St. Francis Poems

David Craig

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN:
  9781625640611
  9781498267533
• eBook ISBN:
  9781621897323
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: American Poetry
• Index: Literature

After Mary, St. Francis is clearly the most popular and influential of all the disciples of Jesus Christ. He embodies the spiritual poverty, humility, and childlikeness which are absolutely essential for anyone who wants to grow. And it is fitting, too, to examine his life in poetry, since Francis is considered by many to be the father of Italian poetry. In these St. Francis Poems, David Craig gives us what literature should: slices of Henry James's "lived life" as they move past sentimentality to get to the hard-edged, visceral realities in the original texts--though they never lose sight of laughter or of simple joy. These poems invite us to celebrate with Lady Poverty around her meager table, which is fitting, since that is the only place we will ever be fed. This project itself revisits the haunts of David Craig's first book, The Sandaled Foot (1980). But here St. Francis seems to come even more deeply alive--next to shelves of cool, protected water, in the red meadows of praise.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Preface
• Poems based on The Three Companions of Saint Francis
• I: His birth, vanity, frivolity and prodigality
• II: How he was imprisoned during Assisi’s battle with Perugia
• III: How the Lord visited Francis’ heart
• IV: How he began to overcome himself
• V: How the crucifix spoke to him
• VI: How he escaped from the persecution
• VII: The hard work and fatigue involved in restoring the church
• Poems based on the Stigmata Section of the Fioretti
• I: The first consideration of the holy stigmata
• II: The second consideration of the holy stigmata
• III: The third consideration of the holy stigmata
• Lyrics based on the FIORETTI
• I: In this book are contained certain little flowers
• II: Of Brother Bernard, first companion of St. Francis
• III: How St. Francis, on account of an uncharitable thought
• IV: How the angel of God proposed a question
• V: How the holy Brother Bernard was sent
• VI: How St. Francis blessed the holy Brother Bernard
• VII: How St. Francis passed the Lent on an island
• VIII: How St. Francis showed to Brother Leo perfect joy
• IX: How St. Francis taught Brother Leo how to answer him
• X: How Brother Masseo mockingly said all the world
• XI: How St. Francis made Brother Masseo turn around
• XII: How St. Francis imposed on Masseo the office of the door
• XIII: How St. Francis and Brother Masseo praised poverty
• XIV: As St. Francis and his brothers were speaking
• XV: How St. Clare ate with St. Francis
• XVI: How St. Francis received the counsel of St. Clare
• XVII: How a little boy brother saw Christ
• XVIII: Of the marvelous chapter held at St. Mary of the Angels
• XIX: How the vineyard was despoiled
• XX: Of a wondrously beautiful vision seen by a young brother
• XXI: Of the miracle at Gubbio
• XXII: How St. Francis tamed the wild turtledoves
• XXIII: How St. Francis freed a brother who was in sin
• XXIV: How St. Francis converted the Soldan
• XXV: How St. Francis miraculously healed the leper
• Other versions from the FIORETTI
• VI: Francis blessed the holy Brother Bernard
• XXIII: How Francis freed a brother who was in sin
• From The Three Companions of St. Francis
• Stigmata Poems from the FIORETTI
• Lyrics based on the Fioretti