Chapter Three
CHAPTER THREE
THE FOUNDATION
OF THE ORDER
AND THE APPROVAL
OF THE RULE
While her servant Francis was living in the church of the Virgin Mother of God, he prayed to her who had conceived the Word full ofgrace and truth imploring her with continuous sighs to become his advocate.
Through the merits of the Mother of Mercy, he conceived and brought to birth the spirit of the truth of the Gospel.
One day when he was devoutly hearing a Mass of the Apostles, the Gospel was read in which Christ sends forth his disciples to preach and explains to them the way of life according to the Gospel: that they should not keep gold or silver or money
, nor have a wallet for theirjourney , nor two tunics , nor in their belts , nor staff (Matt.
10:9). When he heard this, he grasped its meaning and committed it to memory. This lover of apostolic poverty was then filled with an indescribable joy and said:
"This is what I want; this is what I long for with all my heart." shoes He immediately took off his shoes from his feet, put aside his staff, cast away his wallet and money as if accursed, was content with one tunic and exchanged his leather belt for a piece of rope. He directed all his heart's desire to carry out what he had
1. John 1:14.
ST. BONAVENTURE
heard and to conform in every way to the rule of right living given to the apostles. 2
2. Under divine inspiration the man of God now began to strive after Gospel perfection and invite others to penance. His words were not empty or joking, but full of the power of the Holy Spirit; they penetrated to the innermost depths of the heart, causing his hearers to be filled with amazement. In all his preaching, he proclaimed peace, saying: "May the Lord give you peace" (Matt. 10:12; Luke 10:5), as the greeting to the people at the beginning of his sermon. As he later testified, he had learned this greeting in a revelation from the Lord. 3 Hence, according to the words of a prophet and inspired by the spirit of the prophets, he proclaimed peace, preached salvation and by his salutary warnings united in a bond of true peace many who had previously been in opposition to Christ and far from salvation. 4
3. When the truth of his simple teaching and his way of life became widely known, certain men began to be inspired to live a life of penance. Leaving everything, they joined him in his way of life and dress. The first among these was Bernard, a venerable man, who was made a sharer in a divine vocation (Heb.
3:1) and merited to be the firstborn son of our blessed father, both in priority of time and in the gift of holiness. When he discovered for himself the holiness of Christ's servant and decided to despise the world completely after his example, he sought his advice on how to carry this out. On hearing this,
God's servant was filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit over the conception of his first child. uWe must ask God's advice about this," he said. In the morning they went to the church of Saint Nicholas, where they said some preliminary prayers; then Francis, who was devoted to the Trinity, opened the book of the Gospel three times, asking God to confirm 2.
Major source:
I C 22; minor sources:
I C 21; II C 198; Jul.
15.
Cf. Testamentum , 5.
Cf.
Isa.
52:7. Major source: Jul.
16; minor source:
I C 23-24.
THE LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS
Bernard's plan with a threefold testimony. The book opened , sell all that you the first time to the text: Ifyou will be perfect , go have , and give to the poor (Matt.
19:21). The second time to the text: Take nothing on yourjourney (Luke 9:3). And the third time to: Ifanyone wishes to come after me , let him deny himselfand take up his cross and follow me (Matt.
16:24). "This is our life and our rule," the holy man said, "and the life and the rule of all who wish to join our company. Go , then, if you wish to be perfect (Matt.
19:21) and carry out what you have heard." 5
4. Not long afterwards five other men were called by the same Spirit, and the number of Francis's sons reached six. The third among them was the holy father Giles, 6 a man indeed filled with God and worthy of his celebrated reputation. Although he was a simple and unlearned man, he later became famous for his practice of heroic virtue, as God's servant had prophesied, and was raised to the height of exalted contemplation. For through the passage of many years, he strove without ceasing to direct himself toward God; and he was so often rapt into God in ecstasy, as I myself have observed as an eyewitness, that he seemed to live among men more like an angel than a human being. 7
Also at that time a certain priest of the town of Assisi, named Silvester, an upright man, was shown a vision by the Lord which should not be passed over in silence. Reacting in a purely human way, he had developed an abhorrence for the way Francis and his friars were going. But then he was visited by grace from heaven in order to save him from the danger of rash judgment. For he saw in a dream the whole town of Assisi encircled by a huge dragon (Dan.
14:22) which threatened to destroy the entire area by its enormous size. Then he saw coming from Francis's mouth a golden cross whose top touched
5. Major source:
II C 15; minor sources: Jul.
17;
I C 24, 92.
6. He died near Perugia on April 22, 1262, while Bonaventure was writing the present work.
7. Minor source:
I C 25.
ST. BONAVENTURE
heaven and whose arms stretched far and wide and seemed to extend to the ends of the world. At the sight of its shining splendor, the foul and hideous dragon was put to flight. When he had seen this vision for the third time and realized that it was a divine revelation, he told it point by point to the man of God and his friars. Not long afterwards he left the world and followed in the footsteps of Christ with such perseverance that his life in the Order confirmed the authenticity of the vision which he had had in the world. 8
6. On hearing of this vision, the man of God was not carried away by human glory; but recognizing God's goodness in his gifts, was more strongly inspired to put to flight our ancient enemy with his cunning and to preach the glory of the cross of Christ. One day while he was weeping as he looked back over his past years in bitterness (Isa.
38:15), the joy of the Holy Spirit came over him and he was assured that all of his sins had been completely forgiven. Then he was rapt in ecstasy and totally absorbed in a wonderful light, his heart was expanded and he clearly saw what would transpire for him and his sons in the future. After this he returned to the friars and said: "Take strength , my beloved ones, and rejoice in the Lord (Eph.
6:10; Phil.
3:1, 4:4). Do not be sad because you are few in number, nor afraid because of my simplicity or yours. For as the Lord has shown me in truth, God will make us grow into a great multitude and will cause us to expand in countless ways by the grace of his blessing. 9
7. At the same time, another good man entered the Order, bringing the number of Francis's sons to seven. Then like a devoted father, Francis gathered all his sons around him and explained to them many things concerning the kingdom of God, contempt for the world, the renunciation of their own wills and the mortification of their bodies. Then he disclosed to 8.
Major source: II C 109; but the dragon is not found in Celano's account of the vision.
On Silvester, cf. VI, 9 and XII, 2, pp. 236, 294.
Major source:
I C 26-27; minor source: Jul.
18.
THE LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS
them his plan to send them to the four corners of the world.
For already the lowly and seemingly sterile simplicity of our holy father had brought to birth (1 Kings 2:5) seven sons. And now he wished to call all the faithful of the world to repentance and to bring them to birth in Christ the Lord. "Go," said the gentle father to his sons, "proclaim peace to men and preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mark
1:4; Luke 3:3). Be patient in trials, watchful in prayer, strenuous in work, moderate in speech, reserved in manner and grateful for favors, because for all this an eternal kingdom is being prepared for you." The friars humbly cast themselves on the ground before God's servant and received the command of obedience in a spirit of joy.
Then he said to each one of them individually: "Cast your care upon the Lord and he will support you" (Ps. 54:23). This is what he used to say whenever he sent a friar somewhere under obedience.
Francis knew he should give an example to others, and wanted to practice what he preached; so he himself set out in one direction with one of his companions. The remaining six he sent in the other three directions, thus forming the pattern of a cross.
After a short time had passed, the loving father longed for the presence of his dear children; and since he could not summon them himself, he prayed that this should be done by God, who gathers together the dispersed of Israel (Ps.
146:2).
It happened that, just as he wished, they all came together shortly afterwards quite unexpectedly and much to their surprise, through the kindness of divine providence, without being summoned in any human way. During those days four upright men joined them, increasing their number to twelve. 10
Seeing that the number of friars was gradually increasing, Christ's servant wrote in simple words a rule of life for himself and his friars. He based it on the unshakable foundation of the observance of the Gospel and added a few other 10.
Major source:
I C 29-30; minor source: Jul.
19-20.
ST. BONAVENTURE
things that seemed necessary for their way of life in common.
He very much wanted to have what he had written approved by the Supreme Pontiff; so he decided to go with his band of simple men before the presence of the Apostolic See, placing his trust solely in God's guidance. From on high God looked with favor upon his desire and comforted the souls of his companions who were frightened at the thought of their simplicity, by showing him the following vision.
It seemed to him that he was walking along a certain road beside which stood a very tall tree.
Drawing near, he stood under it and marveled at its height. Suddenly he was lifted up by divine power to such a height that he was able to touch the top of the tree and very easily bend it down to the ground. Filled with God, he realized that the vision was a prophecy of how the Apostolic See, with all its dignity, would show him condescension; and he was overjoyed. He encouraged his friars in the Lord and set out with them on the journey. 11
9. When he arrived in Rome, he was led into the presence of the Supreme Pontiff. The Vicar of Christ was in the Lateran
Palace, walking in a place called the Hall of the Mirror, occupied in deep meditation. Knowing nothing of Christ's servant, he sent him away indignantly. Francis left humbly, and the next night God showed the Supreme Pontiff the following vision. He saw a palm tree sprout between his feet and grow gradually until it became a beautiful tree. As he wondered what this vision might mean, the divine light impressed upon the mind of the Vicar of Christ that this palm tree symbolized the poor man whom he had sent away the previous day. The next morning he commanded his servants to search the city for the poor man. When they found him near the Lateran at St.
Anthony's hospice, he ordered him brought to his presence without delay. 12
11.
Major source:
I C 32-33; minor source: Jul. 21.
12. The above paragraph, except for the first sentence, was added to Bonaventure's text by Jerome of Ascoli, Minister General of the Order, 1274-1279, and later Pope Nicholas IV.
He learned of it from Cardinal Riccardo degli Annibaldi, a relative of Innocent III; cf. Chron.
24 General, in Analecta franciscana , III, 365.
THE LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS
When he was led before the Supreme Pontiff, Francis explained his plan, humbly and urgently imploring him to approve the rule of life mentioned above. Now the Vicar of Christ, Innocent III, was a man famous for his wisdom; and when he saw in the man of God such remarkable purity and simplicity of heart, such firmness of purpose and such fiery ardor of will, he was inclined to give his assent to the request.
Yet he hesitated to do what Christ's little poor man asked because it seemed to some of the cardinals to be something novel and difficult beyond human powers. There was among the cardinals a most venerable man, John of St. Paul, bishop of Sabina, a lover of holiness and helper of Christ's poor. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, he said to the Supreme Pontiff and his brother cardinals: "If we refuse the request of this poor man as novel or too difficult, when all he asks is to be allowed to lead the Gospel life, we must be on our guard lest we commit an offense against Christ's Gospel. For if anyone says that there is something novel or irrational or impossible to observe in this man's desire to live according to the perfection of the Gospel, he is guilty of blasphemy against Christ, the author of the Gospel." At this observation, the successor of the Apostle Peter turned to the poor man of Christ and said: "My son, pray to Christ that he may show us his will through you. When we know this with more certainty, we can give our approval to your pious desires with more assurance." 13
10. The servant of Almighty God totally gave himself to prayer, and through his devout supplications obtained for himself knowledge of what he should say outwardly and for the pope what he should think inwardly. Francis told the pope a parable, which he had learned from God, about a rich king who voluntarily married a poor but beautiful woman. She bore him children who resembled the king and for this reason could be brought up at his table. Then Francis added by way of interpretation: "The sons and heirs of the eternal King should
13.
Major source:
I C 33, 32; minor sources: Jul. 21; II C 16.
ST. BONAVENTURE
not fear that they will die of hunger. They have been born of a poor mother by the power of the Holy Spirit in the image of Christ the King, and they will be begotten by the spirit of poverty in our poor little Order. For if the King of heaven promises his followers an eternal kingdom (2 Pet.
1:1 1; cf. Matt.
19:28ff.), he will certainly supply them with those things that he gives to the good and the bad alike" (Matt.
5:45). When the Vicar of Christ had listened to this parable and its interpretation, he was quite amazed and recognized without the slightest doubt that here Christ had spoken through man. And he affirmed that a vision which he had recently received from heaven through the inspiration of the divine Spirit would be fulfilled in this man. He had seen in a dream, as he recounted, that a little poor man, insignificant and despised, was holding up on his back the Lateran basilica which was about to collapse. "This is certainly the man," he said, "who by his work and teaching will hold up the Church of Christ." Filled with reverence for Francis, he was favorably inclined toward everything he asked and always held Christ's servant in special affection. Then he granted what was requested and promised to grant even more in the future. He approved the rule and gave them a mission to preach penance, and he had small tonsures shaved on the laymen among Francis's companions so that they could freely preach the word of God (Luke
1 1 :28). 14
14.
Major source:
II C 16-17; minor source: Jul.
21.