thomas of celano, one of the brothers of st. francis' first order, was asked by pope gregory IX to write a biography of francis several years after his death in 1226 and this was finished in 1229.
following are some excerpts which, as usual, i share because of some personal impact/interest.
changed, therefore, but in mind, not in body, he refused to go to apulia and he strove to bend his own will to the will of God. accordingly, he withdrew for a while from the bustle and the business of the world and tried to establish Jesus Christ dwelling within himself. like a prudent business man, he hid the treasure he had found from the eyes of the deluded and, having sold all his possessions, he tried to buy it secretly...he shared this secret treasure with a friend...he, who was already holy by reason of his holy purpose, would enter a grotto, while his companion would wait for him outside; and filled with a new and singular spirit, he would pray to his Father in secret. he wanted no one to know what he did within, and taking the occasion of the good to wisely conceal the better, he took counsel with god alone concerning his holy proposal. he prayed devoutly that..God would direct his way and teach him to do his will. he bore the greatest sufferings in mind and was not able to rest until he should have completed in deed what he had conceived in his heart; various thots succeeded one another and their importunity disturbed him greatly. he was afire within himself with a divine fire and he was not able to hide outwardly the ardor of his mind; he repented that he had sinned so grievously and had offended..god's majesty and neither the past evils nor those present gave him any delight.
when he was brought before the bishop of assisi by his father, he would suffer no delay or hesitation in anything; indeed, he did not wait for any words nor did he speak any, but immediately putting off his clothes and casting them aside, he gave them back to his father. moreover, not even retaining his trousers, he stripped himself completely naked before all. (his father was a merchant who wanted his son to follow him in the business and in his worldly way of living. upon hearing of francis' change and also knowing that he had sold some of his merchandise and given it to the church, had sought thru abuse and intimidation to sway his son to his desire.)
about the above incident in thomas of celano's second life of francis..at the urging of the bishop of the city, a very pious man, who informed him that it was not lawful to spend anything fro sacred uses that had been gotten unlawfully, francis gave up to his father the money he had wanted to spend for restoring the church. in the hearing of many who had come together, he said; 'from now on i can freely say our father who art in heaven, not father peter bernardone, to whom, behold, i give up not only the money, but all my clothes too. i will therefore go naked to the Lord'.
then the holy lover of complete humility went to the lepers and lived with them, serving them most diligently..and washing all foulness from them..just as he said in his testament; 'when i was in sins, it seemed extremely bitter to me to look at lepers and the lord Himself led me among them and i practiced mercy with them'. so greatly loathsome was the sight of lepers to him at one time, he used to say, that..he would look at their houses only from a distance of 2 miles and he would hold his nostrils with his hands'..
..meanwhile francis, having put on a new kind of habit and having repaired the ..church , went to another place near the city of assisi, where he began to rebuild a certain dilapidated and well-nigh destroyed church..then he went to another place , which is called the portiuncula...and began to repair this church. at this time he wore a kind of hermit's dress, with a leather girdle about his waist; he carried a staff in his hands and wore shoes on his feet.
but when on a certain day the Gospel was read in that church, how the lord sent His disciples out to preach, the holy man of God, assisting there, understood somewhat the words of the Gospel; after mass he humbly asked the priest to explain the Gospel to him more fully. when he had set forth for him in order all these things,..francis, hearing that the disciples of Christ should not possess gold or silver or $; nor carry along the way scrip or wallet or bread or a staff; that they should not have shoes or 2 tunics, but that they should preach the kingdom of God and penance, immediately cried out exultingly:
'this is what i wish, this is what i seek, this is what i long to do with all my heart'...he immediately put off his shoes..but aside the staff..was content with one tunic and exchanged his leather girdle for a small cord. he designed for himself a tunic that bore a likeness to the cross..a very rough tunic so that he might crucify the flesh..a very poor and mean tunic, one that would not excite the covetousness of the world...committing all that he had heard...tried diligently to carry it out to the letter.
..one day when he was wondering over the mercy of the Lord with regard to the gifts bestowed upon him, he wished that the course of his own life and that of his brothers (several others, seeing his example and lifestyle, had joined in the same with him) might be shown him by the Lord..he sought out a place of prayer..and he persevered there for a long time..and he thot..of the years he had spent wretchedly, frequently repeating this word: O God, be merciful to me the sinner. little by little a certain unspeakable joy and very great sweetness began to flood his innermost heart. he began to stand aloof from himself and, as his feelings were checked and the darkness that had gathered in his heart because of his fear of sin dispelled, there was poured into him a certainty that all his sins had been forgiven and a confidence of his restoration to grace was given him. he was then caught up above himself, and absorbed in a certain light; the capacity of his mind was enlarged and he would see clearly what was to come to pass. when this sweetness finally passed, along with the light, renewed in spirit, he seemed changed into another man.
at the same time also, when another good man had entered their religion,their number rose to 8. then..francis called them all together and telling them many things concerning the kingdom of God, the contempt of the world, the renunciation of their own will and the subduing of their own body, he separated them into 4 groups of 2 each and said.."go..announcing to men peace and repentance unto the forgiveness of sins; and be patient in tribulation, confident that the Lord will fulfull His purpose and His promise. to those who put questions to you, reply humbly; bless those who persecute you; give thanks to those who injure you and calumniate you; because for these things there is prepared for you an eternal kingdom'.
(francis and 11 (?) followers, after going to rome and gaining from the pope unofficial approval of them as an order -this, about 1209 when the first rule of the franciscan order was written by francis - were returning to assisi)...they went at that time to the spoleto valley. they all conferred together, as true followers justice, whether they should dwell among men or go to solitary places. but francis, who did not trust in his own skill, but had recourse to..prayer before all transactions, chose not to live for himself alone, but for Him who died for all, knowing that he was sent for this..
.francis..went about the towns and villages announcing the kingdom of god, preaching peace, teaching salvation and penance unto the remission of sins, not in the persuasive words of human wisdom, but with the learning and power of the Spirit. he acted boldly in all things, because of the apostolic authority granted to him, using no words of flattery or seductive blandishments. he did not know how to make light of the faults of others , but he knew well how to cut them out; neither did he encourage the life of sinners, but he struck hard at them with sharp reproof, for he had first convinced himself by practicing himself what he wished to persuade others to do by his words..
..spoke the truth boldly, so that even the most learned men..wondered at his words and were struck with wholesome fear by his presence. men ran, and women too ran, clerics hurried and religious hastened that they might see and hear the holy man of God who seemed to all to be a man of another world...it seemed at that time...that a new light had been sent from heaven upon this earth, shattering the widespread darkness that had so filled almost the whole region that hardly anyone knew where to go. fro so profound was the forgetfulness of god and the sleep of neglect of Hi commandments oppressing almost everyone that they could hardly be aroused even a little from their old and deeply rooted sins.
...how great was the love that flourished in the members of this pious society! for whenever they came together anywhere or met one another along the way, as the custom is, there a shoot of spiritual love sprang up, sprinkling over all love the seed of true affection. what more shall i say? chaste embraces, gentle feelings, a holy kiss, pleasing conversation, modest laughter, joyous looks, a single eye, a submissive spirit, a peaceable tongue, a mild answer, oneness of purpose, ready obedience, unwearied hand, all these were found in them...
..girt with a cord, they wore poor trousers and they had the pious intention of remaining like this and they wished to have nothing more. they were, therefore, everywhere secure...distracted by no care, they awaited the next day without solicitude....when they frequently lacked the necessary lodging amid the coldest weather, an oven sheltered them or at least they lay hid for the night humbly in grottos or caves. during the day, those who knew how labored with their hands, staying in the houses of lepers or in other decent places, serving all..
..the virtue of patience so took hold of them that they sought rather to be where they might suffer persecution of their bodies than where they might be lifted up by the favor of the world, when their holiness was known..for many times when they were insulted and ridiculed, stripped naked, beaten, bound, imprisoned, they did not protect themselves by means of anyone's patronage, but they bore all things so courageously that nothing but the voice of praise and thanksgiving resounded in their mouths...recalling by constant discussion what they had done , they gave thanks to God for what they had done well; for what they had neglected..they poured forth groans and tears..
they thot they were forsaken by God if they did not find themselves to be constantly visited in their devotions by their accustomed piety. for when they wanted to give themselves to prayer, they made use of certain means lest sleep should take hold of them: some were held erect by hanging ropes lest their prayers should be disturbed by sleep ..others put instruments of iron about their bodies..others wore wooden girdles of penance. if, as it can happen, their sobriety were disturbed by an abundance of food or drink or if because they were tired from a journey, they surpassed even a little the bounds of necessity, they mortified themselves very sharply by an abstinence of many days...they tried to repress the promptings of the flesh with such great mortification that often they did not refrain from stripping themselves naked in the coldest weather and from piercing their bodies all over with the points of thorns...
..francis most diligently examined himself and his brothers daily, even continually; and, suffering nothin in them of wantonness, he drove every negligence from their hearts. strict in discipline, he was watchful of his trust at all hours. for if, as happens, a temptation of the flesh at times assailed him, he would hurl himself into a ditch full of ice, when it was winter and remain in it until every vestige of anything carnal had departed.
(my note: on the one hand, who am i to question st. francis who is far above me spiritually. but on the other, in a great number of places in celano's life where francis is commanding others...i just wonder...i guess i have to go thru the new testament again but it seems that although Jesus, paul and others certainly were not shy about telling others the commands of God..very bold at times...but with them there seems to be a different spirit. somehow they themselves, except possibly Jesus, being God, seem to recede and the words of God 'step forward'. with francis i get a bit more of francis and less of God.
also, thomas of celano's writing comes across more subjective than objective. in my search for just facts, as i go on (now, well thru his second life of francis) i find myself wondering how much is fact and how much is 'adoration fluff'. in this reading i think i am coming to understand and appreciate the catholic church more than before, but one factor - which impresses negatively - is more pronounced. man seems, in the roman catholic schema, to be unduly exalted and God, though formulaicly exalted, seems to someone be moved to the background. it is a subtle but very real impression that i get.
there is a truer ring when i sense God is speaking to me about something than when a man is.
a second comment on self mortification. my impression in the reading of francis' life is that this is not the way. one sees a SELF in such self mortification. i feel much more comfortable with watchman nee's 'the spiritual man' approach which, if i read it correctly, emphasizes rather 1. our position of being crucified with, raised up and exalted in Christ and 2. prayer for grace to walk in this position, than physically depriving and hurting the body.
..the apostolic authority was strong in him, and he therefore refused entirely to offer flattery to kings and princes..
..he said to them that true obedience consists not only in doing things that are commanded in word, but even those merely thot of; not only in doing things commanded, but even things desired; for, 'if a brother, subject to a brother superior, not only hears his voice, but even understands his will, he must immediately give himself entirely to obedience and do what he understands him to will by some sign or other..
..for holy simplicity had so filled them..that they knew nothing of duplicity of mind. for, as there was one faith in them, so was there one spirit in them, one will, one love; there was unity of souls among them, harmony of behavior..
...oh how often, without any man telling him, but be means of a revelation of the Holy Spirit, francis knew the actions of his absent brothers, laid open the secrets of their hearts and explored their consciences? ..of how many did he not predict future evils, though their present conduct seemed good!
..scrutinizing the actions of all his brothers with cautious and diligent examination, he was concerned about his subjects out of a kindly curiosity; and he left nothing unpunished if he found something done that was less than good.
with all zeal, with all solicitude, he guarded holy lady poverty, not permitting any vessel of any kind to be in the house, lest it lead to superfluous things, when he could in some way avoid being subject to extreme necessity without it. for, he used to say, it is impossible to satisfy necessity and not give into pleasure. cooked foods he permitted himself scarcely at all or very rarely; and if he did allow them, he either mixed them with ashes or destroyed their flavor with cold water...if he were invited to dinner by great princes who venerated him..he would taste a bit of the meat in observance of the holy Gospel (eat what is set before you..) and then, making a pretense of eating by raising his hand to his mouth, lest anyone should perceive what he was doing, (my note: ?) he would drop the rest in his lap.
francis was not ashamed, when he had failed in something, to confess his failing in his preaching before all the people. indeed, if it happened that he had an evil thot about anyone or if he had on occasion spoken an angry word, he would immediately confess his sins with all humility to the one about whom he had had the evil thot and beg his pardon..
..francis sought always to put his hand to courageous deeds..he longed at the height of perfection..in the 6th year of his conversion (1212?), burning intensely with the desire for holy martyrdom, he wanted to take ship for the regions of syria to preach the christian faith and penance to the saracens and infidels. (he stowed away on a ship after being refused and the ship, thru storms was grounded.)
..(in 1219) he set out for syria, at a time when great and severe battles were raging daily between the christians and the pagans..before he gained access to the sultan, though he was captured by the sultan's soldiers, was insulted and beaten..though he was treated shamefully by many who were quite hostile and hateful toward him, he was nevertheless received very honorably by the sultan. the sultan honored him as much as he was able, and having given him many gifts, he tried to bend francis' mind toward..riches..but when he saw that francis..despised all these things..he was filled with the greatest admiration and he looked upon him as a man different from all others. he was deeply moved by his words and he listened to him very willingly. still..the Lord did not fulfill francis desire for martyrdom..
he came to a certain place near bevagna where a very great number of birds of various kinds had congregated, namely, doves, crows and some others popularly called daws. when..he saw them, being a man of very great fervor and great tenderness toward lower and irrational creatures, he left his companions in the road and ran eagerly toward the birds. when he was close enough to them, seeing that they were waiting expectantly for him, he greeted them in his usual way. but, not a little surprised that the birds did not rise in flight, as they usually do, he was filled with great joy and..begged them to listen to the word of God.
among the many things he spoke to them were these words..'my brothers, birds, you should praise your creator very much and always love Him..He gave you feathers to clothe you, wings so that you can fly and whatever else was necessary for you. God made you noble among His creatures, and He gave you a home in the purity of the air; though you neither sow nor reap, He nevertheless protects and governs you without any solicitude on your part. at these words..the birds, refoicing in a wonderful way..began to stretch their necks, extend their wings, open their mouths and gaze at him. francis..went thru them..and returned, touching their heads and bodies with his tunic. finally he blessed them and then..he gave them permission to fly away to some other place...he went on his way..he began to blame himself for negligence in not having preached to the birds before..and so it happened that, from that day on, he..admonished all birds, all animals and reptiles and even creatures that have no feeling, to praise and love their Creator..he saw their obedience by personal experience.
when he came one day to a city called alviano to preach the word of God, he went up..so that he would be seen by all and he began to ask for silence. but when the people had fallen silent and were standing reverently at attention, a flock of swallows, chattering and making a loud noise, were building nests in that same place. since..he could not be heard by the people over the chattering of the birds, he spoke to them saying: 'my sisters, swallows, it is now time for me to speak, for you have already spoken enough. listen to the word of the Lord and be silent and quiet until the word of the Lord is finished'. and those little birds, to the astonishment and wonder of the people standing by, immediately fell silent, and they did not move from that place until the sermon was finished...
once when he was staying at the town of greccio, a little rabbit that had been caught in a trap was brought alive to him by a certain brother...he was moved..and said: 'brother rabbit, come to me. why did you allow yourself to be deceived like this?' and as soon as the rabbit had been let go by the brother who held it , it fled to the saint, and, without being forced by anyone, it lay quiet in his bosom as the safest place possible. after he had rested there a little while..he..caressing it with motherly affection, released it so it could return free to the woods. but when it had been placed upon the ground several times and had retuned each time to the ..bosom, he finally commanded it to be carried ..to the nearby woods.
..even water was turned to wine for him , when on one occasion he was ..ill..
when he entered any city, the clergy rejoiced, the bells were rung, the men were filled with happiness, the women rejoiced together, the children clapped their hands and often, taking branches from the trees, they went to meet him singing..
my note: it seems thomas of celano, either on his own motivation and/or at the encouragement of others seeks to portray francis as a christ-figure. many times his actions, etc. are phrased in such a way that direct wording from scripture used to speak of Jesus or God is, italicized, written into the narrative. there is also a lot of what might be called 'adoring fluff' which i have attempted to edit out for sheer space. thus ends the first installment of quotes from thomas of celano's first life of st. francis (1229).
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