Saint Francis: Religion of Love: An Original Drama in Two Acts with an Epilogue

By Lisa Monde

Saint Francis: Religion of Love is a historical drama by Lisa Monde based on the historical facts and hagiographies. This is a story about the life and coming into the holy being of Saint Francis of Assisi, how he turned from a regular layman into a devoted son and servant of God, and began preaching the religion of love.

Love toward people, birds, animals, flowers, every living being; self-restraint and being content with the little things--those are the core propagations of Saint Francis, who also strived for the purity of intentions and always found it in his heart to help the destitute ones.

The admonition of Saint Francis of Assisi attracted many contemporaries, and Catholics in general, throughout centuries. People, having seen a movie or read a book about Francis, having been to a Catholic church and come across the holy images and monuments of Saint Francis of Assisi, become his followers and admire his sacrificial way. It is quite interesting that there are always birds sitting on his statues and flowers, scattered at his feet. So even after the end of his earthly existence, the saint has given us the gift of all-embracing and infinite love.

Saint Francis of Assisi proclaimed Christianity to the world as the religion of love, freedom, and creation in the name of the Holy Spirit. His life was a perfect example of simplicity, patience, and humility for all of us. His teachings and testament are extremely relevant nowadays.

In the epilogue, the author gives us a fresh look at the argument of the three popes who have met Saint Francis, studied his will, and accepted his rule and admonition; who have canonized him and even chosen the name in memory of Saint Francis of Assisi, the defender of the poor and the champion of justice.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638742746

Book preview

Table of Contents

The List of Characters

Part 1

Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

Scene 5

Scene 6

Scene 7

Part 2

Scene 8

Scene 9

Scene 10

Scene 11

Scene 12

Scene 13

Scene 14

Scene 15

Scene 16

Scene 17

Scene 18

Epilogue

Facts and Events Relevant to the Play

About the Author

Notes

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Saint Francis:

Religion of Love

Lisa Monde

An Original Drama in Two Acts with an Epilogue

ISBN 978-1-63874-273-9 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63874-274-6 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Lisa Monde

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

The List of Characters

Francis

Clare

Leo, later known as Brother Leo, the Little Sheep of God

Bernard, later known as Brother Bernard

Rufino, later known as Brother Rufino, Clare’s cousin

Sylvester, later known as Brother Sylvester, Clare’s distant relative

Masseo, later known as Brother Masseo, Francis’s friend

Ginepro, later known as Brother Ginepro

Elias, later known as Brother Elias

Giles, later known as Brother Giles

Ortolana, Clare’s mother

Agnes, Clare’s sister

Beatrice, Clare’s sister

Philippa, Clare’s friend

Pacifica, Clare’s friend

Pica de Bourlemont, Francis’s mother

Pietro di Bernardone, Francis’s father

Bishop Guido, a bishop from Assisi

Father Dominic, a priest at the Church of San Damiano

Pope Gregory IX

Pope Innocent III

Pope Honorius III

Pope Francis

Beggar woman

Disabled man

Leprous man

Peasant woman with a child

Husband of the peasant woman

Grandfather

Son of the peasant woman

Daughter of the peasant woman

Crowd:

Lepers, the sick, the poor

Citizens of Assisi

Citizens of Gubbio

Peasants

Knights

Part 1

Scene 1

Town square, at the door of a drapery shop.

Francis calls loudly for everyone to come closer. Citizens obey; Francis gives them rolls of fabric and pieces of cloth.

Francis

. Come, come! Take more! Beautiful fabrics! The best fabrics!

People gather on the square. Beggars and lepers come. The majority of citizens shun them, beat them, and chase them away.

Francis

. No, no! Let them come forward, let them take what they need!

He picks up some pieces of fabric and gives them to two lepers.

Masseo, running up, panting. Francis, what’re you doing? Stop it immediately! (Tries to grab Francis, but the latter escapes.)

Francis

. Be quick, take it, and go! God bless you!

Masseo ties Francis’s hands behind his back with a rope. Francis momentarily lands on the ground.

Masseo

, to the crowd. Get out! Don’t you see he’s not in his right mind? After he returned from the war, he was not himself! Get away!

Repels a beggar who tries to snatch a piece of bright-red cloth from another beggar. The fabric gets torn. Both fall down. Pica, Francis’s mother, appears.

Masseo and the first beggar get to their feet, fighting for one half of the piece. The second beggar remains lying on the ground.

Pica

. Oh, Francis, what have you done? What will your father say? Look, you gave away almost all of his goods. Why did you do it? What wrong has your father done to you? (Cries.)

Francis sits with his head down, not reacting to her tears.

Masseo

. Madam, I’ve tied him up, but he managed to give away nearly all of the stock of the venerable signor Pietro di Bernardone.

Picks up the piece of red cloth from the ground. Gives it to Pica. She crumples it in her fist, wipes her tears, then clasps it to her chest.

Francis

. Masseo, untie me.

Masseo looks questioningly at Pica.

Francis

. Don’t fear. I will not run away with that last piece of cloth (points to the piece, which his mother clasps to her bosom). I’ll just peacefully talk to my mother.

The mother is still in a daze. Masseo comes up to Francis but does not dare to understand what he means.

Masseo

. You can talk while being tied up, and I’ll be going now. So talk.

Francis

. Humbly, I ask you to forgive me, mother, if I have caused you sorrow by my actions.

Pica

. Sorrow? No, my sorrow is not caused by what you did but by what happened to you! You are our son, so gentle and obedient. Our hope, the only support. You became a stranger and turned away from us. You ruined your father, having ransacked the shop! And all this you’ve done in the name of God, about whom you are talking all the time?

Francis

. Mother, I should’ve told you about the great miracle that happened to me. (Stands up, walks down to the edge of the stage. Pica remains seated behind him, upstage, clutching the red cloth.)

Remember, after I returned from captivity, I went to deliver my prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord. It happened so that I had wandered into a dilapidated Church of San Damiano, which was once built on a hill near Assisi and ruthlessly destroyed many years ago. But there is a magnificent Crucifixion, in front of which I began to pray.

(Gets down on his knees, rocking from side to side as his hands remain tied behind his back.) Most High, glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me true faith, certain hope and perfect charity, sense and knowledge, oh Lord, that I may carry out Thy holy and true command.

Suddenly, amid the silence, I heard a voice. (Francis becomes silent. There is a pause. His mother gets up and walks over to him. Francis speaks with an altered voice). Francis, Francis, go and repair my house which, as you can see, is falling into ruins. (Pica is shocked; she crosses herself.)

It was a revelation. From that moment on my life has changed. Forever.

Pause.

Pica

. And it forced you to turn away from your family? From your father, who always dreamed only of the title for you. For the rest he has already earned for you by his tough, everyday work?

Francis

. One sunbeam is enough to ward off many shadows. The Lord called me to maintain faith and to help the priests of the Holy Roman Church. But I want to love and honor and obey not only bishops but mainly the poorest priests—

Pica

, interrupting, not letting him finish. Do you think yourself to be a priest, standing above people? What gives you the right to dispose