The Little Flowers and the Life of St. Francis, with the...

by word and example did urge his brethren to flee therefrom as from the devil. For this was the policy given to the brethren, that money should hold in their affections no higher place than dung. Now it so befell one day that a certain layman did enter into the church of the Blessed Mary of the Little Portion to pray, and by way of oblation did place a piece of money within the cross. When he had gone his way, a certain brother did foolishly take the piece in his hand and throw it into the locker. But when this was told to the Blessed Francis, the brother, seeing that he had been caught, straightway betook him to pardon, and prostrating himself on the ground did proffer him unto the stripes.

The Blessed Francis reasoned with him and did chide him right bitterly for that he had touched the piece of money, and commanded him to pick up the piece out of the locker with his mouth and carry it beyond the hedge of the place, and set it with his own mouth on the dung of an ass. All they that did see and hear the same were sore stricken with fear, and thenceforward did despise money the more for that it had been made of no more account than the dung of an ass, and every day were they encouraged by new examples to despise it utterly.