St Bonaventure’s Life of St Francis : Chapter 2 : 7

“Francis... recalled unto mind the obedience laid upon him by the Crucifix.”
The Miracle of the Crucifix from the Legend of St Francis by Giotto (1297-99).
Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi. Public domain.

The following posts present The Life of St Francis (1181-1226) written by St Bonaventure (1221-1274) who joined the Franciscan Order in 1243. Confirmed as Minister General in 1257, he later wrote this life of St Francis (Legenda Major Sancti Francisci, c1260-63).

I offer this annotated presentation of St Bonaventure’s biography firstly as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for her many graces and favours, at the same time praying she will continue to provide help and protection for the author and his family; and secondly, to honour and thank St Francis whose name I received at my Confirmation in 1961 when I was seven years old.

This presentation of St Bonaventure’s Life of St Francis is based on E. Gurney Slater’s English translation published in 1904, to which I have added Scriptural excerpts and occasional comments in footnotes.

Chapter 2 : Of his perfect conversion unto God and of the repairing of three churches 

- 7 -

1. Francis, now established in the humility of Christ, recalled unto mind the obedience laid upon him by the Crucifix as to the repairing of the church of Saint Damian[1], and like one truly obedient returned unto Assisi, that he might, if even by begging, obtain means to accomplish the divine behest. 

2. Laying aside all shamefastness for the love of the Poor Man Crucified, he went about begging from those who had known him in his affluence, bearing the loads of stones on his frail body[2] and worn with fasting.

3. When the aforesaid church had been repaired – the Lord helping him and the devotion of the citizens coming unto his aid – in order that his body after its toil might not relax in sloth, he then turned to repair the church of Saint Peter, at some distance from the city, by reason of the especial devotion that in the purity of his sincere faith he had for the Prince of the Apostles[3].

Footnotes

[1] A third century physician who, with his brother Cosmas, was martyred for his Christian faith under the persecutions of Diocletian in 287 AD. Their feast is celebrated on the 27 September.

[2] Cf. “Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you.” Matt. xi, 28.

[3] It is worth recalling that Francis’ earthly father was also called Peter: Pietro di Bernardone.

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The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have lifeeverlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.