Lady Poverty Blesses the Brothers and Urges Them to Persevere in the Grace They Have Received

⁶⁴She ordered all of them to be seated about her and spoke to them the words of life. ^{Jn 6:69} "You are blessed by the Lord God Who made heaven and earth, my sons. You who have received me into your home with such a fullness of charity that it seems to me that today I am with you as in God's paradise. I am, then, filled with joy. ^{Rv 2:7} I overflow with consolation, ^{2 Cor 7:4} and I ask pardon for having so delayed in coming. Truly the Lord is with you and I did not know it. ^{Gn 28:16} I see what I have yearned for; what I have desired I now possess, for I am joined on earth to those who bear the image of Him to Whom I am espoused in heaven. May the Lord bless your strength and receive the work of your hands. ^{Dt 33:11}

⁶⁵"I ask and greatly beg you as dearly beloved children to persevere in what you have begun by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, not abandoning your perfection as is the custom of others. After you have avoided all the snares of the dark, however, may you always strive for what is more perfect. Your profession is very lofty. It shines with a more brilliant light above humanity, above the virtue and perfection of the ancients.

"Let there be no doubt about your possession of the kingdom of heaven. Let there be no hesitation among you! For you already possess a promise of a future inheritance and have received the pledge of the Spirit. Signed with the seal of Christ's glory, you respond in everything, by His grace, like those of that first school which He established upon coming into the world. For what they did in His presence, you have thoroughly begun to do in His absence. Isn't it what you dare to say: 'Behold we have left everything and followed you?' ^{Mt 19:27}

⁶⁶"Let the length of the race and the immensity of the labor not deter you for you will have a great reward. While focusing on the author and goal of all good, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, after he condemned its shame, endured the cross for the sake of the joy that awaited him, ^{Heb 12:02} hold onto the unwavering confession of your hope. ^{Heb 10:23} Run in love to the race that is set before you. ^{Heb 12:1} Run with the patience which is especially necessary for you, that, while you are doing God's will, you may receive what is promised. For God is able to bring to completion with joy what you have begun with his grace beyond your powers, because He is faithful to His promises.

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Capitulum 31 Domina Paupertas benedicit fratribus et monet eos
perseverare in recepta gratia.

¹Iussit ipsa omnes pariter consedere et verba vite locuta est ad eos, dicens: ²"Benedicti vos, filii, a Domino Deo qui fecit celum et terram, qui tanta caritatis plenitudine in domo vestra me suscepistis, ut visum sit mihi hodie esse vobiscum tamquam in paradiso Dei. ³Propterea repleta sum gaudio, superabundo consolatione, et quia tantum venire tardavi, veniam peto. ⁴Vere Dominus est vobiscum, et ego nesciebam. Ecce quod concupivi iam video, quod desideravi iam teneo, quoniam, illis sum coniuncta in terris, qui mihi imaginem representant eius cui sum desponsata in celis. ⁵Benedicat Dominus fortitudini vestre et opera manuum vestrarum suscipiat.

⁶Rogo et multum deprecor vos tamquam filios carissimos, ut perseveretis in iis que Spiritu Sancto docente cepistis, non deserentes perfectionem vestram sicut est consuetudinis quibusdam, sed, evasis cunctis laqueis tenebrarum, semper ad perfectiora nitimini. ⁷Altissima est professio vestra, supra hominem, supra virtutem et antiquarum perfectionem illustrat lumine clariori.

⁸De regni celorum possessione nulla sit dubitatio, nulla sit cunctatio vobis, quoniam arram future hereditatis iam tenetis et pignus Spiritus iam suscepistis, signati signaculo glorie Christi, respondentes per omnia, gratia sua, illi prime sue schole, quam in mundo veniens congregavit. ⁹Quod enim illi fecerunt in presentia eius, hoc vos totum in absentia operari cepistis, et non est quod dicere vereamini: "Ecce nos reliquimus omnia et secuti sumus te."

¹⁰Non deterreat vos magnitudo certaminis et laboris immensitas, quoniam magnam habebitis remunerationem. ¹¹Et aspicientes in actorem et consummatorem omnium bonorum, Dominum Iesum Christum, qui proposito sibi gaudio sustinuit crucem, confusione contempta, tenete spei vestre confessionein indeclinabilem. ¹²Currite ad propositum vobis certamen in caritate. Currite per patientiam, que maxime vobis necessaria est, ut voluntatem Dei facientes reportetis repromissionem. ¹³Potens est enim Deus que supra vires cepistis gratia sua sancta consummare feliciter, quia fidelis est in promissionibus.