And he said: "The brothers often have large buildings made, breaking with our holy poverty, resulting in grumbling and bad example to their neighbor. Afterwards, they abandon those places and buildings for the sake of better or healthier places, prompting those who gave alms there, as well as others who see or hear about this to be scandalized and greatly upset. It is, therefore, better that the brothers have small and poor places built, observing their profession, and giving their neighbor good example, rather than making things contrary to their profession and offering bad example to others. For, if it should ever happen that the brothers leave their little places and poor buildings for the sake of a more decent place, that would be very bad example and scandal."

During those days and in the same cell where blessed Francis spoke about these things to Lord Bonaventure, one night, vomiting blood he came close to death. Therefore, fearing that he was dying, his brothers said to him: "Father, bless us and the other brothers in the Order, and leave us some remembrance to which we may have recourse after your death."

Brother Francis had Brother Benedict of Piratro, who celebrated for him,^a called, since, although he was sick, he always wanted, gladly and devoutly, to hear Mass whenever he was able. And when he had come, blessed Francis told him: "Write that I bless all my brothers, those who are and who will be in the religion until the end of the world."

And blessed Francis told him: "Since I cannot speak much because of my illness, I am showing my will to my brothers briefly in these three words: as a sign of remembrance of my blessing and my testament, may they always love each other; may they always love and observe our Lady Holy Poverty; and, may they always remain faithful and subject to the prelates and all the clerics of holy Mother Church."^b

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At one time while blessed Francis was staying at Saint Mary of the Portiuncula, he used to go through the villages and churches in the area around the city of Assisi, proclaiming and preaching to the people that they should do penance. And he would carry a broom to sweep the churches.

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¹⁹Et ait: « Multotiens enim fratres faciunt fieri magna loca et edificia rumpendo sanctam nostram paupertatem et in murmurationem et malum exemplum proximi. ²⁰Et postea occasione melioris vel sanioris loci dimictunt illa loca et edificia, unde illi, qui dederunt ibi helemosinas suas, et alii hoc videntes et audientes scandalizantur inde plurimum et conturbantur. ²¹Quapropter melius est, ut fratres parva et paupercula loca et edificia fieri faciant, observando professionem suam, bonum exemplum dando proximis, quam si contra professionem suam fecerint et malum exemplum aliis exhibuerint . ²²Nam si aliquando contingeret, quod fratres occasione honestioris loci loca parva et paupercula edificia dimicterent, nimis malum exemplum esset et scandalum inde ».

²³In illis autem diebus et in eadem cella, ubi beatus Franciscus hec verba dixerat domino Bonaventure, propter vomitum sanguinis quasi ad mortem venit quadam nocte. ²⁴Unde dixerunt sibi fratres timentes quod moreretur: « Benedic nobis, pater, et aliis fratribus de ordine et dimicte nobis aliquod memoriale, ad quod recuramus post mortem tuam ».

²⁵Beatus Franciscus fecit vocari fratrem Benedictum de Prato, qui celebrabat ei, quoniam, licet esset infirmus, semper cum poterat, libenter audire missam volebat, et dixit illi: ²⁶« Scribe, qualiter benedico cunctis fratribus meis, qui sunt in religione, et qui venturi erunt usque in finem seculi ».

²⁷Et ait ei beatus Franciscus: « Quoniam propter infirmitatem loqui non valeo, breviter in hiis tribus verbis patefacio fratribus meis voluntatem meam, ²⁸videlicet: ut in signum memorie mee benedictionis et mysterii diligant se ad invicem, ²⁹semper diligant et observent dominam nostram paupertatem sanctam, ³⁰et ut semper prelatis et omnibus clericis sancte matris Ecclesie fideles et subiecti existant ».

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¹Cum maneret beatus Franciscus apud sanctam Mariam de Portiuncula, ibat quandoque per villas et ecelesias in circuitu civitatis Assisii annuntiando et predicando hominibus, ut facerent penitentiam. Et portabat scopam ad scopandas ecelesias.