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The Minor Legend of Saint Francis
(1260-1263)
Chapter I
HIS CONVERSION
First Lesson
The grace of God, our Savior, has appeared in these last days Ti 2:11 in his servant Francis. The Father of mercy and lighta came to his assistance with such an abundance of blessings of sweetness that, as it clearly appears in the course of Francis's life, God not only led him out from the darkness of the world into light, but also made him renowned for his merits and the excellence of his virtues. He also showed that he was notably illustrious for the remarkable mysteries of the cross displayed in him. Francis was born in the city of Assisi in the regions of the Spoleto valley. First called John by his mother, and then Francis by his father, he held on to the name his father gave him, but did not abandon the meaning of the name given by his mother. At a young age he lived in vain pursuits among the idle sons of men, and after acquiring a little knowledge of reading and writing he was assigned to work in a lucrative merchant's business; yet with God's protection, neither did he give himself over to the drives of the flesh among wanton youths, nor did he put his hope in money or in treasures among greedy merchants
- The reference to the Father of light found in Jas 1:17, which is not found at the beginning of LMj, underscores the liturgical aspect of LMn. Jas 1:17 is among the most frequently cited biblical texts in Bonaventure’s writings. The imagery of light at the opening of LMn takes on particular significance in the context of liturgical worship. Medieval art and architecture favored an aesthetic-practical appreciation of light in liturgical space and medieval theologians like Bonaventure considered light symbolic of divine grace sought and experienced in prayer.
Legenda Minor, Fontes Franciscani, p. 965-966
Incipit minor vita beati Francisci
1
- Et primo de conversione ipsius.
Lectio prima.
1 1Apparuit gratia Dei Salvatoris nostri diebus istis novissimis in servo suo Francisco, quem Pater misericordiarum et luminum in tam larga dulcedinis benedictione praevenit, quod sicut ex vitae ipsius decursu luculenter apparet, non solum de mundialibus tenebris eduxit in lucem, 2sed et perfectis effecit virtutum praerogativis et meritis celebrem, nec non et praeclaris circa eum crucis ostensis mysteriis insigniter demonstravit illustrem. – 3Hic nimirum de vallis Spoletanae partibus, civitate Assisii, trahens originem, primumque Ioannes vocatus a matre, dehinc Franciscus a patre, nominationis quidem paternae vocabulum tenuit, sed et rem materni nominis non reliquit. 4Licet enim inter vanos fuerit hominum filios iuvenili aetate nutritus in vanis et post aliqualem litterarum notitiam lucrativis mercationum deputatus negotiis, superno tamen sibi assistente praesidio, nec inter lascivos iuvenes post carnis petulantiam abiit, nec inter cupidos mercatores speravit in pecunia et thesauris.