Excerpt from: A Letter to the Entire Order, St. Francis of Assisi 

Almighty, eternal, just and merciful God,

give us miserable ones

the grace to do for You alone

what we know you want us to do

and always to desire what pleases You.

Inwardly cleansed,

interiorly enlightened

and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit,

may we be able to follow

in the footprints of Your beloved Son,

our Lord Jesus Christ,

and by Your grace alone,

may we make our way to You,

Most High,

Who live and rule

in perfect Trinity and simple Unity,

and are glorified

God Almighty,

forever and ever.

Amen.

 Source: St. Francis of Assisi, The Saint, The Early Documents

BLESSED LOUISE ALBERTONI, THIRD ORDER

Blessed Louise Albertoni was born in Rome in the year 1474 into a wealthy and distinguished family.  However, her parents were known more for their piety and they took great care in training their daughter.  As a wife and mother she always sought to please God above all things.  At the age of thirty-one she lost her husband in death.  With her three daughters provided for, she publicly took the habit of the Third Order and dedicated herself to the service of God.  She used the abundant income of her wealth to support the poor while she lacked necessities for herself.  She was drawn to the contemplation of the suffering of our Lord and they were so constantly before her mind that she wept continually.  God rewarded her with the gift of miracles and frequent ecstasy.  She died on January 31, 1533.  Her body rests in the Church of St Francis on the Tiber.  Pope Clement X beatified her in 1671.

Source:  The Franciscan Book of Saints, Marion A. Habig OFM

The Admonitions III – PERFECT OBEDIENCE

ADMONITIONS III – PERFECT OBEDIENCE
St. Francis of Assisi

The Lord says in the Gospel: Whoever does not renounce all that he possesses cannot be my disciple (Lk 14:33); and: Whoever wished to save his life must lose it (Lk 9:24).

That person who offers himself totally to obedience in the hands of his prelate leaves all that he possesses and loses his body. And whatever he does and says which he knows is not contrary to his will is true obedience, provided that what he does is good.

And should a subject see that some things might be better and more useful for his soul than what a prelate commands, let him willingly offer such things to God as a sacrifice; and, instead let him earnestly strive to fulfill the prelate’s wishes. For this is loving obedience because it pleases God and neighbor. (1Pt 1:22)

If the prelate, however, commands something contrary to his conscience, even though he may not obey him, let him not, however, abandon him. And if he then suffers persecution from others, let him love them all the more for the sake of God. For whoever chooses to suffer persecution rather than wish to be separated from his brothers truly remains in perfect obedience because he lays down his life for his brothers. In fact, there are many religious who, under the pretext of seeing things better than those which the prelate commands, look back, and return to the vomit of their own will. These are murderers and, because of their bad example, cause many to lose their souls. (1 Jn 3:15-16; Jn 15:13; Lk 9:62; Prv 26:11; 2 Pt 2:22)

Source: St. Francis of Assisi, The Saint, Early Documents

BLESSED SEBASTIAN OF APARICIO

Blessed Sebastian of Aparicio, born 1502 in Spain, emigrated as a young man of thirty-one to Mexico. There he contributed much to the public welfare by manufacturing plows, wagons, building roads through the forests and mountains, and transporting grain and other produce to the cities. After death had robbed him of his second wife, and at the age of 71, he gave all his possessions to the poor to become a became a Franciscan brother at Puebla. There he died in his 98th year on February 25, 1600; and there, in a large chapel adjoining the Franciscan church, lies his incorrupt body in a glass tomb. The main highway that to this day connects Zacatecas with Mexico City was first built by Blessed Sebastian.

February 25

The Franciscan Book of Saints, Marion A. Habig, OFM