The Restful Ecstasy of Contemplation

Several herds of Whitetail Deer roam the 

Portiuncula Retreat Center in Jerusalem, Ohio

St. Francis had learned how to distribute the time in which he could gain merit wisely, devoting part of it to his neighbor by doing good, and part to the restful ecstasy of contemplation. According to the demands of time or circumstances he would devote himself wholly to the salvation of his neighbor, but when he had finished, he would escape from the distracting crowds and go into solitude in search of penance. There he was free to attend exclusively to God and he would cleanse any stain he had contracted while living in the midst of the world.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Bonaventure, Major Life

Chapter XIII

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