Throughout history, there have been many people who have been fortunate to obtain title of "saint" from the church. However one such saint, despite his death centuries ago, continues to influence people today through his prayers, good deeds, and notably his establishment of the largest religious orders today, the Franciscans and the Franciscan Nuns, or Poor Clares. This man is St. Francis of Assisi. A mystic as well as a preacher, St. Francis, "lover of all creation", gave up his life of riches in order to care for the unfortunate. What would drive a rich young man to sacrifice every material asset he had, including his time, to serve lepers and beggars? This paper will examine how the patron saint of Italy transformed his lifestyle to live in poverty and serve the Lord.
Originally named Giovanni Francesco Bernardone at his birth in Umbria, Italy, St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) led a youth filled with money and festivities. He grew up in high medieval Italy, during the......
Join Now or Login to view the rest of this paper.
Approximate Word Count: 1433
Approximate Pages: 6 (260 words per double-spaced page) |