Saint Francis was born in 1182 to a wealthy Italian family. The early years Francis’s life were characterized by privilege and material comfort. His father’s success as a merchant blocked him from the ways of Christianity. Thomas emphasizes that Francis fell pray to sin, being that “he was taught shameful and detestable things”. Thus the author lays the foundation for a story of redemption, in which Francis overcomes obstacles and achieves a religious awakening. At the age of 23, after suffering from serious illness, Francis began to experience regret and confusion. He found himself disillusioned and emotionally torn over the way he had approached life thus far. His close brush with death had led him to a period of deep introspection. Ultimately he would arrive at the threshold of Christian discipleship. However, at this initial phase of his journey, Francis would have to overcome the first of several obstacles; the obstacle of self.
For Francis, the process of......
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Approximate Word Count: 1920
Approximate Pages: 8 (260 words per double-spaced page) |