St. Francis of Assisi with the Birds
By Fr. Peter Fennessy, SJ
Jakob Bräckle, “Saint Francis of Assisi with the Birds” (1926), oil on cardboard, 10.63 × 9.84 inches.
Over the last three years, the Church and the Franciscan family have celebrated the 800th anniversaries of the approval of the Franciscan Rule (2023), the gift of the Stigmata to Saint Francis (2024) and his composition of “The Canticle of the Creatures” (2025). Today is the 800th anniversary of his death in 1226.
In this painting, Francis kneels humbly, clad in the plain brown habit prescribed by his Rule. His hands show the Stigmata, the wounds he shares with Christ, a gift God gave him in answer to his prayers to be totally united to Christ, especially in his Passion. They are signs of his mystical union with God.
Francis is preaching to the birds, who remind him of Christ’s teaching (Mt 6:26) to trust God’s providence and not to worry about food or clothing. His preaching is an expression of his union with them and with all creatures as our brothers and sisters. We need, with Francis, to respect, love and care for our common home and every living thing in it, and to praise God with them in the wonderful words of his Canticle.
Jakob Bräckle, who painted this picture, was known for the simplicity of his life and his art: quiet scenes of nature, peasant life and faith. This painting, a simple image done on simple material, is appropriate for both the artist and the saint.
