Which country has the Patron Saint most beloved by its people, who converted thousands of people, who preached to animals, with a brother named Angelo and a father named Pietro, who invented the nativity scene, who received the stigmata way back in September 1224 and who is remembered today?! Exactly, yes, we have it… Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy , of whom today, October 4th , the anniversary falls. We are really lucky, eh!
Maybe it was too easy to guess, but are you really sure you know everything about him? The Saint was born in Assisi in 1182 and died in 1226, the son of a very rich cloth merchant. He followed in his father's footsteps until he decided to dedicate his entire life to the neediest and began to commit himself to the restoration of the church dedicated to him (in the current upper part of the city of Assisi), after having had a vision in front of the crucifix of San Damiano.
Here is #theBestOfSaintFrancis with well 6 curiosities of the most “original” Saint of his time:
- Did you know that he composed the first poem in the Italian vernacular? The Canticle of the Creatures, written in 1224… and that's it! Dante and Petrarch !
- In his sermons he was a great improviser (lucky!) and when he didn't know what else to say he spoke French. Once there was a friar Ruffino who didn't want to go preach in a small village because he was ashamed, so Francis ordered him to go to the village square and undress, and the friar obeyed. Saint Francis , at times (very often!), was so bizarre in giving orders, but regretting having humiliated his friend Ruffino in front of everyone, he reached him in the square and after undressing, overcome by embarrassment, began to converse in French.
- When the Saint went to Pope Innocent III and asked him permission to preach, he replied to go to the pigs, not very convinced by the lifestyle undertaken by Saint Francis and his disciples. And he went, entered a pigsty to tell the rule to his “dear” pig friends. So satisfied, he went to the pontiff exclaiming loudly that the pigs had listened to him and surprise… the pope allows him to preach!
- On the point of death, when his body was consumed by pain and he could not even open his eyes, Saint Clare, his great friend, insistently asked him for a sermon (the last one!) and Saint Francis , who was blind and mute, took some ashes in his hand, threw some on the ground and sprinkled some on his face and after this gesture he went away, leaving his friend in tears.
- In our Christmas nativity scenes, in addition to the ox and the donkey, the carpenter and the fisherman next to the stream, (almost) always a little friar appears in the typical brown habit, this is because Saint Francis is the inventor of the nativity scene, but not as we understand it today, with the figurines above the television shelf, but with the sole intent that the celebration of the Mass on Christmas night was not celebrated in a church, but in a stable, with an empty manger in the center, "warmed" by the ox and the donkey.
- Did you know that Saint Francis had a great sweet tooth? He couldn't resist the almond, flour and honey mostaccioli that Donna Jacopa prepared for him.
Well then, what can I say… our “Saint Francis” was truly great. Happy name day to all Francesco and Francesca!
Anna Sironi
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