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

Life of Saint Francis

Julian of Speyer

IX. His Love For All Creatures on Account of His Love for the Creator; and How He Showed Great Reverence of the Name of the Lord and His Words; and HIs Compassion for the Poor.

[12 32-1235] Julian of Speyer, "IX. His Love For All Creatures on Account of His Love for the Creator; and How He Showed Great Reverence of the Name of the Lord and His Words; and His Compassion for the Poor," 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).

The mind of Blessed Francis was filled with such great sweetness of divine love that, because he saw the marvelous work of the Creator in all things, he abounded in the greatest tenderness of piety toward all creatures. Yet, among those creatures, the ones he especially loved were those like sheep, which he saw to be of a simpler and gentler nature, and whose names he had heard in the Scriptures, representing Christ because of their likeness to him.

Once, while he was going through the Marches of Ancona with Brother Paul, whom he had appointed minister he saw a lone little lamb grazing among a large flock of goats. At the site of this, he sighed deeply and said to Brother Paul: "Do you not see that little sheep walking alone and simply among the goats? Thus did Our Lord Jesus Christ, innocent, meek and humble, walk among the scribes, Pharisees and the chief priests. Let us, my dear son, pay the price and lead this lamb from the midst of that flock of goats."

While they stood troubled, since they had nothing but their mean tunics with which to buy the sheep, a passing merchant freely offered to do so and, having paid the price, he left the sheep with the holy man. Joyfully he took the sheep with him to the city of Osimo, to which he was making his way and where he stopped as a guest of the bishop of the place. To the bishop who was wondering why he was leading a lamb, he narrated a long parable about it, until the bishop, who was mightily struck by the purity of this simple man of God, gave thanks to the Most High. The following day the man of God went to a cloister of the Ladies at San Severino, where he left the lamb with these servants of Christ. Devotedly receiving it out of reverence for the holy man, they diligently fed it for a long time, until at last waving a tunic from its wool, they sent it to the blessed man: a most acceptable gift from "Brother Lamb."

Another time when he was traveling with Brother Paul though the same Marches, he came upon a man who was carrying tow lambs on his shoulders to sell. When the pious father heard their bleating, he was moved to the core of his being and, approaching them in a kindly manner, he petted them as a mother would stroke her crying children. Moreover, he said to the man: "Why do you torture my brother lambs by tying them up and hanging them?" The man answered that he was taking them to market to get money that he needed. When the saint asked what would become of the lambs, and was told they would be slaughtered, he said: "Perish the thought! Better than you should take the mantle that is covering me, and release my brother lambs to me!" The man readily agreed. The mantle was of much greater value than the lambs. The man of God had been forced to borrow it that same day from a faithful friend on account of the cold. Accepting the lambs, he became troubled about what to do with them, and, finally, talking it over with his brother companion, he gave them into the care of the same man from who he he had obtained them, and strictly ordered him never to sell or harm them.

He was drawn to the same compassion not only to these kinds of beasts and other worthier creatures, but also to vile and lowly creatures. Because we read of the Savior I am a word, not a man, he would frequently pick up even worms from along the road that they might not be crushed, and would serve strong wine or honey to bees in winter, so they would not dies. He diligently noted the virtue of these and all other creatures, and whatever he was able to judge ad admirable, delightful or of value in any of them, he referred totally to the glory of the Maker of all things.

Since he traced all things back to their one first beginning, he called every creature "brother," and, in his own praises, continuously invited all creatures to praise their one common Creator. Calling upon the name of the Lord, he was profoundly moved beyond the understanding of humanity, was totally joyful, and seemed to be totally from a different age…With how much fire of compassion do you think he, who abounded in such sweet piety, not only for brute animals but even for insensate and lowly creatures, burned towards the poor? (Saint, 399-401)