Francis of Assisi also called Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone was born in 1181 in Assisi, Duchy of Spoleto, Holy Roman Empire. He became a devotee of troubadours and was interested in Transalpine. Around 1202, he joined a military expedition against Perugia. Over there, he was taken as a prisoner at Collestrada.
He joined at St.Peter's Basilica when he visited Rome for pilgrimage. He had a vision of Jesus Christ. In his early 20s, St. Francis left behind a life of riches and vanity to live a life of truth, love, and faith. His story is incredibly precious but his love for simplicity, humility, and service is even more precious.
In 1209, he gained eleven followers. They lived a simple life in the deserted house near Assisi. He formed the Third Order of Brothers and Sisters of Penance. It is now titled the Secular Franciscan Order.
Francis used to imitate Christ. He visited Egypt and attempted rapprochement with the Muslim world after the fall of the Crusade. Saint Francis is honored in the Church of England, the Anglican Church of Canada, the Episcopal Church USA, the Old Catholic Churches, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and other Churches on 4th October.
He is one of the most revered religious figures in Roman Catholic history. His main writings were Canticum Fratris Solis, Regula bullata, Testament, and Admonitions, Saint Francis was the first Italian poet. He died on 3rd October 1226 in Assisi, Italy.
Some of the most famous quotes by St. Francis of Assisi are as follows-
For it is in giving that we receive.
One must give first and then start to think about receiving. One who is not ready to give can never receive. One who gives gets. We can never always stand at the receiving end; we should always try to give first. Until and unless you give, you cannot gain. One should always try to give more and more. When you give, you get. You should always try to give selflessly, and eventually, you will get a lot more.
Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
One should always try to identify what he wants to do, and then he should go on to identify the possibilities and know what is possible for him to do, and then something impossible will happen eventually. We should always do the necessary first and then gradually, it will lead to wonders.
All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.
Light is much more powerful than darkness. Even a single candle has the power to remove all the darkness in the world. This shows us that we should never ever lose hope and have faith in ourselves. No matter how hard things get, we should always look at the brighter side.
Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.
We should always remember the preachings of the Gospel and Bible. We should remember them by heart like our names. It is not necessary to say it every time, but when needed, one must always try to use them.
If God can work through me, he can work through anyone.
Everybody thinks that they are the most complicated beings. They think that they have the toughest life. They consider that if God can guide and help me, he can do the same for everybody.
Few more Francis of Assisi Quotes...
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
Forgiveness lies in forgiving. When we pardon others for their mistakes, our mistakes will be forgiven too. Pardoning is a very courageous act. It takes a lot to accept that someone has done something wrong to you and move on in life.
Lord, make me an Instrument of Thy Peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.
One should always try to be the instrument of God's peace. He should try to spread goodness among others. Where there is hatred, we should try to show love, and where there is injury, we should pardon. We should always be like a messenger of God, and we should try to spread his preachings and learnings among others.
It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.
It is of no use if you think someone, someday, or something can teach you life-long lessons. There is no particular time, venue, or situation which can teach you in life. One should always be ready to learn from everything. He should be aware of what is happening around him. He should never wait for learning. Everything around us, everything we are going through, teaches us a lot.
While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.
Before talking about peace and giving teachings to others about it, we should have peace within us. Being at peace is a choice; it is a decision. One should always seek peace. He should always try to look for ways that promote and propagate peace.
Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved are that of overcoming self.
Overcoming self is one of the hardest things to do. Christ gives grace and gifts to each of us, and along with all the gifts and grace, we get the power of overcoming ourselves. One should try to accept who they are and how they are. He should never try to be stubborn and arrogant because he is not all meant to be like that.
Continue reading some of the best Francis of Assisi Quotes...
A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.
A little hope can do wonders. One should always have faith in God. A single sunbeam is enough. A little hope; a little light at the end of the tunnel can drive away all the evil and dark forces. All the worries that we have can be removed or forgotten once we try to focus on the cloud's silver lining.
If a superior give any order to one who is under him which is against that man's conscience, although he does not obey it yet he shall not be dismissed.
The hierarchy at the workplace has always been an issue for everyone. Often the superior officers are found to disrespect and compel the junior officers to do certain works. This kind of discrimination should be disregarded everywhere. One should always maintain a cordial relationship with his workmates. There shouldn't be any feud between them. If a superior gives an order to his junior, it is up to him to obey it. One can never force someone to do something. It's their conscience, and it is their call.
Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance.
Charity and wisdom are the two important traits in a man's life. When a man does charity, and he is wise, neither fear nor ignorance can pervade in his life. One should always try to gain knowledge and learn as much as one can. He should try to do charity. He should try to donate to the needy and poor. He should try to do what's good for him. He should try to do good to others.
We must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh. Rather, we must be simple, humble, and pure.
One should always be wise and cunning from the outside but simple, humble, and pure from the inside. A pure heart and a simple way of living can take a person to achieve greater heights in life. One should always be very down to earth and should never do wrong to others.
Just a few more Francis of Assisi Quotes....
Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love.
One should always try to spread love. He should never run after love. He should be bothered about how much love he can spread among others. We should never be concerned about our needs and goals. One should love others and then look out for love.
It is not fitting, when one is in God's service, to have a gloomy face or a chilling look.
When one is in God's service, he should never think about his worries or have a chilling look. When you are sitting before God, you should never think about anything else. He should be at peace. He should be completely engrossed in devotion. He should never have a gloomy face or a chilling look. He should be like a child in front of his father.
