Living A Life According To The Gospel

One of the cardinals, His Eminence John of St. Paul, Bishop of Santa Sabina, was a man who loved holiness and was dedicated to Christ's poor. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he addressed the Pope Innocent III and his conferes saying: "We must be careful. If we refuse this beggarman's request [for a new Rule] because it is new or too difficult, we may be sinning against Christ's Gospel, because he is only asking us to approve a form of Gospel life. Anyone who says that a vow to live according to the perfection of the Gospel contains something new or unreasonable or too difficult to be observed, is guilty of blasphemy against Christ, the Author of the Gospel."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER III