Only Love Can Purchase Heaven

St, Francis used to say: "To offer precious patrimony of the love of God in exchange for an alms is a noble prodigality, and those who value this prodigality less than money are very stupid, for only the incalculable price of diving love can purchase the kingdom of heaven."

St. Bonaventure - Major Life

Lead Others To The Love Of God

Blessed are those religious who have no joy or delight except in the most holy words and works of the Lord, and who use them to lead others to the love of God in joy and gladness.

Admonition 20

What Wonderful Majesty!

"What wonderful majesty!
What stupendous condescension!
O sublime humility!
That the Lord of the whole universe,
God and the Son of God,
should humble Himself like this
under the form of a little bread,
for our salvation"

"...In this world I cannot see
the Most High Son of God
with my own eyes, except
for His Most Holy Body and Blood."


St Francis of Assisi

Serving Or Working For Others

All the brothers, wherever they find themselves serving or working for others, are not to be administrators or officials or preside over the house where they are offering service. Nor are they to accept any office which would cause scandal or bring harm to their souls. But let them be the lesser ones and subject to all who dwell in the same house.

Rule 1221, Chapter VII

Become A Living Prayer

Often, without moving his lips, St. Francis would meditate for a long time and, concentrating, centering his external powers, he would rise in spirit to heaven. Thus, he directed his whole mind and affections to the one thing he was asking of God. He was not then so much a man who prayed, as a man who had become a living prayer.

Celano - Second Life

Visited By The Lord

When you are visited by the Lord in prayer, you should say, "Lord, you have sent me this comfort from heaven, even though I am a sinner and unworthy, and I entrust it to your keeping because I feel like a thief of your treasures." And when you leave your prayer, you should seem to be only a poor little sinner, and not someone especially graced by God.

St. Bonaventure - Major Life

Gifts From God

God gave and keeps on giving to each one of us a whole body, a whole soul, a whole life. He created us and redeemed us, and he will save us by his mercy alone. He has done and keeps on doing everything good for us.

Rule of 1221, Chapter XXII

Desire The Grace Of Prayer

St. Francis used to state firmly that we should desire the grace of prayer above everything else, and in every way possible he would encourage his brothers to the zealous practice of prayer. It was his conviction that no one could make progress in the service of God without it.

St. Bonaventure - Major Life

Preach The Gospel At All Times

Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words!

St. Francis

When Soul Is Tepid

When soul is tepid and little by little cools to grace, then flesh and blood leap forward to impose their needs.

Mirror of Perfection, 15

Humbly Bear Shame

Blessed are those servants who are not quick to excuse themselves and who humbly put up with shame and reproach for sins they are not guilty of.

Admonition 22

The Lord's Money

Blessed are you, servant of God, if you attribute all that is good in yourself to the Lord God; for if you hold back anything for yourself, you hide inside yourself your Lord's money (Matt 25:18), and what you think you have will be taken from you (Luke 8:18).

Admonition 18

Remain Less In Your Own Eyes

This is how, servant of God, you will know that you have the spirit of the Lord: If when the Lord does something good through you, the flesh does not get puffed up (for the flesh is ever in opposition to what is good); but instead, you remain less in your own eyes, less than other people.

Admonition 12

The Tree Of Love

The tree of love its roots hath spread
Deep in my heart, and rears its head;
Rich are its fruits: they joy dispense;
Transport the heart, and ravish sense.
In love's sweet swoon to thee I cleave,
Bless'd source of love . . . ,

St. Francis of Asissi - Into Love's Furnace I am Cast

Love For Animals

That meekness which is so necessary, we should learn from St. Francis. For his was an extraordinary meekness, not only toward other people, but also toward animals. He called all animals "brother' or "sister" and we read in the story of his life how even wild animals came to him as their friend and companion.

St. Bonaventure - from a sermon

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, "Praised and blessed be the Lord our God," and then, "Give us alms for the love of the Lord our God."

Legend of Perugia, 61

Prayer to Saint Francis

Francis Frost

Will there come a day
when the fox, at bay,
may find man's shoulder
his shelter, his boulder?

When will the deer
stand without fear
while man's hand touches
his russet haunches?

When will the snare
return to air
the bright-winged captive
to praise God and live?

Saint Francis, when will
man cease to kill
the shy, and that other-
his shyer brother?

Seek To Keep Silent

And all the brothers are to guard against speaking falsely of anyone and are to avoid verbal disputes. Rather, let them seek to keep silent whenever God gives them the grace to do so. And they are not to argue among themselves, nor with others, but they are to strive to respond with humility, saying, "We are useless servants." (Luke 17:10)

Rule of 1221, Chapter XI

Strive To Serve, Love, Adore, And Honor The Lord God

In holy charity, which God is, I beg 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.

Rule 1221, Chapter XXII

True Learning

You have as much learning as you put into practice, and you are as good a preacher as you do what you say.


Writings of Leo, Rufino, and Angelo, 22

Il Cantico del Sole (The Canticle Of Brother Sun)

Gai acqueli ke morrano
ne le peccata mortali!

Beati quelli ke trovarane
le tue santissime voluntati,
ka la morte secunda
nol farra male.

Laudate et benedicite, misignore,
et rengratiate et servaite li
cum grande humilitate.

A Translation:

Woe to those who die in mortal sin!

Happy those She finds doing your will!
The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks,
And Serve him with great humility.

The Great Almsgiver

Go humbly begging alms. Don't be ashamed, because after sin everything comes to us in alms, and the Great Almsgiver gives generously and kindly to all, to the worthy and unworthy.

Celano, Second Life, 77

Receiving Alms

I have never been a thief of alms, seeking or using more than I needed. I always accepted less than was necessary, lest other poor people be cheated of their share.

Mirror of Perfection, 12

Dwell Only As Guests, As Pilgrims And Stangers

The brothers should guard against accepting churches, dwellings, even poor ones, and whatever else might be built for them, unless these are truly in keeping with the holy poverty we have promised in the Rule, and let them always dwell there only as guests, as pilgrims and strangers. (1 Peter 2:11)

The Testament of St. Francis

Mission Of The Lesser Brothers

The truth is that the Lord chose the Lesser Brothers and sent them forth for the welfare and salvation of all souls everywhere. And not only will they be received in lands of the faithful but in lands of unbelievers as well. And as long as they fulfill what they have promised the Lord, he will take care of their needs whether they be in the lands of those who do not believe or those who do.

Writings of Leo, Rufino, and Angelo

St. Francis Teaches Us To Pray For God's Will

"All powerful, eternal, just and merciful God, grant that we poor creatures might do, by your grace, what we know you want us to do, and to want always what is pleasing to you, so that interiorly cleansed and enlightened, we might follow the footsteps of your Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and by your grace alone come to you, O Most High, you who live and reign glorified in perfect Trinity and in simple Unity, God Almighty forever and ever. Amen.

Letter to the Whole Order

Receiving Christ In The Eucharist

Receive the Body and the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ with great humility and with veneration, remembering the words of the Lord: "Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life" and, "Do this in remembrance of me."

Rule of 1221, Chapter XX

How Virtue Drives Out Vice

Where there is charity and wisdom,
there is neither fear nor ignorance.
Where there is patience and humility,
there is neither anger nor disturbance.
Where there is poverty with joy,
there is neither covetousness or avarice.
Where there is inner peace and meditation,
there is neither anxiousness nor dissipation.
Where there is fear of the Lord to guard the house,
there the enemy cannot gain entry.
Where there is mercy and discernment,
there is neither excess nor hardness of heart.

Admonitions

Rapt In Prayer

Francis's safe haven was prayer, not prayer of a few minutes, or empty, presumptuous prayer, but prolonged prayer, full of devotion and the serenity of humility. If he began late, it would be dawn before he finished. Whether walking, sitting, eating or drinking, he was rapt in prayer. At night he would retire alone to pray in abandoned, neglected churches. That was how, by God's grace, he overcame many fears and anxieties.

Celano - First Life, 71

What Is The Value Of Money?

We must not think that the utility and value of coin or money is greater than that of stones. The devil wants to blind those who do desire and value it more. And so let us who have left all things beware, lest for so little we lose the kingdom of heaven.

Rule 1221

Brother Body Is Our Cell

Wherever we are or wherever we are going, we have our cell with us. For Brother Body is the cell, and the soul is the hermit who dwells in it, meditating there and praying to God. Therefore, if the soul does not preserve quiet and solitude in its own cell, of what profit is a cell made by hands?

Legend of Perusia

Work Faithfully - Pray Constantly

Those brothers to whom the Lord has given the grace of working are to work faithfully and with dedication. Thus they will rout idleness, the enemy of the soul, and still not extinguish the spirit of holy prayer and devotion which all other temporal things must serve.

Rule 1223, Chapter V

The Lady Poverty

EVELYN UNDERHILL

I met her on the Umbrian hills
her hair unbound, her feet unshod;
As one whom secret glory fills
She walked, alone with God.

I met her in the city street;
Oh, changed was all her aspect then!
With heavy eyes and weary feet
She walked, alone with men.

Faith In Churches

The Lord gave me such faith in churches that I used to simply pray these words: "We adore you, Lord Jesus Christ, in all your churches in the whole world, and we bless you because through your holy cross you have redeemed the world."

The Testament of St. Francis

Ladder To God And Neighbor

The angelic man, Francis, like the heavenly spirits on Jacob's ladder, acsended to God and descended to his neighbor. In fact, he had learned to divide the time given him to gain merit in such a way, that he labored manfully spending part of it helping his neighbor and part in the sweet whithdrawal into contemplation.

St. Bonaventure, Major Life

The Lord's Treasure

Blessed are you servants who lay up as treasure in heaven what the Lord shows you and do not desire to show it to others, hoping for personal gain from the Lord's treasure. For the same Most High will manifest your works to whomever He pleases. Blessed then are you servants who keep in your heart the secrets of the Lord.

Admonition 28

Become Hidden In The Wounds Of The Savior

With joy-filled devotion Francis dwelt in the heavenly mansions and in complete self-emptying he remained for long periods hidden, as it were, in the wounds of the Savior. He therefore sought out solitary places where he could cast his soul entirely upon God.

Celano - First Life

St. Clare Joins The Franciscans

On Palm Sunday, March 18, 1212, a young noblewoman of Assisi, Clare di Favarone, attended Mass at the cathedral of San Rufio where she received her palm from the hand of the bishop himself. That night she left home secretly and went to the chapel of St. Mary of the Angels, the Portiuncula. There St. Francis himself witnessed her vows to live the Gospel life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. From that moment until her death she was a true Bride if the Poor Christ, the most faithful daughter of St. Francis.