Library

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

Chapter XXI How the Lord Bishop of Ostia wept and was edified at the poverty of the brethren T

Complete three-work composite: CCEL Fioretti; Salter 1904 Life and Miracles; Evans 1899 / Goretti 2025 Mirror
Open passage
Chapter XXI How the Lord Bishop of Ostia wept and was edified at the poverty of the brethren T
Open passage
heLord Bishop of Ostia, who was afterwards Pope Gregory, when
Open passage
he came to the Chapter of the brethren at S. Mary of the Little
Open passage
Portion, went into the house to look at the brethren’s dormitory with a number of soldiers and clerics, and, when he saw that the brethren lay on the ground and had nought under them but a little straw and some bolsters, all tattered and torn as it were, and no pillows, he began to weep sore before them all, saying: “Look you here where the brethren sleep, while we wretched ones do make use of so many superfluities! How will it be with us for this?” Whereby he himself and all the rest were much edified. Moreover, no table saw he there, for that in that place the brethren did eat together on the ground.

Source attribution

The Little Flowers and the Life of St. Francis, with the Mirror of Perfection; retained source edition and original contributor credits. Public-domain status supported by edition notices or retained historical publication facts; source-host site design and index descriptions are excluded.

Chapter XX How he did rebuke by word and example those brethren that had made ready the table sumptuously on the day of the Lord’s Nativity Whena certain minister of the brethren had come to the Blessed Chapter XXII How the soldiers found things necessary by asking an alms from door to door, according to the counsel of the Blessed Francis Whenthe Blessed Francis was at the place at Bagnara, above the city of