The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-12-19
CHAPTER ON FRANCISCANS.
Continued from page ~

L.
ing the weary weeks of his recovery; reflection
which wrought extraordinary supernatural
change in the young man. Before his illness he wa
merry-hearted and vvacous was given to fin
clothes and the fashionable amusements of his day
But now he held all these in strange contempt
his love of pleasure and worldly display went ou
from him, and there in to take their place il
his soul, love of poverty, commiseration for thu
poor, and sympathy for all forms of human suffer
ing. Ringing in his ears, if with metallic clear
ness, the words of Christ, Lord and Master
DO not possess gold or silver or money in your
purses" They came to him as winged messenger:
from another world, and his heart answered with a
pledge of obedience.
Casting from him his purse, his jewels and
golden chain, the young man removed his shoes
threw aside his fashionable raiment clothed himself
in rough tunic girded with rope and entered
upon of selfdenial and penetential preach
ing which has for him conspicuous place in
the Catholic Church and in the annals of history
Gnawing at his heart, not merely buzzng' in his
brain, the words kept shifting him: "Provide
neither gold nor silver, nor brass in your purses
neither scrip for your journey. neither two coats
nor yet slaves. for the workman is worthy of his
meat" Once before beggars had changed the face
OF the world with other equipment than faith
and Gods grace. And why not again?
Francis of Assist went out into the world with
doubt of his mission, with no fear for the NOR
row, with no money in his purse, for did not God
provide for the young ravens whom Francis loved
and spoke to in ecstasy of joy Emparidised in
beatifc vision, he beheld the Angels of God encour-
aging him and uncovered in ecstasy he saw the
five wounds of Christ bleeding afresh for the sins
of the world
Barely taking time to snatch mouthful of
bread and few hours sleep, Francis entered upon
the road TO Rome and entering the Imperial City
knelt at the feet of that gree: Pope. Innocent the
Third, asking his blessing al recognition for the
Order he was soon to establish.
The Pontif was walking in his garden of the
Lateran when Francis entered, Startled by the
sudden apparition of the young man, thinned to
emaciation, shoeess bareheaded, half clad withal
beggar of genteness and refinement Innocent asked
him his mission The Pontiff's eye penetrated
through the rags of the beggar and saw the saint.
The Pope approved of his project and Francis re-
turned to Assist carrying with him draught of his
afterwards famous Rule"
Gathering to himself twelve Others all Young
all aglow with the same divine flame, he entered
upon his extraordinary career. Nearly all of
knightly rank and gentle blood they surrendered
their claims to inheritance and, following the ex-
ample of their ascetic leader, stripped themselves
of all worldly possessions and for Chrsts sake took
poverty for their bride Bare-footed beggars they
were and az money was the root of evil they would
not touch even with the tips of their fingers the
accused thing: eye cannot serve God and nam
mon" spoke Francis, even in Christ's own words
These apostles of poverty, of pity, of devourng
love for their fellow creatures went forth two by
two to preach hope and Christ crucfed to the poor
Called to live among the people, to subsist upon
aims, to bear the hardest toll their mission was to
revive the faith of Jesus Christ among the masses
to give daily and living examples of Christian pa
thence, devoted sacrifice and self-denia If ever
men preached Christ and Him crucifed, these men
did They had no system, views; they combated
no opinions they took no side. Discussion contro-
versy theological dispute, these they left to the
rhetoricians and the schoolmen That Christ had
was an indisputable but awful fact They preached
Death, the Judgment after DEATH reward for good
deeds and an endless hell.
Francis and his companions called themselves
brothers of the Poor" but future generations out
of love and admiration for this lovable man and
wonderful saint, insist upon giving his name to al
who by VOW walk in his footsteps.