The Life and Legends of Saint Francis of AssisiChalippe, Candide
Religion
The Life and Legends of Saint Francis of Assisi
Chalippe, Candide
Francis, of Assisi, Saint, 1182-1226; Miracles -- Early works to 1800
However, they wished to learn from him what vocal prayers they ought
to recite; and he told them, as our blessed Saviour had told the
Apostles: This is the prayer that you will say: "Our Father, who are
in heaven, hallowed be Thy name," etc. To which he added the Act of
Adoration which he had before taught them: "Lord Jesus Christ, we adore
Thee in all the churches in the whole world, and we bless Thee for
having redeemed the world by Thy holy Cross." He likewise taught them
to praise God in all things, to make use of all creatures, to raise
up their minds to Him, to have great respect for priests, to be
inviolably attached to the true faith, which is believed and taught
by the Holy Roman Church, and to confess it plainly. His faithful
disciples put in practice all that he taught them, and conformed to
all his maxims, which they did in still greater perfection after the
marvel which we are about to relate.
Francis being one Saturday in Assisi, in order to preach on the Sunday
morning in the cathedral, as it was his custom to do, retired to a
small shed in a garden belonging to the canons of the church, to pass
the night in contemplation, which he usually did. About midnight, a
fiery car of great brilliancy, on which there was a globe as bright
as the sun, and which gave a light equal to that of noon, entered into
the hut in which the brethren were collected, and moved round it three
times. Some of them were watching and praying; the others, who were
taking a little rest, awoke. It is not to be said how great their
astonishment was when they found themselves enlightened, as well
interiorly as exteriorly, by this penetrating light, which manifested
to them the state of their consciences.
St. Bonaventure remarks on the subject of this marvellous light, on
the testimony of those who had been witnesses of it, that they
understood well, by this luminous and burning figure, God represented
to them the lively and holy flames which illuminated their Father,
who, though absent in the body, was present with them in spirit, in
order that, as true Israelites, like unto Eliseus, they might look up
to and imitate this new Elias, whom He had appointed the light and
guide for spiritual men. Doubtless, he continues, the Lord, who opened
the eyes of the servant of Eliseus, that he might see around that
Prophet, that "the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire,"
would also, at the prayer of Francis, open those of his disciples to
shew them the marvel which was operating in their favor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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