Francis of Assisi – ” Brother Son Sister Moon”Ben Ngkaionper: a2/26/97Crisis and conversion:While Francis is sick and dreaming, he has images of nature which represent thehappiness and peacefulness. He also has images of war which help him understandthat it isn’t the greatest thing neither is it the most honorable.
Francis has many great conflicts with his father. Francis’ father is verymaterialistic and possessive. Francis’ father did not honorably earn the money,he bought the “loot” from the crusades for a small price and sold them to theirrightful owners for a much higher price. Father expects a lot of Francis. Heexpects Francis to be just like him a so called businessman, who is profitable,but not in an honorable way.
Francis’ father sends him to war so Francis can getbring his father back a triptych. Francis and his father have different views oflife. Francis believes in freedom, believes that a person does not have to berich to be prosperous, and he would rather be poor like Jesus then be rich,which Jesus was not. He thinks that the rich are misrepresenting Jesus becausethe rich are placing the poor behind themselves.
Francis thinks that Jesusrepresents the poor as well as the rich “all men are created equal”. Francis can’t help but to feel scared of lepers in the beginning. After all,being scared is a normal human trait. Being in a big, bulky, helmet must feelawkward. It feels like your being closed in. Francis also feels comfort.
He seesbirds as a sign of freedom. This idea helps him become independent. Francisgoing on the roof represents the feeling of freedom compared to his bed where hewas miserably enclosed. The way mass was held was inappropriate because equality was not assessed.
Thepoor were dressed in rags and they were seated as far back as possible. On theother hand, the rich were elegantly dressed and were seated right up front. Christ’s face was constructed in a rich expensive way. Christ’s eyes “opened”and Francis understood that the mass should be celebrated equally, not helddiscretely. Francis screamed “no” to the idea itself that the mass should beheld like the way it was held.
He also is saying no to the misunderstood factthat Jesus favors the rich over the poor. Francis’ father cares very much for his possessions. When Francis goes down inthe “dungeon” where slaves are making money, he feels sorry for them andrealizes that his father is not a honorable man he has slaves work in graveconditions and probably doesn’t pay them enough or doesn’t pay them at all. Herealizes the importance of human life over money. Francis’ father becomesviolent because he didn’t raise his son in a way of not caring for money.
Hewanted Francis to take over the family business. The bishop is a corrupt man. His duties include a judge and the interpreter ofthe mass. Francis believes that possessions are only material; but, a soul issomething that cannot be taken away.
The bishop lies in order to continue eatinghe says that he was praying; but, in fact he was eating. Francis’ father lies bysaying that he worked hard to get all the money for his son. This is obviouslynot true because his father wants the money for himself, and it’s not like thefather worked hard to get the money. Francis, in no way, wants his father’smoney or his birthright.
Spiritual and Ecclesial Development:Francis goes to San Damiano. He becomes the “community builder”, he helps out tobuild the place. Francis’ work song implies that it is not a job or task that hehas to do it’s a pleasure for him. Francis has many thoughts which come back toone main one the idea that a man should be free and that they should all betreated equally.
Francis’ dreams become a reality. His friends don’t understand in the beginningwhy Francis would want to become poor; but, they understand after awhile thatwealth isn’t everything and they also help him out. Bernardo feels guilty forkilling so many people in war that it doesn’t take him long to realize Francis’idea. Francis’ wants to get the message that the Emperor should “throw hisscepter in the mud” to show that u don’t need all those riches to be “rich” inlife.
Everybody hates what Francis is doing, especially the nobility, because he inactuality is right. The mass at San Damiano is the way the mass should be celebrated. There is noassigned seating place, the music is sung by anyone or anything( as the ducksare shown to be singing). Bread and animals are given at the alter to show thequality of sharing. The cross at Assisi is made with expensive items and isfully and overly expensively dressed.
The cross at San Damiano; however, issimple and is not made with expensive materials. It truthfully represents theimage of Jesus a beggar. The mass back in Assisi became less crowded. The poorwent to the mass at San Damiano and left the mass at Assisi high and dry. Paulos says that Francis is too simple because he could have so much more butyet picks too live like a beggar.
He also believes that Francis will fallbecause the pope back in Assisi can do whatever he wants to Francis and SanDamiano. He helps Francis out by getting the pope to talk to him. He places theview of the church members in order from least to greatest. The clerics of thechurch become enraged at Francis because he criticizes the pope. The pope claimsthat power and riches go along with the job.
I don’t agree with this statement. When the pope understands what Francis is talking about, then he calls Francisback in and kneels to his feet and kisses them to show that he is not higher inrank than Francis. The cardinals are just stunned and don’t understand why thepope is kneeling and kissing the feet of a beggar.Category: Religion
