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| Saint Francis of Assisi by Raffaello Sanzio |
History
Francis grew up somewhat spoiled.
His father was rich, and he was such a happy child that people tended to
indulge his picky attitude, selfishness or laziness. He had a lot of friends, but as
he became a young man, his friends were all young people who only cared about
having parties, and Francis was their leader. It took God a long time to reach
Francis, and that was only after he was humiliated and rejected by his own dad.
Francis slowly learned to pray, to repent of his sins, to accept the poor and lepers
with a sincere embrace, and to live a life of humble service. Even though he
was never ordained a priest, Francis preached about loving God and being
obedient to His will and living as brothers and sisters. His idea of brotherhood
included the birds and beasts of all kinds, which is why we know him as a
patron of animals. Francis was a wonderful example of living like Christ, which
is why our current pope chose to take the name Francis when he was elected
earlier this year.
Activity
If you have a pet, you may be able
to take it to a Blessing of Pets at a local parish. If you can’t find a church that is hosting a blessing, you can still bless your pet at home, using the same prayer. And it you don’t have a pet, you
can ask God to bless wildlife for His glory.
Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us!
More reading for parents:
Jimmy Akin’s column at the National Catholic Register
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