Transcript St. Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis PowerPoint

St. Francis of Assisi
and Pope Francis
Why Francis?
Following his election as
Pope, Francis I explained
why he had chosen the
name:
“Immediately I thought
of St Francis of Assisi.
Francis was a man of
peace, a man of poverty, a
man
who
loved
and
protected creation.”
He added “How I would like a
church that is poor and that
is for the poor”
St. Francis of Assisi
A Saint for Today
Pope Francis has awakened the World to
the beautiful message of St. Francis. It
is a message that arrives at a time when
the human race is at a crossroads. A
crossroad not unlike the one the saint
from Assisi confronted during the
Middle Ages - corruption had engulfed
and was destroying the Church and the
European continent of his time.
We need to love and care for each other
more. Mankind here in the 21st Century
must put aside its differences and come
together to save our planet. To save
God’s creation and everything/everyone
in it.
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis, founder
of the Franciscan
Order, was born at
Assisi in Italy, in
1181 and
died
there, 3rd October,
1226.
Francis who came from a rich family became for a time a
wandering hermit. He spent time living amongst the
lepers and caring for them . He also spent time repairing
some of the ruined chapels in the vicinity and he spent
many days in the isolation of caves, which were prolific
around that region. Here he prayed for guidance and
spiritual sustenance.
Though most thought him a madman (a "religious nut"
we might say) there were those who secretly admired
him and wanted to know more about what "made him
tick"? The first to join him was a wealthy young Assisian
called Bernard of Quintavalle.
Ten years later, there would be well over 3,000!
Three years later in 1212, the first woman came to join
Francis, Clare. Daughter of the aristocratic family by the
name of Offraduccio, she was to become the Founder of
the new movement known today as The Poor Clares.
In 1209, Francis and eleven brother "friars" walked to
Rome to meet with the Pope Innocent III. Francis
presented to the Pope a simple Rule of Life for himself
and his brothers composed of quotes from the Gospel.
Francis cultivated a mystical and
deeply personal relationship with the
person of Jesus Christ. This
relationship was so profound, that
for the last three years of his life, he
bore the marks of the Crucified
Jesus in his own body, known as
stigmata.
When he related to his fellow human
beings, it was through the eyes and
heart of Jesus. When he embraced
that leper on the road near Assisi, it
was not only a hideous leper whom
he kissed but also the very person of
Jesus, incarnate in the leper. For
Francis, Jesus was present in every
human person, but particularly in the
poor and outcasts.
St. Francis of Assisi implored his
followers to
 live simply and love much, to
respect and cry out to every part of
nature in praise of the Almighty
 offer service unceasingly to the
needy lift up and honour all that is
good and holy in our surroundings
Pope Francis has encouraged us to do
the same:
We have been given a beacon to guide
us through the darkness, a light for all
to see. Let’s follow the light.
Laudato Si
Pope Francis' encyclical, Laudato Si',
is a profound invitation to everyone
on the planet to care for our
common home.
The Encyclical takes its name from the
invocation of St Francis of Assisi:
'Laudato Si’, meaning 'Praise be to
you, my Lord',
which in the Canticle of the
Creatures written by St. Francis
calls to mind that the earth, our
common home, 'is like a sister with
whom we share our life and a
beautiful mother who opens her
arms to embrace us.'
.
Prayer for Our Earth
Creator God, open our
eyes to see your love
throughout
creation.
Inspire us to treat
creation and each other
as you would, with
respect and compassion.
We ask this through
Jesus Christ, your Son,
our Lord, Amen.
Prayer for Our World
God of life, help us to see
your gifts are meant to
be shared by all, not just
exploited by a few. Lead
us to take action to make
a change not just for
ourselves, but for all
creation. We ask this
through your Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord, Amen.
Prayer for Our World
God of wonder, open our
eyes to see you in all
that you have created.
Through
the
contemplation of your
goodness, move us to
stand in solidarity with
our brothers and sisters
and with the earth that
we share. Amen.
Prayer for Our World
God of all, you so loved the world that you
sent your only Son to redeem all
creation. Grant that we may follow
Christ’s example of compassion and
never forget the impact of all that we do
for the earth and one another. We ask
this through Christ our Lord, Redeemer
of all, Amen.
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your 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.
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.