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Submitted by	:	Ravi
Submitted On	:	29-09-2007
Prayer Title	:	Man of Peace ,Poor And Humble St. Francis !
Prayer Message	:	St. Francis of Assisi, the “poor little man” who lived his life in imitation of Christ. This beloved saint teaches us the value of working for peace and justice and respecting creation in all it's form. Francis' conversion did not happen over night. God had waited for him for twenty-five years and now it was Francis' turn to wait. Francis started to spend more time in prayer. He went off to a cave and wept for his sins. Sometimes God's grace overwhelmed him with joy., Francis, the man who loved beauty, who was so picky about food, who hated deformity, came face to face with a leper. Repelled by the appearance and the smell of the leper, Francis nevertheless jumped down from his horse and kissed the hand of the leper. When his kiss of peace was returned, Francis was filled with joy. As he rode off, he turned around for a last wave, and saw that the leper had disappeared. He always looked upon it as a test from God...that he had passed. His search for conversion led him to the ancient church at San Damiano. While he was praying there, he heard Christ on the crucifix speak to him, "Francis, repair my church." Francis assumed this meant church with a small c -- the crumbling building he was in. Acting again in his impetuous way, he took fabric from his father's shop and sold it to get money to repair the church. His father saw this as an act of theft -- and put together with Francis' cowardice, waste of money, and his growing disinterest in money made Francis seem more like a madman than his son. Pietro dragged Francis before the bishop and in front of the whole town demanded that Francis return the money and renounce all rights as his heir. The bishop was very kind to Francis; he told him to return the money and said God would provide. That was all Francis needed to hear. He not only gave back the money but stripped off all his clothes -- the clothes his father had given him -- until he was wearing only a hair shirt. In front of the crowd that had gathered he said, "Pietro Bernardone is no longer my father. From now on I can say with complete freedom, 'Our Father who art in heaven.'" Wearing nothing but castoff rags, he went off into the freezing woods -- singing. And when robbers beat him later and took his clothes, he climbed out of the ditch and went off singing again. From then on Francis had nothing...and everything. On his deathbed, he said over and over again the last addition to his Canticle of the Sun, "Be praised, O Lord, for our Sister Death." He sang Psalm 141, and at the end asked his superior to have his clothes removed when the last hour came and for permission to expire lying naked on the earth, in imitation of hisLord. For Francis, the Eucharist became the deepest source of support for his desire for cosmic peace and reconciliation. Just two years before he died, St. Francis said: "I beseech all of you, by whatever charity I can, that you show reverence and all honor to the most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, because (in Him) all things, whether on earth or in heaven have been pacified and reconciled with Almighty God". Reflection : - If we have God as our source of strength and inspiration ,then we can continue to be effective agents of the Kingdom. -' Poverty is the way to Heaven ,the nurse-maid of humility ,and the root of perfection' PRAYER : Loving God teach me to be humble and lowly of heart, teach me to empty myself of pride and self-seeking , To become like a child to be humble, So that I may place all my trust in You like Your Humble servant Francis ! I pray with St. Paul When I am tempted, Lord, to despair in the face of ongoing evil, give me hope. When I am tempted to judge others harshly for their failings, give me patience and the ability to see my own failings. When I am tempted to give up trying to live your laws, give me courage ! www.dlshq.org/saints/francis.htm www.catholic-forum.com/saints/