I have been thinking about begging lately. We have all encountered beggars -- whether on the streets of Nairobi, Chicago, or Boise. In future blogs I will give some of my personal perspectives on begging, but I recently came across the following story about Brother Juniper (1210-1258), who was one of St. Francis of Assisi's original followers. He is known for being one of the most outrageous "holy fools" in the history of Christianity, and this painting of Brother Juniper and the Beggar is displayed in the Louvre in Paris.

"Brother Juniper was so full of pity and compassion for the poor, that when he saw anyone poor or naked he immediately took off his tunic, or the hood of his clock, and gave it to him. (His superiors therefore ordered that he not) give away his tunic or any part of his habit. A few days afterwards, a poor half-naked man asked an alms of Brother Juniper for the love of God, who answered him with great compassion: "I have nothing which I could give thee but my tunic, and my superior has (commanded me) not to give it, nor any part of my habit, to anyone. But if thou take it off my back I will not resist thee." ... The beggar forthwith stripped him of his tunic, and went off with it. When Brother Juniper returned home, and was asked what had become of his tunic, he replied: "A good man took it off my back, and went away with it." And as the virtue of compassion increased in him, he was not contented with giving his tunic, but would give books, or clocks, or whatever he could lay his hands on, to the poor. For this reason the brethren took care to leave nothing in the common rooms of the convent, because Brother Juniper gave away everything for the love of God and to the glory of his name."

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