How St.Clare, at the command of the Pope, blessed the bread on the table, and how the cross appeared on each loaf (33)

St.Clare, that most devout disciple of the Cross of Christ, and noble plant of St.Francis, was of such saintliness that not only the Bishops and the Cardinals, but even the Pope, desired, with great affection to see her, and the latter often visited her in person. Once when the holy father had come to her convent to hear hear speak of celestial and divine things, and while they were together, conversing on divine topics, St.Clare ordered the tables to be prepared and the loaves lain on them, for the holy father to bless them. Therefore, when their spiritual conversation was over, St.Clare knelt down with great reverence and begged him to be pleased to bless the bread laid on the table.

The holy father said:"Most faithful Sister Clare, I wish you yourself to bless this bread and make over it the sign of the Cross of Christ, to whom you have given yourself entirely."

And St.Clare said: "Most holy father, excuse me, for I wish would deserve the severest reproof if, in front of the Vicar of Christ, I, who am only a poor little female, would presume to give this blessing."

And the Pope answered: "So that this may not be reckoned as presumption, but as a work of obedience, I command you to make the sign of the Cross over this bread and to bless it in the name of God."

Thereupon St.Clare, as a true daughter of obedience, blessed the bread most devoutly with the sign of the holy Cross. And, marvellous to relate, instantly there appeared on every loaf the sign of the Cross most beautifully impressed. Then a part of the bread was eaten, and a part kept because of the miracle. And the holy father, having see the said miracle, took of the said bread and, thanking God, departed, leaving St.Clare with his benediction.

At that time there dwelt at the convent Sister Ortolana, the mother of St.Clare and Sr.Agnes, her bodily sister, both of them, like St.Clare, full of virtues and of the Holy Spirit, and with them many other saintly nuns. St.Francis sent many sick people to them, and they, with their prayers and the sign of the Cross, gave them back their health. Praised be Christ, Amen.

How Brother Masseo obtained from the blessed Lord the perfect virtue of humility (32)

The first companions of St.Francis strove with all their might to be poor in earthly goods and rich in virtues, by which one can obtain the true wealth of heavenly and eternal riches. One day it happend that they were gathered together and talkin of God, and one of them told them this example: "Once there was a man who was a great friend of God and possessed much grace of active and contemplative life, and also a so excessive and deep humility that he considered himself the greatest of sinners; this humility sanctified him and confirmed him in the state of grace, and made him continually increase in virtue and in God's gifts, and never allowed him to fall into sin."

When Brother Masseo heard such marvellous things said of humility, and knowing that it was a treasure of eternal life, he began to be so inflamed with love and desire for this virtue of humility that, raising his eyes to heaven in great fervour, he made a vow and firm resolve never to rejoice again in this world until he should feel the perfection of this virtue in his soul. From then on he remained almost continually locked up in his cell, mortifying himself with fasts, vigils, orisons and bitter tears before the Lord, so as to obtain from Him this virtue without which he considered himself worthy of hell, and which had been so abundantly given to that friend of God he had heard about.

When Brother Masseo had been in this state for many days, it happened that one day he went into the wood and in fervour of spirit he roamed around, shedding abundant tears, sighing and moaning, and imploring God with Fervent desire to give him this divine virtue. Because God willingly grants the prayers of humble and contrite hearts, while Brother Masseo was thus praying, a voice came from heaven and called him twice: "Brother Masseo! Brother Masseo!"

And he, knowing by the spirit that this was the voice of Christ, answered thus: "My Lord, my Lord." And Christ said to him: "What will you give to have this grace you ask?" And Brother Masseo answered: "Lord, I will give the eyes of my head." Christ said to him: "But I will that you should have the grace and keep your eyes."

And having said this, the voice ceased, and Brother Masseo remained filled with such grace of the desired virtue of humility and with the light of God, that from then on he was always in a state of jubilation; and sometimes, when he prayed, he would keep up a monotonous sound of jubilation like the deep cooing of a turtledove, "uh! uh! uh!" and with a happy countenance and a joyful heart he would remain thus in contemplation, and he had now become profoundly humble, he considered himself to be less than any man in the world. When Brother Jacopo da Falerone asked him why, in his song of jubilation, he never changed his tone, he replied very happily that if we find all contentment in a thing, there was not need to change a note. Praised be Jesus Christ.

How St.Francis and Brother Ruffino preached naked at Assisi (30)

The said Brother Ruffino, by incessant contemplation, had become so absorbed in God that he was almost insensible and speechless, and he spoke but very rarely; besides, he had neither the grace, the fire nor the eloquence of a preacher. Nevertheless St.Francis one day ordered him to go to Assisi and preach to the people as God should inspire him. Thereupon Brother Ruffino replied: "Reverend Father, I beg you to excuse me and not to send me there, for, as you know, I have not the grace of preaching, and I am simple and ignorant.

Then St.Francis said: "Because you have not obeyed me at once, I order you by holy obedience to go naked, with nothing on but your breeches, to Assisi, and enter a church, and thus naked preach to the people." At this command Brother Ruffino stripped himself, went to Assisi and entered a church, and preached thus naked to the people. Thereat the boys and the men began to laugh, and they said: "Now look, they do so much penance that they lose their wits!"

Meanwhile, St.Francis, thinking over Brother Ruffino's prompt obedience, and that he was one of the first generation of Assisi, and what a harsh order he had given him, began to reproach himself thus: "Where do you get such presumption, son of Peter Bernadone, wretched little man, as to order Brother Ruffino, who is the first gentleman of Assisi, to go and preach to the people naked like a madman? By God, you shall try out yourself what you command to others."

And at once, in great fervour of spirit, he stripped himself naked in like manner and went to Assisi, taking with him Brother Leo (who was keeping a strict hold on his thoughts) so that he should carry his own habit and that of Brother Ruffino. And when the Assisians saw him thus, they jeered at him, thinking that he and Brother Ruffino had lost their wits through too much penance. St.Francis entered into the church, where Brother Ruffino was just preaching these words: "O dearest brothers, flee the world, put away sin, give back the goods of others if you want to escape hell; observe the commandments of God, loving the Lor and your neighbors, if you want to go to heaven; and do penance, if you want to possess the kingdom of heaven."

Then St.Francis, naked as he was, went up onto the pulpit and he began to preach so marvellously on the contempt of the world, on holy penitence, on voluntary poverty, on the longing for the celestial kingdom, and on the nakedness and shame of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ that all those who heard the sermon, men and women in great multitudes, began to week most bitterly with incredible devotion and contrition. And not only here; but throughout the whole of Assisi, there was such weeping for the Passion of Christ that nothing similar had ever been seen.

And while the people were thus edified and consoled by the act of St.Francis and Brother Ruffino, St.Francis helped Brother Ruffino into his habit and put on his own again, and so they returned to the hermitage of Portiuncula, praising and glorifying God who had given them the strength to overcome themselves out of contempt for self, and to edify the little sheep of Christ with a good example, showing how the world is to be despised. And on that day the devotion of the people towards them increased so greatly that everyone who could touch the hem of their garment considered himself blessed. Praised by Christ, the Blessed One, Amen.

How, when St.Francis preached at Bologna, many were converted to do penitence, and how Brother Ricceri was comforted in his temptations (27)

Once, when St.Francis came to the city of Bologna (summer 1222) all the inhabitants ran out to see him, and the crowd was so great that he could only reach the square with difficulty, for it was filled with men and women and students. St.Francis mounted on to a raised place in the middle and began to preach, as the Holy Spirit inspired him, and he spoke such marvellous things that it seemed more like the preaching of an angel than of a man. And his celestial words were like pointed arrows that pierced the hearts of all who heart them, so that a great multitude of men and women were converted to repentance by this sermon.

Among them were two young noblemen, students from the March of Ancona; one was called Pellegrino (of the House of Falcerone), the other Riccieri (of Muccia). These two, touched to the heart by divine inspiration, through the said sermon, came to the world and join his brethren. Then Francis, knowing by revelation that these two had been sent by God and they would lead a good life in the Order, and considering their great fervour, received them joyfully, saying to them; "You, Pellegrino, will walk the path of humility in the Order! And you, Brother Riccieri, will serve the brethren."

And so it happened, for Brother Pellegrino never wished to take orders, but to remain a layman, although he was very lettered and versed in canon law; through which humility he arrived at great perfection of virtue, so much so that Brother Bernard, St.Francis's first-born, said of him that he was one of the most perfect friars in the world. And in the end the said Brother Pellegrino, filled with virtue, passed on from this life to the life eternal, and many miracles took place before his death and after.

And the said Brother Riccieri devoutly and faithfully served the brethren, living in great sanctity and humility, and he became very familiar with St.Francis, and the Saint revealed many secrets to him. And having become minister of the province of the March of Ancona, he ruled it for a long time with great peace and wisdom. After some time, God allowed a terrible temptation to arise in his soul, being deeply trouble and anguished by it, he mortified himself with fasts, discipline, tears and orisons by day and by night and yet he could not drive away that temptation, and often he was in great despair, for many times be believed himself forsaken by God.

While he as thus despairing, he decided as a last remedy to go to St.Francis, saying to himself: "If St.Francis looks at me kindly and shows me the familiarity he used to, then I will believe that God will still take pity on me, but if he does not, then I will know by that sign that I am forsaken by God."

So he set out and went to St.Francis, who at the time was lying gravely sick at the palace of the Bishop of Assisi; and God revealed to the Saint all that concerned the temptation and the despair of that friar, as well as his purpose and his coming. And instantly St.Francis called Brother Leo and Brother Masseo and said to them: "Go quickly to meet my dearest son, Brother Riccieri, and embrace him for me, and salute him and tell him that among all the friars that are in the world I cherish him especially.

And they went out and met Brother Riccieri an the road, and they embraced him and told him what St.Francis had bidden them to say. Through this such sweetness of consolation flooded his soul that he was almost beside himself, and thanking God with all his heart, he went on and came to the place where St.Francis was lying sick.

And although St.Francis was grievously ill, nevertheless when he heard Brother Riccieri coming, he got up and went to meet him and embraced him most lovingly, saying: "My dearest son, Brother Riccieri,, among all the friars that are in the world I cherish you especially!" And having said this, he signed Brother Riccieri's forehead with the sign of the Cross and kissed him on that spot, and then said: "My dearest son, God has allowed you to suffer that temptation for your great gain and merit, but if you no longer desire that gain, you need not have it!"

Marvellous to relate, as soon as St.Francis had uttered these words, every temptation was suddenly taken fro him, as though he had never experienced one in his life, and he remained wholly comforted. Praise be to Christ. Amen.

A vision of Purgatory on Earth (26b)

Two of those brothers did not live long after their conversion, and entered into Paradise. But the third, surviving them, and thinking of his sins, gave himself up to doing great penitence for fifteen years continually. During that time St.Francis passed on from this miserable life.

When this man had continued his severe penitence for many years it happened that one night, after Matins, he was overcome by so strong a temptation to sleep that he could not resist and keep his vigil as usual. At last he went to his bed to sleep, and suddenly, as he had laid down his head, he was rapt up and carried away in spirit onto a high mountain. Beside it was a deep chasm, in which here and there sharp rocks and pointed stones and uneven cliffs jutted out, so that it was a fearful thing to look down into that chasm. And the angel who was leading that friar pushed him and hurled him down into the precipice, and turning over and over from rock to rock and stone to stone, he at last fell to the bottom of the chasm with all his limbs crushed and broken, as it seemed to him. And as he lay thus injured, on the grond, his guide said to him: "Get up, for you have still a long way to go!"

The friar answered: "You seem to me to be an unwise and cruel man, for you see me lying here at the point of death by the fall you caused me, and now you tell me to get up!" Then the angel came close to him and touched him, and all his limbs were whole and he was healed. Then he showed him a great plain full of sharp and cutting stones and of thorns and thistles, and he told him that he must walk over that plain with bare feet until he reached the end, where he saw a glowing furnace, and he must enter into it. And when the friar had traversed that plain in great anguish and pain, the angel said to him: "Enter into that furnace, for so you must do." And he answered: "Woe is me, what cruel guide you are! You see me on the point of death after passing over that terrible plain, and now to rest me you tell me to go into that glowing furnace!" And looking around him, he saw round the furnace many demons with iron prongs in the hands, and, as he hesitated to enter, they pushed him in suddenly with their prongs.

When he had entered into the furnace he looked round and saw one who had been his godfather who was all in flames, and he asked him: "O my poor godfather, how did you get here?" And he answered: "Come a little further, and you will find your godmother, my wife, and she will tell you the reason of our damnation." The friar went a little further, and there he saw his said godmother burning brightly, surrounded by a measure of grain that was on fire. He asked her: "O my unfortunate and miserable godmother, how did you come to such cruel torments?" And she answered: "At the time of great famine, which St.Francis had foretold, my husband and I falsified the measures of grain and corn we sold, and for that reason I am burning enclosed in this measure."

When she had said these words, the angel who led the friar pushed him outside the furnace and said to him: "Prepare yourself for a terrible journey which you must now undertake!" And the friar complained and said: "O you hard guide, have you no compassion for me? You see that I have been almost burnt to death in that furnace, and now you want to take me on a terrible journey!" Then the angel touched him and made him whole and strong, and then he led him to a bridge which could not be passed without great danger, for it was very frail and narrow and exceedingly slippery, and below it flowed a terrible river full of snakes, dragons and scorpions, which threw out a horrible stench. And the angel said: "Pass over this bridge, for you must cross over it at all costs." And he answered: "And how will I be able to cross it without falling into that fearful river?" The angel said: "Follow me and ut your foot where you see me put mine, and so you will cross over safely."

So the friar followed the angel as he had told him, until he came to the middle of the bridge, and when he was there he angel flew away and, leaving him, alighted on a high mountain very far beyond the bridge. He gazed at the place to which the angel had flown, but, staying behind without a guide and looking down, he saw those terrible beasts thrusting their heads out of the water and opening their mouths, ready to devour him if he should fall. He was so afraid that he did not know what to do or what to say, for he could neither turn back nor go forward. Then, seeing himself in such tribulations with no other refuge than God, he bent down and embraced the bridge and with all his heart and with tears, he recommended himself to God, entreating Him in His most holy mercy to succour him. And when he had prayed, it seemed to hm that he was beginning to put on wings, and therefore he waited with great joy for them to grow so that he might fly away from that bridge to the place where the angel had alighted. But as he did not wait for them to grow perfectly, he fell back on to the bridge and his wings fell off. And it seemed to him that he had waited a hundred and fifty years, or more. In the end he made a supreme effort and lifted himself into the air, and he flew up to the place where the angel had alighted.

And he knocked at the door of the palace in which the angel was, and the porter asked him: "Who are you that have come here?" The friar said: "I am a Brother Minor." The porter replied: "Wait for me, I will go and fetch St.Francis to know whether he recognizes you." While he went to seek St.Francis, the friar began to look round at the marvellous walls of that palace, and they seemed to him to be translucent with light, so that he could see distinctly the choirs of saints within and all that was happening there.

And as he was gazing in amazement, St.Francis appeared and Brother Bernard and Brother Giles, and behind St.Francis such a multitude of holy men and women who had followed the example of his life that they seemed innumerable. When St.Francis had come to him, he said to the porter: "Let him come in, for he is one of my brothers." As soon as he had entered, he experienced such sweetness and consolation that he forgot all the tribulations he had suffered, as though they had never been. And then St.Francis, leading him into the palace, showed him any marvellous things and said to him: "My son, now you must return to the world and stay there seven days, in which you must prepare yourself with great diligence and devotion, for after seven days I shall come for you, and you will be with me in this abode of the blessed."

When the friar returned to himself and became conscious, the brethren were ringing for Prime, although it seemed to him that it had lasted many years. And when he had related to his guardian all he had seen in due manner, within seven days he became feverish, and on the eighth day St.Francis, as he had promised, came for him with a great multitude of glorious saints, and led his soul to the blessed kingdom of life eternal. Praised be Christ, Amen.

How three robbers were converted and became brethren of St.Francis (26a)

At that time three notorious robbers were in the district called Monte Cassale, and they perpetrated many evil deeds in the neighbourhood. One day they came to the House of the brethren and asked the guardian, Brother Angelo, to give them some food.

The guardian answered them as follows, reproving them harshly: "You robbers and cruel murderers, you are not ashamed to rob the fruit of other men's labours and now you would dare to devour the very alms given to the servants of God! You are not worthy that the earth should carry you, for you have no reverence, neither for men nor for God who created you. Get away to your business, and do not show yourselves again here!" Thereupon they went away perturbed and in high dudgeon.

And then St.Francis returned with a bag full of bread and a vessel of wine, which had been give to him and his companion outside.

When the guardian told him how he had chased away the robbers, St.Francis reprimanded him severely, saying: ' You have behaved in a cruel manner, and sinners are brought back to God far better by kindness than by cruel reproofs; therefore our Lord Jesus Christ, whose Gospel we have vowed to observe, says that the whole have no need of a physician, only the infirm, and that He had not come to call the just, but to call the sinners to repentance, and for that reason He would often eat with them. Because of this thing, then, which you have done against charity and against the Holy Gospel of Christ, I command you by holy obedience that you immediately take this bag of bread I have been given, and this vessel of wine, and follow them carefully over the hills and valleys until you find them, and offer them all this bread and wine as a gift from me, and then kneel down before them and confess to them the sin of your cruelty with humility. Then entreat them in my name to do not more ill, but to fear God and not offend their neighbour, and if they will do that, I promise to provide for their need and to give them food and drink continually. And when you have told them that, return here in all humility.

While the said guardian was on his way to carry out the command of St.Francis, the holy father entered into prayer and entreated the Lord to soften the hearts of those robbers and convert them to penitence. The obedient guardian arrived before them and presented the bread and the wine to them, doing and saying as St.Francis had bidden him.

And as it pleased God, while these robbers were consuming them alms of St.Francis, they began to say to each other: "Woe to us miserable unfortunate men, what terrible torments await us in hell. Truly, these friars are saints of God, who deserve to enter Paradise." These and similar words were spoken by one of them, and the other two said: " For sure, you are speaking the truth, but look, what are we to do?"

"Let us go," said he "to St.Francis, and if he gives us hope that we may find mercy with God for our sins, let us do what he commands, then we can free and save our souls from the torments of hell."

The others were pleased with this advice, and so they agreed all three and came in haste to St.Francis and said to him: "Father, because of the many and terrible sins that we have committed, we do not think we can find mercy with God; but if you have any hope that God would receive us mercifully, see, we are ready to do what you tell us and to do penitence with you."

The St.Francis, receiving them charitably and with loving kindness, comforted them with many examples and assured them of the infinite mercy of God, saying that if we had unlimited sins, he told hem how the Apostle, St.Paul, had said: "Christ, the blessed One, came into the world to save sinners." And by these words and similar admonitions the three robbers were moved to renounce the devil and all his works, and St.Francis received them into the Order, and they began to do great penitence.

How St.Francis healed a leper in body and soul (25)

The true disciple of Christ, our father St.Francis, while he lived this miserable life, strove with all his might to follow Christ, the perfect teacher. Therefore it happened several times by divine operation that those whose body he healed were healed in spirit by God in the same hour, as we read of Christ. And for this reason he not only gladly tended the lepers, but had also ordered that the brethren of his Order, wherever they happened to be, should serve the lepers for the love of Christ, who for our sakes wiled to be accounted a leper.

It happened that in a place near that in which St.Francis then dwelt, the brothers were serving in a hospital of lepers and other sick men; among these was a leper so impatient, unbearable and arrogant that everybody was sure that he was possessed by the devil, and this was the case. He not only abused everyone who tended him with words and blows most shamefully, but what was worse, he blasphemed most foully against our blessed Lord Jesus Christ and His mot holy mother, the Virgin Mary, so that nobody could be found who wanted to serve him. In the end they decided to abandon the said leper to his own devices. But they did not want to do so before they had reported to St.Francis, who was then living in a hermitage nearby. And when this had been reported to him, St.Francis went to see this perverse leper, and when he came to him, he greeted him with the words: "God give you peace, my dearest brother." Thereupon the leper replied rudely: "and what peace could I get from God, who has taken my peace and all I had from me, and made me rot and stink?" St.Francis said: "Have patience, for the infirmities of the body are given us by God in this world for the salvation of our souls. They are of great merit, if we endure them with patience."

The sick man answered: "And how could I endure the incessant pain which afflicts me day and night patiently and I am not only afflicted by my infirmity, but even worse by the friars you gave me to look after me, who do not tend me as they should."

Then St.Francis, understanding by divine revelation that this leper was possessed by an evil spirit, entered into prayer and prayed God most devoutly for him. And when he had ended his prayer, he returned to him and said, "My son, I will tend you myself, as you are not satisfied with the others." "I am content," said the leper, "but what could you do for me more than they do?" St.Francis answered: "I will do whatever you wish."

The leper said: "I want you to wash me all over, for I stink so that I cannot bear myself."

St.Francis immediately caused water to be heated with many fragrant herbs, then he undressed the leper and began to wash him with his hands, and another friar poured water over him; and, by a divine miracle, wherever St.Francis touched him with his holy hands the leprosy vanished and healthy flesh remained. And as the flesh began to be healed, so also the soul began to be healed, for when the leper saw that he was being cured, he began to feel great compunction and repentance for his sins and to weep bitterly, so that, as the body was outwardly cleansed of the leprosy by laving it with water, so the soul was inwardly purified of sin by contrition and tears. And when he was completely healed in body and soul, he humbly confessed his sins and said, weeping aloud: "Woe unto me, for I am worthy of hell for the insults and injuries I have given the brothers, and for the impatience and blasphemy I have offered to God!"

For a fortnight he continued to weep bitterly for his sins and to implore God to be merciful to him, and he made a general confession to the priest.

And St.Francis, seeing this miracle that God had wrought through his hands, thanked the Lord and departed from that place, going to a far distance for there, for in his humility he desired to flee from all human glory, and in all his works he only sought the honour and glory of God and never his own.

Then it pleased God that he said leper, healed in body and soul, after a fortnight of penitence sickened of another disease and armed with the sacraments of the Church, died in a saintly manner. And his soul, going to paradise, appeared in the air to St.Francis who was praying in a wood, and St.Francis received great consolation therefrom.