The Life of St. Francis of Assisi (with Supplemental Reading: A Brief Life of Christ) [Illustrated] by Saint Bonaventure

Author:Saint Bonaventure [Bonaventure, Saint]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780895559142
Publisher: TAN Books
Published: 2014-12-14T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Of His Patience, and of His Death

FRANCIS, FRANCIS, being thus crucified with Christ, both in the flesh and in the spirit, not only burned with seraphic love towards God, but thirsted with Christ crucified for the salvation of a multitude of souls. Now, it came to pass, as he could not walk on foot because of the nails which were in his feet, he was obliged to be carried through the cities and other places whither he wished to go, that he might thus encourage others to carry the Cross of Christ. For he was wont to say to his brethren: “Let us begin, at last, my brethren, to serve the Lord our God, for hitherto we have done but little.” He burned also with an ardent desire to return to the first steps of his humility, that, as at the beginning, he might serve the lepers, and excite his weak body, now broken by continual labors, to its former toils. And he proposed, by the help and guidance of Christ, to do great things; and while his members seemed weary and feeble, being strong and fervent in spirit, he hoped to wage a fresh warfare against the enemy, and to attain a glorious triumph. For there is no place for languor or sloth where the stimulus of love is ever urging to greater things. And such was the harmony between his spirit and his flesh, and such the obedience of the flesh to the spirit, that in his efforts to obtain perfect and complete sanctity, the flesh not only made no resistance to the spirit, but even aided and pre vented it. Now that the holy man might increase his chain of merits, which are ever made perfect by patience, he began to suffer from so many infirmities, that there was scarcely one of his members but was tormented by immense pain and suffering. At last, by reason of these various long and continued infirmities, his flesh was consumed, and there remained but the skin attached to his bones. Yet, although his body was thus afflicted with grievous torments, he never called them by the name of pains, but spoke of them as his sisters. Once being more grievously tormented than usual, a certain simple brother said to him: “Brother, pray to God that He would deal more gently with thee, for it seems to me that His hand is heavier upon thee than is meet.” Which, when the holy man heard, he cried with great abhorrence: “But that I know the purity of thy simplicity, I should from henceforth abhor thy company, for that thou hast dared to find fault with the divine judgments which are executed upon me.” And although he was all broken by the long endurance of his sufferings, he cast himself upon the ground, all his weak bones being shattered by the fall. And kissing the ground, he said: “I thank Thee, O Lord, my God, for these my pains, and I beseech

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