Francis did not start out his life living the Gospel. He was the son of a very wealthy cloth merchant in the medieval town of Assisi - about a hundred miles northeast of Rome, Italy. Francis loved wearing the most fashionable, expensive clothes and hanging out with his friends. He was always the life of the party. When “the guys” decided to join an attack on the nearby city of Perugia, he was all for it and his proud father outfitted him with a splendid suit of armor. Astride his beautiful horse in the shinning armor, Francis dreamed of a fabulous victory. Instead, he ended up captured and held prisoner in a dark, damp cell for a year while his father negotiated a ransom for his return home.

After this experience, Francis began to change. Parties no longer satisfied him. He felt something was missing in his former carefree life. Cajoling and flattering the local women so they would purchase the most expensive cloth from his father’s shop, no longer brought enjoyment. He also began to frequent the ancient, abandoned church of San Damiano that was falling down from years of neglect. While praying there one day, he heard a voice from the crucifix tell him, “Go repair my Church.” He used his wealth now for building stones and when that ran out he begged for materials and help from the people in the town. People began to talk. They called him, “crazy.” His embarrassed father tried to take him to court to get his money back. The officials refused to hear the case saying that it was a church matter and referred him to the Bishop. At the hearing, Francis returned everything to his father as well as the clothing he was wearing. Naked in front of everyone he stated, “I now have only my Father in heaven.”

He devoted his time to repairing churches, caring for lepers and praying in isolated caves. When he heard the Gospel proclaimed in Church he tried to live exactly as Jesus had. Gradually, his lifestyle began to attract others. He wrote the First Order Rule for these followers who became itinerant preachers. For meals they did day labor at any job available and took just enough food for the day – no more. In the evenings or while they worked they preached to the people about a loving God who had come to earth to live among them. The Order quickly grew to more than five thousand members.