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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI this: "Go and" do not "sin" any more. (cf. John 8:11) This having been written, so that it ought to be better observed, you are to keep it with you until Pentecost; you are to be there with your friars. · And this and all other things, which are lesser in the Rule, with the Lord God assisting, you shall take care to fulfill. The Letter sent to the whole Order together with the prayer "Omnipotent eternal..." [EpOrd] At the end of his life St. Francis was too sick to travel and had recourse to letters to address his religious brothers. In this letter, which he intended to be kept and read in the Order until the end of time, he exhorts them at length to implement Pope Honorius III's letter Sane cum olim, which had been sent to nearly all the Bishops in the West in the autumn of 1219 A.D., and to many of the Bishops of the East in March of 1220 A.D. St. Francis probably acquainted himself with the papal letter when he visited Honorius III (Feb.—Mar.) upon his return form the Holy Land in that same year. He wrote this letter sometime between March, 1220 and November of 1223 A.D.. 152 In the Name of the Most High Trinity and Holy Unity of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen! To all the reverend and much beloved (dilectio) 153 friars, to friar A., 154 Minister general 155 of the religion 156 of the Friars Minor, (and) their lord, and to the other Ministers general who will be after him, and to all the ministers and custodes and humble priests in Christ of the same fraternity and to all the simple and obedient friars, first and last, · Friar Francis, a vile and fallen man, 157 your tiny little servant, (wishes) salvation 158 in Him who redeemed and "washed us in a public penance upon any brother who sins, but that they should only admonish him gently, after the example of Our Lord; leaving penance up to the priests. 152 cf. K. Esser, pp. 318-20. 153 Here the Latin term, which is related to the root word dilectio, indicates more precisely that the friars are "to be loved much," not just that they have been. Also, the word translated "all" at this point means more exactly, "each and every" considered as one. 154 The manuscripts have various abbreviations at this point in the text: N, B, T , Ro, H. G; therefore the identity of the Minister general to which St. Francis intended this letter was addressed cannot be readily identified on this basis. However the abbreviations that appear at this point and elsewhere in the manuscripts (H., He., and he.) can signify Brother Elias, who was one of St. Francis' more controversial disciples, cf. fns. 189, 193 and 202. 155 For an explanation of this and the other offices in the Order of Friars Minor, see the introduction to "The First Letter to the Custodes" [EpCust I]. 156 In the Middle Ages, a religious order was called "a religion" and the members of non-Catholic religions were called infidels, cf. RegB XII. 157 Here St. Francis emphasizes that like his confreres, he too was conceived with the stain of original sin. Hence, they too, by cooperating with grace can become as holy, as they repute him to be. Page - 48
THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI His" Most Precious "Blood" (cf. Apoc 1:5), · upon hearing whose Name, adore Him with fear and reverence "prostrate upon the ground" (cf. 2 Esdr 8:6), the Lord Jesus Christ, "Son of the Most High" (is) His Name (cf. Lk 1:32), "who is blest throughout the ages" (Rm 1:25). Listen, sons of the Lord 159 and brothers mine, "and turn your ears to my words" (Acts 2:14). · "Incline the ear" (Is 55:3) of your heart and obey the voice of the Son of God. · Keep with all your heart His mandates and fulfill His counsels with a resolute mind. 160 · "Confess" Him "since (He is) good" (Ps 135:1), and "exalt" Him "in your works" (Tob 13:6); · "since for this reason" He sent you (cf. Tob 13:4) into the entire world, 161 to give testimony to His voice by word and work and make all know, that "there is no Omnipotent One besides Him" (cf. Tob 13:4). · "In discipline" and holy obedience "persevere" (Heb 12:7) and fulfill what you have promised 162 Him with a good and firm resolution. · May the Lord "God" offer Himself to us, "as to sons" (cf. Heb 12:7). And so I beseech all of you friars with a kiss upon (your) feet 163 and with that charity, of which I am able, to exhibit every reverence and every honor, as much as you will be able, to the Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, · in whom those (things) which are in the heavens and which are on the earth, have been pacified and reconciled to the Omnipotent God (cf. Col 1:20) I beg also in the Lord that all my friar priests, who are or will be or desire to be priests of the Most High, that whenever you want celebrate Mass, (being) pure, 164 you faultlessly perform with reverence the True Sacrifice of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, with a holy and clean intention, not on behalf of any earthly thing, nor out of fear or love ( amor) for any man, 165 as pleasers of men (do) (cf. Eph 6:6; Col 3:22); · but let every will, as much as grace helps it, be directed to God, desiring for that reason to please solely the Most High Lord Himself, because He alone is at work there, just as it pleases Him; · since just as He himself says "Do this in My commemoration" 166 (Lk 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24), if anyone has done otherwise, 167 he makes himself out to be Judas, the traitor, and is made "answerable for the Body and Blood of 158 cf. fn. 68. 159 The friars are "sons of the Lord" by the grace of Baptism, wherein there were reborn in Christ as the adopted sons of the Father. They are also "sons" in a special manner, in as much as they observe the evangelical perfection of the Gospel as Franciscans. 160 lit. perfecta mente, "with a perfect mind," that is with an efficacious resolve to accomplish what one has set out to do. 161 A reference not a historical sending of the Friars Minor by Christ Jesus Himself, but to the mission entrusted to them by the Holy Spirit through the grace of their Franciscan vocation; regarding this phrase "into the entire world," cf. Breviarium Romanum (1961): Antiphon ad Magnificat II Vespers Pentecostes. 162 i.e. the observance of the Rule. 163 see fn. 135. 164 lit. puri. By using the substantive adjective for "pure," St. Francis is indicating that the condition for offering the Sacrifice of the Mass is first of all being in the state of grace. 165 lit. hominis, "man" in the sense of any human being. 166 A commemoration is a ceremony characterized by remembrance. Hence, from those who wish to honor Christ, He Himself asks for that re-presentation of His Sacrifice of Calvary, which is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (cf. Mt 26:26-28; Mk 14:22-24; Lk 22:19-20; I Cor 11:23-25); cf. also the Council of Trent, session II, iv, 3. 167 i.e. for some reason other than that which Christ proposed. Page - 49
Page 1 and 2: The Writings of St. Francis of Assi
Page 3 and 4: THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSI
Page 15 and 16: Translator's Forward THE WRITINGS O
Page 25 and 26: 22:21). Chapter XII. On recognizing
Page 29 and 30: The Canticle of Brother Son or The
Page 33 and 34: A Letter to Clerics [EpCler I] Firs
Page 35 and 36: A Letter to Clerics [EpCler II] Lat
Page 47: THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSI
Page 73 and 74: A Prayer before the Crucifix [OrCru
Page 81 and 82: Chapter X On the admonition and cor
Page 83 and 84: eighth year of Our Pontificate. 347
Page 93 and 94: Chapter XV That the friars are not
Page 99 and 100:
THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSI
Page 101 and 102:
things throughout the ages. Amen. C
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Fragments of other rules [Frag] THE
Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116:
II. From the writings of Hugo of Di
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120:
show all

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

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?