St Bonaventure’s Life of St Francis : Chapter 4 : 2-3

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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1. Thus they returned in their holy intent unto the valley of Spoleto, and began to discuss whether they ought to live among men, or to betake themselves unto lonely places. 

2. But Francis, the servant of Christ, trusting not in his own efforts or those of his Brethren, with importunate prayer enquired the pleasure of the divine will concerning this. 

3. Then he was illumined by a divinely revealed oracle, and understood that he had been sent by the Lord unto this end: that he might win for Christ the souls that the devil was striving to carry off. 

4. Wherefore he chose to live rather for all men than for his single self, inspired by the example of Him who brooked to die[1], one Man for all[2].

Footnotes

[1] “brooked to die”: i.e., was willing to endure death. 

[2] Cf. “And Christ died for all; that they also who live, may not now live to themselves, but unto him who died for them, and rose again”: 2 Cor. v, 15.

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“We adore Thee, O Christ...and we bless Thee because

by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.” 
St Francis, by Rubens (1615). Art Institute of Chicago.
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

1. Accordingly, the man of God returned with the rest of his companions unto a certain deserted hut nigh the city of Assisi, wherein they lived after the pattern of holy poverty in much toil and necessity[1], seeking to be refreshed rather with the bread of tears than of luxury[2]. 

2. For they gave themselves up continuously unto divine prayers, being earnest in the practice of devout mental prayer rather than spoken prayers, for they had not yet any ecclesiastical books wherein they might chant the Canonical Hours. 

3. In the absence of such, they meditated day and night on the book of the Cross of Christ, continuously looking thereupon, by the example of their Father, and taught by his discourse, for he continually spake unto them concerning the Cross of Christ. 

4. When the Brethren besought him to teach them how to pray, he said: “When ye pray, say ‘Our Father,’ and: ‘We adore Thee, O Christ, in all Thy churches that be in the whole world, and we bless Thee because by Thy holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.’”[3] 

5. Moreover, he taught them to praise God in all things[4] and through all His creatures, to reverence priests with an especial honour, firmly holding and simply confessing the true faith, according as the Holy Roman Church doth both hold and teach it[5]. 

6. The Brethren observed the instructions of the holy Father in all things, and, using the form of prayer that he had given unto them, would humbly prostrate themselves before all churches and crosses that they beheld, even from a distance.

Footnotes

[1] Cf, “In labour and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness”: 2 Cor. xi, 27.

[2] Cf. “How long wilt thou feed us with the bread of tears: and give us for our drink tears in measure?” Ps. LXXIX, 6.

[3] “This prayer by St. Francis was inspired by the Antiphon: Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi; quia per sanctam Crucem tuam redemisti mundi, which was part of the Liturgy for Good Friday. This Antiphon has a long and venerable history as a prayer in and of itself. Pope St. Gregory the Great (590-604) recommended it (Liber Responsalis, PL 78, 805) as did the monk Arnulphe (Documenta Vitae Religiosae, PL 184, 1177).”: See “Adoramus te” in Preces latinae (©copyrighted by Michael Martin).

[4] Cf. “Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In all things give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you all”: 1 Thess. v, 16-18.

[5] Cf. “I, N, with a firm faith believe and profess each and everything which is contained in the Creed which the Holy Roman Church maketh use of.” This is the first line of the Professio fidei Tridentina / the Tridentine profession of Faith, issued in 1565 by Pope Pius IV in his bull “Iniunctum nobis” under the auspices of the Council of Trent.

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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.