WHAT IS IT?
Translated By Fr. Nicholas M. Weiss, O. F. M. Conv..
FROM THE "LITTERAE DE SPIRITUALITATE FRANCISCALl"
Of
Fr. Bede M. Hess, O. F. M. Conv.
Copyright, 1957, By St. Anthony's Guild, Paterson, N.J.
lmprimi potest: FR. FRANCIS EDIC, O. F. M. CONV. Minister Provincialis
Nihil obstat: BEDE BABO, O. S. B. Censor Librorum
lmprimatur: + JAMES A. MCNULTY Bishop of Paterson
October 8, 1957
1962
Printed In The United States of America
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Biographical Note ................. III
PART I
Franciscan Spirituality: What Is It ? ...
1
Franciscan Spirituality- The Holy Gospel ... 2
Love--Union with Christ Crucified
5
Poverty with Love ...............
7
Necessity of Mortification ..........
9
Mary and the Eucharist ...........
10
Franciscan Poverty ...............
11
Franciscan Charity ...............
14
The Habit of Prayer ..............
16
Contemplation and Activity ........
18
Franciscan Labor --Work and Study
20
The True Franciscan ..............
22
PART II
Blessed Francis Anthony Fasani,
O. F. M. Conv.: A Model Franciscan ..
25
Franciscan Student ...............
26
Franciscan Professor and Guardian ..
30
Franciscan Provincial .............
32
Humility .......................
34
Poverty and Mortification ..........
35
Obedience ......................
36
Charity and Prayer ...............
37
Mary and the Mystical Body .......
38
The Apostolate ..................
40
A Happy Death .................
41
References ......................
42
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Frederick John Hess was born in the city of Rome,
New York, on November 16, 1885. This was the beginning of
a life that was to enhance the glory of God, His Church, and the Franciscan
Order. The grace of God was
Frederick Hess's strength, and we need only look at his life to see
his co-operation with it.
When he was thirteen years old he entered St. Francis
College, in Trenton, where he completed in only two
years the course which ordinarily required three. In the first
year of the twentieth century, we find him a novice
wearing the habit of the Friars Minor Conventual, and bearing the name
of Friar Bede. He pronounced his first
vows on November 17, 1901, and returned as a professed cleric to Trenton
to complete his philosophy course.
He then sailed for Europe, where he was to attain much fame in the
realm of theological knowledge at Austria's
University of Innsbruck. Prince-Bishop Joseph Altenweissel ordained
Father Bede on July 26, 1908, and on
December 19 of the same year he received from the University the degree
of Doctor of Sacred Theology.
Father Bede's first assignment upon returning to
his native land was as lector and prefect of discipline at the
college in Trenton ( 1909-1912 ). He then became a member of
the original faculty of the newly opened Major
Seminary at Rensselaer, New York, where he taught both Philosophy and
Theology.
The year 1914 seems to have been the dividing
line in the sphere of Father Bede's activities. Earlier, he had
followed a reserved and scholarly career; but from this year forward,
his life was a continuous stream of
Franciscan Apostolic activity. To him was entrusted the organization
of the first Province Mission Band, in 1918.
In 1925 he founded the first Province magazine, the "Minorite."
In the same year he was elected chairman of the
National Third Offer Organization.
Almighty God does not allow men of Father Bede's
caliber and ability to pass into oblivion. In the year 1932 he
was elected Minister Provincial of the Province of the Immaculate Conception,
in which office he continued to
foster, on a larger scale, the activities he had begun as a young priest.
His achievements once again did not go
unnoticed, but gained world renown within the circle of the entire
Franciscan Order. During the Pentecostal
Chapter of 1956, the Most Reverend Bede M. Hess was elected Minister
General of the Friars Minor Conventual,
the one hundred and twelfth successor of Saint Francis.
After seventeen years of devoted labor in this post,
years replete with both joys and sorrows, Father Bede was
summoned on August 8, 1953, to appear before his beloved Lord and Master.
Rightfully may Sister Death have
used these words: "Well done, good and faithful servant ....
Enter into the joy of thy Master" (Mt. 25:21). To the
revered memory of Father Bede this translation of his circular letter
DE SPIRITUALITATE FRANCISCALl is
respectfully dedicated.
THE TRANSLATOR
PART I
FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY: WHAT IS IT?
CATHOLIC theology teaches us that all Christians are bound to strive
for perfection and sanctity as they travel
through this valley of tears on their journey toward the eternal home.
We Religious, however, are obligated to
seek these ends by a bond incomparably greater than that of the ordinary
Christian's. For, our very vocation is to
live in the state of perfection -- to strive daily, yea even hourly,
to become perfect, to become saints. This we
have taken upon ourselves by our religious profession. Our profession
is perfection. The manner of obtaining
these ends; however, is proper to each religious order, although essentially
perfection and sanctity are the same
for everyone, consisting in an intimate union with God through love,
a participation in His nature and life.
Now, you may ask the question, "On what basis do
we say that the manner of obtaining perfection varies
according to different religious orders?" We answer that Almighty
God would not have established such a
variety of religious institutes and inspired their founders unless
He approved this difference in their mode of
spirituality. For did not Our Divine Lord say, "In My Father's
house there are many mansions"? We also read:
"Each religious order should have its own nature and character and
it is necessary that it preserve them, if it
desires to occupy the place destined for it by God in the Mystical
Body of Christ, which is beautified in many
ways."1
Continuing further in our discussion on perfection,
we find that this goal which We so earnestly desire is
reached only by perfect imitation of Christ and identification with
Him. But the perfection of Christ is exhausted
by no saint, nor by any religious order -- for it is infinite!
Hence perfection, which is proper to Christ alone, is to
be had only in the fullness of His Mystical Body -- in the unity that
exists in its many members. Among these
members are the various religious orders, which possess their own individual
spirituality. Now, exactly what part
must each religious order play in bringing about the perfection of
the Mystical Body of Christ? Each order can
help complete this Body only by the preservation of its own spirituality
-- sanctifying its own members by its own
proper rule. If this is not accomplished, what further reason
can there be for the existence of any particular order
and its members? The religious would continue to live on, yes
-- but on a false basis; they would be traitors to
the original purpose of their order and would be straying completely
from the path of sanctity.
FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY -THE HOLY GOSPEL
Having seen that each religious order has a spirituality
that is definitely its own, we pass to an investigation of
our own way to holiness -- the Franciscan way. The spirituality
of each order is based upon the intention of its
founder, to whom Christ assigned a special place and work in His Mystical
Body and a particular way of holiness,
along which he (or she) was to lead others to sanctity. Hence
we need only to look to our Seraphic Father to find
out the manner by which we are to attain holiness.
Pope Pius XII, now gloriously reigning, has this
to say concerning us Franciscans and our Seraphic Father:
"The Patriarch of Assisi, the most fiery lover of the Gospel, the herald
of the Great King, the shining image of
Christ, wields an indescribable influence upon the hearts of all men.
This influence is so great that he very
frequently draws to his love even those who do not profess the Catholic
Faith. How much more, then, should
you who are his sons and followers, give an example of extraordinary
devotion to him! Let this devotion,
however, be evidenced more by your actions than by your words.
If you truly love him, follow his precepts, walk
faithfully in his footsteps, become inflamed by the inspiration of
his seraphic spirit."2
Where is the spirit of Saint Francis to be found?
We see it in the very first words of our Holy Rule: "The Rule
and life of the Friars Minor is this: to observe the Holy Gospel of
Our Lord Jesus Christ."3 What sublime
simplicity do we not behold in these words! Enlightened by the Holy
Spirit, our Seraphic Patriarch longed for the
simple observance of the Gospel. In these words of the Rule we
see the simple man Francis. He was not tainted
by the influences of pagan literature; he did not care to dabble in
their philosophy and ethics. Thomas of Celano
says of him: "His greatest desire and foremost purpose was to observe
the Holy Gospel in all and through all
things, to follow the doctrine of Our Lord Jesus Christ perfectly and
to imitate His life with all care, with
consuming zeal, with his whole mind and with all the fervor of his
heart."4
Here we have the foundation of Franciscan spirituality;
this is the source to which we must return. Beyond all
rhetoric, beyond all philosophy and ethics based merely on human cleverness
-- we must return to the divine
simplicity and perfection of the Holy Gospel. But how are we
to do this? Our way must be the way of our
Seraphic Father -- complete acceptance of the Holy Gospel, not allowing
ourselves to become ,entangled in
casuistic or canonical distinctions between precepts and counsels,
mortal sin and venial sin. We must be led
solely .by the rule of divine love, the desire for perfection and holiness.
Behold here the Franciscan spirit, -- the
life and practice of the Friars Minor!
This is definitely our Rule. "Francis wrote for
himself and for his brethren present and future, simply and in a
few words a norm and rule of life, using principally the words of the
Holy Gospel, longing only for its perfect
fulfillment."5 "That we observe poverty, humility, and
the Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as we firmly
promised.''6
We now see the distinguishing character of our Franciscan
way to God -- the observance of the purity of the
Gospel, which we are to keep free from any influence that would detract
from its pristine teaching. We are to live
and preserve it in its integrity, vigilant lest we fall into only a
partial observance of it or look upon it with the
prejudiced eye of a casuist or formalist. Moreover, our total
dedication to its observance must find its strength in
the dynamo of love. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy
whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with
thy whole strength, and with thy whole mind.''7
LOVE -- UNION WITH CHRIST CRUCIFIED
Although every type of spirituality must abide by
the teaching found in the Holy Gospel, it is the manner in
which Saint Francis lived the Gospel that differentiates his spirituality
from others. For him, the Gospel is simply
Christ -- Christ and His life. Indeed, the evangelical
doctrine is nothing but the life of Christ, for Christ first acted
and then proceeded to teach. Hence the spirituality of the Franciscan
must center about the contemplation of
Christ crucified. As Saint Francis contemplated Christ, his heart
was filled with love and he desired nothing else
save to become one with his Beloved -- for this is the result of love.
It unites the lover and the Beloved; and this
is the goal of every true Franciscan.
How is a Franciscan to effect this union with Christ
crucified? His efforts certainly must not be centered in a
laborious human attempt, even with the assistance of grace, to attain
various virtues; -- he would become
frustrated. But this union will be effected only when the Franciscan
possesses Christ Himself, and with Christ,
the virtues of Christ. He becomes one with Christ by imitation
of Him, transformation into Him, and identification
with Him, so that he may exclaim with Saint Paul: "It is now no longer
I that live, but Christ lives in me."8 This is
the truly supernatural life. This is the Christian perfection
to which we are called -- the perfection of Christ in us!
When the "old man" is dead to himself, he makes way for the "new man,"
i.e., for Christ living in us, so that the
mystical Christ may become one in all.
The words of Saint Paul, which are happily chosen
for the office of the Stigmata of Saint Francis, furnish us
with an excellent description of Franciscan spirituality. "With
Christ I am nailed to the cross. It is now no longer
I that live, but Christ lives in me."9 Saint Francis, inspired
by love, lived these words. We his followers, must
also live them. The love of Francis for Christ crucified is a
response to the love for us which Our Blessed Lord
expressed on the Cross, and it is the source of Francis' self-crucifixion
-- by mortification, poverty, and humility.
For, since the foundation of Franciscan spirituality is the love of
Christ and, through that love, union with Him,
this crucifixion must be undergone; because it is only by crucifixion
of self through mortification, humility, and
poverty, that one is transformed into Christ. This transformation
into the likeness of Christ, or conformity with
Christ, cannot be secured except through the destruction of the "old
man" in us, so that we may live as new men
in Christ.
POVERTY WITH LOVE
We have said that first and foremost in the heart
of our Seraphic Father was the love of Christ crucified. But
how is this love to grow and mature? It cannot do so itself;
it has to be aided. Hence we say that poverty
together with love, constitute the essence of Franciscan spirituality.
These elements cannot be separated
because love of Christ cannot exist alone without poverty, and on the
other hand, poverty alone is merely a
negative virtue, a means, not an end. The purpose of our life
is love, and thus poverty has no value except it be
united with love. We know that Saint Francis denied himself all
things so that his entire love might be given to
Love itself -- and he did this "with his whole heart and soul, and
with his whole strength." He realized, as only
the saints do, that if he were in any way to give himself to a love
other than the love of God, he would fall far
short of his goal. Perfect love will not allow itself to be divided.
Do you think, however, that the love of Christ and
identification with Him, rightly called Christocentric
Franciscan spirituality, is the ultimate end of our endeavors?
Indeed it is not; it is only the proximate means to
the ultimate end, the love of Infinite Love. "I am the way,"
Christ has told us; that is, He was and is the way to
the Father in the unity of Infinite Love. What, then, constitutes
Christocentric Franciscan spirituality? It is a
combination of poverty and love -- the means by which a Franciscan
strives for a union with Infinite Love. By
poverty (the abnegation of oneself in all things), and by love of Christ
crucified, he is transformed into Christ. In
Christ, the Franciscan acquires His perfection, and he lives Christ's
life. But this is done for one purpose only:
that by loving Christ, he may be enabled to love the Father, and thus
participate in a union with Infinite Love; for
God is love.
How wonderful is the sublime goal of Franciscan
spirituality -- to love the Love for which all of us were created!
With what mellifluous words Saint Francis sings Its praise! "I
beseech Thee O Lord, that the fiery and sweet
strength of Holy Love, may absorb my mind from all things which are
under heaven, so that I may die for love of
Thy Love, as Thou didst deign to die for love of my love."10
Our Seraphic Father directed his love to the
Incarnate and Crucified Love, so that this Love might lead him to the
end he sought so tirelessly. The goal,
however, perfection itself, is attained only when a person is made
one with Christ, -- when the Franciscan returns
to the Father in Christ, in the unity of Love. "Through Him,
with Him, and in Him," the Franciscan must work to
acquire a participation in His life -- in the bosom of the Trinity,
in the unity of Infinite Love. Then the heart,
created for Infinite Love, may take its rest, for it has fulfilled
its destiny. "You alone are Good, all Good, the
Highest Good, the Lord God, living and true, You are charity, Love."11
In the above pages we have endeavored to draw an
outline of Franciscan spirituality. We have tried to
establish the essential elements at some length, for without a correct
understanding of these constituent parts,
the true Franciscan spirit cannot be understood. The following
pages, however, shall briefly treat of those related
qualities which follow necessarily from the essential Franciscan spirit.
NECESSITY OF MORTIFICATION
The devotion of the Franciscan toward Christ crucified
expresses the deep compassion that he has for the
Saviour in the greatest manifestation of His love. But the true meaning
of this devotedness has a deeper purpose
than merely compassion. The Franciscan devotion to Christ crucified
indicates a desire for one's own crucifixion,
so that dying with Christ, we may live with Him, through Him, and in
Him, in a new supernatural mode of life. To
what avail would one weep over the death of Jesus, unless he dies with
Him in a union of love? The Seraphic
Doctor, Saint Bonaventure, admonishes us to bear our cross joyfully
if we would be loyal followers of Christ.
"The true lover of God and disciple of Christ, who desires to be conformed
perfectly with the Saviour of all
mankind Who was crucified for him, ought to pursue this union with
great zeal. Then he shall be able to bear the
Cross of Christ wherever he goes, both in mind and in body; and the
words of the Apostle shall be verified in
him.''12
MARY AND THE EUCHARIST
In his Christocentric spirituality, the Franciscan
is co-crucified in his own humanity with Christ, thus enabling
him to live supernaturally and divinely in Him. There follows
quite naturally from this Christocentric spirit, the
traditional Franciscan attachment to the Holy Mother of Jesus.
In his devotion to the Mother of Christ, the
Franciscan, who is united with and transformed into Christ, makes Mary
his own Mother. How can it be
otherwise, for it was Mary who begot Christ, and hence it is Mary who
has given the True Life to the Franciscan.
Mary is our Mother because she is the Mother of the Head of the Mystical
Body, of which we are members -- she
is the one Mother of the One Christ. Thus Francis "embraced the Mother
of Jesus with an indescribable love,
because she made the Lord of Majesty our brother."t3
Moreover, how great should be the Franciscan's love
for the Most Holy Eucharist! Is not the Sacred Host
upon our altars the corporeal presence of our Beloved Christ, -- Who
is the life of our life, the Host offered upon
the cross, for love of us, in union with Whom is our entire perfection
and our entire love? "Francis was on fire
with love for the Sacrament of the Body of the Lord with every fiber
of his being, holding Its dignity and right to
our devoted love, in greatest awe."14
FRANCISCAN POVERTY
As we continue in our enumeration of the Franciscan
virtues, a few more words concerning Lady Poverty are
especially in order. Saint Francis loved the poverty which he
saw in Christ15 and in His Blessed Mother, but he
saw it only as a condition for the infinite love which occupied his
every desire. He realized so well that only
Christ, God alone, is worthy of infinite love; and on the other hand,
he knew that we poor mortals are incapable of
loving infinitely and completely. But Francis conceived a way
out of this dilemma. Perfect poverty is the answer
to perfect love -- in so far as a creature is able to love perfectly.
We must withdraw our hearts from the
attachment to all other love, and give them to Almighty God by complete
poverty. Such poverty entails the
surrender of every material thing, and even more; namely, the uprooting
of all vanity and pride by perfect
simplicity and humility. It also requires the renunciation of
oneself and one's own will in perfect obedience.
How necessary then, is poverty, if the love of God,
which demands absolute detachment, cannot be attained
without it! It is therefore especially true in the case of the
Franciscan, that poverty must be a characteristically
Franciscan virtue and must be outstanding in us. The following
are the words of our gloriously reigning Pontiff
regarding our observance of holy poverty. "Poverty is so necessary
and so much a part of the evangelical
doctrine, that a Christian has very little regard for his salvation,
if he does not at least hold this virtue in high
esteem and divert his desires from worldly interests. Hence it
is necessary that there be in the Church those, who
distinguished by their observance of poverty, act as beacons leading
and reminding others to practice it. These
souls are you Franciscans, provided that you do not deviate from your
ancient and venerable rule. Strive
therefore, to preserve a becoming poverty in your houses and possessions
.... Be poor in your garb and your
manner of life. Work therefore, to become exceedingly rich, by
the grace of God, in those things which are true
riches, and which engender virtue in those who are willing. And
pour out these riches upon others with a
generous hand.''16
From what we have already said concerning poverty
as a condition for perfect love of God, perhaps one would
be led to believe that the Franciscan life is one devoid of all affection
for creatures, and that our days must be
passed in the frigid air of a false detachment. It is quite the
opposite. Poverty denotes the fullness of love -- that
is true. But love of the Infinite God, which is man's only true
happiness, does not exclude a right love of
creatures. Rather, it includes it, since "he who abides in love
abides in God and God in him." Love of creatures
therefore, is not only consistent with Franciscan spirituality -- it
is a sign of it. By a correct love of creatures we
direct all our love ultimately to God, and hence nothing is detracted
from the love due to Him, if we love all things
in and for God. Thus poverty is truly the correct guide to loving
all creatures in the right way, because by it we
abandon all things for the love of God. We then acquire the correct
perspective toward creatures, loving them
not for themselves, but because of God and in God who is present in
them.
FRANCISCAN CHARITY
Now we shall speak of Franciscan charity which embraces
all creatures but especially our fellow men. The very
first place in our Franciscan hearts should be occupied by "those who
are of the household of faith,''17 our own
brethren who, with us, constitute one family, an intimate unity.
What a marvelous example of charity and unity
we can find in the first Franciscans and the first Christian communities!
Their only law was the new
commandment of Our Divine Lord: "Love one another as I have loved you
!" Thomas of Celano tells us: "A
noble structure was built on the foundation of a true and constant
charity. Upon it the living stones, gathered
from all parts of the world, were fashioned into a dwelling place of
the Holy Spirit. How the ardor of charity
glowed in the new disciples of Christ! How great was their love
for their holy community, and how this love
continued to grow in them! For, when they chanced to come together
or met somewhere on the road, there was
always evidence of spiritual affection, which also sowed in the hearts
of others the seed of true affection. This
love was based upon a complete dedication to true love. Just
what did these scenes depict? There were chaste
embraces, tender affection, fraternal kisses, pleasant conversations,
modest laughing, cheerful countenances,
guileless eyes, humble spirits, peaceful words, gentle answers and
proposals, ready compliance and willing
hands. Indeed, since they despised all earthly things and never
exclusively considered their own interests, they
were filled with a love for everyone, freely giving themselves so that
they might aid their brethren in every
possible way."18
This is Franciscan charity which, according to the
words of Saint John, turns community life into a paradise:
"No one has ever seen God." But "if we love one another, God
abides in us and His love is perfected in us."19
This is the charity which unites all of the brethren into one, thus
fulfilling Our Divine Lord's prayer: "That all may
be one !" Franciscan charity is the supernatural bond uniting
all in the one spirit of love. It is infinitely above all
human love, yet it is the greatest human love. Our Seraphic Father
urges us to espouse it by reminding us: "If a
mother nourishes and loves her son according to the flesh, how much
more diligently should one love and
minister to his spiritual brother !"20
Moreover, Seraphic love is the source of all Franciscan
perfection, for, by means of it, God and our brothers are
loved in the Holy Spirit. Hence Francis might say to us in all
truth: "Love and this suffices!" For he who truly
loves God, his brothers, and all creatures in God, is perfectly poor.
This is true because no one can love to such a
degree unless he is detached from all things for God's sake, who must
be loved completely and above all else. He
who possesses true love is likewise already chaste and obedient, enjoying
full freedom of spirit. We say this
because he who is desirous only of Infinite Love will not allow himself
to be held back by any lower passion; he
will not be shackled by any bond of creatures. Finally, the life
of the Franciscan who loves truly is already filled
with perfect joy, for this is the reward of love and the complete crucifixion
of one's nature: by which he has
actually arrived at Infinite Love -- the highest joy and happiness.
THE HABIT OF PRAYER
The only way to lead this life of divine love, in
which all are made one in perfect Franciscan joy, is to cultivate
intensely the life of prayer and contemplation. But this is not
the prayer that is performed only at a scheduled
time; it is the type of prayer which characterized our Seraphic Father,
whom we must emulate. He lived habitually
in God and appeared a "living prayer." Celano tells us: "Thus
he directed every thought and affection as one
prayer which he addressed to the Lord, not so much like one praying,
but as a living prayer."21
Such prayer implies a complete union with Almighty
God, not only at the time appointed for prayer, but also
during the course of the entire day. Hence the admonition of
Our Blessed Lord is fulfilled: "that they must always
pray.''22 Moreover, the supernatural life demands this habit
of prayer, and consequently it is a requirement of our
own Franciscan life and spirit. In his first rule Saint Francis
shows us how complete our union with God must be:
"In that Holy Charity which is God, I ask all the friars, both superiors
and subjects, after they have put aside all
burdens, anxieties, or worries, to serve, love, adore and honor the
Lord God with a clean heart in whatever way
they are best able. Our Lord Himself desires this above all things.
And let us always fashion in ourselves a
dwelling place and mansion for Him, Who is the Almighty Lord, the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit.''23 And
Saint Bonaventure says: "Francis firmly enjoined that the grace of
prayer should be desired above all things by
every religious man. He believed that no man can progress in
the service of God without it, and he exhorted the
friars, by every means in his power, to seek this grace.' '24
How wonderful is Franciscan prayer! It seeks the
union of love; it is indeed the exercise of that very union of
love. But in addition to this, the purpose of Franciscan prayer
is to honor and glorify Almighty God. We
Franciscans need look no further than our Seraphic Father to find out
how this is done. In his "Canticle of
Brother Sun," Saint Francis gives us the key to the hymns of praise
which he would have all creatures sing to
their Creator. Concerning this Canticle, he says: "I wish to
formulate a new hymn to the Lord, for His glory, for
my consolation, and for the edification of my neighbor. It is
to be based on His creatures which we use daily,
without which we cannot live, through which the human race so often
offends its Creator, and for which we are
continually ungrateful. God has generously given us these creatures,
yet we do not praise our Creator and Giver
of all good things as we should.''25
By means of this Canticle of Brother Sun, our Seraphic
Patriarch wished all his sons to become "priests of
creation," singing the praises of God on behalf of all created things.
He wished them to lead an intimate life with
God and all creatures in a union of love. We know that "only
one thing is necessary": to love and thus to live in
union with God who is Charity, Unity, and Love.
CONTEMPLATION AND ACTIVITY
As we continue our discussion of Franciscan prayer,
the question arises: "Exactly what effect does prayer have
on the Franciscan life?" The answer is simple. As we have
already seen, Saint Francis desired that his sons
should practice continuous prayer, with the result that the Franciscan
life is eminently contemplative. But the
love of our brethren in Christ, Who desires the perfection and completion
of His Mystical Body, makes our life
also an active form of religious life. This activity finds its
outlet in the exercise of the Apostolate.
The life of the Franciscan, therefore, is not first
of all active and then contemplative; but rather, our activity is
the result of the abundance of our contemplation. For, contemplation
is the source of love, and love inflames
souls with zeal for the Apostolate. Thus contemplation and prayer
occupy the first place in Franciscan
spirituality. This is so because our way of life is entirely
supernatural and we must look to God for all things,
trusting neither in our own strength, nor in mere human means.
Moreover, there is a mutual reciprocity between
the Franciscan contemplative life and apostolic works. For, just
as the former leads to the active ministry, so also
does the Apostolate lead to contemplation; which should bring the Franciscan
into a closer union with God. We
say this because all of the Franciscan's work and all his love will
be directed to Almighty God, since he sees
Christ Himself in his brethren. Hence his apostolate draws him
deeper into the contemplative life, and he daily
grows closer and closer to the one goal of all souls- union with God
by love.
It is well to note that when the contemplative life
becomes rather difficult in the midst of external activity, it is
best and often necessary, to observe days of recollection, in order
to foster a greater union with God. It is also
beneficial to establish retreat houses where the friars, over a protracted
period of time, may be able to replenish
the spiritual energy which they have expended in the Apostolate.
Bypassing such periods in recollection, we are
following the example of our Seraphic Father, who often retired to
Mt. Alvernia or other suitable places for this
same purpose. There, after the arduous task of preaching to the
laity, he found a safe refuge where he could
speak, undisturbed, with his God.
FRANCISCAN LABOR -- WORK AND STUDY
We must now consider the question: "How must our
time be occupied when we are not busy preaching or in
actual prayer ?" Saint Francis desired that these times be spent
in manual labor in order to avoid idleness, but
always in such way as to forestall any danger to our life of prayer
and contemplation. In the Holy Rule, our
Seraphic Father directs: "Let the friars work faithfully and devotedly
so that, having done away with idleness, the
enemy of the soul, they do not extinguish in themselves the spirit
of holy prayer and devotion, to which all
temporal things should be subservient.' '26
Likewise, in order to dispel idleness, the intellectual
labor necessary for the Apostolate must be pursued. "To
those friars who were asking whether or not it pleased him that the
learned men, who had already been received
into the Order, should devote themselves to study Sacred Scripture,
Francis responded: 'It is indeed pleasing to
me. But following the example of Christ, Who, we know, did more
praying than reading, let them not omit the
pursuit of prayer, nor let them study only for the purpose of learning
how to speak. But they should study so
that they may do the things they have learned, and when they have done
these things, let them teach others to
practice them also.' "27
Thus, Franciscans to whom God has given the grace
to study, ought to regard study not only as a means of
obtaining knowledge, but should value it even more as a basis for action.
Moreover, they should preach more by
their deeds than by their words. We read that "Blessed Francis
did not want his friars to be desirous of
knowledge and books, but he desired and preached to them that they
should be eager to have and to imitate that
pure and holy simplicity in which the saints and early Fathers of the
Church were steeped. And he believed this a
more secure way to obtain the salvation of souls.''28
To sum up, therefore, let us remember that knowledge
and study, as well as the entire active life, should all
conduce to the contemplative life -- to fostering union with God.
Otherwise we could not extol their value, but
rather the contrary, they would have to be discouraged as being detrimental
to the spiritual life. If however,
knowledge and study are utilized in the right spirit, besides being
necessary for the Apostolate, they can actually
be counted as among the best means of attaining perfection!
THE TRUE FRANCISCAN
After having spoken at length concerning what Franciscan
spirituality is, let us find out who is a true
Franciscan. We will first approach this question, however, from
a negative viewpoint. He is not a true Franciscan
who is not aflame with the threefold desire of our Seraphic Father.
"Our holy Father Francis, filled with the Spirit
of God and love for Him, and on fire with love for his neighbor, burned
with a threefold desire: that he might be a
perfect imitator of Christ by perfect virtue; likewise that he would
be able to cling to God alone through his love
for constant contemplation; and also that he would be able to gain
many for God and save the souls for whom
Christ willed to be crucified and to die.''29 For, "He did not
consider himself a friend of Christ unless he cared for
souls, whom Christ redeemed. He said that nothing was to be preferred
to the salvation of souls, proving this
especially by the fact that the Only-begotten Son of God deigned to
hang upon a cross for them.' '30
Hence he who is not inflamed with the desire to
gain souls for Christ is not a true Franciscan. Celano tells us:
"We are sent to the aid of priests for the salvation of souls, so that
what may be found wanting in them, may be
supplied by us."31 All Franciscans then, are called to the Apostolate
-- but to an apostolate which is preached
more effectively by actions than by words. In his first rule,
Saint Francis says: "Let all the friars, however, preach
by their deeds,"32 that is, by example. But even more than this,
souls are saved by prayer, sacrifice, and
suffering, following the example of Christ, who performed the greatest
work of Redemption on the Cross.
Thus, the abundant harvest of the Apostolate is
not limited to Franciscan priests alone. All the friars,
including clerics and lay brothers should and can work for the salvation
of souls. In other words, the entire
community, as one entity, has the duty of sharing in the Apostolate.
The reason for this is that Christ is the true
Saviour of souls -- and Christ Himself lives and works in the community.
Hence the Apostolate does not consist
in the work of the preacher only, or the one given to prayer, or the
sufferer alone, but of every friar, each one
acting according to his own individual calling but all toward a common
end. What a marvelous work of charity
this is, which constitutes the Apostolate of Christ as well as the
Apostolate of the community.
He also is not a true Franciscan who is not aflame
with the second desire of our Seraphic Father: "that he would
be able to cling to God alone, through his love for constant contemplation."
For, the goal of every soul is to be
united with Almighty God in perfect love. This union is the necessary
condition for every Apostolate -- for
preaching and suffering. Unless God Himself works within a person,
his preaching, whether it be by words or
actions, is to no avail. Did not Our Divine Lord tell us: "Without
Me you can do nothing"? Likewise, a person's
sufferings are of no value unless he suffers in Christ -- making up
for "those things that are lacking in His
sufferings."
Finally, he is not a true Franciscan, who is not
on fire with the prime desire of our holy Father Saint Francis: that
he might become one with Christ by imitation of Him, transformation
into Him, and identification with Him. For,
union with God, and a return to the Father are not achieved except
by one who becomes another Christ: "No one
comes to the Father but through Me."33
PART II
BLESSED FRANCIS ANTHONY FASANI, O. F. M. CONV.: A MODEL FRANCISCAN
IN THE preceding pages we have given a general outline of Franciscan
spirituality which may serve as a spiritual
compass indicating to us what path we must follow if we are to be real
Franciscans. If we adhere to this guide, we
will be fulfilling the wishes of Holy Mother Church and consequently,
of Almighty God. By doing so, we shall
also be faithful to the promises we made at our religious profession.
Finally, if we earnestly travel along the
Franciscan road to heaven, our lives will be replete with perfect Franciscan
joy -- the road to paradise, and the
vestibule of heaven.
It is necessary for us therefore, to meditate upon
the vital elements of Franciscan spirituality; we must not be
satisfied with a mere cursory glance at them. Moreover, superiors
should take care to explain them to all the friars
under their charge, so that each friar may actually live those things
which constitute a true Franciscan. The result
of this zealous solicitude will be the constant growth of our beloved
Order, especially in the distinctive
Franciscan virtues.
What we have seen, however, has been more or less
on an abstract or theoretical level. Since, however,
concrete examples and facts tend to affect souls more readily, let
us consider the life of our recently beatified
confrere, Francis Anthony Fasani. He serves as an excellent model,
showing us how Franciscan spirituality is put
into practice. A look at his life will also inspire and strengthen
us so that our own journey toward perfection will
be hastened. He is from our own Franciscan family, the Conventual
Franciscans; he lived in an age very similar to
ours, and he knew from experience the various aspects of our own Franciscan
life: a life that is not entirely
contemplative, nor dedicated to manual labor alone, but one that combines
prayer and study as well as care of
souls. He can be pointed to as an example in every phase of Franciscan
living, since he was a subject on every
level of religious life, as well as the superior of a friary and Minister
Provincial. His contemporaries called him
"Francis reborn." May he serve as an outstanding model for us
in our pursuit of the Franciscan way of life !
FRANCISCAN STUDENT
Blessed Francis Anthony is indeed a wonderful example
for our Franciscan students. Since it was his duty in
the seminary to study, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to this task,
always proceeding in the spirit of prayer
as our Seraphic Father desired: "Let the friars work faithfully and
devotedly, so that while avoiding idleness, the
enemy of the soul, they do not extinguish in themselves the holy spirit
of prayer and devotion." Venerable Lucci
testifies to this practice of our Beatus. "From the time that
he was in the Minor Seminary, this Servant of God
devoted himself to the life of prayer, of which he was an outstanding
example."34
This must also be the attitude of our students toward
study so that, while in the seminary, they may progress
in the way of Franciscan perfection. They must unite their knowledge
with the spirit of prayer, remaining
recollected and constant in their study. To this must be joined
true Franciscan joy and pious conversation
during recreation, following the example of our Beatus. They
should likewise avoid idleness, which is the father
of vice, and ought to strive to acquire the spirit of mortification
and penance, without which, passion and
temptation will threaten the entire edifice of virtue.
As early as his minor seminary days, Francis Anthony
chose a spiritual director, to whom he laid bare his
whole soul, so that he might receive the necessary counsel to live
his seminary life as perfectly as possible. In
like manner, our students should see to it that they choose a spiritual
director, lest they fall into the snares of the
devil, fail to advance in the spiritual life, thrust aside the care
of souls, become unfaithful to their vocation, and
suffer danger even to their eternal salvation.
Since Francis Anthony always maintained a frank
and docile spirit toward his Cleric Master, he was "an
example to the other students, diligent and constant in study, reverent
toward superiors and teachers, fervent in
prayer, and a lover of silence and recollection. He was the first
to respond to the call of the bell; filled with charity
he helped his confreres gladly; he comforted the sick and served them
with great love; he used to share the
manual labor with the lay brothers."
Our Blessed did not neglect to include fraternal
correction among the works of charity which he practiced,
since he believed that true charity is not content to remain silent
concerning the defects of the friars, because one
is thereby made a co-operator in evil. "When he saw a certain
religious default in the observance of the rule, he
tried to correct him humbly, so that the friar would mend his ways."35
He also had the true concept of obedience, which
enabled him to see God in his superiors; "He considered the
superior's voice as God's voice; he therefore promptly and joyfully
carried out their every wish, and
whithersoever obedience would command him to go, he went without delay
or saying a single word."36
Since he was already a perfect religious at the
time of his training in the college at Assisi, "he showed the
greatest modesty in word and look,"37 and "he led a penitent and mortified
life, finding solace in study and
prayer, or at recreation time, when he used to converse about the things
of God."38
Here we have an example to be followed by our youth;
here is the work of our seminaries -- to form the
character of the young men who shall be the source of new life for
our Order! The Rectors and Masters should
make it their duty to preach the Franciscan life to them by their own
actions and words, so that our students, from
the time that they are in the Minor Seminary and in accordance with
their age, will be gradually imbued with true
Franciscan spirituality, and with a deep love of Christ, whom they
are striving to imitate and foster in themselves;
renouncing their own wills -- becoming one with Him by their labor
and love.
Superiors should also strive to effect that the
students become one with Christ by means of true Franciscan
charity, and that our Franciscan seminaries are according to the mind
of our Seraphic Father -- abounding in the
love of poverty and all the Franciscan virtues. For, the religious
life and the future of the entire Order depend
upon the true Franciscan education imparted by our seminaries; this
should be already begun in the Minor
Seminary, where the directions given are to set the course of the student's
whole life. The Superiors, Rectors and
Masters should keep in mind that they bear the burden of this great
task, for which they shall have to render an
account before Almighty God, the Order and the Church, before the youths
themselves, and all those whose
salvation depends upon good religious and priests.
FRANCISCAN PROFESSOR AND GUARDIAN
In the friaries where he was stationed, Francis Anthony
faithfully continued to live the religious life which he
had begun so well in the seminary. He was convinced, and rightly
so, that as one advances in age and rank, he
must also progress in virtue and knowledge. During his whole
Franciscan life he continued to grow in charity, in
the love of the poor and the desire to help them, in obedience and
in chastity. Appointed a Professor in the
seminary, he became an example for teachers, by his learning, zeal,
and religious virtues. He desired to develop
the students, "not only in the sciences, but in virtue and piety."39
Elected a Guardian, he was the model of a Franciscan
Superior: concerning the faults of his subjects, he
showed the greatest zeal and vigilance, the greatest kindness and considerateness,
not however without a certain
severity and sternness toward the failings of his subjects. For
he thought that since he would have to render an
account of their salvation and perfection, it was not real charity
to be silent regarding their failings, for he would
thus be jeopardizing their spiritual progress: "he incited all to prayer,
to the love of God's laws, and to solicitude
for regular observance, by exhortations and gentle reprimands, but
far more by example and deeds."40
He likewise saw to it that the time appointed for
choral recitation of the Divine Office and Meditation was
observed; in the recitation of the Divine Office he was solicitous
that there should be a fitting observance of the
tone, speed, and pauses, in keeping with the dignity of this sacred
duty. The first to appear in choir, he inspired
everyone by his example; he was never absent when he was at home, although
he was fatigued after returning
from preaching or the ministry among the faithful. He also restored
the observance of an entire hour of mental
prayer, as directed by the Constitutions; likewise, he enforced the
practice of the Discipline, the Examination of
Conscience, and the annual retreat. "He reprimanded those that
failed with great charity, stirred up the negligent,
commended the good, and punished the defaulters, in so meek a manner
and so filled with charity, that everyone
was grateful to him.''41
Because he was a Master of Sacred Theology, Francis
Anthony was entitled to have a lay brother who would
assist him in his own needs, and as he was also a teacher, he was not
bound to attend choir. Nevertheless, he did
not take advantage of either privilege, although he was justified by
the Constitutions, since he believed that he
was held to the law of charity which dictates that we give good example.
FRANCISCAN PROVINCIAL
After he had become Minister Provincial, our Blessed
extended to the whole Province the restoration of
religious discipline, which he had begun in his own friary as Guardian.
"The fame of his zeal and vigilance spread
as far as Rome. He used all prudent means at his disposal to
establish the strict observance of the rule in all the
friaries of the Province. He demanded strict obedience from all,
and the result was gratifying, because he did so
in a very kindly manner and by his own example.''42
Aware of the importance of electing suitable local
superiors, he proposed those Fathers for the position of
Guardian, who would act more as guides and spiritual directors than
as administrators of material things. He
looked upon the friaries of his province as spiritual units, and because
of his reverence for the unity that is found
in Christ, he thought of them not simply as domiciles, but as perfect
Christian communities -- united in Christ and
the Holy Spirit by charity. He believed that "only one thing
is needful"43 -- to love, and thus form Christ in the
soul of each of the friars, and Christ only in the common unity.
When all things have been restored in Christ,
then the holiness of each friar, the holiness of the community, and
the fruitfulness of their Apostolate, will be
secure. If this is not our goal -- then our efforts are valueless.
Blessed Francis Anthony also furthered the reform
of our friaries by his frequent official visitations; first
directing what changes should be made, and then seeing to it that they
were carried out. He especially praised
the practice of poverty and charity and urged the regular instruction
of the lay brothers. He often exclaimed: "O
Lord, make the spirit of Saint Francis flourish in our Order.
Take away those things which impede our friars from
advancing in perfection and which disturb their peace.''44 "He
loved poverty in the friaries, in the cells, in the
furniture, in the clothing of the friars, -- in everything. Whenever
he saw something contrary to poverty, he
demanded that it be removed."45 "Nor did he hesitate to cut the
hair of any friar who was vain, as this was
contrary to the spirit of Franciscan humility and simplicity, or of
those who were acting through contempt of their
superiors.''46 Nevertheless, he did this with the charity which
he always strove to foster: "Thus he accomplished
this in so meek and kind a manner, and employed so much charity in
punishing the guilty and such prudence in
rewarding the good, that they all remained grateful to him, and attached
to him with an affection coupled with
reverence.''47
It is well for us Franciscans, superiors and subjects,
to consider the virtues of Blessed Francis Anthony. If we
imitate him in practicing them, what glory shall we not also bring
upon our beloved Order! Behold in him the
exemplar of all Franciscan virtues !
HUMILITY
Blessed Francis Anthony considered humility the foundation
of all Franciscan virtue. For, he said: "The Virgin
Mary is the door to paradise. He alone who is not arrogant or
puffed up is able to enter through this door, for it is
a narrow and humble one.''48 Francis Anthony indeed practiced
this humility: "As superior, after he had
reprimanded and corrected his confreres in the Conventual chapter,
he often knelt before them with his cord
around his neck, and very humbly begged their pardon if he had saddened
them and had not always edified them
by his manner of acting.''49 "From the official processes of
his Beatification we know that praise was a veritable
torment to Blessed Francis Anthony; indeed, he showed himself happy
and filled with joy when he heard
unfavorable remarks about himself which the mediocre and lukewarm are
accustomed to make against the
fervent."50 Interiorly humble himself, he loved those occupations
which foster humility. When he was Guardian
and Minister Provincial, he served the sick and prepared the rooms
for visitors. He used to sweep the church as
well as the sacristy and choir; he also rang the bells and was happy
in performing the duties of the simple lay
brothers.
POVERTY AND MORTIFICATION
Humility, which is poverty of one's own ego, made
poverty in material things very dear to our Blessed. He
wore an old, patched tunic, and his shoes and other clothing were equally
poor. He lived in a bare and simple
room, but it was spotless, as he himself swept it daily. Francis
Anthony used to say to his friars: "'We must be
poor, Friars, as was our Holy Father Francis, but we must also be clean.'
Shrinking from anything that bespoke
ownership, he immediately gave anything that was given him, to his
superiors. It sufficed for him to be
maintained by the community."51
Poverty, by which a Franciscan renounces himself
and everything else, implies mortification. Through
mortification one dies to himself so that he might live in Christ,
and affixes himself to the cross with Christ so that
he may be able to rise again in His Spirit. "The witnesses examined
in the Process of Beatification agree that he
was very severe with himself in the practice of penance and mortification."52
"His bed consisted of boards."53
"He often passed the night in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament."54
"He fasted frequently, but when
moderation was imposed upon him by his superiors, he immediately showed
himself obedient.'55 Despite the
fact, however, that our bodily infirmity sometimes demands moderation
in the corporal mortification we take upon
ourselves, we can nevertheless learn a lesson from our Blessed confrere.
Such example as he has given us
reminds us that sanctity is not attained by one who does not chastise
his body and bring it into subjection to the
dictates of his soul.
OBEDIENCE
If on account of physical weakness however, bodily
mortification becomes impossible, there always remains
the necessity for spiritual mortification. This is accomplished
by practicing the virtues of humility and
obedience. The obedience of Blessed Francis Anthony was always
prompt and joyful. He saw God in the
persons holding a position of authority, and obedience was thereby
made very easy for him. He used to say:
"The will of God is my paradise.''56 If one remembers that Almighty
God is the Best of fathers, and that
everything which happens to him is willed by God or at least permitted
by Him, he also realizes that he is fulfilling
the will of God, and, at the same time, uniting himself with Him through
love. Such a one is therefore already, in a
certain sense, in paradise! But, how can we be more certain of
the Divine Will than through religious obedience?
How can we be more sure that we are living in union with God, than
through religious obedience ?
CHARITY AND PRAYER
Besides being an example of Franciscan poverty, by
which he died to himself and to all external things, Blessed
Francis Anthony was an exemplar of another great Franciscan virtue
-- charity. His constant prayer was: "O God
Who art Love! O Greatest Love! O Immense Love! O Eternal Love, consume
me!"57 He was aflame with that
divine love which is the very essence of the religious life and the
source of happiness in it. He desired to be
inflamed more and more with this divine love, and would weep over the
madness of those religious who
abandoned divine love, succumbing to foolish temptations, or through
tepidity and foolishness chose the path of
mediocrity which causes misery in this world as well as in the next.
For, while they are pursuing these sinful and
inferior ends, they have been in reality called to a life of ineffable
love, now and in eternity; although they may
have to bear the cross here, love makes the carrying of the cross a
species of paradise.
Our Blessed confrere nourished this love by continual
prayer. He practiced daily meditation which "he called
the foundation and only support of the Religious life."58 He
never left the friary nor returned to it without making
a devout and recollected visit to the Most Blessed Sacrament.
During the course of the night, when his confreres
were taking their rest, he used to spend hours at a time before the
tabernacle, sometimes remaining until the next
morning. He celebrated Holy Mass with the greatest devotion,
after making a preparation of one half hour, and
after Mass he remained in thanksgiving for another half hour.
Francis Anthony especially loved the Retreat
House of St. Roche, where he could spend entire days in prayer.
In conversation and during recreation he always
spoke of divine things; if something else were mentioned, he would
turn the trend of the conversation to God,
and would say in conclusion: "Let us love God! Let us love God!''59
Life for him, meant love and blessedness!
MARY AND THE MYSTICAL BODY
Love of God also effects a love for His Mother, the
Blessed Virgin Mary -- the Mother of Love Incarnate who
dwells in us. Divine life flows into us from her, and through
her we are transformed into Christ; for we are sons of
God in so far as we are sons of Mary in Christ. Our Blessed confrere,
therefore, always referred to Mary by the
most affectionate name of "Mother," -- the expression of his tender
love for her. This love grew in proportion to
his own progress in sanctity and conformity with Christ. He desired
to live through, with, and in Mary, so that he
would thereby be able to live through, with, and in Jesus. He
used to say: "Let us love Mary. Let us always have
recourse to Mary in temptations, in afflictions, in times of spiritual
dryness, in every necessity of soul and body!
Mary is the key to paradise: in her let us place all our hope, because
we can expect all things from God through
her mediation."60 Francis Anthony preached Mary continually,
and venerated her with special devotion both
privately and publicly. Daily, after Vespers in choir, he visited
the altar of the Blessed Virgin, and remained there
in prayer for one half hour; at night he returned to pray for an entire
hour. He strove to imitate the humility,
charity, and purity of Mary, so that he might become one with Jesus
through conformity with her.61
Intimately united with his love for the Mother of
Jesus was Francis Anthony's devotion to the Mystical Body
of Christ. This devotion extended primarily to those saints who
are more closely related to us Franciscans in the
unity of this Body, such as our Seraphic Father, Saint Anthony of Padua,
etc. But he loved all the members with
the love of Christ, since all of them help to constitute the oneness
of the Mystical Body. This was the reason for
his apostolic zeal, his love of preaching to the people. He desired
to save the souls of all his friars, for he was
aflame with fraternal charity, and burned with the desire for the completion
of Christ's Mystical Body, which
suffers until its completeness and perfection have been achieved.
THE APOSTOLATE
Blessed Francis Anthony preached in the typically
Franciscan manner- according to the Gospel, in simple
words, but his preaching was filled with such devotion and power of
persuasion, that he set souls afire with love
and compunction. Witnesses assert: "He did not indulge in rhetorical
flourishes while preaching, but he spoke in
a familiar manner, truly filled with the love of God and of his neighbor
.... Thus, he moved his listeners and led
them to true conversion."62 "His words came from a full heart,
and were so fiery that they enkindled and affected
his listeners."63
Besides preaching, he chose the ministry of the
confessional as a means of converting souls and fostering the
love of God: "He responded quickly and joyfully, as often as he was
called, at all hours and without sparing
himself."64 "He sat in the confessional for long hours throughout
the day, ministering to everyone without
exception, with the greatest patience and a pleasant countenance.''65
He used to give his penitents a brief but
effective admonition, and was meek and understanding, following the
example of Christ, the Good Shepherd. At
the end of his life he was able to say: "O Lord, I was forgiving and
merciful, I do not deny it... For You taught me
to be so !"
A HAPPY DEATH
The seraphic love which motivated every action of
Blessed Francis Anthony made his whole life fruitful, and
he was able to greet "Sister Death," as did our Seraphic Father, with
a song. As the final hour approached, he
exclaimed: "Paradise ! Paradise ! Paradise !" adding, when the doctor
announced that death was near:66 "I
rejoiced because they said to me, 'we will go up to the house of the
Lord'" (Ps. 121:1). In the hour of death he
closed his earthly life by commending his soul to his beloved Mother,
reciting the Marian hymns Ave Maris
Stella, the Magnificat, and the Tota Pulchra.67
Behold how a true Friar Minor lived -- and died!
May his example serve as an incentive for us to continue to
strive after the perfection which, by our Religious profession, we
have promised Almighty God and our Holy
Father Saint Francis to pursue. May the Franciscan way of spirituality,
which is our way of sanctification, direct
our entire life and all our apostolic activities. Let us heed
the last words of Blessed Francis Anthony, and we too
shall reach our goal: "Love one another in holy fraternal charity,
observe the Holy Rule and the Commandments
of God, obey your superiors, and you will become saints.''68
REFERENCES
I. Fr. Virus a Bussum, O. F. M. Cap., De Spiritualitate Franciscana
(Rome, 1949), p. 5.
2. P. Pius XII, Allocutio ad Patres Capitulates O.F.M., May 23, 1951;
cf. "L'Osservatore Romano," May 24, 1951.
3. Rule, cpt. I.
4. Thomas of Celano, O. M/n., I Vita, N. 84.
5. I Celano, n. 32.
6. Rule, cpt. XII.
7. Lk. 10:27.
8. Gal. 2:20.
9. Ibid. 2:19-20.
10. Opuscula S. Patris Francisci (3 ed., Ad Claras Aquas, 1949), p.
125.
11. Opuscula, Laudes, p. 124.
12. Saint Bonaventure, Lignum Vitae, Prologus: VIII, 68.
13. II Celano, n. 198.
14. Ibid., n. 201.
15. "Because the Lord made Himself poor in this world for our sake."
Rule 2, Opusc., p. 68.
16. P. Plus XII, Allocutio ad Capitulates O.F.M., 1, c.
17. Gal. 6:10.
18. I Celano, n. 38-39.
19. I John 4:12.
20. Rule, cpt. VI.
21. II Celano, n. 95.
22. Lk. 18:1.
23. I Rule, cpt. XXII, Opusc., p. 54.
24. Saint Bonaventure, Legenda Maior, c. X, N. I.
25. Legenda Antiqua (Perus. Ed. Delorme, 1926), N. 43.
26. Rule, cpt. V.
27. Saint Bonaventure, Legenda Major, cpt. XI, n. 1.
28. Legenda Antiqua, n. 70.
29. Saint Bonaventure, Determinationes quaestionum circa Regulam Fratrum
Minorum, VIII, 338.
30. Saint Bonaventure, Legenda Major, cpt. VIII, n. 5.
31. II Celano, n. 146.
32. I Rule, cpt. 17, p. 146.
33. Jn. 14:6.
34. Summarium de Virtutibus (Rome, 1879), p. 40, n. 31.
35. Sum., 39, 24.
36. Ibid., 176, 5.
37. Ibid., 181, 7.
38. Ibid., 212-213, 19.
39. Ibid., 41, 35.
40. Ibid., 159, 34.
41. Ibid., 172, 48.
42. Ibid., 155, 16.
43. Lk. 10:42.
44. Sum. 189, 13.
45. Ibid. 190, 13-
46. Ibid. 167, 23.
47. Ibid. 169, 30.
48. Ibid. 227, 46.
49. Ibid 222, 28.
50. Ibid. 227, 46.
51. Ibid. 187-189.
52. Ibid. 12, 3.
53. Ibid. 45, 57.
54. Ibid. 53, 96.
55. Ibid. 45, 56.
56. Ibid. 118, 44.
57. Ibid. 118, 42.
58. Ibid. 146, 88.
59. Ibid. 131, 111.
60. Ibid. 105, 44.
61. Ibid. 85, 87; 115, 28.
62. Ibid. 120, 53.
63. Ibid. 121, 59.
64. Ibid. 68, 29.
65. Ibid. 120, 51.
66. Ibid. 300, 86.
67. Ibid. 302-3, 98.
68. Ibid. 291, 46.