Author Topic: St. Francis of Assisi's Sermon to the Birds (Read 523 times)

Incredulous · « **on:** June 25, 2019, 12:46:56 AM »

The Sermon To The Birds

And St.Francis bared his head, crossed his arms over his chest, knelt down, asked and said,
"What does my Lord Jesus Christ tell me to do?"

Brother Masseo answered that both Brother Silvester and Sister Clara and another had received the answer from Jesus Christ the glorious: "that thou shalt go out and preach, for God has not called you for your own sake alone, but also to save others!"

And then the hand of the Lord was lifted over St. Francis and he sprang up in the glow of the Holy Ghost, and inspired by power from on high, he said to Brother Masseo, "Well, let us go!" And he took Brother Masseo with him and Brother Angelo, both of whom were holy men...

And they came between Cannara and Bevagna (small towns between Assisi and Montefalco).

"And St. Francis saw some trees by the roadside, and in these trees there were a multitude of birds of all kinds, such as never before were seen in this region.

And a great quantity were on the ground under the trees. And when St. Francis saw all this multitude, the Spirit of God came over him and he said to his disciples,

"Wait for me here, I am going to preach to our sisters the birds!"

And he walked into the field up to the birds who sat upon the earth. And as soon as he began to preach all the birds who sat in the trees flew down to him, and none of them moved, although he went right among them, so that his cowl touched several of them...

But St. Francis said to the birds:

"My sister Birds!, You owe God much gratitude, and ought always and everywhere to praise and exalt Him., because you can fly so freely wherever you want to, and for your double and threefold clothing and for your colored and adorning coats and for the food, which you do not have to work for and for the beautiful voices the Creator has given you. You sow not, neither do you reap, but God feeds you and gives you rivers and springs to drink from, and hills and mountains, cliffs and rocks to hide yourselves in, and high trees for you to build your nests in, and though you can neither spin nor weave, He gives you and your young ones the necessary clothing.

Love therefore the Creator much since He has given you such great blessings.
Watch therefore well, my sister birds, that you are not ungrateful, but busy yourselves always in praising God!"

But after this, our holy father's word, all those little birds began to open their beaks to beat with their wings and stretch out their necks and bow their heads reverently to the earth, and with their song and their movements showed that the words that St. Francis said had pleased them greatly. But St. Francis rejoiced in his spirit as he saw this and wondered over so many birds and over their variety and differences and that they were so tame, and he praised the Creator for it and gently exhorted them to praise the Creator themselves.

And when St. Francis had finished his sermon and his exhortation to praise God, he made the sign of the Cross over all the birds.
And all the birds flew up at once and twittered wonderfully and strongly, and separated and flew away.

From the book, St. Francis of Assisi, by Johannes Jorgenson (Page 149 ~ 150).

Bird Murmurations

Author Topic: St. Francis of Assisi's Sermon to the Birds (Read 523 times)

Incredulous

St. Francis of Assisi's Sermon to the Birds