St Bonaventure’s Life of St Francis : Chapter 3 : 8

St Francis in prayer, by Cigoli (1597-9). Hermitage
Museum, St Petersburg. Public domain via Wikimedia
Commons.

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

- 8 -

1. Now when the servant of Christ perceived that the number of the Brethren was gradually increasing, he wrote for himself and for his Brethren a Rule[1] for their life in simple words. Herein the observance of the Holy Gospel was set as the inseparable foundation, and some few other points were added that seemed necessary for a consistent manner of life. 

2. Desiring, however, to have what he had written approved by the Supreme Pontiff[2], he arranged to go with that simple group of his to the presence of the Apostolic See, relying solely on divine guidance.

3. God from on high had regard unto his desire and fortified the minds of his companions, who were afeared at the thought of his guilelessness, by a vision shewn unto the man of God after this wise. 

4. It seemed unto him that he was walking along a certain road, near by which stood a very lofty tree. 

5. When he had drawn nigh unto it, and was standing beneath it, wondering at its height, on a sudden he was so raised on high by the divine might as that he touched the top of the tree, and bent down its highest branches unto its roots right easily. 

6. Filled with the Spirit of God, Francis, understood the portent of this vision to refer to the stooping of the Apostolic See unto his desire; wherefore he was gladdened in spirit and his Brethren were strengthened in the Lord; and thus he set forth with them on the journey.

Footnotes

[1] Pope Innocent III (1198–1216).

[2] There were to be three Rules before St Francis died: (i) The Primitive Rule (1209): a short collection of Gospel verses; (ii) the Unconfirmed Rule (1221) with some 23 chapters; and (iii) the Confirmed Rule (1223), comprising twelve chapters.

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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.