Animals, Ecology, Archaeologists, Italy, Merchants, Messengers, Metal Workers
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Go out in nature & praise God’s creation
St. Francis is the patron saint of ecology.
St. Francis loved God’s creation and saw all living things as worthy of honor. All creation is precious to God and harmoniously works together for good.
Do some gardening + dedicate your garden to St. Francis
There are many stories of first hand accounts of St. Francis preaching about animals and TO animals.
One famous story is how he preached the word of God to birds who stood silent and listened until he was finished and didn’t leave until he had blessed them.
Go bird watching. Notice the beauty in God’s most carefree creatures.
Give your pets some extra special love. Give them a treat, go for a walk with them, say a blessing over them. Call them “Brother” or “Sister” today, like St. Francis would have.
Photo by Valerie Elash on Unsplash
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
Be present to someone who’s suffering
Above everything else, St. Francis was known for his kindness to the suffering, the poor, and the outcasts of society.
Seek out someone who is struggling, and encourage them.
Send a text, give them a call, visit them, pray for them, bring them a meal.
If you notice someone suffering or asking for help, do not deny them. If you see someone experiencing homelessness, give them what you can. Lean into an encounter with your struggling brother or sister.
This prayer was most likely not written by St. Francis, though it had been attributed to him for years. As of now, the writer remains anonymous. But the prayer still reflects many of the tenets St. Francis lived out and wrote about as part of the Franciscan Order. And very much is a prayer still worth praying!
Inside the crumbling church of San Damiano, St. Francis had a pivotal encounter with Jesus. As he was kneeling in front of the crucifix, “the image of Christ crucified spoke to him. ‘Francis,’ it said, calling him by name, ‘go rebuild My house; as you see, it is all being destroyed.’”
One of the first things St. Francis did after selling all of his possessions and leaving his family home, was to physically restore the church of San Damiano, stone by stone. That church eventually became the home of the Poor Clares, run by St. Clare of Assisi.
Go to mass today.
Pray what St. Francis prayed in the crumbling church of San Damiano, “Lord, what do you wish from me?”
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St. Francis' favorite almond cookies
Eat italian
Assisi, the hometown of St. Francis, is located in the Umbria region of Italy.
Blessed Jacoba of Settesoli (1190-1273) was a follower of St. Francis of Assisi.
As Saint Francis lay dying, he sent for Blessed Jacoba and asked that she bring some of her almond cookies with her. To this day, many Franciscan communities still bake these for feast days in memory of Saint Francis.
Listen to our St. Francis playlist on Spotify for tunes that will bring you peace, tug at your heart, or make you want to dance like Francis.
“And such was the fervor of his spirit as he spoke that, unable to contain himself for joy, as he uttered the words with his mouth he moved his feet as if dancing.” - From The First Life of Francis by Thomas of Celano
keep scrolling for special discounts
Today (10/4/21) is St. Francis' feast day AND the birthday of Be A Heart owner, Erica. As a fun party game, find special discounts in the word search below.
4 codes to find:
What Erica is celebrating today 20% off your entire order when you spend $80+ (excluding bundles)
It is this saint’s feast day 15% off your order (excluding bundles)
The city in which this saint is from Receive a free Francis & Friends bandana
Make me a channel of your _______ Receive $10 off when you spend $45+
Discover your prize when you enter your code at checkout. Only one code can be used at a time. Valid today (10/4/21) only.
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