The Writings of St. Francis of Assisi - + Saints' Works

THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
they be baptized and be true and spiritual Christians, because "except one will have been reborn
of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God" (Jn 3:5). 530
XII,320 [XVI,10-11,17,14] And he used to add with certain insertions: And let the friars
remember, that they have given themselves and abandoned their own bodies to the Lord Jesus
Christ for God's sake. And on behalf of His love (amor) they ought to endure tribulation,
persecution and death, because the Lord says: "He who will have lost his life for My sake, shall
save it" (Lk 9:24). "However I say to you, My friends, not to be terrified by those, who slay the
body" (Lk 12:4). "If they persecute you in one city, flee to another" (cf. Mt 10:23).
IX,294 [XVII,3] ...just as the Saint previously used to exhort in the Rule, saying: Let all the
friars preach with works.
IX,293 [XIX,3] In a wonderful manner the Saint used to want to defer to ecclesiastical persons:
Let us regard all clerics and all religious as lords in those things, which do not deviate from our
religion, and let us venerate their state and administration in the Lord.
Prologue,161 [XXIV,1-3] ...meanwhile on for the edification of whom and the elucidation of the
greater context by the original, I remember that he used to pray that all friars teaching, learning,
or examining the tenor and spirit of those things, which had been written in the Rule itself, be
blest by the Lord.
III. From the Vita Secunda of Bl. Thomas of Celano 531
II,243 [VI,6] Let [the ministers] be bound on the Day of Judgement before Thee, Lord, to render
an account, if any friar of theirs either through negligence or (bad) example or bitter correction
has perished.
II,128 [VII,16] ...as a general warning in a certain chapter he caused these words to be written:
Let all the friars beware, lest they show themselves to be outwardly gloomy and sad hypocrites,
but let them show themselves to be those (who are) rejoicing in the Lord, cheerful and jocund
and suitably gracious.
II,66 [VIII,6] ...impressing upon the temerarious the word of the Rule, by which it sufficiently
shines forth that money found ought to be trampled upon as dust.
II,175 [X,3-4] Whence in a certain Rule he caused to be written these words: I beg all my sick
friars, that in their infirmities they not grow angry or be disturbed against God or against the
friars. Let them not ask very solicitously for medicines, nor desire exceedingly to free the flesh
(that is) swift to die, which is the enemy of the soul. Let them give thanks because of all things,
530 see fn. 412.
531 Each citation is identified in italics with its corresponding location in Bl. Thomas of Celano's
Vita Secunda (chapter,sentance), and in the Regula non-Bullata [RegNB], both as indicated by
K. Esser, p. 382. These selections comprise part III of the Fragments.
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