CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER NINE
THE FERVOR OF HIS CHARITY
AND
HIS DESIRE FOR MARTYRDOM
. Who can describe the fervent charity which burned within Francis, the friend of the Bridegroom P
Like a glowing coal, he seemed totally absorbed in the flame of divine love.
Whenever he heard of the love of God, 2 he was at once excited, moved and inflamed as if an inner chord of his heart had been plucked by the plectrum of the external voice.
He used to say that to offer the love of God in exchange for an alms was a noble prodigality and that those who valued it less than money were most foolish, because the incalculable price of divine love alone was sufficient to purchase the kingdom of heaven.
And he used to say that greatly should the love be loved of him who loved us so greatly.
Aroused by all things to the love of God, he rejoiced in all the works of the Lord's hands 3 1. John 3:29.
Cf.
I, 1, p.
186; VII, 8-10, pp. 245-246.
Ps. 91:5.
THE LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS
and from these joy-producing manifestations he rose to their life-giving principle and cause.
In beautiful things he saw Beauty itself and through his vestiges imprinted on creation he followed his Beloved everywhere, 4 making from all things a ladder by which he could climb up and embrace him who is utterly desirable . 5
With a feeling of unprecedented devotion he savored in each and every creature— as in so many rivulets— that Goodness which is their fountain-source.
And he perceived a heavenly harmony in the consonance of powers and activities God has given them, and like the prophet David sweetly exhorted them to praise the Lord. 6
2. Jesus Christ crucified always rested like a bundle of myrrh in the bosom of Francis's soul (Cant.
1:12), and he longed to be totally transformed into him by the fire of ecstatic love. As a sign of his special devotion to him, Francis spent the time from the feast of the Epiphany through forty successive days— that period when Christ was hidden in the desert— secluded in a lonely place, shut up in a cell, with as little food and drink as possible, fasting, praying and praising God without interrup4. Job 23:11; Cant.
5:17.
Cant.
5:16.
Cf. Ps. 148:1-14. Bonaventure seems to be alluding here to Francis's Canticle ofBrother
Sun. Major sources:
I C 80;
II C 196,
165. Cf. also VIII, 6, p. 254-255.
ST. BONAVENTURE
tion. 7 He was drawn to Christ with such fervent love, and the Beloved (Cant.
1:12) returned such intimate love to him that God's servant always seemed to feel the presence of his Savior before his eyes, as he once intimately revealed to his companions. His very marrow burned with love for the sacrament of the Lord's Body and he was overcome by wonder at such loving condescension and such condescending love. He received Holy Communion often and so devoutly that he made others devout also, for at the sweet taste of the spotless Lamb
(1 Pet. 1:19) he was often rapt in ecstasy as if drunk in the Spirit. 8
3. He embraced the mother of the Lord Jesus with an indescribable love because she had made the Lord of Majesty our brother and because through her we have obtained mercy
(1 Pet. 2:10). After Christ he put all his trust in her and made her his advocate and that of his friars. In her honor he used to fast with great devotion from the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul to the feast of the Assumption. 9 He was joined in a bond of inseparable love to the angels who burn with a marvelous fire to be rapt out of themselves into God and to inflame the souls of the elect. Out of devotion to the angels he used to spend the forty days after the Assumption of the glorious Virgin in fasting and continual prayer. 10 Because of the ardent zeal he had for the salvation of all, he was devoted with a special love to blessed Michael the Archangel in view of his ministry of presenting souls to God.
10.
In remembering all the saints who are like fiery stones (Ezech. 28:14, 16), he burned with a divine fire, and embraced
Cf.
Matt.
4: Iff. The Rules (Regula /, 3; Regula //, 3) suggest this extra Lent as a commendable but optional practice.
It is reckoned from the Epiphany because Christ was taken by the Spirit to the desert immediately after his baptism, which is commemorated on that feast. Cf. also II C 59.
Major source: II C 201. Cf. also II C 95. The metaphor of drunkenness in the Spirit is from St. Ambrose's hymn Splendor paternae gloriae (original version), sung on Monday at Lauds.
9. From June 29 to August 15.
From August 15 to September 29.
It was while keeping this Lent of St. Michael that Francis received the stigmata. Cf. XIII,
1, p.
304; cf. also VIII, 10, p. 259.
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with great devotion all the apostles, especially Peter and Paul, because of the ardent love they had toward Christ. Out of reverence and love for them he dedicated to the Lord a special fast of forty days.
The poor man of Christ had only two mites , n namely his body and his soul, which he could give away in generous charity.
But out of love of Christ he offered them so continuously that he seemed to be constantly immolating his body through the rigor of fasting and his spirit through the ardor of his desire, sacrificing a holocaust in the outer courtyard and burning incense in the interior of the temple. 12
4. The ecstatic devotion of his charity so bore him aloft into the divine that his loving kindness was enlarged and extended to all who shared with him in nature and grace. Since his heartfelt devotedness had made him a brother to all other creatures, it is no wonder that the charity of Christ made him more than a brother to those who are stamped with the image of their Creator and redeemed with the blood of their Maker (Apoc. 5:9). 13 He would not consider himself a friend of Christ unless he cared for the souls whom Christ redeemed. He used to say that nothing should be preferred to the salvation of souls, offering as the supreme proof of this the fact that it was for souls that the only-begotten Son of God deigned to hang on the 11. Mark 12:42.
12.
Exod.
30:1, 27-28. Major sources:
II C 198,
197.
13.
Cf. VIII, 1 , p. 250-251.
ST. BONAVENTURE
cross. This is the reason for his struggles in prayer, his untiring preaching tours and his lack of measure in giving example.
Therefore when he was reproached for his excessive severity toward himself, he would reply that he was given as an example for others.
For although his innocent flesh, which always of its own accord subjected itself to the spirit, had no need for any penitential scourging, he nevertheless inflicted punishment and burdens on it as an example, keeping to the hard paths (Ps.
16:4) for the sake of others. For he used to say: "If I speak with the tongues ofmen and angels , but have not charity and do not show examples of virtue to my neighbors, it is little use to them and nothing to myself'
(1 Cor.
1 3 : 1-3). 14
In the fervent fire of his charity he strove to emulate the glorious triumph of the holy martyrs in whom the flame of love could not be extinguished nor courage be weakened.
Set on fire, therefore, by that perfect charity which drives out fear ,
he longed to offer to the Lord his own life as a living sacrifice 16 in the flames of martyrdom so that he might repay Christ, who died for us, and inspire others to divine love.
In the sixth year of his conversion, burning with a desire of martyrdom, he decided to cross the sea to the regions of Syria in order to preach penance and the Christian faith to the 14.
Major source:
II C 172-173.
15.
1 John 4:18.
16. Rom.
12:1.
2 66
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Saracens and other infidels. When he had boarded a ship to go there, he was driven by contrary winds to land in the region of Dalmatia. He spent some time there and could not find a ship that would cross the sea at that time. Feeling that he had been cheated of his desire, he begged some sailors who were going to Ancona to take him with them for the love of God. When they obstinately refused because he could not pay his expenses, the man of God, trusting completely in the Lord's goodness, stowed away on the boat with his companion. A certain man came on board, sent by God for his poor man, as it is believed, who brought with him the necessary provisions. He called one of the crew who feared God and told him: "Keep all these things faithfully for the poor friars who are hiding on board and give them to them in a friendly fashion when they need them." And it so happened that, when the crew could not land anywhere for a number of days because of the force of the winds, they ate all their provisions and all that was left over was the alms supernaturally given to the poor Francis. 17 Although this was only a very small amount, by God's power it was multiplied so much that while they were delayed at sea for many days by the continuing storm, it fully provided for their needs all the way to Ancona. Therefore when the sailors saw that they had escaped many threats of death, as men who had experienced the horrible dangers of the sea and had seen the wonderful works of the Lord in the deep (Ps. 106:24), they thanked
Almighty God, who always shows himself wonderful and lovable in his friends and servants. 18
6. When he left the coast, he began to walk over the land and to sow in it the seed of salvation, reaping a fruitful harvest.
But the fruit of martyrdom had so attracted his heart that he desired a precious death for the sake of Christ more intensely than all the merits from the virtues. So he took the road to Morocco in order to preach the Gospel of Christ to the 17.
Cf. VII, 13, p. 248-249.
18.
Major source:
I C 55; minor source: Jul.
34. Cf. Regula //, 12.
ST. BONAVENTURE
Miramamolin 19 and his people, hoping to attain in this way the palm of martyrdom he so strongly desired. He was carried along with such a great desire that although he was physically weak, he used to run ahead of his companion on the trip in his haste to achieve his purpose, flying along, as if drunk in spirit.
But when he had gone as far as Spain, by God's design, which had more important things in store for him, he was overtaken by a serious illness which hindered him from achieving what he desired. Realizing, then, that his physical life was still necessary for the children he had begotten, the man of God, although he considered death as gain for himself (Phil.
1:21), returned to feed the sheep entrusted to his care (John 2 1 : 1 7). 20
7. The ardor of his charity urged his spirit on toward martyrdom, and he tried to set out to the infidels yet a third time, hoping to shed his blood for the spread of the faith in the Trinity. In the 13th year of his conversion, he traveled to the regions of Syria, constantly exposing himself to many dangers in order to reach the presence of the Soldan of Babylon. 21 For at that time there was a fierce war between the Christians and the Saracens, 22 with their camps situated in close quarters opposite each other in the field so that there was no way of passing from one to the other without danger of death. A cruel edict had been issued by the Soldan that whoever would bring back the head of a Christian would receive as a reward a gold piece. 23 But Francis, the intrepid knight of Christ, hoping to be able to achieve his purpose, decided to make the journey, not terrified by the fear of death, but rather drawn by desire for it.
19. The medieval European designation for the Almohad sovereign of Morocco; it is a corruption of the Arabic Amiru'l muminin , commander of the faithful.
20.
Major source:
I C 56; minor sources: Jul.
35-36; I C 37.
2 1 .
Syria was often used as a general name for the Levant. The soldan of Babylon was actually the ruler of Egypt {Babylon was the name given to modem Cairo) whose power extended also over the Holy Land except for the small enclaves still held by the Crusaders.
22. The fifth Crusade, which for tactical reasons attacked Egypt rather than Palestine.
The Crusaders were at this time besieging Damietta, on the delta of the Nile.
23.
In the original Byzantinum aureum. The gold byzant or bezant was a current coin all over Christendom and Islam.
THE LIFE OF ST. FRANCIS
After praying, strengthened by the Lord (1 Kings 30:6), he confidently chanted the verse of the Prophet: "Even ifI should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I shall not fear evil because you are with me" (Ps.
22:4). 24
8. He took with him as his companion a friar named Illuminato, a virtuous and enlightened man. When he had begun his journey, he came upon two lambs. Overjoyed to see them, the holy man said to his companion: "Trust in the Lord (Ecclus.
11:22), brother, for the Gospel text is being fulfilled in us:
Behold , I am sending you forth like sheep in the midst of wolves"
(Matt.
10:16). When they proceeded farther, the Saracen sentries fell upon them like wolves swiftly overtaking sheep, savagely seized the servants of God and cruelly and contemptuously dragged them away, insulting them, beating them and putting them in chains. Finally, after they had been maltreated in many ways and were exhausted, by divine providence they were led to the Soldan, just as the man of God wished. When that ruler inquired by whom, why and how they had been sent and how they got there, Francis, Christ's servant, answered with an intrepid heart that he had been sent not by man but by the Most High God in order to point out to him and his people the way of salvation and to announce the Gospel of truth. He preached to the Soldan the Triune God and the one Savior of all, Jesus Christ, with such constancy of mind, such courage of soul and such fervor of spirit that the words of the Gospel were clearly and truly fulfilled in him: I will give you utterance and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to resist or answer back (Luke 21:15).
When the Soldan saw this admirable fervor of spirit and courage in the man of God, he willingly listened to him and earnestly invited him to stay longer with him. Inspired from heaven, Christ's servant said: "If you wish to be converted to Christ along with your people, I will most gladly stay with you 24.
Major source:
I C 57.
ST. BONAVENTURE
for love of him.
But if you hesitate to abandon the law of Mahomet for the faith of Christ, then command that an enormous fire be lit and I will walk into the fire along with your priests so that you will recognize which faith deserves to be held as the holier and more certain." The Soldan answered him: "I do not believe that any of my priests would be willing to expose himself to the fire to defend his faith or to undergo any kind of torment." For he had seen immediately one of his priests, a man full of authority and years, slipping away from his view when he heard Francis's words. The saint said to the Soldan: "If you wish to promise that if I come out of the fire unharmed, you and your people will come over to the worship of Christ, then I will enter the fire alone. And if I shall be burned, you must attribute it to my sins. But if God's power protects me, you will acknowledge Christ the power and wisdom of God as true God and the Savior of all"
(1 Cor.
1:24; John 17:3, 4:42). The Soldan replied that he did not dare to accept this choice because he feared a revolt among his people. Nevertheless he offered Francis many valuable gifts, which the man of God, greedy not for worldly possessions but the salvation of souls, spurned as if they were dirt. 25 Seeing that the holy man so completely despised worldly possessions, the Soldan was filled with admiration, and developed an even greater respect for him. Although he refused, or perhaps did not dare, to come over to the Christian faith, he nevertheless devoutly asked Christ's servant to accept the gifts and give them to the Christian poor or to churches for the Soldan's salvation. But Francis would in no way accept them because he was accustomed to flee from the burden of money and he did not see that true piety had taken root in the Soldan's soul. 26
9. When he saw that he was making no progress in con25.
Cf.
II, 1, p.
192.
26.
Major source: I C 57; minor source: Jul. 36. The incidents of the two sheep and of the proposed ordeal by fire are not in any of Bonaventure's sources; he may have obtained them orally from brother Illuminato.
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verting these people and that he could not achieve his purpose (2 Tim.
3:10), namely martyrdom, he went back to the lands of the faithful, as he was advised by a divine revelation.
Thus by the kindness of God and the merits of the virtue of the holy man, it came about mercifully and remarkably that the friend of Christ sought with all his strength to die for him and yet could not achieve it.
Thus he was not deprived of the merit of his desired martyrdom and was spared to be honored in the future with a unique privilege.
Thus it came about that the divine fire burned still more perfectly in his heart so that later it steamed forth clearly in his flesh.
O truly blessed man, whose flesh, although not cut down by a tyrant's steel, was yet not deprived of bearing a likeness of the Lamb that was slain
! 27
O, truly and fully blessed man, I say, whose life "the persecutor's sword did not take away, and who yet did not lose the palm of martyrdom"! 28
27.
Apoc.
5:12.
28.
Breviarium Romanum , antiphon at second Vespers for the feast of St. Martin of Tours.
Minor source:
I C 57.