St Bonaventure’s Life of St Francis : Chapter 2 : 1

“Francis, before an Image of the Crucified, was carried out of himself in ecstasy.”
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 1 :  Of his perfect conversion unto God and of the repairing of the three churches 

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1. Forasmuch as the servant of the Most High had none to instruct him in this way except Christ, His mercy was now further vouchsafed unto him in visitations of His sweet grace. 

2. For on a certain day, when he had gone forth to meditate in the fields, he was walking nigh the church of Saint Damian[1], which from its exceeding great age was threatening to fall, and, at the prompting of the Spirit, went within to pray. Prostrating himself before an Image of the Crucified, he was filled with no small consolation of spirit as he prayed. 

3. And with eyes full of tears he gazed up, and he heard with his bodily ears a Voice proceeding from that Cross, saying thrice: “Francis, go and repair My House, which, as thou seest, is falling utterly into ruin.” 

4. Francis trembled, being alone in the church, and was astonished at the sound of such a wondrous Voice[2], and, perceiving in his heart the might of the divine speech, was carried out of himself in ecstasy. 

5. When at length he came unto himself again, he prepared to obey, and devoted himself wholly unto the behest to repair the material church; howbeit, the principal intent of the message had regard unto that Church which Christ had purchased with His own blood[3], even as the Holy Spirit taught him, and as he himself afterward revealed unto the Brethren.

6. Accordingly he rose up, and, fortifying himself with the sign of the Cross, he put together cloth stuffs for sale, and hastened unto the city that is called Foligno[4], and there sold the goods that he had brought and the horse whereon he had ridden. Then this joyful merchant, putting together his gains, departed 

7. on his return for Assisi, and there did reverently enter the church concerning whose repair he had received the command. Finding there a poor priest, he shewed him due reverence, and proffered him the money for the repair of the church, and the use of the poor, humbly petitioning that he would permit him to sojourn with him for a time. 

8. The priest granted him permission to sojourn there, but, for fear of his parents, refused the money, whereupon that true despiser of money[5] threw it on a window-ledge, valuing it no more than dust that is trodden under foot.

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. “And if you invoke as Father him who, without respect of persons, judgeth according to every one's work: converse in fear during the time of your sojourning here.” 1 Pet. i, 17.

[3] Cf. “Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Acts xx, 28..

[4] An ancient town of Italy (Roman Fulginium) in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, some 10 miles south of Assisi.

[5] In Luke xvi, where the Pharisees are described as “covetous” (Lat. avari), the Greek word is φιλάργυροι, “lovers of money.” This provides a direct contrast to the expression in the text: “despiser of money”

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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.