Saint Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio

Saint Francis is known to have tamed the wolf in Gubbio

Do you know Saint Francis of Assisi is sometimes depicted with a wolf by his side? The story has it that Saint Francis of Assisi was living in Gubbio when the village was assaulted by a fierce wolf. One day, a large wolf appeared and began terrorizing the village and its residents. At first, it began attacking the livestock and became a nuisance. As the villagers became more afraid, the wolf seemed to become braver and began attacking the villagers. It is said that many of the villagers faced their death and were sometimes devoured by this fierce wolf.

The villagers were desperate. It seemed no measure taken was enough to stop the wolf from causing harm to the village and its people. It was at this point that Saint Francis decided to meet the wolf and although the saint was advised against it, nothing could stop him. With God behind him, Saint Francis entered the gates of the village with a small group of his followers. This attracted the attention of the wolf and records indicate that the wolf rushed to attack Saint Francis with its jaws wide open.

Saint Francis was not afraid. It is said he did the sign of the cross and commanded the wolf to stop hurting the villagers. This seemed to take a dramatic effect on the wolf and it is said that the wolf padded up to the saint meekly and laid its head in the saint’s hands. The story has it that Saint Francis then broke out and asked the wolf why it was doing so much evil on the land and destroying and killing people. He asked the wolf then to make peace with the village and said that the villagers should no longer be afraid of it. This caused the wolf to bow its head in shame. Saint Francis then said that the villagers will feed the wolf from that day on in exchange for a peaceful resolution made that the village will no longer live in fear of the wolf.

On hearing this, the wolf was said to have placed one of its forepaws in the saint’s hand and the agreement was made. Saint Francis then walked the wolf to Gubbio where villagers watched in shock as they saw the saint and the animal which terrorized them, move side by side in harmony. It almost seemed as if the wolf had become the pet of Saint Francis. From that point on, the village of Gubbio was no longer assaulted by the wolf which soon became a peaceful part of their everyday lives.

The Belief in Saint Michael the Archangel

Saint Michael the Archangel

Many of us keep statues of Saint Michael to protect us. Saint Michael is the Archangel of Protection whose name means “who is as God” and is one of the seven archangels. He is loved and revered in the Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths, and is one of the more famous archangels. In Jewish legend he stands besides Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel with God. The archangel which is often depicted in images as slaying a dragon is known to hold the energy of the color blue. Many people who have been saved by Saint Michael have sensed the color blue around them.

Most often, Saint Michael is depicted in art wearing the armor of the Divine, and very often a red robe or red lining to his cloak signifying his role as a Seraph. He carries the silver sword of righteousness. In Christianity, Saint Michael is seen sometimes holding the scales and is the angel who at the Last Judgment will weigh and balance good deeds against the bad. In the Bible, the archangel wears battle gear and heads an angelic army, holding his unsheathed sword and the scales of justice. He argues with the devil (Jude1:9) and is the slayer of the Dragon (Rev 12:7).

Most often too, Saint Michael is called the ‘Prince of Light’ and leads the battle against the angels of darkness. It is said that amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls were fragments of a book entitled Words of the Archangel Michael, in which Saint Michael revealed a vision to Gabriel. However, these fragments were not enough to decipher and not much could be deduced from it.

You can ask the Archangel Michael to give you physical protection when you are traveling simply by asking ‘Archangel Michael protect me’. Try to imagine his blue light of protection surrounding you and your space. You can also invoke the archangel by seeking both emotional and physical protection in time of confrontation. He is one of the most profound archangels and is the Archangel of the Sun.