St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order, was a Catholic monk who lived in medieval Italy.
It is said that Mother Teresa learned about the life of St. Francis of Assisi and decided to become a nun.
In addition, San Francisco in the U.S. is named after him, so it may be said to be “alive” in many ways even today.
A Sermon To The Little Birds He Loved As Brothers And Sisters
St. Francis of Assisi loved animals such as birds and wolves like brothers and sisters, as they were children of God like him. He is famous for his sermons to the birds and his stories about how he converted the wolves.
For example, his sermon to the birds went something like this.
“God has given you the freedom to fly wherever you want, to sing wherever you want. You are given food, air, and water by God, as well as clothing, trees, and mountains to live in. Since God has given you so many things, let us give thanks to Him and praise Him always.”
When St. Francis of Assisi said such a thing to the birds, they all opened their beaks, stretched their necks, spread their wings, and lowered their heads to the ground to show that his words had given them great joy.
When he gave them permission to leave, the birds flew away in a cross formation, chirping and singing beautifully.
Two Things We Can Learn From Talking To Birds
It is said that St. Francis of Assisi spoke to the birds in this way, and I think we can learn two things from this.
The first is that we, like the birds, have been given many things by God. The air, water, and sun that we need to live are given to us for free by God. I believe that we have forgotten to be grateful for these things.
The second is that animals such as birds are also children of God and are our brothers and sisters. Not only animals, but plants and minerals as well.
All living things are children of God who are connected to one another as beings separated from the same God of the Universe, and the same energy of love flows within them.
God wants us to love each other as brothers and sisters and to live in harmony.
I thought this story made me realize such a thing.
There are many anecdotes about St. Francis of Assisi, which I hope to introduce in the future.