One time, in order to avoid idleness, which is the root of all evil, especially in a religious, he ordered the brothers to join him daily, immediately after a meal, in some kind of work. Thus they would not lose, totally or partially, the good they earned during the time of prayer by useless and idle words to which people are especially prone after a meal. And he also ordered it to be firmly observed that if any brother, while walking or working in the company of other brothers at something, utters some useless or idle word, he must say one Our Father, praising God at the beginning and end of this prayer. If perhaps he is the first to notice it and accuses himself of what he did, let him say the Our Father for his own soul together with The Praises of the Lord as was said. But if another brother rebuked him first, he is bound to say this in the way mentioned for the soul of the brother who corrected him.

If after being corrected, he offers an excuse and does not want to say the Our Father, he is bound to say two Our Father's, as above, for the soul of the brother who corrected him. Further, if it is judged as true, either on his own testimony or on that of another, that he has spoken an idle word, he shall say the Praises of God, as mentioned, at the beginning and end of that prayer loud enough and clear enough for all the brothers staying there to understand and hear. And while he is saying them, the brothers must be quiet and listen. If any brother hearing another saying idle words keeps silent about this without correcting him, he shall be bound to say one Our Father in the same way with the Praises of God, for the soul of the brother who spoke.

When any brother enters a cell, a house or any other place and finds a brother or brothers there, he should immediately and devoutly praise and bless the Lord. The most holy father was always solicitous to say those Praises of the Lord, with a fervent wish and desire he taught and encouraged the other brothers to be similarly careful and devout in saying these Praises.

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HOW HE ADMONISHED THE BROTHERS NEVER TO ABANDON THAT PLACE

Although blessed Francis knew the kingdom of heaven ^{Mt 5:3}
was established in every corner of the earth,
and believed that divine grace could be given
to God's chosen ones ^{Rom 8:33} in every place,
he nevertheless knew from his own experience
that the place of Saint Mary of the Portiuncula

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