The Stories We Tell

Oh, the stories we tell about St. Francis. 

St. Francis died in 1226 and was declared a saint in 1228. There are more than 100 stories about him. Gathering the stories together took some time. Thomas of Celano and St. Bonaventure did all the heavy lifting. St. Bonaventure was given the task of writing the official biography in 1260. He finished in 1263. You can find the complete list of the stories on pages 1638 to 1648 in the Francis of Assisi: Writings and Early Biographies: English Omnibus of the Sources for the Life of St. Francis. by Marion A. Habig.

The Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi was built between 1228 and 1253. The early Franciscans decided to tell 28 of the stories in large frescoes that were created from 1297 to 1300 for the Upper Church of the Basilica. 

I found this helpful blogpost from 2014 by Theresa Doyle-Nelson that describes all 28 frescoes in the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, in Assisi, Italy. Wikipedia also has an informative page with pictures of all 28 frescoes. (If you would rather read a book about the frescoes, then look for The Story of St. Francis of Assisi in Twenty-eight Scenes, by Timothy Verdon, a Catholic priest and renowned art historian.) 

Curious, I did some more searching on the Internet. I found a web page describing the frescoes for Franciscan monastery church in Montefalco built between 1336 and 1340. It was decorated in 1450-52 with 12 frescos displaying 19 scenes from the life of St. Francis. 

Some, but not all, stories persist. 

Just for the heck of it, I asked ChatGPT, an AI program, for a list of the 12 most popular stories about St. Francis. Below is the list generated by ChatGPT:

The Wolf of Gubbio: St. Francis tamed a ferocious wolf that was terrorizing the town of Gubbio, persuading it to make peace with the townspeople.

The Sermon to the Birds: Francis preached to a flock of birds, demonstrating his love for all creatures and belief in the interconnectedness of creation.

The Christmas Nativity Scene: Francis is credited with creating the first Christmas nativity scene to help people visualize the birth of Jesus.

The Stigmata: Francis received the stigmata (the wounds of Christ) during a mystical experience on Mount La Verna.

The Renunciation of Wealth: Francis famously renounced his wealth and embraced a life of poverty, inspiring countless followers to do the same.

The Canticle of the Sun: Francis composed this poetic hymn praising God's creation and expressing gratitude for all living beings.

The Encounter with Sultan Malik al-Kamil: During the Fifth Crusade, Francis met with the Sultan of Egypt, promoting peace and dialogue between Christians and Muslims.

Rebuilding the Church of San Damiano: Francis believed he was called to "rebuild" the Church, starting with the neglected church of San Damiano.

The Parting of Francis and Clare: St. Clare, founder of the Poor Clares, was inspired by Francis and they shared a deep bond of friendship and spiritual kinship.

The Forgiveness of Brother Leo: Francis forgave Brother Leo for accidentally revealing a secret to some friars, demonstrating his commitment to humility and forgiveness.

The Rule of St. Francis: Francis founded the Franciscan Order and authored a simple rule of life emphasizing poverty, humility, and obedience.

The Encounter with a Leper: Francis's act of embracing and caring for a leper symbolizes his radical commitment to serving the marginalized and embodying Christ's love.

Again, some, but not all, stories persist. There are even a few new ones. Furthermore, the interpretation of some the old stories have changed over time. 

Over the next few months, I hope to continue to explore this topic some more. I want to identify the stories that have endured, those that did not, and what stories are important to me. Reflect on how the stories that are important to me are affecting my day-to-day experience. How am I making them concrete, actual, or instantiated? And answer a question: What stories would I tell someone about St. Francis?