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St Francis of Assisi

The Sermon to the Birds

Unsure whether to give himself wholly to prayer or to go out preaching, Francis asked Brother Sylvester and St Clare to pray for guidance, and both answered that he should preach. He set out at once, and near Bevagna, a town in Umbria, he met the birds; St Bonaventure tells the story in the chapter of his Legenda Major on Francis's preaching.

When he drew near to Bevagna, he came to a place where a great multitude of birds of different kinds were assembled together, which, when they saw the holy man, came swiftly to the place, and saluted him as if they had had the use of reason. They all turned towards him and welcomed him; those which were on the trees bowed their heads in an unaccustomed manner, and all looked earnestly at him, until he went to them and seriously admonished them to listen to the word of the Lord, saying: “Oh, my brother birds, you are bound greatly to praise your Creator, who has clothed you with feathers, and given you wings wherewith to fly; who has given you the pure air for your dwelling-place, and governs and cares for you without any care of your own.” While he spoke these and other such words to them, the birds rejoiced in a marvellous manner, swelling their throats, spreading their wings, opening their beaks, and looking at him with great attention. And he, with marvellous fervour of spirit, passing through the midst of them, covered them with his tunic, neither did any one of them move from his place until the man of God had made the sign of the Cross and dismissed them with his blessing, when they all at once flew away. And all these things were seen by his companions, who were waiting for him on the road. When this pure and simple man returned to them, he began to accuse himself of negligence, because he had never before preached to the birds.

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