Biography of Saint Francis of Assissi Essay -- Saint Francis Italy Rel

Biography of Saint Francis of Assissi1. BirthSaint Francis was born Giovanni Bernadone in each 1181 or 1182 in theItalian hill t witness of Assisi. His parents, Pietro and Pica, were members of therather well-to-do merchant class of the town. Pioetro Bernadone was away inFrance when his son was born. On his return, he had the boys place changed fromGiovanni to Franceso (The Little Frenchman-perhaps a tri scarcee to France, acountry he loved and from which his wifes family came). Saint Francis of Assisi,was born in 1182, more probably in the latter year. His mothers family, whichwas non without distinction, may originally have hailed from Provence. Hisfather, Pietro di Bernardone, was a prosperous cloth merchant and one of theinfluential business men of Assisi. A merchant in those days was a fardifferent individual from the modern shop keeper forced by circumstances to beboth daring and prudent, he continuously embarked upon the most hazardousundertakings and his career was likel y to be a succession of ups and downs.Moreover, business activities, which today tend more and more to assert theirindependence of some(prenominal) ethical code, were then strictly subordinated to acceptedmoral standards, as is clearly shown in the writings of Leo Battista Alberti, acentury and a half later, or in the Summa Theologiae of Thomas Aquinas.Bernardone was not in Assisi when his son was born. At first the child wascalled John but upon his fathers return he was christened Francis, in memory ofFrance, because Pietro di Bernardone had just returned. More than any othercharacter in history, St. Francis in after life retained the qualities mostcharacteristic of childhood, so that it is not baffling to imagine him as hemust have appeared during his early years, with his combination of vivacity,petulance and charm.ChildhoodAt the proper time young Francesco Benardone was sent to clergy of SanGiorgio, his parish church, to peck his letters and the ciphering necessary fora mer chant. He sat on a bench with the better-class boys, chorusing sacredLatin. He was not a brilliant student. The three surviving scraps of his writingbetray a clumsy fist and abound in sad solecisms. In later years he avoidedholding a pen he preferred to dictate, and to sign his pronouncements with across or tau, a semisacred symbol. However, he learned ... ...Not only am I sick, but the brothers who were sent to help me will not do it, asthe ought. Saint Francis, divinely inspired to understand that this leper waspossessed by an evil spirit, prayed most piously for this man before God.After he had prayed, he returned again to speak to the leper My son, I willtake care of you, since the others do not want to. Ill volitionally have you.What can you do though that the others have not done? What do you want me todo? I want you to wash me, for I fume so bad that I cannot stand myself.Saint Francis immediately went and heated water, which he scented withherbs. Then he undressed the ma n and washed him with his own hands, whileanother brother poured the water. Through divine power, wherever Saint Francistouched him with his hands, the leprosy disappeared and the flesh grewimmediately healthy. And as his body mend, his nous also healed along withhis body. When the leper saw his body heal, he began to weep bitterly becauseof his sorrow for his sins and great compunction that he felt. As his body wascleansed from the leprosy by the bathing, so his soul was cleansing power of histears and his sorrow.