St Bonaventure’s Life of St Francis : Chapter 5 : 7

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 V : Of the austerity of his life and of how all created things afforded him comfort

- 7 -

 “He taught them to follow prudence...that which
Christ taught.” Penitent St Francis, by Antonio del
Castillo y Saavedra (1660). Gemäldegalerie, Berlin.
Sailko (CC BY 3.0) via Wikimedia mCommons.

1. Even though he sought with all his might to lead the Brethren to lead an austere life, yet the utmost rigour of severity pleased him not – such rigour as hath no bowels of compassion[1], nor is flavoured with the salt of discretion[2]. 

2. On a certain night, one of the Brethren by reason of his excessive abstinence was so tormented by hunger that he could take no repose. The kindly shepherd, perceiving the danger that threatened his sheep, called the Brother and set bread before him. In order to spare him any embarrassment, he began first to eat himself, then gently bade him to partake. 

3. The Brother, laying aside his shamefastness, took the food, rejoicing exceedingly that through the wise kindliness of his shepherd he had both escaped bodily peril and had received no small example of edification withal. 

4. When morning came, and the Brethren had been called together, the man of God related that which had befallen in the night, adding the sage exhortation: “Be the act of love, not the food, an example unto you, my Brethren.” 

5. Moreover, he taught them to follow prudence, as the charioteer of the virtues[3] – not that prompted by the flesh – but that which Christ taught[4], Whose most holy life is acknowledged to be the express image of perfection.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience”: Col. iii, 12.

[2] Cf. “Let your speech be always in grace seasoned with salt: that you may know how you ought to answer every man.” Col. iv, 6.

[3] Cf. the treatment of Prudence by Aquinas, guiding the virtues of Justice, Temperance and Fortitude: ST. II-II. Q47.

[4] E.g.: “Every one therefore that heareth these my words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock,  and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock.” Matt. vii, 24-25.

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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.