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| “The Bishop, marvelling at such exceeding fervour in the man of God...covered him with his own cloak.” St Francis renounces his earthly father, by Sassetta (1437-44). National Gallery, London. Wikimedia Commons. Sailko: CC BY 3.0 Unported license. |
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
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1. Then this father according unto the flesh was fain to take this son of grace, now stripped of his wealth, before the Bishop of the city, so that into his hands he might resign his claim unto his inheritance and render up all that had been his.
2. This that true lover of poverty shewed himself right ready to do, and coming into the Bishop’s presence, he brooked no delays and was kept back of none, tarried for no speech nor spake himself, but at once took off all his garments and restored them unto his father.
3. Then was the man of God seen to have a hair-shirt next his skin under his rich apparel.
4. Yea more: as one drunk with wondrous fervour of spirit he threw aside even his underwear and stood up naked in the presence of all, saying unto his father: “Hitherto I have called thee my father on earth, but henceforth I can confidently say ‘Our Father, who art in heaven,’[1] with whom I have laid up my whole treasure[2], and on whom I have set my whole trust and hope.”
5. The Bishop, seeing this and marvelling at such exceeding fervour in the man of God, rose forthwith and, weeping, put his arms round him; then, devout and kindly man as he was, covered him with the cloak wherewith he himself was clad, bidding his servants give him something to clothe his limbs withal.
6. Then there was brought unto him a mean and rough overcoat of a farm-servant of the Bishop. This Francis gladly received, and with a piece of chalk that he chanced upon, he marked it with his own hand with the sign of the Cross, thus making it a garment meet for a man crucified, poor and half naked.
7. Thus, then, the servant of the Most High King was left naked, so that he might follow the naked and crucified Lord Whom he loved[3].
8. Thus was he fortified with the Cross, so that he might entrust his soul unto that wood of salvation that should bring him forth unscathed from the shipwreck of the world.
Footnotes
[1] Matt. vi, 9-13.
[2] Cf. “Lay not up to yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust, and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal. For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also.” Matt. vi. 19-21.
[3] Cf. “And [Job] said: ‘Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord so is it done: blessed be the name of the Lord.’” Job i, 21.
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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.
The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.
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.
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