(1416-1507) Francis the Fire Handler was the oldest of three children born to his parents in Paola, Italy. At 13, Francis spent a year in a Franciscan convent, followed by a pilgrimage with his parents to Assisi and Rome. After this he lived as a hermit until he was 20. Others began to join him, forming a community. At 38, he founded the Hermits of Saint Francis of Assisi, later renamed the Franciscan Order of Minim Friars, meaning “the least of the brothers.” He was a vegan, had a gift of prophecy, counseled kings in France, and, according to legend, could bring dead animals back to life.
Reflect on this quote in regards to your resentments in recovery.
“Remembering grievances works great damage. It is accompanied by anger, fosters sin, and brings a hatred for justice… It destroys virtue and is a cancer in the mind. It thwarts prayer and mangles the petitions we make to God. It drives out love and is a nail driven into the soul, an evil that never sleeps, a sin that never fades away, a kind of daily death” (Saint Francis of Paolo).
Reflection by Brad Farmer