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The aspect of Francis' spirituality, which this paper will try to explore, is the Eucharist and the enormous significance this sacrament held for him. In chapter CL11 of "The Second Life of St Francis" Celano writes that "Francis burned with a love that came from his whole being for the sacrament of the Lord's body…". Celano goes on to tell us that Francis attended Mass daily whenever possible and received Holy Communion frequently, "…with such devotion that he made others also devout."
There can be no doubt that the Eucharist was the central part of Francis' spirituality for in this sacrament he encountered the reality of Christ and his love for mankind; in addition, the Mass was important to him because he heard the Gospel proclaimed and participated in the commemoration of Christ's death on the cross.
Francis of Assisi (118-16) was a medieval man who had a limited formal education; for instance he probably composed his letters rather than wrote them himself. He was not a scholar or a theologian.
Francis lived in an era where "…there was appearing, almost everywhere, a kind of passionate straining towards the pure ideal of the Gospel". There was a general atmosphere of dissatisfaction with monastic life, a demand for a purer preaching of the Gospel, and reform of the secular clergy, many of whom were wealthy and lazy. In response to the lacily of many secular clerics and the rigidity and luxury of monastic life, nonconformist movements arose which focused on penitence and poverty. Such groups as the Cathars, the Albigensians and the Waldensians advocated, "lay preaching" and "apostolic poverty" as ways to return to basic Gospel values. These groups soon found themselves regarded as heretical when their doctrines grew ever more extreme and conflicted with official Church beliefs.
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Francis on the other hand, though inspired by a similar motivation to embrace utter poverty of spirit and a simple, humble life of service in the Lord's name, remained always obedient to the Church authority, and frequently sought guidance from his advocate and friend, The Bishop of Assisi. Francis and his followers lived their lives of poverty and penance within the Church and in complete compliance to Papal directives. Francis was never doubted that the Catholic Church "…was the upholder and guardian of the truth. He thought her doctrine irrefutable and her faith the only guarantee for salvation of man (1Cee 6)"
Given St Francis' strong loyalty and love for the Church, it follows that for him as for the Church at large, the central act for worship was the Mass. In his desire to follow absolutely a way of life based on that of Jesus Christ, he found in the mystery of the Eucharist the inspiration to pursue his calling. In the Eucharist he met his crucified Lord, his humble Lord, and above all, his loving Lord. The reverence with which Francis regarded the Eucharist stemmed from his "…deep Theological insight into meaning. In it he discovered all that was required as the foundation for his life of penance. His love for this mystery grew out of his realization through faith that in it the whole redemptive work of God for us is once more made visible and tangible."
To discover what Francis actually taught and practiced regarding the Eucharist there is no better place to look than his writings. In the first of the Admonitions, entitled "The Blessed Sacrament", Francis pets out simply and unequivocally his belief that the bread and wine consecrated on the alter by the priest become the "most holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ." Speaking of Christ's humanity in this sacrament Francis states that "He shows himself to us in this sacred bread just as he once appeared to his apostles in real flesh." And again he says "We, too, with our own eyes, see only bread and wine, but we must see further and firmly believe that this is his most holy Body and Blood, living and true." For Francis there is no doubt the sacramental bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ as every Mass. This belief compliments Francis' devotion to the person of Jesus. As Ilia Delis states in his article "Francis and the Body of Christ"; "The emphasis on the body and blood of Christ points to the humanity of Christ, the real flesh and blood of God's presence upon earth."
There was no more sacred, significant meaningful or precious part of Francis' day that his attendance at Mass, daily Mass was a practice he urged upon his friars. In a letter, which Francis sent to a general chapter towards the end of his life when his followers included priests, he gives the following counsel
And so this is my advice, this is my earnest request in the Lord That in the places where the friars live only one Mass a day be said in the rite of the holy Church. If there are several priests in a place, each should be glad for the love of charity to have assisted at the celebration of the other.
The humility of Francis was one of the many ways he put into practice his calling to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. He was profoundly attracted by Christ's humility and poverty; for instance Jesus' birth in the most basic of human circumstances moved him deeply. But above all else the mystery of Christ in the Eucharist was a marvel almost beyond words for him. In another section of his "Letter to a General Chapter" Francis expresses this as follows
O sublime humility! O humble sublimity! That the Lord of the whole universe, God and the Son of God, should humble himself like this and hide under the form of a little bread, for our salvation.
Being awestruck by Christ's real presence during the celebration of The Mass did not deter Francis from frequently receiving Communion. In this regard he behaved somewhat differently from hi contemporaries, for in the early thirteenth century, frequent Communion was not the normal practice, even amongst monks and nuns. Francis' desire to embrace the reality of Jesus in the Eucharist (as often as possible) runs parallel to his intense devotion to the humanity of Jesus Christ and his desire to follow his personal Savior as intimately as he could. It is not surprising that writers about Francis remark on the respect and veneration towards the reserved Eucharist and his concern that the blessed sacrament be stored in suitable places, that chalices and other items used at Mass be treated with car and reverence, along with the written word of God. It would seem that in Francis' time carelessness and even disrespect in these matters occurred quite often and Francis was at pains to connect practices, which seemed so unworthy to him. There occurs in Francis' own writings a number of instances when he urges greater respect; for instance the "Letter to all Superiors of The Friars Minor", the "Letter to a General Chapter" and the "Letter to all Clerics". In his "testament", written not long before his death, Francis repeats his teaching "Above everything else, I want this most holy Sacrament to be honored and venerated and reserved in places which are richly ornamented".
It follows that Francis had enormous respect for all priests and there are many expressions of this in his writings. Admonition XXVI has Francis stating that The Clergy "…are in privileged position because they have change of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ…" Celano's "Second Life of St Francis" describes the saint as often saying that if he should have the opportunity to meet a saint from heaven and a poor priest he, Francis, "…would first show honor to the priest and quickly go to kiss his hands" . Whereas to the saint Francis would say "Wait, St Lawrence, for the hands of this one touch the Word of Life, and have something about them that is more than human" . This shows how deeply Francis believed that at the Eucharist the Word of Life becomes flesh among us, irrespective of whether the priest is a worthy on or not . Such faith impresses deeply despite the distance of eight hundred years because of the sincerely of Francis' words both written and reported.
What does Francis' attitude to the Eucharist have to offer to Christians of the Third millennium? I believe that in the first place Christians of today could learn from Francis' sense of awe and reverence regarding the Eucharist. Secondly, Francis' understanding that the Eucharist ideally invited one to live a Eucharistic life is relevant in all eras. Thirdly, Francis' emphasis on peace and joy could well begin for modern men and women with the Eucharist, the sacrament of unity.
Modern Christians are capable of being as neglectful and irreverent towards the Eucharist as Francis' contemporaries. Believing as we do, that we live in a more sophisticated age than Francis and having the benefit of centuries of education and theological study about the Eucharist available to us, as well as a multitude of other spiritualities which may enrich us, perhaps the centrality of the Eucharist to our lives is not like it was to Francis. Francis' beliefs were not couched in theological terms because he was a man simplicity, yet his belief that the Mass connected him in a real and personal and intimate way to the person of Jesus Christ is so lucidly expressed so often in his writings, that we must conclude that this sacrament was central to his life, that it was supremely important over and above all his other beliefs and religious activities. The wonder of this sacrament was never diminished in Francis' eyes. Today's custom of receiving Communion at every Mass, unlike the practice in Francis' day, could perhaps have contributed to an attitude of greater familiarly and lesser reverence. That which has become routine in today's busy world can also have lost its luster of awe and mystery. I believe St. Francis sets a great example for us today.
Just as Jesus Christ lived his life for all, so did Francis in his wish to follow and imitate Christ. Francis' original ministry to the lepers who were society's outcasts, was inspired and sustained by his faith that in the Eucharist he was embraced by Jesus Christ and thereby invited to embrace all he encountered, especially the poor, the sick, the untouchable, those whom Jesus has sought out in his life time. This idea cannot be less relevant in 00 than in the thirteenth century. The Eucharist joins us to all our sisters and brothers and invites us to live out this relationship in daily life, as Francis did so perfectly. Ilia Delis expresses this in following way
If Eucharist means finding oneself internally related to every other, including one's enemies, and embracing the other in love, than it is indeed the source of a truly catholic personality and the seed of a new creation, whereby all humanity is bound in a unity of love.
The example of Francis as a man who so extolled the blessings of peace and joy can be an inspiration in this third millennium where we daily encounter disunity, inequality, social injustice, war and all degrees of enmity. The Eucharist, which Francis saw as the sacrament of unity, remains that today, if we adopt this consciousness. Francis found in the Mass his main source of love, peace and joyful self-giving, always aware that these were the gifts of the Jesus he encountered there. Could not these same gifts transform whatever situation we may be in on a personal level, and assist to bring healing to our imperfect world?Please note that this sample paper on St Francis of Assisi is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on St Francis of Assisi, we are here to assist you. Your cheap custom college papers on St Francis of Assisi will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.
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