Information
The Stigmata

These 5 considerations are pulled from the book

Saint François of foundation

Documents Bruise

Written and first biographies by the

PP. Théophiles Desbonnets and Damien Vorreux o.f.m.

The moons followed each other. The spring passed, then the summer. We watched of in top to change the face of the earth. Wheats turned green in the plain, yellowed then and lay down finally under the forgery. The black stumps of the grapevines budded, bloomed and were in charge of clusters that the vendangeurs carried away. But our mountain never changed; she/it was always distressed and without the least flower. Comes the fall and the month of September.

The feast of the Cross approached. François took a gulp of bread and a mouthful of water only per day, he fasted for the love of the holy Cross. On the Rule of the order, he/it had written his/its own hand: "We adore you, oh Lord, and we rent to you, because by means of your holy Cross, you condescended to purchase the sins of the world."

Therefore as approached the feast of the exaltation that takes place September 14, François founded like a lit candle. He/it could not sleep anymore and could keep day and night the raised eyes, as if he/it waited that appeared to him a sign in the middle of lightnings and swishes of wings.

One day, he/it took me by the hand and showed me the Sky:
- Watch you also, you will see It maybe. He/it is said in the Writings that the Cross will stand in the Sky as the Lord will come to judge. Brother Léon, I feel that the Lord will come to judge!

He/it looked at his/her/its feet and his/her/its hands.
- The man's body is a cross, it pursued - spread the arms and you will see - and God is nailed on her.

He/it raised the hands in the Sky:
- Oh Christ, my beloved Lord, he/it whispered, I will ask you to grant me a grace before I die! It is that in my body and in my soul, as much as it will be possible, I can feel Your pain and Your passion.....


.... One night, I lay in ambush behind my rock and watched: François prayed, knelt before his/her/its hut. A halo of quivering light surrounded its face and, to the gleam of the lightnings, I saw to shine his/her/its hands and his/her/its feet distinctly. Not to shine, but to burn.

I observed it thus for a long time, immobile. Wind had fallen, a leaf didn't move. The sky began to whiten the side of the orient. far away, perched on some branch, sang an early bird. The night gathered his/her/its stars and his/her/its shades and got ready to leave. Sudden, an intense, blue and green clarity, illuminated the sky. I raised the eyes: a seraph with six wings of fire descended and on his/her/its breast, enveloped in the feathers, was Jesus crucified. A pair of wings embraced the head, another the body and the third, right and left, regained the arms spread of the Christ. The Alverne was in the middle of the flames whose reflections illuminated the plain. The winged Christ melted the Sky while hissing and a lightning reached François who uttered an agonizing scream as if one pierced it of nails. He/it opened the arms and immobilized itself, crucified, in air. Then he/it whispered some unintelligible words followed a new scream.....

Then, above him, made itself hear the Divine Voice:
"It is to the Crucifixion that end takes the man's ascension." And, again the scream despaired of François:
"I want to go farther, until the Resurrection!" and the Christ's voice, through the feathers of the Seraph,:
"My dear François, open the eyes and watch: Crucifixion and Resurrection only make a!"
"And the Paradise?" protested François.
"Crucifixion, Resurrection and Paradises, only make a!" says the voice again.
To this mots,un thunder clap the sky shook, such a voice ordering to the miracle to return to God and the seraph with the six wings of fire, similar to a red and green lightning, went back up at the Sky.

François collapsed, the body agitated of convulsions. I hurried toward him and raised it. His/her/its hands and his/her/its feet bled. Separating his/her/its frock, I live on his/her/its flank a large wound, as open by a stroke of spear.

- "Father François, Father François, I whispered.... while sprinkling it of water so that he/it takes knowledge. I could not call it brother. I didn't dare anymore. He/it had risen his/its brothers above and above the men.......

.... I helped it to spread, tore my frock and bandaged his/her/its wounds, then I prostrated before his/her/its hands and his/her/its feet while crying. When I left it to regain my hut, the day rose.

"The journey ended, I whispered, the journey ended. François reached the summit; the man cannot go farther than the Crucifixion..."

Nikos Kazantzaki, Life of François saint, pp342 - 345

Considerations on the Stigmata

As for the first consideration, it is necessary to know that holy François, at the age of forty-three years, in 1224(1), left, inspired by God, of the Valley of Spolète to go to Romagne with brother Léon, his/her/its mate,; and on his/her/its road he/it passed to the foot of the castle of Montefeltro (2), where he/it made himself/itself a big banquet and an assembly then because one of these counts of Montefeltro was armed knight. Learning this solemnity that made itself there and that a lot of gentilshommes of various regions found themselves of it united, holy François says to brother Léon:

"Let's go up there, to this feast, because, with God's help, we will make very spiritual there some. " Among the other gentilshommes that had come to this assembly, there was there a rich and considerable gentleman of Tuscany, named Messire Roland of Chiusi in Casentino (3),qui, because of the marvelous things that he/it had heard on the holiness and the miracles of François saint, carried him big devotion and had very big desire to see it and to hear to preach it.

Saint François arrived to this castle, entered there and left on the place, where was united the whole crowd of these gentilshommes; in devotion of mind, he/it went up on a small wall and began to preach, while taking like theme of his/her/its predication these words in vulgar language (4): Tanto è what bene hp 'io aspetto, che ogni pena me è diletto (5). And on this theme, under the dictation of the mind-Saint, he/it preached, with such a devotion and such a depth, while proving it by various pains and martyrdoms of the holy Apostles and the holy Martyrs, and by the hard penitences of the holy Confessors, and by the numerous tribulations and temptations of the holy Virgins and the other Saints, that all these people stayed there the eyes and the mind fixed on him, and listened as if it was God's Angel who spoke. Among them, the aforesaid Messire Roland, touched of God in his/her/its heart by the marvelous predication of François saint, took the resolution to go, after the predication, to converse with him of the things of his/her/its soul.

Also, the finished predication, he/it took to part François saint and he/it tells to him: "Father, I would like to converse with you of the salute of my soul. Saint François (6) answered: "It pleases me a lot, but, this morning, go and make honor to your friends who invited you to this feast, dine with them, and after the dinner we will speak together so much that he/it will please you. Messire Roland left to dine therefore and, after the dinner, he returned to François saint and he exposed to him and adjusted entirely with him the things of his/her/its soul. And, at the end, this Messire Roland tells François saint: "I possess in Tuscany a mount very favorable to the piety, that is called the Alverne mount (7); he/it is very lone, covered with wood, and very very disposed for that would like to make penitence in a place separated of the world, or for that has the desire of the lone life. If he/it pleased you, I would give it to you gladly, to you and to your mates, for the salute of my soul. Saint François, to an offer as generous of what he/it wanted a lot, felt a very quick rejoicing, and, renting and first thanking God, then Messire Roland, he/it spoke him in these terms: "Messire, when you will have returned at home, I will send you my mates, and you will show them this mount; and if he/it appears clean to them to the prayer and to make penitence, I accept your charitable offer from now on. It says, holy François left; after having finished his/her/its journey, he/it turned around some to Saint-Marie of the Angels; and in the same way Messire Roland, this finished solemn assembly, returned some to his/her/its castle that was called Chiusi and that is close to the Alverne, to one one thousand.

Himself as having returned therefore to Saint-Marie of the Angels, holy François sent two of his/her/its mates to the aforesaid Messire Roland that, to their arrival at home, received them with a very big rejoicing and charity, and, wanting to show them the Alverne mount, he sent with them a good fifty armed men, to defend them if need be against the wild beasts, So accompanied, these brothers climbed the mount and explored it with care; and at the end they arrived to a part of the mount very favorable to the piety and very clean to the contemplation; there was in this part a tray, and it is this place that they chose to live in, them and holy François, there; and, with the help of these armed men that came with them, they made a hut of branches of trees (8); and so they accepted and took, in the name of God, the mount of the Alverne and the convent of the brothers on this mount; then they left and returned themselves holy François circa of it, Arrived close to him, they told to him how and of what manner they had taken possession on the Alverne mount, of a place very clean to the prayer and to the contemplation. When he/it heard this news, holy François is delighted a lot, and, renting and thanking God, he spoke to these brothers, with a happy air, and he tells to them: "My beloved sons, we approach our fast of saint Michel Archange (9), and I believe firmly that it is God's will that we make this fast on the Alverne mount, that, by the divine solicitude, has been prepared us so that, to honor and glory of God and his/her/its glorious Virgin Marie and the holy Angels, we deserved the Christ, by the penitence, to dedicate him this blessed mount,"

And it says, holy François took with him brother Massaged of Marignan of foundation, that was man of big wisdom and big oratory, brother Angel Tancrède of Rieti, who was a noble gentleman and had been a knight in the century, and brother Léon, who was man of perfect simplicity and purity, this reason holy François liked it a lot and nearly revealed him all his/her/its secrets, With these three brothers, holy François got in prayer, then the finished prayer, he recommended himself, him and his/her/its aforementioned mates, to the prayers of the brothers that remained, and he got under way with these three Ià, in the name of Christ crucified, to go to the Alverne mount, While leaving, holy François called one of these three mates, that is to say Massaged brother, and spoke to him thus: "You, Massaged brother, you will be our guard and our master in this journey, while we will go and will remain together, and that we will observe our custom, either to say the office, either to speak of God, either to keep the silence; and we won't worry beforehand nor to eat to sleep nor; but when he/it will be the hour to take lodgings, we will beg a little bread, we will stop and will rest in this place that God will prepare us," Then these three mates inclined the head, and, while making the sign of the cross, they gaze at under way, The first evening they arrived to a convent of the brothers and they lodged there (10); the second evening, because the time was bad and that they were tired, as they could not reach any convent of brothers, nor a castle, nor some village, and that the night occurred unexpectedly because of bad weather, they took refuge to lodge there in an abandoned church and without offices, and they took a rest of it II.

And, while his/her/its mates slept, holy François threw himself/itself in prayer; and as he/it continued to pray, has come, to the first eve of the night, a big multitude of very ferocious demons, with very big clash and tumult,; and they began to deliver to him strong battle and to manhandle it roughly; one grasped it that way, the other by there; one pulled it below, the other in top; one threatened it with this, the other blamed him for it; thus, of various ways, they strove to pull it to his/her/its prayer, but without success, because God was with him. Also, when holy François had sustained these demonic battles a long time, he began to shout in a high voice: "Minds damned, you are not able to anything, if it is not when God's hand allows it to you; and it is why, on behalf of almighty God, I tell you to make of my body what is permitted you by God; I will support it gladly, because I don't have worse enemy that my body; also, if you pull to my my enemy's place vengeance, you help me a very big. " Then the demons, with very big violence and fury, seized it and began to drag it by the church, and to make undergo him of good bigger vexations and torments that before.

And holy François began then to shout and to say: "My Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you for testifying me so much love and charity; because it is there a sign of big love, that the Lord punished well in this world his/her/its servant of all his/her/its shortcomingses, so that it is not punished some in the other. And I am ready to support all pain and all adversity gleefully that you, my God, you want to send me for my sins": Then the demons, disconcerted and losers by his/her/its constancy and his/her/its patience, left (12); and holy François, in devotion of mind, left the church and entered in a wood that was close to there; he/it threw himself/itself of it in prayer, and with prayers, and with tears, and while hitting itself/themselves the chest, he/it endeavored to find Jesus, the spouse and the beloved of his/her/its soul. And finally finding it at the bottom of his/her/its soul, soon he/it spoke him with respect as to his/her/its Lord, soon he/it answered to him As to his/her/its judge, soon he/it prayed it like a father, soon he/it conversed with him like a friend. During this night and in this wood, his/her/its mates, who had awakened and that remained to listen and to consider what he/it made, turn it and heard it to pray religiously, by tears and words, the divine mercy for the sinners. They turn it and heard it to moan again in a high voice on the Christ's passion, as if he/it saw it of the eyes of the body. In this same night, they turn it to ask, the arms united in the shape of cross, suspended and raised of earth during a long time, and enveloped of a resplendent cloud. And so in these holy exercises, he/it passed all night long without sleeping.
Then the morning, knowing that because of the fatigue of this night and the lack of sleep, holy François was too weak of body and could have made road with difficulty on foot, his/her/its mates left to find a poor peasant of the vicinity, and asked him to lend, for God's love, his/her/its small donkey to brother François their father, who could not go on foot. Hearing to name brother François, this man asked them: Are you "of the brothers of this foundation brother François, of which one says so much good? " The brothers answered that yes and that it was well for him that they asked for the beast of burden. Then this brave man prepared the small donkey with big devotion and solicitude, and led it to François saint, that he made with big respect go up over. And they pursued their road, this man with them, behind his/her/its small donkey. After they had made a little path, the peasant tells François saint: "Do say me, are you brother François of foundation? " Saint François answered that yes: "Task therefore then, says the peasant, to be as good as everybody thinks it, because a lot of people also have big confidence in you I give you the advice not to have anything in you that defer what one hopes for you." Saint François, hearing these words, was not angry to be admonished by a peasant and doesn't say itself in himself:

What beast is this man who admonishes me thus? what today would say a lot of proud that wears the mantle; but he/it threw himself/itself on the ground on Ie-field of the donkey, knelt before this man, kissed him the feet and thanked it humbly of what he/it had wanted to admonish it with so much charity. Then the peasant and the mates of François saint raised it of earth with big devotion and put back it on the donkey, then they continued their path (13). When they had arrived half maybe of the ascension of the mountain, as the heat was very big and the laborious ascension, a very big thirst attacks this peasant, to the point that it started shouting behind François saint: "Alas! me I die of thirst; and, if I don't have something to drink, I am going to return at once the soul." This reason holy François came down from the donkey and threw himself in prayer; and he/it remained on the knees, the raised skywards hands, until he/it knew by revelation that God had granted it. And he/it tells the peasant then: "Court as soon as possible to this stone, and you will find the white-water that the Christ, in his/her/its mercy, has just made to spring" from it there. L 'man ran right side up that holy François had indicated to him and had found a very beautiful source, that the virtue of the prayer of François saint had made come out of the very hard rock; he/it drank copiously and was comforted. And he/it appears good that this source was produced miraculously by God to the prayer of François saint, because, nor before, nor since, one never lives in this place source of water, nor no water in a big space to the surroundings. It makes, holy François, his/her/its mates and the peasant thanked God of the miracle who had been demonstrated to them then they continued their path (14).

As they approached the very foot of the rock of the Alverne, he/it was pleasing to François saint to take a rest a few coins an oak that was on the path and that finds itself again of it (15); and while he/it was under, holy François began to contemplate the landscape and the disposition of the place. And as he/it made it, has come a big multitude of various birds, that, by their songs and their beatings of wings, showed all very big joy and rejoicing; and they surrounded holy François so that the some landed on its head, the other On his/her/its shoulders, of others on his/her/its arms, of others within and of others around his/her/its feet. To this view, his/her/its mates and the peasant had marveled, and holy François, to the height of joy, spoke thus: "I believe, my very dear brothers, that he/it is pleasing to Our Lord Christ that we lived in On this lone mountain, since our sisters and our brothers the birds (16) testify so much rejoicing of our arrival". After having said these words he/it rose and they gaze at in walk; and finally they arrived right side up that had chosen his/her/its mates first. To the praise of God and his/her/its very holy Name. Amen.

And there is as for the first consideration, that means the
manner of which holy François arrived to the holy mount of I'Alverne.



1. the author of the Considerations unites in this chapter of the events that took place to various times, and he situates them in 1224, year of the condemnation. It is in 1213 that holy François went to My - tefeltro, and the verbal donation of the Alverne would have been made May 8, according to the act of confirmation of this donation by Roland's sons, passed July 9, 1274,; cf. P. S. Mencherini, O.F.M., Codice diplomatico della Verna e delle 55. 5timate di 5. Francesca of Assisi, Florence, 1924, p. 38 and 9. The text of the Actuses Francisci beati and saciorum ejus, 9, 4, only said,: "... quodam tempare antequam haberet Salvatoris stigmata,... a certain time before he/it had the Savior's Stigmata. »
2. today San Leo, to three miles about to Saint's southwest. Marine; cf. Dante, Hell, XXVII, 29-30.

3. the castle of Chiusi is to two kilometers about to the south of the Alverne; the Casentino is the high valley of the Arno; cf. Dante, Hell, xxx, 65, Purgatory, v, 94, 115-117,.

4. in Italian. - The small wall would have disappeared in the XVII' century.
5. so big is the although I wait, that all pain I am a pleasure.
6. the Actuses, 9 12. give this commentary, that didn't pass in the Italian version. "Saint François, quite seasoned of the salt of the discretion..."

7. the Alverne, "the hard rock between the Tiber and the Arno", Dante, Paradise, XI, 106, is in the diocese and the province of Arezzo, to eleven kilometers about to the northeast of Bibbiena. Height. 1 128 meters. Today, one goes of it merely to car. When I went there, for the first time, there is a few more of a century quarter, it was another business! A small railroad drove you of Arezzo in Bibbiena, where it was necessary to freight a car, prehistoric, to continue toward the Alverne; the last hundreds meters made themselves on foot.

8. to the place where rises the small church Saint-Marie of the Angels, constructed of the very time of François saint, enlarged and transformed later. One would not know how to advise the pilgrim of l too much' Alverne that knows Italian how to obtain the excellent small book of the P. Saturnino Mencherini, O,F.M., Guided illustrated your Verna della, Quaracchi, 3' ed., 1921.

9. this indication that postponeds us in the month of August, only concern the last journey of François saint to l' Alverne, the one of the condemnation, in 1224.

10. According to a tradition, this convent would be the one of Buonriposo, to one mile about Città Castello di, toward the Southwest,; cf P. Nicola Cavanna, O.F.M., The Umbria francescana ilJustrata, Pérouse, 1910, p. 385 and s.; trad. franç. of Teodor of Wyzewa, Paris, 1926, p. 268 and s. Ii.

11. It would be the church San Pierino, close to Caprese,; cf. P. S. Mencherini, O.F.M., Guided..., p. 288 and s.

12. The origin of the narration is in Thomas of Celano (2 C 122), etd. LP 23; Thomas of Celano doesn't give any indication of place, mais.cc Legenda ancjqua situates the stage at the church, San Pietro of Bovara, Trevl,; cf. P.N. Cavanna, O.F.M., The Umbna..., p.344 and s. ;1 franç., p. 241 and s.

13. This episode also comes from Thomas of Celano (2 C 142); it is likely that the stage happened at the time of the last journey of François saint to l' Alverne.

14. To see again here Thomas of Celano (2 C 46); holy Bonaventure. (LM7 12); nor Celano, nor holy Bonaventure, only say "the hermitage" to which surrendered holy François was l' Alverne. One knows that this stage is the topic of one of the most famous frescos of Giotto, XIV. in the major basilica of foundation.

15. To this place, between the hamlet of the Beccia. where it was necessary to put foot previously on the ground when one came by car from Bibbiena, and the convent of the Alverne, rise the chapel of the birds, cappella degli uccellini, constructed in 1602, as well as an enrollment reminds it that begins thus: Problem ubi quercus erat...; cf. P.S. Mencherini, O.F.M., Guided..., p. 29 and s. The author of the Considerations On the Stigmata takes here the text of the Actuses, 9, 24-27. He/it is very likely that this episode is connected to the first journey of François saint to l' Alverne; there is grounds however to notice that holy Bonaventure that returns it (LM 8 10) says expressly: "As François went to the hermitage of the Alverne to make a fast there in honor of the Michel archangel... ", what can only concern his/her/its last journey; (cf. LM 13 I).

16. Saint Bonaventure and the author of the Actuses only use the feminine. Sorores aviculae; the author of the Considerations says: The nostre e sirocchie fratelli uccelli.
To see the note 12 to the chap. 16 of the Fiorettis.

Second consideration of the stay of Saint François
with his/her/its mates on the Alverne mount

Fourth consideration,

How Saint François, after of the stigmata,
quitAlverne and returned to Saint Marie of the Angels.

As for the third consideration, that is to say the one of the apparition of the Seraph and the impression of the Stigmata, it is necessary to consider that, the feast of the September Cross (2) approaching, brother Léon went one night, to I 'customary hour, to say Matins with François saint,; as he/it had custom, he/it says, of the head of the bridge: "Dominate, labia mea aperies" (3), and holy François didn't answer; then brother Léon didn't turn around some, as François saint had ordered it to him, but, in a good and holy intention, he passed the bridge and entered mildly in his/her/its cell; the there not finding, he/it thought that he/it was somewhere in wood, in prayer. Also in he leaves and, in light of the moon, he/it leaves mildly to look for it by wood: does he/it hear the voice of François saint finally, does he/it approach and does he/it see it on the knees, the face and the hands raised skywards, who spoke thus, in devotion of mind: you "Who is, oh my very soft God? and me, that I, very abject worm, and your useless servant are? " And these same words, he/it always repeated them and didn't say anything else.

This reason brother Léon, greatly surprised of all it, raised the eyes and watched skywards; and, while watching, he/it lives to come from the sky a flame of fire, very beautiful and very brilliant, that descended to land on the head of François saint; and of the aforesaid flame he/it heard to take a voice that spoke with François saint; but brother Léon didn't understand words. Hearing it and judging itself/themselves unworthy to remain so close to this holy place, where was this admirable apparition, fearing again to offend holy François or to disturb it in his/her/its consolation, if he/it was seen, he/it retired mildly backward, and, being held aside, he/it waited to see the end. And, stingy attentively, he/it sees holy François stretching three times the hand toward the flame; and finally, after a long time, he/it sees the flame returning itself/themselves of it to the sky. This reason he/it leaves, calm and full of joy by this vision, and returns itself of it to his/her/its cell.
As he/it left quietly, holy François heard it, to the bruising of the feet on the leaves, and ordered him of the atten dre and move not. Then brother Léon, obedient, stopped and waited for it with such a fear that, from what he told his/its mates then, he would have liked better than the earth swallowed it, that to wait for holy François, that he thought to be irritated against him; because he/it avoided with care to offend his/her/its fatherhood, for fear that, by his/her/its mistake, holy François didn't deprive it of his/her/its company. Saint François arrived therefore to him and asked him: "Who are you? " Brother Léon, all trembling, answered: "I am brother Léon, my father. " Saint François tells to him: "Why did you come here, brother small sheep? Didn't I tell you not to come to observe me? In the name of the holy obedience, say me if you either saw sensible something. " Brother Léon answered: "Father, I heard you to speak and to repeat several times: "Who are you, oh my very soft God? and me, that I, very abject worm and your useless servant are? »

Then brother Léon knelt before François saint, declared guilty of the disobedience that he had committed against his/its order, and asked him forgiveness with a lot of tears. Then, he/it asked it religiously to explain him these words that he/it had heard and to tell him those that he/it had not understood. Then holy François, seeing that God had revealed or had conceded to see some things to the humble brother Léon, because of his/her/its simplicity and his/her/its purity, granted to reveal to him and to explain him that for that he asked and he spoke thus: "Know, brother small sheep of Christ, that, while I said these words that you heard, he/it was to this moment shown to my soul two lights, one that was the one of the revelation and the Creator's knowledge, the other the one of the knowledge of myself. When I said: "Who are you, oh my very soft God? ", I was then in a light of contemplation, in which I saw the abyss of the infinite goodness, wisdom and power of God; and when I said: "Who am I? etc.", I was in a light of contemplation, in which I saw the depth miserable of my abjectness and misery, and it is for it that I said: "Who is you, Lord of infinite goodness, wisdom and power, who condescends to visit me, me that am only an abject and abominable worm? " And in this flame that you saw was God, who spoke me under this shape as he/it had spoken to Moïse formerly (4). And among the other things that he/it tells to me, he/it asked me to make him three grants, and I answered to him: "My Lord, I am all yours, you know well that I don't have anything else that the tunic and the rope and they bray, and these three things are also yours: what can I offer therefore or can give to your majesty? »

Then God tells to me: "Look for in your breast and offer me that that you will find there," I looked for and I found a mountain globe flower there, and I offered it to God; and I made three times thus, depending on whether three times God ordered it to me; then I knelt three times, and bless and thanked God, who had given me something to offer him. And immediately him I was given to understand that these three offerings meant the holy obedience, the very high poverty and the very splendid chastity, that God, by his/her/its grace, conceded me to observe so perfectly that my conscience made me no reproach. And as well as you saw me putting the hand in my breast and to offer to God these three virtues, represented by these three mountain globe flowers that God had deposited in my breast, so God gave to my soul this virtue that I rent and magnifies it always, and of heart and mouth, for all goods and for all graces that he conceded me by his/her/its very holy goodness. There are the words that you heard, that is why I raised three times the hands as you saw it. But keep you well, brother small sheep, to restart to observe me, and return to your cell with God's blessing, and take me an assiduous care, because of few days God will make on this mountain of the so big and so marvelous things that the whole world will marvel some; because he/it will make some new things that he/it never made to any creature in this world. " It says, he/it made himself/itself bring the book of the Gospels, because God had revealed to his soul that while opening three times the book of the Gospels, he would be shown him what he was pleasing to God to make him.

As soon as one had brought the book, holy François threw himself/itself in prayer; his/her/its prayer finished, it made himself/itself three times to open the book, of the hand of brother Léon, in the name of the holy Trinidad,; and as he/it was pleasing to the divine will, the three times he/it always presented himself/itself before him the Christ's Passion (5). By what he/it was given him to hear that, as he/it had followed the Christ in the acts of his/her/its life, so he/it had to follow it and conform to him, in the tribulations and pains of the Passion, before leaving this life. And from this moment holy François began to taste and to feel the sweetness of the divine contemplation and the divine visits more abundantly. Among these he/it had a that immediately prepared the impression of the Stigmata, under this shape, of it. The day that precedes the feast of the September Cross, as François saint was in prayer in the secret of his/her/its cell, God's angel appeared to him and says him on behalf of God: "I exhort you and warn you so that you prepare and arrange, humbly and in all patience, to receive what God will want to make in you. " Saint François answered: "I am ready to support everything that my Lord wants me to make patiently. " And it says, the angel left. Arrive the following day, that means the day of the Cross (6), and holy François, the morning, early before the day, throw himself in prayer before the door of his/her/its cell, the face turned toward the Orient, and he/it prayed in these terms: "My Lord Jesus Christ, I ask you to grant me two graces before I die: the first is that, during my life, I feel in my soul and in my body, as much as it is possible, this pain that you, oh soft Jesus, you endured at the hour of your very cruel Passion; the second is that I feel in my heart, as much as it is possible, this love without measure of which you, Son of God, you were scorched and that drove you to endure such a Passion gladly for us sinners,"

He/it remained a long time in this prayer and he/it understood whereas God would grant it and that, as much as he would be possible to a simple creature, he would be conceded him to feel in a weak measures the aforementioned things, having received this promise, holy François began to contemplate with a very big devotion the Passion of the Christ and his/her/its infinite charity, And the devotion of the devotion grew so in it that it turned entire into Jesus, by love and by compassion, As it was in this state and that it ignited in this contemplation, it lives, in this same morning, to come from the sky a Seraph with six wings of fire is resplendent; as this Seraph, in his/her/its fast flight, approached so of François saint that he was able to the good to see, he clearly recognized that he had in him the picture of a man crucified and that the wings were arranged so that two spread out on its head, two spread out to fly, and the two others covered all his/her/its body (7). While seeing it, holy François was frightened strongly and, at the same time, full of rejoicing and mixed pain of astonishment, He felt a very big rejoicing of the Christ's gracious aspect, that appeared to him with so much familiarity and that watched it so gracefully: but, on the other hand, as seeing it nailed on the cross, he/it felt a pain, without measure, of compassion. Then, he/it wondered a lot of a so surprising and so unusual vision, because he/it knew good that the pains of the Passion don't suit the immortality of a seraphic mind.


As he/it remained in this astonishment, he/it was revealed him by the one that appeared, that, by the divine providence, this vision was shown him under this shape so that it understood that it was not by a bodily martyrdom, but by a spiritual kindling, that it had to quite be transformed to the formal resemblance of the Christ crucified. During this marvelous apparition, the whole Alverne mount seemed to burn a very vivid flame, that was resplendent and that illuminated all mountains and valleys of the vicinity, as if the sun had shone on the earth. Also of the shepherds who stayed up by there, seeing the blazing mount and enveloped of such a light, were afraid very, as they told it then to the brothers, while affirming that this flame had lasted on the Mount Alverne spaces it of one hour and more (8). in the same way, to the splendor of this light, that was resplendent through the windows in the inns of the vicinity, some mule-drivers, who surrendered in Romagne (9), rose, believing that the sun was raised, saddled and loaded their beasts, then, when they were on the way, they transfer to disappear the aforesaid light and to rise the material sun. In the aforesaid seraphic apparition, the Christ, who appeared, spoke to François saint of some secret and sublime things, that holy François never wanted, during his/her/its life, to reveal to no one, but that he revealed after his/its death, as one will show it farther (10).

These words were the following: Do you "know, does say the Christ, this that I made? I gave you the stigmata that are the marks of my Passion, so that you are my gonfalonier. And as on the day of my death I descended in limbo and that I pulled all souls of it that I found there, by the virtue of my Stigmata, in the same way I grant to you that every year, on the day of your death, you go to the purgatory, and that all souls of your three Orders, that means the Miners, the Sisters and the Continents (Him), and also of the others that will have been you very religious, that you will find there, you they pull of it, by the virtue of your Stigmata, and drive them to the glory of the paradise, so that you I am compliant in the death, as you are in life. ", This admirable vision disappearing therefore after a long space of time and these secret words, let at the heart of François saint an ardor without measure and a flame of divine love, and let in his/her/its flesh a marvelous I'image and print of the Christ's Passion (12): because immediately in the hands and in the feet of François saint began to appear the marks of the nails, of the manner" that he/it had just seen on the body of Jesus crucified, that had appeared to him under the shape of a Seraph,; and so his/her/its hands and his/her/its feet appeared nailed in their middle by nails, of which the heads, out of the flesh, were in the palms of the hands and on the top of the feet, and whose tips were evident on the back of the hands and in the plants of the feet: they appeared hooked and nailed so that, under this curvature, in this fold, that entire made protrusion on the flesh, one could have passed the finger easily as in a ring; and the heads of the nails were black and round. In his/her/its right side he/it appeared the wound of a spear stroke in the same way, scared, red and gory, that threw the blood of the holy chest of François saint often in the continuation, and covered with blood him his/her/its tunic and his/her/its bray.

Also his/her/its mates having perceived, before the knowledge by him, that he/it didn't discover himself/itself the hands nor the feet and that he/it could not put the plant of the feet on the ground, finding his/her/its tunic then and his/her/its bray gory when they washed them to him, had the certainty that he/it had imprinted obviously, to the hands and to the feet, and in the same way to the side, the picture and the Christ's resemblance crucified. And although he/it strove a lot to hide and to conceal these glorious Stigmata, so clearly imprinted in his/her/its flesh, as he/it saw on the other hand that he/it able to badly conceal them to his/her/its familiar mates, and as he/it feared to unveil God's secrets nevertheless, he/it fell in a big doubt: did he/it have to or no to reveal the seraphic vision and the impression of the Stigmata? Finally, by scruple of conscience, he/it called to him some of his/her/its most familiar brothers, and he/it asked them for advice, but while submitting them his/her/its doubt under general formulas and without revealing the fact. Among these brothers, there was one of big holiness, that had name Illuminated brother of it (13): that one, really illuminated by God, understood that holy François have seen marvelous things, and answered to him therefore so: "Brother François, know that it is not only for you, but also for the other, that God sometimes shows you his/her/its sacred secrets; it is why you are right to fear that, if you hold hidden what God showed you for the utility of others, you don't deserve to be blamed. " Then holy François, touched by these words, brought back them the whole manner and the shape of the aforementioned vision, while adding that the Christ, who had appeared to him, had told him some things that he would never retell during his/her/its life (14).

Although these very holy wounds made him come to the heart a very big rejoicing, as them had been printed him by the Christ, nevertheless they gave to him, in his/her/its flesh, in the sensations of his/her/its body, an intolerable suffering. This reason forces by the necessity, it chooses brother Léon, among the other the simplest and purest, to that it revealed all: he/it let him to see and to touch his/her/its holy wounds and to bandage them with linens to calm the pain and to receive the blood that left and flowed of the aforesaid wounds. These bandagings, when he/it was sick, he/it let change them often, every day same, except Thursday evening to Saturday morning, because he/it didn't want that, during this time, the pain of the Christ's Passion, that he/it supported in his/its body, was eased in whatever it is by some medicine or human remedy: because during this time Our Savior Jésus-Christ had been seized, crucified, put to death and buried for us. He/it sometimes arrived that, while brother Léon changed him the bandaging of the wound of the side, holy François, under the influence of the pain that he felt by the abduction of this gory strip, put the hand on the chest of brother Léon; to the touch of these sacred hands, brother Léon felt such a sweetness of devotion in his/her/its heart, that himself needed some of little that he didn't fall on the ground faint (15). Finally, as for this third consideration, holy François, having finished the fast of saint Michel Archange, prepared, by a divine revelation, to return to Saint-Marie of the Angels. As he to him called Massaged brother and brother Angel, and after a lot of words and saints teachings, he/it recommended to them, with as much by force that he/it was able to it, this holy mountain, while telling to them that it was necessary to return with brother Léon to Saint-Marie of the Angels. And it says, he/it took leave of them, blesses them in the name of Jesus crucified, and offered to them, to condescend to their prayers, his/her/its very holy hands, decorated with these glorious Stigmata, to see, to touch and to kiss. And, letting them comforted thus, he/it left them and descended of the holy mountain. To the Christ's praise. Amen.

And that it is sufficient for the fourth consideration.



September 30, 1224. - This title is incomplete and don't relate, as one is going to give himself account, that left from the narration to the first of it. 2. three points only of the itinerary followed by François saint are going to be indicated with precision: Borgo San Sepolcro, Monte Casale and Città Castello di. The tradition adds the Casella mount, Monte Acuto and Anghiari there; cf. P.S. Mencherini, Guided..., p. 314 and s. TO this subject, Paul Sabatier notices: This path to go from the Alverne in Borgo San Sepolcro is far from being the shortest or easiest, but instead of winning the plain immediately one remains again of long hours on the summits. All François is not in this choice? "Life of S. François of foundation, Paris, 1894, p. 43, n. I.

3. Cf. holy Bonaventure (LM 13 5) where one recovers the same ideas. The sentence with which starts the Fourth Consideration: "After the Christ's real love had perfectly transformed... is translated nearly literally of this passage of Bonaventure saint, that was inspired by the I'Epître to the Corinthians 3 18.

4. this miracle is returned more briefly by Thomas of Celano, but as having had place in the diocese of Rieti (3 C 174) the mistake explains itself easily. Reatinus, of Rieti,; Aretinus, of Arezzo.

5. the fact is told, without indication of time. by Thomas of Celano (2 C 98); but the mention of the donkey and the hospital of the lepers, as well as the expression caelestium contemplator, meet in his/her/its narration; Celano adds that one cut pieces of the Saint's tunic.

6. Thomas of Celano returns this miracle (I C 68) but without indication nor time, nor of place; he/it doesn't make non any allusion to the gulp of bread; this last detail is in Bonaventure saint (LM 12 11).

7. the fact is told a little differently by Thomas of Celano (I C 63); the place is the same; the time is not indicated; it is about a horse and no of a donkey; but the author of the Considerations had Celano obviously under the eyes, because he finishes his/its narration in identical terms: "quae incontinenti, remoto periculo, cum gaudio peperit and salute". Cf. holy Bonaventure (LM 12 11).

8. same observations; Celano (I C 70) indicates, as the author of the Considerations, that the inhabitants of Città Castello di asked for the woman's delivery because she/it disturbed them; "illos turbaverat barriendo". we have the impression, a few troublesome, that these brave people thought a lot more to themselves that to the possessed. Cf. holy Bonaventure (LM 12 10).

9. this narration and even several of the expressions used are borrowed in Bonaventure saint (LM 13 7). A curious remark however. Whereas we read here: "his/her/its blazing hand and transfixed by the fire of the Seraph", holy Bonaventure had written: "manus... quae seraphici ca/cu/i gerebat incendium". The author of the Considerations dropped the word ca/cu/us, coal. Himself is not he/it seen not of the allusion in Isaïe 6 6?

10. This vision of brother Léon is borrowed in the Actuses 37 5-7; but she/it is told there without no indication nor time, nor of place.

Him. Brother Léon was the confessor of François saint.

12. This narration meets in the Life of Léon frére, inserted in the Chronicle of the XXIVS Généraux. AF, t. 111, p. 68, but without the final remark. The text of the brother Léon Life, although shorter, is a lot clearer. One reads to of it, indeed: , (... maxim quia in saeculo [beatus FranciscusI fuerat goes from iucundus and inter ascivos iuvenes enutritus ", what is an obvious allusion to the famous beginning of the First Legend of Thomas of Celano, 1-3, and to the controversies that this text had caused (and that it causes again). The author refutes the interpretation, unfavorable to the purity of François saint, that had been pulled of it. Cf. 2 C 3, and especially holy Bonaventure (LM 1 I): "... nec inter ascivos iuvenes, quamvis effusus ad gaudia, post carnis petuantiam abiit, nec... "

13. Nothing would know how to show better than this episode how much one would be wrong to trust the chronology of the author of the Considerations: she/it is fanciful. The facts that he/it returns here are exact, but they don't have any relation with the Stigmata; they are well previous to them and very probably date the Chapter of the Saint-Michel 1220. In any case, Pierre of Catania died March 10, 1221; he/it was replaced by the famous brother Elie.

Cf. LP 105; 2 C 143. He/it would seem more than Pierre of Catania was well general Minister and not only general Priest; to see, on / has question, P. Gratien, O.M. Cape., History of / has Foundation and of the evolution of the Minor Brothers in the XIII' sièc/e, Paris, /928, p. 19, n. 23.

14. As the prayer that precedes is, nearly literally, in the Second Legend, one sees that / 'author of the Considerations completes the text of Thomas of Celano and even corrects it; his/her/its corrections are not always happy.

15. Cf. Thomas of Celano (2 C 138); holy Bonaventure (LM 13 8): "... ires veloci coniaciu digiios applicans,... vulneris quantitatem agnovit. According to the Chronicle of the XXIVS Généraux. this brother would be himself appelè lohannes of Laudibus; he/it was of beautiful presence. "corpore fortissimus ". t. III. p. 225-226.

16. Cf. Thomas of Celano (I C 95); holy Bonaventure (LM 13 8).

17. The source of this chapter is in the Actuses. 34, where the three manners of which brother Rufin lives the Stigmata are indicated in the same order. For the second manner, to see Celano (I C 95), where brother Rufin is named (2 C 138) and holy Bonaventure (LM 13 8), where he is not. The author of the Considerations leash to hear clearly that the gesture of brother Rufin was voluntary; Celano and holy Bonaventures say the opposite; holy Bonaventure is in particular formal: "... manu casualiter vulneri sacro illapsa..."

18. Cf. Thomas of Celano (2 C 135-138); holy Bonaventure (LM 138). 19. Cf. holy Bonaventure, ibid. ; the names of these cardinals are given in Wadding, Annals Minorum, year 1228, n. 78. 20. Cf. holy Bonaventure, ibid., that says expressly that he/it attended this sermon; it is about Alexander IV, pope of 1254 to 1261; but the author of the Considerations is mistaken while saying that Bonaventure was cardinal; him he/it became only in 1273. 21. The episode that is going to follow, of the "brother Jacqueline" visit to saint dying François, is one of the most famous of the Saint's history, by the polemics to which he/it gave place. To the time where he/it was only known by the Fourth Consideration, by the Batteries, 18, and by the Speculum perfectionis, 102, several writers of the order dismissed some in doubt the authenticity. He/it appeared unlikely to them that holy François allowed a woman, so devout and so noble she was, to penetrate in the fence and to approach his/her/its deathbed. They were shocked some. Papini, General of the Conventual, was about "profanatori delle glorie paterne" those that made too good welcome to a similar historiette; cf. Paul Sabatier, Speculum perfectionis, survey of the CXII chapter. p.273 and s. Sabatier found a confirmation of the narration in the Of laudibus Beati Francisci of Bernard of Besse, secretary of Bonaventure saint, Analecta Franciscana, t. III, p.687. But one could hold forth again... All doubts were raised by the discovery, made by the P. Van Ortroy, S.J., of the Company of the Bollandisteses, of the Treaty of the miracles of Thomas of Celano, that he published the first in the Analecta Bollandianas, XVIII, 1899, p. 81 and s. The narration is there, with these words of François saint that didn't pass in the Fourth Consideration: "Benedictus, inquit, Deus, that dominam Iacobam fratrem nostrum direxit ad our. Aperite, has, carried and intrantem eam conducite, quia no is pro fratre Jacoba decrecum of mulieribus observandum"; (3 C 37-39). A new confirmation, if he/it had been need of it, was brought, in 1922, by the Legenda year pulled a face of Pérouse, 101. How much he/it touches us today, where our ideas changed a lot since Papini, to see holy François asking for these dishes that Jacqueline gave him in Rome when he was sick! He/it seems us that this desire of a dying - and a lot of dying have some of analogs - brings closer of us the dear Saint, while making it participate, at a similar hour, to our poor weakness, human... - The best survey on the noble packs down Roman is the one of the P. Edouard of Alençon, O.M. Cape., Brother Jacqueline, historic research on Jacqueline of Settesoli, the friend of François saint, 2' ed., Paris, 1927. - He/it seems me to have indicated an iconographic, evidently indirect and belated confirmation, but all the same interesting, of Jacqueline's presence close to the body of François saint, in a picture of the painter Stefano siennois Giovanni di, Sassetta, executed in 1437 for the Minor Brothers of Borgo San Sepolcro, and that is today in the National Gallery of London; one will find some of excellent reproductions to the boards 1

1 9 and 20 of the work of Bernard Berenson. A Painter siennois of the Franciscan Legend. Sassetta, Paris, 1948. I take the liberty to return to the small note that I published on this topic in the Franciscan Studies, November 1950, p. 329 and s.

22. The Batteries indicate expressly that these people of weapons had been placed there by the inhabitants of foundation, who feared That holy François, "Cam carum thesaurum, was not removed by their neighbors.

23. This brother so prudent is brother Elie, whose name is indicated, about the revelation of Foligno That is going to remind him holy François, in the First Legend of Thomas of Celano, 109.

24. To see, about this last revelation, the chapter 19 of the Fiorettis and the notes.

25. L 'hospital of the lepers, of the Crucigéreses, That rose where is today Placed GuaIdi; a modern bas-relief recalls this stage there.

26. The text of this blessing, cf. Fioretti, 25, is engraved on Carried it Nuova of foundation. Another version, longer, of the blessing is in LP 99, and in Sp 124.

27. The Legenda antiqua indicates that with this sheet the brothers made a tunic in which holy François was buried; this tunic is kept today in the Sacro Convento of foundation.

28. Of aprés the Legenda antiqua. there would only have been an of it: "Dominated Jacoba cum filio suo. )) The P. Edouard of Alençon debates the question and favorite enough for a long time the version of the Legenda.

29. On His/her/its palace, in the Septizonium, to see P. Edouard of Alençon I. c., p. 10 and s.

30. We find curious precisions here in the Legenda antiqua; it was about the cake "that the Romans call mortairol); he/it enters in his/her/its composition "of the almonds, sugar or the honey and other ingredients. " It is a frangipane! And this name would come maybe of the one of the family Frangipani, to which belonged the noble packs down; cf. P. Edouard of Alençon, I. c., p.26, n. 3. Jacqueline had only brought the products; she/it prepared the cake to the very Portioncule. Saint François, according to the Legenda, ate some little; but he/it thought that Bernard frére of Quintavalle would taste it with pleasure and he made it call; ibid. 107.

31. According to the Actuses, it is to Foundation that she/it died. The generally allowed date, and besides discussed trés, is 1239. She/it certainly lived again in 1237; cf. P. Edouard of Alençon, I. c., p. 37 and s.

32. It is a mistake. Jacqueline was buried in the lower basilica of Saint François, where one always sees on the left his/her/its tomb, in the nave, with this enrollment: Problem requiescit Jacoba sancta Romana nobisque.

33. Jn 20 24-29.

34. The gospel. 35. This paragraph is nearly translated literally of Bonaventure saint (LM 15 4), where is the expression. "movebat cJavos ", as well as the allusion to the incredulity of Thomas saint. - Jérôme's episode makes the topic of the XXII fresco, Giotto or His/her/its school, in the superior basilica of foundation,; one recovers it On the picture of Sassetta of which he/it was higher question, n. 21, p. 225. 36. In Saint.Damien solely, which way passed the triumphal cortege that, to the morning of October 4, drove the body of François saint of Saint-Marie of the Angels to Foundation, where he/it was placed temporarily in the church Saint. Georges; cf. 1 HERE 16.117; LP 109; Sp 108; LM 155. 37. Actually, according to our manner to count the days, the 3, at dusk, whereas the liturgical day of the 4 was begun. The author translates holy Bonaventure (LM 15 5): "quarto nonas octobris, di" sab. built in s"ro, sepultus in di" dominico ", but he/it dropped the words in s"ro, On in the evening. The fourth day d"s nones of October is for us the 4. 38.

The fifth consideration
Of some apparitions to saints people, relative to the Saints Stigmata,

The 16 juillet.est the one of some apparitions, revelations and miracles, that God made and showed after the death of François saint, to confirm the Stigmata and to reveal the day and I 'hour where the Christ gave them to him. And as for it, it is necessary to know that the year of the Lord 1282, the third day of October (2), brother Philippe, Minister of Tuscany, by order of brother Bonagrazia, general Minister (3), required, in the name of the holy obedience, that brother Matthieu of Castiglione Aretino, man of big piety and holiness, told him what he/it knew of the day and the hour where the sacred Stigmata were printed by the Christ on the body of François saint, because he/it knew that he/it had had the revelation of it.

This brother Matthieu, obligated by the holy obedience, answered to him thus: "As I was, the last year, of family to the Alverne, I got one day, in the month of May, in prayer in this celIule that is right side up where place had, one believes, this apparition of the Seraph. And in my prayer, I asked God with a very big devotion that he/it pleased to him to reveal to someone the day, the hour and the place where the sacred Stigmata were printed on the body of François saint. And as I persevered in this prayer and in this supplication beyond the first sleep, here it is that holy François I appeared in a very quick light and spoke to me thus: "My son, what do you ask God? " I tell to him: "Father, I pray for such thing."

He/it answered me: Am "I your father François, do you well recognize myself? - Yes, my Father, tell to him me. Then he/it showed me the Stigmata of his/her/its hands, of his/her/its feet and on his/her/its side, and he/it tells to me: "The time came where God wants that appears for his/her/its glory what the brothers are not up to here himself preoccupied to know. Know that the one that I appeared was not an Angel, but that it was Christ under the aspect of a Seraph: of his/her/its hands, he/it printed on my body these five wounds (4) as he/it received them on his/her/its body when he/it was in cross. And it happened thus: the eve of the exaltation of the Cross, an Angel came to me and tells me on behalf of God to prepare me to support the suffering and to receive what God wanted to send me. And I answered that I was ready to everything that would be pleasing to God. Then, the following morning, that means the morning of the Saint Cross, that was this year one Friday, I came to the dawn of my cell in very big devotion out of mind, and I was going to get in prayer in this place where you are currently: I often prayed to this place.

And as I prayed, here it is that by airs he/it came down from the sky, with a big impulsiveness, a young man crucified in the shape of Seraph, with six wings,: to his/her/its marvelous aspect, I knelt humbly and I began to contemplate with devotion the love without measure of Jesus crucified and the pain without measure of his/her/its Passion; and his/her/its aspect made be born in me such a compassion, that it seemed me, strictly speaking, to feel this Passion in my body; and to his/her/its presence all this mountain was resplendent like a sun. And while descending thus he/it came close to me and, being held before me, he/it tells me some secret words that I didn't reveal to anybody again; but the time approaches where they will be revealed (5). Then, after some time, the Christ left and went back up at the sky; and I was thus marked of these wounds. Go therefore, says holy François, and these things, say-Ies in all confidence to your Minister; because it is work of God and non work of the man."

And after having said these words, holy François blesses me and returned to the sky with a very big multitude of young people of a vivid splendor". All these things, the aforesaid brother Matthieu says that he had seen them and sensible, not while sleeping, but to the waking state. And he/it swore materially that he/it was some thus, to the aforesaid Minister, to Florence, in his/her/its cell, when he/it was required some in the name of the obedience. Another time, a devout and holy brother, whereas he/it read the Legend of François saint to the chapter of the Stigmata (6), began to wonder, in big anxiety of mind, what have been these secret words, of which holy François said that he would not reveal them to anyone during his/her/its life, and that the Seraph had told to him when he appeared to him. And this brother said himself/itself in himself: "These words, holy François didn't want to say them during his/her/its life, but now that he died, would say them maybe him, if he was prayed some with devotion". And from this moment, this devout brother began to ask God and holy François that he pleased to them to reveal him these words; and, after this brother had persevered eight years in this supplication, he deserved the eighth year to be granted in this manner.

One day after the meal and the recitation of the graces to the church, as he/it was in prayer in a corner of the church and that he/it prayed to this subject God and holy François, more religiously than usually and with a lot of tears, he/it was called by another brother who ordered him on behalf of the Guard to come with it to the city for the utility of the convent. This reason, not doubting that the obedience is more deserving than the prayer, as soon as it had heard his/its superior order, it lets the prayer and leave humbly with this brother who called it. And as it was pleasing to God, by this act of expeditious obedience, it deserved what it had not deserved by a long prayer. Also, as soon as they had passed the door of the convent, they met two foreign brothers who appeared to come from faraway countries, one two seemed young, the old and skinny other, and, because of bad weather, they were quite soaked and muddied.

This obedient brother felt some, for them, big compassion, and he tells the mate with whom he walked; "My very dear brother, if the business for which we are under way can be a little retarded, like these brothers have big need to be received with charity, I ask you to let go first me to wash them the feet, and especially to this old brother that in ale more need; and you, you will be able to wash them to the youngest; then we will go to the business of the Convent". Then this brother having condescended to his/her/its mate's charity, they went back, received these foreign brothers with a lot of charity, and drove them in the kitchen by fire, to warm up and to dry itself/themselves,; eight other brothers of the convent warmed up to this fire. After they had been a little by fire, they took them to part to wash them the feet, as well as they had agreed together.

As this obedient and devout brother washed the feet to the oldest of the two brothers and that he removed the mud of it, because they were strong muddied, here it is that he looks at them and that he sees his/its marked feet of the Stigmata; immediately, in the rejoicing and the stupor, while kissing them closely, he/it begins to shout and says: Either you are the Christ, or you are holy François! " To these screams and to these words, the brothers who were close to fire rise and approach to see with big fear and respect these glorious Stigmata. Then this old brother allows them, to their prayers, well of the to see, to touch them and to kiss them. And as in their rejoicing, they marveled more again, he/it tells to them: "Don't doubt and don't fear, my very dear brothers, my sons,; I am your father, brother François, that according to God's will, founded three Orders. And although I have been prayed, since already eight years, by this brother who washes me the feet, and today with more of devotion that the other times, to reveal him these secret words that says me the Seraph when he/it gave me the Stigmata, words that I didn't want to reveal ever during my life, today by order of God, because of his/her/its perseverance and his/her/its expeditious obedience, that made him abandon the sweetness of his/her/its prayer, I am sent by God to reveal him before you that for that he/it asked me."

And turning then toward this brother, holy François spoke to him thus: "Know, my very dear brother, that when I was on the Alverne mount, all absorbed in the memory of the Christ's Passion, I was, in this apparition of the Seraph, stigmatized thus in my body by the Christ, and the Christ tells to me then: Do you "know this that I made to you? I gave you the prints of my Passion, so that you are my gonfalonier. And as, on the day of my death, I descended to the Limbs and that, all souls that I found there, me they withdrew some, by the virtue of my Stigmata and drove them to the paradise, so I grant to you from now on, so that you I am compliant in the death as you were in life, that after you will have left this life, you go every year on the day of your death in the purgatory, and that, all souls of your three Orders, that is to say the Miners, the Sisters and the Continents and, in addition to celles-Ià, those of your religious that you will find there, you they withdraw of it, by the virtue of your Stigmata that I gave to you, and you will drive them to the paradise". And these words, I never said them, so much that I lived in the world. »

It says, holy François and his/her/its mate disappeared suddenly. Many brothers heard this narration of the mouth of these eight brothers that was present to this vision then and to these words of François saint (7). On the Alverne mount, holy François appeared once to brother Jean of the Alverne (8), man of big holiness, while he was in prayer; he/it remained and spoke with him a long time; and finally, at the time of leaving it, he/it tells to him: "Ask me what you want (9)." Brother Jean says: "Father, I implore you to tell me that that for a long time I want to know, that is to say what you made and where you were when appeared you the Seraph. " Saint François answered: "I prayed in this place where is now the chapel of count Simon of Battifolle (10), and I asked for two graces to my Lord Jesus Christ.

The first was that it granted me as much as it was possible during my life, to feel in my soul and in my body, all these sufferings that it had felt in himself in the time of his/her/its very bitter Passion. The second grace for that I asked was that I felt in the same way in my heart this love without measure of which it was scorched to support, for us sinners, such a Passion. And then God put me to the heart that he would grant me to feel one and the other, as much as he was possible to a simple creature: and it was accomplished precisely in the impression of the Stigmata. " Then brother Jean asked him if these secret words that had said him the Seraph had been well as returned them this devout brother, recalled above, that affirmed that he had heard them of François saint in presence of eight brothers. Saint François answered that what this brother had said was the truth.

Then brother Jean, advanced by the generosity of the one that granted to him so much, gets bolder to interrogate again and spoke thus: "Oh father, I implore you very urgently to let to see me and to kiss your glorious Stigmata, no because I question some by no means, but only for my consolation because it I always wanted it. " And holy François showing them to him and offering them to him generously, brother Jean clearly lives them, touched them and kissed them. Finally, he/it asked: "Father, what must not be the consolation that your soul had as seeing the Christ blessed to come to you and to give you the prints of his/her/its very holy Passion? Now want God that I feel a little this suavity! " Saint François answers then: Do you "see these nails? " And brother Jean: "Yes, father. - Key another time, said holy François, this nail that is in my hand. " Then brother Jean, with big respect and fear, touches this nail, and immediately, in this touching, such an odor left from it, like a light smoke that seemed the incense, and, incoming by the nostrils of brother Jean, fills his/her/its soul and his/her/its body of such a suavity that it was delighted in God in ecstasy and became insensible; and he/it remained delighted thus since this hour, that was the one of Third, until the Vespers.

This vision and this familiar interview with François saint, brother Jean never said them to others that to his/her/its confessor, if it is not when he/it approached the death; but when he/it was close to the death, he/it revealed them to several. In the province of Rome, a very devout and holy brother had this admirable vision. As a brother, his/her/its very dear mate, had died in the night and had been buried the morning owing the entry of the Chapter, the same day, after the dinner, this brother collected himself/itself in a corner of the Chapter, to ask God and holy François religiously for the soul of his/her/its aforementioned dead mate. And as he/it persevered in his/its prayer with supplications and tears, at noon, when all others brothers had gone to sleep, here it is that he/it heard a big rumor in the cloister; this reason, in big fear, he/it immediately raises the eyes toward his/her/its mate's tomb; and he/it sees there, to the entry of the Chapter, holy standing François, and, behind him, a big multitude of brothers around the aforesaid tomb. He/it watches farther and sees, in the middle of the cloister, the very big fire of a flame, and in the middle of this flame the soul of his/her/its dead mate. He/it watches around the cloister, and he/it sees Christ making the tour of the cloister with a numerous company of angels and saints.

As he/it looked at it with big stupor, he/it sees that, when the Christ passes before the Chapter, holy François kneels with all these brothers and speak thus: "I implore you, very holy Father and Lord, by this nonprice charity that you showed to the human kind in your incarnation, to have mercy of the soul of this mine brother who burns in this fire. " The Christ doesn't answer anything, but passes besides. As he/it comes back a second time and pass before the Chapter, holy François kneels again with his/her/its brothers like the first time and implores it in these terms: "I implore you, Father and Lord full of mercy, by this love without measure that you showed to the human kind when you died on the wood of the cross, to have mercy of the soul of this mine brother. " And the Christ passed in the same way and didn't grant it. As he/it came back a third time, while making the tour of the cloister, and passed before the Chapter, holy François knelt again as the first times, showed him his/her/its hands, his/her/its feet and his/her/its chest, and spoke thus: "I implore you, Father and Lord full of mercy, by this big pain and this big consolation that I felt when you imposed me these Stigmata in my flesh, to have mercy of the soul of this mine brother who is in the fire of the purgatory. »

Admirable thing! The Christ, asked this third time by François saint in the name of his/her/its Stigmata, immediately stops his/her/its walk, look at the Stigmata and grant the supplication while saying these words: "To you, brother François, I grant your brother's soul. " And certainly in it, he/it wanted to honor at the same time and to confirm the glorious Stigmata of François saint and to make hear overtly that the souls of his/her/its brothers that go to the purgatory cannot be more comfortably free of his/her/its pains and tracks to the glory of the Paradise that according to his/her/its holy Stigmata, according to the speech that the Christ tells François saint in printing them to him. And immediately these words say, this fire of the cloister vanishes, and the dead brother came himself of it to François saint and, with him, with the Christ and with all this glorious and blissful company, he left to the sky. That of what this brother, his/her/its mate, who had prayed for him, had a very big rejoicing, as seeing it delivered of the pains and led to the paradise; then he/it told the other brothers all his/her/its vision in detail, and at the same time as them he/it rented and thanked God (12).

A noble knight of Massaged di Santo Piero (13), that had name Messire Landolfe, that was very religious to François saint and that received his/her/its hands the dress of the Third Order finally, was assured in this manner of the death of François saint and his/her/its glorious Stigmata. To the time where holy François was about to die, the demon entered in a woman of the aforesaid castle; he/it tormented it cruelly and besides he/it made it speak like a literate person, so subtly that she/it triumphed over all scholarly and literate men who came to discuss with her. He/it arrived that the demon, having left it, let it free during two days and, back the third, he/it afflicted it more cruelly than before. Hearing it, this Messire Landolfe is going to find this woman and demand to the demon who lived in her what was the reason for which he had left it two days and for which he had come back to torment it more bitingly than before. The demon answers: "When I abandoned it, it was because I and all my mates who are in this country us met and went in big strength to the death of beggar François, in order to fight with him and to carry away his/her/its soul: but as she/it was surrounded and forbidden by a multitude of more numerous angels than we were not and that she/it was taken away by them to the sky, we retired confused (14); as I now take my revenge and I return to this miserable woman that that, during these two days, I let side. »

Then Messire Landolfe adjured it, in the name of God, to tell him what there was of truly touching the holiness of François saint, of which he said that he had died, and of Claire saint, that living being. The demon answers: "That I want it or no, I will tell you what is true of it. God the Father was so indignant against the sins of the world, that he appeared to want to pronounce shortly against the men and Against the women the definitive sentence to wipe out them of the world if they didn't correct themselves. But the Christ, his/her/its Son, praying for the sinners, promised to renew his/her/its life and his/her/its Passion, in a man, that wants to say in François, small poor and beggar, by life and the doctrine of that he would bring back a lot of whole society people in the way of the truth and to the penitence (15). And maintenant.Pour to show to the world that it he had made it in François saint, he wanted that the Stigmata of his/her/its Passion, that he had printed on his/its body during his/her/its life, were now seen and touched, to his/her/its death, by a lot of people. In the same way the Christ's Mother promised to renew his/her/its virginal purity and his/her/its humility in a woman, that means in sister Claire, so that, by his/her/its example, she would pull a lot of thousands of women of our hands. And so God the Father, pacified by these promises, delayed his definitive sentence. »

Then Messire Landolfe, wanting to know in all certainty if the demon, who is the father of the lie (16), said in it the truth, and in particular on the death of François saint, sent one of his/her/its faithful damoiseaux to Foundation, to Saint Marie of the Angels, to know holy François living being so or dead. This damoiseau, to his/her/its arrival, found indeed, what it brought back to the return to his/her/its master, that holy François had passed precisely from this life on the day and at the hour indicated by the demon. Letting of side all miracles of the Stigmata of François saint that read themselves in his/her/its Legend (17), it is necessary to know like conclusion of this fifth consideration, that to the pope Grégoire IX, who questioned a little the wound of the side of François saint, as he/it told then, holy François appeared one night and, raising a little high the right arm, he discovered the wound on his/her/its side and asked him for a vial; the pope made it bring; holy François made it put under the wound on his/her/its side, and he appeared to the pope that she filled herself/itself until the side of mixed blood of water that left indeed of the aforesaid wound (18).

And from this moment all his/her/its doubts left it. Then, of the opinion of all Cardinals, he/it attested the truth of the Stigmata of François saint; and he/it gave some to the brothers a special privilege by a bubble under seal; and it he/it made it to Viterbe the eleventh year of his/her/its pontificate (19); then, the twelfth year of his/her/its pontificate, he/it gave another of it more extended (20)_. The Pope Nicolas III and pope Alexandre (21) gave also, to this topic, of the considerable privileges, to the terms of which one could proceed against whoever would deny the Stigmata of François saint as in opposition to a heretic. That it is sufficient as for the fifth and last consideration of our father's glorious Stigmata holy François, of which God gives us the grace to imitate life in this world, so that, by the virtue of his/her/its glorious Stigmata, we deserved to be saved with him in paradise. To the praise of the Christ blessed. Amen 1.Dans the years that followed the death of François saint, and even later, the authenticity of the Stigmata was dismissed very briskly in doubt; to see, for example, to this topic, in the Codice dipJomalico..., the documents that appear at the p. 8, 10, 12, 21, 32, 44, etc.

The compilation of apparitions, revelations and miracles that one is going to read have been compiled obviously to answer these detractors. A lot of other analogs exist. As makes it notice the P. Benvenuto Bughetti very exactly, O.F.M., quoted ed. of the Fiorettis, p. 238, n. I, these narrations" add little to the historic and moral value of the Stigmata, that doesn't need these new proofs and these new details to appear we truer and bigger. " 2. this day, that is not indicated in the manuscripts of the Considéralionses, is given by the instrumentum of Sligmalibus Francisci beati, AF t.111, p. 641. Contrary to that that so-called the P. Bughetti, the famous handwritten of the convent Saint-Antoine of Rome, published in AFH 1919 p. 391 and s., give like date the V of the October ides, what corresponds to the Him.

The author of the Considéralionses nearly translates literally this text, to the beginning and at the end of his/her/its narration. 3. this order of the general Minister Bonagrazia, elected in 1279, is returned in the Chronicle of the XX/VS Généraux, AF t. III, p. 374; he/it was given to the general Chapter held in Strasbourg in 1282.4. It is developed in a passage of the Latin text that the author of the Considéralionses didn't translate: "Post hec ipse Dominus lhesus Cristus manus sweat corpori meo applicuil and firstly manibus, secundly pedibus, thirdly / ateri mihi sligmata ista cum vehemenlissimo doloris sensu and cum hurried pro qualibet vice mei c/amoris voce impressil. " 5. to see farther, p. 1259.6. Saint Bonaventure (LM 13 4); "The Saint adds that the one that had appeared to him had pronounced some words that, so much that he would live, he would never reveal to any man. "Saint Bonaventure sends back to the reads Epistle to the Corinthians, 12 4,: "He/it heard the ineffable words that he/it is not allowed a man to reveal. »

The brother evidently thought that what is forbidden a quick is not to a dead. His/her/its vision is returned in many Franciscan compilations, on which one can consult AF t notably. V, p.97, n.4, and Actus, ed. Paul Sabatier, p. XXXVII, n.l.7. The testimony of one of these eight brothers is invoked at the end of the narration, in the manuscript of Saint-Lsidore that Paul Sabatier, Actus, describes I. c.: "Frater Jacobus Bancusector Romanus praedicavit hoc and dixit himself audisse ab uno fratre of supradictis octo. " 8. on the Blissful Jean of the Alverne, to see admonishes them 49-53 of the Fiorettis and the notes. 9. in the Life of brother Jean of The Alverne, inserted in the Chronicle of the XXIVS Généraux, one recovers this offer of François saint, but the answer is a lot briefer, it is only the one that one will see a little farther, where is expressed the Blessed's desire to touch the Stigmata" non quod of ipsis in a/iquo dubitem, sed ex devotione and ducedine spirituality"; Anaecta Franciscana, I. 111, p. 446. 10. The chapel of the Stigmata, that count Simon of Battifolle made construct, from Thursday that followed the feast of the Assumption, that means of August 20, 1263, On the place of the apparition of the Seraph, as well as an enrollment reminds it that one can read again and where the dates are given according to the comput of the incarnation, March 25, and no according to the one of the Circumcision: 1225 for 1224; 1264 for 1263; cf. P.S. Mencherini, Guided..., p. 16 and s.Il.

The P. B. Bughetti, O.F.M., makes notice, c ed.., p.245, n. 1, that this detail indicates one date that stands between May 3 and September 14, that means at the time of the big heats. - This narration is nearly translated literally - for example: "cuncris dormiemibus" - of one origin Latin J, copied in the manuscript of the convent Saint-Antoine of Rome, immediately aprés Me episode, told in the beginning of Ja Cinquiéme Consideration, of brother Matthieu of Castiglione Aretino,; cf. Archivum..., I. c., p. 393 and s. 12. The text of the manuscript of Saint-Antoine ends by this note, that didn't pass in the tradition, and where the author indicates his source: "Supra dictum autem miracuJum ego frater Franciscus Péri audivi has Luca fratre of Pistorio [Pistoia] tunc Aretii existens. " 13. Close to Gubbio.14. The innocence of these devils, that keeps the hope to seize the soul of François saint of foundation, appears us a little all the same excessive! One knows that the debate around the soul that leaves the earth, is a theme that one very frequently meets in the Divine Comedy, Hell, XXVI', 112-129, and Purgatory, v, 103-108. 15. An analogous legend, but where he/it is at a time question of François saint of foundation and Dominique saint, be in the Life of the founder of the Preachy Brothers,
written toward J290 by Thierry of Appolda. Acta Sanctorum, August, t. p. 572.16.

This definition of the devil, borrowed to the gospel according to Jean saint, 8, 44, were celebrated; in the Divine Comedy, the Catalano damned Catalani dei, to comfort Virgile to be let itself/themselves "roll" abominably by the Malacoda devil, recites him this text coldly, while saying that it learned it at the university of Bologna, Hell, XXII', 142-144. 17. The major Legend of Bonaventure saint. 18. Major legend, Miracles, 1 2. This dream of Grégoire IX, with the detail of the vial, is the topic of the XXV fresco of the cycle of Giotto in the superior basilica of foundation. 19. This bubble is dated of April 5, 1237: Confessor Domini...; cf. Codice diplomatico..., p. Him and s. 20. This bubble is probably lost; cf. ibid., p. 12. 21. It is about Alexander IV.La fifth and last consideration is the one of some apparitions, revelations and miracles, that God made and showed after the death of François saint, to confirm the Stigmata and to reveal the day and I 'hour where the Christ gave them to him. And as for it, it is necessary to know that the year of the Lord 1282, the third day of October (2), brother Philippe, Minister of Tuscany, by order of brother Bonagrazia, general Minister (3), required, in the name of the holy obedience, that brother Matthieu of Castiglione Aretino, man of big piety and holiness, tell him what he/it knew of the day and the hour where the sacred Stigmata were printed by the Christ on the body of François saint, because he/it knew that he/it had had the revelation of it.

This brother Matthieu, obligated by the holy obedience, answered to him thus: "As I was, the last year, of family to the Alverne, I got one day, in the month of May, in prayer in this celIule that is right side up where place had, one believes, this apparition of the Seraph. And in my prayer, I asked God with a very big devotion that he/it pleased to him to reveal to someone the day, the hour and the place where the sacred Stigmata were printed on the body of François saint. And as I persevered in this prayer and in this supplication beyond the first sleep, here it is that holy François I appeared in a very quick light and spoke to me thus: "My son, what do you ask God? " I tell to him: "Father, I pray for such thing". He/it answered me: Am "I your father François, do you well recognize myself? - Yes, my Father", tell to him me. Then he/it showed me the Stigmata of his/her/its hands, of his/her/its feet and on his/her/its side, and he/it tells to me: "The time came where God wants that appears for his/her/its glory what the brothers are not up to here himself preoccupied to know. Know that the one that I appeared was not an Angel, but that it was Christ under the aspect of a Seraph: of his/her/its hands, he/it printed on my body these five wounds (4) as he/it received them on his/her/its body when he/it was in cross.

And it happened thus: the eve of the exaltation of the Cross, an Angel came to me and tells me on behalf of God to prepare me to support the suffering and to receive what God wanted to send me. And I answered that I was ready to everything that would be pleasing to God. Then, the following morning, that means the morning of the Saint Cross, that was this year one Friday, I came to the dawn of my cell in very big devotion out of mind, and I was going to get in prayer in this place where you are currently: I often prayed to this place. And as I prayed, here it is that by airs he/it came down from the sky, with a big impulsiveness, a young man crucified in the shape of Seraph, with six wings,: to his/her/its marvelous aspect, I knelt humbly and I began to contemplate with devotion the love without measure of Jesus crucified and the pain without measure of his/her/its Passion; and his/her/its aspect made be born in me such a compassion, that it seemed me, strictly speaking, to feel this Passion in my body; and to his/her/its presence all this mountain was resplendent like a sun. And while descending thus he/it came close to me and, being held before me, he/it tells me some secret words that I didn't reveal to anybody again; but the time approaches where they will be revealed (5). Then, after some time, the Christ left and went back up at the sky; and I was thus marked of these wounds. Go therefore, says holy François, and this say-Ies things in all confidence to your Minister; because it is work of God and non work of the man."

And after having said these words, holy François blesses me and returned to the sky with a very big multitude of young people of a vivid splendor". All these things, the aforesaid brother Matthieu says that he had seen them and sensible, not while sleeping, but to the waking state. And he/it swore materially that he/it was some thus, to the aforesaid Minister, to Florence, in his/her/its cell, when he/it was required some in the name of the obedience. Another time, a devout and holy brother, whereas he/it read the Legend of François saint to the chapter of the Stigmata (6), began to wonder, in big anxiety of mind, what have been these secret words, of which holy François said that he would not reveal them to anyone during his/her/its life, and that the Seraph had told to him when he appeared to him. And this brother said himself/itself in himself: "These words, holy François didn't want to say them during his/her/its life, but now that he died, would say them maybe him, if he was prayed some with devotion". And from this moment, this devout brother began to ask God and holy François that he pleased to them to reveal him these words; and, after this brother had persevered eight years in this supplication, he deserved the eighth year to be granted in this manner. One day after the meal and the recitation of the graces to the church, as he/it was in prayer in a corner of the church and that he/it prayed to this subject God and holy François, more religiously than usually and with a lot of tears, he/it was called by another brother who ordered him on behalf of the Guard to come with it to the city for the utility of the convent.

This reason, not doubting that the obedience is more deserving than the prayer, as soon as it had heard his/its superior order, it lets the prayer and leave humbly with this brother who called it. And as it was pleasing to God, by this act of expeditious obedience, it deserved what it had not deserved by a long prayer. Also, as soon as they had passed the door of the convent, they met two foreign brothers who appeared to come from faraway countries, one two seemed young, the old and skinny other, and, because of bad weather, they were quite soaked and muddied. This obedient brother felt some, for them, big compassion, and he tells the mate with whom he walked; "My very dear brother, if the business for which we are under way can be a little retarded, like these brothers have big need to be received with charity, I ask you to let go first me to wash them the feet, and especially to this old brother that in ale more need; and you, you will be able to wash them to the youngest; then we will go to the business of the Convent". Then this brother having condescended to his/her/its mate's charity, they went back, received these foreign brothers with a lot of charity, and drove them in the kitchen by fire, to warm up and to dry itself/themselves,; eight other brothers of the convent warmed up to this fire. After they had been a little by fire, they took them to part to wash them the feet, as well as they had agreed together. As this obedient and devout brother washed the feet to the oldest of the two brothers and that him in enievait the mud, because they were strong muddied, here it is that he looks at them and that he sees his/its marked feet of the Stigmata; immediately, in the rejoicing and the stupor, while kissing them closely, he/it begins to shout and says: Either you are the Christ, or you are holy François! »

To these screams and to these words, the brothers who were close to fire rise and approach to see with big fear and respect these glorious Stigmata. Then this old brother allows them, to their prayers, well of the to see, to touch them and to kiss them. And as in their rejoicing, they marveled more again, he/it tells to them: "Don't doubt and don't fear, my very dear brothers, my sons,; I am your father, brother François, that according to God's will, founded three Orders. And although I have been prayed, since already eight years, by this brother who washes me the feet, and today with more of devotion that the other times, to reveal him these secret words that says me the Seraph when he/it gave me the Stigmata, words that I didn't want to reveal ever during my life, today by order of God, because of his/her/its perseverance and his/her/its expeditious obedience, that made him abandon the sweetness of his/her/its prayer, I am sent by God to reveal him before you that for that he/it asked me". And turning then toward this brother, holy François spoke to him thus: "Know, my very dear brother, that when I was on the Alverne mount, all absorbed in the memory of the Christ's Passion, I was, in this apparition of the Seraph, stigmatized thus in my body by the Christ, and the Christ tells to me then: Do you "know this that I made to you? I gave you the prints of my Passion, so that you are my gonfalonier.

And as, on the day of my death, I descended to the Limbs and that, all souls that I found there, me they withdrew some, by the virtue of my Stigmata and drove them to the paradise, so I grant to you from now on, so that you I am compliant in the death as you were in life, that after you will have left this life, you go every year on the day of your death in the purgatory, and that, all souls of your three Orders, that is to say the Miners, the Sisters and the Continents and, in addition to celles-Ià, those of your religious that you will find there, you they withdraw of it, by the virtue of your Stigmata that I gave to you, and you will drive them to the paradise". And these words, I never said them, so much that I lived in the world. " It says, holy François and his/her/its mate disappeared suddenly. Many brothers heard this narration of the mouth of these eight brothers that was present to this vision then and to these words of François saint (7). On the Alverne mount, holy François appeared once to brother Jean of the Alverne (8), man of big holiness, while he was in prayer; he/it remained and spoke with him a long time; and finally, at the time of leaving it, he/it tells to him: "Ask me what you want (9)."

Brother Jean says: "Father, I implore you to tell me that that for a long time I want to know, that is to say what you made and where you were when appeared you the Seraph. " Saint François answered: "I prayed in this place where is now the chapel of count Simon of Battifolle (10), and I asked for two graces to my Lord Jesus Christ. The first was that it granted me as much as it was possible during my life, to feel in my soul and in my body, all these sufferings that it had felt in himself in the time of his/her/its very bitter Passion. The second grace for that I asked was that I felt in the same way in my heart this love without measure of which it was scorched to support, for us sinners, such a Passion. And then God put me to the heart that he would grant me to feel one and the other, as much as he was possible to a simple creature: and it was accomplished precisely in the impression of the Stigmata. " Then brother Jean asked him if these secret words that had said him the Seraph had been well as returned them this devout brother, recalled above, that affirmed that he had heard them of François saint in presence of eight brothers. Saint François answered that what this brother had said was the truth.

Then brother Jean, advanced by the generosity of the one that granted to him so much, gets bolder to interrogate again and spoke thus: "Oh father, I implore you very urgently to let to see me and to kiss your glorious Stigmata, no because I question some by no means, but only for my consolation; because it I always wanted it. " And holy François showing them to him and offering them to him generously, brother Jean clearly lives them, touched them and kissed them. Finally, he/it asked: "Father, what must not be the consolation that your soul had as seeing the Christ blessed to come to you and to give you the prints of his/her/its very holy Passion? Now want God that I feel a little this suavity! " Saint François answers then: Do you "see these nails? " And brother Jean: "Yes, father. - Key another time, said holy François, this nail that is in my hand. " Then brother Jean, with big respect and fear, touches this nail, and immediately, in this touching, such an odor left from it, like a light smoke that seemed the incense, and, incoming by the nostrils of brother Jean, fills his/her/its soul and his/her/its body of such a suavity that it was delighted in God in ecstasy and became insensible; and he/it remained delighted thus since this hour, that was the one of Third, until the Vespers.

This vision and this familiar interview with François saint, brother Jean never said them to others that to his/her/its confessor, if it is not when he/it approached the death; but when he/it was close to the death, he/it revealed them to several. In the province of Rome, a very devout and holy brother had this admirable vision. As a brother, his/her/its very dear mate, had died in the night and had been buried the morning owing the entry of the Chapter, the same day, after the dinner, this brother collected himself/itself in a corner of the Chapter, to ask God and holy François religiously for the soul of his/her/its aforementioned dead mate. And as he/it persevered in his/its prayer with supplications and tears, at noon, when all others brothers had gone to sleep Him, here it is that he/it heard a big rumor in the cloister; this reason, in big fear, he/it immediately raises the eyes toward his/her/its mate's tomb; and he/it sees there, to the entry of the Chapter, holy standing François, and, behind him, a big multitude of brothers around the aforesaid tomb. He/it watches farther and sees, in the middle of the cloister, the very big fire of a flame, and in the middle of this flame the soul of his/her/its dead mate. He/it watches around the cloister, and he/it sees Christ making the tour of the cloister with a numerous company of angels and saints. As he/it looked at it with big stupor, he/it sees that, when the Christ passes before the Chapter, holy François kneels with all these brothers and speak thus: "I implore you, very holy Father and Lord, by this nonprice charity that you showed to the human kind in your incarnation, to have mercy of the soul of this mine brother who burns in this fire. " The Christ doesn't answer anything, but passes besides.

As he/it comes back a second time and pass before the Chapter, holy François kneels again with his/her/its brothers like the first time and implores it in these terms: "I implore you, Father and Lord full of mercy, by this love without measure that you showed to the human kind when you died on the wood of the cross, to have mercy of Me soul of this mine brother. " And the Christ passed in the same way and didn't grant it. As he/it came back a third time, while making the tour of the cloister, and passed before the Chapter, holy François knelt again as the first times, showed him his/her/its hands, his/her/its feet and his/her/its chest, and spoke thus: "I implore you, Father and Lord full of mercy, by this big pain and this big consolation that I felt when you imposed me these Stigmata in my flesh, to have mercy of the soul of this mine brother who is in the fire of the purgatory. " Admirable thing! The Christ, asked this third time by François saint in the name of his/her/its Stigmata, immediately stops his/her/its walk, look at the Stigmata and grant the supplication while saying these words: "To you, brother François, I grant your brother's soul. »

And certainly in it, he/it wanted to honor at the same time and to confirm the glorious Stigmata of François saint and to make hear overtly that the souls of his/her/its brothers that go to the purgatory cannot be more comfortably free of his/her/its pains and tracks to the glory of the Paradise that according to his/her/its holy Stigmata, according to the speech that the Christ tells François saint in printing them to him. And immediately these words say, this fire of the cloister vanishes, and the dead brother came himself of it to François saint and, with him, with the Christ and with all this glorious and blissful company, he left to the sky. That of what this brother, his/her/its mate, who had prayed for him, had a very big rejoicing, as seeing it delivered of the pains and led to the paradise; then he/it told the other brothers all his/her/its vision in detail, and at the same time as them he/it rented and thanked God (12). A noble knight of Massaged di Santo Piero (13), that had name Messire Landolfe, that was very religious to François saint and that received his/her/its l hands finally 'dress of the Third Order, was assured in this manner of the death of François saint and his/her/its glorious Stigmata. To the time where holy François was about to die, the demon entered in a woman of the aforesaid castle; he/it tormented it cruelly and besides he/it made it speak like a literate person, so subtly that she/it triumphed over all scholarly and literate men who came to discuss with her. He/it arrived that the demon, having left it, let it free during two days and, back the third, he/it afflicted it more cruelly than before. Hearing it, this Messire Landolfe is going to find this woman and demand to the demon who lived in her what was the reason for which he had left it two days and for which he had come back to torment it more bitingly than before.

The demon answers: "When I abandoned it, it was because I and all my mates who are in this country us met and went in big strength to the death of beggar François, in order to fight with him and to carry away his/her/its soul: but as she/it was surrounded and forbidden by a multitude of more numerous angels than we were not and that she/it was taken away by them to the sky, we retired confused (14); as I now take my revenge and I return to this miserable woman that that, during these two days, I let side. " Then Messire Landolfe adjured it, in the name of God, to tell him what there was of truly touching the holiness of François saint, of which he said that he had died, and of Claire saint, that living being. The demon answers: "That I want it or no, I will tell you what is true of it. God the Father was so indignant against the sins of the world, that he appeared to want to pronounce shortly against the men and Against the women the definitive sentence to wipe out them of the world if they didn't correct themselves. But the Christ, his/her/its Son, praying for the sinners, promised to renew his/her/its life and his/her/its Passion, in a man, that wants to say in François, small poor and beggar, by life and the doctrine of that he would bring back a lot of whole society people in the way of the truth and to the penitence (15). And maintenant.Pour to show to the world that it he had made it in François saint, he wanted that the Stigmata of his/her/its Passion, that he had printed on his/its body during his/her/its life, were now seen and touched, to his/her/its death, by a lot of people. In the same way the Christ's Mother promised to renew his/her/its virginal purity and his/her/its humility in a woman, that means in sister Claire, so that, by his/her/its example, she would pull a lot of thousands of women of our hands. And so God the Father, pacified by these promises, delayed his definitive sentence. »

Then Messire Landolfe, wanting to know in all certainty if the demon, who is the father of the lie (16), said in it the truth, and in particular on the death of François saint, sent one of his/her/its faithful damoiseaux to Foundation, to Saint Marie of the Angels, to know holy François living being so or dead. This damoiseau, to his/her/its arrival, found indeed, what it brought back to the return to his/her/its master, that holy François had passed precisely from this life on the day and at the hour indicated by the demon. Letting of side all miracles of the Stigmata of François saint that read themselves in his/her/its Legend (17), it is necessary to know like conclusion of this fifth consideration, that to the pope Grégoire IX, who questioned a little the wound of the side of François saint, as he/it told then, holy François appeared one night and, raising a little high the right arm, he discovered the wound on his/her/its side and asked him for a vial; the pope made it bring; holy François made it put under the wound on his/her/its side, and he appeared to the pope that she filled herself/itself until the side of mixed blood of water that left indeed of the aforesaid wound (18). And from this moment all his/her/its doubts left it. Then, of the opinion of all Cardinals, he/it attested the truth of the Stigmata of François saint; and he/it gave some to the brothers a special privilege by a bubble under seal; and it he/it made it to Viterbe the eleventh year of his/her/its pontificate (19); then, the twelfth year of his/her/its pontificate, he/it gave another of it more extended (20)_.

The Pope Nicolas III and pope Alexandre (21) gave also, to this topic, of the considerable privileges, to the terms of which one could proceed against whoever would deny the Stigmata of François saint as in opposition to a heretic. That it is sufficient as for the fifth and last consideration of our father's glorious Stigmata holy François, of which God gives us the grace to imitate life in this world, so that, by the virtue of his/her/its glorious Stigmata, we deserved to be saved with him in paradise. To the praise of the Christ blessed. Amen1.Dans the years that followed the death of François saint, and even later, the authenticity of the Stigmata was dismissed very briskly in doubt; to see, for example, to this topic, in the Codice dipJomalico..., the documents that appear at the p. 8, 10, 12, 21, 32, 44,

The compilation of apparitions,
the instrumentum of Sligmalibus Francisci beati, AF t.111, p. 641.
Contrary to that that so-called the P. Bughetti,


revelations and miracles that one is going to read have been compiled obviously to answer these detractors. A lot of other analogs exist. As makes it notice the P. Benvenuto Bughetti very exactly, O.F.M., quoted ed. of the Fiorettis, p. 238, n.

I, these narrations" add little to the historic and moral value of the Stigmata, that doesn't need these new proofs and these new details to appear we truer and bigger. »

2. this day, that is not indicated in the manuscripts of the Considéralionses, is given by the instrumentum of Sligmalibus Francisci beati, AF t.111, p. 641. Contrary to that that so-called the P. Bughetti, the famous handwritten of the convent Saint-Antoine of Rome, published in AFH 1919 p. 391 and s., give like date the V of the October ides, what corresponds to the Him. The author of the Considéralionses nearly translates literally this text, to the beginning and at the end of his/her/its narration.

3. this order of the general Minister Bonagrazia, elected in 1279, is returned in the Chronicle of the XX/VS Généraux, AF t. III, p. 374; he/it was given to the general Chapter held in Strasbourg in 1282.

4. it is developed in a passage of the Latin text that the author of the Considéralionses didn't translate: "Post hec ipse Dominus lhesus Cristus manus sweat corpori meo applicuil and firstly manibus, secundly pedibus, thirdly / ateri mihi sligmata ista cum vehemenlissimo doloris sensu and cum hurried pro qualibet vice mei c/amoris voce impressil. »

5. to see farther, p. 1259.6. Saint Bonaventure (LM 13 4); "The Saint adds that the one that had appeared to him had pronounced some words that, so much that he would live, he would never reveal to any man. "Saint Bonaventure sends back to the reads Epistle to the Corinthians, 12 4,: "He/it heard the ineffable words that he/it is not allowed a man to reveal. »

6 the brother evidently thought that what is forbidden a quick is not to a dead. His/her/its vision is returned in many Franciscan compilations, on which one can consult AF t notably. V, p.97, n.4, and Actus, ed. Paul Sabatier, p. XXXVII, n.l.

7. the testimony of one of these eight brothers is invoked at the end of the narration, in the manuscript of Saint-Lsidore that Paul Sabatier, Actus, describes I. c.: "Frater Jacobus Bancusector Romanus praedicavit hoc and dixit himself audisse ab uno fratre of supradictis octo. »

8. on the Blissful Jean of the Alverne, to see admonishes them 49-53 of the Fiorettis and the notes.

9. in the Life of brother Jean of The Alverne, inserted in the Chronicle of the XXIVS Généraux, one recovers this offer of François saint, but the answer is a lot briefer, it is only the one that one will see a little farther, where is expressed the Blessed's desire to touch the Stigmata" non quod of ipsis in a/iquo dubitem, sed ex devotione and ducedine spirituality"; Anaecta Franciscana, I. 111, p. 446.

10. The chapel of the Stigmata, that count Simon of Battifolle made construct, from Thursday that followed the feast of the Assumption, that means of August 20, 1263, On the place of the apparition of the Seraph, as well as an enrollment reminds it that one can read again and where the dates are given according to the comput of the incarnation, March 25, and no according to the one of the Circumcision: 1225 for 1224; 1264 for 1263; cf. P.S. Mencherini, Guided..., p. 16 and s.Il. The P. B. Bughetti, O.F.M., makes notice, c ed.., p.245, n. 1, that this detail indicates one date that stands between May 3 and September 14, that means at the time of the big heats.

11 - this narration is nearly translated literally - for example: "cuncris dormiemibus" - of one origin Latin J, copied in the manuscript of the convent Saint-Antoine of Rome, immediately aprés Me episode, told in the beginning of Ja Cinquiéme Consideration, of brother Matthieu of Castiglione Aretino,; cf. Archivum..., I. c., p. 393 and s.

12. The text of the manuscript of Saint-Antoine ends by this note, that didn't pass in the tradition, and where the author indicates his source: "Supra dictum autem miracuJum ego frater Franciscus Péri audivi has Luca fratre of Pistorio [Pistoia] tunc Aretii existens. »

13. Close to Gubbio.

14. The innocence of these devils, that keeps the hope to seize the soul of François saint of foundation, appears us a few excessive!On all the same knows that the debate around the soul that leaves the earth, is a theme that Me one very frequently meets in the Divine Comedy, Hell, XXVI', 112-129, and Purgatory, v, 103-108.

15. An analogous legend, but where he/it is at a time question of François saint of foundation and Dominique saint, be in the Life of the founder of the Preachy Brothers, written toward J290 by Thierry of Appolda. Acta Sanctorum, August, t. p. 572.

16. This definition of the devil, borrowed to the gospel according to Jean saint, 8, 44, were celebrated; in the Divine Comedy, the Catalano damned Catalani dei, to comfort Virgile to be let itself/themselves "roll" abominably by the Malacoda devil, recites him this text coldly, while saying that it learned it at the university of Bologna, Hell, XXII', 142-144.

17. The major Legend of Bonaventure saint.

18. Major legend, Miracles, 1 2. This dream of Grégoire IX, with the detail of the vial, is the topic of the XXV fresco of the cycle of Giotto in the superior basilica of foundation.

19. This bubble is dated of April 5, 1237: Confessor Domini...; cf. Codice diplomatico..., p. Him and s.

20. This bubble is probably lost; cf. ibid., p. 12.

21. It is about Alexander IV

Marie Pink Ferro
by Jeanne Savard Bonin
Stigmatized

http://www.marieroseferron.catholicweb.com/
baxk of the book
: Marie Pink Ferron o.f.s. Stigmatized

A small Québecois, born to the country of Georges of gold, "in the plain to the big elms", close to Drummondville.

Get married Rose Ferron was the tenth of fifteen children in a humble family forced to emigrate to Fall River (Massachusetts) and in Woonsocket (Rhode Island) to earn his/her/its life. Confidante summons Jesus, identified to Him by the stigmata of his/her/its passion, Marie-Rose was the comfort of the poor people and patients as the good brother André. She/it became tertiary Franciscan May 28, 1929. His/her/its suffering and his/her/its prayer reconcile the Sentinellisteses with their bishop Mgr Hickey. Her mert the 11 but 1936, after having known three years of persecution. The phenomenon of the weight present in the ecstasies of Rose p.121.Le Father Onésime A. Boyer told us that the ecstasy seems the criteria and the foundation of all condemnation. He/it describes us the phenomenon of the muscular rigidity, character usual of the ecstasy. When he/it comes with the weight phenomenon, it is the feature that distinguishes the divine ecstasy of the natural ecstasy. Number of experiences was tempted on Rose. His/her/its family, his/her/its directors, some special visitors, priests and laymen testified to some, Rose was as lead. As soon as she/it fell in ecstasy, the phenomenon of the weight, appeared and increased in proportion of the depth of the ecstasy. Rigidity and weight seemed to come together.

Activity of the Rose intelligence in p ecstasy. 121-122

Intelligence and the will of Rose became more active in ecstasy forcing the body to react and to serve the soul; April 8, 1936, a few more of one month before his/her/its death, at 2 o'clock, of the afternoon, Rose entered in ecstasy. She/it asks Jesus to a weak voice to bless his/her/its objects of piety, she/it took a rosary and tells to him for that he/it was and why she/it destined to him. Shortly after, his/her/its voice became stronger, it spoke as to the plain, the movements were embarrassed so little, all seemed so natural that I believed it exit of the ecstasy. I immediately tried to raise it but it was as rigid as a statue and as heavy as a mountain. I noticed my mistake" then (O. A. Boyer) Here. It is especially the intelligence of Rose that was active.