posted December 31, 2007 04:14 PM           

Now of course (and unfortunately) when i woke up the words quickly faded and i couldnt remember what they were. I layed in bed for a bit and tried hard to bring them back into mind. It didnt work. I've been sitting here reading his words and nothing has really rung a bell yet but i'm feeling uplifted and like this was a message/gift for me.

So here is a thread dedicated to him and his immortal words.

posted December 31, 2007 04:17 PM           

"Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words."

posted December 31, 2007 07:02 PM         

I climb the stairs in that fashion all the time.

posted December 31, 2007 08:28 PM           

MM, I was wondering who would be the first to post that prayer. hehe.

posted December 31, 2007 08:38 PM           

*memory*
Someone had let my mother borrow a book on him years ago and I picked it up once while visiting her. I opened right up to a page describing the "Tau Cross". Which i found very interesting at the time. I didnt remember that until i ran across a link on it tonight:

http://secularfranciscans.org/i1_2.html

Here are some links for further future reading:

posted December 31, 2007 08:41 PM           

St. Francis of Assisi

posted December 31, 2007 09:42 PM           

and we gazed into every heart on this earth,
and I noticed He lingered a bit longer
before any face that was
weeping,

and before any eyes that were
laughing.

And sometimes when we passed
a soul in worship

God too would kneel
down.

I have come to learn: God
adores His
creation.

__________________________________

I once spoke to my friend, an old squirrel, about the Sacraments –
he got so excited

and ran into a hollow in his tree and came
back holding some acorns, an owl feather,
and a ribbon he had found.

And I just smiled and said, "Yes, dear,
you understand:

everything imparts
His grace.

________________________________

The result of prayer is life.

posted January 01, 2008 07:16 PM           

I just turned this up.
A good read:

I have come to learn: God
adores His
creation.

God adores his creation… hold on to that, even if you forget everything else in this sermon. You are adored by God… and so is your neighbour… and the gull, and the maple, and the salmon. Adored.

Then add this second poem, “Each Soul Completes Me,” written by Hafiz, a Persian poet from the 14th century, that Sufi mystic from the Islamic tradition:

My
Beloved said,

“My name is not complete without
yours.”

I thought:
How could a human’s worth ever be such?

And God knowing all our thoughts – and all our
thoughts are innocent steps on the path –
then addressed my
heart,

God revealed
a sublime truth to the world,
when He
sang,

“I am made whole by your life. Each soul,
each soul completes
me.”

posted January 01, 2008 07:48 PM           

I've been reading Emerson's "Self-Reliance",
and there are similar themes.

About the beauty of the individual,
and how each of us completes the creation,
and each of us sings our part well,
if only we express our honest truth,
whatever it may be -
as long as it is our own.

God wants us to love Him,
just as we want to love Him.
But He also wants what we want.
If a man is pleased to curse God,
God is pleased, and curses, along with him,
then wryly passes on.

Is this true?
Without question;
it is my truth.

posted January 02, 2008 09:34 AM         

I am sure this Canticle is unrelated to your dream, but it is my favorite and wished to include it in this lovely thread!.

Saint Francis’ Canticle of All Creatures

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord,
All praise is Yours, all glory, all honour and all blessings.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour,
Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all weather’s moods,
by which You cherish all that You have made.

Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water,
So useful, humble, precious and pure.

Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You my Lord through our Sister,
Mother Earth who sustains and governs us,
producing varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.
Praise be You my Lord through those who grant pardon
for love of You and bear sickness and trial.
Blessed are those who endure in peace,
By You Most High, they will be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death,
from whom no-one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.
No second death can do them harm.

Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks,
And serve Him with great humility.

Heavenly Father,
You gave Your servant Francis
great love for each of Your creatures.
Teach us to see Your design in all of creation.
We ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Saint Francis of Assisi

------------------
~
What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world is immortal"~

posted January 02, 2008 09:48 AM         

Beautiful, juniperb! The poem has an Essenic essence to it...

posted January 02, 2008 10:01 AM         

Yes and it is lovely to feel the Unity of all Faiths woven thru the Canticle as well.

I always saw St Francis as wearing the sandles of all Faiths and every heart/faith could read his work and be moved.

I was always moved by the American Indian essence of it.

------------------
~
What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world is immortal"~

posted January 02, 2008 10:43 AM           

quote:

---

I always saw St Francis as wearing the sandles of all Faiths and every heart/faith could read his work and be moved.

---

very much so. for myself, i sense an underlying current of buddhism.

the squirrel and his sacraments is a favorite.

posted January 02, 2008 08:44 PM           

Especially this part:

"Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death,
from whom no-one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.
No second death can do them harm."

posted June 15, 2010 06:05 PM         

My life as of late has taken some major turns with serious ups and downs, but i'm still alive somehow.

Recently I was in an abusive situation and beat up pretty badly. At the end of it all, I was able to save two dogs from an abusive owner. One of them is now in my care, the other is in a safe home. The one in my care was a rescue that came a long way - from another abusive environment. He does not trust most people and I am working on finding us a place to live that will allow a pet because I will not send him back to a shelter where he will be traumatized even more or possibly worse - put to "sleep" because he is "aggressive". The last time he was at a shelter he was trying to bite everyone who came near him only because he was scared. Trust me, this dog is a sweetheart. If anyone approaches him, he hides behind me with his tail between his legs because he has become very distrustful of people.
Besides being away from the abuser, things are looking pretty bleak atm, but i am working on fixing it.

The first time i met this little dog, he ran up to me and sat in my lap, which suprised the owner because normally he growled at and tried to bite anyone that came near him. He is especially NOT fond of men and only some females. He follows me everywhere, sleeps with me at night, waits outside the bathroom door for me to come back out and gets distressed when i have to leave him alone.

I feel like I was brought into this situation because things may have gotten worse for these creatures and they are not able to speak for themselves so i came along and things turned out the way they did. I have always had a huge love for animals, especially dogs. I was thinking that maybe my love for animals and reserve of strength was somehow called upon unconsiously to enter into this situation and put an end to it? I'm not sure. It's the only way i can make sense of it all. This person is in jail now and I hope to make it so he can never be around animals again and has to get the help he so desperately needs.

posted June 15, 2010 07:12 PM         

I'm glad you posted, and I have some small idea of what you're talking about - there's no need to apologize for sounding dramatic.

posted June 15, 2010 09:01 PM         

I could feel the emotional intensity in your post- it's definitely hard to make sense of these things for sure, I've been put through the ringer a few times. Yes, animals really are something special and really mean something significant, especially how and in what manner they enter our lives, as they here to teach us so much. Sorry it was such a trying effort in where you were hurt.
It's hard to imagine the abuse that goes on without falling a part- it makes me think how much more the average person could do for these creatures. I have witnessed cat cruelty and my heart is still broken from it 9 years later.
You are an Angel for sure T. The bond you both have is beautiful and something that will stay a part of your spirit permanently. Sending you both my Love.