St Bonaventure’s Life of St Francis : Chapter 4 : 1

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 4 : Of the advancement of the Order under his hand, and of the confirmation of the Rule already sanctioned

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“They had the protection of heaven when in the company

of the man of God.” Francis of Assisi, by Jusepe de Ribera

(1643).  Palatine Gallery, Florence. 

Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

1. Thenceforward Francis, relying on the favour of heaven and on the Papal authority, made his way with all confidence toward the valley of Spoleto[1], that he might both live and teach the Gospel of Christ. 

2. While he was holding converse with his companions on the road as to how they might observe in sincerity the Rule that they had professed, how they might walk in all holiness and righteousness[2] before God, how they might progress among themselves and be an example unto others, their discussion was prolonged and the hours slipped by. 

3. At last, wearied with the length of their toilsome way and also being hungry, they found themselves in a certain lonely place.

4. Then verily, having no means whereby they might provide themselves with the food they needed, the providence of God came speedily unto their aid. 

5. For, all of a sudden, there appeared a man carrying bread in his hand which he gave unto the little poor ones of Christ; then, just as suddenly, he vanished without any man knowing whence he came or whither he went[3]. 

6. The poor Brethren, realising from this that they had the protection of heaven when in the company of the man of God, were refreshed more by the gift of the divine generosity than by the actual food of the body.

7. Moreover, filled with divine consolation, they firmly resolved and irrevocably confirmed they would never resile from their vow of holy poverty even when under the pressure of hunger or other afflictions.

Footnotes

[1] Spoleto is a town about 45 miles to the south of Assisi.

[2] Cf. “That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear, In holiness and justice before him, all our days”: Luke i, 74-5.

[3] Cf. “And (He) had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them the bread of heaven. Man ate the bread of angels: he sent them provisions in abundance”: Ps. LXXVII, 24-25; “He filled them with the bread of heaven”: Ps. CIV, 40. 

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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.