CAPUCHIN FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY

SECOND QUARTER
 FIRST Christian Spirituality
QUARTER (Basic Tenets of Christian Ethics and Morality)

SPIRITUALITY FIRST/
(Meaning SECOND Franciscan Spirituality
and Nature) QUARTER (Life and Teachings of St. Francis)

SECOND Capuchin Spirituality

QUARTER (History of the Capuchin Order, LSM Founding)
 FIRST/
SECOND Franciscan Spirituality
QUARTER (Life and Teachings of St. Francis)

4. INTRODUCTION TO THE LIFE AND SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES

OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI
4.1. The Social and Political Situations during the time of Saint Francis
4.2. St. Francis and his role in the Church

5. THE TROUBADOUR EXPERIENCE:

Looking behind the childhood of the Poverello
5.1. St. Francis‟ Carefree Youth
5.2. A Life Of Honor And Chivalry
5.3. In Collestrada: His First War To Fight
5.4. The Perugian Exile: Joy In The Midst Of Adversity

6. THE CAVE EXPERIENCE: Seeing less of the self and more of the Call
6.1. The Physical Exile: light in the midst of sickness
6.2. In Spoleto: A question that changed everything
6.3. The Period of Waiting: Silence and solitude
 FIRST/
SECOND Franciscan Spirituality
QUARTER (Life and Teachings of St. Francis)

7. THE SAN DAMIANO EXPERIENCE:

The Response of St. Francis to God‟s Call to Conversion
7.1. “Come and repair my house for as you see is falling into ruin…”
7.2. Embracing a leper: Embracing the poor and Crucified Christ
7.3. The Prayer before the Crucifix
7.4. His Renunciation: Leaving the world, embracing heaven

8. THE PORTIUNCULA EXPERIENCE:

The Franciscan Initiation to the Community Life
8.1. The Birth of a Fraternity
8.2. Being one with Mary, the Queen and Mother
8.3. Indulgence and forgiveness
8.4. Missionary Calling: the sending of the brothers two by two
 FIRST/
SECOND Franciscan Spirituality
QUARTER (Life and Teachings of St. Francis)

9. THE GRECCIO EXPERIENCE:

Humility, Joy and Incarnation
9.1. Greccio as another Bethlehem
9.2. The Miracle at Greccio
9.3. St. Francis‟ reflection on the Incarnation

10. THE LA VERNA EXPERIENCE:

The Franciscan Lent
10.1. Being transformed into the Crucified
10.2. The Mandate to love one another
10.3. The Chartulla given to his beloved Brother Leo
10.4. His return to the Home of the Heavenly Father
 THIRD Capuchin Spirituality
QUARTER (History of the Capuchin Order, LSM Founding)

11. ALBACINA-CAMERINO EXPERIENCE:

Going back to the roots
11.1. The three Orders of the Franciscan Family
11.2. Matteo da Bascio and the Fossombrone Brothers
11.3. Significance of Albacina and Camerino experiences

12. NAVARRA-FILIPINAS EXPERIENCE:

The Capuchins in the Philippine Islands
12.1. The history of the coming of the Capuchins in the Philippines
12.2. The experience of the Capuchins in the Philippine as mission area
12.3. The Devotion to our Lady of Lourdes
12.4. The Joy of Francis: The lives of Lourdesians in mission
CAPUCHIN FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY

SECOND QUARTER
INTRODUCTION
to the Life and Spiritual Experiences
of St. Francis of Assisi
Welcome to
The World of St. Francis!

Panoramic view of Assisi, in the Province of Perugia,

in the Umbria region of Italy.
Panoramic view of Assisi, in the Province of
Perugia, in the Umbria region of Italy.
PHOTOGRAPH BY STEFANO VALERI
 ASSISI

ASSISI rises above the valley of

Umbria, a region of Central Italy
 ASSISI

THE LAND OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI

THE LAND OF
ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

ASSISI
Assisi - LA CITTÀ DI SAN FRANCESCO Drone Video
 ASSISI
• Described by Dante as “THE ORIENT”,
the place where the sun rises
ASSISI, THE BASILICA OF SAN FRANCESCO
 ASSISI
Described by Dante as “THE ORIENT”,
the place where the sun rises
1. Who is St. Francis?
2. Why is UNIVERSAL
BROTHERHOOD the
central theme of his
advocacy?
3. Why did he bear the
sufferings of life in the
spirit of joy?
WHO IS FRANCIS? A Video Presentation
ST. FRANCIS OF ASSSI HD
 ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
St. Francis of Assisi (1181/2–1226), the
wealthy young Italian soldier who embraced
a life of poverty and famously had a deep
love of animals and nature. Franciscan
spirituality “is about relationship, about being
brother and sister with all of God‟s creation,”

My God and My All:

S T. F R A N C I S O F A S S I S I : a s a i n t f o r e v e ry o n e
 SON OF PIETRO BERNARDONE
and MADONNA PICA

 BORN IN 1181-2

 BELONGED TO THE MIDDLE

CLASS CALLED MINORES

 CAME FROM A RICH FAMILY

PARENTS of
ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
PIETRO BERNARDONE
Rich Italian Cloth Merchant

DONA PICA DE BOURLEMONT

Religious Housewife;
Came from a noble French family
THE BIRTHPLACE OF ST. FRANCIS
Region of Umbria, Assisi, Italy
Birth of St. Francis
PAINTED BY BASILIO PACHECO DE SANTA CRUZ PUMACALLAO
BAPTISM OF ST. FRANCIS
SAN RUFINO CATHEDRAL,
Assisi, Italy

ST. RUFINUS OF ASSISI,

First bishop and patron of Assisi
BAPTISM OF ST. FRANCIS
SAN RUFINO CATHEDRAL,
Assisi, Italy

named him
PICA GIOVANNI OR JOHN
BERNARDONE TO HONOR THE LORD’S BELOVED DISCIPLE

renamed him
PIETRO FRANCIS
BERNARDONE
TO REFLECT HIS INFATUATION WITH
FRANCE, OF WHERE HE ACQUIRED
THEIR WEALTH
THE TROUBADOUR EXPERIENCE:
Looking behind the childhood of the Poverello
The Young
FRANCIS
• Francis, a young Italian boy, is a
merchant's son who is enthralled by
the troubadour songs and tales of
knights that his father brings back
from his travels.
The Young
FRANCIS
• MINORES
• PARTY-GOER
• LEADER
• TROUBADOUR
• DREAMER
  He was born during the rise of universities
in Europe. Literacy became high and
there was a resurgence of philosophy –
humanism.

 It was the time of feudal lords. The feudal

system was at work in the society.

 But it was also a time of change. Business

moved from barter trade to the
introduction of money.

 This era also saw the rise of the

middleclass, middlemen and
The Young businessmen. They have no land but they

FRANCIS
have more money. Rich but no title or
royal status. This is the class where Francis‟
family belonged.
A Joyful Troubadour
  He was a handsome, charming and
educated man. He knew language,
arithmetic but poor in Latin.

 Francis was brought up in luxury and

gaiety. According to Celano, „he was
reared to arrogance‟, in accordance with
the vanity of his age. He was more vain
and arrogant.

 As an adolescent, he was what we call a

“laki sa layaw”. Since he was permitted to
fulfill everything he desired, he
surrendered himself with all his energy to
the service of outrageous conduct.
The Young
Maliciously advancing beyond all of his
FRANCIS

peers in vanities, he proved himself a
more excessive inciter of evil and a
A Joyful Troubadour zealous imitator of foolishness.
  Francis had money, but he yearned for a
social status. So he spent a considerable
portion of his wealth in extravagant
pleasures by hosting lavish banquets for
young nobles who proclaimed him "King
of Feasts." He used to drink with the young
princes of the land.

 Since he was very rich, he was not greedy

but extravagant, not a hoarder of money
but a squanderer of his property, a
prudent dealer but a most unreliable
steward.

 He was an object of admiration to all, and

The Young he endeavored to surpass others in his

FRANCIS
flamboyant display of vain
accomplishments: wit, curiosity, practical
jokes and foolish talk, songs and soft and
A Joyful Troubadour flowing garments.
  Nevertheless he was merry and soft-
hearted, a rather kindly person,
adaptable and quite affable. So he had
many friends. All the noble men's sons
were his companions.

 Francis had a certain need to stand out,

was not completely lacking in vanity and
more than likely was something of a show
off as well. He was a person who liked to
put himself on display.
 He loved to sing. He was thrilled by the
The Young songs of the French Troubadours who

FRANCIS travelled down into Italy from southern

France.
A Joyful Troubadour
  Every time these great singers came
through Assisi, Francis would be imitating
them for months afterwards. He had a
troubadour‟s costume tailored for him and
would start walking and acting like a true
Troubadour in front of his and delighting in
their praise of his beautiful voice.

 Then, the young Francis would lead a

group of the boisterous young men in
serenading Italian girls during the late
The Young hours of the evening.

FRANCIS
A Joyful Troubadour
 [Thomas of Celano, Francis‟ his first biographer,
speaks in very severe terms of Francis‟s youth.
Certain it is that the saint‟s early life gave no
presage of the golden years that were to come].

“No one loved pleasure more than Francis;

he had a ready wit, sang merrily, delighted
in fine clothes and showy display. Handsome,
joyful, gallant, and courteous, he soon
became the prime favorite among the young
The Young nobles of Assisi, the foremost in every feat

FRANCIS of arms, the leader of the civil revels,

the very king of frolic. ..”
A Joyful Troubadour
The Young
FRANCIS
“…But even at this time Francis showed
an instinctive sympathy with the poor,
and though he spent money lavishly, it
still flowed in such channels as to attest
a princely magnanimity of spirit.”

-Thomas of Celano, Life of St. Francis

 The Young
FRANCIS

He decides to become a knight,

but after seeing the poor and
suffering in the tragedies of war,
he decides to give away all of his
worldly possessions and become
a troubadour for God.
ST. FRANCIS
was born in a society
wounded by conflicts
and division…
The Church in the 13th Century was internally
divided and at war with the Muslim World.
ST. FRANCIS
A MAN IN THE
MIDST OF CONFLICTS
(1182-1226)
THE SOCIAL CLASS
MIDDLE CLASS:
Minores
VS
UPPER CLASS:
Maiores
PEASANTS
& SERFS

THE FEUDAL SOCIETY

 THE SOCIAL CLASS
Lower Class
• Poor people
• Peasants and serfs
 THE SOCIAL CLASS
MIDDLE CLASS (Minores)
• HOMINES POPULI
• Merchants, businessmen, craftsmen
 THE SOCIAL CLASS
UPPER CLASS (Maiores)
• BONI HOMINES
• Ruling Class (Nobles)
• Acquired by birth or by special privileges
 THE SUPER POWERS
POPE
INNOCENT III

VS
HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR HOLY ROMAN
CHURCH: FREDERICK I EMPIRE:
Pope Emperor
ST. FRANCIS
was born in a society
wounded by conflicts
and division…
 THE PEOPLE
GUELPHS GHIBELLINES
PEOPLE LOYAL TO PEOPLE LOYAL TO THE
THE POPE EMPEROR
 THE CONFLICTS
MAIORES VS.
MINORES
CHRISTIANS VS.
POPE VS. THE MUSLIMS
EMPEROR

MATERIALISM VS.
GUELPHS VS. SPIRITUALITY
GHIBELLINES
The Dream at Spoleto
Francis was instantly in search of the fullness of life. He
wanted to find happiness. Deep in the core of his being
is a yearning for God.

 He dreamed of making something out of

himself. The dream of many young men in the
up-and-coming bourgeois society was the life
of knight. He dreamed of becoming a knight. To
fight for a cause, an image of chivalry, honor
and valor.
 To be a knight is to be honorable. Courageous,
yet courteous and kind; a feared foe in the field
yet a gentle protector of the weak and
helpless, fierce in the face of evil, yet gentle
and handsome before the ladies.
1202 His First War
THE BATTLE OF
 At the age of twenty, he had a
chance to reach for his dreams
COLLESTRADA
for during those times cities were
fighting against each other.
Francis entered the war between
Assisi and Perugia,
 He joined the Assisi army
against the army of the
neighboring city of Perugia. This
turned out to be one of his failed
dream. His side lost, they were
held captives, and he spent a
good deal of time fighting
depression in a Perugian prison.
 Wounded,

1202
Imprisoned
at Perugia:
Joy in the midst of
adversity

1203 Ransomed by
his father

Fell gravely ill;

1204 long period of

convalescence
 1205 His Second War

 In the spring of 1205 Francis broke

free from the depression as he threw
himself into preparation for another
military adventure, this time an
imperial-papal war in Apulia,
Southern Italy with the Assisi
contingent lead by a local nobleman,
Walter III, Count of Brienne
 Had two dreams in Spoleto
 Went home and abandoned his long-
time dream of becoming a knight
THE BATTLE
 CAVE EXPERIENCE:
What am I to do?
OF APULLA
The Dream at Spoleto
On his way to joining a battle at Apulla led by Count
Walter III, Count of Brienne, Francis had not traveled
too great a distance when he stopped at Spoleto for the
night. There God spoke to him again in his sleep: “Who
is it better to serve,” God asked Francis, “the Lord or the
servant?” Francis answered, “The Lord, of course.” God
responded, “Then why are you obeying the servant and
not the Lord?”

When Francis asked, “Lord, what do you want me to

do?” God told Francis: “Go back home. It will be
revealed to you what you must do.” The ride back to
Assisi was not a happy trip for the dejected Francis.
He trembled at the prospect of family and friends calling
him a coward because of his disgraceful retreat
from the march to battle.
This artwork of Francis on a horse, which presently stands near the Basilica
of Saint Francis in Assisi, depicted the would-be knight sits slumped down in his saddle
with head and shoulders drooping, his depressed spirits echoed by the grey skies.
It’s a poignant portrait of an idealistic young man with dashed dreams.
the dream unfolds…
Because of his experience in Spoleto, Francis was
motivated to turn his life around. He began to
experience God’s goodness in frequent prayer. He met
and embraced a leper on the road and began a life of
service to lepers and other down-and-out people. He
prayed in the tumbledown chapel of San Damiano and
heard Christ tell him from the crucifix to “repair my
Church, which is falling into ruin.”
So, Francis became a restorer of abandoned churches,
as well as of the larger Church of his day. One of the
smaller churches was tiny Saint Mary of the Angels,
which would soon become the cradle of the whole
Franciscan family. Francis was inspired to embrace a life
of Gospel poverty and to found (or help found)
communities of men and women who strive to live
poorly and humbly in joyful service to the poor.
 APPLICATION:
What values does
our social milieu ask of us
to embrace in the midst
of the pandemic?
THE CAVE EXPERIENCE:
Seeing less of the self and more of the Call
His CAVE years…

St. Francis entered silently into the cave of his life…

His CAVE years…

The Cave provided him a perfect spiritual sanctuary and refuge.

It was an isolated place where he could contemplate God in silence
and allow HIS presence to fill his soul before going back into the world.
Where am in my life's journey? Have I made the right decision?
What am I to do? Where does my true happiness lie?
It seems like everything ended…
everything happened not in accord with my plans…
St. Francis of Assisi recalls the horror of war he
experienced in the Battle of Collestrada in 1202
between Assisi and Perugia. Assisi lost. It was a massacre,
and the hills were covered in blood. Francis was
wounded and became a prisoner of war for a year in
Perugia…
 …when released from prison,
Francis was ill for a long time.
He recalled the embarrassment and
shame he experienced when he
rejected the soldier life. He also
rejected the lifestyle and values of
his wealthy family when he gave up
all to become a little poor man,
following in the footsteps of Jesus.
He lost his relationships with his
father and, we assume, his mother
and siblings. He lost most of his
childhood friends. He had nothing
except the rags he wore.
In darkness, he stayed in solitude,
Francis had a lot of questions…NO VOICE, NO ANSWER…
 Holy Silence
At first silence might only
frighten us. In silence we start
hearing voices of darkness:
our jealousy and anger,
our resentment and desire for
revenge, our lust and greed,
and our pain over losses,
abuses, and rejections.
These voices are often
noisy and boisterous.
Reflection…. They may even deafen us.
 Our most spontaneous reaction
is to run away from them and return
to our entertainment.
But if we have the discipline to stay
put and not let these dark voices
intimidate us, they will gradually lose
their strength and recede into the
background, creating space for the
softer, gentler voices of the light.
These voices speak of peace,
kindness, gentleness, goodness, joy, hope,
forgiveness, and most of all, love.
They might at first seem small and
insignificant, and we may have a hard time
trusting them. However, they are very
persistent and they will be stronger if we
keep listening. They come from a very deep
place and from very far…
They have been speaking to us
since before we were born, and they
reveal to us that there is no darkness in
the One who sent us into the world, only light.
They are part of God’s voice calling us
from all eternity: “My beloved child,
my favorite one, my joy.”

- Henri J. M. Nouwen
 What is the rarest and
most beautiful flower?

Reflection….
 …The Flower that grew
in adversity!

Reflection…. - Chinese Proverb

 What is the darkest
part of the night?

Reflection….
 - Paolo Coelho
Reflection….
 The point is, trials and
problems are
necessary to grow as
a person…The
CHALLENGE is to
persevere and to still
aspire to become
better persons amid
problems and darkest
hours of our life.
Reflection….
 Like Francis, we will all
encounter suffering in our
walk with Christ. We must
never see suffering as a
proof of God’s absence.
Rather, we must see, with
St. Francis of Assisi, that
God works through our
suffering, teaching us to
love, to trust, and to bear
our burden with humility
Reflection…. and patience.
 THE SAN DAMIANO EXPERIENCE:
The Response of St. Francis to God’s Call to Conversion
SAN DAMIANO
Umbria, Italy

The event most often

repeated about this place is
the encounter between
Francis and the image of Christ
Crucified who spoke to him
and said: “Francis, go rebuild My house;
as you see, it is all being destroyed.”
Thomas of Celano
tells the whole story:
“…With his heart already completely changed—soon his body was also to be changed—
he was walking one day by the church of San Damiano, which was abandoned by
everyone and almost in ruins.

Led by the Spirit he went in to pray and knelt down devoutly before the crucifix.Francis
before cross B He was shaken by unusual experiences and discovered that he was
different from when he had entered…”
“…As soon as he had this feeling, there occurred something unheard of in previous ages:
with the lips of the painting, the image of Christ crucified spoke to him. ‘Francis,’ it said,
calling him by name, ‘go rebuild My house; as you see, it is all being destroyed.’

Francis was more than a little stunned, trembling, and stuttering like a man out of his
senses. He prepared himself to obey and pulled himself together to carry out the
command. He felt this mysterious change in himself, but he could not describe it. So it is
better for us to remain silent about it too…”
From that time on, compassion for the Crucified
was impressed into his holy soul. And we honestly
believe the wounds of the sacred Passion were
impressed deep in his heart, though not yet on his
flesh.”

—Second Life, #10, Francis of Assisi: Early Documents,

Volume 2: The Founder, New City Press, p. 249
 The Prayer before the
Crucifix at San Damiano

“Most High glorious God,

enlighten the darkness of my heart.
Give me right faith, certain hope
and perfect charity.
Fill me with understanding and knowledge
that I may fulfill your holy and
true command”
SAN DAMIANO:

“Finally, my mission
is getting clearer…”
 “FRANCIS,
FRANCIS, FRANCIS,
COME AND REPAIR
MY HOUSE FOR YOU
SEE IS FALLING INTO
RUINS…”
 THE FIRST
CHALLENGE
OF THE
SAN DAMIANO
CALL:
 ST. FRANCIS
REPARING THE
SAN DAMIANO
CHAPEL

He rebuilt the “physical” Church

 ST. FRANCIS
RESTORED
THIS CHURCH
IN 1206.
 THE CHURH OF SAN DAMIANO
IN ASSISI, ITALY
Dedicated to St. Damien and the Holy Martyrs;
became the home of Saint Clare
and her nuns in 1212
 ST. FRANCIS
BUILT THE THREE CHURCHES

SAN DAMIANO

SAN PIETRO DELLA SPINA PORTIUNCULA

 THE SECOND
CHALLENGE
OF THE
SAN DAMIANO
CALL:
 This is how God
inspired me, Brother
Francis, to embark upon a
life of penance. When I
was in sin, the sight of
lepers nauseated me
beyond measure; but then
God himself led me into
their company, and I had
pity on them.
 When I had
once become acquainted
with them, what had
previously nauseated me
became a source of
spiritual and physical
consolation for me. After
that I did not wait long
before leaving
the world.
 ST. FRANCIS
EMBRACING A LEPER…

Embracing a leper is embracing

the poor and Crucified Christ

He rebuilt the “spiritual” Church

 St. Francis go about
preaching the Word
of God…

…rebuilding the spiritual Church

Two important events in the
San Damiano Experience of St. Francis:

REBUILDING
THE CHURCH

EMBRACINGA LEPER
The crucified Lord spoke to
Francis at the center of a
church in ruins. Yes, Jesus
called Francis to the manual
labor of repairing the small
church of SAINT DAMIANO,
but that, as we well know,
was a symbol of a much
deeper call to repair and
renew Christ‟s own church.
The Lord not only spoke to Francis about this mission of renewal; He also
spoke to the Pope in the famous dream in which Pope Innocent III saw the
Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the mother of all churches, collapsing and a
little insignificant religious brother supporting the church on his shoulders to
prevent it from falling. Later, when Francis visited him, the Pope recognized
that he was the small and insignificant brother he had seen in his dream.
 Saint Francis was called
by God to renew the Church,
not in opposition to the Pope
but only in communion with him.
It is important to remember that the
two realities go together:
the successor of Peter, the bishops,
the Church founded on the
succession of the apostles and the
new charism that the Holy Spirit
brought to life at that time for the
Church‟s renewal. Authentic
renewal grew from these together.
-(Pope Benedict XVI)
St. Francis Renunciation:
Leaving the world, embracing heaven
• GIOVANNI DI PIETRO DI BERNARDONE is born and baptized in Assisi,
Italy; later named Francesco
• His Baptism in the Church of San Rufino
• Division and Conflicts in Assisi

Chiara di Favarone (Clare)

is born to a renowned
family of nobility
Civil war rages in Assisi, a city intent
on independence from both papal
and imperial power; nobility flee to
the city of Perugia, Assisi’s arch-
rival
(Late)Sets out to participate
in a crusade; en route, a
vision directs him to return
home to seek God’s will
Francis’s father ransoms him;
Francis endures a long illness
(Malaria among others)

• Francis fights in a battle between Assisi

and Perugia, (the Battle of Collestrada
• Lost, captured and imprisoned in
Perugia for 1 year
 • Battle of Apulia led by Count Walter III
• Had two dreams in Spoleto
• Went home and abandoned his long-time dream
• CAVE EXPERIENCE: What am I to do?

 Desires to imitate Jesus perfectly;

• Message from the Crucified
begins to preach repentance
Christ
and peace; several young men
• Rebuilt the Church of San
• Spring: Francis’s gradual leave their families and
Damiano
conversion begins: he gives possessions to join Francis
• Start of the Conversion
generously to the poor and  BERNARD of Quintavalle became
Years
embraces a leper; he is his first follower
mocked by fellow Assisians;
he seeks solitude with God in
caves and abandoned
churches

• Jan./Feb. His enraged father takes Francis

• Fall: In the church of SAN DAMIANO, Francis hears,
“Go, repair my house which, as you see, is falling
completely to ruin”; he sells cloth from his father’s
shop and gives money to repair the church
building
before the bishop of Assisi (BISHOP GUIDO),
demanding repayment for his cloth; Francis
strips, returning his clothes and renouncing
his inheritance
• Spring: Nurses lepers and begs for stones to
repair churches
THE DISROBING OF SAINT FRANCIS BEFORE BISHOP GUIDO
• Writes a rule [guiding charter] for his new order; goes to Rome to
gain papal approval for the order; settles with his “brothers” in a
small church in Assisi called “THE PORTIUNCULA”

• Francis receives as a gift LA Some 5,000 brothers convene;

VERNA from Count Orlando Francis seeks volunteers to
of Chiusi — a mountain in the preach in Germany, Tunis, and
Tuscan Valley; he often seeks Syria; eventually, brothers reach
solitude there Spain and England

Tries to reach Muslim territory to Francis begins his “Eucharistic

convert Muslims; heavy winds Crusade,” exhorting people to
detour his ship and force his return show reverence for Communion

Clare is received as a follower

of Francis; she begins the
Second Order of St. Francis,
known as the Poor Clares
St. Francis met St. Dominic, 1216
• Franciscan missionaries to Morocco killed, the order’s first martyrs; Francis sails
to the Holy Land and in Egypt tries to convert the Muslim sultan MELEK-EL-
KAMEL

Pope Honorius III requires Francis to

establish more discipline in his order;
Francis returns to LA VERNA
recognizing his poor administrative
to pray and fast; he receives
skills, Francis appoints Peter of
the stigmata, marks of
Catanii as minister general
Christ’s wounds

Francis writes a letter that becomes the

basic rule of the Third Order, a Franciscan
order for lay men and women; at the
request of church authorities, Francis
begins to create a more formal rule for the
First Order
Dec. 24/25: Exhausted and ill,
Francis travels to GRECCIO; he
re-enacts the Christmas story,
popularizing the nativity scene

Fall: After much debate in the brotherhood,

Francis revises his Rule; CARDINAL HUGOLINO
helped Francis in the writing of the final version of
the Rule which was approved by POPE HONORIUS
III
Spring: Nearly blind
and suffering possibly
from tuberculoid leprosy,
Francis returns to San
Damiano, where Clare and
her sisters care for him;
he writes The CANTICLE
OF BROTHER SUN.
 • Spring: Nearly blind and suffering possibly from tuberculoid leprosy, Francis
returns to San Damiano, where Clare and her sisters care for him; he writes The
CANTICLE OF BROTHER SUN.

Late summer: Submits to cauterization

treatment for his eye maladies • Francis was Canonized as Saint

Sept. Asks to be taken back to the

PORTIUNCULA; composes a final verse Remains are transferred to the Basilica
about “Sister Death” for his Canticle of Saint Francis, built in his honor
(CANTICLE OF BROTHER SUN)

Oct. 3: Dies; buried at the Church of

San Giorgio in Assisi

Francis’s friend and protector, CARDINAL

UGOLINO DI CONTI, becomes Pope
Gregory IX
 ASSISI, THE BASILICA
OF SAN FRANCESCO
Built in honor of St. Francis;
where his remains are kept
THE PRESERVED HABIT OF
SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI

BROWN:
signifies the color
of the earth
THEFRANCISCAN CORD
AND THE THREE KNOTS

The rope-like cord was the

belt of the poor, which
Francis adopted. The three
knots symbolize the three
Evangelical Vows:

• CHASTITY
• POVERTY
• OBEDIENCE
Call to Prayer
Most High,
glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of my heart
and give me true faith,
certain hope,
and perfect charity,
sense and knowledge, Lord,
that I may carry out
Your holy and true command.

St. Francis‟ Prayer before the Crucifix

at San Damiano Chapel (1205/06)
THE PORTIUNCULA EXPERIENCE:
The Franciscan Initiation to the Community Life
THE PORTIUNCULA: THE LITTLE PORTION
St. Mary of the Angels of the Portiuncula
THE PORTIUNCULA: THE LITTLE PORTION

“The Portiuncula was an old church

dedicated to the Virgin Mother of God which
was abandoned. Francis had a great
devotion to the Queen of the world and
when he saw that the church was deserted,
he began to live there constantly in order
to repair it. He heard that the Angels often
visited it, so that it was called Saint Mary
of the Angels, and he decided to stay there
permanently out of reverence for the
angels and love for the Mother of Christ.
St. Mary of the Angels of the Portiuncula.”
 “He loved this spot more than any other in the world.
It was here he began his religious life in a very small way;
it is here he came to a happy end. When he was dying, he commended this spot
above all others to the friars, because it was most dear to the Blessed Virgin.
This was the place where Saint Francis founded his Order by divine inspiration
and it was divine providence which led him to repair three churches before
he founded the Order and began to preach the Gospel.”

THE PORTIUNCULA:
THE LITTLE PORTION
 “This meant that he progressed from
material things to more spiritual
achievements, from lesser to greater, in
due order, and it gave a prophetic indication
of what he would accomplish later.
As he was living there by the church of Our
Lady, Francis prayed to her who had
conceived the Word, full of grace and truth,
begging her insistently and with tears to
become his advocate. Then he was granted
the true spirit of the Gospel by the
intercession of the Mother of mercy
and he brought it to fruition..”
“He embraced the Mother of Our Lord Jesus
with indescribable love because, as he said,
it was she who made the Lord of majesty our
brother, and through her we found mercy.
After Christ, he put all his trust in her and
took her as his patroness for himself
and his friars.”

The Major Life of St. Francis

by St. Bonaventure
MARY AS THE QUEEN OF THE
ANGELS OF PORTIUNCULA
Francis dedicated this
chapel to the Blessed Virgin Mary
 DONATED BY THE BENEDICTINES
TO FRANCIS AND HIS
BROTHERS IN 1209
Abbot Tebaldo of San Benedetto
tried to give THE PORTIUNCULA CHAPEL
to them but St. Francis (who did not want to
own anything) insisted on paying an annual
rent of a basket of fish
BASILICA OF SAINT MARY OF THE ANGELS
Missionary Calling:
The sending of the brothers two by two to preach the Good News…
Portiuncula plenary
indulgence and
forgiveness of sins
The friars came to live at the Little Portion
in early 1211. It became the “motherhouse”
of the Franciscans. This is where St. Clare
came to the friars to make her vows during
the night following Palm Sunday in 1212 and
where Sister Death came to Francis on
3 October 1226.
Because of the favors from God obtained at the
Portiuncula, St. Francis requested the Pope to
grant remission of sins to all who came there.
The privilege extends beyond the
Portiuncula to others churches, especially
held by Franciscans, throughout the world.

A plenary indulgence is a mighty tool for works of mercy

and weapon in our ongoing spiritual warfare. A plenary
indulgence is the remission, through the merits of Christ
and the saints, through the Church, of all temporal
punishment due to sin already forgiven.

“Brethren, I want to send you all to Heaven!”

-St. Francis
SAINT FRANCIS DIED
AT THE PORTIUNCULA,
SUNSET OF OCTOBER 03, 1226
Reflection….

St. Francis of Assisi

Uniting themselves to the redemptive obedience
of Jesus, who placed his will into the Father's hands,
let them faithfully fulfill the duties proper
to their various circumstances of life.
Let them also follow the poor and crucified Christ,
witness to him even in difficulties
and persecutions.

RULE 10, THE WAY OF LIFE

THE GRECCIO EXPERIENCE:
Humility, Joy and Incarnation
GRECCIO
GRECCIO
South of Assisi, Italy

GRECCIO:
The New Bethlehem
 GRECCIO is an old hill town and commune of the province
of Rieti in the Italian region of Lazio

 One of the SHRINES that Francis erected the Sacred Valley

(Valley of Rieti) along with Poggio Bustone, La Foresta, Fonte Colombo
CHRISTMAS OF 1223

GRECCIO: The place where the

Belen-making originated
1223 CHRISTMAS AT GRECCIO

 Franciscan Bethlehem
 Humanity of Christ
 Importance of the
Incarnation
GIOVANNI (JOHN) VELLITA

 Friend of Francis
 Lord of Greccio
 Helped Francis in
making the crib for
Christmas
 St. Francis proclaimed the
gospel and the miracle of the
child took place
…AND CRECCIO BECAME THE
NEW BETHLEHEM,
 Greccio is located fifty-five miles south of
Assisi. It is in Greccio that Franciscan tradition
tells us that Francis of Assisi and a group of
barefoot followers led a rejoicing crowd to
Greccio. It was almost Christmas then.
 Francis, the holy man of God comes and,
finding all things prepared, he saw them and
was glad. Indeed, the manger is prepared,
the hay is carried in, and the ox and the ass
are led to the place.
 The altar where the miracle took place

Francis directed this nativity scene as a way of

teaching God’s love for creation. The nativity
scene is a reflection of Caritas ~ God’s Love ~
bending down in humility, simplicity and poverty
to become like you and me so that we can learn
to reflect the face of God in our world.
Everything proclaims solemnity, beauty,
and joy: the priest with the gold
chasuble who celebrates the Mass, the
altar shining with lights, the brothers in
their pure white surplices, the forest
ringing with the joyous hymn, the rocks
that "make answer to their jubilation.”

A single harmony unites all things and

all creatures - perhaps even the angels
who sang on the night that Christ was
born are singing again, too, beyond the
intense light.
 A single harmony unites all things and all
creatures - perhaps even the angels who
sang on the night that Christ was born are
singing again, too, beyond the intense light.

Francis vested as a deacon, sings the

Gospel: "She gave birth to her first-born son
and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and
laid him in a manger..." His voice rings out
like heavenly music that none of those
present could ever forget: "a strong voice, a
sweet voice, a clear voice,
a sonorous voice."
The nobleman
GIOVANNI is so
overwhelmed by it
that as Francis reads,
he sees the baby
Jesus "lying in the
manger lifeless, and
... the holy man of
God go up to it and
rouse the child as
from a deep sleep.“
Reflection….

Once, the Son of God did become

man and emptied himself
(Kenosis). He was born in a
humble stable which was not his
in order to teach us that the
fullness of life is not achieved in
material things.
 Once again, Jesus Christ
manifested Himself to man –
to Francis in GRECCIO as a
poor Son of God. This same
Lord manifested himself to us
as poor and helpless in the life
of our brothers and sisters
who are sick and who are
imprisoned.
As Christians, we must be sensitive to
the passage of Christ into our present
world. Whatever we do to the least
of His brothers and sisters, we have
done that to Him.

God’s poverty is continued through

the pains of our suffering brothers
and sisters. We are called to share in
their suffering and to do something so
that they may restore whatever
dignity is destroyed.
It was because Francis saw the humility
and poverty of Christ, this pattern of
living without grasping, so clearly
expressed in the Eucharist that he had
such a great veneration of it and urged
his brothers to hold it in the same
veneration.

The EUCHARIST was, if you like, the

symbol of so much of what he held to
be at the heart of the Gospel. And the
Eucharist lies at the heart of Franciscan
spirituality still for the same reasons.
 It puts us in touch with the living
Christ as nothing else can.

In the EUCHARIST, Francis saw the

expression of Christ’s pattern of
living through dying, a pattern that
we are also called to make our own.
And as we do that we are following
Christ after the example of St.
Francis in a particularly
powerful way.
THE LA VERNA EXPERIENCE:
The Franciscan Lent
MOUNT LA VERNA:
The Franciscan Calvary
Mountain of La Verna…

OTHER NAMES OF MOUNT LA

VERNA: LOCATION:
• Mt. Alverna (Latin) • An isolated mountain, 1,283 metres (4,209 ft)
• Monte Penna • situated in the center of the Tuscan Apennines,
rising above the valley of the Casentino,
Central Italy.
WELCOME TO LA VERNA… 1224
 Mountain of La Verna…

 Was donated to St. Francis in 1213 by

COUNT ORLANDO CATTANI OF CHIUSI OF LA VERNA
 A perfect and ideal place for contemplation amidst nature
 Also known as Mt. Alverna (Latin), or Monte Penna
1224 LA VERNA

 St. Francis used to go to Mt.

La Verna for the 40-day fast
in honor of St. Michael
 St. Michael – one of the
three Biblical Archangels
 Prince of the heavenly
host
 Destined to defeat Satan
at the end of the ages
 Feast Day: September 29
1224 LA VERNA

 Pained because of the

Division within the Order
 St. Francis wanted solitude
and sacrifice
 Brother Leo was his only
company
ST. FRANCIS AND BROTHER LEO

THE CARTULLA LEFT

FOR BROTHER LEO:
The Lord bless you and keep you.
May He show His face to you
and have mercy.
May He turn His
countenance to you
and give you peace.
The Lord bless you Brother Leo!
“One day Blessed Francis called him, saying, „Bring me paper and ink, for I wish
to write the words of God and His praises which I have been meditating in my
heart.‟ What he asked for being straightway brought, he writes with his own hand
the praises of God and the words which he [his companion] wished, and lastly a
blessing of the brother, saying:
„Take this sheet for thyself and
until the day of thy death guard it
carefully.‟ All temptation was at
once driven away; the letter is
kept and worked wonders for the
time to come.” Brother Leo kept it
faithfully; folding it in four, he
carried it in his pocket and
guarded it jealously for a good
forty-six years.
 The text in the middle, written in
black, and marked with a large
“Tau” cross is in Francis‟s own
handwriting, he writes the
praises of God* and grants to
Brother Leo the blessing from the
Book of Numbers 6: 22-27 which
later became known as “the
Blessing of St. Francis.”
ST. FRANCIS RECEIVES
THE WOUNDS OF JESUS,
THE STIGMATA.
[From the Readings upon the Life of
St Francis, composed by St Buona-
Ventura, Cardinal Bishop of Albano.
Chapter 13].

“Francis being indeed a faithful

servant and minister of Christ, about
the space of two years before he
gave back his spirit to heaven,
withdrew himself into an high
mountain apart, even that mountain
which is called Mount Alverno, and
began to fast for forty days to the
honour of the Archangel Michael…”
“To think of the things above gave
him sweeter comfort than
beforetime he was wont, and the
hot longing for heaven was kindled
in him, so that he began to feel that
the gifts from above were poured
forth upon him in such fullness as he
had never felt before. The burning of
his desire made his heart rise
towards God like the heart of a
seraph, and his tender answering
love yearned to be changed into the
likeness of Him Who hath so loved
us that He was content to bear the
Cross.”
Twain of his wings were lifted up
and joined one to the other over his
head, and twain were stretched
forth to fly withal, and with twain he
wrapped around his body. When
Francis saw it, he was sore amazed,
and his soul was filled with sorrow
and gladness, for the eyes of him
that appeared were full of strange
love and tenderness, so that he
conceived great rejoicing thereat,
but the nailing to the Cross was so
exceedingly dreadful, that as he saw
it, a sword of sorrow pierced his
soul.
THE SIX-WINGED HEAVENLY CREATURE WHO APPEARED TO SAINT FRANCIS.
Mentioned in Isaiah 6:1-7, Seraphim are the highest angelic class and they serve as the
caretakers of God‟s throne and continuously shout praises: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!” According to Isaiah 6:1-8, the Seraphim are described as
fiery six-winged beings; with two wings they cover their faces, with another two they cover
their feet, and the last two they use to fly. The archangel Michael is a seraph and is
the highest of all the angels.
TWO PRAYERS OF ST. FRANCIS:

 Lord, let me share

in your passion!

 If I do so, may I bear

it with joy.

ST. FRANCIS AT LA VERNA

 SAINT FRANCIS RECEIVING
THE STIGMATA IN MOUNT LA VERNA
The STIGMATA
EXPERIENCE

 STIGMATA – The sacred

wounds of Christ acquired
during his Crucifixion
 St. Francis was widely
known as the SERAPHIC
FATHER
THE CORRIDOR OF THE STIGMATA

 built between 1578

and 1582
 The place where Francis
received the stigmata from
the crucified Christ
THE CHAPEL OF THE STIGMATA

 Marks the exact location

where Francis received
the stigmata from the
crucified Christ
SISTER DEATH
The really hot sand of the desert of
Egypt affected the vision of Francis
to the point of being almost
completely blind. The last two years
of the life of Francis were of great
suffering that it seemed that the
cup had been filled and flowed over.
Strong pains due to the
deterioration of many of his organs
(stomach, liver, and spleen) were
consequences of the malaria he
contracted in Egypt.
SISTER DEATH
In the most terrible pains, Francis
offered to God everything as a
penance and for the salvation of
souls since he considered himself a
great sinner. It was during his
sickness and pain when he felt the
greatest need to sing.
 His health progressively became
worse. The stigmatas made him
suffer and weakened him, and
he almost lost his sight.
 1225 SISTER DEATH

 In the summer of 1225, he was so

sick that Cardinal Ugolino and Brother
Eli forced him to go to the Pope‟s
doctor in Rieti. The saint obeyed with
simplicity. On his way to Rieti he went
to visit Saint Clare in the convent of
San Damiano. There in the middle of
his most acute physical sufferings, he
wrote the “Canticle of Brother Sun”
and adapted it to a popular tune so
that his brothers could sing it.
1226 OCTOBER 3

 The death of Francis

 He died on the 3rd of
October of 1226, after
listening to the reading
of the Passion of the
Lord according to the
Gospel of Saint John.
Francis had asked to be
buried in the cemetery of
the criminals of Colle
d‟Inferno.
1226 OCTOBER 3

 Instead of doing it that

way, his brothers took
the cadaver the next day
in a solemn procession
to the church of Saint
Jorge, in Assisi. He was
buried there until two
years after his
canonization.
 1230
 In 1230, he was secretly transferred to
the great basilica built by Brother Elias.

 Francis was no more than 44 or 45

years when he died.
According to the historian David Knowles,
upon founding that institute, Saint Francis
“contributed more than anyone to save
the Church from the decadence and
disorder in which it had fallen during the
Middle Ages.”
O how beautiful, how splendid, how
glorious did St. Francis appear in the
innocence of his life, in the simplicity of
his words, in the purity of his heart, in his
love for God, in his fraternal charity, in his
ardent obedience, in his peaceful
submission, in his angelic countenance.

—Thomas of Celano
Why is universal brotherhood the
central theme of his advocacy?
 St. Francis believed in
the universal brotherhood
of all creation. He found
a unique relationship between
men, animals, birds, plants and
the universe. He took great joy
in beholding the sun, the moon
and the stars. He was delighted
to contemplate the beauty of
flowers and was mesmerized
by their fragrance

(Englebert, 1979, p. 135).

 When he walked over
stones, he did it with
reverence, remembering
Jesus the rock. He even
voided trampling over
water out of sheer
respect. He never let
smoking firebrands
be tossed aside as he
respected it
as „brother fire.‟
W h at s u m s u p t h e Spirituality of St. Francis video:
 A SPIRITUALITY OF
CARING FOR
CREATION

FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY manifests a profound

reverence for the human person as one made in
the image and likeness of God and values and
esteems creation as brother and sister, reflections
of God‟s goodness and glory. It understands that
Creation and the world, despite the impact of sin,
remain fundamentally good as gifts from God.
If we view Creation only
in terms of ecology, nature,
botany and biology we see
ourselves apart from God‟s
Creation, instead of being a
part of His Creation – exclusive
rather than inclusive. If we
view Francis only in terms of
a modern day eco-warrior we
completely miss his spirituality
and the depth of the
Franciscan charism.
For Francis, as God
is Our Father, he saw
family relationships within
all Creation. Birds, fire
and wind are brothers.
The moon, stars and water
are sisters and our planet
Earth who nourishes us
is Mother. Creation is nature
viewed with The Creator in
mind, creation is fullness,
life and community.
Creation becomes
fraternity.
In the Canticle
of the Creatures
Francis displays a
confident humility,
a humility that rejoices,
offers praise, gives
thanks and shows
Love to God. There is
no demand made of
God and no focus on
elf as can so often be
found in modern day
“Worship Music”.
THE CANTICLE
OF THE CREATURES
Francis‟ canticle
tells us that creatures
and elements reflect
in their beauty and
strength the blessings
that come from God,
this is one of the ways
He is present with
us today.
Canticle of the Creatures (also called Canticle of the Sun)
St. Francis of Assisi Interpreted by Simon de Voil with Soprano Aimée Kelley

Most High, all-powerful, precious God.

No spoken word can hold your name.
Praise be to You who births all life,
with all Your creatures.
Especially you Sir Brother Sun,
who is the day and is your light.
A beauty so true to you,
there you are. There, you are.
Praise be to You, my Lord you are,
Sister Moon and the stars.
Bright, precious heaven, there you are.
There, you are.
Praise be to You, my Lord you are,
Brother Wind and the air.
Breath of Spirit, there you are.
There, you are.
Praise be to You my Lord you are,
Sister Water gift of Life.
Pure, essential, there you are.
There, you are.
Praise be to You my Lord you are Brother Fire,
friend through the night.
Strong and playful, there you are.
There, you are.
Most High, all-powerful, precious God,
through Mother Earth we see your face.
You who govern all of life,
sustain and nurture all that is.
With sister Death, first and last breath.
The key unlocking all we are,
there, we are.
St. Francis of Assisi
may have changed
the world, but he
was just a man who
lived the Gospel
in a radical way.
R a d i c a l Fa i t h : M e e t St. Francis o f Assisi Video:
An authentic Franciscan life,
like an authentic Christian life, is a life
of love in imitation of Jesus. Poverty or
chastity or obedience without love loses its
meaning and has no value. Saint Francis’
life was not fundamentally about poverty,
as important as that was for him; it was
fundamentally about love. Poverty was a
means to love God and others. Francis
loved Lady Poverty because she helped him
to imitate Christ’s love. It was Francis’ love
for Christ and his goodness to every man
and woman that made him a saint. His
faith and love brought him
gladness and joy.
Pope Francis writes often about
the joy of the Gospel. Saint Francis
lived with this joy. In the present-day
need of renewal in the Church,
I believe that we need this joy
in the Gospel. In our work of
evangelization, nothing will attract
people to the Church as much as the
witness of the joy of our faith, the witness
of the joy of friendship with Christ, a
witness that springs from hearts
touched by His incredible love.

Bishop Kevin Rhoades,

Homily on: ST. FRANCIS TO BE LIKE JESUS
October 4. 2017
 St. Francis of Assisi
Uniting themselves to the redemptive obedience
of Jesus, who placed his will into the Father's hands,
let them faithfully fulfill the duties proper
to their various circumstances of life.
Let them also follow the poor and crucified Christ,
witness to him even in difficulties
and persecutions.

RULE 10, THE WAY OF LIFE

LORD JESUS,
let me know who you are.
It makes my heart feel the holiness in you.
Let me see the glory of your face. From your
being and your word, your acting and your
drawing, let me derive the certainty that truth
and love are within my reach to save me.
You are the way, the truth and the life.
You are the principle of new creation.
Give me courage to dare.
Make me aware of my need for conversation,
and allow me to seriously fulfill it, in the reality
of everyday life. And if I recognize myself,
unworthy and sinner, give me your mercy.
Give me the loyalty that persevere
and the trust that always begins,
whenever everything seems to fail.
Amen to that.
(La Pace Sia Sempre Con Te)
CLOSING PRAYER

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
And where there is sadness, joy
CLOSING PRAYER
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
Amen.

~ A Prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi

 SUGGESTED READINGS

1. Biography of Saint Francis of Assisi:

https://www.biography.com/religious-figure/saint-francis-of-assisi

2. Rich Man, Poor Man by Joan Acocella

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/01/14/rich-man-poor-man

3. Pope to Capuchin Friars Minor: Be Humble and Poor Missionaries:

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-10/pope-to-capuchin-friars-minor-be-humble-and-poor-
missionaries.html

4. The Life of St. Francis of Assisi

https://www.piercedhearts.org/theology_heart/life_saints/francis_assisi_life.htm
 COURSE REFERENCES

1. Lombardi,Teodosio,OFM (1993). Introduction to the Study of Franciscanism

(Translated by Joseph Nacua, OFM Cap.)
2. Rosales, Maria Antonio, OFM. (2001). My Son Francis
(The Life of St. Francis of Assisi, as told by Madonna Pica to Brother Thomas of Celano).
Cebu City: Friars Minor Southern Phils.Inc.
3. Isabell, Damien OFM (1975). Workbook for Franciscan Studies:
Companion Guide to the Omnibus. Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, Chicago.
4. Iriarte de Aspurz, Lazaro OFM Cap. (1974). The Franciscan Calling
(Translated by Sr. Carole Marie Kelly, OSF). Chicago, Illinois: Franciscan Herald Press
5. Handbridge, Paul, OFM Cap. (2003). The Capuchin Reform: A Franciscan Renaissance.
Delhi: Media House