St.

Francis Speaks to the Birds

Father Fr ancis and his companions were making a tr ip through the Spoleto Valley near the town of Bevagna. Suddenly, Fr ancis spotted a great number of birds of all var ieties. There were doves, crows and all sor ts of birds. Swept up in the moment, Fr ancis left his fr iends in the road and r an after the birds, who patiently waited for him. He greeted them in his usual way, expecting them to scur r y off into the air as he spoke . But they moved not. Filled with awe , he asked them if they would stay awhile and listen to the Word of God. He said to them: My brother and sister birds, you should pr aise your Creator and always love him: He gave you feather s for clothes, wings to fly and all other things that you need. It is God who made you noble among all creatures, making your home in thin, pure air. Without sowing or reaping, you receive Gods guidance and protection. At this the birds began to spread their wings, stretch their necks and gaze at Fr ancis, rejoicing and pr aising God in a wonderful way according to their nature . Fr ancis then walked r ight through the middle of them, tur ned around and came back, touching their heads and bodies with his tunic .

 Then he gave them his blessing, making the sign of the cross over them. At that they flew off and Fr ancis, rejoicing and giving thanks to God, went on his way. Later, Fr ancis wondered aloud to his companions why he had never preached to birds before . And from that day on, Fr ancis made it his habit to solicitously invoke all birds, all animals and reptiles to pr aise and love their Creator. And many times dur ing Fr ancis life there were remar kable events of Fr ancis speaking to the animals. There was even a time when St. Fr ancis quieted a flock of noisy birds that were inter r upting a religious ceremony! Much to the wonder of all present, the birds remained quiet until Fr ancis ser mon was complete . Here is an actual excerpt from St. Francis Ser mon to the Birds , given around 1220 A.D. The language shows his reverence for God. My little sister s, the birds, much bounden are ye unto God, your Creator, and always in ever y place ought ye to pr aise Him, for that He hath given you liber ty to fly about ever ywhere , and hath also given you double and tr iple r ainment; moreover He preser ved your seed in the ar k of Noah, that your r ace might not per ish out of the wor ld; still more are ye beholden to Him for the element of the air which He hath appointed for you; beyond all this, ye sow not, neither do you reap; and God feedeth you, and giveth you the streams and fountains for your dr ink; the mountains and valleys for your refuge and the high trees whereon to make your nests; and because ye know not how to spin or sow, God clotheth you, you and your children; wherefore your Creator loveth you much, seeing that He hath bestowed on you so many benefits; and therefore , my little sister s, beware of the sin of ingr atitude , and study always to give pr aises unto God.