Saint Francis Of Assisi Illustrated

"Francis of Assisi is, after Mary of Nazareth, the greatest saint in the Christian calendar, and one of the most influential men in the whole of human history. By universal acclaim, this biography by G. K. Chesterton is considered the best appreciation of Francis's life--the one that gets to the heart of the matter.For Chesterton, Francis is a great paradoxical figure, a man who loved women but vowed himself to chastity; an artist who loved the pleasures of the natural world as few have loved them, but vowed himself to the most austere poverty, stripping himself naked in the public square so all could see that he had renounced his worldly goods; a clown who stood on his head in order to see the world aright. Chesterton gives us Francis in his world-the riotously colorful world of the High Middle Ages, a world with more pageantry and romance than we have seen before or since. Here is the Francis who tried to end the Crusades by talking to the Saracens, and who interceded with the emperor on behalf of the birds. Here is the Francis who inspired a revolution in art that began with Giotto and a revolution in poetry that began with Dante. Here is the Francis who prayed and danced with pagan abandon, who talked to animals, who invented the creche."

As a young man Francis of Assisi renounced his wealthy background, dressed in coarse robes and lived in poverty. He believed every living creature and thing on earth was sacred and deserved respect. In this spirit, he founded the Franciscan Order, which endures today. Géraldine Elschner narrates in her poetic text the life and work of Francis of Assisi, one of the most famous saints of Christianity. Glowing reproductions of Italian frescoes and quotes by Pope Francis portray his life and works.

The story of the life of St. Francis of Assisi, who rejects his wealthy background to lead a life of poverty, good works, and kindness to animals, told as though spoken by the saint himself.

The story of St. Francis of Assisi—the Catholic saint who gave up everything to honor all life on Earth—retold by human rights crusader and public servant Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He adopted the life of an itinerant preacher and made it his mission to teach about the sanctity of all life on Earth, becoming an advocate of animal rights and environmentalism in a time when even human life often had little value. He gave up all of his wealth and earthly possessions, and turned away from his life of privilege to live with the outcasts in his society. Saint Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.—a father; a devout Roman Catholic; a crusader for clean air and water; an advocate for public health; and a member of a family famous for its dedication to the American people. Kennedy has chosen to retell this saint's classic tales hoping to teach its important messages to children around the world.

Noted Franciscan scholars Regis J. Armstrong, J. A. Wayne Hellmann, and William Short spearheaded a collabrative effort of translators, scholars and technicians to publish this series. Many of these texts had been published in critical, scholarly European editions, but were not available in English. In some instances these texts are available in English for the first time; in all instances, they have been annotated in light of recent scholarship. This first volume, The Saint, contains the following works: The Writings of Francis of Assisi (1205/06-1226) The Life of Saint Francis by Thomas of Celano (1228-1229) The Liturgical Texts (1230-1234) The Life of Saint Francis by Julian of Speyer The Versified Life of Saint Francis by Henri d'Avranches (1232-1235) The Sacred Exchange between Saint Francis and Lady Poverty (1237-1239) Related Documents (1215-1237

St. Francis of Assisi is perhaps the most important of the non-apostle saints. He was born to wealth and privilege in Assisi, Italy in 1181. As a youth he dreamed of military glory and lived the decadent lifestyle one would expect from of a wealthy, young Italian man. In 1202 Francis went off to war and was subsequently captured and spent a year of hardship in Collestrada as a prisoner of war. In 1205 he set off to war again, but this time God sent him a vision and he returned home and took up a religion. What followed was a most remarkable life. St. Francis founded an order in the Catholic Church devoted to helping those in poverty. No other saint embodied the teaching of Christ in quite such an emblematic way. Here G. K. Chesterton gives us the definitive biography of this most amazing man. This edition is lavishly illustrated with twelve original full page illustrations by Robert Scott Crandall.

St. Francis of Assisi is perhaps the most important of the non-apostle saints. He was born to wealth and privilege in Assisi, Italy in 1181. As a youth he dreamed of military glory and lived the decadent lifestyle one would expect from of a wealthy, young Italian man. In 1202 Francis went off to war and was subsequently captured and spent a year of hardship in Collestrada as a prisoner of war. In 1205 he set off to war again, but this time God sent him a vision and he returned home and took up a religion. What followed was a most remarkable life. St. Francis founded an order in the Catholic Church devoted to helping those in poverty. No other saint embodied the teaching of Christ in quite such an emblematic way. Here G. K. Chesterton gives us the definitive biography of this most amazing man. This edition is lavishly illustrated with twelve original full page illustrations by Robert Scott Crandall.

Saint Francis is considered the first Italian poet by some literary critics. He believed commoners should be able to pray to God in their own language, and he often wrote in the dialect of Umbria instead of Latin. Francis' writing fully reflects his personality and spirituality, making them at once formidably mystic and exquisitely human. They combine great elevation of thought with much picturesqueness of expression. Through his prayers, correspondence and regulas readers will connect and unite with one of the most beloved saints of the Catholic Church.