The Little Flowers of St Francis

The Little Flowers of St Francis

A beloved classic of devotional writing for centuries, The Little Flowers of St Francis continues to inspire readers today with its stories of the life of St Francis of Assisi. Saint Francis of Assisi (1881 - 1226) renounced a life of luxury for a life devoted to Christianity after he heard the voice of God, who commanded him to reconstruct the Christian church and live in poverty. He is the patron saint for ecologists. St. Francis is one saint both Catholics and non-Catholics have united in honoring. Indeed, no other has so appealed to Protestants and even to non-Christians. And the appeal is timeless: Francis captured the imagination of his contemporaries and modern men by his unique simplicity and pure grace of spirit. Sample Chapter from The Little Flowers of St Francis: HOW ST FRANCIS EXPLAINED TO BROTHER LEO A BEAUTIFUL VISION THAT HE HAD SEEN St Francis being once grievously ill, Brother Leo, as he was in prayer by his bedside, was rapt in ecstasy, and carried in spirit to a great, wide and rapid river; and watching those who crossed it, he saw some brothers enter the river heavily laden, who were carried away by the current and were drowned; some contrived to reach one third of the way; others arrived as far as the middle of the stream; yet none could resist the rapidity of the waters, but fell down and were drowned. Presently he saw other brothers arrive; these carried nothing on their backs, but all bore upon the marks of holy poverty. They entered the river, and passed over to the other side without any danger to themselves. Having seen this, Brother Leo came to himself; and St Francis knowing in spirit that he had had a vision, called him to him, and asked what he had seen. When Brother Leo had related to him the vision, St Francis said: "What thou hast seen is indeed true. The great river is the world; the brothers who were drowned are those who do not follow their evangelical profession, or practice the great virtue of poverty; but they who passed the river are those who neither seek nor possess in this world any earthly riches, who having food and raiment are therewith content, and follow Christ naked on the cross, bearing joyfully and willingly his sweet and easy yoke and loving holy obedience: these pass easily from this earthly life to life eternal."