rescue: St. Francis Society Animal Rescue is an animal rescue organization dedicated to saving the lives of sick, injured and stray domestic animals as well as spaying/neutering and medical services of those animals less fortunate located in Tampa, Florida.
St Francis Persian Rescue: St Francis Persian Rescue who specialize in the rescue and re-homing of Persian and other longhaired breeds of cat located in North Yorkshire in the UK.
St. Francis of Assisi Animal Rescue: St. Francis of Assisi Animal Rescue grew from a desire to go beyond what a traditional shelter could offer. It began by rescuing what most did not want - animals that were deemed as "unadoptable". They place senior animals and special needs animals in appropriate, loving homes located in Forest Lake, MN.
St. Francis Animal Sanctuary: St. Francis Animal Sanctuary helps animals in need located in Buffalo, NY.
St. Francis Community Animal Rescue & Education-CARE: St. Francis Community Animal Rescue & Education located in southern Illinois.
St Francis Animal Welfare: St Francis Animal Welfare, a charity for animal rescue and adoption sevices located in Fair Oak in the UK.
Saint Frances Animal Shelter: The St. Francis Animal Shelter provides a temporary home for lost and found pets located in
Buffalo, Wyoming.
Saint Francis Animal Sanctuary: Saint Francis Animal Sanctuary is dedicated to all the animals abused, starving and neglected located in Cherry Road Vermilion, OH.
St. Francis Animal Rescue Center: St. Francis Animal Rescue Center located in
Rock Hill, S.C.
St. Francis Animal Rescue: St. Francis Animal Rescue dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and finding quality homes for domestic animals located on a 5-acre Ranch near Erin, Tennessee.
St. Francis Wildlife Association: St. Francis Wildlife Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of native wildlife in north Florida and south Georgia through the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured and orphaned wildlife
St. Francis Animal Protection Society: St. Francis Animal Protection Society is a non-profit organization made up of volunteers
whose goal is to educate the public how to properly care for their pets, teach children
the importance of kindness towards animals, and to rescue and protect those animals who are left helpless in the world.
St. Francis Humane Society: St. Francis Humane Society helps animals who have been abandoned, abused, neglected, or simply born homeless located in Georgetown, SC.

Saint Francis of Assisi--Patron Saint of Animals

Saint Francis--The First Advocate for Animals

Saint Francis and the Birds

Francis Blesses the Birds

Did You Know?

Francis' Call to Live Simply

From Riches to Rags--Francis Begins His Vow of Poverty

Francis' Call to the Vow of Poverty Part 2

Saint Francis-The Patron Saint of Ecology

Saint Francis' Love of Nature

Interesting Links About Saint Francis

A Few Animal Rescues Inspired by Saint Francis

Amazon Plexo--Saint Francis

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