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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI road. · And when the necessity has arisen, let them go about for alms. · And let them not be ashamed but rather let them remember, that Our Lord Jesus "Christ, the Son of the living God" (Jn 11:27) Omnipotent, "set" His "face like flint" 396 (Is 50:7), nor was He ashamed; · and He was poor and a guest and lived by alms, He and the Blessed Virgin and His disciples. · And when men shame them and are not willing to give them alms, let them return thanks to God on that account; that because of (this) shame they shall receive great honor before the tribunal of Our Lord Jesus Christ. · And let them know, that shame is imputed not to those who suffer it, but to those who bring it upon (others). · And alms are the inheritance and justice, which are owed to the poor, (and) which Our Lord Jesus Christ acquired for us. · And the friars, who labor in acquiring these, shall have a great wage and will make those (who) grant (these) profit and acquire (merit); because all things that men leave in the world will perish, but because of the charity and alms, which they give, they shall have a reward from the Lord. And let one without fear 397 manifest to the other his own need, so that (the latter) may find for him what is necessary and minister (it to him). · And let him love (dilectio) and nourish his brother, as a mother loves and nourishes her son (cf. 1 Th 2:7), in the manner 398 that God bestows the grace upon him. · And "let him who does not eat, not judge him (who is) eating" (Rm 14:3b). And whenever necessity has overtaken them, let it be licit for all the friars, wherever they have been, to use all foods, 399 which men can eat, just as the Lord says of David, who "ate the bread of proposition" (cf. Mt 12,4), "which was not licit to eat except for the priests" (Mk 2:26). · And let them remember, what the Lord says: "Attend moreover to yourselves lest perchance your hearts grow heavy with stupor and drunkenness and the cares of this life and there overtake" you "that unexpected day; · for like a trap it shall spring upon all, who sit upon the face" of the globe "of the earth" (cf. Lk 21:34-35). · Also in the same manner, in times of manifest necessity let all the friars do concerning their needs, as the Lord bestows the grace upon them, because 'necessity has no law.' 400 Chapter X On the sick friars If any of the friars has fallen into infirmity, wherever he has been, let the other friars not send him away, 401 rather let one or very many of the friars, if it is necessary, be appointed to 396 lit. petram durissimam, "the hardest rock," a thing fit to be struck. 397 cf. RegB VI,9. 398 The succinct Latin phrase in quibus, translated here as "in the manner" may also be translated "in those (things) that," "in regard to those whom", "at those (times) that", "in those (cases) that." 399 During times of fast, the friars abstained from eating meat, lard, fruit and other rich foods. 400 Normally the friars could only conduct their affairs with the permission of their superiors, in accord with their vows of obedience and poverty. St. Francis here explicitly grants a dispensation, as necessity demands. However, this dispensation is dropped from the Regula Bullata [RegB] because it is a general principle in ecclesiastical law, and thus need not be mentioned in a rule. On this principle see Decretum Gratiani, P. II. C. q. 1 the gloss before c. 40; William of St. Thierry Commentatio ex Bernardo 33: PL 184,433; and compare St. Bernard, Liber de praecepto et dispensatione, ch. 5; PL 182,867. 401 It was and still is the custom in many religious orders to dismiss a member who becomes too Page - 90
THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI serve him, just as 'they would want to be served themselves'; 402 · but in (times of) the greatest necessity they can send him to some person who ought to satisfy his infirmity. · And I beg the sick friar, to return thanks to the Creator because of all things; and as the Lord wants him, that such would he desire himself to be, healthy or infirm, because all, whom God "has preordained to eternal life" (cf. Act 13:48), 'He trains with the goads of whips' and infirmities 'and the spirit of compunction,' 403 just as the Lord says: "Those whom I love (amor)," I correct "and chastise" (Apoc 3:19). · And if any is distressed or grows angry either against God or against the friars, or if perchance he has solicitously asked for medicines, desiring exceedingly to free the flesh (that is) swift to die, which is the enemy of the soul, it is turning out evil for him and he is a carnal (man), and he does not seem to be one of the friars, because he loves (dilectio) the body more than the soul. Chapter XI That the friars are not to blaspheme nor detract, but are to love one another Let all the friars beware of themselves, so that they do not calumniate (others) nor contend with words (cf. 2 Tm 2:14), · on the contrary let them strive to keep silence, whenever God bestows (this) grace upon them. 404 · Nor let them quarrel among themselves nor with others, but let them take care to humbly respond saying: I am a useless servant (cf. Lk 17:10). · And let them not grow angry, "because everyone who grows angry with his brother, shall be answerable to judgement; he who says to his brother 'Raca!', shall be answerable to the Council; he who will have said, 'Fool!"' shall be answerable to the fire of Gehenna" (Mt 5:22). · And let them love one another just as the Lord says: "This is My precept, 405 that you love each other, just as I have loved you" (Jn 15:12). · And let them show from their works (cf. Jm 2:18) the love, which they have for each other, just as the Apostle says: "Let us not love in word or tongue, but in work and truth" (1 Jn 3:18). · And "let them blaspheme no one" (cf. 1 Tt 3:2); · let them not murmur, let them not detract others, because it is written: "Whisperers and detractors are hateful" to God (cf. Rm 1:29). · And let them be modest "showing every gentleness to all men" (cf. Tt 3:2); let them not judge, let them not condemn. · And, just as the Lord says, let them not consider (even) the least sins of others (cf. Mt 7:3; Lk 6:41), · on the contrary let them recognize rather their own (sins) "in bitterness of their soul" (Is 38:15). · And let them strain "to enter through the narrow gate" (Lk 13:24), because the Lord says: "Narrow is the gate and crooked is the way, which leads to life; and few are they, who find it" (Mt 7:14). sick to fulfill his duties. St. Francis here excludes this practice, thus manifesting not only a profound charity for the individual friar but and equally profound recognition that the vocation of a religious consists in being conformed to Christ Crucified, especially through bodily suffering. 402 cf. St. Augustine, Epist. classis II, Ep. 40, IV, 4: PL 33,155. 403 Compunction is the habitual sorrow for one's sins, cf. St. Gregory, Homil. in Ev. 18,18: PL 76,1148. 404 i.e. when they are moved to be silent for a virtuous purpose. 405 see fn. 7. Page - 91
Page 1 and 2:
The Writings of St. Francis of Assi
Page 3 and 4:
THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSI
Page 5 and 6:
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
Page 13 and 14:
Page 15 and 16:
Translator's Forward THE WRITINGS O
Page 17 and 18:
Page 19 and 20:
Page 21 and 22:
Page 23 and 24:
Page 25 and 26:
22:21). Chapter XII. On recognizing
Page 27 and 28:
Page 29 and 30:
The Canticle of Brother Son or The
Page 31 and 32:
Page 33 and 34:
A Letter to Clerics [EpCler I] Firs
Page 35 and 36:
A Letter to Clerics [EpCler II] Lat
Page 37 and 38:
Page 39 and 40: 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 89: THE WRITINGS OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSI
Page 93 and 94: Chapter XV That the friars are not
Page 101 and 102: things throughout the ages. Amen. C
Page 111 and 112: Fragments of other rules [Frag] THE
Page 115 and 116: II. From the writings of Hugo of Di
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?