By Fr. Trevor D’Souza, OFM –
“Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock” (Mt 7:24).
It can safely said of St Francis of Assisi, that he was a wise man who built his house firmly on solid rock, the Word of God. Right from the start of his conversion, he was attracted to the Word of God, on which he built his life, which he allowed to shape his mind, his dreams, his brotherhood and his destiny. The Word of God began to weave itself into the strands of his life, like threads in a piece of cloth. Eventually his whole life was inter-woven with the Word of God: his thinking, preaching, devotions, prayers, writings, relationship to the brothers and others, … everything. Various events in his life well display how St. Francis of Assisi got entangled with the Word of God and how the Word of God entangled him, slowly transforming him from being Francis, son of Peter Bernardone to becoming St. Francis of Assisi.
His biographer, Thomas of Celano, describes a scene from the early phase of his conversion. Francis was standing before the Bishop of Assisi and his own earthly father, Peter Bernardone. His first utterances are from the Gospel of Mathew : “From now on I can freely say Our Father who art in heaven…” (2 Cel 12b; L3C 19c; LM 2:3; Mt 6:9).
On an occasion, around 1208, on the feast of St Mathias, Francis heard the Gospel (probably Mt 10) read out in the church, on how the Lord sent his disciples out to preach. After the Mass he asked the priest to explain the words of the Gospel to him more fully. When he understood the Gospel more clearly, that Jesus was telling his disciples to “preach the kingdom of God and penance” (also see Lk 9:2; Mk 6:12) Francis cried out exultingly, “This is what I wish, this is what I seek, this is what I long to do with all my heart.” (1 Cel 22).
The immediate impact of hearing this Word of God, brought about a change in his clothing. He wanted to literally do (practice) the Word that he just heard. Till then he was wearing the garment of a hermit, with a strap to serve as a belt, and he carried a staff and had sandals on his feet. Hearing the words from Mt 10:9-10 “Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff” he discarded his second garment, and from that day used no staff, shoes or haversack. He kept one miserable tunic and instead of the strap took a length of cord as a belt. (L3C 25b; LM 3:1; also Omnibus, pp. 27-28; also see Lk 10:4; Mk 6:8 and Lk 9:3).
Thus, very early after his conversion, we see how the Word of God began to shape his exterior life-style. Soon, we will see how the Word will also begin to shape his interior life and style of living.
When Francis began to preach penance, he would begin by greeting people with the words, “The Lord give you peace!” (L3C 26; LM 3:2; LP 67d). He claimed that the Lord taught him this greeting. In Luke’s gospel we see, the Lord instructing the disciples in these words, “Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace be to this house!” (Lk 10:5). These words became part of his life and ministry of preaching. This greeting, “The Lord give you peace!” eventually found its place in the Franciscan lexicon, and is widely used as a form of greeting even today.
A young man, Bernard of Quintavalle, from Assisi, being attracted by Francis wanted to follow him. When he enquired of Francis what he should do, Francis retorted, “let us go early in the morning to the church and taking the book of the Gospel, let us seek counsel from Christ”. The next morning when they opened the Gospel Christ showed them his counsel, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor” (Mt 19:21). The second time they opened the Gospel and Christ showed them his counsel, “take nothing for your journey” (Lk 9:3). The third time they opened the Gospel and Christ showed them his counsel, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself” (Lk 9:23) – (2 Cel 15; 1 Cel 24; L3C 2; LM 3:3; Fioretti 13).
Bernard responded to the Word and became the first follower of Francis. Eventually, these three Gospel texts became the proto Rule, the bedrock and the foundation stones on which the Franciscan Movement was established. These Words from Scripture became the guiding principles of the Franciscan Order. Thus the Gospel soon began to shape the interior life (values and attitudes) of Francis and his early companions.
When Francis had twelve companions, and he saw more coming to join him, he felt the need of having a “rule of life” which would could be approved by the Church. He put down a short rule, mostly “using for the most part the words of the holy Gospel” and went to Rome to seek the approval of the Church (1 Cel 32; LM 3:8). Many years later, by 1221, the Order had grown in number, Francis felt the need to revise his earlier Rule. The Rule of 1221gave a prominent place to the Words of Scripture, including the three Gospel statements which had first guided Francis and Bernard (Omnibus, p.31). In order to meet the legal requirements of the Church, the Rule was again revised in 1223. The Rule of 1223, now the official Rule of the Order, begins with these words: “The Rule and life of the Friars Minor is this: to observe the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ …” (Rule 1223:1,1). Now, it is no more just three texts that will guide the Friars, but the entire Gospel!!!
In his Testament, Francis confirms that the gospel was really the Rule of the Franciscan Order and not just a set of legal phrases. He writes, “After the Lord gave me brothers, no one showed me what I should do; but the Most High Himself revealed to me that I should live according to the form of the Holy Gospel. I had this written down in a few words and simply…” (Testament 14-15). Beside the Rule, his other writings too, such as the Admonitions, Letters, Exhortations, Praises and even his personal prayers, are generously sprinkled with words taken from Scripture.
On another occasion when Francis was ill and in pain, one of his companions asked him, “Father, you have always sought refuge in the Scriptures, and they have always given you remedies for your pain. I pray you to have something read to you now from the prophets; perhaps your spirit will rejoice in the Lord.” To which Francis replied, “It is good to read the testimonies of Scripture; it is good to seek the Lord our God in them. As for me, however, I have already made so much of Scripture my own that I have more than enough to meditate on and revolve in my mind. I need no more, son: I know Christ, the poor crucified one.” (2 Cel 105; LP 38).
During the twenty long years of his life of penance (1 Cel 109), Francis allowed the words of the Gospel to shape his life (mind, heart, body and spirit). Even at the very hour of his death, he commanded that the Gospel be brought and read out to him (1 Cel 110; LM 14:5). By this time, the Word of God had become so part of him and he so part of the Gospel, that he became “an example of Gospel perfection” (LM 15:1). His only desire was to live the Gospel and Words of our Lord Jesus Christ, plainly and simply, sine glossa, without interpretation, as literally as possible.
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Francis as we know, was not a scholar, and had not been ‘educated in the branches of learning’. Nevertheless, he had developed a “deep understanding of Scriptures”. He allowed himself to penetrate the hidden things of the mysteries and where the knowledge of the masters is something eternal, his wisdom of Scriptures came from the affection of one who loves and enters within (2 Cel 102; LM 11:1). According to one biographer, Francis “learned these words by heart, meditating on what he had heard; and joyfully started to put them into practice. He set his whole heart and mind on how he could best carry out the words of grace that he had heard” (L3C 25). This practice of memorizing the Word and practicing the Word began to show in his manner of greeting people, preaching and personal living (2 Cel 102; LM 11:1).
Through the events of his life, we discover the steps (read/listen-memorize-meditate-practice-preach) taken by Francis on how he made the Word to take flesh in his life (Jn 1:14), that is on how he transformed the spoken Word to become alive and active in his life. Francis was not merely a listener of the Word, but a DOER of the Word. For him practicing the Word, was the key to his transformation.
First, he read / listened to the Word with attention. At a time when printed Bibles were not available and even the hand-written ones were scarce, it was truly a luxury to own and possess a personal copy of the Bible. Hence, whenever the words from Scripture were read out he would put them into his mind and heart (memory), “his memory substituted for books” (2 Cel 102).
Second, he constantly meditated on the Word that he had stored in his memory, “for he did not hear a (Word) once in vain … he meditated on it with constant devotion”. He suggested that this was the way to learn and grow in knowledge of Scripture, reading and meditating, rather than “wandering about through thousand of treatises” (2 Cel 102).
Third, the fruits of his meditation, were not meant to show-off his knowledge of Scripture, rather, it was meant to help himself to grow in his “knowledge of God” and “his desire for eternal life” (2 Cel 102). He explains the parable of the Sower of the seed to his brothers in the Rule 1221, 24:9-17, admonishing his brothers to be the good soil to receive the Word and bear much fruits in patience. Scripture became for him the fruit-filled path to God.
Fourth, Francis practiced the words from Scripture on himself and helped others to do the same. This is clear from the manner in which he changed his garment after hearing Mt 10 and how he assisted Bernard of Quintavalle to discover God’s will for him by opening the Gospel (1 Cel 24, 2 Cel 15). Not practicing the Word in one’s own life would be a matter of vain glory and hypocrisy for Francis (2 Cel 105; 2 Cel 130-132, Rule 1221, 17:5,6,9). His Admonitions and other writings are a testimony on how he made the Words of Scripture his own flesh (see Admonitions and Writings of Francis). In his words, “those religious are killed by the letter who do not wish to follow the spirit of Sacred Scripture, but only wish to know (what) the words (are) and (how to) interpret them to others” (Admonition 7).
Fifth, Francis preached what he practiced, first by his very life, “all the brothers should preached by their deeds” (Rule 1221, 17:4). His message was brief and simple, yet profound. He did not indulge in preaching philosophy but based his preaching on the words of Scripture (1 Cel 72). His preaching, though simple made a deep impression and many were “pierced to the heart” (1 Cel 73). His first choice of preaching was by example and whenever necessary, he used words.
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In conclusion, Francis of Assisi, was one unique individual, who put the words of Scripture at the centre of his life. What he read and heard, he kept in his mind and heart (memorized); what he memorized, he meditated upon; the fruits of his meditations he first lived and then shared the same in his sermons to the people. Thus the Scripture says, ‘do not be merely hearers of the Word but also its doers,’ (James 1:22) and Francis is truly that wise man of the gospel, who both listened to and lived (does) the Word of God in his life. Thus right from the beginning, he set upon building his house on the solid foundation of the Word (rock). This is something that all of us can learn from St Francis of Assisi, namely, how we too can build up our lives, on the rock of the God’s Word. Eight hundred years have passed by, his Order has withstood the winds, waves and floods of life (Mt 7:25).
Fr. Trevor D’Souza, OFM can be reached at: [email protected]
[This reflection is not an exhaustive treatise on the role of Sacred Scriptures in the life of St. Francis of Assisi. It is a sketch of his life, to indicate how the words of Scripture impacted his life and gave him “spirit and life” (Jn 6:63).]
1 Cel First Life by Celano
2 Cel Second Life by Celano
LM Major Life by St. Bonaventure
L3C Legend of the Three Companions
LP Legend of Perugia