Warning Against Educated Pride

Francis grieved very much if anyone neglected virtue and instead sought after study which causes pride in oneself, especially if anyone did not persist in the vocation to which he was called from the beginning.  He was given to say, “My brothers who are led by the desire of learning shall find their hands empty in the day of tribulation.  I desire that they be strengthened in virtues, that when the time of tribulation will come they will have the Lord with them in their troubles.  For a time of tribulation is to come, when books will be of no use and will be hidden in closets and cupboards.”  He did not say this because the reading of Holy Scriptures displeased him, but only that he might withdraw some from too much care of learning.  For he wished them to be good by charity than by pieces of truth through the desire of knowledge.  He understood ahead of time the time that was to come in which he already knew ahead of time that prideful knowledge would be an opportunity to be ruined.  At one point, he appeared after his death to one of his brothers too intent on the study of preaching, and he reproved and prohibited him and ordered that he should study to walk the path of humility and simplicity.

                        -Section IV, Chapter 69

Study is profitable, but only if it helps us accomplish the desire of God.  To obtain more and more education for its own sake is a constant temptation for some of us.  It is an accomplishment, and it is often mistaken for wisdom.   Education is not an end in and of itself.  God save us from counting the books we read or from trying to impress others with our degrees.  Wisdom only comes through loving action.  Education can be a tool in accomplishing that, as a surgeon, to save lives, must spend years in hard study.   But the education isn’t the end—saving lives and souls is all that really counts.

"Of the making of books there is no end,

And much study wearies the flesh" -Ecclesiastes 12

Fighting Against The New

When Francis was in the Chapter-General at St. Mary of the Porziuncula (which was called the Chapter of the Mats, because there were no dwellings there except made of mats and there were five thousand friars there), several wise and learned friars went to my Lord of Ostia who was there and said to him, “My Lord, we wish that you would persuade Brother Francis to follow the counsel of the wise brothers and to allow himself now and then to be led by them.”  And they quoted the Rule of St. Augustine, of St. Benedict and of St. Bernard who taught thus and thus to live in order.  And when the Cardinal had repeated this to the holy man, by way of admonition, Francis didn’t answer him at all, but took him by the hand and led him to the friars assembled in the Chapter, and spoke thus to the friars in the fervor and power of the Holy Spirit, “My brothers, my brothers, the Lord called me to the way of simplicity and humility and this path he has shown in truth for me and for those who will believe and imitate me.  And therefore I wish that you do not quote to me any other rule—neither St. Augustine’s, St. Benedicts, Bernard’s nor any other way of living—except the way which was mercifully shown to me by the Lord.  And the Lord said to men that He wished me to be a new covenant in this world and He would lead me by another way than by this understanding.  God will confound you through your wisdom and knowledge and I trust in the police of the Lord that God will punish you by them and that you will return to the previous state, whether you wish to or not.”  Then the Cardinal was very amazed and said nothing and all the friars feared greatly.

                        -Mirror of Perfection Section IV, Chapter 68

Religion’s natural tendency is to be conservative, to stick with what worked in previous times.  The way of God is to push boundaries, to lead people to be more in line with His will.  Since we have not yet met the level of His mercy and grace, let alone His wise judgments in our church, then we still need to change, to reform ourselves.  Francis was accomplishing something new, something God-given.  Benedict was certainly accomplishing something new and powerful in his day.  But we must not use the successes of the past to undermine the potential successes of the future.  We must remember the wise counsel of Gamaliel to the Sanhedrin: “If it is not of God, it will be overthrown, but if it is of God, no one can fight against it, or you may find yourself fighting against God.”

Many will keep the old traditions warm.  But dare not fight against the new thing God is accomplishing. 

Lord Make Me An Instrument

This is the most beautiful rendition of the most beautiful prayer ever.

However, this prayer was not written by Francis of Assisi, but probably by a Franciscan monk of the 18th century.  Even so, it reflects the spirit of Francis, as well as the Spirit of Jesus. 

Recognizing God's Discipline

One time Francis went to Rome to visit my Lord of Ostia.  And when he had stayed some days with him, he visited also My Lord Leo the Cardinal, who was very devoted to the friars.  And because it was then winter and altogether unfit for going on foot because of the cold and the winds and the rain, he asked him to stay with him some days, and as a beggar to receive his food from him, with the other beggars who daily used to eat in his house.  The Cardinal said this because he knew that Francis would only be received as a beggar wherever he visited, although the Cardinals and the Pope would receive him with the greatest devotion and reverence and would honor him as a saint.  The Cardinal added, “I will give you a fair house separated from the main house where you may stay and pray and eat as you wish.”  Then Friar Angelo Tancredi, who was one of the twelve first friars, who also stayed with the Cardinal, said to Francis, “Brother, there is a near here a tower that has room and is separated where you may stay as if in a hermitage.”  And when Francis saw it, the room pleased him and he returned to the Cardinal and said to him, “Perhaps I will stay with you for a few days.”  And the Cardinal rejoiced greatly. 

            So Brother Angelo went and prepared the place in the tower for the blessed man and his fellow.  And because Francis would not come down from the tower as long as he should remain with the cardinal, nor did he wish anyone to disturb him, Brother Angelo promised and took orders to daily carry food to him and his fellow.  And when Francis had gone there with his brother, on the first night while sleeping demons came and beat him terribly.  He called his brother, “Brother, demons have beaten me terribly and so please remain with me for I am afraid to stay alone.”  That night his brother stayed with him, for Francis trembled as a man who suffers from a fever, and so both brothers remained alert the whole night.  During the night, Francis asked his brother, “Why have the demons beaten me, and why is the power to hurt me given to them by the Lord?”  And he said, “The demons are the police of the Lord.  For as the Podesta sends police to punish the sinner, so the Lord sends his police—meaning, the demons who in this world are his servants, who corrects and chastens those whom He loves.  For many times the perfect Religious sins ignorantly; but since he does not know he sins, he is attacked by demons, so he might look and consider, within himself and outside, those things in which he has offended.  For the Lord loves with a true love, and nothing in them does he leave unpunished.   But by the mercy and grace of God, I do not know that I have stumbled in anything which I have not made right by confession and penance.  Rather, by his mercy, God has granted me this gift that I may receive in prayer a clear knowledge of all things in which I may please or displease Him.  Perhaps he chastens me now by his police and though it is necessary to my body to receive this rest, yet many friars suffer tribulations and there are other friars who live in hermitages and poor little dwellings.  Perhaps when they shall hear that I live with my Lord Cardinal, they may be tempted to murmur, saying, ‘We bear so many adverse things and he has his consolations.’   I am required to always give them a good example, and it was for this reason I was given to them.  For the brothers are more edified when I abide in their own poor little dwellings amongst them, than in others; and they bear their tribulations more patiently when they hear that I also bear the same.” 

So it was the highest concern of Francis the he might give all good example and that he might take away any occasion of murmuring concerning him from other friars.  And on account of this, whether for good or ill, he suffered so much that the friars who knew him as we who were with him to the day of his death did, as often as they read those things or called them to memory, cannot stop their tears from coming and they sustain all their tribulations and necessities with greater patience and joy.  

So Francis came down early from the tower and went to the Cardinal, telling him all the things which had happened to him and what he had borne with his brother.  He said to him, “Men think me to be a holy man, but demons have cast me out of a religious cell!”  And the Cardinal was happy with him.  Yet because he knew and honored him as a saint, he would not contradict him after he was unwilling to stay there.  And so Francis, after bidding the Cardinal farewell, returned to the hermitage of Fonte Palumbo, near Rieti.

                        Mirror of Perfection, Section IV, Chapter 67

Francis could rightly be called a madman.  He was crazy for God, but there is a time for everyone to listen to their personal insanity.  Clearly, that place was not for Francis, but he had no requirement to remain there, so he moved on.  In fact, Francis was really uncomfortable with comfort.  

The spiritual principle here, however, is that God will communicate to us in various ways what He wants, sometimes subtlety and sometimes with power.  Whatever the case, we need to listen to God's discipline, and not just dismiss it.  We are God's children and God doesn't discipline us because He hates us but because He greatly desires for us to be as functional as possible. 

Ministering to Thieves

Above the Borgo San Sepolcro some friars lived in a hermitage, and to them, from time to time, came certain thieves, who used to lie in the woods and steal from those who passed by.  Some of the friars used to say that it was not good to give hem assistance, but others gave out of compassion, so that they might admonish them to repentance.  At one time Francis came to that place and the friars asked it it was right to give charity to the thieves.

 Francis said to them, “If you will do as I tell you, I trust in the lord that you will gain their souls.  Go, get some good bread and good wine and carry these to the wood in which they live and shout out to them, ‘Brother thieves, come to us, because we are friars and we will bring you good bread and good wine.’  They will come and you should spread a cloth on the earth and place on it the bread and wine and serve them humbly and joyfully until they have eaten.  But after the meal you will speak to them of the Word of the Lord, and finally you shall ask of them for the love of God that they will promise you this first petition, that they will not strike nor do evil to any one, in his body.   For if you ask all things as once, they will not hear you, but on account of your humility and charity they will immediately promise you this.  Then on another day on account of their good promise, you will carry to them with the bread and wine some eggs and cheese.  And you will serve them until they have eaten and after the meal you will say to them, ‘Why do you stay here all day to die of hunger and to bear so much adversity, and do many evil things for which you will lose your souls, unless you be converted to the Lord? It is better that you should serve the Lord, who will give you the necessities of the body in this life and in the end will save your souls.’  Then the Lord shall inspire them.  For the sake of the humility and charity you have shown them, they will be converted.” 

            And so the friars did all these things as the holy Father instructed them; and those robbers, through the grace and mercy of God, heard and kept letter by letter and point by point all things which the friars humbly asked of them.  Rather, on account of the humility and kindness of the friars toward them, they began to humbly serve the friars themselves, carrying on their shoulders their wood up to the hermitage.  And some of them at last entered religion.  But the others, confessing their faults, did penance for their sins, promising in the hands of the friars for the future that they would live by the labor of their hands, and never gain do such deeds.

                        -Mirror of Perfection Section IV, Chapter 66

In the twelfth century, thieves were actually brigands, and were quite dangerous.  They would attack people on the roads and attempt to obtain whatever wealth they could, often with complete disregard to lives.  This ministry Francis sent his brothers on was dangerous, even deadly.  But given the right approach, the most evil people can be delivered from their evil lives and brought to life.

The greatest ministry is accompanied with the greatest danger.  And there is no ministry without risk.