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

THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
the friars wear cheep clothing and let them be able to patch these with sacks and other pieces (of
cloth) with the blessing of God. · Which (friars) I warn and exhort, not to despise nor judge men,
whom they see clothed with soft and colored clothes, using dainty 275 food and drink, but rather let
each one judge and despise his very self.
Chapter III
Concerning the divine office and fasting, and in what manner the friars ought to go through the
world. 276
Let the clerics perform 277 the Divine Office 278 according to the Ordo 279 of the Roman
Church, except for the Psalter, 280 · for which they can have beviaries. 281 · Let the lay (brothers)
indeed say twenty-four Pater Nosters 282 for Matins; 283 for Lauds five; for Prime, Terce, Sext and
Nones, for each of these seven, however for Vespers twelve; for Compline seven; · and let them
pray on behalf of the dead. 284 · And let them fast from the Feast of All Saints until the Nativity of
medievals on account of the absence of footwear in John 19:23, and is depicted frequently in
Catholic art. Christ Himself had commanded His Apostles to wear only one tunic (cf. Mt 10:10
and Lk 9:3).
275 lit. delicatis, luxurious, refined; i.e. "gourmet."
276 see fn. 145.
277 lit. faciant, "perform," in the sense of "accomplish"; the requirement of daily recitation of the
Office was reaffirmed at the Fourth Lateran Council (1215 A.D.), constitution XVII.
278 The Divine Office is the traditional, daily, recitation of the psalms. It originated as a devotion
among the Jewish people. Christ and the Apostles themselves are said to have practiced it. It
became the characteristic daily duty of monastic life in Egypt during the third century A.D.. By
St. Francis' day it had long been embellished with antiphons, readings, hymns and prayers fitted
to the liturgical calendar, and had been the customary daily prayer of the clergy of the Roman
Church for centuries.
279 i.e. according to the liturgical books of the Roman Rite. St. Francis specifies this because by
his own day, the Gallican Rite, which grew out of the liturgical reforms of the Carolingian period
was celebrated nearly everywhere, while the celebration of the Roman Rite had been reduced to
the Pope's private chapel. Out of devotion to St. Peter, who originated the liturgical traditions of
the Roman Church, St. Francis chose the Roman Rite for his Order.
280 A Psalter was a book containing the psalms recited during the Divine Office. In St. Francis'
day the use of the Gallican Psalter prevailed over that of the Roman Psalter; the difference being
principally in the translation of the Psalms.
281 lit. ex quo, "for which purpose." A "breviary" is a portable book for the recitation of the
liturgy of the hours. In St. Francis' day they had just become popular, and were a necessity for
clergymen who traveled often.
282 i.e. "Our Fathers;" the Our Father was to be said in Latin, as is the ancient custom of the
Roman Church.
283 Matins is the liturgical ceremony at the beginning of the morning, i.e. before sunrise; Lauds, at
sunrise. The next ceremonies are named according the Roman custom of numbering the hours of
the day from the time of sunrise: Terce (3 hours), Sext (six hours), Nones (9 hours). Vespers
was prayed at sunset; Compline before retiring for the night.
284 Normally this meant the Requiem aeterum, cf. RegNB III, 10.
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