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

THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
money 295 through 296 themselves or through an interposed person. · Nevertheless on behalf of the
necessities of the infirm and the clothing 297 of the other friars, let only the ministers and the
custodes conduct a solicitous care, by means of spiritual friends, 298 according to places and
seasons and cold regions, as they have seen expedites necessity; 299 · with this always preserved,
that, as has been said, they do not receive coins nor money.
Chapter V
On the manner of working.
Let those friars, to whom the Lord has given the grace to work, work faithfully and
devoutly, 300 · in such a way that, having excluded idleness, the enemy of the soul, they do not
extinguish the spirit of holy prayer and devotion, 301 which all other temporal things must serve
zealously. 302 · Indeed concerning the wages of labor, let them receive on their (own) behalf and
that of their brothers the things necessary for the body, excepting coins or money, and this
humbly, · as befits the servants of God and the followers of most holy poverty.
Chapter VI
That the friars are to appropriate nothing for themselves, and on the begging of alms, and on
sick 303 friars.
Let the friars appropriate nothing for themselves, neither house nor place nor any thing. ·
And as pilgrims and exiles (cf. 1 Pt 2:11) in this age, as ones serving the Lord in poverty and
humility, let them go about for alms confidently, nor is it proper that they be ashamed, · because
the Lord made Himself poor in this world 304 on our behalf (cf. 2 Cor 8:9). · This is that loftiness
of the highest poverty, which has established you, my most dear friars, as heirs and kings of the
Kingdom of Heaven, has made you poor in things, (and) has raised you high in virtues (cf. Jm
2:5). · Let this be your "portion", which leads (you) through "to the land of the living" (cf. Ps
141,6). · Cleaving totally to this, most beloved (dilectio) friars, may you want to have nothing
295 lit. pecuniam, what is used as a means of financial exchange.
296 i.e. by actual means of.
297 i.e. here used as a gerundive; in the sense of "to clothe the other friars."
298 i.e. benefactors; often members of the Third Order of St. Francis. For an explanation of the
offices in the Order see the introduction to "The First Letter to the Custodes" [EpCust I].
299 lit. sicut necessitati viderint expedire, that is in the manner in which past experience has taught
them to make provision in time of need.
300 lit. devote, which in Latin means both "devoutly" and "devotedly."
301 Here "prayer" means more exactly "praying." In this precept St. Francis obliges his friars to
foster the virtue of devotion, which virtue disposes one to do what is good and just, with a holy
joy. Christ infuses this virtue in those who practice mental prayer perseveringly each day, cf.
Pope Pius XII, Mediator Dei, n.32 and St. Peter of Alcantara, Treatise on Mental Prayer.
302 lit. deservire, "to serve zealously," "to be a slave to."
303 On the use of "sick" see Note in the Translators forward..
304 see fn. 145.
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