*The Audacity, Dare be Different
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Friends, St. Francis was a responsible person. Having been mandated by the Pope, and given charge of an order of defenseless Minors, who themselves were charged to care for the crowds of weak,sick and hungry equally defenseless people, eventually numbering in the thousands, we surely would expect that he of all people understood perfectly the dangers his order would be vulnerable to. Recall this is the Saint that actually conversed with Christ, and received his Stigmata. I present here this episode in the life of the friars and I think it describes the right attitude for implementation of the common good, opportunity is watched for, and the use of dormant good is awakened to snuff out evil in our souls. In other words seek out the good in all men. As I said in this thread, complete exclusion closes the doors, and we allow no one in.
From Mirror of Perfection*
A PARTY of bandits who used to hide in the woods and rob travellers occasionally came for food to a hermitage of the friars situated above Borgo San Sepolcro. Some of the friars said that it was not right to give them alms, while others did so out of compassion, and urged them to repent. Meanwhile blessed Francis came to this friary, and the brothers asked him whether it was right to give them alms. And he said to them, 'If you will do as I tell you, I trust in God that we shall win their souls. So go and bring some good bread and wine, and take it to the woods where they live. And shout to them, saying, "Brother bandits, come to us. We are friars, and are bringing you some good bread and wine !" And they will come at once. Then you must spread a cloth on the ground, place the bread
and wine on it, and serve them humbly and gladly until they have eaten. After the meal speak to them of our Lord’s words, and end by asking them for the love of God to grant your first request, which is to promise not to strike or injure anyone. For if you ask for everything at once, they will not listen to you; but because you are humble and loving they will promise this immediately. On a later day take them eggs and cheese with the bread and wine to show that you appreciate their promise, and serve them until they have eaten. And after the meal say to them, “Why do you stay here all day to die of hunger, and
suffer so much hardship? And why do you do so many evil things, for which you will lose your souls unless you turn to God? It is better to serve God, for He will both supply your
bodily needs in this world, and save your souls at the last.” Then God will move them to repentance because of the humility and charity that you have shown them. So the friars did everything that blessed Francis had told them, and by the grace and mercy of God the bandits listened to them, and punctiliously observed all that the friars had humbly asked of them. Further, because of the friars humility and friendship towards them, they themselves humbly began to serve the friars and carried logs up to the hermitage on their shoulders for them. At length some of the bandits entered the Order; the others confessed their crimes and did penance for their sins, laying their hands in those of the friars, and promising
that henceforward they would live by their own and never do such things again.
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*"Then God will move them to repentance because of the humility and charity that you have shown them."
You will note by this statement that our Lord waits anxiously to respond, and because the friars take the initiative, not the offenders who take it, he will move them to repentance, not a complete riddance of the enslaving evil, but work to restore a desire in them for that Sacrament of Repentance, and the desire to do works of charity in the life of a brother.
Victor Hugo captured this trustful sentiment in Les Miserable. Recall Valjean warns the Bishop that he could kill him while he slept, and the Bishop takes no concern of it and simply continues with the talk of valuable items present.
I place this next extract from Mirror as an indication of the declarative bond Francis endeavored to retain with the Church. From it we can conclude no doubt his principles coincides with the general spirit of the Church of the 11th Century. If the Church harbored any concern, we don't see it. Note the trust in the Holy Spirit of whatever can happen.
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How he wished the Order always to remain under the protection and
discipline of the Church.
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BLESSED Francis said, *I will go and entrust the Order of Friars
Minor to the holy Roman Church. The rod of her authority
will daunt and restrain those who wish it ill, and the sons of
God will everywhere enjoy full freedom to pursue their eternal
salvation. Let her sons acknowledge the kindly blessings of their
Mother, and embrace her sacred feet with particular devotion.
'Under her protection no harm will come upon the Order, and
the son of Satan will not trample over the vineyard of the Lord
with impunity. Our holy Mother will herself imitate the glory
of our poverty, and will not permit our observance of humility
to be overshadowed by the cloud of pride. She will preserve
unimpaired the bonds of love and peace that exist between us,
and will impose her gravest censure on the unruly. The sacred
observance of evangelical poverty will ever flourish before her.
- I love the audacity of it my friends. The audacity to trust when all
seems so hopeless.*
