St. Francis of Assisi: The Rich Kid Who Gave Everything Away
He had money, parties, and the finest clothes in town. He traded it all for a patched robe and became the happiest man in Italy.
The Party King of Assisi
Francis was the son of the richest cloth merchant in Assisi. He wore the best clothes, threw the best parties, and dreamed of becoming a famous knight.
Then the dream fell apart. He rode off to war, got captured, and spent a year in prison. He came home sick and quiet. The parties didn't feel like fun anymore.
One day, praying alone in a crumbling old chapel called San Damiano, Francis heard Jesus speak from the crucifix: Francis, rebuild my church, which you see is falling into ruin.
Francis looked around at the broken walls and took it literally. He started hauling stones.
Giving It All Back
Francis sold some of his father's cloth to pay for the repairs. His father was furious, and dragged him in front of the bishop and the whole town to demand his money back.
Francis gave back the money. Then he kept going. He took off his fine clothes, folded them, and handed them over too. From now on, he said, my Father is in heaven.
He walked away in a borrowed work shirt, owning nothing. And here's the strange part: he was happy. Freer than he'd ever been. Other young men saw it and left everything to join him. That little band became the Franciscans, and they're still all over the world today.
Brother Wolf and the First Nativity
Francis treated all of creation like family. He preached to the birds. He called the sun Brother Sun and the moon Sister Moon.
The town of Gubbio had a wolf problem. A real one. The people were terrified to leave the gates. Francis walked out, made the sign of the cross, and spoke to the wolf like a brother. The wolf lay down at his feet. The town fed the wolf, the wolf stopped hunting the town, and they lived in peace.
And one more thing you can thank Francis for: in 1223, in a cave in Greccio, he set up the very first nativity scene, with real animals and a manger, so people could see Christmas with their own eyes. Every nativity under every Christmas tree started there.
Fun Facts
- He invented the nativity scene in 1223, with a real ox and donkey
- His Canticle of the Sun calls the sun Brother Sun and the moon Sister Moon
- He's the patron saint of animals and ecology. Many parishes bless pets on his feast day, October 4.
- His nickname, Francesco, means 'the little Frenchman.' He loved to sing in French when he was happy.
- He received the stigmata, the wounds of Jesus, two years before he died
Want your child to get a letter from St. Francis? Letters from Heaven sends a hand-illustrated letter, prayer card, sticker, and saint zine to your mailbox every month.
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