Saint Francis of Assisi: In the End Times, the Friars Will Live the Itinerant Life
Bernardino da Colpetrazzo O.F.M.Cap. (d. 1593): “He [Matthew of Bascio, first Capuchin] relied very much on a prophecy of Father Saint Francis written in the Book of Conformities. He says that in the last times the Order will abandon the true observance of the Rule. He strongly exhorts the Friars to be zealous observers of the Rule when that time comes and to take up the itinerant life under obedience to His Holiness.
They are to go throughout the world exhorting the people to good works and edify every everyone with the best example after withdrawing into the woods for some months for holy contemplation.”
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Bernardino da Colpetrazzo O.F.M.Cap. (d. 1593): “For in the beginning Father Saint Francis did not intend to set up houses as is usually done. His intention was to begin an Order where they would conform totally with the Holy Apostles in everything by leading an itinerant life.
Perfectly founded in holy poverty they would go throughout the world preaching more by example than with doctrine. When he thought to find a mountain or solitary places where they could dedicate themselves easily to holy contemplation, they would make there some huts with walls and roofs made of lowly materials. When their quiet and tranquillity of mind was impeded due to frequent visits by seculars or other difficulties, they could leave those little hovels without difficulty. They had cost nothing and had no obligation to them. Then they would go somewhere else where they could dedicate themselves quietly to contemplation.
At other times they used abandoned churches or the huts of other Orders, as clearly is the case of the Carcere of Assisi. In that little place there was little by way of other buildings where they could find shelter, since there was the naturally steep rock of the mountain. This belonged to the Monks of Saint Benedict. The same for Our Lady of the Angels. As long as he lived, Father Saint Francis did want there to be anything but a few little cells made from thatchwork work and mud covered with straw, except for the devout little Church of the Monks.”
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Bernardino da Colpetrazzo O.F.M.Cap. (d. 1593): “His abode in Montefeltro was not well known. Therefore he withdrew to that place to flee from the friars. He stayed on that mountain from the month of January until April, about three months. It would have been a good thing for him even if had he remained there for the rest of his life, dedicating himself to perfect contemplation. It was the opinion of many holy men at the time that he would have done much better there than go preaching because of the little fruit preaching usually bears. Fra Matteo was of the opposite opinion though. He said that to rest in the sweet sleep of holy contemplation feels very good, yet on the other hand it avoided being of some benefit to ones neighbour. In the itinerant life he said he exercised both states, contemplation and preaching. Not only that, he was seen to be completely detached from earthly ties. From obvious experience and a revelation from God he knew God called by him to that state. To the praise of the Lord. Amen.”
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Bernardino da Colpetrazzo O.F.M.Cap. (d. 1593): “He [Matthew of Bascio, first Capuchin] visited them all with great love. He stayed with them at least a week and every day gave them a sermon totally afire with the love of God. Nor could that servant of God ever tire of saying that the Congregation came form God and not from men.
“And if anyone is unsure about this, I am sure. For when I was at Montefalcone I had not thought of doing a Reform, no less of reforming myself. However, after being often visited by the Holy Spirit, I knew that not only I but also the whole Order was in need of reform. He made know how far away we were from the true observance of the Rule. This is what woke me up to rethink my situation. In order to be more enlightened I began with great fervour to fast on bread and water more than usual and to pray more often, commending myself resolutely to the Lord God so that he might deign to enlighten me. Something wonderful happened once when I was going to a castle for alms, both when I was going and when I was returning. Both times in the same place I clearly saw revealed before me a barefoot Capuchin Friar. For a good while I saw him going along a short distance ahead of me. Sometimes he went off the road and then came back onto it. He gazed at me graciously. As I hurried up to see who it was he suddenly disappeared from view. I have always believed that it was our Father Saint Francis who, by the mercy of God, wanted to restore his habit and his way of life to the world. Therefore this was the reason I gave myself to prayer with greater fervour. I ate little and slept and slept little. This was because I felt my heart burning with the desire to know what that habit was and what did he want to show me by appearing with it.
I will keep silent about what God has revealed to me so that you do not think I was some holy man. God revealed the habit and life of our Father Saint Francis to me, his vilest creature, neither because of my merits nor holiness but for the sake of the good that he wanted to bring from it. Nor will I ever be content until I see myself lead an itinerant life detached form every earthly affection because God revealed to me that this was the intention of our Father Saint Francis, that his Friars would be perfectly detached from the world in perfect poverty. Therefore he called it ‘most high’ poverty, different to all the forms of poverty in the world. Therefore my sons no you can be called legitimate sons of Father Saint Francis. Being in such poor little friaries you have no such affection because fondness for earthly things is a heavy weight which binds the soul to the earth so that it cannot to fly to its creator.
Know therefore that our Father Saint Francis was enlightened by God and knew that it was not possible to be completely able to apply oneself to the practice of perfect contemplation without the true foundation of poverty. The desire to possess has set the world on fire. Don’t you see beloved sons that all the virtues were par excellence in our Lord Jesus Christ, nonetheless poverty and humility appeared in His Majesty more than any other did? Therefore it would be of little importance to reform externally if we did not reform ourselves inwardly for God gazes mainly upon the heart. When he finds it purified from affection for oneself and for worldly things he fills it with his Spirit who carries with himself every virtue. Nor would you be able to maintain this state and in such high poverty unless you practise holy prayer because all good comes from God and he most of the time he usually does not give his graces except to the one who asks them of him.
It was an amazing thing that when God promised Abraham that he would multiply his people to be more than the stars in the sky, nonetheless the wife of Isaac was sterile and did not produce children. The holy patriarch prayed to God and gave him the fruit of his holy marriage. Therefore the great Father Gregory says that God had promised him the multiplication of his seed with this condition, that Isaac ask it of him in prayer.”
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Bernardino da Colpetrazzo O.F.M.Cap. (d. 1593): “Because of his having seen the many signs and miracles that God did for him, and that God had assured him that this was His will, Fra Matteo marvellously felt his mind to be unusually more enlightened: He was eager to fulfil his primary aspiration. He knew in his spirit that the Lord didn’t want him to seek further favour from His Holiness, but that he entrust himself fully to God’s providence. This was the reason that Fra Matteo never wanted a Brief about the permission His Holiness granted him. He knew clearly that God called him to that life of itinerant preaching, observing holy poverty completely by being entirely detached from all human favour. He knew God had not called him to do another Reform but to be, indirectly, the occasion for the Reform to take place and that other Fathers would come and request Briefs and Bulls from His Holiness, as happened later. For this reason the servant of God always went about as a pilgrim, because Christ had confirmed this to be His will.”
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