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St. Francis Andmysticism

St Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi has been known throughout the world as a lover of nature. In fact, many artistic portrayals of the Saint show him in lavish natural settings, but it was not until 1979 that Pope John Paul II declared Francis the Patron Saint of the Environment. It wasn't until late into St. Francis' life that he was truly able to find a connection with god, who he referred to as the creator, in all aspects of life.
"Long before the environment became an issue, Francis saw human beings abusing nature.
In what could be the first "ecological statement" outside the Bible, Francis said this: "These creatures minister to our needs every day; without them we could not live and through them the human race greatly offends the Creator every time we fail to appreciate so great a blessing." - Legend of Perugia 43" (http://www.franciscans.org.au/spirituality/)
St. Francis wasn't always as much of a hippie as this passage makes it seem, and his father discouraged the life that Francis Lived. Francis was born in 1181 to a wealthy family. His father was a clothes merchant and changed his sons name from Giovanni to Francesco at the time of his baptism. Legend has it that Francis was born in a stable, but that may have been fabricated in an effort to make his life further resemble Christ's. Growing up, Francis was not the most studious of children. He was taught by the Priests of St. George's of Assisi and at the school of the Troubadours, and then went on to work for his father, but outside of work, he loved to play. Several sources has listed him as being, "Handsome, merry, gallant and courteous, no one loved pleasure and extravagance more than Francis." (http://www.noevalleyministry.org/sermons/2004/112804.html)

At the age of twenty, Francis, along with his fellow townsmen, went off to fight their rival town of Perugia in one of their frequent petty skirmishes. It was then that he was taken captive and held prisoner for nearly a year. While...