St. Francis and the Lambs Bound for Market
"Once when St. Francis and his companion were passing through the Marches of Ancona, he met a man on his way to market carrying two little lambs over his shoulder. When Blessed Francis heard their bleating, he was filled with compassion. He went up to the lambs and touched them compassionately like a mother over her weeping child. Then he said to the man, 'Why are you torturing my brother lambs, binding their feet this way and hanging them over your shoulder?'
'I am taking them to market to sell them because I need the money.'
'And what will happen to them there?' asked Francis.
'Why, whoever buys them will slaughter them and eat them, of course.'
'God forbide! This must not happen. Here, take this mantle in exchange, and give me the lambs.'
Then, since the mantle was worth more than the lambs, the man quickly made the exchange.
Now Francis had borrowed the mantle that very day, because it was very cold. And so when he was trying to determine what to do about the lambs, he consulted with his companion, and then decided to give them to the man who'd lent him the mantle. He told the man to take care of the lambs and commanded him never to sell them or harm them, but to keep them and feed them and care for them conscientiously." --Celano, First Life, 79
There were other instances that Francis encouraged his followers to eat meat. I have not seen where this contradiction has been explained. Ultimately, I believe it must be between you and God. I feel animals were given to us as food, but we should treat them humanely. This is the message, at the very least, that should be gleaned from today's reading.
"Once when St. Francis and his companion were passing through the Marches of Ancona, he met a man on his way to market carrying two little lambs over his shoulder. When Blessed Francis heard their bleating, he was filled with compassion. He went up to the lambs and touched them compassionately like a mother over her weeping child. Then he said to the man, 'Why are you torturing my brother lambs, binding their feet this way and hanging them over your shoulder?'
'I am taking them to market to sell them because I need the money.'
'And what will happen to them there?' asked Francis.
'Why, whoever buys them will slaughter them and eat them, of course.'
'God forbide! This must not happen. Here, take this mantle in exchange, and give me the lambs.'
Then, since the mantle was worth more than the lambs, the man quickly made the exchange.
Now Francis had borrowed the mantle that very day, because it was very cold. And so when he was trying to determine what to do about the lambs, he consulted with his companion, and then decided to give them to the man who'd lent him the mantle. He told the man to take care of the lambs and commanded him never to sell them or harm them, but to keep them and feed them and care for them conscientiously." --Celano, First Life, 79
There were other instances that Francis encouraged his followers to eat meat. I have not seen where this contradiction has been explained. Ultimately, I believe it must be between you and God. I feel animals were given to us as food, but we should treat them humanely. This is the message, at the very least, that should be gleaned from today's reading.
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