Animal Rights Quotes • Law • Humane Education • Historical Literature eBook Library: Free Full-Text eBooks • Primary Sources
Activists Against Cruelty to Animals: A » B » C » D » E » F » G » H » I » J » K » L » M » N » O » P » Q » R » S » T » U » V » W » X » Y » Z

Animal Rights History Timeline » [c485-1450] Medieval Ages » Saint Francis Assisi

Saint Francis Assisi

Thomas Celano, First Life of Saint Francis

The Spirit of Charity and the Feeling of Compassion for the Poor that Glowed in Him and What He Did With the Sheep and the Lambs

[1228-1229] Thomas of Celano, "The Spirit of Charity and the Feeling of Compassion for the Poor that Glowed in Him and What He Did With the Sheep and the Lambs," ch. 28 in The Life of Saint Francis reprinted in Francis of Assisi, Early Documents: The Saint (New York, New City Press: 1999; Google Books: Online Library of Free eBooks: Online Preview).

He was deeply troubled when he saw one of the poor insulted or heard a curse hurled at any creature.…The holy man overflowed with the spirit of charity, bearing within himself a deep sense of concern not only toward other humans in need but also toward mute, brute animals: reptiles, birds, and all other creatures whether sensate or not. But among all the different kinds of creatures, he loved lambs with a special fondness and spontaneous affection, since in Sacred Scripture the humility of our Lord Jesus Christ is frequently and rightly compared to the lamb. He used to embrace more warmly and to observe more gladly anything in which he found an allegorical likeness to the Son of God. (Saint, 248)

Once he was making a journey through the Marches of Ancona and preached the word of the Lord in the city. Then he took the road toward Osimo, with lord Paul, the one who he had appointed minister of all the brethren in that province. He came upon a shepherd in the fields pasturing a flock of goats. There was one little sheep walking humbly and grazing calmly among these may goats. When blessed Francis saw it, he stopped in his tracks, and touched with sorrow in his heart, he groaned loudly, and said to the brother accompanying him: "Do you see that sheep walking so meekly among those goats? I tell you, in the same way our Lord Jesus Chris, meek and humble, walked among the Pharisees and chief priests. So I ask you, my son, in your love for Him to share my compassion for this little sheep. After we have paid for it, let us lead this little one from the midst of these goats."

Brother Paul was truck by his sorrow and also began to feel that sorrow himself. They had nothing except the cheap tunics they wore and they were concerned about how to pay for the sheep, when suddenly a traveling merchant arrived and offered to pay for what they wanted. Taking up the sheep, the gave thanks to God and after reaching Osimo made their way to the bishop of the city, who received them with great reverence. Now the lord bishop was surprised both at the sheep the man of God was leading and at the affection for it that was leading him to do this. But when the servant of Christ recounted the long parable of the sheep, the bishop was touched in his heart by the purity of the man of God, and gave thanks to God.

The next day, on leaving the city, the man of God began to wonder what to do with the sheep. On the advice of his companion and brother, he entrusted it to the care of the maidservants of Christ in the cloister of San Severino, The venerable servants of Christ gladly received the little sheep as a great gift from God. They devotedly cared for the sheep for a long time and made a tunic from its wool, a tunic they sent to the blessed father Francis at the church of Saint Mary of the Portiuncual at the time of a chapter meeting. The holy man of God received the tunic with great reverence and high spirits, hugging and kissing it, and invited all those around him to share this great joy. (Saint, 248-50)