Fourth reflection

Of the fourth reflection on the most holy Stigmata

As to the fourth reflection, ye must know that after the true love of Christ had perfectly transformed S. Francis in God and in the true image of Christ Crucified, having finished the fast of forty days in honour of S. Michael the Archangel, upon the holy mount of Alvernia; after the feast of S. Michael, that angel-like man, S. Francis, came down from the mountain, with Brother Leo and a devout peasant, on whose ass he sat, sith by I90 THE LITTLE FLOWERS OF reason of the nails in his feet he could ill go afoot. When therefore S. Francis had come down from the mountain, the fame of his sanctity was noised already throughout the country, and the shepherds had spread it abroad how they had seen the mount of Alvernia all aflame, and how that this was the sign of some great miracle that God had wrought upon S. Francis; so the people of the parts through which he passed, all came out to meet him, both men and women, small and great: and they all, with great devotion and desire, sought to touch him and to kiss his hands; and he not being able to escape the devotion of the people, albeit he had bound up the palms of his hands, yet the better to hide the most holy Stigmata, he bound them up still more and covered them with his sleeves and gave them only the fingers to kiss. But for all his pains to hide and to conceal the mystery of the most holy Stigmata, to avoid all occasion of worldly glory, it pleased God for His own glory to show forth many miracles, by virtue of the said most holy Stigmata; and above all in that journey from Alvernia to S. Mary of the Angels; as well as very many thereafter in divers parts of the world, in his life-time and after his glorious death; to the end that their hidden and marvellous virtue, and the exceeding love and mercy of Christ towards him in His marvellous gift of them, might be shown forth to the world, through clear and evident miracles; whereof we will set forth certain in this place. Now at that time as S. Francis was drawing nigh to a village that was on the borders of the county of Arezzo, there came to meet him a woman, weeping bitterly, with her son in her arms, the which was eight years old and had had the dropsy four years; and his body was so terribly swollen that, when he stood upright he could not see his feet; and this woman laid her son down before him, and besought him that he would pray to God for him. Then S. Francis first set himself to pray, and then, done the prayer, laid his holy hands on the body of the child, and straightway all the swelling was allayed, and he was made every whit whole, and he gave him back to his mother, who receiving him with exceeding great joy and taking him home again, gave thanks to God and to S. Francis, and willingly showed her son that was healed to all of that country that came to her house for to see him. The self-same day S. Francis passed through Borgo San Sepolcro, and before he drew nigh the place, crowds came to meet him from that place and from the town, and many went before him with branches of olive in their hands, crying aloud: "Behold, the Saint! behold, the Saint!" and for the devotion and desire that the people had to touch him, there was a great throng and press about him: but he, going on with mind through contemplation uplifted and rapt in God, albeit the people touched and held and plucked at him, like one insensible, knew naught at all of what was done and said around him; nor was he ware that he was passing through that place or through that country. Having passed through the town, when the crowds had returned to their homes, he came to a lazar-house, a full mile beyond the town, and returning to himself again, as one coming from another world, the celestial contemplative asked his companion: " When shall we be near the town? " Of a truth his soul, fixed and rapt in contemplation of heavenly things, had taken no heed of any earthly thing, nor the changes of place, nor of time, nor of folk that met them by the way. And even so it befell many other times even as his companions with clear knowledge had proof thereof. That evening S. Francis came to the house of the brothers of Monte Casale, in which house was a brother so cruelly sick and so horribly tormented by his sickness, that his disease seemed rather some infliction and torment of the devil than a natural sickness; for sometimes he would throw himself flat upon the ground with a great trembling and with foaming at the mouth; then all the muscles of his body would shrink; now would they stretch, now bend, now twist; now his heels would be drawn up to the nape of his neck, and he would leap high in the air and at once fall flat upon his back. And as S. Francis sat at table, hearing from the brothers of this brother so miserably sick and so incurable, he had compassion upon him; and taking a bit of bread, that he was eating, he made over it the sign of the most holy Cross with his holy pierced hands, and gave it to the sick brother: the which, when he had eaten, was made perfectly whole and never felt that sickness any more. When the next morning came, S. Francis sent two of the brothers of that House to live at Alvernia, and he sent back with them the peasant that had walked behind the ass that had been lent him, desiring that he should return therewith to his own house. So the brothers set out with the said peasant, and as they came into the country of Arezzo, certain men of those parts beheld them from far off, and were exceeding glad deeming that it was S. Francis, who had passed that way two days before: for a woman among them that had been in travail three days and could not bring to the birth, was like to die: and they thought to see her safe and sound again, if S. Francis laid his holy hands upon her. But as the said brothers drew near, and they perceived that it was not S. Francis, they were exceeding sorrowful, but albeit the Saint was not there in bodily presence, nathless his virtue was not lacking, sith they lacked not in faith. O marvellous thing! the woman was at the point to die and had already the marks of death upon her. They asked the brothers if they had aught that had been touched by the most holy hands of S. Francis. The brothers bethought them and searched diligently, but in the end found naught that S. Francis had touched with his hands, save only the halter of the ass whereon he had ridden. With great reverence and devotion they took this halter and laid it on the body of the woman that was with child, calling devoutly on the name of S. Francis and faithfully commending themselves unto him. And what more ì So soon as the halter was laid upon the woman, straightway was she delivered from all peril, and easily and safely gave birth with joy. S. Francis, after he had tarried for some days in the said House, departed and went to the city of Castello. And behold, many of the townsfolk came to meet him, and brought unto him a woman that had been longtime possessed of a devil and besought him humbly to set her free, for with doleful bowlings and piercing shrieks and barking like a dog she disturbed all the country round. Then S. Francis, having first prayed and made over her the sign of the most holy Cross, commanded the devil to depart from her: and straightway he departed and left her whole in body and in mind. And this miracle being noised abroad among the people, another woman with great faith brought to him her son grievously afflicted with a cruel wound, and besought him devoutly that he would be pleased to make the sign of the cross upon it with his hands. Then S. Francis, hearing her prayer, took the child and untied the bandage of the wound and blessed him, making three times the sign of the most holy Cross upon the wound, and then with his own hands bound it up again, and gave him back to his mother: and because it was evening, she straightway laid him down upon the bed to sleep. In the morning she came to take him out of bed and found the bandages unbound: and looked and found him so perfectly healed as though he had had no hurt at all; save at the place where the wound had been, the flesh had grown over, like to a red rose: and that rather in token of the miracle, than as a sign of the wound: for the said rose remaining all through his life, often stirred up in him devotion to S. Francis who had healed him. At the prayers of the devout townsfolk, S. Francis abode in that city a month, in the which time he wrought many other miracles; and then he departed to go unto S. Mary of the Angels with Brother Leo and with a certain good man that lent him his ass, on the which S. Francis rode. Now it befell that by reason of the bad roads and of the severe cold, though they journeyed all day, they could not reach a house wherein to lodge: wherefore, constrained by the darkness and the storm, they took shelter under the brow of a hollow rock, for to escape the snow and the night that was coming on. And being in this evil plight and eke ill-covered, the good man whose ass it was, could not sleep by reason of the cold, and seeing that they had no means to make a fire, began softly to complain within himself and to lament, and as it were to murmur against S. Francis that had brought him to such a place. Then S. Francis being ware of it, had compassion upon him; and in fervour of spirit stretched out his hand towards him, and touched him. O wondrous thing! so soon as he had touched him with that hand which had been kindled and pierced by the fire of the Seraph, all the cold left him; and such heat entered into him both within and from without that he seemed to be near to the mouth of a blazing furnace, so that straightway comforted in soul and body, he fell asleep: and, by his own report, he slept that night more sweetly among the rocks and snow until dawn, than ever he slept in his own bed. On the next day they went on their journey, and came to S. Mary of the Angels: and as they drew near, Brother Leo lifted up his eyes, and looked towards the said House of S. Mary of the Angels, and saw a Cross exceeding beautiful, whereon was the figure of the Crucified, going before S. Francis, and with such accord did the said Cross go before the face of S. Francis, that when he rested, it rested also, and when he went on, it went on too: and that Cross was of such splendour that not only was its light reflected in the face of S. Francis, but likewise all the road was lit up round about him; and it lasted until S. Francis entered into the House of S. Mary of the Angels. S. Francis then being come with Brother Leo, they were received by the brothers with exceeding great joy and love, and from thenceforth until his death S. Francis spent the most of his time in that House of S. Mary of the Angels. And the fame of his sanctity and of his miracles spread continually more and more throughout the Order and throughout the world, albeit in his deep humility he hid, as best he could, the graces and the gifts of God, and called himself the greatest of sinners. Whereat Brother Leo marvelling on a time and thinking foolishly within himself: " Behold, he calls himself the greatest of sinners in the ears of all men; and he has become great in the Order; and is so much honoured of God; and nevertheless in secret he never confesses himself guilty of carnal sin: can it be that he is still a virgin? ” and thereupon a great desire began to take hold on him, to know the truth thereof, but he dared not to ask S. Francis. Wherefore he turned himself to God; and besought Him earnestly to certify him in that which he desired to know; and for his much praying and through the merits of S. Francis he was heard, and was certified that S.

Francis was in very sooth a virgin in body, through the vision that followeth. For he saw in a dream S. Francis standing on a high place and honourable, unto which none could reach or set himself by his side; and it was told him in spirit that this place so high and so pre-eminent signified the preeminence of virginal chastity in S. Francis, which rightly accorded with the flesh that was to be adorned with the most holy Stigmata of Christ. S. Francis, seeing that by reason of the Stigmata of Christ the strength of his body was little by little failing him, and that he could no longer take care for the government of the Order, summoned the General Chapter in haste: the which being all assembled, he humbly excused himself before the brothers for the bodily frailty, whereby he could no more take on him the care of the Order, as touching the work of the general; howbeit he would not lay down the office of general, for that he could not do, sith he had been made General by the Pope, and therefore he could not leave the office or put a successor in his place without the express permission of the Pope; but he appointed as his Vicar Brother Peter Cattani, commending the Order unto him and the Ministers of the provinces with all the affection that he could. And this done, S. Francis comforted in spirit, lifting his eyes and hands to heaven, spake thus: "To Thee, O Lord my God, to Thee do I commend Thy family, the which Thou hast committed unto me until this hour, and now through mine infirmities, that Thou wottest of, most sweet my Lord, 1 can no longer take care for it. Likewise do I commend it unto the Ministers of the provinces; let them be bound to render an account on the Day of Judgment, if any brother, through their negligence, or their bad example, or their too harsh severity, should perish." And by these words, as it pleased God, all the brothers in the Chapter understood that he spake of the holy Stigmata, in that he excused himself by reason of his infirmity; and of their devotion none of them could refrain themselves from weeping. And from thenceforth he left all the care and government of the Order in the hands of his Vicar and of the Ministers of the provinces; and said: ” Now that I have given up the care of the Order by reason of my infirmities, I am henceforth in naught bound save to pray God for our Order and to give a good example to the brothers. And I know well of very sooth, that were mine infirmity to depart from me, the greatest help that I could give the Order, would be to pray to God continually for it, that he would defend and guide and keep it.” Now, as has been set forth above, albeit S. Francis strove as best he might to hide the most holy Stigmata, and ever since he had received them, always went with hands bound up and feet shod, yet he could not prevent many brothers from seeing and touching them in divers manners, and chief of all the wound in the side, the which he strove with greater diligence to hide. Thus a brother that did him service, on a time induced him with pious craft to take off his tunic, for to shake out the dust therefrom: and as he took it off before him, the brother clearly saw the wound in the side; and quickly putting his hand on his breast, touched it with his three fingers, and learned the measure and the size of it: and in hke manner his Vicar saw it also. But Brother Ruffino was still more clearly certified thereof: he was a man of very great contemplation, of whom S. Francis once said that there was no man in the world more holy than he, and for his sanctity he loved him with all his heart and suffered him in whatsoever things he desired. This Brother Ruffino certified himself and others of the most holy Stigmata, and above all of that in his side, in three ways. The first was, that having to wash the hose, which S. Francis wore so large, that drawing them up he covered the wound in his right side therewith, the said Brother Ruffino examined and considered them diligently, and each time he found them stained with blood on the right side; whereby he perceived of a surety that this was blood that came from out the wound aforesaid: but for this S. Francis reproved him, when he saw that he spread out the hose that he took off, for to see this token. The second way was, that on a time the said Brother Ruffino of set purpose thrust his fingers into the wound in the side; so that S. Francis for the pain that he felt, cried out aloud: ” God pardon thee, O Brother Ruffino, wherefore hast thou done this thing? " The third way was, that on a time he besought S. Francis instantly as a most gracious favour, to give him his cloak and take his instead for the love of charity; yielding to his prayer, albeit unwillingly, the loving Father drew off his cloak and gave it him and took his instead; and then in this drawing oifF and putting on again, Brother Ruffino plainly saw the wound aforesaid. Brother Leo likewise and many other brothers saw the said most holy Stigmata of S. Francis while he was yet alive: the which brothers, though for their sanctity they were men worthy of trust and to be believed on their bare word, nevertheless, for to take away all doubt from the hearts of men, they swore on the holy Book that they had clearly seen them. Likewise certain cardinals that were his own familiar friends, saw them, and in reverence for the said most holy Stigmata of S. Francis they wrote and made beautiful and devout Hymns and Pope Alexander, while preaching to the people in the presence of all the cardinals, among the which was the holy brother Bonaventura, that was a cardinal, said and affirmed that he had seen with his own eyes the sacred Stigmata of S. Francis, while he was yet alive. And the Lady Jacoba di Sentensoli of Rome, who was the greatest lady of her time in Rome, and had a great devotion unto S. Francis, both before he died and after his death, both saw and kissed them many times with much reverence, because by divine revelation she came from Rome to Assisi for to be present at the death of S. Francis, and it befell in this wise. S. Francis, some days before his death, lay sick at Assisi in the palace of the Bishop along with certain of his companions, and in spite of all his sickness he oftentimes sang certain songs of praise to Christ. On a

/".<?., a Latin hymn having rhyme and an equal number of syllables in each line, but no metre.

day one of his companions said unto him: " Father, thou knowest that these townsfolk have great faith in thee and deem thee a holy man; and to the end that they may think that thou art truly what they deem thee, thou oughtest in this thy sickness to bethink thee of death, and to rather weep than sing, seeing that thou art so grievously sick: and know that thy singing and ours, that thou dost make us sing, is heard of many persons both within the palace and without; sith for thy sake this palace is guarded by many men-at-arms, the which perchance may find therein a bad example. Wherefore methinks," quoth this brother, " that thou wouldest do well to depart hence, and that we should all return to S. Mary of the Angels, for it is not well with us here among the men of the world.” S. Francis answered him: '* Brother most dear, thou knowest that it is now two years since God revealed to thee the limit of my life, what time we sojourned in Fuligno, and likewise hath He revealed also unto me that a few days hence, in the course of this sickness, that limit will be reached: and in that revelation hath God assured me of the remission of all my sins and of the bliss of Paradise. Before that revelation, I wept for death and for my sins: but now that this revelation is made known to me, I am so full of joy, that I can weep no more; therefore I sing and still shall sing to God, that hath given to me the blessing of His grace, and hath assured me of the blessings of the glory of Paradise. Touching our departure hence, I agree thereto and am well pleased, but do ye find some means to carry me, sith for mine infirmity I cannot go afoot.” Then the brothers took him up in their arms and carried him, and many of the townsfolk bare them company. And coming to a hospice that was by the way, S. Francis said unto them that bore him: "Set me down upon the ground and turn me towards the city." And when that he was laid with his face turned towards Assisi, he blessed the city with many blessings, saying: " Blessed be thou of God, O holy city, seeing that through thee shall many souls be saved, and in thee shall dwell many servants of the Lord: and out of thee shall many be chosen for the kingdom of eternal life." And said these words, he let carry him on, to S. Mary of the Angels. And when that they were come to S. Mary of the Angels, they carried him into the infirmary, and laid him down there to rest. Then S. Francis called unto him one of his companions, and said unto him: ',Brother most dear, God hath revealed to me that from this sickness, on such a day, I shall pass away from this life: now thou wottest that the beloved Lady Jacoba di Sentensoli, who is so devoted to our Order, would be sore grieving, if she heard of my death and had not herself been present: whereby send her word that if she would see me alive again, let her come here straightway." Replied the brother: " Father, thou hast well said; for of very sooth for the great devotion that she bears thee, it would not at all be fitting that she should be absent at thy death." "Go then," quoth S. Francis, "and bring me inkhorn and paper and pen, and write as I shall tell thee." And when that he had brought them, S. Francis dictated the letter after this manner: " To the Lady Jacoba, the servant of God, Brother Francis the poor little one of Christ, greeting, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in our Lord Jesu Christ. Know, dear lady, that Christ, the blessed One, hath of His grace revealed unto me that the end of my life is shortly at hand. Wherefore, if thou desire to see me still alive, when thou hast seen this letter, do thou arise and come unto S. Mary of the Angels: for if thou art not come by such a day, thou wilt not find me still alive: and bring with thee a shroud of haircloth, to wrap my body in, and the wax that is needed for the burial. I pray thee likewise that thou bring me some of the food that thou wast wont to give me, when I lay sick in Rome." And whiles this letter was in writing, it was of God revealed unto S. Francis that the Lady Jacoba was coming unto him and was even now come nigh the House, and was bringing with her all the things that he was asking for by letter. Therefore, having this revelation, S. Francis said unto the brother that was writing the letter, that he should write no more, seeing that there was no need, but should lay the letter aside: at the which thing the brothers marvelled much, in that he finished not the letter and desired that it should not be sent. And after a little space, there was a loud knocking at the door of the House, and S. Francis sent the porter to open it: and the door being opened, behold! there was the Lady Jacoba, the most noble lady in all Rome, with her two sons that were senators of Rome, and a great company of horsemen, and they entered in; and the Lady Jacoba went straight to the infirmary and came unto S. Francis. And of her coming S. Francis had exceeding great joy and comfort, and she likewise, beholding him still alive and having speech of him. Then she told him how God had revealed unto her in Rome, as she was at prayer, the near end of his life, and how he would send for her and ask for those things, all of which she said she had brought with her; and she let bring them to S. Francis, and gave them him to eat. And when he had eaten and was much comforted, the Lady Jacoba kneeled down at the feet of S. Francis, and took those most holy feet marked and adorned with the wounds of Christ, and kissed them and bathed them with her tears in such a rapture of devotion, that to the brothers that stood around it seemed they saw the very Magdalene herself at the feet of Jesu Christ, and by no means could they draw her away. And at length after a long space they lifted her up thence and drew her aside; and they asked her how she had come at a time so fitting and so well provided with all the things that were needed for the sustenance and for the burial of S. Francis. Replied the Lady Jacoba that, as she was praying in Rome one night, she heard a voice from heaven saying: ” If thou desire to see S. Francis still alive, delay not to go unto Assisi, and take with thee the things thou wast wont to give him when he was sick, and the things that will be needed for his burial; and" (quoth she) " even so have I done.“ So the said Ladyjacobaabode thereuntil such time as S. Francis passed away from this life and was buried; and she paid great honour unto his burying, she and all her IHK DEATH OF S. FRANCIS (Chainni/oii Collection, Paris) company, and she bore the charges of whatsoever was needed. Then returning to Rome, after a short time this gentle lady died a holy death; and of her devotion to S. Francis, she decided and desired to be carried to S. Mary of the Angels and be buried there: and so was it done.