 The
Lord granted me, Brother Francis to begin to do penance in this
way: while I was in sin, it seemed very bitter to me to see lepers.
And the Lord himself led me among them and I had mercy upon them.
And when I left them that which seemed bitter to me was changed
into sweetness of soul and body; and afterward I lingered a little
and left the world.
And the Lord gave me such faith in churches that I would simply
pray and speak in this way: 'We adore You, Lord Jesus Christ, in
all your churches throughout the world, and we bless you, for through
your holy cross you have redeemed the world."
Afterward the Lord gave me and still gives me such faith in priests
who live according to the manner of the holy Roman Church because
of their order, that if they were to persecute me, I would still
have recourse to them. And if I possessed as much wisdom as Solomon
had and I came upon pitiful priests of this world, I would not preach
contrary to their will in the parishes in which they live. And I
desire to fear, love, and honor them and all others as my masters.
And I do not wish to consider sin in them because I discern the
Son of God in them and they are my masters. And I act in this way
since I see nothing corporally of the Most High Son of God in this
world except his most holy body and blood which they receive and
which they administer to others. And these most holy mysteries I
wish to have honored above all things and to be reverenced and to
have them reserved in precious places. Wherever I come across his
most holy written words in unbecoming places, I desire to gather
them up and I ask that they be collected and placed in a suitable
place. And we should honor and respect all theologians and those
who minister the most holy divine words as those who minister spirit
and life to us.
Life Together
And after the Lord gave me brothers, no one showed me what I should
do, but the Most High himself revealed to me that I should live
according to the form of the Holy Gospel. And I had this written
down simply and in a few words and the Lord Pope confirmed it for
me. And those who came to receive life gave to the poor everything
which they were capable of possessing and they were content with
one tunic, patched inside and out, with a cord and short trousers.
And we had no desire for anything more. We who were clerics used
to say the Office as other clerics did; the lay brothers said the
Our Father; and we quite willingly stayed in churches.
And we were simple and subject to all.
And I used to work with my hands, and I still desire to work; and
I firmly wish that all my brothers give themselves to honest work.
Let those who do not know how to work learn, not from desire of
receiving wages for their work but as an example and in order to
avoid idleness. And when we are not paid for our work, let us have
recourse to the table of the Lord, seeking alms from door to door.
The Lord revealed to me a greeting, as we used to say: "May the
Lord give you peace.
Poverty and Obedience
Let the brothers beware that they by no means receive churches or
poor dwellings or anything which is built for them, unless it is
in harmony with that holy poverty which we have promised in the
Rule, and let them always be guests there as pilgrims and strangers.
And I firmly command all of the brothers through obedience that
,wherever they are, they should not be so bold as to seek any letter
from the Roman Curia either personally or through an intermediary,
neither for a church or for some other place or under the guise
of preaching or even for the persecution of their bodies; but wherever
they have not been received , let them flee into another country
to do penance with the blessing of God.
And I firmly wish to obey the minister general of this fraternity
and another guardian whom it might please him to give me. And I
wish to be so captive in his hands that I cannot go anywhere or
do anything beyond obedience and his will, for he is my master.
And although I may be simple and infirm, I wish nonetheless always
to have a cleric who will celebrate the Office for me as it is contained
in the Rule. And all the brothers are bound to obey their guardians
and to celebrate the Office according to the Rule.
And if any are found who do not celebrate the Office according to
the Rule and who wish to alter it in any way or who are not Catholics,
let all the brothers be obliged through obedience that wherever
they come upon such a brother they must bring him to the custodian
who is nearest to that place where they have found him.
And the custodian is strictly bound through obedience to guard him
strongly as a prisoner day and night, so that he cannot be snatched
from his hands until he can personally deliver him into the hands
of his minister and the minister is strictly bound through obedience
to send him with the brothers who shall guard him as a prisoner
day and night until they deliver him before the Lord of Ostia who
is the master, protector, and corrector of the entire fraternity.
The Covenant
And let the brothers not say: this is another rule; because this
is a remembrance, an admonition, an exhortation, and my testament,
which I, little Brother Francis, prepare for all of you, my blessed
brothers, so that we may observe in a more Catholic manner the rule
which we have promised the Loes.
And the minister general and all other ministers and custodians
are bound through obedience not to add or to subtract from these
words. And let them always have this writing with them along with
the Rule. And in all the chapters which they hold, when they read
the Rule, let them also read these words. And I through obedience
strictly command all my brothers, cleric and lay, not to place glosses
on the Rule or on these words, saying: they are to be understood
in this way. But as the Lord has granted me to speak and to write
the Rule and these words simply and purely, so shall you understand
them simply and without gloss, and observe them with their holy
manner of working until the end.
And whoever shall have observed these things, may he be filled in
heaven with the blessing of the most high Father and on earth with
the blessing of his beloved Son with the most Holy Spirit the Paraclete
and with all the powers of heaven and all the saints.
And I, little brother Francis, your servant, in as much as I can,
confirm for you this most holy blessing both within and without.
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