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

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THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI Pater Nosters with a Gloria Patri 375 for Matins; 376 indeed for Lauds five; for Prime the Credo in Deum and seven Pater nosters with a Gloria Patri; for Terce, Sext and Nones and for whatever hour (of these) seven; for Vespers twelve; for Compline the Credo in Deum and seven Pater nosters with a Gloria Patri; on behalf of the dead seven Pater nosters with the Requiem aeternam; 377 and for the failing and negligence of the friars three Pater nosters every day. 378 And similarly let every friar fast from the Feast of All Saints until Christmas and from Epiphany, when Our Lord Jesus Christ began to fast, until Easter. 379 · Indeed at other times let them not be bound to fast according to this life, except on Fridays. · And let it be licit for them to eat of all the foods, which are placed before them, according to the Gospel (cf. Lk 10:8). Chapter IV How (things) are to be arraigned concerning the ministers and the other friars In the Name of the Lord! · Let all the friars, who are constituted ministers and servants of the other friars, in the provinces and places in which they have been, arrange 380 their own friars, whom they are to often visit and spiritually warn and encourage. 381 · And let all my other blest friars diligently obey them in those things which pertain to the salvation of the soul and are not contrary to our life. 382 · And let them act among themselves as the Lord says: "Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them" (Mt 7,12); · and: What you do not want to be done to you, do not do to another. 383 · And let the ministers and servants remember, what the Lord says: "I have not" come "to be ministered unto but to minister" (Mt 20:28) and that there has been committed to them the care of the friars' souls, of which, if any were lost on account of their fault and bad example, it will be proper that they "render an account on the Day of Judgement" (cf. Mt 12:36) before the Lord Jesus Christ. Chapter V On the correction of the friars in their failings And for this reason guard your souls and those of your friars; because "it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hand of the living God" (Heb 10:31). · If, however, any of the ministers of 375 The doxology: "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be unto the ages of ages. Amen." 376 For an explanation of these liturgical hours, see fn. 283. 377 i.e. the prayer for the faithful departed: "Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen." 378 It is part of Catholic belief that the fulfillment of one's daily duties are a moral obligation, something that God expects of every individual. Thus the necessity of making satisfaction even for such sins of omission. 379 November 1 and January 6 respectively; cf. RegB III,5-7. 380 i.e. assign them to the local houses. 381 lit. confortent, "to strengthen, uphold." 382 i.e. this Rule and the duties of a religious vocation. 383 cf. Rule of St. Benedict IV,9; LXI,14 and LXX,7; compare also Tob 4:16(15). Page - 86
THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI any of the friars would precept 384 anything against our life or against his soul, 385 let him not be bound to obey him; because that is not obedience, in which crime or sin is committed. · Nevertheless let all the friars, who are beneath ministers and servants, consider the deeds of (their) ministers and servants reasonably and diligently, · and if they have seen any of these walking carnally and not spiritually according the rectitude of our life, after the third admonition, if he has not amended himself, let them renounce him to the minister and servant of the whole fraternity in the Chapter at Pentecost, regardless of any contradiction. 386 · If indeed anywhere among the friars there has been any friar wanting to walk carnally and not spiritually, let the friars, with whom he is, warn, instruct, and rebuke him, humbly and diligently. · But if after the third admonition he does not want to amend himself, as soon as they are able, let them send or point him out to their minister and servant, which minister and servant is to do with him as will seem to himself to be more expedient according to God. And let all friars, the ministers and servants as much as the others, beware that on account of the sin or wickedness of anyone they be not distressed or grow angry, because the devil wants to corrupt many on account of the crime of one; · but spiritually, as best they can, let them help him who has sinned, because a doctor is not needed for the healthy, but for those who have a malady (cf. Mt 9:12 with Mk 2:17). Similarly let all the friars have no power or rule in this (matter), most of all among themselves. · For just as the Lord says in the Gospel: "The princes of the gentiles rule over them, and those who are greater exercise (their) power upon them" (Mt 20:25), "not" so "shall it be among" the friars (cf. Mt 20:26a); · and whoever "wants to become the greater among" them, "let him be" their "minister" (cf. Mt 20:26b) and servant; · and "he who is greater" among them "let him become" the lesser (Lk 22:26). And let no friar do evil or speak evil to another; · rather on the contrary let them voluntarily serve "through charity of spirit" and obey one "another" (cf. Gal 5:13). · And this is the true and holy obedience of Our Lord Jesus Christ. · And let all the friars, as often as "they have turned away from the mandates of the Lord" and have wandered about outside of obedience, 387 as the prophet says (Ps 118:21), know that they are cursed so long as they have knowingly remained outside of obedience in such a sin. · And when they have persevered in the mandates of the Lord, which they have promised by means of the Holy Gospel and their life, let them know that they remain in true obedience, and may they be blest by the Lord. 384 see fn. 7. 385 i.e. against the moral law. 386 This is a duty of all subjects when necessary and possible. The Latin phrase that ends this sentence nulla contradictione impediente means literally "with no contradiction impeding," that is, without it being permitted that they be impeded in making their denunciation by any contradiction brought forward by any party. 387 i.e. who lose the habit of obeying their superiors. The Latin verb stare, translated in this and the next sentence as "remained" literally means "to stand, stay, or be" in a place or condition. Page - 87
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A Letter to Clerics [EpCler I] Firs
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