Cathédrale de Chartres; Civilization, Medieval; Mont-Saint-Michel (Abbey : France)
While saying this, Saint Francis with great vehemence took up a
handful of ashes and spread it over his bead; and moving his hand
about his head in a circle as though washing it, said: "I, breviary!
I, breviary!" and so kept on, repeatedly moving his hand about his
head; and stupefied and ashamed was that novice. ... But several
months afterwards when Saint Francis happened to be near Sta Maria
de Portiuncula, by the cell behind the house on the road, the same
brother again spoke to him about the psalter. Saint Francis replied:
"Go and do about it as your director says." On this the brother
turned back, but Saint Francis, standing in the road, began to
reflect on what he had said, and suddenly called after him: "Wait
for me, brother! wait!" and going after him, said: "Return with me,
brother, and show me the place where I told you to do as your
director should say, about the psalter." When they had come back to
it, Saint Francis bent before the brother, and said: "Mea culpa,
brother, mea culpa! because whoever wishes to be a Minorite must
have nothing but a tunic, as the rule permits, and the cord, and the
loincloth, and what covering is manifestly necessary for the limbs."
So vivid a picture of an actual mediaeval saint stands out upon this
simple background as is hardly to be found elsewhere in all the
records of centuries, but if the brother himself did not understand
it and was so shamed and stupefied by Francis's vehemence, the world
could understand it no better; the Order itself was ashamed of Saint
Francis because they understood him too well. They hastened to
suppress this teaching against science, although it was the life of
Francis's doctrine. He taught that the science of the schools led to
perdition because it was puffed up with emptiness and pride.
Humility, simplicity, poverty were alone true science. They alone
led to heaven. Before the tribunal of Christ, the schoolmen would be
condemned, "and, with their dark logic (opinionibus tenebrosis)
shall be plunged into outer darkness with the spirits of the
darkness." They were devilish, and would perish with the devils.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account