Goodbye John, hello Francis

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Meanwhile, back in the Jerusalem Hills for a weekend visit, I discovered a new painting  had been added to the church at St. John of the Desert  Franciscan convent.*
The protective shield made it hard to get a good shot; on the other hand, it was good for Weekend Reflections.
Apparently it was necessary because pilgrims would kiss the icon and leave lipstick marks (or so I was told).  

I guess the resident hermit monk who painted it thought that the only red St. Francis needed on him was his stigmata on hands and side.

The older painting it replaced was quite unusual in that it showed John the Baptist holding a scroll written in Hebrew ("Behold the Lamb of God . . . "). 
You don't see much Hebrew on church walls.
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*Franciscans in Israel use the word convent not necessarily to refer to a women's religious community, but rather to differentiate it from a monastery.
Monks or nuns in a monastery live a more secluded life, while those in a convent [think "convention"]  are more apostolic and can work outside the walls.
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(Linking to Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors.)
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Give him a hand

To all my Franciscan friends, to those of you who celebrate the Feast of St. Francis today and to those who do not, to all the animals that were blessed today--

Pax et bonum! . . . . Pace e bene!
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Sister birds . . .

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Our neighbors the Franciscans have a feast day on Sunday. It marks the death and burial of St. Francis of Assisi in 1226.

St. Francis on the keystone of the arch

This year the OFM, the Order of Friars Minor, celebrate 800 years in the Church.

St. Francis wrote his Rule and founded the order in 1209.

A monastery dove in the church window
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It is said that when Friar Francis preached to the birds he encountered in nature, not one flew away.

"My sister birds, you owe much to God, and you must always and in everyplace give praise to Him; for He has given you freedom to wing through the sky and He has clothed you . . . you neither sow nor reap, and God feeds you and gives you rivers and fountains for your thirst, and mountains and valleys for shelter, and tall trees for your nests. And although you neither know how to spin or weave, God dresses you and your children, for the Creator loves you greatly and He blesses you abundantly. Therefore . . . always seek to praise God."

--from the "Fioretti" ("Little Flowers"), a collection of legends and folklore about Francis that sprung up after his death
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