THE LITTLE FLOWERS OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI
PART ONE HERE BEGIN THE LITTLE FLOWERS OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI
CHAPTER II OF BROTHER BERNARD OF QUINTAVALLE, THE FIRST COMPANION OF ST FRANCIS
CHAPTER XIV HOW THE LORD APPEARED TO ST FRANCIS AND TO HIS BRETHREN AS HE WAS SPEAKING WITH THEM
CHAPTER XV HOW ST CLARE ATE WITH ST FRANCIS AND HIS COMPANIONS AT ST MARY OF THE ANGELS
CHAPTER XXI OF THE MOST HOLY MIRACLE OF ST FRANCIS IN TAMING THE FIERCE WOLF OF GUBBIO
CHAPTER XXII HOW ST FRANCIS TAMED THE WILD DOVES
CHAPTER XXIV HOW ST FRANCIS CONVERTED TO THE FAITH THE SULTAN OF BABYLON
CHAPTER XXX OF THE BEAUTIFUL SERMON WHICH ST FRANCIS AND BROTHER RUFFINO PREACHED AT ASSISI
CHAPTER XXXI HOW ST FRANCIS WAS ACQUAINTED WITH THE SECRETS OF THE CONSCIENCES OF ALL HIS BRETHREN
CHAPTER XXXII HOW BROTHER MASSEO OBTAINED FROM CHRIST THE VIRTUE OF HUMILITY
CHAPTER XXXVI HOW ST FRANCIS EXPLAINED TO BROTHER LEO A BEAUTIFUL VISION THAT HE HAD SEEN
CHAPTER XLV OF THE CONVERSION, LIFE, MIRACLES, AND DEATH OF THE HOLY BROTHER JOHN DELLA PENNA
CHAPTER XLIX HOW CHRIST APPEARED TO BROTHER JOHN OF ALVERNIA
OF THE SACRED AND HOLY STIGMATA OF ST FRANCIS AND CERTAIN CONSIDERATIONS THEREON
OF THE FIRST CONSIDERATION OF THE SACRED, HOLY STIGMATA
OF THE SECOND CONSIDERATION OF THE SACRED, HOLY STIGMATA
OF THE THIRD CONSIDERATION OF THE SACRED HOLY STIGMATA
OF THE FOURTH CONSIDERATION OF THE SACRED, HOLY STIGMATA
HOW JEROME, WHO AT FIRST BELIEVED NOT, SAW AND TOUCHED THE SACRED, HOLY STIGMATA OF ST FRANCIS
OF THE FIFTH AND LAST CONSIDERATION OF THE SACRED, HOLY STIGMATA
CHAPTER LVI OF A HOLY FRIAR WHO SAW A WONDERFUL VISION OF A COMPANION WHO WAS DEAD
HERE BEGINNETH THE LIFE OF BROTHER JUNIPER
CHAPTER I HOW BROTHER JUNIPER CUT OFF THE FOOT OF A PIG TO GIVE IT TO A SICK BROTHER
CHAPTER II AN INSTANCE OF BROTHER JUNIPER’S GREAT POWER AGAINST THE DEVIL
CHAPTER III HOW, BY THE CONTRIVANCE OF THE DEVIL, BROTHER JUNIPER WAS CONDEMNED TO THE GALLOWS
CHAPTER IV HOW BROTHER JUNIPER GAVE ALL THAT HE HAD TO THE POOR FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
CHAPTER VI HOW BROTHER JUNIPER KEPT SILENCE FOR SIX MONTHS
CHAPTER VII HIS REMEDY FOR TEMPTATIONS OF THE FLESH
CHAPTER VIII HOW BROTHER JUNIPER MADE HIMSELF CONTEMPTIBLE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
CHAPTER IX HOW BROTHER JUNIPER, IN ORDER TO BE DESPISED, PLAYED AT SEE-SAW
CHAPTER X HOW BROTHER JUNIPER ONCE COOKED FOR THE BRETHREN ENOUGH TO LAST FOR A FORTNIGHT
CHAPTER XI HOW BROTHER JUNIPER WENT ONE DAY TO ASSISI FOR HIS OWN CONFUSION
CHAPTER XII HOW BROTHER JUNIPER FELL INTO AN ECSTASY DURING THE CELEBRATION OF MASS
CHAPTER XIV OF THE HAND WHICH BROTHER JUNIPER SAW IN THE AIR
CHAPTER XV HOW ST FRANCIS COMMANDED BROTHER LEO TO WASH THE STONE
PART THREE THE LIFE OF THE BLESSED BROTHER GILES, COMPANION OF ST FRANCIS
CHAPTER I HOW BROTHER GILES, WITH THREE COMPANIONS WAS RECEIVED INTO THE ORDER OF FRIAR’S MINOR
CHAPTER II HOW BROTHER GILES WENT TO ST JAMES THE GREAT
CHAPTER III OF BROTHER GILES’S MANNER OF LIFE WHEN HE WENT TO THE HOLY SEPULCHRE
CHAPTER IV HOW BROTHER GILES PRAISED OBEDIENCE MORE THAN PRAYER
CHAPTER V HOW BROTHER GILES LIVED BY THE LABOUR OF HIS HANDS
CHAPTER VII OF THE DAY OF THE HOLY BROTHER GILES’S DEATH
CHAPTER VIII HOW A HOLY MAN, BEING IN PRAYER, SAW THE SOUL OF BROTHER GILES PASS TO ETERNAL LIFE
CHAPTER X HOW GOD GAVE SPECIAL GRACES TO BROTHER GILES, AND OF THE YEAR OF HIS DEATH
PART FOUR HERE BEGIN THE CHAPTERS OF CERTAIN INSTRUCTIONS AND NOTABLE SAYINGS OF BROTHER GILES
CHAPTER I OF VICES AND VIRTUES
CHAPTER IV OF THE HOLY FEAR OF GOD
CHAPTER VII OF THE CONTEMPT OF TEMPORAL THINGS
CHAPTER XII OF HOLY SPIRITUAL PRUDENCE
CHAPTER XIII OF KNOWLEDGE USEFUL AND USELESS
CHAPTER XIV OF GOOD AND EVIL SPEAKING
CHAPTER XV OF HOLY PERSEVERANCE
CHAPTER XVI OF TRUE RELIGIOUS LIFE
A young man, of noble birth, and of delicate habits, who had entered the Order of St Francis, was seized after a few days, through the devil,s suggestions, with a violent dislike of the habit that he wore: he hated the shape of the sleeves; he felt a horror for the hood, for the length of the dress, and the coarseness of the material; so that it seemed to him as if he carried about him an insupportable weight; and, disliking the Order more and more, he determined to leave it and return to the world. It was the custom of this young man, at whatever hour he passed before the altar in the convent at which the Blessed Sacrament was reserved, to kneel down with great respect and, covering his head with his hood and crossing his arms on his breast, to prostrate himself, as he had been taught to do by the master of novices. It so happened, that the night when he had made up his mind to leave the convent, he passed before the altar, and, kneeling down as he was wont to do, he prostrated himself to the ground, and, being ravished in spirit, the Lord sent him a most wonderful vision. He saw before him a great multitude of saints ranged in procession, two by two, clothed in vestments made of precious material: their faces and their hands shone like the sun; they sang, as they walked, to the sound of celestial music. Two of them were more nobly and more richly dressed than the rest, and surrounded by such a blaze of light that none could look on them without being dazzled. At the end of the procession was one so gloriously adorned, that he seemed, like a new knight, to be more favoured than the others. Now the young man, seeing such a beautiful procession, was struck with wonder; but although he could not guess the meaning of the vision, he dared not ask, and seemed struck dumb with amazement. When the procession had almost passed away, he took courage, and addressing himself to those who were in the rear, he said: “O beloved, I pray you tell me who are those wonderful beings who form this venerable procession.� They answered: “Know, my son, that we are all Friars Minor, who are come from the glories of Paradise; and those two who shine forth brighter than the rest, are St Francis and St Anthony; and the last one you saw so especially honoured is a holy friar, lately dead, who having fought with courage against temptation and having preserved to the end, we lead in triumph to the glories of Paradise; and these splendid vestments which adorn us have been given to us by God, in exchange for the coarse tunic we wore with so much patience in religion; and the glorious light which shines upon us has been given in reward for the humility, the holy poverty, the obedience, and chastity that we observed to the end of our lives. Now, my son, do not find the robe of religion too rough to wear; for if, clothed in the sackcloth of St Francis, and out of love to Christ, thou dost despise the world, mortifying thy flesh, and fighting valiantly against the devil, thou too shalt receive these splendid vestments, and shine with this glorious light.� On hearing these words the young man came to his senses, and feeling himself much strengthened, he put far from him all temptation to leave the Order, confessed his sin to the guardian and to the brethren, and from that moment dearly loved the course vestment of St Francis and the severity of penance, and at length ended his life in the Order in a state of great sanctity.