Padre Mickey has a beautiful post on the life of St. Francis. I'm going to give away Padre's ending, because I like it so much:
The life of St. Francis is proof that, if one is to be great, one must be the servant of others. May all of us look to the life of St. Francis and see God in the faces of the least among us.
He's gone all out and given us a poem about Francis, too.
James Kiefer at the Lectionary quotes Dante's Paradiso on Aquinas' words from the poem about Francis:
Let me tell you of a youth whose aristocratic father disowned him because of his love for a beautiful lady. She had been married before, to Christ, and was so faithful a spouse to Him that, while Mary only stood at the foot of the Cross, she leaped up to be with Him on the Cross. These two of whom I speak are Francis and the Lady Poverty. As they walked along together, the sight of their mutual love drew men's hearts after them. Bernard saw them and ran after them, kicking off his shoes to run faster to so great a peace. Giles and Sylvester saw them, kicked off their shoes and ran to join them....
READINGS:
Psalm 148:7-14 or 121
Galatians 6:14-18
Matthew 11:25-30
PRAYER
Most high, omnipotent, good Lord, grant your people grace gladly to renounce the vanities of this world; that, following the way of blessed Francis, we may for love of you delight in your whole creation with perfect joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Image from the Lectionary.
UPDATE: I recommend God's Fool: The Life and Times of Francis of Assisi, by Julien Green for a good biography of Francis of Assisi.
UPDATE 2: From Jane in the comments, "That is a stained glass window from Taizé! I love it. Thank you for posting it." Thanks for the information, Jane.
