CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER FIVE
THE AUSTERITY OF HIS LIFE
AND
HOW CREATURES PROVIDED HIM
COMFORT 1. When Francis the man of God saw that many were being inspired by his example to carry the cross of Christ with fervent spirit, he himself like a good leader of Christ's army was encouraged to reach the palm of victory
through the height of heroic virtue.
He directed his attention to this text of the Apostle:
Those who belong to Christ have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires . 2
In order to carry in his own body the armor of the cross, he held in check his sensual appetites with such a rigid discipline that he scarcely took what was necessary for the sustenance of nature. He used to say that it would be difficult to satisfy the needs of the body without giving in to the earthbound inclinations of the senses. Therefore when he was in good health, he scarcely ever allowed himself cooked food; and on the rare occasions when he did so, he either mixed it with ashes or made its flavor tasteless, usually by adding water.
About his drinking wine, what shall I say since he would scarcely drink even enough water when he was burning with thirst? He discovered more effective methods of abstinence and 1.
Cf. Apoc.
7:9.
Gal.
5:24.
THE LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS
daily improved in their exercise. Although he had already attained the height of perfection, he used to try new ways of punishing his sensual desires by afflicting his body, as if he were always beginning again.
When he went out among men, he conformed himself to his hosts in the food he ate because of the Gospel text (Luke
10:7). 3 But when he returned home, he kept strictly his sparse and rigid abstinence. Thus he was austere toward himself but considerate toward his neighbor. Making himself obedient to the Gospel of Christ in everything, he gave an edifying example not only when he abstained but also when he ate. More often than not, the bare ground was a bed for his weary body; and he often used to sleep sitting up, with a piece of wood or a stone for a pillow.
Clothed in a single poor little tunic, he served the Lord in cold and nakedness (2 Cor.
11:27). 4
2. Once when he was asked how he could protect himself against the bite of the winter's frost with such thin clothing, he answered with a burning spirit: "If we were touched within by the flame of desire for our heavenly home, we would easily endure that exterior cold." In the matter of clothes, he had a horror for softness and loved coarseness, claiming that John the Baptist had been praised by the Lord for this (Matt.
1 1:8; Luke 7:25).
If he felt the softness of a tunic that had been given to him, he used to sew pieces of cord on the inside because he used to say, according to the statement of Truth itself (Matt.
1 1:8), that we should look for soft clothes not in the huts of the poor but in the palaces of princes. For his own certain experience had taught him that demons were terrified by harshness but were inspired to tempt one more strongly by what is pleasant and soft.
One night, contrary to his custom, he had allowed a feather pillow to be placed under his head because of an illness in his head and eyes. The devil got into it, gave him no rest 3.
Cf. Regula I, c. 9 and Regula II, c.
Major source:
I C 51; minor sources:
I C 52; Jul.
31. Cf.
II C 12.
ST. BONAVENTURE
until morning and in many ways disturbed him from praying, until finally Francis called a companion and had him take the pillow with the devil in it far away out of his cell. But when the friar went out of the cell with the pillow, he lost the strength and use of his limbs, until at the sound of the holy father's voice, who was aware of this in spirit, his former strength of heart and body was fully restored to him. 5
3. He stood unbending in the discipline with which he watched over (Isa. 21:8) himself, and he took the greatest care to preserve purity of soul and body. Around the beginning of his conversion, in wintertime he often plunged into a ditch full of icy water in order to perfectly subjugate the enemy within and preserve the white robe of purity from the flames of sensual pleasure. He used to say that it should be incomparably more tolerable for a spiritual man to endure great cold in his flesh rather than to feel even slightly the heat of carnal lust in his heart. 6
4. One night when he was praying in his cell at the hermitage of Sarteano, the ancient enemy called him three times:
"Francis, Francis, Francis!" When Francis replied and asked what he wanted, he continued deceitfully: "There is no sinner in the world whom God will not forgive if he is converted; but whoever kills himself by harsh penance will never find mercy for all eternity." At once the treachery of the enemy was revealed to the man of God: how the devil was trying to lead him back to lukewarmness. This was shown by what followed. For immediately after this, a temptation of the flesh seized him, inspired by the one whose breath sets coals afire (Job 41:12). When that lover of chastity felt it coming, he took off his clothes and began to lash himself very heavily with a cord, saying: "There,
Brother Ass, this is how you ought to be treated, to bear the whip like this. The habit serves the religious state and presents a symbol of holiness. A lustful man has no right to steal it. If 5.
Major source: II C 64.
Major source:
I C 42; minor source: Jul.
24.
THE LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS
you want to go that way, then go!" Even more inspired by a wonderful fervor of spirit, he opened his cell and went out into the garden and plunged his poor naked body into the deep snow. Then with handfuls of snow he began to form seven snowmen, which he presented to himself, saying to his body:
"Look, this larger one is your wife; those four are your two sons and two daughters; the other two are a servant and a maid whom you should have to serve you. Hurry, then, and clothe them since they are dying of cold. But if it is too much for you to care for so many, then take care to serve one Master!" At that the tempter went away conquered, and the holy man returned to his cell in victory. While he froze outwardly for penance's sake, he so quenched the fire of passion within that he hardly felt anything of that sort from that time on. A certain friar who was praying at the time saw in the bright moonlight everything that happened. When the man of God discovered that the friar had seen all of this that night, he gave him an account of the temptation and commanded him to tell no living person what he had seen as long as Francis himself lived. 7
5. He taught that not only the vices of the flesh should be mortified and fleshly impulses curbed but also that the exterior senses, through which death enters the soul, should be guarded with the greatest diligence. He solicitously commanded the friars to avoid familiarity with women, whether by sight or by conversation, which have often led many to a fall. He affirmed that through this sort of thing a weak spirit is often broken and a strong spirit weakened. He said that it is about as easy for one who has much contact with women— unless he be a man of the most proven virtue— to avoid contamination from them as to walk in fire and not to burn one's feet (Prov. 6:28). He himself so turned aside his eyes lest they see vanity of this kind (Ps.
1 18:37) that he scarcely recognized any woman by her face, as he once said to a companion. For he did not think it was safe to drink into 7.
Major source:
II C 116-117.
ST. BONAVENTURE
one's interior such images of woman's form, which could rekindle the fire in an already tamed flesh or stain the brightness of a pure heart. He used to say that conversation with a woman was frivolous except only for confession or very brief instruction, 8 according to what their salvation requires and respectability allows. "What business," he asked, "should a religious transact with a woman except when she makes a devout request for holy penance or for advice concerning a better life? Out of too much self-confidence one is less on guard against the enemy, and if the devil can claim as his own even one hair from a man, he will soon make it grow into a beam." 9
6. He taught the friars to flee with all their might from idleness, the cesspool of all evil thoughts; 10 and he demonstrated to them by his own example that they should master their rebellious and lazy flesh by constant discipline and useful work. He used to call his body Brother Ass, for he felt it should be subjected to heavy labor, beaten frequently with whips and fed with the poorest food.
If he saw that an idle and vagrant friar wanted to be fed by the labor of others, he thought he should be called Brother Fly, because he did nothing good himself but poisoned the good done by others and so rendered himself useless and obnoxious to all. On account of this he once said: "I want my friars to work and to be kept busy lest by giving themselves to idleness their hearts and tongues wander to unlawful things." He strongly wished that the friars observe the silence recommended by the Gospel, that is, to abstain carefully at all times from every idle word that they would have
But if to render an account ofon the day ofjudgment (Matt.
1 2 : 3 7). he found a friar given to empty babbling, he used to reprimand him sharply, affirming that a modest silence is the guardian of a 8.
Cf. Regula /, c.
12.
Major sources:
II C 112,
114; minor sources:
I C 43; II C 113.
10.
Cf. Regula I, c.
7; Regula II, c.
5; Testamentum, 4; cf.
II C 159-162.
11.
Cf. Regula I, c.
1 1 ; De religiosa habitatione in eremo, 40; Admonitiones, c. 22; Regula II, c.
3; cf.
II C 19.
THE LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS
pure heart and no small virtue itself, in view of the fact that death and life are said to be in the power of the tongue (Prov. 18:2 1), not so much because of taste but because of speech. 12
Although he energetically urged the friars to lead an austere life, he was not pleased by an over-strict severity that did not put on a heart of compassion (Col.
3:12) and was not seasoned with the salt of discretion. One night a friar was tormented with hunger because of his excessive fasting and was unable to get any rest. When the devoted shepherd realized that danger threatened one of his sheep, he called the friar and put some bread before him. Then, to take away his embarrassment, Francis himself began to eat first and affectionately invited him to eat. The friar overcame his embarrassment and took the food, overjoyed that through the discreet condescension of his shepherd he had avoided harm to his body and received an edifying example of no small proportion. When morning came, the man of God called the friars together and told them what had happened during the night, adding this advice: "Brothers, in this incident let the charity and not the food be an example to you." He taught them besides to follow prudence as the charioteer of the virtues, not the prudence which the flesh recommends, but the prudence taught by Christ, whose most holy life expressed for us the model of perfection. 13
8. Encompassed by the weakness of the flesh, man cannot follow the spotless crucified Lamb so perfectly as to avoid contacting any filth.
Therefore Francis taught that those who strive after the perfect life should cleanse themselves daily with streams of tears.
12. Minor sources:
II C 129, 75,
161, 160.
13.
Major source:
II C 22; minor source:
II C 21.
ST. BONAVENTURE
Although he had already attained extraordinary purity of heart and body, he did not cease to cleanse the eyes of his soul with a continuous flood of tears, unconcerned about the loss of his bodily sight.
When he had incurred a very serious eye illness from his continuous weeping, and a doctor advised him to restrain his tears if he wanted to avoid losing his sight, the holy man answered:
''Brother doctor, we should not stave off a visitation of heavenly light even a little because of love of the light, which we have in common with flies.
For the body receives the gift of light for the sake of the spirit and not the spirit for the sake of the body."
He preferred to lose his sight rather than to repress the devotion of his spirit and hold back the tears which cleansed his interior vision so that he could see God. 14
9. Once he was advised by doctors and strongly urged by the friars to allow himself to be cauterized. The man of God agreed humbly because he realized that it would be at once good for his health and harsh on his body. So a surgeon was called and when he came, he placed an iron in the fire for performing the cauterization. But Christ's servant encouraged his body which was now struck with horror and began to speak to the fire as a friend: "My brother fire, whose beauty is the envy of all other creatures, the Most High has created you 14.
This incident is not found in Celano or Julian, but Francis's eye ailment is treated in I C 98, 101, 105, 108;
II C 44, 92-93,
126.
THE LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS
strong, beautiful and useful. Be kind to me in this hour, be courteous!
I beseech the great Lord who created you to temper your heat for me so that you will burn gently and I can endure it." When he had finished his prayer, he made the sign of the cross over the instrument that glowed with fire, and he waited unafraid. The iron was plunged hissing into the sensitive flesh and was drawn from his ear to his eyebrow in the process of cauterizing. How much pain the fire caused, the holy man himself expressed: "Praise the Most High," he said to the friars, "because
I tell you truly, I felt neither the heat of the fire nor any pain in my flesh." And turning to the doctor, he said:
"If my flesh is not well cauterized, then do it again!" The experienced doctor marveled at such strength of spirit in his weak body, and he proclaimed it a divine miracle, saying: "I say to you, brothers, I have seen wonderful things today (Luke
: 26 ).
Francis had reached such purity that his body was in remarkable harmony with his spirit and his spirit with God.
As a result God ordained that creation which serves its Maker 15 should be subject in an extraordinary way to his will and command. 16
10.
Another time when he was suffering from a very serious illness at the hermitage of Sant' Urbano, feeling his physical weakness, he asked for a drink of wine. He was told that there was no wine to give him; so he ordered water and when it was brought, he blessed it with the sign of the cross. At once what had been pure water was changed into the best wine; and what the poverty of this deserted place could not provide was
15.
Wisd.
16:24.
16.
Major source:
II C 166; minor source: Jul. 64; cf.
I C 97; II C
129.
ST. BONAVENTURE
obtained by the purity of the holy man. With the taste of this wine, he immediately regained his health so easily that the newness of the taste and the recovery of his health, by supernaturally renewing the drink and the one who drank, confirmed by a double testimony that he had perfectly put off the old man and put on the new (Col.
3:910). 17
11. Not only did creation serve God's servant at his beck and call, but the Creator's providence itself everywhere inclined itself to his good pleasure. One time when his body was weighed down by many forms of illness, he had the desire to hear some music to awaken and delight his spirit. But since it was considered inappropriate that this should be done for him by human musicians, angels came to indulge the holy man's wish. One night when he was watching and meditating about the Lord, he suddenly heard the sound of a lute playing wonderful harmony and a very sweet melody. No one was seen, but he was aware that the musician was moving back and forth by the fluctuation of the sound. With his spirit directed to God, Francis enjoyed so thoroughly the beauty of that sweet sounding song that he thought he had been transported to another world. This did not remain hidden from the friars who were close to him, for they often used to see clear indications that he was visited by the Lord (Luke 1:68; 7:16), who gave him such overwhelming and frequent consolation that he could not hide it completely. 18
12. At another time when the man of God and a companion were walking on the banks of the Po while on a journey of preaching between Lombardy and the Marches of Treviso, they were overtaken by the darkness of night. The road was exposed to many great dangers because of the darkness, the river and some swamps. His companion said to the holy man:
"Pray, father, that we may be saved from these threatening 17.
Major sources: III C 17; I C 61.
18.
Major source:
II C 126; minor source:
I C 61.
THE LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS
dangers!" Full of confidence, the man of God answered him:
"God has the power (Luke 3:8), if it pleases him in his sweetness, to disperse this darkness and give us the benefit of light."
Scarcely had he finished speaking when, behold, such a great light began to shine around them with a heavenly radiance that they could see in clear light not only the road, but also many other things all around, although the night remained dark elsewhere. By the guidance of this light they were led physically and comforted spiritually; singing hymns of praise to God they arrived safely at their lodging, which was quite a stretch of road away. 19
Consider carefully the marvelous purity and the degree of virtue that Francis attained.
At his mere wish fire tempered its heat, water changed its taste, an angelic melody brought him comfort and a divine light gave him guidance.
Thus it is proven that all of creation came to the service of the sanctified senses of this holy man.
19.
This incident is not found in Celano or Julian.