Born the son of a cloth merchant in the Umbrian region of Italy, Giovanni Francesco Bernardone became St. Francis of Assisi, one of the most inspirational figures in Christian history. As a youth, Francis was entranced by the French troubadours, but then planned a military career. While serving in a war between Assisi and Perugia in 1202, he was captured and imprisoned for a year. He intended to return to combat when he was released, but a series of visions and incidents, such as an encounter with a leper, led him in a different direction.

This direction was toward Jesus. Francis was so taken with the love and suffering of Jesus that he set out to live a life of prayer, preaching, and poverty. Although he was not a priest, he...