St. Francis in the Desert

This is a two-sheet rubber stamped image created by Russell Manning of Texas.  The piece has lots of intricate detail and is precisely colored with pen and ink. 


What is the significance of a desert in terms of St. Francis of Assisi? 


St. Francis of Assisi is believed to have received the stigmata -- the wounds of Christ's Crucifixion -- in 1224 during a retreat on Mount Alverna in the Apennines. In this portrait below by Giovanni Bellini (c. 1430-1516) called "St. Francis in the Desert" that he painted in 1480, it may be this event that Bellini is trying to convey through the naturalistic yet transcendental imagery of rays of light flooding the foreground from an unseen source at upper left. (Other interpretations have been offered, but this is one.)

The wilderness - or desert - of Mount Alverna is compared in early Franciscan sources to the desert of the Book of Exodus, and Moses and Aaron were seen by the Franciscans as their spiritual ancestors, who were believed to have lived again in their founder. A parallel was seen between the saint's stigmatization on Mount Alverna and Moses communion with God on Mount Horeb.


The quivering tree at upper left, shining in the mysterious light, may then be intended to recall not only the Cross but also the burning bush of Moses vision at Horeb. The landscapeof Bellini's desert is filled with marvelous details -- animals, birds, persons, plants, objects such as the skull and sandals, and strange rock formations -- that yielded hidden meanings for those who understood their importance in Franciscan literature.


The water trickling from a spout in the stones at left, for example, is compared to the miraculous fountain Moses brought forth from the rocks at Horeb, and the empty sandals behind the barefoot saint recall God's command to Moses to "put off the shoes from thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."


It is perhaps this sense of significance in all things as well as the radiant light flowing over the landscape that imbues the painting with such magical appeal.


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In another painting, St. Francis is also shown in the desert with a monk. The artist, Joachim Patinir (c.1490-c.1524 Netherlandish), painted this picture in Prado, Madrid.


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A final thought that goes back to Russell Manning's pen and ink image at the start of this post:: 
The Canticle of the Sun, also known as the Laudes Creaturarum (Praise of the Creatures), is a religious song composed by St. Francis. It was written in the Umbrian dialect of Italian, but has since been translated into many languages. It is believed to be among the first works of literature, if not the first, written in the Italian language.


The Canticle of the Sun in its praise of God thanks Him for such creations as "Brother Fire" and "Sister Water." It is an affirmation of Francis' personal theology as he often referred to animals as brothers and sisters to Mankind, rejected material accumulation and sensual comforts in favor of "Lady Poverty."


Saint Francis is said to have composed most of the canticle in late 1224 while recovering from an illness at San Damiano, in a small cottage that had been built for him by Saint Clare and other women of her order.


Within the Canticle of the Sun are the following lines:

All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Moon and Stars;

In the heavens you have made them, bright, and precious and fair.

St. Francis of Assisi...and a Call to Action

This postcard was created by Andrea Jay who lives in New York.  The image shows a person saying "It pays to advertise!"

So what is advertising?  According to Wikipedia:

"Advertising is a form of  communication intended to persuade an audience (viewers, readers, or listeners) to purchase or take some action upon products, ideas, or services.

It includes the name of a product or service and how that product or service could benefit the consumer, to persuade a target market to purchase or to consume that particular brand.

These messages are usually paid for by sponsors and viewed via various media.

Advertising can also serve to communicate an idea to a large number of people in an attempt to convince them to take a certain action."

Saint Francis of Assisi, who is most well known, is the founder of the Franciscan Order and patron saint of such things as the environment and pets. He is well known mostly because of the order which he founded after a life of richness in Assisi, his home town.

He was born to a merchant and enjoyed a rich childhood and his young adult life was plagued with sin. He eventually had a change of heart and gave up all possessions, devoting his entire life to God and poverty, as well as charity.

This poverty is still followed by his order wherein the friars or religious give up all possessions and cannot even handle money. They are a flourishing order and thus he is still well known today.

Given this information about St. Francis, what would be a call to action that one could take as we are nearing the end of 2010?  

One idea is to read the book The Lessons of St. Francis: How to Bring Simplicity and Spirituality Into Your Daily Life by John Michael Talbot or Following Francis: The Franciscan Way for Everybody by Susan Pritchford.

The first book has many suggestions about how to incorporate St. Francis' philosophy into one's everyday life via simplicity, joy, solitude, humility, creativity, community, compassion, creation, service, peace, and prayer. 

In the second book, author Susan Pitchford tells her own story of the Franciscan life as a member of the Third Order, founded by Francis himself so that people from all walks of life could follow the saint's ideal. Pitchford learned that the Franciscan tradition isn't the exclusive possession of friars or cloistered nuns, but a spiritual path for ordinary people living in the twenty-first century.

Either book should be available through your library; and would make for interesting reading and reflection.  If you are so moved, please share how you incorporate the philosophies of St. Francis into your daily life.