" Would to God, my brothers, I had a whole forest of such Junipers!" -St. Francis of Assisi.
I couldn't let this day go by without giving some homage to this most interesting fellow. If you have never read that great 14th Cent. classic, The Little Flowers of Saint Francis (i fioretti di San Francesco) you should. In it you will find many wonderful stories about the early days of the Franciscan order; about Francis and his early companions. One such lovable fellow, was Brother Juniper. His simplicity and innocence got him in trouble; often he gave away what few possessions the friars had if a poor person came begging at their door. After being scolded, he once made some porridge and took it to the one who scolded him because he noticed that in the heat of the scolding the other friars' voice was getting hoarse!
He died in 1258 and is buried at Ara Coeli Church in Rome.
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