Leading the monastic life into the streets of medieval Europe

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Francis was a universal person whose love extended through the limits imposed by class, religion and race. His respect and reverence for everything created led him to call animals, plants and all creation "brother" and "sister." The animals responded to their respect and love with amazing docility. While Francis crossed medieval Europe, people glimpsed how Eden should have been.

Saint Francis helped reform the Roman Catholic Church in the thirteenth century through its example of personal poverty. He simply lived the Gospel while leading monastic life to the streets. Living among the poor, his example was so compelling that he soon had thousands of followers.

Francis' great goal was to follow Jesus as closely as possible. Near the end of his life, he spent forty days in solitary prayer on the mountain Alverna. During this time he asked Jesus to experience, as much as he could, the love, pain and sorrow that Jesus had experienced in his passion. In response to his prayer, he received the stigmata: wounds on the hands, feet and sides. The wounds remained, never healing, for the rest of his life.

Before his sister death arrived, Francis asked his brothers to strip him of his sackcloth so that, in total poverty, he could receive her naked on the ground. He had lived as the troubadour of God, being for the world a bright flame by which others could read the Gospel with a new vision.