BLESSING OF ST. FRANCIS
The Lord bless and keep you. May He show His face to you
and be merciful to you. May He look upon you and give you His peace.
St. Francis of Assisi was born in the Italian town of Assisi, eighty
miles north of Rome, in 1182 and died in 1226. In his youth, he was reckless
and fun loving. However, reflections during a serious illness helped him
to see the emptiness of his life. He gave up every material thing he owned
to follow the path of The Master.
St. Francis devoted himself to solitude, prayer and service to the poor.
The innumerable anecdotes in the memoirs of his disciples show his warm
personality and depict his strength of character. His commitment to poverty
was the keynote of his spirit and way of life.
His life shows us how to have compassion for the poor, outcast and the
oppressed and inspires a journey towards peace, nonviolence and reconciliation.
His message is a guiding light for the present and the future.
He teaches us that we must start by renewing ourselves by looking to
align our spirit with the Spirit and mission of God, the primary source
of all renewal.
