BROTHER FIRE | Saint Francis of Assisi | EP. 4 - Living in poverty | Christian cartoons

St. Francis of Assisi presents... Living in Poverty. Yes, this is the place. We have arrived, boys. To get to Brother Francis, just follow that path into the valley and through the forest. And may God bless you. Thank you for being our guide, brother. We would have been lost without you. Don't mention it. May God bless you as well. Good luck to you. Come on, friends. We have a long journey ahead of us. We should get to Brother Francis before nightfall. Halt! Come on over here, little boy. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just going to take everything you have from you. You there, tell me where you all are heading. We're going to the Porcinkula of Brother Francis. We're going to become friars. And what are you carrying in your bags there? We only brought some small offerings for the community. Don't you wealthy young men know that joining that brotherhood means you're going to have to live in poverty? We're well aware of what it means. We just want to go help them out. But they don't accept any charity there, my little friends. Whatever you say. We're just trying to reach Brother Francis before sunset. I don't think so. You're not paying attention, young ones. You can't continue your trip until we've lightened your purses. You'll travel much faster that way. But we don't really have anything of value. Stay still, boy. Now take off your clothes and give us your loot. How about we give you nothing? So you want to be a hero, do you? Let's see what you're made of. Everyone on the ground. Now let's see if we can do it right this time. Now empty those bags and remove your clothing unless you'd like to become a snack for the wolves. Be quick about it. I'm not used to repeating myself. We'll start with you. Yeah. You, get up. Now get going before we change our minds and kill you. Wait, Jinepro. Allow me to give you a hand with that. This basket weighs a ton. The load that is shared is always much lighter. I've got the kettle boiling nicely for soup. Hey, aren't we supposed to pluck the chicken first? All parts of the chicken belong to God's grace, even the feathers. I brought some cabbage and some radishes. We also have potatoes. Boil all this down and it's almost like a real soup. Shouldn't we be using a recipe for this? The poor are so hungry. They'll eat anything, but this will be good. If you say so. What do we do now, Jinepro? I think you should stir the pot while I nap. Thank you. Move along, you old sour. Your next stop will be the kitchens. And by the way, you pigs smell real bad. What do you mean I don't really smell much better? Huh? Brothers, I baked some bread for all your hard work. I'd like you to deliver this basket to the poor people in town. Two loaves, a wedge of cheese, a bottle of wine, and some figs and dates. Thank you so much for everything you've done for us. If you would like to keep working, I'd gladly prepare some dinner for all of you. That's not necessary. Thank you. And may God bless you and your children. Mama! Is Mama going to die, Papa? You just keep praying to the Lord and I'm sure she'll pull through, darling. I'm going to find a doctor. We have no money to pay him. And it's been days since she's been awake. Why is she dying, Papa? Frankly, it's amazing to me that more of the poor people are dying. Hurry. Please, open the door. Hold on a moment, I'm coming. Virgil, Virgil, where are you going? Wait. May I enter? Good morning, Father. Oh, Virgil, I'm glad you've come home. I did not come here today for myself, Father. I need help. What do you need, money, food? No, I need your services as a physician, Father. Rest, my son. You're home now. Please, Father, I'm begging you. There's a poor woman dying in the village and I don't know how to help her. You're the only one I know who knows what to do. Relax, Virgil. I'll help her. Good morning. Try to drink this. What happened to me? You were going to die before Mama. I thank the Lord for his mercy. I can't believe they didn't even pluck the chicken. Yes, Brother Francis? Philip, by the grace of God, who prepared this mess? Was it you? No, I was only in charge of stirring. Then that must mean it was Brother Ginepro. Would you mind telling me where he is now? He told me he was going to the chapel to pray. Yes, Lord. I'm wide awake. Speak to me. I am ready to do anything you may command if it should please you, my Lord. No, it's just me, Brother. We need to talk. Huh? The soup is done, so I came here to pray. Would you follow me to the kettle and have some soup with me? You know, I'd really love to, but I'm so stuffed from lunch this afternoon. I see. So you cook one type of food for the friars and another type for the poor. That soup will be all you eat until it's finished. Why, Brother Francis? Have I done something wrong? You thought the poor deserve something less than your brothers? But we are all God's children, and no one deserves better than another. Understand? No, I don't understand. It's just soup, Brother Francis. Everything you undertake should be like a prayer to God, even soup. The work you do here must reflect your love of Jesus and the trust He has placed in you and your soul. Even something as simple as soup must be prepared as if it was for Him. I'm sorry, Brother Francis. I guess I just didn't understand. Help us! Please help us! We've been wrong! Please help us! Help us! What happened to you boys? They wanted to kill us. Huh? A bunch of bandits attacked us in the woods. You can relax now. There's nothing to be afraid of here, brothers. We'll do all that we can to make you comfortable. Shall I prepare a room for them, Brother Francis? Yes, and bring them some habits to wear. Sorry, brothers. It's all we have to offer you. It will be cold tonight, so heat their rooms. Hm? We lost everything, Brother Francis. Everything that was in our bags, our money, and all the gifts we brought for you. Now we have nothing for you and the friars. We have need of nothing, brothers. Instead, you should be joyful. Believe me, Jesus has brought you here safely. But now we've come to you empty-handed with nothing to offer. Nothing. Your offers would have been useful, I'm sure. But the important thing is that you are safe and sound. The best thing you can offer us, you have brought with you, and that's you, and your desire to serve our Lord. There is nothing wrong in having nothing, but there is much wrong in having no love. The bandits who stole everything from you have made your lives easier. Perhaps they were not bandits, but angels. You're right, Brother Francis. What happened to us was good, not evil. Excuse me, merchant. How can I help you? If you're looking for birds, I have the best in town. The best anywhere. No, I'm looking for Bishop Guido. He's over at the cathedral. Thank you. It says that the Bishop Bernard of Montova would like me to introduce you to Brother Francis. The purpose of this, of course, is to join his friars. Exactly. It also says that you come from a powerful and wealthy family in Milan. Yes, it's true. And no doubt will impress Brother Francis. But why are you choosing to join Brother Francis and his friars? They've grown very large. My father believes that they will become even more powerful than the Benedictine monks. My family wants me to be an influential clergyman. You must abandon all your possessions, or Brother Francis won't accept you. That would be out of the question. A man of my caliber can't be asked to become a pauper. And now we must praise the glory of our Lord, brothers. With all that He has created, praise the Lord, Creator of the earth and of the skies. Praise the Lord, Creator of the earth and of the skies. Praise the Lord for the sweet waters of His rivers and lakes. Praise the Lord for His mighty forest and mountains tall. Praise the Lord for all the birds that fly under the heavens. Praise the Lord for all of the fish that swim in the sea. Bless the Lord for all the marvelous creatures of the universe. Praise and bless the Lord who brought forth all the marvelous creatures appearing on earth and in the universe. Bless the Lord for all the multitudes of stars in the heavens. Bless the Lord for the multitudes of stars in the heavens. Praise the Lord and bless Him for all His greatness. Bless and praise the Lord for all His greatness and might. Praise our Lord. In His truth, great is the Lord, and we will always praise Him and His wondrous creatures. I'm so hungry. Mrs. Vane is such a good cook. He's great. My father would never forgive me if I became a pauper. He wouldn't understand. If you ask me, anyone that chooses to live in poverty is completely insane. So what are you going to do? Here's your dinner, Sir Knight. I made it just for you. Thank you. It's quite delicious. I hope everything's okay with you. You seem sad. I am. There's no room for sadness here. Today I was on the verge of starting a new life, but then I couldn't do it. You really mean you lack the courage, am I right? Maybe, but the truth is I'm afraid of giving up the life I've always known. Believe me, I want to do good. Do you really think your life's only about money? No, not that. It's more than just that. If that's your biggest problem, then you're lucky. I only wish that everyone had the same simple problems you seem to have. It's late, and I have some thinking to do. Listen, could you tell my father that I'm leaving to join with Brother Francis' friars? From now on, the brothers will be my family, and I renounce my wealth. You know, tonight I couldn't sleep. It was as if all the ghosts of my past were trying to push me into a life I didn't want. But then the Lord came with a host of angels, and they banished the ghosts, and suddenly all was clear. I understood now that I can't keep running away from my life's true calling. One must always travel where their heart leads them. But I must warn you, a life of poverty is a very hard road. I know, my friend. It will not be easy. Hurry! We're about to begin! And so it was that the Pharisees were envious of Jesus. They were as blind men who did not know their way. Terribly sorry. Are you Brother Francis? I have come from Milan to join you. I was expecting you, but you wrote that you did not wish to give up your possessions. I have changed my mind. I now wish to live like our Lord Jesus. You have made a wise choice to live here. But what changed your mind? The words of Lady Poverty, Francis. And my respect for you.