Chapter LXXXIX How he feared lest any tribulation should befall the brethren by reason of his infirmities Whenby reason of the pain of his ailments he was not able to take
Complete three-work composite: CCEL Fioretti; Salter 1904 Life and Miracles; Evans 1899 / Goretti 2025 Mirror
Chapter LXXXIX How he feared lest any tribulation should befall the brethren by reason of his infirmities Whenby reason of the pain of his ailments he was not able to take
rest, and saw that thereby the brethren were much distraught and
wearied on his account, for that hitherto he had ever loved the souls of the brethren more than his own body, he did begin to fear lest the brethren, out of their exceeding travail in attending to his necessities, might incur some offense, even were it the least, against God by reason of some impatience.
Whence, on a time with pity and compassion, he said unto his compan- ions: “My best-beloved brethren and little children, let it not be a weariness unto ye to travail on behalf of mine infirmity, seeing that the Lord on behalf of me, His little servant, shall in this world and the next repay ye all the fruit of those your works that by reason of your solicitude for my infirmity ye cannot now perform; yea, greater gain do ye hereby achieve than were ye to labor for yourselves, seeing that He which succoreth me doth succor the whole Religion and life of the brethren. Yea, verily, ye may say thus: ‘Upon thee do we spend our charges, and in thy stead shall the Lord be a debtor unto us.’”
But this the holy father said being fain to succor and raise their drooping spirit for the passing great zeal that he had toward the perfection of his souls. For he feared lest they might be tempted at times under stress of that travail to say: “We cannot pray nor endure so sore travail,” and thus might become overwearied and thereby impatient, so as that they might haply be losers of great gain in return for a small labor.