Reading Notes: Saint Francis of Assisi, Reading B

Saint Francis was possessed with a "magic charm," which was his smile. His smile grew from love, and it embodied all that he did and everyone that he passed. Everything coming from Saint Francis was thought to be good, because of this smile of comfort and generosity. Like many of his peers, Saint Francis was a beggar. He was poor, homeless, ill and often hungry. He had every reason not to smile, but he described that being a servant of God was enough for him to be happy. Others were not able to do the same, which made him stand out.


Saint Francis was not only happy against all odds, he also was not afraid of the creatures of the world. He was not afraid of these animals, and they trusted him in return. He was a joyful poet, yet there was no one in a worse place as Francis. He had no food, no money, nowhere to sleep, yet he wanted to be poor this way because Christ was poor and he wanted to live just like him. He embodied wisdom in its simplest form, and no one could resist him. Saint Francis was remembered this way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Being happy amongst so many hardships would be very difficult. Saint Francis could have been a downer like the rest of the people around him, but he refused. I wonder if Saint Francis would be seen differently today, had he accepted the gifts that were offered to him. He kept wanting to be poor because he knew that his master was once poor, but what if he had such a helpless life, then went from rags to riches? Would he continue being happy and modest, or would he then boast and become conceited? 


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