St. Francis of Assisi’s Sermon to the Birds

by | Oct 4, 2019 | Birds, Ostheimer, St. Francis of Assisi, Wooden Dolls | 7 comments

“And as he went on his way, with great fervour, St Francis lifted up his eyes, and saw on some trees by the wayside a great multitude of birds; and being much surprised, he said to his companions, “Wait for me here by the way, whilst I go and preach to my little sisters the birds”; and entering into the field, he began to preach to the birds which were on the ground, and suddenly all those also on the trees came round him, and all listened while St Francis preached to them, and did not fly away until he had given them his blessing.

And Brother Masseo related afterwards to Brother James of Massa how St Francis went among them and even touched them with his garments, and how none of them moved. Now the substance of the sermon was this:

My little sisters the birds, ye owe much to God, your Creator, and ye ought to sing his praise at all times and in all places, because he has given you liberty to fly about into all places; and though ye neither spin nor sew, he has given you a twofold and a threefold clothing for yourselves and for your offspring. Two of all your species he sent into the Ark with Noe that you might not be lost to the world; besides which, he feeds you, though ye neither sow nor reap. He has given you fountains and rivers to quench your thirst, mountains and valleys in which to take refuge, and trees in which to build your nests; so that your Creator loves you much, having thus favoured you with such bounties. Beware, my little sisters, of the sin of ingratitude, and study always to give praise to God.”

As he said these words, all the birds began to open their beaks, to stretch their necks, to spread their wings and reverently to bow their heads to the ground, endeavouring by their motions and by their songs to manifest their joy to St Francis. And the saint rejoiced with them. He wondered to see such a multitude of birds, and was charmed with their beautiful variety, with their attention and familiarity, for all which he devoutly gave thanks to the Creator. 

Having finished his sermon, St Francis made the sign of the cross, and gave them leave to fly away. Then all those birds rose up into the air, singing most sweetly; and, following the sign of the cross, which St Francis had made, they divided themselves into four companies. One company flew towards the east, another towards the west, one towards the south, and one towards the north; each company as it went singing most wonderfully; signifying thereby, that as St Francis, the bearer of the Cross of Christ, had preached to them and made upon them the sign of the cross, after which they had divided among themselves the four parts of the world, so the preaching of the Cross of Christ, renewed by St Francis, would be carried by him and by his brethren over all the world, and that the humble friars, like little birds, should posses nothing in this world, but should cast all the care of their lives on the providence of God.”

– Excerpt from The Little Flowers of St. Francis
The First English Translation, Revised and Emended by Dom Roger Hudleston. Source

The wooden trees and figures pictured (excluding our St. Francis from Catholic Folk Toys) are all made by Ostheimer. I purchased the Bird Tree, along with a couple birds, from The Wooden Wagon for our daughter’s birthday a couple years ago and the tooth fairy has been adding additional birds, one at a time, to her collection ever since!

St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!

7 Comments

  1. Karen H

    So very lovely! What a beautiful tribute to Saint Francis of Assisi on his Feast Day. That first photo – wow – suitable for framing!

    2019-10-04 21:44:06

    Reply
  2. Debbie

    Thank you for sharing this wonderful story about the life of Dear Saint Francis. Your beautiful photos are perfect to go with this delightful account of his love for God's tiny creatures. How fun these Ostheimer toys are for your little ones to play with.

    2019-10-05 18:52:05

    Reply
  3. Marilyn

    Thank You for such a beautiful post concerning Saint Francis. God Bless. Marilyn

    2019-10-05 23:42:12

    Reply
  4. Joan

    I love this tribute you have posted to Saint Francis. Thank you for always sharing your observances of the Saints. Blessings to you and yours. Joan

    2019-10-05 23:46:24

    Reply
  5. Marion

    Beautiful and inspiring post. Marion

    2019-10-07 17:31:14

    Reply
  6. Kathy Ogline

    Is the wooden depiction of St Francis and sermon to the birds shown on your 10/4.2019 publicaton available for purchase?

    2021-07-29 22:06:48

    Reply
  7. Jessica Gordon

    Hi Kathy, Sorry for the delay! The St. Francis (made by Catholic Folk Toys) isn's available at this time, but the birds and the trees are hand-carved toys from Ostheimer and can be found online.

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Prayer of Mothers

Father in heaven, grant me the grace to appreciate the dignity which you have conferred on me. Let me realize that not even the Angels have been blessed with such a privilege—to share in your creative miracle and bring new Saints to heaven. Make me a good mother to all my children after the example of Mary, the Mother of your Son. Through the intercession of Jesus and Mary I ask your continued blessings on my family. Let us all be dedicated to your service on earth and attain the eternal happiness of your kingdom in heaven. Amen.


Our Family

Sean & Jessica, Captain-23, Ranger-21, Twinkle Toes-20, Chiquita-18, Snuggles-16, Rose-14, Bud-12, Grace-6 and Joy-4 (blog nicknames)

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

My Other Blog: Catholic Cuisine

Please Visit My Sponsors…

This Week's Popular Posts

Shower of Roses Affiliate Links

All About Spelling
All About Reading
All About Reading Pre-reading
All About Reading Giveaways
Illuminated_Ink_Advent_Candle_Kit_package_image_Holy_Heroes.jpg
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our Advent & Christmas Books

Shower of Roses Christmas Gift Guides

Looking for Something?

Looking Back

  • 2024 (5)
  • 2023 (30)
  • 2022 (48)
  • 2021 (48)
  • 2020 (57)
  • 2019 (61)
  • 2018 (90)
  • 2017 (128)
  • 2016 (148)
  • 2015 (172)
  • 2014 (227)
  • 2013 (238)
  • 2012 (308)
  • 2011 (297)
  • 2010 (313)
  • 2009 (486)
  • 2008 (564)
  • 2007 (148)

Posts About:

Shower of Roses Alphabet of Saints

A Papal Unit Study & Lap Book

Our Lent and Easter Books

Shower of Roses Easter Gift Guides



All Saints Party Printables

All original photographs and written material are ©2007-2023 Shower of Roses. I'd love for you to link back to me, but please do not copy or take content from this blog without permission. Click here for my Copyright Terms & Conditions. Thank you for visiting!