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Saint Francis of Assisi
St. Francis was born in the Italian city of Assisi in 1181 or 1182 to a wealthy merchant family and baptized Giovanni di Pietro Bernardone. He was renamed Francesco by his father. After a wild and carefree youth, he was taken captive during a war between Assisi and the neighboring city of Perugia; he was imprisoned and ill for a year, and his mind began to turn to religion. Upon his ransom and release, he renounced his family's wealth and privilege, and took the Gospel as his rule of life, dressing in rough clothes, begging for his sustenance, and preaching purity and peace. Francis called for simplicity of life; poverty and humility before God. He began to attract followers, even in the materialistic culture of the day, and with papal blessing, founded the Order of Friars Minor or "little brothers" (Franciscans), based on a simple statement by Jesus: "Leave all and follow me." In 1212 Clare of Assisi became his spiritual student, which led to the founding of the Poor Clares. Francis expanded the order's ministry beyond Assisi, making missionary journeys preaching conversion and forgiveness, which he saw as the means of peacemaking. He traveled to Spain, France, Switzerland, Dalmatia, and even to Syria, the Holy Land, and Egypt during the Fifth Crusade. He tried to be a peace-maker between the Christians and Muslims, going so far as to enter the camp of the Sultan, again preaching conversion of heart and forgiveness. He reached out to and revered all created things, preaching to the animals and birds and fish with compassionate love. St. Francis died in 1226. He is known as the patron saint of animals, the environment and Italy.
Advent
Advent (from the Latin adventus, meaning "coming") is the liturgical season that precedes and anticipates Christmas. It is a season of hope and of longing, of joyful expectation and of peaceful preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus. Christians believe that the season of Advent serves as a dual reminder of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting of Christians today for the second coming of Christ. With the view of directing the thoughts of Christians to the first coming of Jesus Christ as Savior, and to his second coming as Judge, special lessons are prescribed for each of the four Sundays in Advent.
Advent is the beginning of the Western liturgical year and begins on Advent Sunday, which in most traditions is the fourth Sunday before December 25; in other words, the Sunday between November 27 and December 3 inclusive. The Fourth Sunday of Advent could be as early as December 18, a full week before Christmas (as in 2005), or as late as December 24, making it the same day as Christmas Eve (as it was in 2006). Most Eastern Orthodox and other Eastern Christian Churches have a "Nativity Fast" (now often called "Advent Fast"), which usually lasts forty days before Christmas; it may begin on November 15 (for those Churches that celebrate Christmas on December 25), or in late November (for those Churches that celebrate Christmas on January 7 or 8).
Many symbols and traditions are associated with Advent, especially the Advent Wreath with its four colored candles (three purple and one pink), but also Advent calendars, special Advent music, food, processions, and other traditions that may vary from one culture or region to another. In the Roman Catholic Church, the official liturgical color for most of the Season of Advent is violet. Only on the Third Sunday of Advent (traditionally called Gaudete Sunday from Latin, meaning "Rejoice!") is a rose (pink) colored candle lit, as a symbol of joy; the priest may also wear rose vestments on this Sunday. Many Anglicans and some Protestant Churches use blue instead of violet throughout Advent, although they may also use rose/pink on the Third Sunday. Other church decorations (altar cloths, banners, etc.) will often have combinations of violet, pink, and blue throughout the season.
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