Looking at the Rule
This
year Franciscans are celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Later
Rule. Our own Rule was revised in 1978. This is the first of a series of
articles looking at that Rule.
Prologue
Exhortation of Saint
Francis to the Brothers and Sisters in Penance
In the name of the
Lord!
Chapter 1
Concerning Those Who
Do Penance
All who love the Lord with their
whole heart, with their whole soul and mind, with all their strength (cf. Mk
12:30), and love their neighbors as themselves (cf. Mt 22:39) and hate their
bodies with their vices and sins, and receive the Body and Blood of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and produce worthy fruits of penance.
Oh, how happy and blessed are these
men and women when they do these things and persevere in doing them, because
“the spirit of the Lord will rest upon them” (cf. Is 11:2) and he will make
“his home and dwelling among them” (cf Jn 14:23), and they are the sons of the
heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:45), whose works they do, and they are the spouses,
brothers, and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Mt 12:50).
We are spouses, when by the Holy
Spirit the faithful soul is united with our Lord Jesus Christ; we are brothers
to him when we fulfill “the will of the Father who is in heaven” (Mt 12:50).
We are mothers, when we carry him in
our heart and body (cf. 1 Cor 6:20) through divine love and a pure and sincere
conscience; we give birth to him through a holy life which must give life to
others by example (cf. Mt 5:16).
Oh, how glorious it is to have a
great and holy Father in heaven! Oh, how glorious it is to have such a
beautiful and admirable Spouse, the Holy Paraclete.
Oh, how glorious it is to have such
a Brother and such a Son, loved, beloved, humble, peaceful, sweet, lovable, and
desirable above all: Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave up his life for his sheep
(cf. Jn 10:15) and prayed to the Father saying:
“Oh, holy Father, protect them with
your name (cf. Jn 17:11) whom you gave me out of the world. I entrusted to them
the message you entrusted to me and they received it. They have known that in
truth I came from you; they have believed that it was you who sent me. For
these I pray, not for the world (cf. Jn 17:9). Bless and consecrate them, and I
consecrate myself for their sakes. I do not pray for them alone; I pray also
for those who will believe in me through their word (cf. Jn 17:20) that they
may be holy by being one, as we are (cf. Jn 17:11). And I desire, Father, to
have them in my company where I am to see this glory of mine in your kingdom”
(cf. Jn 17:6-24).
Observations:
In this prologue, Saint Francis begins by
listing some key components of being one who does penance, by which he means a
person who has turned toward God. Those are:
Love of God
Love of Neighbor
Hatred of Vice and Sin
Receiving the Eucharist
Producing Worthy Fruits
of Penance
These are all part of our call as Christians, but as Franciscans we are called to give these elements added focus. He notes that those who love the Lord have a deep, familial relationship with Him. We become obedient sons and daughters, spouses, brothers and sisters, and mothers. Saint Francis asks the Father to protect all those “who do penance.” And in being ones who do penance, we are called, in effect, to mirror Christ in our lives. St. Francis himself set an inspiring example, so mirroring Christ he even received the Stigmata.
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