a biography of Saint Francis of Assisi - 1 - his background, family and cluture and history

1. Saint Francis of Assisi, part 1
His Family and Culture

2. The Historical and Cultural Background

3. In the twelfth century there were fundamental changes in the society of the time:
-the beginning of the Crusades and -the demographic increase, among other reasons,
influenced in the increase of trade and -the development of cities

4. COMMERCE ROUTES IN
EUROPE IN THE LOWER
MIDDLE AGES

5. the bourgeois (artisans,
merchants, liberal
professionals and
businessmen) began to have
possibilities of social
advancement, commerce and
banking grew dominated by
the constant desire for profit.

7. FLORENCE

8. THE CRUZADES

9. The Catholic Church,
the protagonist of that
time, was also
influenced by the new
wealth: there were
many criticisms of
some of its ministers
who were more
concerned with wealth
and their political
relations of
convenience. Due to
this, various religious
movements arose in
rejection of the
growing opulence of
the ecclesiastical
hierarchy at that time,
or were dedicated to
living more in
accordance with the
postulates of a poor
and evangelical life.

10. Some of them thrived outside the institution and lived in their own way;
such movements were condemned to the point of being considered heretics,
as the case of the Cathars who preached among other things the rejection of
the material world, and of the sacraments, of images and of the cross.

11. other religious families
such as those created
by Saint Francis of Assisi
and Saint Dominic de
Guzmán - were born
under submission to
Catholic authority and
their members were
known by the generic
name of “mendicant
monks.” This movement
increased the practice
of vowing poverty

12. their members no longer
lived from working the
land like the Cistercians
reformed by Saint Bernard
of Clairvaux, but they even
gave up to own property.
Thus the mendicant orders
They ended up playing a
major role in the life of the
Church, by driving most
Catholics away from the
pursuit of opulence

13. His Family and Youth

14. Francis was born in Assisi, Italy in 1181 or 1182. His father Pedro Bernardone
was a merchant and his mother Pica belonged to a noble family.

15. His father traded a lot with France and when his son was born he was
out of the country. The people nicknamed the child "Francesco" (the
Frenchman) although he had received the name "Juan" at his baptism.

16. The boy received a good education from
his mother. He went to the school of his
parish, Saint George. He learned Latin.

17. and at 14 he
started working
in the store of
his father,
showing skills
as a trader

18. He had a fondness for the French language
and the songs of the troubadours.

19. He had no qualms
about spending
money when he
was in the
company of his
friends, on his
periodic rambles,
or in giving lavish
alms; like any son
of a potentate he
had ambitions of
being successful.

20. The wars
In his youthful
years the city was
already involved in
conflicts to claim
its autonomy from
the Holy Roman
German Empire.

21. Since 1198 the pontificate was in conflict with the Empire,
and Francis was part of the papal army under the orders
of Walter de Brienne against the Germans.

22. Innocent III gave a decisive impulse to
the consolidation and enlargement of the
Papal States. He definitively subdued the
Roman municipal estate and deprived the
senate of the city of powers. He regained
full control of those territories belonging
to the patrimony of Saint Peter that the
emperor had handed over to Germanic
leaders, expelling the usurpers of
Romagna, the Marquisate of Ancona, the
Duchy of Spoleto and the cities of Assisi
and Sora. By force of arms, preceded by
ecclesiastical excommunication, the
disputed territories were seized that had
constituted the possessions of Countess
Matilde of Tuscany and that, presumably,
had been bequeathed as an inheritance
to the Holy See, but which remained in
possession of vassals of the emperor.
In this way he obtained the recognition
by the cities of Tuscany of his sovereignty,
and with it the north of Italy shook the
Germanic rule and fell under the orbit
of the pontifical authority.

23. When Francisco was 16
years old, the “popolo”, as
the merchant and the new
generation of leaders
were called, rebelled
against the nobles of
Assisi (1198 AD).
The last vestige of feudal
rule was replaced by the
"commune" of the city-
state of Assisi.
Loyalty to the Emperor
was replaced by nominal
loyalty to the Papal State

24. The noble families
of Assisi, probably
including the family
of the young woman
who would become
Saint Clare of Assisi,
fled to Perugia, the
ancient enemy of
Assisi, through the
Spoleto valley.
While the people of
Assisi thought it was
the ultimate victory,
it was nothing more
than a pause in
the conflict.

25. from 1201 Assisi engaged in another war against Perugia, supported
by the exiled nobles of Assisi. At the battle of Ponte San Giovanni, in November
1202, Francisco was taken prisoner and held captive for at least a year.

26. His convertion

27. Returning from Perugia he fell
seriously ill. When he recovered,
he decided go to fight in the army.

28. He bought expensive
armor and a cloak that
he gave to a poorly
dressed knight
PERUGIA
COLLESTRADA site of the battle

29. His conversion started
on a trip to Apulia (1205)
while marching to fight,
during the night he heard a
voice that recommended that
he return to Assisi. He did so
and returned to the surprise of
those who saw him, always
jovial but now wrapped in
solitary meditations.

30. He stopped
fighting and
returned to his old
life but not taking
it so lightly.
He devoted
himself to prayer
and after a while
he had the
inspiration to sell
all his goods

31. One day his friends saw
him in a state of stillness
and peace. They asked
him if he was thinking
of getting married,
to which he replied:
You are correct, I am going
to marry, and the woman
with whom I am going to
be engaged is so noble,
so rich, so good, that none
of you saw another like
her. …the Lady whom he
was referring to was
poverty

32. He spent some
days in prayer and
fasting. He returned
to his town and was
so disfigured and
badly dressed that
people made fun of
him as if he were
crazy.

33. He realized that the spiritual battle begins with
mortification and victory over instincts. One day in Gubbio,
he found a leper who asked for alms and he gave him a kiss.

34. One day, an image of
Jesus Christ crucified in
the collapsed church of
Saint Damien, spoke to
him and He asked him
to repair his Church
that was in ruins.
He decided to go and
sell his horse and some
clothes from his father's
shop to have money to
fix the Church of
Saint Damien.

35. He went there and
offered the priest his
money and asked his
permission to stay and
live with him. The pastor
told him that he could
stay, but that he could
not accept his money

36. The break with his father

37. His father took
him home and
beat him
furiously,
shackled his feet
and locked him
in a room
(Francis was then
25 years old).

38. His mother released him and he went to San Damian. His father went to
look for him there and beat him up and told him to go home or returen
his inheritance and pay him the price of the dresses he had sold from his
store. Francis had no problem giving up the inheritance and the money
for the clothes but said that it belonged to God and the poor.

39. His father forced
him to go with
him to the
bishop of Assisi
who suggested
he return the
money and put
his trust in God.

40. Francis then returned the clothes he was wearing to his father since they belonged to
him. His father left very hurt - Francis proclaimed that from now on God was his true
Father,

41. and the bishop
gave Saint Francis
an old farmer's
dress that he had
to which Saint
Francis marked
with a cross with
using a piece of
chalk and then
put it on.

42. LIST OF PRESENTATIONS IN ENGLISH
Revised 17-1-2021
Advent and Christmas – time of hope and peace
Amoris Laetitia – ch 1 – In the Light of the Word
Amoris Laetitia – ch 2 – The Experiences and Challenges of Families
Amoris Laetitia – ch 3 - Looking to Jesus, the Vocation of the Family
Amoris Laetitia – ch 4 - Love in Marriage
Amoris Laetitia – ch 5 – Love made Fruitfuol
Amoris Laetitia – ch 6 – Some Pastoral Perspectives
Amoris Laetitia – ch 7 – Towards a better education of children
Amoris Laetitia – ch 8 – Accompanying, discerning and integrating weaknwss
Amoris Laetitia – ch 9 – The Spirituality of Marriage and the Family
Beloved Amazon 1ª – A Social Dream
Beloved Amazon 2 - A Cultural Dream
Beloved Amazon 3 – An Ecological Dream
Beloved Amazon 4 - An Ecclesiastical Dream
Carnival
Christ is Alive
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 1 – Church and Family today
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 2 - God’s plan for the family
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 1 – family as a Community
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 2 – serving life and education
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 3 – mission of the family in society
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 4 - Family in the Church
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 4 Pastoral familiar
Football in Spain
Haurietis aquas – devotion to the Sacred Heart by Pius XII
Holidays and Holy Days
Holy Spirit
Holy Week – drawings for children
Holy Week – glmjpses of the last hours of JC
Inauguration of President Donald Trump
Juno explores Jupiter
Laudato si 1 – care for the common home
Laudato si 2 – Gospel of creation
Laudato si 3 – Human roots of the ecological crisis
Laudato si 4 – integral ecology
Laudato si 5 – lines of approach and action
Laudato si 6 – Education y Ecological Spirituality
Love and Marriage 1-
Love and Marriage 2 – growing up to sexual maturity
Love and Marriage 3 – psychological differences and complimentarity
Love and Marriage 4- causes of sexual attraction
Love and Marriage 5- freedom and intimacy
Love and Marriage 6 - human love
Love and Marriage 7 - destiny of human love
Love and Marriage 8- marriage between Christian believers
Love and Marriage 9 – sacrament of marriage
Lumen Fidei – ch 1,2,3,4
Medjugore Pilgrimage
Misericordiae Vultus in English
Mother Teresa of Calcuta – Saint
Pope Franciss in Thailand
Pope Francis in Japan
Pope Francis in Sweden
Pope Francis in America
Pope Francis in the WYD in Poland 2016
Querida Amazonia
Resurrection of Jesus Christ –according to the Gospels
Russian Revolution and Communismo 3 civil war 1918.1921
Russian Revolution and Communism 1
Russian Revolution and Communismo 2
Saint Joseph
Saint Patrick and Ireland
Signs of hope
Sunday – day of the Lord
Thanksgiving – History and Customs
The Body, the cult – (Eucharist)
Valentine
Vocation – mconnor@legionaries.org
Way of the Cross – drawings for children
For commentaries – email – mflynn@legionaries.org
Fb – Martin M Flynn
Donations to - Congregazione di Legionari di Cristo
BANCO - 03069 INTESA SANPAOLO SPA
Conto corrente - IT89T0306909606 100000139496-EUR-CA CATANIA
IBAN: ES3700491749852910000635

43. LISTA DE PRESENTACIONES EN ESPAÑOL
Revisado 17-1-2021
Abuelos
Adviento y Navidad, tiempo de esperanza
Amor y Matrimonio 1 - 9
Amoris Laetitia – ch 1 – A la luz de la Palabre
Amoris Laetitia – ch 2 – Realidad y Desafíos de las Familias
Amoris Laetitia – ch 3 La mirada puesta en Jesús: Vocación de la Familia
Amoris Laetitia – ch 4 - El Amor en el Matrimonio
Amoris Laetitia – ch 5 – Amor que se vuelve fecundo
Amoris Laetitia – ch 6 – Algunas Perspectivas Pastorales
Amoris Laetitia – ch 7 – Fortalecer la educacion de los hijos
Amoris Laetitia – ch 8 – Acompañar, discernir e integrar la fragilidad
Amoris Laetitia – ch 9 – Espiritualidad Matrimonial y Familiar
Carnaval
Cristo Vive
Domingo – día del Señor
El camino de la cruz de JC en dibujos para niños
El Cuerpo, el culto – (eucarisía)
Espíritu Santo
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 1 – iglesia y familia hoy
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 2 - el plan de Dios para la familia
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 1 – familia como comunidad
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 2 – servicio a la vida y educación
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 3 – misión de la familia en la sociedad
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 3 – 4 - participación de la familia en la iglesia
Familiaris Consortio (FC) 4 Pastoral familiar
Fátima – Historia de las Apariciones de la Virgen
Feria de Sevilla
Haurietis aquas – el culto al Sagrado Corazón
Hermandades y cofradías
Hispanidad
Laudato si 1 – cuidado del hogar común
Laudato si 2 – evangelio de creación
Laudato si 3 – La raíz de la crisis ecológica
Laudato si 4 – ecología integral
Laudato si 5 – líneas de acción
Laudato si 6 – Educación y Espiritualidad Ecológica
Lumen Fidei – cap 1,2,3,4
Madre Teresa de Calcuta – Santa
María y la Biblia
Medjugore peregrinación
Misericordiae Vultus en Español
Papa Francisco en Bulgaria
Papa Francisco en Rumania
Papa Francisco en Marruecos
Papa Francisco en México
Papa Francisco – mensaje para la Jornada Mundial Juventud 2016
Papa Francisco – visita a Chile
Papa Francisco – visita a Perú
Papa Francisco en Colombia 1 + 2
Papa Francisco en Cuba
Papa Francisco en Fátima
Papa Francisco en la JMJ 2016 – Polonia
Queridas Amazoznia 1 un sueños social
Queridas Amazoznia 2 un suepo cultural
Queridas Amazoznia 3 un seuños ecologico
Queridas Amazoznia 4 un sueño eclesial
Resurrección de Jesucristo – según los Evangelios
Revolución Rusa y Comunismo 1, 2, 3
San Francisco de Asis 1,2,3,4
San José
San Juan de la Cruz
San Padre Pio de Pietralcina
Santiago Apóstol
Semana santa – Vistas de las últimas horas de JC
Vacaciones Cristianas
Valentín
Virgen de Guadalupe
Vocación – www.vocación.org
Vocación a evangelizar
Para comentarios – email – mflynn@lcegionaries.org
fb – martin m. flynn
Donations to - Congregazione di Legionari di Cristo
BANCO - 03069 INTESA SANPAOLO SPA
Conto corrente - IT89T0306909606 100000139496-EUR-CA CATANIA
IBAN: ES3700491749852910000635