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

himself, he vomited blood throughout all the night until matins, and when his companions did behold him die, as it were, through exceeding weakness and affliction, with sore grief and shedding of tears they said unto him: “Father, what shall we do without thee? Unto whom wilt thou leave us orphans? Thou hast ever been a father and a mother unto us, begetting and bringing us forth in Christ. Thou hast been unto us a captain and shepherd, a master and corrector, teaching and correcting us more by example than by word! Whither therefore shall we go, sheep without a shepherd, orphan sons without a father, rude men and simple without a captain?

“Whither shall we go seek thee, O glory of poverty, praise of simplicity, honor of our vileness? Who hereafter shall show us blind men the way of truth? Where will be the mouth that spoke unto us and the tongue that gave us counsel? Where will be the fervent spirit directing us in the way of the Cross, and comforting us even unto Gospel perfection? Where wilt thou be, that we may betake us unto thee, thou light of our eyes, that we may seek thee out, thou comforter of our souls? Behold, thou diest, father! Behold, thou dost thus leave us desolate, forsaking us in our sadness and bitter loss!

“Behold, the day draweth nigh, the day of weeping and bitterness, the day of desolation and sorrow! Lo, the bitter day that we have dreaded to look upon ever since we were with thee, yea, that we could not even think upon! Truly, no marvel is this, for thy life hath been unto us for a continual light, and thy words for burning torches lighting us evermore on the way of the Cross to Gospel perfection, to the love and imitation of the most sweet Crucified!

“Wherefore, father, at least give thy blessing unto us and unto thy other sons whom thou hast begotten in Christ, and leave us some memorial of thy will, that the brethren may have thee ever in remembrance and may be able to say: ‘These words did our father leave unto us, his brethren and sons, at his death.’”

Then did the most pitiful father turn his fatherly eyes upon his sons, and said unto them: “Call unto me brother Benedict de Pirato.” For that brother was a holy priest and discreet, that did celebrate unto the Blessed Francis whensoever he lay sick, for that always when he was able, was he minded to have or to hear Mass, howsoever feeble he might be.

And when he had come, he said unto him: “Write how that I do give my blessing unto all my brethren that are in the Religion and unto them that shall come after, even unto the world’s end. And, for that by reason of my weakness and the pain of mine infirmity I am not able to speak much, in these three words do I briefly lay open my will and intention unto all the brethren present and to be; to wit, that in token of my remembrance and blessing and testament, let them evermore love one another even as I have loved them, let them evermore love and observe our Lady Poverty, and evermore be faithful and loyal lieges to the prelates and clergy of Holy Mother Church.”

For thus was our father in the Chapters of the brethren always wont at the end of the Chapter to give his blessing and absolution to all the brethren in the Religion present and to come, and even out of Chapter in the fervency of his charity would he many a time do the same. Moreover he would admonish the brethren that they should dread all evil example and beware of following the same, and his curse did he leave unto all them that by evil example should provoke men to blaspheme the Religion and life of the brethren, for that good and holy poor men be thereby shamed and sorely afflicted.