Evening star., 1928-03-04
The Story of Civilization

he accused himself OF eating cakes Our
| ing Lent. While very III he rose, shak
ing with fever and. Strengthening him
self with a trifie more Of food than M
had allotted himself by his rule. III
went out to preach to the people. Whei
the sermon was over he threw of hi
cloak, tied a rope around his waist, ant
commanded the monks to drag hin
naked before the people. and to cas-
ashes into his face, The weeping monks
obcyed. and before all he confessed hi:
violation of the rule.
! He had found certain kindred soul:
who loved him so much that they were
willing to accept the hardShipS OF hi,
way of life for the privilege Of partici'
pating with him in his mission. That
mission was to restore Christ to th(
/ church. to ignore theology. to forget or
/ thodoNy and heresy. to put of the gar
ment of wealth and laXity which haC
/ clothed the now powerful church ano
/ to show by his life what Christ hao
/ been and wished His followers to be
! He did not care for disputation, for any
! achievements of science or any tri-
umphs of knowledge. To be good was
better. he thought. than to be learned
My brothers who arc led by the curl
csity OF knowledge will find their hands
empty in the day of tribulation.
would wish that they be strengthened
by virtue" He was Mortified at the de-
vc!opmcnt of worldlineSS. immortality
and crime, among the clergy. but he
would denounce none: he would only
live his life as purely AS he could and
trust III the power of example as the
greatest reformation.
x X X X
He solaced himself against the i'm
perfectionS of men with the beauty
that greeted him as he wandered along
the road. He held the sun as his
brother and sang TO 1t his lovely cam
ticle:
Most High. Omnipotcnt. Good
Lord. Thine is the praise. the glory.
the honor and every benediction;
TO Thee alone. Most High. these
do belong, and no man Is worthy TO
name Thee.
Praised be Thou. my Lord. with
all Thy creatures. especially, my
Lord Brother Sun. that dawns and
lightens;
And he. beautiful and radiant with
great splendor. signifies Thee. Most
High.
Be praised. my Lord. for Sister
Moon and the stars that Thou hast
UAA6Ath uAsA PANSAoAS dAAA bNao-
tiful.
Be praised, my Lord. for Brother
Wind. and for Nle air and cloud
and the clear sky and for all
weathers through which Thou CIV
est substance to Thy creatures.
Be praised. my Lord, for Sister
Water. that is very useful and hum
bic and precious and chaste.
Be praised. my Lord. for Brother
Fire. through whom Thou dost IL
lumine the night, and comely Is he
and glad and bold and strong.
Be praised. my Lord. for Sister
our Mother Earth. that doth cher
ish and keep us, and produces vari-
Gus fruits with colored flowers and
the grass.
Be praised. my Lord, for those
who forgive for love OF Thee. and
endure sickness and tribulation;
blessed are they who endure in
peace: for by Thee. Most High, shall
they be crowned.
Be praised. my Lord. for our bod
lily death. from which no living man
can escape: woe unto those who die
in mortal sin.
Blessed are they that have found
Thy most holy will. for the second
Cedtu Slldu 90 LIlem no nurE.
Praise and bless my Lord, and
render thanks. and serve Him with
great humility.
He loved nature and every form of
life so well that. like Father Mael in
Penguin Isle" he did not disdain to
preach to the birds Story paints a
pretty picture of how as he spoke TO
them the birds came down from the
trees and stood on the ground together,
and did not depart when he had An
ished his preaching until he had given
them his blessing. MY sisters the
birds" he said to them. much are We
oeholden unto God. your Creator. and
always and in every place ought ye to
praise Him. Ye are beholden
to Him for the element Of the air which
He hath appointed for you; further
yet God feedeth you and giveth you
rivers and fountains wherefrom TO
drink. He g!Veth you mountains and
valleys for your refuge, and high trees
wherein TO build your nests: and in
that ye know not how to sew or spin,
God clotheth you and your little ones;
wherefore. be ye ever mindful to give
praise TO God" List has put the scene
10 charming music.
So ends the poem OF st. Francis.
finest flower Of medieval life We see In
him again the endless power OF the
Jesus who was forgotten when Christ
was made, Christianity in It's original
essence coming back 10 shock a world
mat could not bear 10 remember Il.
The sons Of Paul had won against the
sons OF Jesus: the world was to belong
10 Gregory. Augustine. Luther, Calvin.
and Loyola. ST. Francis like Blake and
SneIey, ToIstoi and Thorcau, the sons
ol Jesus, was 10 be only voice crying
In the wilderness, which the world could
not understand. But when We are sick
OF churches and tired OF creeds. when
We hurger again for the spirit Of rcli-
Rion. and not for It's bones Of dogma or
ITS rain1ent Of ritual, let us go back 10
the Little Flowers of ST. Francis and re-
fresh ourselves with the story Of n man
who dared 10 be a Christian even In the
midst CT christendom.
4xE
The People and the Popes.
TO give the monastic picture It's
faiTer side We must place beside the
MONKS the nuns. Probably the world
!ihS never seen an organization more
unseihahly devoted to human kindness
ihan the various orders which gath
cred the holy women Of Christianity
together during the middle ages. Th~
conFents aere not only the natural
nome OF saints. like Hildcgarde and
IHe!tSh; they were an admirable ref
uge Tor women brreaped or deceived,
Niunrc' Ea:tI, -, IT