St Bonaventure’s Life of St Francis : Chapter 5 : 9

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

- 9 -

“The man of God was counselled by physicians to undergo cauterisation.”
From St Francis weeping (13c., artist n/k). The Sanctuary of Greccio,
near Rieti. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

1. At one time, the man of God was counselled by the physicians and urgently importuned by the Brethren to permit himself to be succoured by the remedy of cauterisation. He did humbly assent thereto, forasmuch as he perceived it to be both salutary and a trial. 

2. A surgeon was summoned and, having come, laid his iron instrument in the fire to prepare for the cauterising. 

3. Then the servant of Christ – consoling his body that at the sight shuddered in fear – began to address the fire as a friend, saying: “My Brother Fire, the Most High hath created thee beyond all other creatures mighty in thine enviable glory, fair, and useful. 

4. Be thou gracious unto me in this hour[1], and courteous.

5. I beseech the great Lord[2] who created thee[3], that He temper thy heat’s effect on me, so that I may be able to bear thy gentle burning.” 

6. His prayer ended, he made the Sign of the Cross over the iron instrument that was glowing at white heat from the fire. He then waited fearlessly for the cauterising iron to be impressed on his tender flesh, and he was cauterised from the ear unto the eyebrow. 

8. How much suffering the fire caused him the holy man himself told: “Praise the Most High,” saith he unto the Brethren, “for that of a truth I say unto you, I felt neither the heat of the fire, nor any pain in my flesh.” 

9. Turning unto the surgeon, “If,” saith he, “the cauterisation hath not worked, impress it again.”

10. The surgeon, finding such mighty valour of spirit in his frail body, marvelled and exalted this divine miracle, saying: “I tell ye, Brethren, I have seen strange things to-day.”[4]

11. For, because Francis had attained unto such purity that his flesh was in harmony with his spirit and his spirit was in marvellous agreement with God, it was ordained by the divine ruling that the creature that serveth its Maker should be wondrously subject unto his will and command.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “I have seen thy face, as if I should have seen the countenance of God: be gracious to me”: Gen. xxxiii, 10.

[2] Cf. “Great is the Lord, and exceedingly to be praised”: Ps. XLVIII, 2.

[3] Cf. “Is not he thy father, that hath possessed thee, and made thee, and created thee?” Deut. xxxii, 6.

[4] Cf. “And all were astonished; and they glorified God. And they were filled with fear, saying: We have seen wonderful things today.” Luke v, 26.

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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.