Praise
of begging.
The Father enjoyed using food collected at the doors rather
that the spontaneously offered offerings. When one is ashamed
to beg, he/it affirmed, one is the enemy of his/her/its own
salute; but if one feels the shame while begging, without moving
back for as much, this shame is deserving. He/it approved the
gentleness that makes the forehead bring up the red, but not
the shame that paralyzes. In order to encourage the brothers
to leave for the quest, he/it told to them: "Go, bus if
the Minor Brothers have been sent to the world in this last
time (1), it is for permits to the elected to accomplish in
their favor what will be worth the Judge's congratulations:
"What you made to one my minor brothers, it is mine that
you made it" (2)
He/it saw there an approval anticipated of his/her/its Order,
since the big Prophet (3) had used this denomination in a so
explicit manner. It is pourqoui he/it wanted that the brothers
not only live in the cities, but also in the hermitages: all
can find opportunity of merit there, and of lax don't have a
pretext there more to escape. (4)
Réf.
: Hac novissima Cf hora. Mt 20,10;
(1) it is the time of the Judgment. It is not necessary to suspect
inevitably here a staleness of joachimisme: one finds the same
interpretation years the Letters of J. of Vitry.
(2) Mt 25,40 and 45 The two verses have been melted in one only
by François saint, who replaced the word: "to the
smallest among mine" fratriibus meis mimimis, by those
of the verse 45, where the comparative minoribus allows a literal
application to the Minor Brothers.
(3) the Christ: Cf. Lc 7,16
(4) to evade the obligation of begging. This last sentence seems
to be connected to the one that opens the paragraph: the convents
of the cities receive some days sufficiently of spontaneous
aumônes to save them to all brothers the obligation of
begging; in the hermitages on the other hand, begging is the
unique and necessary means of subsistence.
.2c. hp. 41, v.71 p...... .385
94.
His/her/its Devotion, his/her/its choice of the times and places.
God's man that his/her/its body forced to walk in pilgrim far
from the Lord, endeavored to maintain at least always his/her/its
mind in the sky in presence of God of which separated it the
only baffle of the flesh; he/it was already fellow citizen of
the Angels. All his/her/its soul was thirsty of the Christ;
to the Christ he/it vowed all his/her/its heart and all his/her/its
body. Of the marvels of his/her/its prayer we are going to say
here that the words, of the less what we saw our eyes and as
far as he/it is possible, to transmit it; that it is an example
to imitate by those that will come after you.
All his/her/its time was dedicated to the elevation, of his/her/its
soul, it engraved in his/its heart the teachings of wisdom and
was only afraid: the one to move back if he/it didn't progress
anymore. If topics of discussion weighed him some worldly or
certain visitors, he/it cut the maintenance in an abrupt way
rather than to wait for the outcome of it, and dove again in
the contemplation (!) The world didn't have any flavor for it
that had part to the sweets of the sky, and his/her/its taste
refined by the divine gentleness could not support the coarse
human joys anymore.
To unite to God of all his/her/its soul and to make there participate
all his/her/its body as more easily, he/it searched for the
solitude. Surprised in public by one visit of the Lord, he/it
made of his/its coat his/her/its cell and more of once, due
to a lack of coat, hid the face behind his/her/its sleeve, for
not books to all hidden manna. He/it always evaded one way or
another the looks of the present people in order to not to unveil
anything of the spouse's visit, so that dived even to the heart
of a crowd vibrates (2), he/it prayed without being seen. Finally
when all these makeshifts proved to be impassable, it is of
his/her/its heart that he/it made himself/itself a sanctuary
then. Come out of himself, and delighted in God, he/it stopped
spitting then, to moan, to sigh very strong, to deliver itself/themselves
to all others outside demonstrations (3).
95.. such was his/her/its behavior among his/her/its brothers.
But when he/it prayed in forest or in a hermitage, he/it made
sound the woods of his/her/its whining, watered the earth of
his/her/its tears, hit itself the chest and, as if he/it felt
well hidden è the shelter in the most secret room of
the Palace (4), exchanged with his/her/its Lord of interminable
subjects; there he/it gave his/her/its accounts to the Judge,
implored the Father, conversed with the friend, played with
the spouse: it is to compose a multiple offering with all fibers
of his/her/its heart that he/it wanted to contemplate coins
thus multiples aspect The one that wanted to contemplate thus
under multiple aspects The one that is sovereignly simple and
one. He/it didn't move the lips; well often his/her/its only
soul spoke; he/it seemed to have made pass inside himself all
his/her/its faculties of attentions to concentrate on the celestial
realities, When him s ' applied thus, with all the lucidity
of his/her/its intelligence and all the impetus of his/her/its
heart, to stay every day "in the house of Yahweh of his/her/its
life, the only grace for that he asked the Seigneur(5)",
this state more a man who prayed, it was the prayer makes man.
What sweetness had to feel it, accustomed to pray thus! Him
only knows it, we can only admire. will be able to understand
that one, only that will have tasted some; for the other the
mystery remained whole: the mind all blazing, the discerning
look he/it had already become citizen of kingdom of the heaven,
so much in his/her/its outside aspect that by his/her/its soul
all fondue in the ecstasy.
He/it would never have missed by carelessness a visit of the
mind when the opportunity presented itself of it, it welcomed
it faithfully and, so much that the divine favor lasted, savored
the sweetness that was offered to him. So during a work or on
the way, the grace came to skim it, it tasted at intervals but
frequently to this very soft manna; in journey, he/it let himself/itself
outdistance by his/her/its mates to enjoy every new inspiration
better. He/it never received the grace vain (6).
Réf:
(1) this detail has already been noted in 1 cel 96.
(2) Navis plurimis insertus. Navis is translated here like a
dative of navus, or gnavus: eager, active. The sentence is a
little obscure. For the édituers of Quaracchi, it is
about a ship; for M. Faggot, of a church nave; Casolini adopts
a conjectural lesson: quamvis.
(3) Cf.Lm.10,4.
(4) Cf.2 cel 52.
(5) Ps 25,4 (text of the Vulgate)
(6) 2 co6,1. 1Celv7.2Cel.7
2c. hp. 61, v. 94-95 p ..403 p.404
All
texts come of the document of the life of Saint François
of the PP Théophile Desbonnetses and Damien Vorreux o.f.m
Edition Franciscan 9 Rue Marie Rose Paris XIVe June 13, 1968
The Spanish Brothers.
178. It was marvel to see delighted it in god and exultant of
rejoicing when arrived until him, like a pleasant perfume, the
good reappointed of his/her/its sons. A Spanish clerk near devout
had happiness one day to see knows François and to converse
with him. Among others new on the brothers of Spain, he/it told
this to the blessed who had a big joy of it.
"Your brothers live in at home a poor hermitage; they adjusted
their life in such a way that half among them takes care of
the house while the other half takes to the prayer to every
week one passes from the active life to the contemplative life,
and the rest of those that made prayer is replaced by the work
of the hands (12). However one day, the table was ready, the
given signal: all arrive, except one, of the group of the contemplative.
One waits for it one moment, then one is going to hit to his/her/its
cell to invite it at table but God served him a much better
meal that those of the men: one finds the prostrate brother
the face relates earth, the arms in cross, immobile and without
breathing, a candelabrum was lit close to its head, another
to his/her/its feet, spilling a vivid light in the whole cell.
One lets it in peace without disturbing his/her/its ecstasy,
not to wake the beloved up before she/it doesn't want it (2)".
The brothers, of the outside of the cell, watched by the cracks
of the baffle and by the sky light. Finally, under the eyes
of his/her/its friends spying on the one that lives in the gardens,
all of a sudden light disappeared and the brother came back
to him, he immediately rose and went to table where he made
his/its coulpe for his/her/its delay, here is, says this Spanish,
a thing that happened at home. »
Saint François, as inebriate of the perfume of his/her/its
sons, could not contain his/her/its joy, He/it rose to rent
God and, with the whole conviction grant he/it was capable,
as if the good reputation of his/her/its made had been his/her/its
unique glory, he/it exclaimed: "Lord who sanctifies and
direct the poor people, thank you for the joy that you procured
me by these good news of my brothers. Spill on them your large
blessings and sanctify those whose good examples give to their
religious life such a radiance always more! »
réf.
(1)Ce that had been foreseen by François saint himself
(Erm) without special prescription yet on periodicity: "the
sons will take mother's role according to the rolling that they
will have fixed between them",
(2) Ct 2,7. The pictures that also follow his/her/its of the
loans in Ct 2,9 8,13
2c. hp. 135 v 178. p... .473
All texts come of the document of the life of Saint François
of the PP Théophile Desbonnetses and Damien Vorreux o.f.m
Edition Franciscan 9 Rue Marie Rose Paris XIVe June 13, 1968
Against
those that live badly in the ermtiages
179. Knowing the charity that carried the blessed to be delighted
with the progress of those that he/it liked, let's not believe
as far as he/it dealt with care those that led in the hermitages
a lax life, transformed much indeed in houses of leisures, the
convents of contemplation life érémitique, instituted
for the progress of the soul, becomes then the appointment of
all pleasures, That each lives to its manner, such is the rule
of the anchorites of our time, It doesn't go from it so for
all: we know some saints that, currently, lead an exemplary
life in such or such hermitage; we don't ignore that the Fathers
who preceded them were indeed flowers of solitude (1) God makes
that the hermits of our time are not unworthy of the primitive
splendor whose holiness will be rented without ends!
Réf.
(1) that bloomed in the solitude; it is likely that Celano also
thought of another sense of floras solitarios: too rare flower
2c. ch.136 v179p ...474
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of the PP Théophile Desbonnetses and Damien Vorreux o.f.m
Edition Franciscan 9 Rue Marie Rose Paris XIVe June 13, 1968
How
he/it wanted that the big scientists strip themselves of all
to enter in the order.
He/it affirmed one day that a big scientist had to, to enter
in the order, to give up his/her/its science herself in a way,
so that stripped thus of what is again a shape of possession,
he can offer himself/itself naked è the accolade of Crucified
it (1)
"The science, he/it said, makes difficult the obedience;
she/it maintains a certain stiffness that refuses to accept
the exercises of humility, It is pourqoui I would like to hear
one of these big minds to address me in these terms his/her/its
demand of admission: "Brother, has a long time that I live
in the century without knowing my God indeed. Do I ask you to
designate me a small convent, far from the world, and of his/her/its
tumults, where I am able to deliver me to contrition for my
years pasts, to concentrate up to here on God the impetuses
of my heart scattered, and give to my soul his/her/its new orientation
toward the good" TO what holiness, the one that would start
thus, would not he/it arrive? He/it would be like a lion put
in liberty, full of vigor and capable of all; his/her/its interior
flame would grow from day to day in it. And it is whereas one
could confide him the ministry of the predication with the certainty
that his/her/its words would not make qu translated the devotion
bubbling in him. »
This teaching is indeed healthy and precious: what of more necessary,
indeed, for that comes back of the territories of the sin (2),
that to erase and to destroy for a long time by means of practice
of humility of the worldly tendencies printed to his/her/its
soul! Entered once to the school of the perfection, he/it would
become there quickly perfect.
Réf.
(1) inspired picture of Jérôme saint; Epist.52,5;125.20.
She/it is taken by Bonaventure saint. Cf. Lm 7,2.
(2) literally: of the dissimilarity" "region. On the
sense of this expresion, Cf. G. Follier, Regio dissimilitudinis,
in Rev. And, Aug, 16 (1970) 287-8
2ce.ch.146v 194p ...486.
All texts come of the document of the life of Saint François
of the PP Théophile Desbonnetses and Damien Vorreux o.f.m
Edition Franciscan 9 Rue Marie Rose Paris XIVe June 13, 1968
Predication
to the village of Ascoli, and how the patients, even far from
his/her/its presence, were healed by the objects that he/it
had touched.
62 - in the period where stands the sermon to the birds of which
we have just spoken, the blissful Father François continuing
his/her/its tour of predication and throwing everywhere to the
round his/her/its words that were seed of blessing (1), arrived
to the villages of Ascoli, He/it preached God's speech there
with his/her/its usual ardor, and God's grace fills of such
a devotion the whole people that one s,écrasait to come
to see it and to hear it, thirty men, that day, clerks and laymen,
received of are thus the dress of the order.
People had such a faith in him, such a reverence, that one estimated
itself happy of can have touched only are clothes. When he/it
arrived in a city, the clergy himself congratulation, one sounded
the bells, the men had the soul in feast, the wife announced
themselves their joy, the children often exulted one pulled
some branches to the trees and one didn't take to his/her/its
meeting singing some psalms. The heresy was beaten in breach
(2), the faith of the church triumphed and, for the biggest
joy of the supporters, the heretics had to slip out.
The holiness radiated of it so vivid that no one dared to argue
against it; he/it had become the oracle of the whole people.
His/her/its first and immutable principle was the next one:
to hold farm, to venerate and to imitate the faith of the holy
Church Roman, the only one that procures to the men the salute
(3). He/it venerated the priests (4) and all orders of the ecclesiastical
hierarchy (5)
63. One brought him breads to bless, one kept them a long time,
and one ate some to be healed of all sorts of illnesses, Well
often the crowd, in his/her/its devotion, rushed on it and cut
so many pieces of his/her/its tunic as it would stay some nearly
naked. And, worthier thing again of admiration, the objects
that the Father had touched of the his/her/its hand returned
health to many patients.
In a small village close to Arezzo, a pregnant woman had arrived
to the term of his/her/its pregnancy since several days she
was in prey to terrifying sufferings and, without can be delivered,
stayed suspended between life and the death. The family's neighbors
learned whereas the blissful François had to pass by
there to go to a hermitage. They watched his/her/its arrival
therefore, but by misfortune the saint took other path. One
had lent him a horse, because he/it was sick and was not able
to some anymore. Arrived to destination, he/it put a Brother
named Pierre in charge of bringing back the horse to his/her/its
owner who had lent it so charitably. Brother Pierre brought
back the beast while passing by the village where agonissait
this woman. As far back as they saw it, the inhabitants run
to him, taking it for François saint to when they noted
the mistake, they were afflicted some very. Tenacious they asked
then well for what object have touched the hand of the blissful
François after reflection, they thought about the reins
that he/it had to have held in hands to overlap; they removed
the bit of the mouth of the horse and applied to the woman,
the reins that the Father had handled,: to the instant the danger
was separated; she/it delivered all happy and in full health.
- Réf.
(1) doubles biblical allusion: first to the famous parabola:
Seed, it is the speech e Dieu…9 Lc 8 v 11-15); then to
the Psalm, where the blessing that makes grow seed is compared
to the dew, always abundant and beneficent, that takes down
the Hermon.
(2) to remember that the catharisme, in Italy, overflowed extensively
the borders of Lombardy, Cf 8,no1 and TO, Dondaine, The Hierarchy
Cathar in Italy, Arch. Fr. Praedic,19(1949), p. 290.
(3)Tel are the sense of the church that distinguishes François
of all innovative liberals of his/her/its time, the sense of
the Tradition that allowed him to carry through a true Reform.
The First Rule, chapter 17, prescribed to all preachers of the
order the same submissiveness.
(4) Cf. higher 46
(5) he/it enumerates them himself in his/her/its First Adjust,
chapter 23, and exhort their depositories to persevere in the
true faith: «
priests, deacons (subdeacons), partners, exorcise, readers,
porters, and all clerks."
.1cel.62-63-p... .245-246
All texts come of the document of the life of Saint François
of the PP Théophile Desbonnetses and Damien Vorreux o.f.m
Edition Franciscan 9 Rue Marie Rose Paris XIVe June 13, 1968
The
supreme desire of the blissful François and how he/it
understood, while consulting the book, what the Lord wanted
it,
91. To be safe from the crowds that ran every day to see it
and to hear it, the blissful Father François left one
day in a shelter of solitude and tranquillity (1) for there
more to think only about God and to shake the dust that could
have become attached to him in his/her/its stay among the men.
The time that God bestows us to acquire the grace, he distributed
it thus following the opportunities: a part to the conquest
of the souls, a part to the contemplations in the solitude.
He/it didn't take therefore with him that quite a small number
of mates more informed than the other of his/her/its habits:
he/it would be forbidden by them against the invasion and the
importunity of the men his/her/its retirement would be filially
and faithfully protected. He/it practiced during this stay a
continual prayer to his/her/its contemplation permitted him
to enjoy there, of ineffable manner, of God's familiarity.
He/it wanted to know what he/it could make or to let make in
him that was the most pleasant the eternal King's: of all his/her/its
intelligence, of all his/her/its soul, he/it looked for the
means to become attached perfectly to the Lord God, in accordance
with his/her/its intentions and to the good pleasure of his/her/its
will. There was for him the summit of philosophy, such was the
supreme desire of which burned all his/her/its life, and he/it
asked all, scholarly and illiterate, perfect or imperfect, for
the road of the truth, the road of best.
92. He/it defended himself/itself well to be perfected, him
most perfect of perfect them, and judged itself himself of the
most total imperfection. It is that he/it had experimented and
savored the sweetness, the suavity, the goodness of the god
of Israel with regard to those that have the right heart and
that look for it in all simplicity and purity of intention (2).
This sweetness and this suavity are granted to some rare privilege:
he/it had felt them in him like a breeze coming from the sky;
him in défaillait nearly, full of one so big joy that
he/it wanted to pass entire where the ecstasy had a part of
himself lived. Animate by God's mind, he/it was ready to all
anguishes of the soul, to all torments of the body, provided
that he/it was finally allowed him to see to achieve itself/themselves
in him the merciful will of our Father of the heaven.
C ' is pourqoui he left to take the évangéliaire
one day, put it respectfully on the altar raised in the hermitage
that he lived in, then, prostrating of heart as well as body,
he asked by a humble prayer that the God of goodness, Father
of mercies and God of all consolation, wanted to mean him what
was his/her/its will; he/it implored it to indicate by the first
page where the volume would open up, what it is necessary to
make to crown the work that it had begun previously with simplicity
and generosity. His/her/its intention was that one even of the
saints and the perfect who acted of the same way, advanced by
the same desire of holiness (3).
93. His/her/its prayer finished, it stood up, then humble and
contrite, made the sign of the cross, took the book on the altar
and opened it while trembling, and has that the first passage
on which it fell was the narration of the Passion of Our Lord
Jesus Christ. It reveal to him enough clearly that he/it would
have to suffer. But so that one cannot put this indication on
the account of the luck, he/it opened the book a second time,
then a third time, and find the same text or an equivalent text.
God's MIND made him understand that it would not enter to God's
kingdom that after a lot of tribulations, anguishes and fights.
As a valiant knight knight, he/it remained fearless facing the
battle that announced itself; he/it didn't lose courage to the
perspective to lead the struggle for the Lord in this world.
He/it didn't have besides to fear to yield to the enemy, him
that knew how to defeat itself himself, to have worked hard
there a long time beyond even of what was able to his/her/its
human strengths. One can find him an emulator, during the centuries,
for the firmness to want it,; he/it is without equal for the
ardor in the desire. More expeditious to practice the perfection
that to preach it, he/it used all his/her/its energy and his/her/its
activity not to the words that bring up the good without achieving
it, but to the œuvres of holiness. He/it remained therefore
unshakably restful and happy; he/it sang in his/her/its heart,
for him and for God, of the rejoicing hymns. to have been delighted
so much with a very minimal revelation, he/it deserved the favor
of another more important (4), similar to the faithful servant
in the small things that him main workbench on bigger (5).
Réf.
(1) it is about the Alverne, as one will see it 94
(2) Ps 72,1; Sg 1v1.
(3) among others famous examples of Sorts sanctorum, let's mention
the Apostles (Ac1v 24-26), holy Antoine (Vitae Patrum, 1,2,
Pl 73,127), holy Augustin (Conf,8,12), holy Martin (Life by
Sulp. Stern, Pl20,165), etc, And Cf.2C15.
(4) the condemnation
(5) Mt 52,21.
1 c.ch.2.v.91 .92p ...271-272
All texts come of the document of the life of Saint François
of the PP Théophile Desbonnetses and Damien Vorreux o.f.m
Edition Franciscan 9 Rue Marie Rose Paris XIVe June 13, 1968
Hermitage
One cannot fix with certainty dates it of this writing. He/it
probably existed already in 1218. He/it proves that the appeal
of the solitude made itself feel already since the beginnings
of the order, and that François approved it.
Today again, we can imagine what was then these hermitages,
when we visit the Carceris to the flank of the Subasio, Greccio
in the valley of Rieti, or the Those close to Cortone. The first
brothers, if they dedicated them known care of the lepers, to
the works fields or to the predication, imposed sometimes also
more or less themselves a retrais long to the prayers continues
and to the contemplation. Saint François, in a brief
text, these "stays to the desert."
(1) the brothers who want to lead the evangelical life and fraternity
there in the hermitages will live "three, or four at more.
Two will be the "mothers"; they will have two "sons"
therefore, or an at least. (2) the mothers will hold the role
of Marthe, and the two sons the one of Marie; they will have
an enclosure inside of which each will have his/her/its cell
to pray there and to sleep.
(3) they will always say immediately Complies after the sunset;
they will observe the silence carefully; they will recite their
Hours, and for Matins will rise. They will first look for kingdom
of God and his/her/its justice (4) ON agreed hour they will
say Bonus; after Third they will break the t silence will be
able to go to find their mothers and to speak to them. (5) when
they will want it, they will be able to collect their food by
their mother for the love of the Lord God, as small poor people.
(6) then, at the agreed hours, they will say Sexte, None and
Vespers.
In the enclosure where they stay one won't let enter no one;
one won't eat there either. (8) the brothers who are the "mothers"
will escape all report carefully with the outside; in accordance
with the orders of their ministers, they will protect their
sons of all contact, so that no one can speak to them. (9) the
sons won't speak to anybody, except to their mother, and to
their minister or to their custode when these will come to visit
them with the blessing of the Lord God. (10) the sons will take
the role of mothers, following the tour that they will have
judged good to adjust between them, from time to time. They
will put all their care and their application to observe everything
that has just been says.
(1) Cf. Dictionary of Spirituality, Érémitisme
article, and also in the article of the deserts, col.539-49,:
The Deserts in l ‘Order of François saint
(2) however the expression religiose vivere meaning a communal
life: The Origins of Prémontrés, in RHEa 42 (1947)p.371,n.4.
The two sœurs symbolizes: one the active life, and the
other the contemplative life.
(3) the evangelical quote seems to indicate that the sense and
the goal first of life in hermitage for François was
less the ascetic flight of the world, that the mystical desire
and God's quest. Cf. Fior 16, and 2.Considération on
the stigmata. Later, the bx Paul Giustiniani to say: "You
know, Lord Jesus Christ, that it is not because of her, but
because of you, that I liked the solitude. »
(7) the fasting comes with the life of prayer. The sons were
going to eat, in the evening, in the cell of the mothers. Cf.2
C45,61S and 178
(8) Cf. Rule of Benoît,67 saint; PL 66, 914,
(9) Cf. Sp 55
(10) that wants to appreciate the originality of this charter
of the Franciscan érémitisme better must compare
it with the three classics: the sermons Ad fratres in eremon,
of Augustin saint, PL 145, 327-64,; The letter to Gilbert the
Recluse, of Pierre the Venerable. PL 189,233-42.
1 - Erm1-10 p. 97
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of the PP Théophile Desbonnetses and Damien Vorreux o.f.m
Edition Franciscan 9 Rue Marie Rose Paris XIVe June 13, 1968
Legend
of Pérouse 80 v 4 p963
He/it chooses the brothers that he/it wanted to take with him
and tells to them: In the name of the Lord, go two to two by
the paths, worthily; the morning, keep the silence until after
Third (4) while asking God in your heart. No useless chats,
because although you are in journey, your conduct must be honest
that if you were in your hermitage or in your cell. Or that
we are, or that we went, we carry away our cell with us, Our
cell, this °est our brother the body, and our soul is the
hermit living in this cell to ask God and to meditate. If our
soul doesn't stay in calmness and the solitude the inside of
his/her/its cell, why live in a cell made of man hand
(4) Cf.erm.4
All texts come of the document of the life of Saint François
of the PP Théophile Desbonnetses and Damien Vorreux o.f.m
Edition Franciscan 9 Rue Marie Rose Paris XIVe June 13, 1968
Diabolic
persecutions and consolations
Once, the blissful François was himself of it in Rome
to return visit in the Hugolin Lord, bishop of Ostie, whom later
became pope. After some days passed by him, he/it took leave
and left to visit the Léon Lords, cardinal of Saint-Cross.
This cardinal of Saint-Cross. This cardinal was very gracious
and polite, he liked to meet the blissful François that
he venerated a lot. He/it asked it with a big devotion to stay
some days by him, because it was the winter, the cold weather
was very quick and, nearly each day, wind and rain raged, as
it often arrives in this season. '' Brother, tells to him it,
the time makes impossible all journey. I want, if he/it pleases
you, that you remain at home until the time became again favorable.
As I feed every day in my home a certain number of poor people,
you will be treated like one them. '' The cardinal Lord spoke
thus because it knew that the blessed wanted to be received
like a small poor there or the hospitality was offered to him
(1) and however his/her/its holiness was so vivid that the Lord
pope, the cardinals and the big of this world that knew it venerated
it like a saint. The cardinal added: '' I will give you a good
retired lodgings, or you will be able to eat or will be able
to pray to your manner". "
Close to the cardinal Lord was Angel Tancrède then (2),
one of the first twelve brothers; he/it tells the blissful François:
'' Has close to here, on the defensive wall of the city, a beautiful
tower, high and spacious, containing nine rooms. There you will
be able to isolate you all as in one hermitage".--- "are
"Going to see it! replies the saint. She/it pleased to
him and, come back close to the cardinal Lord, he/it tells to
him: '' Lord, I would remain can - to be close to you some days".
"The cardinal was very happy of it, Brother Angel had the
tower prepared so that the saint can stay there with his/her/its
mate day and night, because he didn't want to take down of it
nor of day of night, so much that he would be the host of the
cardinal Brother Angel offered itself to carry them himself
their meal, that he would deposit outside, because neither he
nor no other had to not enter. The blessed was going to settle
therefore in this tower with his/her/its mate.
However, the first harms, as it prepared to sleep, the demons
occurred and beat it of strokes. Immediately he/it called his/its
mate who occupied a distant room, the brother bounds and came
to join it. The blessed tells to him: '' The demons, brother,
hit me toughly. I want that you value me company because I fear
to remain alone". "The brother will stay all night
long close to him, the blissful François trembled of
all his/her/its members, like a patient in prey to the fever,
and all two remained awake until the morning.
The blessed conversed during all this time with his/her/its
mate, and he said: ""Why the demons have me them struck
$Why they have receipt of the Lord
Permission to make me of the pain & "And he/it pursued
his/its reflection thus: ""The demons are the policemen
of the Our Lord. As well as the podestat sends its policemen
to punish a guilty party, in the same way the Lord corrects
and castigate those that it likes, by his/her/its policemen
it is - to say by the demons who are the executors of his/her/its
works. He/it frequently arrives that the religious, even ' perfect
‘‘ (3) '', sin by ignorance (4). Then, as he/it
ignores his/its sin, he/it is castigated by the devil so that
this punishment serves him of lesson, so that it understands
and consider attentively in it and around it some what it sinned.
Because, at those that the Lord likes tenderly here below, nothing
stays unpunished.
'' For me, by the grace and God's goodness, I don't see any
default of which me I am purified by the confession and the
satisfaction. And even the Lord in his/her/its goodness, revealed
me in the prayer everything that can please to him or displease
to him. But it can happen, seem me him, that the Lord made me
castigate by himself policemen for the following motive: Probably,
the cardinal appears spontaneously very generous to my consideration;
probably my body to need of cares and me then to accept them
without remorse. And however, my brothers who go by the world,
enduring the hunger and all sorts of tribulations, that stay
in poor people small houses and in the hermitages, would be
able to, while learning that I am the host of the cardinal Lord,
to find there pretext to whisper against me,; they would say:
'' While we endure all sorts of deprivations, has him all his/her/its
joys! '' However I am held to show the good example always:
it is for it that I was given to them. The brothers are built
more when I stay with them in poor convents: they support their
tribulations with more of patience when they learn and know
that I endure as much as they. / /
The holy Father had always been weak: already in the century
he/it was frail and feeble of constitution, and the illness
made grow only until the day of his/her/its death; but always
he/it wanted to give to the brothers the good example and to
remove them all pretext to whisper and to say: ', Agree him
everything of which he/it has need, but us, we don't have anything...
Also, sick or structural, until the day of his/her/its death
he/it supported so many deprivations that if all brothers knew
them as us that lived with him a certain time until the end,
they could not remind them without pouring some tears, and they
supported with more of patience tests and deprivations.
At dawn, the blissful François came down from the tower
with the brother, find itself/themselves the cardinal Lord of
it, told him everything that had happened and everything that
he had told his/its mate. He/it added: ', people have in me
big confidence and take me for a saint; however, here it is
that the demons threw me out of my hermitage! He/it wanted to
stay indeed in retirement in this tower like a recluse without
speaking to others that to his/her/its mate. The cardinal Lord
is greatly delighted with to see it again, but, because it looked
at it and venerated it like a saint, it agreed to his/its will
not to stay longer in this place, the blissful François
took leave of him therefore and came back to the hermitage ''
Saint François (5)., Melting Colombo, close to Rieti.
(1) one could also translate: '' I cannot
stop (to swear). ''
(2) it is possible that this brother is to identify to the brother
Angel of Rieti; maybe same he is one of the editors, of some
paragraphs, otherwise of this one, of the Legend of Pérouse.
(3) the spiritual life was often presented like including three
stages: one distinguished the early, them progressing and them
'' perfect ''.
(4) other current theory. One distinguished three manners to
sin: by weakness, by ignorance and by mischief. Every species
was put in relation with one People of the Trinidad, according
to Mt 12,32. Cf, Liber of mondo bene vivendi, hp. 26. Of Peccato,
PL 184, 1246. It is a distinction that comes of Isidore of Seville,
and that was spilled by Hugues of Saint-Victor, Summa Sententiarum,
III, 6 (PL 176.98).
(5) sic, as higher 57
Legend of Pérouse 92 p. 973
All texts come of the document of the life of Saint François
of the PP Théophile Desbonnetses and Damien Vorreux o.f.m
Edition Franciscan 9 Rue Marie Rose Paris XIVe June 13, 1968
The
blissful François having surrendered the hermitage of
the Mount Alverne one day, this place pleased to him so by his/her/its
isolation that it wanted to make a fast there in honor of Michel
saint. He/it had gone up there before the feast of the Assumption
of the glorious Virgin Marie, he/it counted the days that separated
the Saint's feast - Michel: there is had forty of them. He/it
says then: '' In honor of God, of the blissful Virgin Marie
his/her/its mother, and of the blissful Michel, prince of the
angels of the souls (6), I want to make here a fast. '' He/it
entered in the cell that he/it wanted to occupy during all this
time, and during the first night asked the Lord to show him
by a sign if the divine will was that it stayed in this place.
The blissful François, indeed, when he/it stopped in
some place to pray, or when he/it browsed the world to preach,
always worried about to know God's will, to conform itself/themselves
of it and to be pleasing to the Lord. He/it sometimes feared
that, under pretext of retirement in the solitude to pray there,
his/her/its body to try actually only to back out of the fatigues
of the predication through the world, this world for which the
Christ didn't hesitate to come from the sky on the earth. He/it
had those that appeared him friends of God asked also, so that
the Lord made him know if it had to, to accomplish his/her/its
will, to be going to preach by the world or to retire in a lone
place to pray (7)
He/it was again in prayer, the day began to dawn, and now birds
of all feathers came to perch on the cell that it lived in.
But not all at the same time: he/it first came a that made hear
his/her/its warbling verse from it and retired to another came,
sang, and left on his/her/its turn and so forth. It was, for
the blissful François, a big topic of admiration and
consolation. '' As he/it wondered what it meant, he/it was answered
him internally by the Lord: It is the sign that God will give
you in this cell a lot of graces and of consolations. He/it
was some truly so. Indeed, among a lot of other hidden or manifest
graces that sent him the Lord, stand the vision of the seraph,
that fills his/her/its soul of consolation and unites it closely
to God the whole remains his/her/its life, he/it told him what
had happened.
But he/it didn't know that of the consolations, in this cell,;
he/it had to suffer on behalf of the demons, during the night,
of multiple tribulations, as he/it returned it himself his/her/its
mate. One day same he/it tells to him: '' If the brothers knew
everything that I make to endure the demons, none among them
would refuse me his/her/its mercy and his/her/its compassion!...
'' It is because of these persecutions that he/it was sometimes
impossible to him to be completely at the disposal of the brothers
and to testify them his/her/its familiar affection as often
that they would have liked it.
(6) doubles affirmation based on the writing
and the Liturgy, as often at François saint: Prince of
the angels, Dn 10,13; Chief of the army of the sky. Ap 12,7:
Prince of the souls that he/it drives in Paradise: Offertoire
of the Mass of the Deceased.
(7) other examples: higher 79, and especially LM 12,2.
Legend of Pérouse hp. 93 p. 976
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of the PP Théophile Desbonnetses and Damien Vorreux o.f.m
Edition Franciscan 9 Rue Marie Rose Paris XIVe June 13, 1968
In
that time, the blissful François stayed to the hermitage
of Greccio. He/it was held day and night, to pray in the cell
of the bottom, behind the big room, however one night, in the
first sleep, he/it called the mate who occupied the big room,
the oldest. The one - rose here and came in the passageway to
the entry of the cell or was lying the blissful François.
The saint tells to him: ... Brother, I cannot sleep, this night,
to hold me up to pray (8), because the head turns me and my
legs tremble so strong that one would say that I ate the bread
of rye grass!.. His/her/its mate answered him by some soft and
soothing words.
The blessed tells to him: '' I believe that the devil hides
in the cushion that I have under the head!... The eve, indeed,
the Jean Lord of Greccio, that the saint liked a lot and to
that he testified all his/her/its life a familiar affection,
had bought him a pillow of feathers. However, since he/it had
even the world, the blessed didn't want mattress, nor pillow
of feathers, even though he was sick or under some other pretext.
But that time, the brothers the had obliged there against his/her/its
will, because of his/her/its very serious illness of eyes. He/it
threw the cushion therefore his/her/its mate.
This one collected it, put it on his/her/its left shoulder while
getting it from the right hand and left of this passageway.
Immediately he/it lost the speech and was in the impossibility
to make a step, to move arms nor hands nor, not even to get
rid of the cushion, he/it stayed thus standing, like a man deprived
of feeling, unconscious of what does without it him and around
him. It lasted one hour well, more, thanks to God, the blissful
François called it, Immediately, he comes back to him,
threw the pillow behind him and joined the blessed. When he/it
had told his/its adventure, the holy Father tells to him: .
Tonight, while reciting Complies, I felt that the devil entered
in my cell... He was certain whereas it was well the devil who
had stopped it from sleeping and to stand up to pray. And he/it
says: '' The demon is full of trick and ruse. Seeing that, by
goodness and God's grace, he/it cannot harm to my soul, he/it
takes himself/itself of it to my body in order to stop me from
sleeping and to remain standing to pray. He/it wants to choke
in me the devotion and the joy of my heart to make whisper me
against my illness. '
(8) standing: to see the beginning of
the 95. - For the symptoms of the illness, cf 2c 64.
Legend of Pérouse 94 p 977
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of the PP Théophile Desbonnetses and Damien Vorreux o.f.m
Edition Franciscan 9 Rue Marie Rose Paris XIVe June 13, 1968
The
manner to serve and to work
The brothers, or that they are, in hermitage or in a few other
residence, will take care not to appropriate any site, and not
to enter in contestation with that that it is to claim it. (14)
whoever comes to them, friend or hostile, thief or brigand,
must be received well. (15) the brothers, in some country that
they are, in a few residence that them his/her/its meet, must
not to look for himself quarrel the some to the other, but to
testify itself/themselves a respect and an esteem spiritual
and eager. (16) that they take care well not to affect a dark
air, a hypocritical sadness,; but that they appear happy in
the Lord, cheerful, agreeable, and gracious as he/it agrees.
(14) Ga.5.13
(15) Saint Benoît, Rule, c.61,: How it is necessary to
receive the monks in journey. PL66, 853,
(16) Cf. 2Reg 3 11 and Adm 21. - The verses 15 and 16 have been
inserted in the Rule by François saint during a chapter
of the order: 2C 128.-Dante, of which one knows the Franciscan
attachments, reserved a circle of his/her/its Hell (XI,4 5)
reserves a circle of his/her/its Hell (those that cried qu then
they could be happy",
1 rule 7 v 13 p. 62
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of the PP Théophile Desbonnetses and Damien Vorreux o.f.m
Edition Franciscan 9 Rue Marie Rose Paris XIVe June 13, 1968
Another
time; God's man wanting to retire in a hermitage to give way
more freely to the contemplation, was, - because he/it was at
the end of force, to make itself/themselves drive to back of
donkey. One was then in summer, and his/her/its guide, that
climbed to feet the mountain following the Christ's servant,
while not being able to any more fatigue and thirst in this
so long and damaged path, started shouting to the saint's address
vehemently: '' ' I am going to die of thirst if I don't immediately
have of what to drink! Without losing had one instant, God's
man comes down from his/her/its donkey, gets on the knees, raise
the hands skywards and don't stop to pray that when he feels
granted; he/it addresses the man then: Court to this rock: you
will find a source that the Christ, in his/her/its goodness,
has just made to spring of the stone there so that you can drink.
Admirable condescension of God, that lets itself so gladly bend
by his/her/its servants: a thirsty man could drink a water sprung
of the rock (1) by a saint's virtue in prayer and it is a very
hard rock that to provide to him of what to cool off. There
was not a net of water before in this place, and one had beautiful
to look for, one doesn't find some anymore draws in the continuation
(20)
(20) this stage happens between Borgo
San Sepolcro and the Alverne, according to the First Consideration
on the stigmata following the Fiorettis. She/it is the subject
of one of the most impressive frescos of the set assigned to
Giotto to the basilica superior of foundation.
Legenda Regimental adjutant 7 P v12: 630
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of the PP Théophile Desbonnetses and Damien Vorreux o.f.m
Edition Franciscan 9 Rue Marie Rose Paris XIVe June 13, 1968
The
angelic François didn't have for habit to take a rest
during his/her/its pursuit of the good, but, as the angelic
minds, on Jacob's scale, or he went up toward God, or he descended
toward the neighbor: he/it had come to make thus with prudence
(1) the distribution of the time that God bestows us to acquire
some merits: a part to the works and to fatigues for the a lot
of men, a part to the contemplation of the ecstatic contemplation,
and when he/it had worked to the salute of the other, in a varied
way following the circumstances of place and time, he/it departed
of the crowd and his/her/its tumult, looked in the solitude
for a calm place to think freely about the Lord of mind and
to shake the dust that could have become attached to his/her/its
soul during his/her/its passage among the men. After multiple
works François was driven finally, by the divine Providence,
two years before his/her/its death, until the very elevated
hermitage (3) that one calls '' The Mount ALverne (4) ''. having
begun his/her/its usual fast in honor of Michel saint, he felt
more abundantly than ever the sweetness of the celestial contemplation,
the ardor of the supernatural desires and profusion of the divine
graces. He/it rose skywards, no like a curious greedy to penetrate
the secrets of the supreme majesty - those are crushed by its
glory (has) - but like a faithful and prudent servant (b) looking
for God's good pleasure (5) and only wanting one thing; to conform
itself/themselves of it in all points.
(1) this chapter is the summit and the
point of outcome of all the spiritual itinerary of François
saint as conceives it holy Bonaventure. He/it fills, if one
dares to say, the role of the paschal mystery in the Christ's
life. Saint Bonaventure teaches us himself, in the Prologue
of his/her/its Itinerary, that in 1259 he retired on the Alverne
to meditate all there to leisure on the mystery of the stigmata.
(2) the prudence of which it is about here is not, in the language
of Bonaventure saint, the human calculation that will dare the
action and the contemplation learnedly to avoid either the weariness,
either the obesity; it is the moral virtue that, after having
realized the life requirements Christian state of mind that,
after having realized the requirements of the Christian life
in general on the one hand, and of the personal faculties on
the other hand, adjust his/her/its answer to God's call, his/her/its
vocation, following a hierarchy of securities that no one can
discover for others.
(3) the terms of the Latin text are a clear allusion to the
rise of the Thabor for Transfiguration (Mt 17,1).
(4) of the name of the mountain on which he/it is (1283 meters;
the hermitage is to 1129 meters). This name of Verna would come
of vernare, a verb again used by Dante, and that means to be
cold, to freeze.
(5) reminiscence of the mind, otherwise of the letter of the
psalm 122: the eyes of the servants are fixed on the hands of
the Mr. to obey the least sign.
Legend Regimental adjutant 13 v 1. p. 681
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of the PP Théophile Desbonnetses and Damien Vorreux o.f.m
Edition Franciscan 9 Rue Marie Rose Paris XIVe June 13, 1968
How
the saint invited his physician has eat lunch, whereas the brothers
lacked all: and how the Lord filled them with victuals. God
provides to the needs of his.
To the time or the blessed stayed in a hermitage of the vicinity
of Rieti, the physician came every day to take care of him the
eyes. However the saint tells his mates one day: '' Invite the
physician and serve him a good meal, - Father, answered him
the guard, I confess it to my shame, but we would never dare
to invite it, so much we are deprived!.
The saint retorted: '' Why want yourselves to make it to me
to say two times! '' and the physician who was present: '' My
very dear brothers, I would be delighted to share your poverty.
''
The brothers speed up and bring on the table everything that
remains in the reserve: a little bread, very little wine; so
that the menu is more copious, to cook prepares it some vegetables.
But the table of Mr. permitted to decorate the one of the servants:
someone knocks at the door; one runs: it was a woman who brought
a basket full of beautiful golden bread, of fish, of pâté
of crayfishes and, regaining the all, of the honey and the grape.
To this spectacle, the family of the poor people was well joy;
one let for the following day the vulgar food, one tasted the
thinnest no more than that to wait, and the physician says while
sighing: '' Nor you, my brothers, nor with greater reason us
other of the world, let's not recognize as we would owe it this
man's holiness. '' They consumed little: the miracle had satiated
them more that could not have made it the menu. So goes God's
love our Father: he/it never leaves his of the look, and feeds
his/her/its beggars of as much better than they are deprived
more. Of the table of the poor people to the one of the kings,
there is as much difference as of God's wealth to the wealth
of the men.
REF:
2 c. chap.15 v 44 pages 361
All texts come of the document of the life of Saint François
of the PP Théophile Desbonnetses and Damien Vorreux o.f.m
Edition Franciscan 9 Rue Marie Rose Paris XIVe June 13, 1968
How
holy François made a fast in an island of the lake of
Pérouse, or he fasted forty days and forty nights and
didn't eat anything more than the half of a bread!
God's real servant holy François, because in some things
he/it was almost another Christ, given to the world for the
salute of the men, God the Father wanted to return he on a lot
of point compliant and similar to his/her/its son Christ, as
well as him he appears in the venerable college of the twelve
mates (2), and in the admirable mystery of the sacred Stigmata;
and in the continual fasting of the holy fast, that he/it made
the following manner.
Saint François being once, the day of the carnival close
to the lake of Pérouse, in the house of one of his/her/its
religious with that it had spent the night, was inspired of
God to be going to make this fast in an island of this lake.
This reason holy François asked this his religious to
carry it on his/her/its skiff, for the Christ's love, in an
island of the lake or didn't live in anybody, and to make it
the night of the day of the Ashes so that no one perceived some.
This one. because of the big devotion that he/it had for François
saint, satisfied assiduously to his/her/its prayer and passed
it in this island; and holy François didn't carry away
with him anything else that two small breads. Arrived in the
island, as his/her/its friend left it to return at home, holy
François asked it lovingly not to reveal to anybody that
he was there, and not to come back toward him that Thursday
Saint. And on that the other left, and holy François
remained alone.
As there was not there any dwelling or he/it pleased to retire,
he/it entered in a very bushy bush, or a lot of brambles and
bushes had formed a sort of small cabin or lair; and in this
place he/it got in prayer and to contemplate the celestial things.
And he/it remained there the whole fast (3) without drinking
and without eating anything else that the half of one of these
small breads, as this discovered it his religious Thursday Saint,
when he/it returned toward him: of the two breads, he/it found
one whole and the half of the other. One believes that the other
half, holy François ate it out of respect for the fasting
of the Christ blessed, that fasted forty day and forty nights
without taking no material food (4).
Then in this place, or holy François had made one so
marvelous abstinence, God operated a lot of miracles by his/her/its
merits; for this reason, people began to build some houses there
and to live there; and in a short time, he/it builds himself/itself
a good and big village, and there be the convent of the brothers
that one calls the convent of the island; and the men and the
women of this village have even big respect and devotion for
this place or holy François made the aforesaid fast (5).
To the Christ's praise. Amen.
(1) Actus 6; title of the Actuses: Of
the fasting of forty days of François saint. It is in
isolated it Meggiore of the Trasimène lake, near of which
Annibal took back on the consul. C. Flaminius, the bloody victory
ded 217, that holy François made this fast. The date
is not known with certainty; Wadding, in his/her/its Lasting
a year Mirnorums, the place in 1211
(2) Cf.chap.1.
(3) the text of the Actuses adds that it his/her/its held '
immobile ', the whole fast.
(4)Le P. Nicolas Cavanna, O.F.M., in his/her/its so remarkably
documented guide, The Umbria francescana - of which he/it exists
a French translation by Teodor of Wyzewa, Paris, 1926, to see
p.145 and next one summary with a lot of precision all Franciscan
memories of isolated it Maggiore: two small chapels, of which
one would mark the place or holy François disembarked,
and the other the natural shelter or he stayed; him '' Isabelle
castle '' constructed in 1885 on the site of the Franciscan
convent, of which he/it only remains the chapel; and '' a small
village, to the low, dark and melancholic houses '', that would
be he '' good and big village '' of which speak the Fiorettis.
Fioretti 7 admonishes 7 pages 1076
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