One of the most outstanding characteristics of spiritual leadership is that the individuals concerned develop themselves, not for their own sake, but to help others develop themselves to help humanity. One can say that St.Francis was a model saint: others patterned themselves on him. What he had in mind did not even fit into the pattern of the church of his time. When he asked that his order be acknowledged by the Church, there was great opposition. Eventually it was accepted by the Pope. But shortly after the death of St.Francis, his rule was amended, so that of the original impulse not much was left. St. Francis was born in 1181 or 1182 and died in 1226. His contemporaries included Richard the Lion - Hearted and St. Hildegarde, the seeress. In 1206 there was the contest of the Minnesingers at the Wartburg. From 1209 to 1229 took place one of the most cruel events in history, the war of the Catholic Church against the Albigenses, the last group which still adhered to the teachings of Manes. Pope Innocent the Third ( 1189 - 1216 ) who called himself the Deputy of God on Earth, was the arch - enemy of the Albigenses. He tried to realize the dogma of St. Augustine and establish the earthly realm of the Church. Genghis Khan ruled his tremendous realm from 1214 to 1227. The Fourth Crusade took place in 1202 and the Fifth in 1221. Neither was in accord with the original impulse of the Crusades. The Fourth Crusade was a 'racket'. The Venetians had idle ships on their hands. To make them pay, they started a Crusade. It was a failure. The Venetians had not wanted their ships to land at either Palestine or Turkey.
The time was a difficult one. There were fights in Germany under Frederick the Second. The Pope and the Mongols ruled the earth. In this time Francis lived. Thomas Aquinas was born in 1225. Albertus Magnus lived from 1193 to 1280.
Before entering into the spiritual path of Francis and its meaning for our time and the future, let us give some biographical information. He was born in Assisi; his father was a very rich merchant. The son was a leader of the young men around him, and lived a rather gay and joyous life. He was a very naughty youth, living a rich, idle life, devoted to parties, travels and festivities, until he reached the age of twenty - one. Then he had a serious illness, and through the influence of this he became dissatisfied with his previous life. He determined as his goal to participate in a military expedition. But he fell ill again on the first day of the expedition. He experienced great disappointment and through a spiritual crisis. This crisis changed his mind. In the course of going through the crisis, he had a vision, in which he was told that everything he should do he ought to do not for his but for others. So he devoted himself to solitude, prayer and the care of others. He devoted himself to the care of the poor and the lepers. It is noteworthy that leprosy at that time was very contagious.
Francis used his own money to help these people. His father was enraged. There was a family crisis: the mother tried to help Francis but his father confined the young Francis in a cellar, in darkness, for four weeks. The father had to go on a business trip. Francis with his mother's help, escaped and went to the court of the Bishop of Assisi. When his father returned he filed a suit against the Bishop. Francis decided to go his own way, to break with his father. The latter grew very excited and said: "Not even the clothes you are wearing are your own'. Francis, enraged, disrobed completely and threw his clothes at his father's feet, and the Bishop wrapped his cloak around him.
For the next three years, Francis retired into solitude. He lived in the woods on Mount Subassio in complete poverty, ministering to lepers and outcasts. He had separated from his father at the age of twenty - five. At twenty - eight years of age, he had a spiritual experience in a small, ruined chapel, St. Mary of the Angels, the "Portiuncula'. During mass, the inner call came to him. He reports that he was told: "Everywhere on your road preach and say the Kingdom of God is at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out devils. Freely have you received, freely give. Carry neither gold nor silver nor money in your girdles , nor bag, nor two coats, nor sandals, nor staff, for the workman is worthy of his hire'.
Then he went to Assisi, and started preaching. Disciples joined him. He selected twelve and founded the Order. With much trouble, he finally obtained sanction for it from Innocent III. First the Pope and Cardinals said that such 'impossible' rules could not be imposed on any human being. But finally he convinced one of the Cardinals, and with his help the rules of the Order were sanctioned. This was in 1210. In 1212 he started the "Second Order', that of the nuns, by investing St. Clara with the Franciscan habit. That same year he set out for the Holy Land but was shipwrecked on the coast of Albania and had to return, going through various adventures on the way home. When he was thirty - three years of age ( two years later ) he went to the Moors in Spain but became very ill on trip and had to return without accomplishing his mission. From that time on, however, the Moorish influence waned in Spain.
He went to Egypt in 1219, was taken prisoner and led before the Sultan, to whom he preached the Gospel. The Sultan wanted to test his faith and said he was to be tortured. Francis, in his zeal, offered to go into a fire for his faith.
He said he would go into the fire with a priest of the Moslem faith. The Sultan did not like that at all and said no Mohammedan priest would like it. So the test was not made. Francis was released and went to the Holy Land, remaining there until September 1220.
We know that many other Christian leaders, such as Christian Rosenkreutz and Raymond de Sabunda, tried at the age of thirty - three to thirty - five to go to the Holy Land. We know that Christian Rosenkreutz, in his second incarnation, had the Damascus experience there. We know that in about his thirty - third year he went to Palestine and returned changed in his mental and spiritual attitude.
In the year 1220, trouble started in the Franciscan Order. Francis resigned as Minister General, turning over the Order to his vicar and provincial ministers. He told them that they would be responsible not only for the development of the Order but for the individual character of every member of it, responsible at the Day of Judgement.
In the next years he made a revision and final reduction of the rule, and the "Third Order' was founded. This was composed of laymen knights, business people, farmers etc., men and women. It was founded that they might, without withdrawing from the world, adhere to the fundamental principles of Franciscan life. Evidently, although this is not expressed, he was dissatisfied with the way the Franciscan Order had developed, and so he addressed himself to followers beyond its limits.
In the year 1224, at age forty - three, on September 14, in the midst of preparations for a Michael Festival, he had a spiritual vision of the Christ and received the stigmata. He had contracted an Egyptian eye disease and went blind. It is told that one night there were alot of mice running over his body. On October 3, 1226, he died. In 1228, two years after his death, he was canonized by Gregory IX. At that time the Church canonized people more quickly, not waiting until fifty years after their death, as rhey do now.
As to his individual life, his main idea was, through the development of contemplation, through prayer and meditation, to give up outer temptations, and through complete poverty and a system of self - education that came near to starvation, to train the body so that the body would not be a hindrance to self development. His aim was to make himself ready for a relationship with the Christ. His object was not mystical, but to be able to unite himself without the Christ.
Each of the twelve original friars exemplified particularly one of the twelve virtues Francis gave as rules for his inner, esoteric circle. It is evident that Francis excelled in all twelve of them. They were: faith, simplicity, courtesy, gracious and natural sense, the mind raised in contemplation, virtuous and continual labour, patience, the Imitation of Christ, charity, solicitude, humility, fairness.
Among the rules for the inner development of his Order were certain ones written down by Friar Giles. The first was a group of eight exercises, having to do with vices and virtues:
1. Having to do with vices and virtues:
a. endure every tribulation willingly and with gladness.
b. humble in all things thou does and seest.
c..love steadfastly the invisible good which thou canst not see with mortal eyes.
2. Faith
3. Holy humility
4. Holy fear of God
5. Holy patience
6. Regarding sloth: the slothful man loseth both this world and the next
7. Contempt of temporal things
8. Holy chastity
The next group dealt with temptations, penitence, prayer, spiritual prudence, profitable and unprofitable knowledge ( here the Friars were urged to differentiate between profitable and unprofitable knowledge and shun what was of no value for the spiritual world ), good and evil speaking, good perseverance, true religious life, spiritual obedience, and remembrance of death: to remember death as the portal to a world where there exists more life than in this world.
These were the rules of which the Pope said: it couldn't be done. This shows the difference between the Church as an institution and a spiritual leader. St. Francis welcomed being badly treated, because he held that when he was well treated it took no effort still to be satisfied and look for the spirit. In accordance with his initiation, he always looked for situations that gave him the chance to sacrifice himself, not to develop his own personality but because he thought that such a condition became a holy man.
Francis's behaviour had a tremendous influence on his time. Many cruel people ceased being cruel. Many ceased looking for profit. Sometimes as many as 5,000 listened to him, and not only human beings but birds and animals and fishes came to listen. This shows how far his attitude could penetrate to the realm of natural forces and animal forces. Sometimes funny things happened, for it is a fact that when mystic ecstasy starts, people sometimes did not return for a long time to their bodies. Others were lifted into the air and had to be held down. One of them they used to put in chains before mass, so that he would not get out of range. Whether this particular incident happened or is related as a symbol, I do not know, but I do know that levitation has taken place. We today are too heavy for such phenomena.
The more esoteric and inner life of Francis is reflected more or less in his visions and the visions of his friars. These visions were objective observations. Spiritual experience was not so difficult then as it is now: but there was, with him, always a permanent cross - check. Francis did not tell of his visions unless others came to him and told of seeing the same visions. So his experiences were confirmed by other observers. This was a true, conscientious, scientific approach, with nothing mystical about it.
The more he advanced on the spiritual path, the less he could hold physical office. ( This is the opposite of physical leaders who try to hold on to office ). There developed a deep love of plants, animals, and all creatures. He even called his body "Brother Body' and said: 'Brother Body has his rights also; he should be fed so that he does not complain during visions and say: "I am tired, I am hungry'. He shunned complete asceticism. Asceticism was, in a way, added to the rule later.
Francis was a rather joyous saint. He disliked a sad face. Once he called to a sad - faced brother and said: 'A sad face is a disgrace to God, and only shows that the brother has not penetrated himself yet by the true power of love'. There was no false asceticism in him or his inner followers.
The visions that St. Francis and the other friars had related particularly to the realm of the experiences of Christ on the Cross, the suffering of Christ. This is the true Christian initiation. Francis considered himself a pupil of, a follower of the Archangel Michael. His final initiation took place during the preparation of a Michael festival. He was a conscious pupil of the Archangel Michael. In one of his visions, he and others saw him ( Francis ) fighting a dragon, they saw him with a sword coming out of his mouth, fighting with and conquering a dragon. This showed that he was penetrated with the Michael force.
Before he received the stigmata, an angel said to him: "Make your mind and body ready, because a great experience will come to you'. The next day, after a forty - day fast, he was in prayer in the small hours of the night when he had the vision that led to the stigmata. He was alone on a mountain. The tremendous light on this mountain woke people nearby. A caravan of mule - drivers saw the light and thought that the sun had risen. Shepherds in the nearby fields saw the light, others also.
St. Francis described this experience in words to one of his friars: 'Jesus Christ, in the form of a Seraph, appeared and imprinted with his hands the wounds he had received.'
He came down from the mountain at dawn, and the next day the stigmata began to appear. There was a penetration of his hands and feet, and a wound at his side. Francis tried to hide this, although his feet were so mutilated that he was no longer able to walk, and he tried to keep his hands covered with a cloth. He also attempted to conceal the bleeding in his side. Only one of his people, Brother Leo, was permitted to see his wounds, because he took care of him. Brother Leo was not the brightest of the brothers; in fact he was dumb as an ox. Yet his devotion to Francis was such that when Francis went too far in humility, Brother Leo would tell him the opposite. Brother Leo was the first to tell, as a witness of the stigmata.
Gradually, knowledge of the stigmata spread, but Francis never made anything of the matter, he never "put on a big show'. And nowadays such a phenomenon would be entirely out of place.
Francis developed a stomach ailment, apparently stomach ulcers, of which he died. As has been mentioned, he also had an eye disease. It is a question why such a saint should have to have an eye disease and stomach ulcers? It has been said that he had not completed his inner 'education', that he could heal others but not himself. Francis himself explained that during the time he was across the Threshold demons tried to tempt him, to make him err on the spiritual side. But since they could not attack his soul, the demons therefore enter and attacked his body. This is why he, when taken away in the spirit, had to suffer in the body.
Rudolf Steiner said something similar. At the end of his life he was very ill, and a story was told that he had been given a poisoned sandwich at a social gathering. Rudolf Steiner actually told at least two people, from whom I had it directly, that in an unprotected state of spirit absence, demons entered his body and brought about an effect like poisoning. This was how his illness began, and his not having a chance to rest led to his physical breakdown.
We must consider this holy secret regarding advanced beings, if they are not sufficiently protected, their body may suffer, and this protection can only be brought about by those surrounding the one in a spiritual state. The twelve pupils of Francis could have protected him, but they let him down. The disciples of Christ fell asleep. I say this in humility. Words are inadequate. Of what happened to Francis, Francis did not complain, rather taking it as one of the sufferings on the spiritual path.
Once the friars saw Francis vested with two swords, one coming from his mouth and the other crossing it. This is a sign of the combined Christ with Michael forces. They also saw him with the Tao sign on his forehead. The Tao is the sign of life. Rudolf Steiner said it was the sign with which the creative forces are combined. Francis was told that he was to become "The Standard Bearer of Life'. This is the title for a highly developed human being able to master and use the etheric forces. This is a future task of Francis. He was told his task was really to begin after his death. It was told him that his complete union with the Christ was only a preparation.
The first step in his task after death was that once a year, on September 14, he was permitted to go down to Hell ( Kamaloca ) and gather those souls who had been penetrated by his principles and to bring them, shortening their time, directly to the realm of the Spiritual Sun, the Christ.
All this we have to see as the background of Anthroposophy. We have to see Francis, not as the man who lived from 1181 to 1226, but as a being prepared for a spiritual leadership that will work farther and more deeply than what he exercised during his earthly life.
What is his mission? It is one not so inappropriate for our time. Rudolf Steiner once said that in a previous incarnation, Francis was one of the most beloved pupils of Buddha, in fact his closest pupil at the time of his elevation to the rank of Buddha, and that Francis is taking over the physical task of Buddha. Then Francis incarnated in the Mysteries of Colchis on the Black Sea, trying to develop himself further. Then we find him as Francis proper. Afterward he had been directed by Christian Francis of Assisi
~ Ehrenfried Pfeiffer
There is a distinct difference being spiritual and physical leadership. In the case of spiritual leadership, usually we do not even realize it is there. Physical leadership pretends to be what it is. One of the outstanding physical leaders of history was Genghis Khan. At one time he was called Master of the Earth. He ruled a realm covering Asia and parts of Eastern and Southern Europe. At about the same time that he was ruling the world, there was present on the earth a spiritual leader of a particular kind: St. Francis of Assisi. We speak of saints, not in any religious connection, but because the spiritual development of man consists in the development of soul and mind, and the result of the development of an Individual also affects humanity and civilisation.
One of the most outstanding characteristics of spiritual leadership is that the individuals concerned develop themselves, not for their own sake, but to help others develop themselves to help humanity. One can say that St.Francis was a model saint: others patterned themselves on him. What he had in mind did not even fit into the pattern of the church of his time. When he asked that his order be acknowledged by the Church, there was great opposition. Eventually it was accepted by the Pope. But shortly after the death of St.Francis, his rule was amended, so that of the original impulse not much was left. St. Francis was born in 1181 or 1182 and died in 1226. His contemporaries included Richard the Lion - Hearted and St. Hildegarde, the seeress. In 1206 there was the contest of the Minnesingers at the Wartburg. From 1209 to 1229 took place one of the most cruel events in history, the war of the Catholic Church against the Albigenses, the last group which still adhered to the teachings of Manes. Pope Innocent the Third ( 1189 - 1216 ) who called himself the Deputy of God on Earth, was the arch - enemy of the Albigenses. He tried to realize the dogma of St. Augustine and establish the earthly realm of the Church. Genghis Khan ruled his tremendous realm from 1214 to 1227. The Fourth Crusade took place in 1202 and the Fifth in 1221. Neither was in accord with the original impulse of the Crusades. The Fourth Crusade was a 'racket'. The Venetians had idle ships on their hands. To make them pay, they started a Crusade. It was a failure. The Venetians had not wanted their ships to land at either Palestine or Turkey.
The time was a difficult one. There were fights in Germany under Frederick the Second. The Pope and the Mongols ruled the earth. In this time Francis lived. Thomas Aquinas was born in 1225. Albertus Magnus lived from 1193 to 1280.
Before entering into the spiritual path of Francis and its meaning for our time and the future, let us give some biographical information. He was born in Assisi; his father was a very rich merchant. The son was a leader of the young men around him, and lived a rather gay and joyous life. He was a very naughty youth, living a rich, idle life, devoted to parties, travels and festivities, until he reached the age of twenty - one. Then he had a serious illness, and through the influence of this he became dissatisfied with his previous life. He determined as his goal to participate in a military expedition. But he fell ill again on the first day of the expedition. He experienced great disappointment and through a spiritual crisis. This crisis changed his mind. In the course of going through the crisis, he had a vision, in which he was told that everything he should do he ought to do not for his but for others. So he devoted himself to solitude, prayer and the care of others. He devoted himself to the care of the poor and the lepers. It is noteworthy that leprosy at that time was very contagious.
Francis used his own money to help these people. His father was enraged. There was a family crisis: the mother tried to help Francis but his father confined the young Francis in a cellar, in darkness, for four weeks. The father had to go on a business trip. Francis with his mother's help, escaped and went to the court of the Bishop of Assisi. When his father returned he filed a suit against the Bishop. Francis decided to go his own way, to break with his father. The latter grew very excited and said: "Not even the clothes you are wearing are your own'. Francis, enraged, disrobed completely and threw his clothes at his father's feet, and the Bishop wrapped his cloak around him.
For the next three years, Francis retired into solitude. He lived in the woods on Mount Subassio in complete poverty, ministering to lepers and outcasts. He had separated from his father at the age of twenty - five. At twenty - eight years of age, he had a spiritual experience in a small, ruined chapel, St. Mary of the Angels, the "Portiuncula'. During mass, the inner call came to him. He reports that he was told: "Everywhere on your road preach and say the Kingdom of God is at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out devils. Freely have you received, freely give. Carry neither gold nor silver nor money in your girdles , nor bag, nor two coats, nor sandals, nor staff, for the workman is worthy of his hire'.
Then he went to Assisi, and started preaching. Disciples joined him. He selected twelve and founded the Order. With much trouble, he finally obtained sanction for it from Innocent III. First the Pope and Cardinals said that such 'impossible' rules could not be imposed on any human being. But finally he convinced one of the Cardinals, and with his help the rules of the Order were sanctioned. This was in 1210. In 1212 he started the "Second Order', that of the nuns, by investing St. Clara with the Franciscan habit. That same year he set out for the Holy Land but was shipwrecked on the coast of Albania and had to return, going through various adventures on the way home. When he was thirty - three years of age ( two years later ) he went to the Moors in Spain but became very ill on trip and had to return without accomplishing his mission. From that time on, however, the Moorish influence waned in Spain.
He went to Egypt in 1219, was taken prisoner and led before the Sultan, to whom he preached the Gospel. The Sultan wanted to test his faith and said he was to be tortured. Francis, in his zeal, offered to go into a fire for his faith.
He said he would go into the fire with a priest of the Moslem faith. The Sultan did not like that at all and said no Mohammedan priest would like it. So the test was not made. Francis was released and went to the Holy Land,.remaining there until September 1220.
We know that many other Christian leaders, such as Christian Rosenkreutz and Raymond de Sabunda, tried at the age of thirty - three to thirty - five to go to the Holy Land. We know that Christian Rosenkreutz, in his second incarnation, had the Damascus experience there. We know that in about his thirty - third year he went to Palestine and returned changed in his mental and spiritual attitude.
In the year 1220, trouble started in the Franciscan Order. Francis resigned as Minister General, turning over the Order to his vicar and provincial ministers. He told them that they would be responsible not only for the development of the Order but for the individual character of every member of it, responsible at the Day of Judgement.
In the next years he made a revision and final reduction of the rule, and the "Third Order' was founded. This was composed of laymen knights, business people, farmers etc., men and women. It was founded that they might, without withdrawing from the world, adhere to the fundamental principles of Franciscan life. Evidently, although this is not expressed, he was dissatisfied with the way the Franciscan Order had developed, and so he addressed himself to followers beyond its limits.
In the year 1224, at age forty - three, on September 14, in the midst of preparations for a Michael Festival, he had a spiritual vision of the Christ and received the stigmata. He had contracted an Egyptian eye disease and went blind. It is told that one night there were alot of mice running over his body. On October 3, 1226, he died. In 1228, two years after his death, he was canonized by Gregory IX. At that time the Church canonized people more quickly, not waiting until fifty years after their death, as rhey do now.
As to his individual life, his main idea was, through the development of contemplation, through prayer and meditation, to give up outer temptations, and through complete poverty and a system of self - education that came near to starvation, to train the body so that the body would not be a hindrance to self development. His aim was to make himself ready for a relationship with the Christ. His object was not mystical, but to be able to unite himself without the Christ.
Each of the twelve original friars exemplified particularly one of the twelve virtues Francis gave as rules for his inner, esoteric circle. It is evident that Francis excelled in all twelve of them. They were: faith, simplicity, courtesy, gracious and natural sense, the mind raised in contemplation, virtuous and continual labour, patience, the Imitation of Christ, charity, solicitude, humility, fairness.
Among the rules for the inner development of his Order were certain ones written down by Friar Giles. The first was a group of eight exercises, having to do with vices and virtues:
1. Having to do with vices and virtues:
a. endure every tribulation willingly and with gladness.
b. humble in all things thou does and seest.
c..love steadfastly the invisible good which thou canst not see with mortal eyes.
2. Faith
3. Holy humility
4. Holy fear of God
5. Holy patience
6. Regarding sloth: the slothful man loseth both this world and the next
7. Contempt of temporal things
8. Holy chastity
The next group dealt with temptations, penitence, prayer, spiritual prudence, profitable and unprofitable knowledge ( here the Friars were urged to differentiate between profitable and unprofitable knowledge and shun what was of no value for the spiritual world ), good and evil speaking, good perseverance, true religious life, spiritual obedience, and remembrance of death: to remember death as the portal to a world where there exists more life than in this world.
These were the rules of which the Pope said: it couldn't be done. This shows the difference between the Church as an institution and a spiritual leader. St. Francis welcomed being badly treated, because he held that when he was well treated it took no effort still to be satisfied and look for the spirit. In accordance with his initiation, he always looked for situations that gave him the chance to sacrifice himself, not to develop his own personality but because he thought that such a condition became a holy man.
Francis's behaviour had a tremendous influence on his time. Many cruel people ceased being cruel. Many ceased looking for profit. Sometimes as many as 5,000 listened to him, and not only human beings but birds and animals and fishes came to listen. This shows how far his attitude could penetrate to the realm of natural forces and animal forces. Sometimes funny things happened, for it is a fact that when mystic ecstasy starts, people sometimes did not return for a long time to their bodies. Others were lifted into the air and had to be held down. One of them they used to put in chains before mass, so that he would not get out of range. Whether this particular incident happened or is related as a symbol, I do not know, but I do know that levitation has taken place. We today are too heavy for such phenomena.
The more esoteric and inner life of Francis is reflected more or less in his visions and the visions of his friars. These visions were objective observations. Spiritual experience was not so difficult then as it is now: but there was, with him, always a permanent cross - check. Francis did not tell of his visions unless others came to him and told of seeing the same visions. So his experiences were confirmed by other observers. This was a true, conscientious, scientific approach, with nothing mystical about it.
The more he advanced on the spiritual path, the less he could hold physical office. ( This is the opposite of physical leaders who try to hold on to office ). There developed a deep love of plants, animals, and all creatures. He even called his body "Brother Body' and said: 'Brother Body has his rights also; he should be fed so that he does not complain during visions and say: "I am tired, I am hungry'. He shunned complete asceticism. Asceticism was, in a way, added to the rule later.
Francis was a rather joyous saint. He disliked a sad face. Once he called to a sad - faced brother and said: 'A sad face is a disgrace to God, and only shows that the brother has not penetrated himself yet by the true power of love'. There was no false asceticism in him or his inner followers.
The visions that St. Francis and the other friars had related particularly to the realm of the experiences of Christ on the Cross, the suffering of Christ. This is the true Christian initiation. Francis considered himself a pupil of, a follower of the Archangel Michael. His final initiation took place during the preparation of a Michael festival. He was a conscious pupil of the Archangel Michael. In one of his visions, he and others saw him ( Francis ) fighting a dragon, they saw him with a sword coming out of his mouth, fighting with and conquering a dragon. This showed that he was penetrated with the Michael force.
Before he received the stigmata, an angel said to him: "Make your mind and body ready, because a great experience will come to you'. The next day, after a forty - day fast, he was in prayer in the small hours of the night when he had the vision that led to the stigmata. He was alone on a mountain. The tremendous light on this mountain woke people nearby. A caravan of mule - drivers saw the light and thought that the sun had risen. Shepherds in the nearby fields saw the light, others also.
St. Francis described this experience in words to one of his friars: 'Jesus Christ, in the form of a Seraph, appeared and imprinted with his hands the wounds he had received.'
He came down from the mountain at dawn, and the next day the stigmata began to appear. There was a penetration of his hands and feet, and a wound at his side. Francis tried to hide this, although his feet were so mutilated that he was no longer able to walk, and he tried to keep his hands covered with a cloth. He also attempted to conceal the bleeding in his side. Only one of his people, Brother Leo, was permitted to see his wounds, because he took care of him. Brother Leo was not the brightest of the brothers; in fact he was dumb as an ox. Yet his devotion to Francis was such that when Francis went too far in humility, Brother Leo would tell him the opposite. Brother Leo was the first to tell, as a witness of the stigmata.
Gradually, knowledge of the stigmata spread, but Francis never made anything of the matter, he never "put on a big show'. And nowadays such a phenomenon would be entirely out of place.
Francis developed a stomach ailment, apparently stomach ulcers, of which he died. As has been mentioned, he also had an eye disease. It is a question why such a saint should have to have an eye disease and stomach ulcers? It has been said that he had not completed his inner 'education', that he could heal others but not himself. Francis himself explained that during the time he was across the Threshold demons tried to tempt him, to make him err on the spiritual side. But since they could not attack his soul, the demons therefore enter and attacked his body. This is why he, when taken away in the spirit, had to suffer in the body.
Rudolf Steiner said something similar. At the end of his life he was very ill, and a story was told that he had been given a poisoned sandwich at a social gathering. Rudolf Steiner actually told at least two people, from whom I had it directly, that in an unprotected state of spirit absence, demons entered his body and brought about an effect like poisoning. This was how his illness began, and his not having a chance to rest led to his physical breakdown.
We must consider this holy secret regarding advanced beings, if they are not sufficiently protected, their body may suffer, and this protection can only be brought about by those surrounding the one in a spiritual state. The twelve pupils of Francis could have protected him, but they let him down. The disciples of Christ fell asleep. I say this in humility. Words are inadequate. Of what happened to Francis, Francis did not complain, rather taking it as one of the sufferings on the spiritual path.
Once the friars saw Francis vested with two swords, one coming from his mouth and the other crossing it. This is a sign of the combined Christ with Michael forces. They also saw him with the Tao sign on his forehead. The Tao is the sign of life. Rudolf Steiner said it was the sign with which the creative forces are combined. Francis was told that he was to become "The Standard Bearer of Life'. This is the title for a highly developed human being able to master and use the etheric forces. This is a future task of Francis. He was told his task was really to begin after his death. It was told him that his complete union with the Christ was only a preparation.
The first step in his task after death was that once a year, on September 14, he was permitted to go down to Hell ( Kamaloca ) and gather those souls who had been penetrated by his principles and to bring them, shortening their time, directly to the realm of the Spiritual Sun, the Christ.
All this we have to see as the background of Anthroposophy. We have to see Francis, not as the man who lived from 1181 to 1226, but as a being prepared for a spiritual leadership that will work farther and more deeply than what he exercised during his earthly life.
What is his mission? It is one not so inappropriate for our time. Rudolf Steiner once said that in a previous incarnation, Francis was one of the most beloved pupils of Buddha, in fact his closest pupil at the time of his elevation to the rank of Buddha, and that Francis is taking over the physical task of Buddha. Then Francis incarnated in the Mysteries of Colchis on the Black Sea, trying to develop himself further. Then we find him as Francis proper. Afterward he had been directed by Christian Rosenkreutz to a particular task.
In a certain way Francis has taken the Eightfold Path of Buddha and Christianized it. We can see this in his eight primary rules.Some people say it would be better to go back to Buddha. Today is not the time to follow Buddha, rather we should follow Francis.
Rudolf Steiner said that Buddha gave his astral and etheric body to prepare the body of Jesus for the incorporation of Christ. He gave his etheric body to the Nathan Jesus, and his ego and astral body helped the Nathan Jesus body for the first twelve years. The Nathan Jesus had the ability to listen to wisdom and knowledge, but had boundless love. Thus, Adam Cadmon, was able to incarnate.
The stigmata are imprints of the astral body of Christ into the astral and etheric and physical of one who is able to prepare his astral body to experience Christ. Francis' school is the preparation of Manas. The life of Francis was this preparation, to be ready to receive the stigmata. The stigmata show the becoming one of Francis' astral body and the astral extract of the etheric body of Christ. So the role of Francis goes much deeper than his life on earth, as it has been described.
In a vision, Francis looked up and saw the thrones of the Hierarchies, among them one empty throne. He was told that this was the throne of Lucifer and that he Francis, was to take the place of Lucifer on this throne. Michael fights the dragon. Francis is fighting Lucifer by the conquest of the soul, and he is elected to take the place of Lucifer. This is important for the spiritual future of Francis, because Rudolf Steiner tells us that there will be an incarnation of Ahriman in about the year 3,500, and that in the next cultural epoch there will be an incarnation of Lucifer,.and Francis will be the leader of those who fight Lucifer and help humanity not to fall prey to him. Rudolf Steiner says that through Genghis Khan Lucifer was working. Genghis Khan was a contemporary of Francis, and his task was to stimulate forces that would bring it about that the fifth post - Atlantean epoch would become Luciferic instead of Christian and the human soul would be lulled so that it would experience Imaginations in a state of half - consciousness. It is Lucifer"s aim that the culture of the West become a visionary culture.
We can say that Genghis Khan incorporated the Luciferic forces in order to separate humanity from its proper task. Francis, as a spiritual leader, performs an Initiation in order to bring to humanity the inner soul forces that will be able to conquer the influence of Lucifer.
"The Spiritual Leadership of Mankind'
Lecture 2, August 5, 1947
{ Notes of five lectures given by Ehrenfried Pfeiffer at the Threefold Community. } * * * * * * * * * * to a particular task.
In a certain way Francis has taken the Eightfold Path of Buddha and Christianized it. We can see this in his eight primary rules.Some people say it would be better to go back to Buddha. Today is not the time to follow Buddha, rather we should follow Francis.
Rudolf Steiner said that Buddha gave his astral and etheric body to prepare the body of Jesus for the incorporation of Christ. He gave his etheric body to the Nathan Jesus, and his ego and astral body helped the Nathan Jesus body for the first twelve years. The Nathan Jesus had the ability to listen to wisdom and knowledge, but had boundless love. Thus, Adam Cadmon, was able to incarnate.
The stigmata are imprints of the astral body of Christ into the astral and etheric and physical of one who is able to prepare his astral body to experience Christ. Francis' school is the preparation of Manas. The life of Francis was this preparation, to be ready to receive the stigmata. The stigmata show the becoming one of Francis' astral body and the astral extract of the etheric body of Christ. So the role of Francis goes much deeper than his life on earth, as it has been described.
In a vision, Francis looked up and saw the thrones of the Hierarchies, among them one empty throne. He was told that this was the throne of Lucifer and that he Francis, was to take the place of Lucifer on this throne. Michael fights the dragon. Francis is fighting Lucifer by the conquest of the soul, and he is elected to take the place of Lucifer. This is important for the spiritual future of Francis, because Rudolf Steiner tells us that there will be an incarnation of Ahriman in about the year 3,500, and that in the next cultural epoch there will be an incarnation of Lucifer,.and Francis will be the leader of those who fight Lucifer and help humanity not to fall prey to him. Rudolf Steiner says that through Genghis Khan Lucifer was working. Genghis Khan was a contemporary of Francis, and his task was to stimulate forces that would bring it about that the fifth post - Atlantean epoch would become Luciferic instead of Christian and the human soul would be lulled so that it would experience Imaginations in a state of half - consciousness. It is Lucifer"s aim that the culture of the West become a visionary culture.
We can say that Genghis Khan incorporated the Luciferic forces in order to separate humanity from its proper task. Francis, as a spiritual leader, performs an Initiation in order to bring to humanity the inner soul forces that will be able to conquer the influence of Lucifer.
"The Spiritual Leadership of Mankind'
Lecture 2, August 5, 1947
{ Notes of five lectures given by Ehrenfried Pfeiffer at the Threefold Community. } Thanks to David Skelly
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