A Life of Peace (of Mind)

     Peace: freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, an obsession, etc.; tranquility; serenity (dictionary.com, 2015). One of many definitions of the word peace.

     Last week, I went to bed thinking about the topic for my next blog post and as usual, the magic of 4 a.m. showed me the way.  In the wee hours of that morning, I had thoughts about St. Francis of Assisi, who is the “patron saint for ecologists- a title honoring his boundless love for animals and nature” (biography.com, 2015).  One may be thinking at this point-What does St. Francis have to do with peace of mind?  While researching his biography, I came across interesting facts about this man which will hopefully, connect the dots to this week’s theme.

St. Francis and the animals

     Biography.com notes that Francis (Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone) was born into the life of luxury in Assisi around 1181 A.D. (2015).  His father was a cloth merchant and a man of great wealth.  Consequently, Francis was without want (2015).  In fact, during his early teenage years, young Francis was surrounded by wine, women, and song and by early accounts was considered a sinner.  Around the year 1202, Francis joined the cavalry and fought in a war against Perugia where most, if not all of his comrades in arms were killed.  Because Francis came from great wealth and would command a decent ransom, he was imprisoned for over a year before his father could negotiate his release.  It was during that time, that Francis’s life changed forever as he reported having seen visions of God (2015).

St. Francis receives the Stigmata

     Upon his return to Assisi, Francis was a different person: one whose mind and body were scarred by the ravages of an unsuccessful campaign against Perugia.  Francis was described as a shell-shocked soldier (the current terminology being PTSD).  It was during a time of deep prayer at the church of San Damiano that Francis answered the call of Christ to rebuild the Christian church and live a life of poverty (and he did just that).  Those who knew him felt that he had become mentally ill due to the war and was merely suffering from hallucinations.  Undeterred by his detractors, Francis preached the word of God, lived in nature amongst the poor, and even preached to the animals.  In the year 1224, Francis had a vision and during that moment, he was conferred the stigmata (holy wounds of Christ).  Francis carried out his life’s mission until his death on October 3^rd, 1226 at the age of 44 (2015).

     So how does this all tie into a life of peace (of mind)?  The way I see it, St. Francis lived through a chaotic period in his life and suffered from PTSD as a result.  He overcame his struggles with a renewed sense of purpose by following the direction that his life had taken him.  It is my belief that St. Francis had achieved “peace of mind” by answering the call to slow down, commune with nature, and serve his fellow human beings.

     We, like St. Francis, live in chaotic times and all one needs to do to confirm this is to watch the evening news.  Many of us have lived through several wars (dating back to WWII), September 11^th, and are employed in stressful occupations that have disrupted our psycho-emotional balance.  One way we can achieve our own peace of mind is to follow the lead of St. Francis.  So, if you ever have an inkling that you are stuck in a vicious circle, but life seems to be leading you in a different direction, I encourage you to explore these new possibilities.  Sometimes, it is the third act in life that is the most rewarding.

Be well and stay safe,

Tim

References

Peace. (2015). The Dictionary.com website. Retrieved May 04, 2015, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/peace.

St. Francis of Assisi. (2015). The Biography.com website. Retrieved May 04, 2015, from http://www.biography.com/people/st-francis-of-assisi-21152679.