Saint Francis with No Fear

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I find it amazing that Saint Francis of Assisi was not afraid of death. Inspiring, and he left a great legacy. As incredible and empowering as his words were, they are remembered today. In some Churches we have elderly persons who may be afraid. Then, in some places around the world a noble death was considered an entrance into their form of Heaven. Today, we have militaries which also speak of a death with very much honor.

I am glad to have put certain remarks far away from me in questioning what judgement means… but isn’t that close to an “all seeing eye” to walk without faith of being redeemed? We are redeemed, and one of my favorite sayings from Church is “rejoice and be glad!”
 
I read somewhere that St Francis had a terrible temper and no patience, that he prayed on it daily; me too, that is why I ask him to pray for me daily, but especially when I feel my patience are being tried. So far, so good, but still to many lapses.
 
With respect to death, back in St. Francis’ day, death was much more a part of daily life than it is now, and while I’m sure people didn’t rush to meet it with open arms, it was much more of an immediate possibility for most people, so dealing with it by trying to stay in God’s good graces and then trying not to worry about it made sense.

I was recently in a church basement that was decorated entirely with kids’ wall murals of various holy events, most of which involved St. Francis. Here’s my favorite one - St. Francis taming the wolf.

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Woah, that picture is really different from what I’m used to
 
There were a whole bunch of different ones, all painted by kids. I’ll spare you the one of the Crusades…it made me simultaneously be a bit horrified and want to chuckle out loud in the church.
 
Hi!

Actually, from what I’ve read, St. Francis was not only not afraid of death but he courted her as poverty; he actually called her “sister” (both poverty and death); yet, the thing about this was not that he was a tough guy (having been a knight) but that he had come to understand his relationship with Jesus as St. Paul had (‘to me to die is gain–I have these two issues: to die and be with Jesus or to remain and continue to Teach you’ [paraphrased]); it is in this scenario that St. Francis courts death.

I don’t fully understand your closing paragraph… but if you are stating that we may fall into the sin of presumption (thinking we “know” as God Knows) by not being fearful of death… no, not if we understand that our Salvation is Hidden in Christ, that to us to Live is Christ and to die is Christ!

Maran atha!

Angel
 
JoeVig said:
I read somewhere that St Francis had a terrible temper and no patience, that he prayed on it daily
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Hi, Joe!

I’ve never heard of that.

I read that he, towards his last years, sought solitude in his prayer life and that he hid his experiences of “ecstasy” from the other Monks as he did not want them to consider him more virtuous or pious than the rest of them.

Maran atha!

Angel
 
What would cause you to be horrified, are these not the depiction of elementary-age kids?

Maran atha!

Angel
 
But at the end of St. Francis’ life he was not afraid. Isn’t it because Jesus didn’t want us to be afraid which many can struggle with?

I have a close friend who is so expressive of his love for The Lord it’s inspirational. Somebody mentioned St. Paul and he was completely on a mission. It is so obvious that he was on another level and I often think “what would it be like to meet him?” Just amazing, truly.
 
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