Third Lesson

By the supernatural power of such ecstatic experiences, as has been proven by certain evidence, the unknown and hidden secrets of divine wisdom were opened to him unless his zeal for fraternal welfare urged him and the impulse of heavenly revelation forced him. His unflagging zeal for prayer with his continual exercise of virtues had led the man of God to such serenity of mind that, although he had no expertise in Sacred Scripture which comes through study in human learning, nevertheless, enlightened by the splendor of eternal light, he probed the depths of Scripture with a clear, remarkable incisiveness. The manifold spirit of the prophets also rested ^{Is 11:2} upon him with a plenitude of various graces. By its wonderful power, the man of God was present to others who were absent, had certain knowledge of those far distant, saw the secrets of hearts, and also foretold future events, as the evidence of many examples prove, some of which are included below.

Fourth Lesson

At one time the holy man, Anthony, then an outstanding preacher but now a glorious confessor of Christ, was preaching eloquently to the brothers at a provincial chapter at Arles on the title of the Cross: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. ^{Jn 19:19} The man of God, Francis, who at that time was busy faraway, appeared lifted up in the air at the door of the chapter. With his hands extended as if on a cross blessing the friars, he filled their spirits with such manifold consolation that it was certain to them that this wonderful apparition had been endowed by the power of heaven. Furthermore, that this did not lie hidden from the blessed father is evidently clear from how open his spirit was to the light of eternal wisdom which is mobile beyond all motion, reaching everywhere because of its purity, spreading through the nations into holy souls, it makes them prophets and friends of God.

Fifth Lesson

At one time when the friars were entering the chapter according to custom at St. Mary of the Portiuncula, one of them, hiding behind the mantle of some excuse, would not submit himself to the discipline. The holy one, who was then praying in his cell as a mediator between those same brothers and God, saw all this in spirit. He had one of the brothers called to him and said: "Brother, I saw the devil perched on the back of that disobedient brother, holding him

 Previous

Next 

Lectio tertia.

3 ¹Huiusmodi quoque sursumactionum supernaturali virtute, sicut certis est comprobatum indiciis, incerta sibi et occulta divinae Sapientiae pandebantur, quamvis illa non vulgaret exterius, nisi quantum fraternae salutis urgebat zelus, et supernae revelationis dictabat instinctus. ²Ad tantam quippe mentis serenitatem indefessum orationis studium cum continua exercitatione virtutum virum Dei perduxerat, ut, quamvis sacrarum litterarum peritiam non habuerit per studium eruditionis humanae, lucis tamen aeternae irradiatus fulgoribus, Scripturarum profunda limpido intellectus scrutaretur acumine. ³Prophetarum etiam spiritus multiplex in tam multiformis plenitudine gratiae requievit in eo, ut ipsius virtute mirifica se vir Dei praesentem aliis exhiberet absentibus notitiamque certam haberet longe distantium, secreta quoque prospiceret cordium, nec non et futurorum praenuntiaret eventus, sicut multiplicium exemplorum evidentia comprobat, ex quibus aliqua subscribuntur.

Lectio quarta.

4 ¹Cum enim tempore quodam vir sacer Antonius, tunc quidem praedicator egregius, nunc autem confessor Christi praeclarus, de titulo crucis: Iesus Nazarenus, rex Iudaeorum, eructans melliflua, in quodam provinciali capitulo apud Arelatem fratribus praedicaret, vir Dei Franciscus, qui tunc in remotis agebat, ad ostium capituli in aëre sublevatus apparuit, ²qui et extensis velut in cruce manibus fratribus benedicens, tam multimoda illos spiritus consolatione replevit, ut certa eis intra semetipsos spiritus testificatione constaret, apparitionem illam mirabilem caelesti praeditam fuisse virtute. ³Porro, quia id beatum Patrem non latuit, patenter ex hoc ipso clarescit, quam pervius spiritus eius luci Sapientiae foret aeternae, quae omnibus mobilibus mobilior est, et attingens ubique propter sui munditiam, in animas sanctas se transfert et Dei amicos et prophetas constituit.

Lectio quinta.

5 ¹Apud Sanctam Mariam de Portiuncula, intrantibus fratribus semel ex more capitulum, cum unus ex eis defensionis cuiusdam tectus palliolo, se disciplinae non subderet, videns hoc vir sanctus in spiritu, qui in cella tunc orans sequester et medius erat inter eosdem fratres et Deum, vocari ad se fecit unum ex ipsis, cui et dixit: ²« Vidi, frater, diabolum super illius fratris inobedientis dorsum, collum eius tenentem adstrictum,