Stigmata: God Affixed His Seal On The Franciscan Rule

The Lord was pleased to endorse and to confirm the teaching and Rule of St. Francis, not only by miraculous signs, but also by the marks of his own stigmata, so that no true believer could possibly question them on external or internal evidence. And in his goodness God was pleased to affix his own seal to the Rule and teaching of St. Francis, who would never have presumed to teach or write anything other than what he received from the Lord. As he himself testifies, it was God who revealed to him the entire Rule.

St. Bonaventure
Sermon of October 4th, 1255

Prisoners Of The Devil

All who do not live in penance and do not receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and who are caught up in vices and sins and go the way of evil concupiscence and the evil desires of your flesh, and who do not observe those things you have poromised the Lord, and who serve the world with your body, becoming slaves to the instincts of the flesh and the cares and preoccupations of this world, you are prisoners of the devil whose children you are and whose works you do.

St. Francis
Letter to All the Faithful
First Version

How St. Francis Venerated The Eucharist

With every fiber of his being, Francis burned with love for the Sacrament of the Body of the Lord. It left him overcome with wonder for so great a condescension and merciful love. He was said to be disconsolate if, even once, he could not hear daily Mass, even if it was impossible to do so. He received communion often and with such devotion as to make others experience a like devotion. He rendered every reverence to so venerable a sacrament, offering the sacrifice of his whole self; and when he received the Immolated Lamb of God, he immolated his own spirit in that fire which was always burning on the altar of his heart.

Celano
Second Life - 201

Receive The Body And Blood

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 does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life" (John 6:54); and, "Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19).

Rule of 1221
Chapter XX

We Are Wed To Jesus Christ

We are his spouces when our faithful souls are wed to Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. We are his brothers and sisters when we do the will of his Father who is in heaven.

St. Francis
Letter to All the Faithful
Second Version

Only A Small Piece Of Bread...

O wonderful ascent, O stupendous descent! O sublime humility! O humble sublimity, that the Lord of the Universe, God and Son of God, should so humbly hide himself, for our salvation, in what seems to be only a small piece of bread! Look, then, upon the humility of God! And pour out your hearts before him. Humble yourselves that he might exhalt you. Hold back nothing of yourselves, that he may receive your all who gave his all to you.

St. Francis
Letter to the Whole Order

Let Humanity Kneel In Fear

Let humanity kneel in fear, let the whole universe tremble, and let heaven rejoice when Christ the Son of the Living God is on the altar in the hands of the priest.

St. Francis
Letter to the Whole Order

The Bread And Wine

Now as Jesus Christ appeared to his holy Apostles in true flesh, so now he shows himself to us in consecrated bread; and as with their physical sight they saw only his flesh, but contemplating him with the eyes of faith, believed that he was God, so too, now, though we see bread and wine with the eyes of our body, we should see and firmly believe that it is his Most Holy Body and Blood, livng and true.

Admonition 1

Patience And Humility

"Blessed are the peacemakers; they shall be recognized as children of God" (Matt 5:9).

Servant of God, you do not know how much patience and humility you really have as long as everything goes along according to your own satisfaction. But when the time comes that instead of receiving your due, you get just the opposite, as much patience and humility as you have then is what you really have, and no more.

Admonition 13

TheRule of Hermitages

Those brothers who wish to live a religious life in a hermitage are not to permit anyone to enter the cloister where they reside. And they are not to eat there. And those brothers who are the mothers must strive to keep people away and, in obedience to their minister, let them keep their sons from everyone so that no once can speak to them.

And the sons are to speak to no one, except their mothers and their minister and their custos, when he wishes to visit them with the blessing of the Lord God.

And whenever they agree it is time to do so, the sons are to exchange roles with the mothers. And let them seek to observe all the above with careful attention.

The Rule of Hermitages

To Contemplate Is To Be United To God Alone

Eight days after the first two companions, Brother Bernard and Brother Peter, were received into the Order, Brother Giles was received by Francis at the Portiuncula. He was a fellow Assisian, a man full of faith and devotion to whom the Lord had given a singular grace. On his knees, and with great devotion and reverence, he begged Francis to receive him into their family. And the saint, pleased with what he saw and the words he heard, received him gladly. Then these first four brothers experienced an extraordinary spiritual joy.

Years later St. Francis said of Brother Giles that he more than any other person had arrived at the perfection of contemplative prayer. And Brother Giles himself used to say, "The contamplative life is to leave behind all earthly things for the love of God, to seek only the things of heaven, to pray without tiring, to read often and with concentration, to praise God continually with hymns and canticles. To contemplate is to be separated from all and to be united to God alone."

The Mirror of Perfection - 85

St. Francis Was Given The Promise Heaven

One night when the many and severe pains of his sickness had exhausted him more than ususal, Francis began to feel sorry for himself in the very depths of his heart. But he refused to yield to self-pity for even an hour and therefore kept praying to Christ to keep the shield of his patience unshattered. And as he continued to pray in agony, the Lord gave him the promise of eternal life in this comparison: "If the whole substance of the earth and the whole universe were priceless and precious gold, and it were given to you in exchange for these severe sufferings you are enduring, would you not be happy and willingly bear what you are suffering now?"

"Yes, I would be happy," St. Francis said. "I would rejoice beyond measure."

"Rejoice, therefore," the Lord said to him, "your sickness is an assurance of my kingdom. Wait for it as your inheritance. Be steadfast and assured of this reward for your patience."

Celano
Second Life: 213

Humble Beginnings Of The Franciscan Order

And after the Lord gave me some brothers, no one showed me what to do; but the Most High revealed to me that I was to live according to the manner of the Holy Gospel. And I had it written down in brief, simple words, and the Lord Pope confirmed it for me.

And those who came to receive this life gave everything they had to the poor; and they were happy with one tunic patched inside and out, and with a cord and breeches.

And we had no desire for anything else.

The Testament of St. Francis

Easily Conciliate Bishops And Prelates

"If the prelates of the church see you truly humble and entirely free of avarice, and that you exhort the people to pay what is due to their own churches, they will beg of you to labor for the salvation of their flocks and to hear the confessions of all, although I do not desire you to burdon yourselves much with this ministry; for those who are converted to God, and deplore their sins, will find many priests to hear their confessions. In this way you will easily conciliate bishops and prelates."

St. Francis

Leading Holy Lives

You must first by holy humility and the reverence the people have for you, gain over the bishops, that they may see and love your holy lives and be satisfied with the respect you show to them. Then they will themselves ask you to preach to their people and will command all to be present at your sermons. Humility will obtain more for you than privileges.

St. Francis

Seek Profound Humility Above All Else

"My brethren, you will convert all by your words, if you humble yourselves before all by your actions. Those who cruelly persecute you will be converted to Christ by the example of your patience, and will desire to kiss the very ground on which you walk. I ought not so much wish for liberty under pretense of salvation of others, as I should wish to have that profound humility which becomes my state, and by which I shall both advance in virtue myself, and shall strengthen others in virtue."

St. Francis

We Are To Overcome The World By The Most Profound Subjection And Humility

After the general Chapter of Assisi, at which more than five thousand brethren were assembled from every province, the holy father sent them two and two to preach the Word of God in all countries. Many of them returned to him complaining sorrowfully that some bishops were opposed to them and would not allow them to preach in their dioceses. "Father," said they, "we went to the places thou didst assign to us; we obeyed thy commands, but we could not fulfill our desires, nor those of the people; for many bishops expelled us from their dioceses, and, as often happens to the poor, being unknown and suspected, we had to endure many insults. We beg you, therefore, father, to obtain for us from the sovereign pontiff, permission and privilege to preach all over the world, without the consent of the bishops." At which the blessed father, filled with holy indignation, exclaimed, "O my brethren, you know not the will of God, and you seek by your foolishness to rob me of the conquest of the world. For our Lord Jesus Christ wishes that I should overcome the world by the most profound subjection and humility, and that I should perform the great work of drawing souls to him by the example of lowliness..."

God's Rewards Are More Generous Than Man's

St. Francis's brother was constantly mocking at his poverty and misery, and once, in a time of great cold, he sent a companion to ask if he would sell some of his sweat. "No," answered the servant of God, "I shall sell my sweat at a much higher price to God."

Catholic Cardinal: Global Warming a 'New Religion'

Catholic Cardinal: Global Warming Hysteria a ‘New Religion’

A cardinal in the Catholic Church says the hysteria over man-made climate change is akin to a “new religion” and a symptom of “pagan emptiness.”

Cardinal George Pell of Sydney, Australia, has been the target of criticism in his country for expressing doubts about the validity of man-made global warming.

In an interview that appeared in The Catholic World Report, he said: “Right now, the mass media, politicians, many church figures, and the public generally seem to have embraced even the wilder claims about man-made climate change as if they constituted a new religion.

“These days, for any public figure to question the basis of what amounts to green fundamentalist faith is tantamount to heresy.”

Cardinal Pell called long-term weather forecasting “notoriously imprecise,” and pointed to predictions in the 1970s that the planet was about to enter a new ice age because of global cooling.

He said some of the more “hysterical and extreme” claims about impending climate change “appear symptomatic of a pagan emptiness, of a Western fear when confronted by the immense and basically uncontrollable forces of nature…

“It’s almost as though people without religion, who don’t belong to any of the great religious traditions, have got to be frightened of something. Perhaps they’re looking for a cause that is almost a substitute for religion.”

As for Al Gore’s message of doom about climate change, Cardinal Pell noted that there are “significant errors” in his film “An Inconvenient Truth,” and added: “Few of us have the scientific knowledge to question the wild claims Gore has made — other than some grains of common sense.”

The Sweetness Of The Creator

Let every creature become more despicable to the heart, that the Creator may become more sweet.

St. Francis

The Holy Name Of Mary

As wax melts before the heat of the fire and dust is scattered by the wind, so the whole army of the evil spirits is dispersed by the invocation of the holy name of Mary.

St. Francis

"Hail Mary"

When I say "Hail Mary," the heavens smile, the angels rejoice, the world exults, hell trembles, the devils fly.

St. Francis

Luxury Enervates Men

Rich clothing and sumptuous dwellings, eating, drinking, sleeping, and idleness, enervate men and foster luxury.

St. Francis

The Love Of God

The love of God is never idle.

St. Francis

Love

Love makes all heavy things light, and all bitter things sweet.

St. Francis

Temptation

Temptation, when it is not consented to, is a matter for the exercise of virtue.

St. Francis

Being Good Among The Wicked

He is not perfectly good who cannot be good among the wicked.

St. Francis

Confession

If you excuse yourself, God will accuse you; and if you accuse yourself, God will excuse you.

St. Francis

Contemplation

Fly, keep silence, and be quiet!

St. Francis

Purity Does Not Delight In The World

Fly from the world, if thou wilt be pure. If thou art pure, the world does not delight thee.

St. Francis

Possessing Creatures

Fly from creatures, if thou desirest to possess creatures.

St.Francis

Possess Nothing

Beloved, in this vale of misery may you possess nothing so far and so delightful that your soul would be entirely occupied with it.

St. Francis

The Desert Fathers

He who retires into the desert avoids three combats: seeing, hearing, and detraction.

St. Francis

The Weapons Against Chastity

These are the weapons by which the chaste soul is overcome: looks, speeches, touches, embraces.

St. Francis

Taste And See How Sweet The Lord Is

To him who tastes God, all the sweetness of the world will be but bitterness. Taste, therefore, and see how sweet the Lord is, and thou wilt never weary of enjoying him. It is quite otherwise with the love of the world, for bitterness is always hidden in it; the love of worldly things produces many fruits of sorrow; thus, if thou lovest wife, children, possessions, houses, or honors, when these die or perish they procure for thee as much sorrow as thou hast had affection and love for them.

St. Francis

The Gernerosity Of The Poor Man

Apoor man may be more generous than a rich one; for if a rich man gives away all that he has, he will fall from his state in life, to his own confusion; and if he does not give of the things he has, although he would be willing to do so if he would not lose his position thereby, his will is good, but it cannot be taken for the deed, because he still possesses the goods. But the poor man who has nothing, who would like to give to the poor, but has nothing to give, who would like to build hospitals, but has not wherewith to do so - in him the will is taken for the deed.

St. Francis

Holy Obedience

Obedience is the work of faith, the test of true hope, the proof of charity, the mother of humility, the author of the peace of God, which exceeds all understanding.

St. Francis

True Poverty

True poverty is the root of obedience, the mother of self-denial, the destroyer of self-complacency, the extirpator of vanity and avarice.

St. Francis

The Highest Wisdom

The highest wisdom consists in doing good works, keeping a guard over one's self, and meditating on the judgements of God.

St. Francis

Do Not Change Customs Just For The Sake Of Change

Religious superiors should take great care not to change the customs, except to improve them; not to seek for favors, not to exercis power; but to fulfill their office.

St. Francis

Honor Due Priests

All reverence and honor should be shown to the priests of God, who are superior to all other men in dignity. They are the spiritual fathers of Christians and the spirit and life of the world. As for me, if I were to meet a priest and an angel on the road, I would immediately kiss the priest's hand, and I would say to the angel, "Wait for me, O Angel, for this hand has touched the Word of life, and has something supernatural about it."

St. Francis

Foolish Pride

No one should take a foolish pride in what a sinner can do. A sinner can fast, pray, weep, and macerate his body; this only he cannot do: remain faithful to his God. In this, therefore, we may glory, in returnig to God all his glory, in serving him faithfully, and in ascribing to him whatever he gives us.

St. Francis

Holy Obedience

I consider holy obedience so fruitful in merit, that they who submit their necks to this yoke cannot pass any time without profit, nor even spend a single hour without merit.

St. Francis

How Superiors Are To Act

Superiors should rarely command through obedience; they should not at first hurl the thunderbolt, which should be the last resort; nor should they too quickly lay their hands upon the sword. But if anyone does not fear the sword, if the subject delays to fulfill the precept of obedience, then he fears not God and has no reverence for authority, unless there be some good cause for the delay. The superior, therefore, must not be rash in commanding, for what is authority in the hands of a rash man but a sword in the hands of a madman? But what is more desperate than the case of a man who neglects and despises obedience?

St. Francis

Upon Receiving Divine Consolations

When the servant of God receives divine consolations in prayer, he should say, "O Lord, thou hast sent this consolation to me, who am a sinner, and most unworthy, and I confide it to thy keeping, for I feel I am one who robs thee of thy treasure." And when he returns from prayer, he should think himself as poor and sinful as if he had received no such grace.

St. Francis

The Sin Of Idleness

Idleness is the sink of all bad thoughts; let all, therefore, labor and exercise themselves in work, lest through idleness their heart or their tongue should go astray.

St. Francis

The Food Of Life For The Soul

If we endeavor to be at rest when we take the food of the body, which will itself be the food of worms, with what peace and tranquility should not the soul take the food of life, which is God, who converses familiarly with us in prayer and when we perform the duty of reciting the divine office!

St. Francis

The Price We Pay For Fame

The price we pay for fame is the lessening of the secrets of the conscience. It is far more hurtful and dangerous to abuse virtues than to be without them; neither is it a greater virtue to seek for good, than to preserve it when acquired.

St. Francis

Sin Is To Be Purged By Tears

When a servant of God is troubled about anything, he ought immediately to have recourse to prayer and perservere in it before his heavenly Father, until salutory joy is restored to his soul. For if he remains long in sadness, there will grow in him that confusion of heart which, if not purged by tears, will produce a grievous rust therein.

St. Francis

Knowledge Of God

The knowledge of himself will easily lead to the knowledge of God that man who, in studying the holy Scripture, searches into the mysteries of God with humility, and not with presumption.

St. Francis

Distracted With Vain Follies

It is a shame for anyone to be distracted with vain follies, when in the time of prayer he is speaking to the great King.

St. Francis

The Sin Of Government Taxes

It is not lawful to take the things of others to give to the poor. It is a sin worthy of punishment, not an act deserving a reward, to give away what belongs to others.

St. Francis

The Destroyer Of Hatred

Generosity is one of the attributes of God, who causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall upon all, whether just or unjust, and ministers to all most lovingly the necessities of life. Generosity is the sister of charity, the destroyer of hatred and the preserver of love.

St. Francis

Poverty and Mortification vs. Superfluity and Indulgence

Our Lord and the saints will be more honored on their festivals by the practice of poverty and mortification through which they entered heaven, than by superfluity and indulgence which keeps souls back from heaven.

St. Francis

A Tree Is Known By Its Fruits

A man has as much knowledge as he shows by his works, and no more; and a religious is a good preacher only inasmuch as he acts upon his preaching, for a tree is known by its fruits.

St. Francis

What We Are In The Sight Of God Is What We Are, And No More

The Son of God descends from the bosom of the Father to the depths of our lowliness, that, as our Lord and Master, he may teach us humility both by word and example. It is therefore foolish to be puffed up with human favor, or to be proud of earthly honor. For what is great before men is abominable before God; and what a man is in the sight of God, that he is and no more.

St. Francis

Fly To The Highest Heavens

The blessed treasure of poverty is so excellent and divine, that we are unworthy to possess it in our vile vessels. By this virtue all earthly and transitory things are trampled under foot, all stumbling blocks are removed among us, and the human mind is most closely united to the eternal Good. This is which causes the soul to converse with the angels in heaven. This it is which unites us to Christ on the cross, which hides us with Christ in the tomb; by it we rise with Christ from the sepulchre, and accompany him to heaven. This it is which, when guarded by true humility and charity, gives to souls who love it, even in this world, the gift of agility, by which they fly to the highest heavens.

St. Francis

Prayer Request

Praise the Lord!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

How are you? May this letter find you all in good cheer and perfect health. May I introduce myself. I am Fr. James Niravath OCD, from Kerala, India. At Present I am working in Linz, Austria. I am approaching you with a great prayer intension for an Inner-Healing Retreat. We are planning to conduct a retreat for the people of Austria in coming February, 2008. As you know well, it is a great Challenge to bring the good news to the people who are mostly interested in the modern things and activities, especially to the young generation. Our previous retreats were a great success and we acknowledge that the main source inspiration and blessing was the prayers of many good people like you from different parts of the world. Most of the participants were anointed by the spirit of the Lord and hundreds of them experienced the healing touch of the Lord. Through our humble prayers the Lord can work wonders.



I am humbly requesting your valuable prayers for the success of this retreat (20.02.2008 – 25-02.2008). We are fully confident that through your valuable prayers the good God will work wonders and miracles and it will bring many people to this retreat. We, all those who are working for it also need the anointing of the Spirit. Please be kind enough to share this message with the members of your prayer group also and kindly pray for this great event. I assure you of my humble prayers and the prayers of the participants and of the group members. May the good God bless us all and Maria our mother intercedes for us all.



Sincerely yours in Jesus and Mary,

P. James Niravath OCD
Karmelitenkloster
Landstrasse - 33
A- 4020 Linz
AUSTRIA

Tel: 0043-732-770-217-40
Fax: 0043-732-770-217-11
Mobil: 0043-699-177-021-75
web: www.karmel.at/linz
E-Mail: jim.niravath@karmel.at
jniravathocd@yahoo.com

Advance In The Service Of God

A religious should earnestly desire the grace of prayer, for without it he will never advance in the service of God, nor obtain anything from him.

St. Francis

Offer The Love Of God For Alms

It is a noble prodigality to offer the love of God in exchange for alms, and those who think less of this love than of money are to be considered most foolish; for the love of God is of such inestimable worth that with it we may purchase the kingdom of heaven, and the love of him who has loved us so much should be much valued.

St. Francis

Man's Greatest Enemy Is His Body

Man's greatest enemy is his body. The body does not think over past evils to deplore them, nor does it look forward to future ones in order to fear them; its only care is to enjoy the present. But what is still worse, it usurps all good, transfers it all to its own glory, and impudently arrogates to itself what is given to the soul. It seizes for itself all the praise due to virtue, the esteem shown to fasts and vigils; it seeks even the rewards due tears, leaving nothing to the soul.

St. Francis

Prepare To Die!

Once when St. Francis had returned from overseas, he went to preach at Celano, and a knight there invited him to dinner. So Francis and his companions went to the knight's home and were received with great joy by the whole family. Then, before they began to eat, the man of God, his eyes lifted heavenward, as was his custom, offered praise to God. But when he finished his prayer, he called his good host aside and said, "Brother Host, at your insistence I've come to eat in your home. Now at my insistence, please do what I ask, because you are not going to eat here this evening, but somewhere else. Therefore, confess your sins immediately, with true contrition and repentance, and do not hide anything, but tell all with sincere sorrow. You see, the Lord is going to reward you for giving such hospitality to his little ones."

The knight then did as Francis had asked, and confessed all his sins to one of the brothers who was a priest. He put all his affairs in order and prepared to the best of his ability to meet death.

Then they all went to dinner, and just as they began eating, the host suddenly collapsed and died, as the saint had foretold.

And so the knight merited to receive a prophet's reward because he had accorded hospitality to a prophet. That is, because of St. Francis's prophesy, the knight had repented, thereby arming himself for death and escaping eternal damnation. Instead, he was received into the eternal dwelling-places.

St. Bonaventure
Major Life 11:4

St. Francis And Brother Angelo

Once when St. Francis was passing through the district of Borgo San Sepolcro, he came upon a village named Monte Casale. And there a young man, noble and delicate, came up to him and said, "Father, I want so much to join your brotherhood."

St. Francis answered, "Little son, you are so young and a delicate nobleman; I doubt that you could endure the harshness of poverty."

But the young man said, "Father, are you not men like me? What you can endure, then, so can I with the grace of Christ."

This answer pleased St. Francis so much that he blessed the young man and received him into the order then and there, giving him the name Brother Angelo.

Little Flowers of St. Francis
Chapter 26

Examples Of Holiness And Humility

Just as the holy Apostles were marvels of holiness and humility throughout the whole world, and were filled with the Holy Spirit, so the companions of St. Francis were of such sanctity that not since the time of the Apostles were there such marvelous and holy men in the world. It happened that one of them was caught up into the third heaven as St. Paul was, and this was Brother Giles. Another, namely Brother Philip Lungo, had his lips touched by an angel with a burning coal as did Isaiah the prophet. Another, Brother Sylvester, spoke with God as one friend to another, as Moses did. Another, with subtlety of intellect, flew like the Eagle, John the Evangelist, all the way into Divine Wisdom, and that was Brother Bernard, the humble one, he who opened up Scriptures in the most profound ways. Another was sanctified by God and canonized in heaven even while he lived on earth, and that was Brother Rufino, a true gentleman of Assisi.

Little Flowers of St. Francis
Chapter 1

Murmoring And Detraction

The vice of detraction, my brethren, is an enemy to the very source of piety and grace and is abominable to the most merciful God, because the detractor feeds on the blood of the souls he has murdered with the sword of his tongue...These, like swine, wallow in mire; for, after the manner of these unclean animals (being themselves far more unclean in their consciences), they feed and gorge themselves on the defects and weaknesses which they curiously seek for and often falsly affirm they see and find in others; like mad dogs, they grumble at religious discipline and correction; they bark against their order and their superiors; and when they can, they bite.

St. Francis
Admonitions

Mercy And Discretion

Where Mercy and discretion are, there is neither superfluity nor parsimony.

St. Francis

Fear Of God

Where the fear of the Lord guards the house, the enemy can find no entrance.

St. Francis

Quiet And Meditation

Where there is quietness and meditation, there is neither solicitude nor dissipation.

St. Francis

Joyful Poverty

Where joyful poverty is found, there is neither cupidity nor avarice.

St. Francis

Patience And Humility

Where patience and humility are, there is neither anger nor perturbation of mind.

St. Francis

Charity And Wisdom

Where charity and wisdom are, there is neither fear nor ignorance.

St. Francis

Letter To The Faithful

But all those who do not the works of penance, who will not receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, but who do the works of sin and death; who follow their own concupiscience and wicked desires; who will not keep what they have promised; who are slaves to the world and to their bodies and are engrossed by the desires, cares, and anxieties of this life-all these are deceived by the devil, whose children they are, for they do his workds. They are blind, for they cannot see the true light, Jesus Christ our Lord. They have not the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, because the Son of God is not in them, and he is the wisdom of the Father...You think to possess the vain joys of this world for a long time, but you are deceived, for the day and the hour are coming of which you will not think and of which you do not know.

St. Francis
Leter to the Faithful

Preaching

Let the brethren not preach in the diocese of any bishop, when he withholds his consent. And let none of the brethren by any means dare to preach to the people, unless he has been examined and approved by the minister genereal of this fraternity, and the office of preaching has been granted him.

St Francis

Panegyric

My brothers and most dear children! God has bestowed on us a signal favor in granting us this holy rule; for it is the book of life, the hope of salvation, the pledge of glory, the marrow of the Gospel, the way of the crross, the state of perfection, the key of paradise, and the bond of eternal allegiance. No one among you is ignorant of the advantages of holy religion. As the enemy and adversary of our souls is so exceedingly clever in inventing and executing his malicious designs and in laying all sorts of snares to injure us, there are many whom he would lead into great danger, unless they were defended by the shield of religion. Study well, then, your holy rule, as well to sweeten your trials, as to remind you of the now you have made to keep it. Entertain yourselves often with it in the interior of your hearts, and, in order to accomplish it, carry it always with you, and, above all, hold it in your hands at the hour of death.

St. Francis
Rule of 1221
Panegyric which the holy father Saint Francis made on the Second Rule of the Friars Minor

The Sin Of Judging Priests

Blessed is that servant who trusts in the priests who live justly, according to the rules of the holy Roman Church, and woe to those who despise them; for even if they were sinners, still no one ought to judge them, for God reserves to himself the right of doing so. For as their charge is greater than that of any others, namely, the administration of the most holy body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which they receive, and which they alone can give to others, so the sin of those who offend against them is greater than against anyone else in the world.

St. Francis
Admonitions to the Brethren