Sita and I will be finishing up her Saints and Heroes block this week by talking about Saint Francis. This has been a beautiful block, and I wanted to end it well. I have been struggling with Saint Francis, as his story is especially significant to me as a nature and animal lover. I wish I could have learned of him when I was a child.
None of the resources I have come across did a very good job of presenting Saint Francis, his life and his acts of kindness and generosity. They all seemed to be very superficial at best.
I finally found a resource that touched me.
This lovely book, written by Robert Francis Kennedy Junior, and illustrated by Dennis Nolan has been perfect. It emphasizes the qualities of generosity, compassion, and love for all God's creations that Saint Francis inspired.
I presented Saint Francis last evening, as we were preparing for bed. We talked about his life as a child, his mischievous but always generous ways. And we talked about how he learned to care for the poor and the sick. Today we talked about his love of God's beauty in the world, and his relationship with all God's creatures.
We enjoyed the beautiful illustrations and created some of our own.
I must admit, this block has been challenging for me. I was raised Catholic, but my parents left the church for a number of years after a scandal was revealed (financial). My mother only returned to the church after a long absence. Sadly, the saints are not familiar to me, and my spiritual beliefs tend more toward eastern philosophies. But I can appreciate the beauty of these inspiring individuals. Their generosity, compassion, love of God and all mankind, and their courage in the face of prosecution are all worthy values. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to learn about these individuals, and to share them with my daughter. I look forward to sharing them with Alina, when she reaches the appropriate age.
And I am grateful for Rudolph Steiner and the Waldorf education movement that has brought these powerful and beautiful lessons to me and my family.
Michelle
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