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Pilgrimage with Pope Francis - SECOND STATION - St. Francis patron saint of animals and ecology

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St. Francis, pray for us!

Welcome to the second station on our virtual pilgrimage to Philadelphia with Pope Francis ahead of the World Meeting of Families. Let us pray!

Highlights

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
8/27/2015 (8 years ago)

Published in Living Faith

Keywords: Pope Francis, Philadelphia, virtual pilgrimage, st. francis

About St. Francis

Saint Francis was born to a wealthy cloth merchant in Assisi, Italy. Raised in a wealthy home, the young Francis enjoyed a life of privilege and wealth. He experienced a life of sin and vice, and even endured the harshness of war. His father had little interest in God and insisted his son to live as a wealthy merchant.

Francis first experienced the grace of God in a dream in which he was told that he was on the wrong path. This experience was so moving, Francis withdrew from his privileged life of conflict and debauchery to pray. This angered his father, who wanted him to grow up to be a successful merchant, but God's plans are greater and they cannot be confounded.

Still, Francis resisted God's call, even in spite of his dream. His time in prayer did little to change his heart and Francis resumed working with his father in business.

God saw fit to give Francis another opportunity. While riding in the country, Francis happened upon a leper. Such sights were repulsive to Francis and he would normally ignore the victim, but because his heart was open to God, even just a little, Francis felt moved to behave differently.

Francis dismounted his horse, took the leper's hand and kissed it as a sign of peace. When the leper returned the kiss filling Francis with an overwhelming sense of peace and joy. As Francis rode away, he turned in his saddle to wave goodbye, only to find the leper has disappeared. It was then obvious to Francis that the leper had been a test from God, a test he has passed!

Francis began to seek conversion and he found it. When praying at an ancient church, he heard God speak to him, telling him, "Francis, repair my Church." Francis took the command literally and took fabric from his father's stores to sell with the intention of using the money for the repair of the church. When his father discovered the deed, he hauled his son before the bishop, demanding that Francis repay the money and renounce his rights as heir.

The bishop was kind and merciful to Francis, only ordering that he repay the money to his father. The bishop reminded Francis that God would provide as he always does. Francis was inspired and he went before the crowd, who assembled to see the outcome of this scandalous dispute between father and son, and he renounced his father on Earth in favor of his father in heaven. Stripping off his fine clothes, Francis donned mere rags and went off happy, clothed in the grace of God.

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Francis proceeded to travel and perform acts of charity and love for everyone he encountered. He thought nothing for himself and trusted entirely to God to provide for his daily needs. Francis gained followers throughout his travels and he established the Franciscan order which is today a major order within the Church.

Francis suffered towards the end of his life due to illness and infirmity and he reduced himself to being a mere brother in his own order as opposed to its leader. Despite this, he remained cheerful and happy until the end of his days.

After his passing, he became a saint and was recognized in 1228 by the Church as such just two years after his passing. Today St. Francis continues to work through intercession and miracles, by the grace of God. St. Francis is the patron saint of the poor and animals. According to legend, he was able to communicate with the animals.

Meditation:

As we pause at the shrine of St. Francis, the patron of animals and the poor, we reflect on the importance of charity to the family. Every family receives charity, even if only in the form of grace.  Every family is also called to give charity, even if only in the form of kindness. We must remember that we have been given much by our wealthy father in heaven. We give back to Him by sharing our wealth with those around us when they are in need. What family members need my help? How can I help them? Are there strangers I may also help? Like the leper whose hand St. Francis kissed, we are called to kiss the hands of even the lepers around us. Let us take the hand of a leper today and kiss it, in a sincere sign of peace, so that we may pass the test of God and be filled with his grace.

"REMEMBER that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing you have received-only what you have given." -St. Francis

Prayer:

"Lord, make me an instrument of thy 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.

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.

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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.

Pause and meditate upon this prayer.

Now, let us pray the World Meeting of Families Prayer

God and Father of us all,
in Jesus, your Son and our Savior,
you have made us
your sons and daughters
 in the family of the Church.
May your grace and love
help our families
in every part of the world
be united to one another
in fidelity to the Gospel.
May the example of the Holy Family,
with the aid of your Holy Spirit,
guide all families, especially those most troubled,
to be homes of communion and prayer
and to always seek your truth and live in your love.
Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us.

Let us pause and mediate upon this prayer.

Finally, let us offer our intentions to St. Francis.

(List your intentions)

St. Francis, hear our prayer!

Amen.

Now we invite you to resume your pilgrimage and download the World Meeting of Families prayer. Click the button below to get your free copy.

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