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This is a biography of St. Francis of Assisi.I have organized this biography differently from the others I have read because in those biographies I could not get a feel for who St. Francis was due to all the legends, stories, mythical background, history of times, and author commentary mixed together. So I began with the story of St. Francis without interlineating the bios of his closest disciples, then continued with his wisdom, his miracles, his prayers, his relationship with animals and my commentary. I have written the St. Francis story from birth to death and then added the rest by categories at the end of the story.This biography is not a scholarly treatise. Many sources disagree on the actual fact and timing of certain events. Almost immediately after Francis' death, his story was recorded then later rewritten. The official story was written by St. Bonaventure who was healed by Francis as a child. It was foretold by Francis that Bonaventure would be a great friar minor...The reader of this bibliography should be able to get his or her bearing for further reading into St. Francis if so desired. St. Francis is much more than the Patron Saint of bird baths.I refer to St. Francis as the 14th apostle/disciple, St. Paul. was the 13th disciple. No one has actually tried to follow the gospel of Jesus in regards to the disciples spreading the good news of Jesus, except Francis. The original/initial Franciscan Order successfully followed the instructions of Jesus, proving it could be done.Today's Christians have come to support billion dollar Jesus shows where televangelists wear suits and charge $400 for front row seats in their entertainment centers. St. Francis would not have even entered such a circus where humans make millions talking about Jesus who had nothing. The hypocrisy, of these men of God is just too overwhelming.The Catholic Church has definitely honored Francis but it has not admitted just how important Francis was to rebuilding the Church of the 1200's that had become power-mad, materialistic, degenerate, and disconnected from its members who were overwhelmingly poor. The Franciscans healed the church. Significant numbers of friars have become Pope.The miracles that Francis performed were too well documented to be written off as myth. They gave us a glimpse of the reality of the greater miracles and healings of Jesus.It is not important to me whether Jesus walked on water or not, what is important is that I believe he could. It is not important to me whether Francis actually had the five wound stigmata of Jesus' crucifixion on his hands, feet and side. It is only important that I believe Francis loved Jesus enough to be worthy of them.The miracles of Jesus are 2000 years old and hard to believe for today's rational scientific technical minds. Especially since those miracles were not written down until thirty-five years after his death. Yet Francis performed almost all the same miracles over a period of eighteen years as Jesus did in the two years of his ministry. Like the gospels of Jesus, the actual literal Twenty-First century factual history is not critical. What is important is the general agreement about Francis. The stories and legends are believable even if they did not happen exactly how or when the many biographers related them.For me, Francis is critical in this age of reason and science in understanding Jesus. Francis life is an eight hundred year bridge back to the 2000 old ministry of Jesus.For me, the reality of Francis who is only eight hundred years in the past bolsters and certifies the reality of Jesus who is 2000 years in the past. Francis lived the life advocated by Jesus...D. John WorldPeace JD
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