By DEB PIROCH
Part 2
Last week’s issue looked at part one of the life of one of the most prized Medieval saints, St. Francis of Assisi. While certainly concerned with morality, and having a good knowledge of Scripture, he was neither priest nor theologian. His primary concerns included poverty and humility. There was no shame, he said, in being poor, because in owning nothing he was imitating our Lord. And he owned nothing. When there was danger of “reform” of his order, he interceded and made sure to put the rule to paper. His love of all, including the poor, was radical, kind, merciful and changed the tenor of his era.
We are limited in what we can include about this great saint, so Part 2 encompasses three main topics; these being his invention of the first Christmas creche, his reception of the stigmata, and his death and legacy.
The First Christmas Crèche: There are actually so many accounts of the life of St. Francis that the events are not really disputed. His first biographer, Thomas de Celano, was one of the original dozen brothers. We therefore quote Celano’s accounts below. Should we mention St. Francis loved Christmas? Perhaps it goes without saying.
Not far north of Rome, in Greccio, Italy, St. Francis was inspired. He asked his friend John in 1223 to help recreate the first Christmas. This was the origin of today’s Christmas crèche. In a tiny cave, nearly 800 years ago, was the “second” Christmas. Celano was informed and wrote that the event featured the manger under an altar, a couple of animals, the priest, and St. Francis.
“The day of gladness drew night, the time of exultation arrived. The brethren were summoned from many places, the men and women of that town with exulting hearts prepared tapers and torches and were able to illuminate that night which with its radiant Star has illuminated all the days and years. At length the saint of God came, and finding all things prepared, beheld them and rejoiced. The manger had been made ready, the ass were led in. . . . The woodland rang with voices, the rocks made answer to the jubilant throng. The brethren sang, yielding due praises to the Lord, and all that night resounded with jubilation.
“The saint of God stood before the manger, full of sighs, overcome with tenderness and filled with wondrous joy. The solemnities of the Mass were celebrated over the manger and the priest enjoyed a new consolation. . . . Then he preached to the people who stood around, and uttered mellifluous words concerning the birth of the poor King and the little town of Bethlehem. . . . Nor was this vision incongruous; for the Child Jesus had been given over to forgetfulness in the hearts of many in whom, by the working of His Grace, He was raised up again through His servant Francis and imprinted on a diligent memory. At length the solemn vigil was ended, and each one returned with joy to his own place” — Thomas de Celano, brother Franciscan to St. Francis.
The Stigmata: St. Francis was the first person after Christ to receive the stigmata. Fasting in the hills, he was preparing for Michaelmas, the feast celebrating St. Michael and the archangels at the end of September. Three brothers had accompanied him. Around the date of the Exaltation of the Cross, September 14, he experienced a vision of what he called a “seraph” while praying. Brother Leo later wrote an account testifying to the event.
A seraph was perceived as the highest level of angel, one with four-six wings, mentioned in the Book of Isaiah. Brother Celano wrote:
“Two years before he gave back his soul to Heaven, [Francis] saw in a vision of God a man like a seraph having six wings, standing over him with hands outstretched and feet joined together, fixed to a cross. Two wings were raised above his head, two were spread out for flight, and two veiled the whole body. Now, when the blessed servant of the Most High saw this, he was filled with exceeding great wonder, but he could not understand what this vision might mean.
“Yet he rejoiced greatly and was filled with vehement delight at the benign and gracious look wherewith he saw that he was regarded by the seraph, whose beauty far exceeded all estimation; but the crucifixion, and the bitterness of the seraph’s suffering smote him altogether with fear. Thus he arose, so to speak, sorrowful and glad; and joy and grief alternated in him. He anxiously pondered what this vision might portend, and his spirit labored sore to come at the understanding of it. And while he continued without any clear perception of its meaning, and the strangeness of the vision was perplexing his heart, marks of nails began to appear in his hands and feet, such as he had seen a little while before in the Man crucified who had stood over him.
“His hands and feet seemed pierced in the midst by nails, the heads of the nails appearing in the inner part of the hands and in the upper part of the feet, and their points over against them. Now those marks were round in the inner side of the hands and elongated on the outer side, and certain small pieces of flesh were seen like the ends of nails bent and driven back, projecting from the rest of the flesh. So also the marks of nails were imprinted in his feet, and raised above the rest of the flesh. Moreover his right side, as it had been pierced by a lance, was overlaid with a scar, and often shed forth blood, so that his tunic and drawers were many times sprinkled with the sacred blood” — Thomas de Celano, brother Franciscan to St. Francis.
The Passing Of St. Francis: Central, then, to the great saint were Christ’s birth, Christ’s Passion, and, one must assume, His Resurrection.
Receiving the stigmata only two years before dying in his forties, the pain took its toll on his body. He attempted to hide it in humility, not wanting to draw any attention to himself. But his health began to fail; he had not spared himself rigors during years in God’s service! Blind by this time, knowing by his sufferings that he was likely to nearing the end of his life, he returned to Assisi. He wanted to be buried in the most ignominious of graves, but those who loved him would not have that. But he did die lying on the earth, asking that ashes and a borrowed habit be spread over him, dying with nothing more than the Lord he loved so much.
Francis passed after much suffering. He blessed those present and while dying asked to hear St. John’s version of the Passion and death of Christ read aloud. The miracles that had followed Francis throughout his life continued after his death in great number and he was canonized two years later to popular acclaim, in 1228.
Prayer by St. Francis: I beseech Thee, O Lord, that the fiery and sweet strength of Thy love may absorb my soul from all things that are under heaven, that I may die for love of Thy love, as Thou didst design to die for love of my love.
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