St. Francis of Assisi
Francis was the son of Pietro Bernadone, a rich cloth merchant. Though he had a good education and became part of his father’s business, he also had a somewhat mispent youth. Captured during a conflict between Assisi and Perugia, he spent over a year as a prisoner of war. During this time he had a conversion experience, including a reported message from Christ calling him to leave this worldly life. Upon release, Francis began taking his religion seriously.Francis took the Gospels as the rule of his life, Jesus Christ as his literal example. He dressed in rough clothes, begged for his sustenance, and preached purity and peace. His family disapproved, and his father disinherited him; Francis formally renounced his wealth and inheritance. He visited hospitals, served the sick, preached in the streets, and took all men and women as siblings. He began to attract followers in 1209, and founded the Franciscans based on a simple statment by Jesus: “Leave all and follow me.” In 1212, Clare of Assisi became his spiritual student, which led to the founding of the Poor Clares. He visited and preached to the Saracens; composed songs and hymns to God and nature; lived with animals, worked with his hands, cared for lepers, cleaned churches, and sent food to thieves. In 1221 he resigned direction of the Franciscans.
While in meditation on Mount Alvernia in the Apennines in September 1224, Francis received the stigmata, which periodically bled during the remaining two years of his life. This miracle has a separate memorial on 17 September.
| Born 1181 at Assisi, Umbria, Italy as Francis Bernardone |
Died 4 October 1226 at Portiuncula, Italy of natural causes; relics in Assisi, Italy |
| Canonized 16 July 1228 by Pope Gregory IX |
Name Meaning bright; brilliant |
| Patronage against dying alone; against fire; animal welfare societies; animals; ecology; environment; families; fire |
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| Representation birds; deer; fish; lamb; skull; stigmata; wolf |
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亞西西的聖方濟各
方濟各是富有的布商Pietro Bernadone的兒子。雖然他受過良好的教育，並成為父親生意的持份者，但他也曾是一位經歷過失落的青年。他度過了一年多的戰俘生涯。在此期間，有一次皈依的經歷，當中有來自基督的訊息，召叫他離開這個世俗的生活。獲釋後，方濟各開始認真對待他的宗教信仰。方濟各將福音作為他生活的準則，耶穌基督作為他的真實榜樣。他穿著粗糙的衣服，乞求他所需的食物，並宣揚純潔與和平。他的家人不同意，他的父親剝奪了他的繼承權；方濟各正式放棄了他的財富和繼承權。他探訪醫院，為病人服務，在街頭傳道，並把所有的男人和女人當作兄弟姐妹。他在 1209 年，開始吸引追隨者，並根據耶穌的一句話：“放棄一切，跟隨我”，創立了方濟會。1212 年，亞西西的嘉勒成為他的靈性方面的學生，這導致了貧窮嘉勒會的成立。他拜訪了撒拉遜人並向他們傳教；為天主和大自然創作歌曲和聖詩；他與動物一起生活，親手工作，照顧麻瘋病人，打掃教堂，給小偷送食物。 1221年他辭去方濟會的領導職務。
1224 年 9 月，方濟各在亞平寧山脈的阿爾維尼亞山冥想時，接受了烙印五傷，在他生命的剩餘的兩年間，五傷會定期流血，特別是在 9 月 14日，耶穌光榮十字聖架纪念日。
| 出生 1181年於意大利亞西西, 翁布里亞 |
逝世 1226年10月3日於意大利博俊古辣因病去世, 遺物存於亞西西 |
| 封聖 1228年7月16 日由教宗額我略九世於亞西西 |
名字的意思 明亮的,燦爛的 |
| 主保 反對獨自死去； 防火； 動物福利協會；動物; 生態; 環境; 家庭; 火 |
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| 象徵 鳥類; 鹿; 魚; 羊肉; 顱骨; 烙印； 狼 |
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