St Bonaventure’s Life of St Francis : Chapter 3 : 4-5

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 3 : Of the founding of his Order, and the sanction of the Rule

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1. Not long after, five men were called by the same Spirit, and thus the sons of Francis numbered six; 

2. the third place among them fell unto the holy Father Giles[1], a man verily filled with God and worthy to be famed in remembrance. 

3. For he became afterward noted for the practice of lofty virtues, even as the servant of the Lord had foretold concerning him, and, albeit he was uneducated[2] and simple, he was exalted unto the heights of sublime contemplation. 

4. For while for a long space of time he was continuously absorbed in uplifting of the heart unto God; during this time he was so often snatched up unto Him in ecstasies

5. (even as I myself beheld with the witness of mine own eyes), that he might be considered as living among men an angelic rather than a human life.

Footnotes

[1] Giles: c. 1190-1262. Aegidius in the Latin text. St Aegidius (or Giles) was a 7th century Greek ascetic who lived in France.

[2] “uneducated”: St Bonaventure’s Latin text has “idiota.”.According to the original Greek word, idiota means private, simple, uneducated or peculiar, rather than foolish or stupid.

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Brother Sylvester (standing) with St Francis (kneeling). Exorcism
 of demons at Arezzo, by Giotto (1297-9). Basilica of San Francesco
 d'Assisi. Public domain. Wikimedia Commons.

1. Moreover, about that same time, a certain priest of the city of Assisi, Sylvester by name[1], a man of honourable life, received from the Lord a vision not to be passed over in silence. 

2. For since, taking a human perspective, he had looked askance at the manner of life of Francis and his Brethren, he was visited – lest he should be imperilled by his rash judgement – by the regard of heavenly grace. 

3. For in a dream he beheld the whole city of Assisi beset by a great dragon[2], whose huge bulk seemed to threaten all the countryside with destruction. 

4. Then he saw a Cross of gold proceeding out of the mouth of Francis, the top whereof touched Heaven[3], and its arms outstretched at the side seemed to reach unto the ends of the world, and at its glittering aspect that foul and loathsome dragon was utterly put to flight[4]. 

5. When this had been thrice shewn unto him, he deemed it a divine portent and related the events of his dream in their order unto the man of God and his Brethren; and not long after this he left the world[5], and adhered so constantly to the footsteps of Christ that his life in the Order rendered true the vision that he had received while yet in the world.

Footnotes

[1] Sylvester: 1175-1240. A canon of the Cathedral of San Rufino in Assisi.

[2] Cf. “And there was a great dragon in that place, and the Babylonians worshipped him”: Daniel xiv, 22 et seq. 

[3] Cf. “And he [Jacob] saw in his sleep a ladder standing upon the earth, and the top thereof touching heaven: the angels also of God ascending and descending by it”: Gen. xxviii, 12.

[4] Cf. “Thou shalt walk upon the asp and the basilisk: and thou shalt trample under foot the lion and the dragon”: Ps. XC, 13.

[5] i.e., in order to follow “the manner of life of Francis and his Brethren.”

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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.