A New Life of Saint Francis of Assisi by Thomas of Celano Discovered

The Franciscan world is abuzz with the word that another biography of St. Francis of Assisi, written by Thomas of Celano has been found.   A posting, dated January 27, 2015, on the English Speaking Conference ofthe Order Friars Minor (OFM) reported the details of how it was discovered.  Scholars believe that Thomas of Celano wrote it shortly after writing the First Life of St. Francis and way before he wrote the Second Life.  It is being reported that it contains information about Francis, which is missing from the other biographies; or had been changed in later issues. 

It is know that multiple biographies were written about the Saint, one only has to look at the three volume collection: “Francis of Assisi, The Early Documents,” compiled and translated by Regis Armstrong, OFM CAP, J.A. Wayne Hellmann, OFM CONV, and William Short, OFM.  That fact that we even have early versions for Francis’ biographies can be considered somewhat of a miracle.  When St. Bonaventure wrote his “Life of Saint Francis (Legenda Maior)” and presented it to a General Chapter of the Friars, the Chapter accepted it as the official biography, and for reasons that still remain unclear, ordered all copies of earlier biographies destroyed.  Again, I consider it a miracle that, according to Ewert Cousins, translator and editor of a collection of Bonaventure’s’ works; twenty copies of Celano’s first Life have survived, and only two copies of the second Life still exist.  Now another work by Celano has come to surface!  What new insights and revelations will come to light?  The Franciscan world waits in anticipation!

Enough Already With The Royal Wedding - One Franciscan's Perspective

First, let me admit that I regularly watch the BBC America channel, and that I watch and listen to the BBS World News. I will also admit that I watched the BBC documentary series, “Monarchy,” about the daily life of Queen Elizabeth II. Okay, I will admit that I watched that series several times.

That being said, I am tired of all the hype, the hoopla that has surrounded today’s wedding of Prince Harry and Kate Middleton. Yes, it is a prime social news story that deserves coverage by the major news organizations. But when local news stations dig into their pockets to send local reporters to cover it; there is a question of where the priority lies. And they have filed so many stories leading up to today, that they are really stretching what is relevant to report on.

This reminds me of a story that the Franciscan friar and biographer of St. Francis of Assisi, Thomas of Celano, told:

“He (Francis) taught them not only to mortify vices and repress carnal movements, but also to restrain the exterior senses themselves, for through them death enters the soul. When at that time the Emperor Otto was passing through the place with much clamor and pomp to receive the crown of his earthly empire, the most holy father, who was living with his brothers in that hovel close to the road on which the emperor would pass, did not even go out to watch; and he did not let any one else to do so except one who continuously called out to the Emperor that his glory would last but a short time,..”

Yes, this is a time for the people of Great Britain to celebrate, to have a moment of joy after so much bad news. And yes, the rest of the world can watch, and enjoy the spectacle as it plays out on our televisions and computer monitors. But there are people out there that should not be forgotten, the tornado victims in the South, the earthquake victims of Japan; the Arab protestors, seeking freedom. They and others deserve our attention more!

Acedia

“This holy man (Francis of Assisi) insisted that spiritual joy was an infallible remedy against a thousand snares and tricks of the enemy. He used to say: ‘The devil is most delighted when he can steal the joy of spirit from a servant of God. He carries dust which he tries to throw into the tiniest openings of the conscience, to dirty a clear mind and a clean life. But if spiritual joy fills the heart; the serpent casts its poison in vain. The devils cannot harm a servant of Christ when they see him filled with holy cheerfulness. But when the spirit is teary-eyed, feeling abandoned and sad, it will easily be swallowed up in sorrow, or else be carried away toward empty enjoyment.’ The saint therefore always strove to keep a joyful heart, to preserve the anointing of the spirit and the oil of gladness.

He avoided very carefully the dangerous disease of acedia, so that when he felt even a little of it slipping into his heart, he quickly rushed to prayer. For he used to say: ‘When a servant of God gets disturbed about something, as often happens, he must get up at once to pray and remain before the most High Father until he gives back to him the joy of his salvation. But if he delays, staying in sadness, that Babylonian sickness will grow and, unless scrubbed with tears, it will produce in the heart permanent rust.’” (Chap. LXXXVIII, The Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul by Thomas of Celano)

When I read the above, it was as if it had been addressed to me. Sometimes the trials, stresses, and tribulations of life can get to be too much. One can find prayer dry and unfulfilling. A person can lose focus; find it difficult to read, to write, to blog. I saw myself definitely suffering the symptoms of Acedia.

I found a definition of Acedia as “a type of spiritual discouragement that saddens the soul, it causes a loss of interest in the spiritual life,” (P.329, Francis of Assisi, The Founder). Think of it as spiritual depression. Early Christian spiritual fathers and mothers knew about, wrote about, and how to fight it. Spiritual author Kathleen Norris wrote a book on Acedia, and how it affected her. (I will have to read that one.)

In dealing with Acedia, I think religious have an advantage over lay people, in that, they can fall back on the community’s discipline of prayer and work. This structure gives them the chance to reconnect with God. For us laity, this is harder, because it can be so easy to give up a practice of prayer, of spiritual reading; of closing one’s heart; and at least superficially, feel no lost. It is now that I should listen to the words of Francis, turn to prayer, open myself to the Father, ask for His help, for His light; and trust that He will be there for me.