Blessed Giles of Assisi

Giles of Assisi (Latin: Aegidius; c. 1190 – 1262), was one of the original companions of Francis of Assisi and holds a leading place among them. St. Francis called him "The Knight of our Round Table". Of Giles' origins and early life nothing certain is known, other than that he was a simple farmer. In April, 1209, moved by the example of two leading fellow-Assisians, who had already become the first followers of Francis, he begged permission to join the little band, and on the feast of St. George (23 April) was invested in a poor religious habit which Francis had begged for him. Almost immediately afterwards he set out with Francis to preach in the Marche. He accompanied Francis to Rome when the first Rule was approved orally by Pope Innocent III, and appears to have then received the monastic tonsure. About 1212 Giles made a pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James at Compostella, in Spain. Shortly after his return to Assisi he started for Jerusalem, to venerate the Holy Places, visiting on his way home the Italian shrines of St. Michael, at Monte Gargano, and Saint Nicholas, at Bari. He is next found in Rome and still later at Tunis. In these journeys Giles was always at pains to procure by manual labor what food and shelter he needed. At Ancona he made reed baskets; at Brindisi he carried water and helped to bury the dead; at Rome he cut wood, trod the wine-press, and gathered nuts; while the guest of a cardinal at Rieti he insisted on sweeping the house and cleaning the knives. He said: "Happiness is to do bodily labor for the love of the Most High and not to take any lesser wages than Paradise for the good work one does." A keen observer of people and events, Giles acquired in the course of these travels much valuable knowledge and experience, which he turned to good account. He took every opportunity to preach to the people.