I’m happy that you read my dear friend Fr Augustine’s very scholarly biography. My husband and I read early drafts as he is perhaps our closest friend. He introduced us 45 years ago, assisted at our wedding as a deacon, baptized our children and flew to Croatia to marry our daughter 12 years ago. I think you might enjoy an earlier work by him - “Cities of God,” about the intertwining of religion and communal government in medieval Italy, lay saints and popular piety.
I also highly value both of the works you mention, and would especially recommend Cities of God to anyone interested in the medieval world and the history of religion- or even just the history of art. And oddly enough I even have some Franciscan friends who admit (if grudgingly) that the Dominican Fr. Augustine’s biography of St. Francis is the best modern scholarly one available.
On the words of scripture as a locus of power, you might also check Peter Brown’s fascinating account of the nature of Christian piety in the Irish and Carolingian churches of the early Middle Ages (The Rise of Western Christendom)
This is wonderful. I know the Orthobros will screech about you writing positively of St Francis (there's an article on orthodoxinfo.com claiming St Francis was inspired by the Devil and bore many of the characteristics of the Anti-Christ) but let them screech. Holiness is holiness.
You can find Orthodox like that (as you can in any church) but Rod is not alone in venerating Francis as a holy man among the Orthodox.
On my part I find St Hildegard of Bingen a true saint. The chant hymns she wrote are wonderfully beautiful and her theology (which she published with the Pope's approval) resembles Orthodox theological writings much more than the later arid Scholastic style.
William Tighe can make the point for us that the Schism was not wholly a chasm between churches in that era.
Oh, the Rad Trads are a trial as well. I found a guy on X yesterday who referred to "Trad Inc." with contempt. Not the guy I want to meet at a barbecue, you know?
I thought the same. Unfortunately I haven’t met any Orthodox who aren’t very bitter towards Catholics! I almost joined the Orthodox Church (OCA) and was so turned off by what I found. I was so saddened! We Catholics love and pray for our Orthodox brothers and sisters. Good on Rod for recognizing Catholic saints who are Holy Fools (basically every single one!). We celebrate many holy men and women’s feast days and I would say all saints are holy fools for Christ. All you holy men and women pray for us!🙏
I'm an ex-Catholic who's been Orthodox for 30 years (after 10 years of being not much of anything in between). I am not bitter toward Rome in the slightest, though I believe it is wrong about some things.
Years ago I attended the Liturgy (as was my wont when I happened to be in Manhattan on a Sunday morning) at St Michael's Russian Catholic Chapel on Mulberry Street. After the Liturgy there was a lecture by the retired Orthodox bishop of Sendai (Japan) Seraphim Sigrist on "Orthodox Veneration of St. Francis," after which he blessed a large ikon of St. Francis. One vivid memory of the lecture is of his speaking of the presence of ikons of St. Francis in rural churches in Crete, Orthodox churches, that is. (There has never been a "Uniate" presence in Crete, and few Latin Catholics, either) Many of these icons are nameless (no name written on them) or else the name has been rased out, but popular parochial piety has always preserved the memory of the identity of the venerated saint.
This is great stuff, Rod. Many years ago I wrote a short play for a Church fundraiser on the life of St. Francis. The disconnect between the received wisdom about St. Francis--that he was a bird-watching, happy clappy hippie--and the beautiful Christian austerity and depth of his witnessing was profound.
Surely the perception of St. Francis as a holy hippie had much to do with Franco Zeffirelli's 1972 movie "Brother Son, Sister Moon." I've enjoyed that movie in repeated viewings anyway, just as I appreciate Zeffirelli's 1977 miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth" even though it perpetuated the "Jesus Christ Superstar" portrayal of Jesus as, absurdly, a "hot" longhair with European features.
Oh, there's the first answer to my question about the movie, and I hadn't even posted it before you typed this. I haven't watched the movie a second time, but I got a cheap DVD so I could if its worthwhile.
Charlie, it really depends on your tastes. It's definitely of its time, so it's unintentionally funny at times, but for me it's entertaining and, at times, edifying.
GKC's St. Francis. Have at it, but your agent is not a fan. Nor is the Aquinas book much good, according to me. (An unexpected fan of the latter, as well as of GKC in general, is Hannah Arendt, who spends a page on him in OoT.) In my opinion Chesterton's writing took a turn for the worse between The Everlasting Man and the eugenics book and his death, with a triumphant return to form in his Autobiography. During those years he was overworked trying to keep his brother's magazine afloat, and it shows.
Thank you for sharing a brief lesson on Saint Francis of Assisi! Interestingly, I got a text from a friend as I was reading this article. She had just read in Time magazine about the rise in people purchasing spells from witches on Etsy.
“Etsy has evolved into the go-to site for spell casting services. And although Etsy banned the sale of such services in 2015, spells can still be purchased on the platform under
‘entertainment services.’ The Etsy witch is the latest iteration of people looking for assistance from the divine in a period of unrest.”
The authors conclude that it’s Trump‘s fault, of course, as illegal immigrants are seeking protection from ICE raids along with brides seeking good weather for their weddings.
Sigh.
But while the world is (re)discovering the reality of spiritual power, we Christians know better. We are not unaware of the enemy’s schemes, as apostle Paul writes.
Words have power. And Scripture is the living word, our Lord Jesus Christ. This passage from Fr Augustine’s book is a beautiful reminder to start my day, “For Christians of his age, the words of Scripture were not merely didactic reminders of past events or moral norms. As divine words, they were a locus of power. Merely pronouncing them… put demonic powers to flight.”
So we pray divine words. Speak them. Meditate on them. Memorize them. And even carry them with us, as Francis advised.
I don’t know about the other readers here, but I’m finding more and more opportunities to use divine words to put demonic powers to flight.
The devil is also allergic to the Rosary and St. Michael's prayer. Then there's the Gloria and the Sinner's prayer. Just saying 'Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us' gives the devil the willies.
To be honest, I read the Chesterton biography about twenty years ago and I found that book rather dull. I find most religious writers to be dull. I blame myself.
Don't. GKC at his best was a wonderful writer--as John Gross once wrote, funnier than Wilde. He also, as Hugh Kenner said, could easily have been a full-time philosopher. But writing in haste for money was a condition of his writing at all. His glory days were ca. 1908-1922.
The Man Who Was Thursday, The Innocence of Father Brown, Orthodoxy, The Dickens book, the VIctorian literature book, The Everlasting Man, the Autobiography. The problem is some of his best writing is in his occasional journalism which he published in collections. Ignatius some years ago published everything, including his occasional journalism, a massive project. Those editions should be available online.
Agreed. Orthodoxy and the Autobiography are great. GKC had a gift for friendship, a trait also attributed to St Paul. His friendship with George Bernard Shaw could not be duplicated in our fractured times.
GKC on Dickens is fantastic. Before I re-read a Dickens novel I always go to GKC’s essay(s) on it.
Anyone reading this must race to the internet and read two Fr. Brown stories: The Secret of Father Brown and The Secret of Flambeau. Two very short stories that bookend his collection, “The Secret of Father Brown.” Humanity at its best. GKC at his most humane.
Well, friendship. I'd like to put in a good word for Belloc. The problem with both Chesterton and Belloc is their obsession with the French Revolution. I grew up, insofar as I did, in the '60s and political violence is not fun once you exit fantasy land.
Belloc is probably not read much at all today, his opinions are not expressed as gently as Chesterton’s, but he could be very funny in a bitter way. I am not sure how accurate he was as an historian but his ideas about Elizabeth I and the English reformation are a lot of fun.
People who think that political violence would be "fun" have grown up with little violence in their life. They fantasize that only the bad guys die, and like in the movies, your favorite actor will come back to life in minutes if he's actually hit at all. Also that you can pass the popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the revolution.
If there was one Christian book I would recommend to a non-religious person, it would be "Mere Christianity." It explains Christianity with such clarity. Sadly, Lewis was critical of Catholicism and had that Protestant disrespect for Saint Mary, Our Lady.
I think the Screwtape Letters is phenomenal as well. I’m working my way through “The Discarded Image” but it isn’t good bedtime reading, it requires a lot of concentration, at least from me at this point. I am learning a lot, thanks to Rod for recommending it.
Derek, I don't recall that Lewis was critical of Catholicism and disrespectful of Our Lady. Maybe it got by me. What gave you that impression? What writing of his, or is that reported in writing ABOUT him, perhaps about his interactions with Tolkein, I'm wondering. I've read most of Lewis' nonfiction, but it's been years since and I'm getting old.
I believe it was from Tolkein that I get my information but I am not sure of it. Lewis thought Catholics considered St. Mary as a god. Subconsciously, I think Lewis, Protestant son of Ulster, considered Catholics as historic enemies of his people.
Anything by Lewis is profitable. He uses fiction to great advantage in exploring ideas that wouldn't fit in nonfiction. Just read the first two of the Ransom trilogy and am always amazed at the ideas he works with.
I wrote earlier in this thread of two great stories about Father Brown, The Secret of Father Brown and The Secret of Flambeau (Father Brown’s criminal nemesis in the early stories and the character who inspired the famous quote that was the hinge of Brideshead Revisited: “I caught him, with an unseen hook and an invisible line which is long enough to let him wander to the ends of the world, and still to bring him back with a twitch upon the thread.”
See link to Project Gutenberg Australia for the two stories. They are well worth your few minutes for brilliant meditations on evil, repentance, and friendship, presented in the most readable way:
Rod, thank you for sharing thoughts and history about St. Francis' life I never knew before. We can't all get to Assissi, either. Great pictures. St. Francis, pray for us! May the RCC (and All Christian denominations) be strengthened in truth and love of God and fellow Christian. I hope all denominations join together some day. Assuming we make "the cut," we'll all ultimately be in one communioin in Heaven some day, where we will get to meet all the saints and angels (and each other). The main event of course is: union with God. "But, as it is written: That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him." Douay-Rheims Bible, 1 Corinthians, 2:9.
Inspiring! Rod, that you spent a sweet hour of prayer where Francis worked and prayed with his own hands is such a blessing. Forgive me of my envy! May I too be blessed to visit Assisi one day!
"Yes, I know he’s a Catholic saint, not one of our Orthodox ones. I don’t care." Hear, hear. The differences between our Churches and theologies are important, but not more important than God and the men and women who know Him. I hope and pray four our reunification, and I think laypeople should be more concerned with praying for it than for the details, which will be worked out by theologians and clergy and which will probably happen when, and in a way that, we can't predict or imagine.
Just last evening, I saw the Word on Fire video on St. Francis. I have to be honest; it's been a long time since I had any enthusiasm for St. Francis. Watching the film and reading your post has changed my attitude about him. The WOF video brought him to life for me.
For myself a lot of the instinctive prejudice I have against poor St. Francis is based on the order the bears his name. Most of them seem to have joined under the impression that they were signing up to be transgressive hippies…..
I read about this- the kid was extraordinary, a real prodigy and very devout too. Sad that he left this world so soon, but wonderful that he continues to intercede for it in Heaven. And it seems he interceded for his aging mother in her sad solitude (he was then an only child in life) so that she bore twins despite her advancing years.
Just a little bit of history. A lot was going on in the world at the time of St. Francis of Assisi. He lived from 1181 to 1226 or only 45 years of age. He obviously founded the Franciscans. This took place in 1209. The Poor Clares were founded in 1212 and associated with the Franciscans. The Dominicans were founded in 1216, and the so-called Magna Carta was signed in 1215. Then there was the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215. It was a busy time in the Church. No internet, so there was little coordination, except obviously the Poor Clares and Franciscans.
The Franciscans, Poor Clares, and Dominicans exist today. There was an emphasis on poverty back then. Still a lot today.
The Magna Carta was called Magna because it was longer than other charters signed at that time. It became a foundation document at a later time, but that's not why it is called Magna but probably why we still know of it.
It was also a time of Genghis Khan, who was marauding a lot of Asia.
The sack of Byzantium during the 4th Crusade had just taken place.
Very interesting book by Millard Meiss - Painting in Florence and Siena After the Black Death - about the differences in painting in Franciscan and Dominican churches and how it changes after the Black Death
That’s so funny that you had an unfavorable view of St. Francis because of the hippy stereotype that has grown up around him in recent decades. I felt the same until my family and I started attending mass at a local shrine that is run by the Conventual Franciscans and got to know who Francis really was. In fact, one of the friar priests there, the former rector, whenever he spoke about Francis would remind us that Francis wasn’t a “medieval Tiny Tim tiptoeing through the tulips of Assisi.”
And a quick word in defense of the Conventual Franciscans. I have found every friar I have known to be devout, humble, orthodox men with a deep reverence for the liturgy and the teaching of the church. I can’t for the life of me figure out how the same order that includes these men also includes two of the worst bishops in the U.S., Michael Martin of Charlotte and John Stowe of Lexington, KY. In a recent post you spoke of there being two distinct churches under one pope as represented by Cardinal Burke and James Martin. The Conventual Franciscan order seems to be the same thing In microcosm.
I’m happy that you read my dear friend Fr Augustine’s very scholarly biography. My husband and I read early drafts as he is perhaps our closest friend. He introduced us 45 years ago, assisted at our wedding as a deacon, baptized our children and flew to Croatia to marry our daughter 12 years ago. I think you might enjoy an earlier work by him - “Cities of God,” about the intertwining of religion and communal government in medieval Italy, lay saints and popular piety.
I also highly value both of the works you mention, and would especially recommend Cities of God to anyone interested in the medieval world and the history of religion- or even just the history of art. And oddly enough I even have some Franciscan friends who admit (if grudgingly) that the Dominican Fr. Augustine’s biography of St. Francis is the best modern scholarly one available.
On the words of scripture as a locus of power, you might also check Peter Brown’s fascinating account of the nature of Christian piety in the Irish and Carolingian churches of the early Middle Ages (The Rise of Western Christendom)
I just finished listening to it (26 hours)! Marvelous.
This is wonderful. I know the Orthobros will screech about you writing positively of St Francis (there's an article on orthodoxinfo.com claiming St Francis was inspired by the Devil and bore many of the characteristics of the Anti-Christ) but let them screech. Holiness is holiness.
You can find Orthodox like that (as you can in any church) but Rod is not alone in venerating Francis as a holy man among the Orthodox.
On my part I find St Hildegard of Bingen a true saint. The chant hymns she wrote are wonderfully beautiful and her theology (which she published with the Pope's approval) resembles Orthodox theological writings much more than the later arid Scholastic style.
William Tighe can make the point for us that the Schism was not wholly a chasm between churches in that era.
Oh, the Rad Trads are a trial as well. I found a guy on X yesterday who referred to "Trad Inc." with contempt. Not the guy I want to meet at a barbecue, you know?
Hot off the presses:
https://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=38-04-036-f&readcode=11254
I thought the same. Unfortunately I haven’t met any Orthodox who aren’t very bitter towards Catholics! I almost joined the Orthodox Church (OCA) and was so turned off by what I found. I was so saddened! We Catholics love and pray for our Orthodox brothers and sisters. Good on Rod for recognizing Catholic saints who are Holy Fools (basically every single one!). We celebrate many holy men and women’s feast days and I would say all saints are holy fools for Christ. All you holy men and women pray for us!🙏
I'm an ex-Catholic who's been Orthodox for 30 years (after 10 years of being not much of anything in between). I am not bitter toward Rome in the slightest, though I believe it is wrong about some things.
Years ago I attended the Liturgy (as was my wont when I happened to be in Manhattan on a Sunday morning) at St Michael's Russian Catholic Chapel on Mulberry Street. After the Liturgy there was a lecture by the retired Orthodox bishop of Sendai (Japan) Seraphim Sigrist on "Orthodox Veneration of St. Francis," after which he blessed a large ikon of St. Francis. One vivid memory of the lecture is of his speaking of the presence of ikons of St. Francis in rural churches in Crete, Orthodox churches, that is. (There has never been a "Uniate" presence in Crete, and few Latin Catholics, either) Many of these icons are nameless (no name written on them) or else the name has been rased out, but popular parochial piety has always preserved the memory of the identity of the venerated saint.
This is great stuff, Rod. Many years ago I wrote a short play for a Church fundraiser on the life of St. Francis. The disconnect between the received wisdom about St. Francis--that he was a bird-watching, happy clappy hippie--and the beautiful Christian austerity and depth of his witnessing was profound.
Surely the perception of St. Francis as a holy hippie had much to do with Franco Zeffirelli's 1972 movie "Brother Son, Sister Moon." I've enjoyed that movie in repeated viewings anyway, just as I appreciate Zeffirelli's 1977 miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth" even though it perpetuated the "Jesus Christ Superstar" portrayal of Jesus as, absurdly, a "hot" longhair with European features.
Oh, there's the first answer to my question about the movie, and I hadn't even posted it before you typed this. I haven't watched the movie a second time, but I got a cheap DVD so I could if its worthwhile.
Charlie, it really depends on your tastes. It's definitely of its time, so it's unintentionally funny at times, but for me it's entertaining and, at times, edifying.
One of my favorite Christian film portrayals is James Farentino's portrayal of Peter in Jesus of Nazareth. He's worth the price of admission IMO.
GKC's St. Francis. Have at it, but your agent is not a fan. Nor is the Aquinas book much good, according to me. (An unexpected fan of the latter, as well as of GKC in general, is Hannah Arendt, who spends a page on him in OoT.) In my opinion Chesterton's writing took a turn for the worse between The Everlasting Man and the eugenics book and his death, with a triumphant return to form in his Autobiography. During those years he was overworked trying to keep his brother's magazine afloat, and it shows.
Thank you for sharing a brief lesson on Saint Francis of Assisi! Interestingly, I got a text from a friend as I was reading this article. She had just read in Time magazine about the rise in people purchasing spells from witches on Etsy.
“Etsy has evolved into the go-to site for spell casting services. And although Etsy banned the sale of such services in 2015, spells can still be purchased on the platform under
‘entertainment services.’ The Etsy witch is the latest iteration of people looking for assistance from the divine in a period of unrest.”
The authors conclude that it’s Trump‘s fault, of course, as illegal immigrants are seeking protection from ICE raids along with brides seeking good weather for their weddings.
Sigh.
But while the world is (re)discovering the reality of spiritual power, we Christians know better. We are not unaware of the enemy’s schemes, as apostle Paul writes.
Words have power. And Scripture is the living word, our Lord Jesus Christ. This passage from Fr Augustine’s book is a beautiful reminder to start my day, “For Christians of his age, the words of Scripture were not merely didactic reminders of past events or moral norms. As divine words, they were a locus of power. Merely pronouncing them… put demonic powers to flight.”
So we pray divine words. Speak them. Meditate on them. Memorize them. And even carry them with us, as Francis advised.
I don’t know about the other readers here, but I’m finding more and more opportunities to use divine words to put demonic powers to flight.
The Lord bless and keep you, Rod.
The devil is also allergic to the Rosary and St. Michael's prayer. Then there's the Gloria and the Sinner's prayer. Just saying 'Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us' gives the devil the willies.
I love praying to the Holy Family. I just told my son to lean into the Holy Family with the current challenge he is facing.
To be honest, I read the Chesterton biography about twenty years ago and I found that book rather dull. I find most religious writers to be dull. I blame myself.
Don't. GKC at his best was a wonderful writer--as John Gross once wrote, funnier than Wilde. He also, as Hugh Kenner said, could easily have been a full-time philosopher. But writing in haste for money was a condition of his writing at all. His glory days were ca. 1908-1922.
What are Chesterton's best works?
The Man Who Was Thursday, The Innocence of Father Brown, Orthodoxy, The Dickens book, the VIctorian literature book, The Everlasting Man, the Autobiography. The problem is some of his best writing is in his occasional journalism which he published in collections. Ignatius some years ago published everything, including his occasional journalism, a massive project. Those editions should be available online.
Thanks.
Agreed. Orthodoxy and the Autobiography are great. GKC had a gift for friendship, a trait also attributed to St Paul. His friendship with George Bernard Shaw could not be duplicated in our fractured times.
GKC on Dickens is fantastic. Before I re-read a Dickens novel I always go to GKC’s essay(s) on it.
Anyone reading this must race to the internet and read two Fr. Brown stories: The Secret of Father Brown and The Secret of Flambeau. Two very short stories that bookend his collection, “The Secret of Father Brown.” Humanity at its best. GKC at his most humane.
Well, friendship. I'd like to put in a good word for Belloc. The problem with both Chesterton and Belloc is their obsession with the French Revolution. I grew up, insofar as I did, in the '60s and political violence is not fun once you exit fantasy land.
Belloc is probably not read much at all today, his opinions are not expressed as gently as Chesterton’s, but he could be very funny in a bitter way. I am not sure how accurate he was as an historian but his ideas about Elizabeth I and the English reformation are a lot of fun.
I could never complete a work by Belloc, don’t know why.
People who think that political violence would be "fun" have grown up with little violence in their life. They fantasize that only the bad guys die, and like in the movies, your favorite actor will come back to life in minutes if he's actually hit at all. Also that you can pass the popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the revolution.
The Man WHO Would be Thursday
Thanks.
Huh?
Who was Thursday, misremembered the title.
Don't know if it's a best work, but I enjoyed "The Ball and the Cross".
Do you find C.S. Lewis dull? I find Lewis' writing more accessible than Chesterton's.
I found "Mere Christianity" to be brilliant.
Agreed. If I had the time, I'd like to re-read all Lewis' work, but I just can't do it now.
If there was one Christian book I would recommend to a non-religious person, it would be "Mere Christianity." It explains Christianity with such clarity. Sadly, Lewis was critical of Catholicism and had that Protestant disrespect for Saint Mary, Our Lady.
I think the Screwtape Letters is phenomenal as well. I’m working my way through “The Discarded Image” but it isn’t good bedtime reading, it requires a lot of concentration, at least from me at this point. I am learning a lot, thanks to Rod for recommending it.
Derek, I don't recall that Lewis was critical of Catholicism and disrespectful of Our Lady. Maybe it got by me. What gave you that impression? What writing of his, or is that reported in writing ABOUT him, perhaps about his interactions with Tolkein, I'm wondering. I've read most of Lewis' nonfiction, but it's been years since and I'm getting old.
I believe it was from Tolkein that I get my information but I am not sure of it. Lewis thought Catholics considered St. Mary as a god. Subconsciously, I think Lewis, Protestant son of Ulster, considered Catholics as historic enemies of his people.
Well, he had to fend off Tolkien's insistence that Lewis should have become Catholic rather than Anglican.
I found his attempt at science fiction ham-handed and dull. I loved the Narnia books and The Screwtape Letters.
I prefer Tolkien's fiction the Lewis', though I do occasionally city the latter here. But I also find Lewis' non-fiction very worth the reading.
Anything by Lewis is profitable. He uses fiction to great advantage in exploring ideas that wouldn't fit in nonfiction. Just read the first two of the Ransom trilogy and am always amazed at the ideas he works with.
Public Service Announcement.
I wrote earlier in this thread of two great stories about Father Brown, The Secret of Father Brown and The Secret of Flambeau (Father Brown’s criminal nemesis in the early stories and the character who inspired the famous quote that was the hinge of Brideshead Revisited: “I caught him, with an unseen hook and an invisible line which is long enough to let him wander to the ends of the world, and still to bring him back with a twitch upon the thread.”
See link to Project Gutenberg Australia for the two stories. They are well worth your few minutes for brilliant meditations on evil, repentance, and friendship, presented in the most readable way:
https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0201041h.html#story1
Rod, thank you for sharing thoughts and history about St. Francis' life I never knew before. We can't all get to Assissi, either. Great pictures. St. Francis, pray for us! May the RCC (and All Christian denominations) be strengthened in truth and love of God and fellow Christian. I hope all denominations join together some day. Assuming we make "the cut," we'll all ultimately be in one communioin in Heaven some day, where we will get to meet all the saints and angels (and each other). The main event of course is: union with God. "But, as it is written: That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him." Douay-Rheims Bible, 1 Corinthians, 2:9.
Inspiring! Rod, that you spent a sweet hour of prayer where Francis worked and prayed with his own hands is such a blessing. Forgive me of my envy! May I too be blessed to visit Assisi one day!
Great post, Rod. And we could all use some mercy and peacemaking in our lives.
"Yes, I know he’s a Catholic saint, not one of our Orthodox ones. I don’t care." Hear, hear. The differences between our Churches and theologies are important, but not more important than God and the men and women who know Him. I hope and pray four our reunification, and I think laypeople should be more concerned with praying for it than for the details, which will be worked out by theologians and clergy and which will probably happen when, and in a way that, we can't predict or imagine.
Just last evening, I saw the Word on Fire video on St. Francis. I have to be honest; it's been a long time since I had any enthusiasm for St. Francis. Watching the film and reading your post has changed my attitude about him. The WOF video brought him to life for me.
For myself a lot of the instinctive prejudice I have against poor St. Francis is based on the order the bears his name. Most of them seem to have joined under the impression that they were signing up to be transgressive hippies…..
Just-canonized Carlo Acutis is interred in an Assisi church.
Yes, and I was headed over to see his tomb, but ran out of time, and had to get back to the conference.
I read about this- the kid was extraordinary, a real prodigy and very devout too. Sad that he left this world so soon, but wonderful that he continues to intercede for it in Heaven. And it seems he interceded for his aging mother in her sad solitude (he was then an only child in life) so that she bore twins despite her advancing years.
Just a little bit of history. A lot was going on in the world at the time of St. Francis of Assisi. He lived from 1181 to 1226 or only 45 years of age. He obviously founded the Franciscans. This took place in 1209. The Poor Clares were founded in 1212 and associated with the Franciscans. The Dominicans were founded in 1216, and the so-called Magna Carta was signed in 1215. Then there was the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215. It was a busy time in the Church. No internet, so there was little coordination, except obviously the Poor Clares and Franciscans.
The Franciscans, Poor Clares, and Dominicans exist today. There was an emphasis on poverty back then. Still a lot today.
The Magna Carta was called Magna because it was longer than other charters signed at that time. It became a foundation document at a later time, but that's not why it is called Magna but probably why we still know of it.
It was also a time of Genghis Khan, who was marauding a lot of Asia.
The sack of Byzantium during the 4th Crusade had just taken place.
Very interesting book by Millard Meiss - Painting in Florence and Siena After the Black Death - about the differences in painting in Franciscan and Dominican churches and how it changes after the Black Death
Fourth Lateran Council, if you please.
Thank you. I made the change.
That’s so funny that you had an unfavorable view of St. Francis because of the hippy stereotype that has grown up around him in recent decades. I felt the same until my family and I started attending mass at a local shrine that is run by the Conventual Franciscans and got to know who Francis really was. In fact, one of the friar priests there, the former rector, whenever he spoke about Francis would remind us that Francis wasn’t a “medieval Tiny Tim tiptoeing through the tulips of Assisi.”
And a quick word in defense of the Conventual Franciscans. I have found every friar I have known to be devout, humble, orthodox men with a deep reverence for the liturgy and the teaching of the church. I can’t for the life of me figure out how the same order that includes these men also includes two of the worst bishops in the U.S., Michael Martin of Charlotte and John Stowe of Lexington, KY. In a recent post you spoke of there being two distinct churches under one pope as represented by Cardinal Burke and James Martin. The Conventual Franciscan order seems to be the same thing In microcosm.