Life of St. Francis of Assisi
neighboring forest, where, espying a troop of pigs, he cut off a foot of
one of them, returning to the monastery full of pride over his trophy.
The owner of the pigs shortly followed, howling like mad, but Ginepro
went straight to him and pointed out with so much volubility that he had
done him a great service, that the man, after overwhelming him with
reproaches, suddenly begged pardon, killed the pig and invited all the
Brothers to feast upon it. Ginepro was probably less mad than the story
would lead us to suppose; Franciscan humility never had a more sincere
disciple; he could not endure the tokens of admiration which the
populace very early lavished on the growing Order, and which by their
extravagance contributed so much to its decadence.
One day, as he was entering Rome, the report of his arrival spread
abroad, and a great crowd came out to meet him. To escape was
impossible, but he suddenly had an inspiration; near the gate of the
city some children were playing at see-saw; to the great amazement of
the Romans Ginepro joined them, and, without heeding the salutations
addressed to him, remained so absorbed in his play that at last his
indignant admirers departed.[24]
It is clear that the life at Portiuncula must have been very different
from that of an ordinary convent. So much youth,[25] simplicity, love,
quickly drew the eyes of men toward it. From all sides they were turned
to those thatched huts, where dwelt a spiritual family whose members
loved one another more than men love on earth, leading a life of labor,
mirth, and devotion. The humble chapel seemed a new Zion destined to
enlighten the world, and many in their dreams beheld blind humanity
coming to kneel there and recover sight.[26]
Among the first disciples who joined themselves to St. Francis we must
mention Brother Silvestro, the first priest who entered the Order, the
very same whom we have already seen the day that Bernardo di Quintevalle
distributed his goods among the poor. Since then he had not had a
moment's peace, bitterly reproaching himself for his avarice; night and
day he thought only of that, and in his dreams he saw Francis exorcising
a horrid monster which infested all the region.[27]
By his age and the nature of the memory he has left behind him Silvestro
resembles Brother Bernardo. He was what is usually understood by a holy
priest, but nothing denotes that he had the truly Franciscan love of
great enterprises, distant journeys, perilous missions. Withdrawn into
one of the grottos of the Carceri, absorbed in the contemplative life,
he gave spiritual counsels to his brethren as occasion served.[28]
The typical Franciscan priest is Brother Leo. The date of his entrance
into the Order is not exactly known, but we are probably not far from
the truth in placing it about 1214. Of a charming simplicity, tender,
affectionate, refined, he is, with Brother Elias, the one who plays the
noblest part during the obscure years in which the new reform was being
elaborated. Becoming Francis's confessor and secretary, treated by him
as his favorite son, he excited much opposition, and was to the end of
his long life the head of the strict observance.[29]
One winter's day, St. Francis was going with Brother Leo from
Perugia to Santa Maria degli Angeli, and the cold, being
intense, made them shiver; he called Brother Leo, who was
walking a little in advance, and said: "O Brother Leo, may it
please God that the Brothers Minor all over the world may give a
great example of holiness and edification; write, however, and
note with care, that not in this is the perfect joy."
St. Francis, going on a little farther, called him a second
time: "O Brother Leo, if the Brothers Minor gave sight to the
blind, healed the infirm, cast out demons, gave hearing to the
deaf, or even what is much more, if they raised the four days
dead, write that not in this is the perfect joy."
Going on a little farther he cried: "O Brother Leo, if the
Brother Minor knew all languages, all science, and all
scriptures, if he could prophesy and reveal not only future
things but even the secrets of consciences and of souls, write
that not in this consists the perfect joy."
Going a little farther St. Francis called to him again: "O
Brother Leo, little sheep of God, if the Brother Minor could
speak the language of angels, if he knew the courses of the
stars and the virtues of plants, if all the treasures of earth
were revealed to him, and he knew the qualities of birds,
fishes, and all animals, of men, trees, rocks, roots, and
waters, write that not in these is the perfect joy."
And advancing still a little farther St. Francis called loudly
to him: "O Brother Leo, if the Brother Minor could preach so
well as to convert all infidels to the faith of Christ, write
that not in this is the perfect joy."
While speaking thus they had already gone more than two miles,
and Brother Leo, full of surprise, said to him: "Father, I pray
you in God's name tell me in what consists the perfect joy."
And St. Francis replied: "When we arrive at Santa Maria degli
Angeli, soaked with rain, frozen with cold, covered with mud,
dying of hunger, and we knock and the porter comes in a rage,
saying, 'Who are you?' and we answer, 'We are two of your
brethren,' and he says, 'You lie, you are two lewd fellows who
go up and down corrupting the world and stealing the alms of the
poor. Go away from here!' and he does not open to us, but leaves
us outside shivering in the snow and rain, frozen, starved, till
night; then, if thus maltreated and turned away, we patiently
endure all without murmuring against him, if we think with
humility and charity that this porter really knows us truly and
that God makes him speak thus to us, then, O Brother Leo, write
that in this is the perfect joy.... Above all the graces and all
the gifts which the Holy Spirit gives to his friends is the
grace to conquer oneself, and willingly to suffer pain,
outrages, disgrace, and evil treatment, for the love of
Christ!"[30]
Although by its slight and somewhat playful character this story recalls
the insipid statues of the fourteenth century, it has justly become
celebrated, its spirit is thoroughly Franciscan; that transcendent
idealism, which sees in perfection and joy two equivalent terms, and
places perfect joy in the pure and serene region of the perfecting of
oneself; that sublime simplicity which so easily puts in their true
place the miracle-worker and the scholar, these are perhaps not entirely
new;[31] but St. Francis must have had singular moral strength to
impose upon his contemporaries ideas in such absolute contradiction to
their habits and their hopes; for the intellectual aristocracy of the
thirteenth century with one accord found the perfect joy in knowledge,
while the people found it in miracles.
Doubtless we must not forget those great mystical families, which, all
through the Middle Ages, were the refuge of the noblest souls; but they
never had this fine simplicity. The School is always more or less the
gateway to mysticism; it is possible only to an elect of subtile minds;
a pious peasant seldom understands the Imitation.
It may be said that all St. Francis's philosophy is contained in this
chapter of the Fioretti.[32] From it we foresee what will be his
attitude toward learning, and are helped to understand how it happens
that this famous saint was so poor a miracle-worker.
Twelve centuries before, Jesus had said, "Blessed are the poor in
spirit. Blessed are they who suffer." The words of St. Francis are only
a commentary, but this commentary is worthy of the text.
It remains to say a word concerning two disciples who were always
closely united with Brother Leo in the Franciscan memorials--Rufino and
Masseo.
Born of a noble family connected with that of St. Clara, the former was
soon distinguished in the Order for his visions and ecstasies, but his
great timidity checked him as soon as he tried to preach: for this
reason he is always to be found in the most isolated hermitages--Carceri,
Verna, Greccio.[33]
Masseo, of Marignano, a small village in the environs of Assisi, was his
very opposite; handsome, well made, witty, he attracted attention by his
fine presence and his great facility of speech; he occupies a special
place in popular Franciscan tradition. He deserves it. St. Francis, to
test his humility, made him the porter and cook of the hermitage,[34]
but in these functions Masseo showed himself to be so perfectly a
_Minor_ that from that time the master particularly loved to have him
for companion in his missionary journeys.
One day they were travelling together, when they arrived at the
intersection of the roads to Sienna, Arezzo, and Florence.
"Which one shall we take?" asked Masseo.
"Whichever one God wills."
"But how shall we know which one God wills?"
"You shall see. Go and stand at the crossing of the roads, turn round
and round as the children do, and do not stop until I bid you."
Brother Masseo began to turn; seized with a vertigo, he was nearly
falling, but caught himself up at once. Finally Francis called out,
"Stop! which way are you facing?"
"Toward Sienna."
"Very well; God wills that we go to Sienna."[35]
Such a method of making up one's mind is doubtless not for the daily
needs of life, but Francis employed still others, like it, if not in
form at least in fact.
Up to this time we have seen the brethren living together in their
hermitages or roving the highways, preaching repentance. It would,
however, be a mistake to think that their whole lives were passed thus.
To understand the first Franciscans we must absolutely forget what they
may have been since that time, and what monks are in general; if
Portiuncula was a monastery it was also a workshop, where each brother
practised the trade which had been his before entering the Order; but
what is stranger still to our ideas, the Brothers often went out as
servants.[36]
Brother Egidio's case was not an exception, it was the rule. This did
not last long, for very soon the friars who entered a house as domestics
came to be treated as distinguished guests; but in the beginning they
were literally servants, and took upon themselves the most menial
labors. Among the works which they might undertake Francis recommended
above all the care of lepers. We have already seen the important part
which these unfortunates played in his conversion; he always retained
for them a peculiar pity, which he sought to make his disciples share.
For several years the Brothers Minor may be said to have gone from
lazaretto to lazaretto, preaching by day in the towns and villages, and
retiring at night to these refuges, where they rendered to these
_patients of God_ the most repugnant services.
The Crucigeri, who took charge of the greater number of leper-houses,
always welcomed these kindly disposed aides, who, far from asking any
sort of recompense, were willing to eat whatever the patients might have
left.[37] In fact, although created solely for the care of lepers, the
Brothers of this Order sometimes lost patience when the sufferers were
too exacting, and instead of being grateful had only murmurs or even
reproaches for their benefactors. In these desperate cases the
intervention of Francis and his disciples was especially precious. It
often happened that a Brother was put in special charge of a single
leper, whose companion and servant he continued to be, sometimes for a
long period.[38]
The following narrative shows Francis's love for these unfortunates, and
his method with them.[39]