Notes for the Easter Meditation
Saint Francis and the new Young Friar
Like his master Saint Francis often went off to pray alone, sometimes all
night. A new young friar doubted this devotion and followed Francis. To
his amazement he saw Francis speaking to the Virgin Mary. She had
Jesus in her arms and offered the Baby to Francis to hold. The young
friar fainted from shock and Francis found him in that state early the
next morning. Eventually the young friar was revived and encouraged to
confess. When Francis heard what he had seen he forbade the young friar
ever to tell of it until after Francis' death.
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Symbols, Kings and then Saint Francis
Early Christians being mainly Jews were afraid to represent Jesus in art
because of the second commandment forbidding graven images. Instead they
turned to symbols.
IHS which should be written 
are the first three letters of JESUS in Greek.
The I is used because Greek has no J
H is actually capital eta giving the E
S is Greek Sigma
XR Chi Rho is Greek are the
first two letters of CHRIST
When Jesus was eventually painted,
He was represented like a Roman God
and the Wise Men of Matthew's Gospel became Kings. The Shepherds of Luke's
Gospel did not get much of a look in and neither did any other common folk.
It was Saint Francis who turned that tide and invented the idea of
the Christmas crib with Shepherds Ox and Ass and indeed brought the Gospel
back to the common people.
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INRI and the Stigmata of Saint Francis
Pilate had a notice put on the Cross: Jesus
of Nazareth King of the Jews and refused to change it.
On crucifixes this has been abbreviated by INRI.
Again the two I's are really J's, in this
case Jesus and Jews.
N for Nazareth
R for Rex Latin for King
Towards the end of his life Francis, who was very ill, prayed that as
far as was possible he should feel the suffering of Jesus in his own
body. He received the Stigmata: the signs of the Crucifixion nails in his
hands and his feet. This has given rise to the Cross Prayer
in the Franciscan Office:
Almighty God, when the world was growing
cold to the inflaming of our hearts by the fire of Your love,
You raised up blessed Francis bearing in his
body the marks of the Passion of Your son.
Mercifully grant to us, Your people, true
penitence and grace to bear the cross for love of Him,
who is alive and reigns with You and the Holy
spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
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