Receive Everyone With Kindness

Anyone who comes to the brothers, friend or enemy, thief or robber, is to be received with kindness. And wherever the brothers are and anywhere they meet other brothers, they are to greet one another without grumbling. And they are to be careful not to look outwardly sad, like gloomy hypocrites, but they are to show themselves happy in the Lord, and cheerful and truly gracious.

Pray Persistently

St. Francis used to say, "If you, O servant of God, are upset, for any reason whatever, you should immediately rise up to prayer, and you should remain in the presence of the Most High Father for as long as it takes for him to restore to you the joy of your salvation."

Celano

Do Not Despise The Wealthy

I admonish and exhort my brothers not to despise nor to judge those whom they see dressed in soft and colored garments, using choice meats and drinks, but rather let everyone judge and despise himself.

Saint Francis Was The Humblest Of Men

Saint Francis was the humblest of men and thought of himself as the lowest, most contemptible of sinners. In prayer he would implore, "Lord, why have you laid this burden on me? Why have you made a simple, unlettered, wretched creature like me the head of this Order?" And the Lord would reply, "I have placed a man like you over this Order to show that what I achieve in you is of my grace and not a human accomplishment."

Saint Bonaventure

Heralding God

Every evening a herald should proclaim or use some other signal to announce to all the people that they are to render praise and thanks to the Lord God Almighty.

All Praise Be Yours My Lord

Laudato sie, misignoe, cum tacte te tue creature,
spttialmente messor lo frate sole,
loquale iorno et allumini nor par loi.

A translation:

All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that
you have made,
And first my lord Brother sun,
Who brings the day: and light you give to us
though him.

From "The Canticle of Brother Sun"

We Are All Called To Be Mothers Of Jesus Christ

We are mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ when we carry him in our hearts and in our bodies, lovingly, and with a pure and sincere conscience, and give birth to him through the working of his grace in us which should shine forth as an example to others.

We Are To Wear His Crown Of Thorns As A Crown Of Glory

by
brother lesser

I was in an area of complete and utter darkness. Then a mist appeared, through which two hands appeared that were handing me a crown of thorns.

I took the crown of thorns from the outstretched hands and placed it upon my head. As the crown was being seated upon my head, I prematurely winced, fully expecting searing pain from those thorns to shoot through my head and throughout my entire body.

But instead of pain, a warm and wonderful feeling of joy and peace settled over me. I was being bathed in God’s love.

Simultaneously with the crown of thorns being placed upon my head, a vision appeared before me of a glass mirror “unfurling” like a window shade, even though it was glass.

Jesus then appeared in the glass before me.

I was immediately filled with shame because Jesus had caught me wearing his crown, and I immediately pulled it from my head.

As I did, Jesus disappeared.

I then placed the crown back onto my head.

As I did, the glass unfurled before me, and again Jesus was standing before me.

At that moment, the realization hit me that I was looking into a mirror and seeing my own reflection, and that reflection was my Savior and my Lord! And me! One and the same!

This vision greatly troubled me. After all, who did I think I was, anyway? Was I so vain as to think myself equal to Jesus? God forbid! The vision continued to frighten me long afterwards, fearing that my attitude was obviously not right with God…that is, until I heard these words:

“Do not be afraid to put on my crown of thorns.
It is My crown of glory!
Wear it as I did.
I will bear the pain so that you have none.
Then, and only then, will you see Me in glory.
Then we shall meet face to face.
You in me, and I in you.
People will see me in your image.
Give yourselves to Me fully,
And I will come to you in glory…”

Concerning Priests and Religious

Let us acknowledge all priests and religious as our superiors in what regards the good of souls, if they do not proceed against our rule, and let us reverence their office and order and administration in the Lord.

The Bread We Beg Is Holy Bread

The bread we beg is holy bread. It is made holy by our praise and love of God. When a Lesser Brother goes begging, his first words are, "Praise and blessed be the Lord our God," and then, "Give alms for the love of the Lord our God."

Legend of Perugia

Saint Francis

ALFRED LORD TENNYSON

...Are we devils? Are we men?
Sweet Saint Francis of Assisi,
Would that he were here again,
He who in his catholic wholeness
Called the very birds and flowers
Brothers, sisters.

Receive The Fragrant Words Of Jesus

Receive with divine love the fragrant words of our Lord Jesus Christ. And those of you who do not know how to read should have them read to you often, and commit them to memory, and live them unto holiness to the end, for they are spirit and life.

Do Not Expect A Reward For Doing Good

We must take care that under the pretext of reward, of doing good, of giving assistance, we do not lose or turn our minds and hearts from the Lord.

Planting Of Flower Beds

Francis told the brother gardener not to plant the whole garden with food, but to set aside a plot for those plants which in their season would bloom with Brother Flowers. He said the reason the brother gardener should plant this pretty little flower bed with its sweetly scented herbs and flowering plants was because it would invite all who saw it to praise God; for every creature says, "God made me for you, oh human!"

Writings of Leo, Rufino and Angelo

Preach By Example

My office of governing the brothers is spiritual, in that I must overcome and correct vices. If I cannot do this by my preaching and example, then I surely do not want to do it like a taskmaster, beating and flogging the brothers the way a worldly master does.

Writings of Leo, Rufino and Angelo

Devotion To The Saints

The saints and their remembrance were for Francis like a burning coal, which enkindled in him a divine fire. He venerated with most fervent devotion all the Apostles and especially Peter and Paul because of the fervor of their love for Christ.

St. Bonaventure

Adore Him In Spirit And Truth

For all who adore Him must adore Him in spirit and truth. And let us adore Him and pray to Him day and night saying, "Our Father, who art in heaven," because we "need to pray continually and never lose heart."

Honor Mary

How right it is that we honor so highly the Virgin Mary, for she carried Jesus in her most holy womb.

Be Free Of This World

Francis' greatest concern was to be free from everything of this world, lest the serenity of his mind be disturbed even for an hour by the taint of everything that was mere dust.

Compassion

Everything people leave after them in this world is lost, but for their charity and almsgiving they will receive a reward from God.

Brother Celano: Lesser Brother

I wouldn't seem to be a Lesser Brother if I didn't have the disposition I am about to describe to you. As superior of the Lesser Brothers I go to the chapter where I preach and admonish, and in the end it is said of me, "A man so unlettered and contemptible isn't fit for us. Therefore we do not want you to lead us with your lack of eloquence, your simplemindedness and ignorance." Finally I am dismissed in disgrace and scorned by all. I tell you, if I can't hear these words and keep the same expression, the same joy of soul, the same purpose of sanctity, then I am in no way a Lesser Brother.

-Celano, Second Life, 145

My Brothers

I wish that my brothers would show themselves to be children of the same mother.

The Final Words Of St. Francis

I cried to the Lord with my voice:
with my voice I made supplication to the Lord.
In his sight I pour out my prayer,
and before him I declare my trouble:
When my spirit failed me, then thou knewest my paths.
In this way wherein I walked,
they have hidden a snare for me.
I looked on my right hand, and beheld:
and there was no one that would know me.
Flight hath failed me:
and there is no one that hath regard to my soul,
I cried to thee, O Lord; I said:
Thou art my hope, my portion in the land of the living.
Attend to my supplication: for I am brought very low.
Deliver me from my persecutors;
for they are stronger than I.
Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise they name:
the just wait for me, until thou reward me.

To Those Who Travel

I advise, admonish, and exhort you in the Lord Jesus Christ that when you travel through the world you do not quarrel or argue or judge others; rather, be meek, peaceful and modest, courteous and humble, speaking honorably to everyone.

Be Obedient To The Bishops

You should not preach in the diocese of any bishop who has forbidden you to do so. And you should not dare preach to the people unless you have first been examined and approved by the minister general of this brotherhood, who officially confers the office of preaching.

Paradox

Know that there are some things in life which are exalted and sublime before the Lord but are low and despicable in others' eyes; and other things which people consider grand and noble, in the eyes of God are counted worthless and vile.

Brothers Are To Love One Another

Let the brothers love one another, as the Lord says, "This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you."

And let them show by their deeds the love they have for one another, as the Apostle says, "Our love must be not just words or mere talk, but something active and genuine."

And they are "not to go slandering other people" nor are they to grumble or speak evil, for it is written, "Libelers and slanderers are enemies of God." And they are "to be peaceable and gentile, and always polite to people of all kinds."

What God Is Asking From Us

In holy charity, which God is, I beg all of you, that, removing every obstacle and putting aside every worry and every care as best you can, you strive to serve, love, adore, and honor the Lord God with pure heart and pure mind, which is what He asks above all else.