Source: Selected public-domain passages from Paul Sabatier, Life of St. Francis of Assisi, translated by Louise Seymour Houghton, 1919, Project Gutenberg #18787, and public-domain Little Flowers traditions. This is a partial source packet, not a complete edition of the Franciscan sources.

Canticle of the Sun

Praised be my Lord for our sister water, who is very serviceable unto us and humble and precious and clean.

Praised be my Lord for our brother fire, through whom thou givest us light in the darkness; and he is bright and pleasant and very mighty and strong.

Praised be my Lord for our sister, the death of the body, from which no man escapeth.

Medical treatment

The doctors, having exhausted the therapeutic arsenal of the time, decided to resort to cauterization; it was decided to draw a rod of white-hot iron across his forehead.

"Brother fire," he said, "you are beautiful above all creatures; be favorable to me in this hour; you know how much I have always loved you; be then courteous to-day."

Greccio and Christmas

Francis desired to represent the birth of the Child of Bethlehem in such a way that men might see with their bodily eyes the hardships of infancy, how he was laid in a manger and how the ox and ass stood by.

Little Flowers tradition

In this book are contained certain little flowers, miracles, and devout examples of the glorious poor little one of Christ, Messer St. Francis, and of some of his holy companions.

And St. Francis preached unto them and said: "My little sisters the birds, much bounden are ye unto God your Creator, and always and in every place ought ye to praise Him."