The Blame Game

There are some who, when they sin or suffer some injury, immediately blame their enemies or their neighbors. But that is not the way it is. Rather, each of us has the enemy in his or her own power, namely, the flesh which is sin.

Therefore, "blessed that servant" (Matt 24:26) who holds captive this enemy given into his or her power and who wisely guards against it; for as long as you do this, no other enemy, visible or invisible, can do you any harm.

Admonition 10

Love For Angels

St. Francis was united with an unbreakable bond of love to the angelic spirits who burn with a marvelous fire and who inflame the hearts of the faithful and enable them to enter into God.

St. Bonaventure - Major Life

Spiritual Murderers

There are many religious who, under the pretext of seeing better things than those which their prelates command, look back and return to the vomit of self-will. Such as these are murderers because by their bad example they cause many souls to be lost.

Admonitions 3

Il Cantico del Sole (The Canticle of Brother Sun)

Laudato si, misignore, per quelli ke perdanano
per lo tuo amore
et sostengo infirmitata
et tribulatione.

A Translation:

All praise be yours, my Lord, through those who
grant pardon
For love of you; through those who endure
Sickness and trial.

Seek To Humble Yourselves In All Things

In the love which God is I beseech all my brothers - speakers, workers, whether clerics or laics: Seek to humble yourselves in all things, and do not glory in yourselves or rejoice inwardly, or exalt yourselves for the good words and works or, indeed, of any good which God sometimes says or does or works in you or through you.

Rule 1221 - Chapter XVII

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"

A Holy Contract

There is a contract between the world and the brothers: The brothers are bound to give the world a good example, and the world to provide for their necessities. If, then, the brothers break their contract by reneging on their good example, the world will withdraw its hand in just censure.

Celano - Second Life

Extraordinary Way To Salvation

Poverty is an extraordinary way of salvation, since it nourishes humility, the root of perfection. Its fruits are manifold, though hidden. This is the Gospel treasure hidden in the field. To buy it we have to sell everything, and what we cannot sell, we should consider worthless in comparison to the treasure.

St. Bonaventure - Major Life

We Seem To Think

by PETER MAURIN

Saint Francis thought
that to choose the poor
is just as good
as if one should marry
the most beautiful girl in the world.
We seem to think
that poor people
are social nuisances
and not the Ambassadors of God.
We seem to think
that Lady Poverty
is an ugly girl
and not the beautiful girl
that Saint Francis of Assisi
says she is.
And because we think so,
we refuse to feed the poor
with our superflous goods
and let the politicians
feed the poor
by going around like pickpockets,
robbing Peter
to pay Paul,
and feeding the poor
by soaking the rich.

Fragrant Words Of Christ

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.

Letter to All the Faithful - First Version

PRAYER REQUEST: IMMEDIATE !

Please see:

http://seizethedei.blogspot.com

I am asking that everyone please pray for little Naomi...and her wonderful parents!

The Lord give you peace!

Prudent Speech

Blessed are those servants who do not talk in order to gain something and who do not reveal everything about themselves and are not quick to speak, but wisely consider what they are going to say and how they are going to answer.

Admonition 21

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

Would I Might Wake Saint Francis In You All

VACHEL LINDSEY

Would I might wake Saint Francis in you all,
Brother of birds and trees,
God's Troubadour,
Blinded with weeping for the sad and the poor:
Our wealth undone, all strict Franciscan men,
Come, let us chant the canticle again
Of mother earth and the enduring sun.
God make each soul
The lowly leper's slave:
God make us saints and brave.

What God Asks Above All Else

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.

Rule 1221, Chapter XXII

Forgiveness

Let there be no brother who has sinned, no matter how seriously, who would look into your eyes seeking forgiveness, and go away without it. And should he not seek forgiveness, you should ask him if he wants it. And if after that he were to sin a thousand times, even before your eyes, love him more than me, for this is how you will draw him to the Lord; and always have mercy on such as these.

Letter to a Minister

When You Are Honored And Extolled

Blessed are you, servant of God, if you do not consider yourself any better when you are honored and extolled by others than when you are considered low and simple and despised; for what you are before God, that is what you are, and no more.

Admonition 19

A New Kind Of Fool

The Lord has called me into a way of simplicity and humility, and he has indeed made this way known through me and through all who choose to believe me and follow me. So I prefer you not talk to me about any other Rule, whether St. Benedict's, or St. Augustine's or St. Bernard's, nor recommend any other ideal or manner of life than that which the Lord in his mercy has revealed and given to me. He told me I am to be a new kind of fool in this world.

Crown Of Thorns

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, the glass rolled up and Jesus disappeared.

I then placed the crown back onto my head.

As I did, the glass again 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 spoken to me:

“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…”

The Passing Of St. Francis

When he was dying, St. Francis made clear to his brothers the uniqueness of each person's response to Christ. He covered the wound in his side with his right hand, as if to preserve the seal of his own unique response, and he said, "I have done what is mine to do; may Christ teach you what is yours to do."

Celano - Second Life

Compassion

St. Francis turned with marvelous tenderness and compassion toward anyone inflicted with physical suffering; and when he noticed deprivation or need in anyone, he saw in that person the suffering Christ himself. The love of Christ only intensified his natural bent toward compassion.

St. Bonaventure - Major Life

Bear The Cross Of Christ In Our Hearts

God called St. Francis and his companions and chose them to bear the cross of Christ in their hearts and to preach it in word and action. That is why they looked like and were in fact crucified men in their comportment and in their austere life, in their deeds and actions. And that is why they wanted more to receive shame and insults for the love of Christ than the world's vain honors and respect or praise; and that is why they were saddened when they were honored. And so they went through the world as pilgrims and strangers, with Christ crucified as their only baggage.

Little Flowers of St. Francis

Hidden In The Wounds Of The Savior

With joy-filled devotion Francis dwelt in the hevenly 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

Simple Dwellings

If at any time the brothers abandon their small, poor dwellings because someone has offered them something more spacious and comfortable, they thereby give the worst kind of scandalous example.

Writings of Leo, Rufino and Angelo

St. Francis Speaks To The Demons

Do what you want to me, wicked and deceitful spirits, for you can only do what the Lord allows you to do. Therefore, I am happy to suffer everything that God lets you do to me.

St. Bonaventure - Major Life

This Is Your Vocation

The peace which you proclaim with words must dwell even more abundantly in your hearts. Do not provoke others to anger or give scandal. Rather, let your gentleness draw them to peace, goodness, and concord. This is our vocation: to heal wounds, to bind the broken, to bring home those who are lost.

Legend of the Three Companions

When Reproved

Blessed are those servants who when reproved, gently submit, respectfully obey, humbly confess and gladly make reparation.

Admonition 22

Those In Need

Strip the altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary and cart off its varied furnishings if you cannot otherwise satisfy one who is in need. Believe me, it is dearer to Mary that the Gospel of her Son be kept, though it means stripping her altar, than to see her altar ornamented and her Son neglected.

Celano - Second Life

Anger

No matter how someone else sins, if you let yourself be upset or angered over it, except for charity's sake, you store up for yourself - like a treasure - the sin of another. But, servant of God, if you do not become angry or indignant over someone else, you are living justly and poorly, that is, without claiming anything of your own.

Admonition 11

The Great Almsgiver

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

Celano - Second Life