Chapter 3
(30) As regards the third chapter: Our Seraphic Father, thoroughly Catholic, Apostolic, and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, always held the Roman Church in special veneration, as the judge and mother of all other Churches. Hence he laid down in the Rule that the clerics should say the Office according tot he order of the Holy Roman Church, and in his Testament forbade them to alter it in any way. We therefore ordain, that the Friars, united in spirit under the same standard and called to the same end, shall observe the same rites as those used by the Holy Roman Church in all that regards the Missal, Breviary and the Calendar. And the clerics as well as the lay-brothers shall say the five Offices of the Dead, as prescribed in the Calendar.
(31) The clerics and priests who are not very lettered shall look over beforehand whatever they have to read publicly in the Mass and Divine Office, lest their unworthy treatment of divine things should disturb the hearers and provoke against themselves the angels who are present at the divine praises. And in the Mass and Divine Office they shall say only what is in the Missal and Breviary, observing the prescribed ceremonies.
(32) We exhort the priests when celebrating Mass, not to have the eye of their intention turned toward human favour or glory or anything temporal, but with a simply, pure and clean heart they shall attend solely to the divine honour, celebrating for mere charity, with humble reverence, faith and devotion. They shall prepare themselves as well as their frailty will allow, for he is denounced as accursed who doth the work of the Lord with negligence; and as this is, of all actions, the most sublime, its irreverent performance is exceedingly displeasing.
(33) And let them, after the example of Christ, High priest, Who offered Himself for us on the Cross without recompense, not be anxious to receive any earthly reward for celebrating, but rather let them understand that thereby their own debt to God is increased. We exhort the other Friars who are present at Mass to assist at these divine mysteries with the greatest reverence, in the spirit of the angels, keeping themselves in the presence of God, endeavouring spiritually to celebrate and communicate, and offer to God this most acceptable sacrifice.
(34) And since the celebration of Mass is an action of the greatest importance, we ordain that, according to the canonical regulations, no cleric may be ordained priest until he is twenty four years of age, and those who have been ordained shall not celebrate Mass until they have reached the prescribed age. We further ordain that no cleric shall be promoted to the priesthood, unless over and above a good spirit, he has also sufficient knowledge to understand and pronounce well the words which he utters when celebrating. And in all their Masses and prayers they shall remember our benefactors, imploring God to reward them abundantly in the present and future life.
(35) The clerics and priests, not legitimately impeded, on hearing the first sound of the bell for the Divine Office shall promptly betake themselves to the choir to prepare their hearts for the Lord. There in devotion, composure, mortification, recollection and silence, they shall remember that they are in the presence of God, about to engage in the angelic function of singing the divine praises.
(36) The Divine Office shall be said with all due devotion, attention, gravity, uniformity of voice and harmony of mind, neither protracted nor disjoined and the voice pitched neither too high nor too low, but moderately. The Friars shall endeavour to sing the praises of God more with the heart than with the lips, lest that be said of them which our Most Sweet Saviour said to the Jews: “This people honoured Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.”
(37) The lay-brothers shall assemble at the beginning of Matins, of Vespers, of Compline, and during the Te Deum laudamus; and when the communal preparation is over and the Office commences, they may retire into some place to suit their devotion, to say the Pater Nosters, laid down by the Rule. On all festivals the lay-brothers and clerics, not prevented for a reasonable cause, shall assist at Vespers and be present at as many Masses as they can.
(38) In order to maintain most high poverty, spiritual peace and undisturbed humility, to foster good relations between ourselves and other clerics and priests, and to avoid anything which might in time leave a blemish on our Order, we ordain that the dead shall not be buried in our Places, unless one be so poor as not even to have someone to bury him. In such cases we must show the greatest charity.
(39) No burials, either of seculars or of the Friars, shall be performed in our Places, since in our Churches, due to the presence of Christ most pure, there must be no defilement, but they shall be buried in some becoming place near the Church or cloister. When the Friars visit the sick they shall guard not only against inducing them to be buried in our Places, but rather dissuade them from this. And lest this should be a cause of scandal they shall inform and instruct them regarding this matter.
(40) When one of our Friars dies, the others shall be careful, with loving charity, to commend his soul to God. And in the province where he dies each priest shall apply one Mass; the clerics shall say the Office of the Dead; the lay-brothers one hundred Our Fathers. And every week each priest shall apply one Mass for our deceased brethren.
(41) Since holy prayer is our spiritual mistress, in order that the spirit of devotion may not decrease in the Friars, but, continually burning on the sacred altar of our heart, may be enkindled more and more, as our Seraphic Father wished, we ordain that, although the true spiritual Friar Minor should always pray, two special hours shall be appointed for the tepid Friars, one after Compline during the whole year, the other, from Easter until the Exaltation of the Cross, immediately after None, except on days of fast when it shall be after Sext, and from the Exaltation of the Cross until Easter, after Matins.
(42) Let the Friars remember that prayer is nothing else than speaking to God with the heart. Consequently, he does not pray who speaks to God with the lips. Each one, therefore, should endeavour to pray mentally, and according to the teaching of Christ, taking diligent care to enlighten the mind and enkindle the affections far more than to frame words. Before the morning meditation, after None or Matins, or on fast days, after Sext, they shall recite the Litanies imploring all the Saints to pray to God with us and for us. And no other Offices shall be said in choir except that of the Blessed Virgin, so that the Friars have more time to devote to private and mental prayer which is far more fruitful than vocal prayer.
(43) Our Seraphic Father, as appears in the beginning and the end of the Rule, wished that special reverence should be paid to the Supreme Pontiff as the Vicar of Jesus Christ, and to all Prelates and priests. We ordain, therefore, that, over and above the prayers said in common, every Friar shall, in his private prayers, beseech the Divine Goodness for the Welfare of the Church Militant and for his Holiness the Pope, that grace may be given him clearly to see, efficaciously to will and successfully to carry out all that may redound to the honour and glory of the Divine Majesty, the salvation of the Christian people, and the conversion of the infidels. They shall also pray for the Most Eminent Lord Cardinals, for Bishops and Prelates in communion with the Supreme Pontiff, for the Most Excellent Emperor, for all Kings and Christian Princes, and for all others, especially for those to whom we are most indebted.
(44) Since silence is the safeguard of the religious spirit, and that according to St James, the religion of the man who does not refrain his tongue is vain, we ordain that the evangelical silence be always observed, as far as our frailty will permit, knowing that as the Infallible Truth, Jesus Christ, says for every idle word we shall render account. So great indeed is the abundance of divine favours, that it is no trivial fault for a Friar, dedicated to the service of God, to speak of worldly things.
(45) As regards the regular silence, it shall be perpetual in the Church, cloister and dormitory; but in the refectory silence shall be kept from the first sign given at table until grace after meals has been said. In like manner, silence shall be observed everywhere after Compline until Prime, and from Easter until the Exaltation of the Cross, the sign of silence shall be given after Sext until the close of meditation after None. And he who breaks it shall say five Paters and Aves in the refectory with his arms extended in the form of a cross. The Friars are exhorted to accustom themselves to speak always and in every place in a subdued and humble tone, with modesty and charity.
(46) We further ordain that the Friars shall not leave the Friary alone, but they shall have a companion, after the example of the holy disciples of our Most Holy Saviour. They shall correct each other fraternally, and if the advice be not taken, then let them make known each other’s faults to their Prelates. And they shall not travel without the obedience of their Prelate in writing and stamped with the seal of the Father Vicar, or of the local Superior; for that reason each house shall have, in accordance with the ancient custom of Religious, its own seal. They shall not part company on the way nor quarrel, but as brothers in Christ, they shall endeavour with all humility and charity to obey and serve each other spiritually.
(47) Since St Francis says in his Testament that it was revealed to him by the Lord that in saluting anyone we should say, after the example of Christ: “The Lord give you His peace”, we ordain that the Friars always use this evangelical greeting.
(48) As true Friars should depend with a lively faith on their kind and bountiful Heavenly Father, we ordain that on their journeys they shall not take wine, nor flesh meat, nor eggs, nor delicate or rich food, but leave all care of themselves to God, Who feeds not only the irrational animals, but even those who are constantly offending Him. The Friars shall not stop in cities or towns to sleep or eat, if our Friaries are near, except in case of great necessity.
(49) Since delight in worldly feasts easily brings spiritual defilement, we ordain that the Friars shall not go to festivals, unless it be to preach the Word of God, after the example of Christ, Who, being invited to a feast, desired rather to preach. Let them remember that according to the Apostle St Paul, they are made a spectacle to the world, to the angels and to men; and they should strive to live such exemplary lives that through men God may be glorified and not blasphemed.
(50) Since abstinence, austerity and mortification are highly commended by the Saints, and since we have chosen a severe life, after the example of Christ our Lord and St Francis, we exhort the Friars to observe the holy Lents St Francis was accustomed to keep, even though the mortified Friar always fasts. The Friars shall not have excessive or superfluous collations, but rather ordinary ones. On Wednesdays they shall abstain from flesh meat.
(51) To safeguard the spirit of mortification not more than one kind of soup shall be served at table. But during the fast a warm or cold salad shall be added. And let the Friars remember that whereas little is needed to satisfy necessity, nothing can content sensuality.
(52) And in order that, according to the teaching of Our Most Holy Saviour, our hearts may not be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, but that our minds may be clear and our senses mortified, we ordain that wine shall not be served at table, unless it has been mixed with a fair amount of water; even then it ought to appear a luxury when we recall that according to the Seraphic St Bonaventure our Father St Francis hardly ventured to drink sufficient cold water to quench his thirst, and used to say that it is difficult to satisfy necessity without yielding to sensuality. It will appear sweet to the Friars if they recall that water was denied Christ on the Cross and vinegar and gall given Him instead. St Jerome writes, that in his time the monks, however weak, drank only water, and to eat anything cooked was considered a luxury.
(53) We ordain that no partiality shall be shown at table, unless in the case of the sick, of travellers, of the aged and delicate Friars, when charity demands it. Should any of the Friars wish to abstain from wine, flesh meat, eggs or other food, to fast more than usual, the prelate shall not prevent him when he sees that it will not prove injurious to his health, rather he shall encourage him to do so, provided he eats with the other Friars. In token of poverty, table cloths shall not be used, but a plain napkin shall be allowed each Friar. During meals some spiritual book shall be read, so that not only the body, but much more the spirit may be nourished.
(54) We further ordain that the Friars, in accordance with our poor state, shall not ask for, or receive, dainty food. Likewise, they shall not use spices, unless in the case of the sick to whom the greatest charity must be shown, as is prescribed in the Rule, and by every just law, after the example of our Seraphic Father who was not ashamed to make public quest of flesh meat for the sick. And should superfluous food be given us, with humble thanks let the Friars refuse it, or, with the consent of the benefactors, distribute it to the poor.
(55) As some of the ancient Patriarchs merited by their hospitality the privilege of entertaining angels, we ordain that in each of our friaries a Friar shall be appointed who shall be very careful to receive strangers with the greatest charity. And after the example of the humble Son of God, shall wash their feet, assembling all the Friars for this act of charity, they shall recite the while some devout hymn or psalm, always deeming themselves useless servants even when they have done everything in their power.
(56) In order that our body may not rebel against the spirit, but be in all things subject to it, and in memory of the most bitter Passion and especially of the cruel scourging of our Most Sweet Saviour, it is ordained that the customary disciplines on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays shall not be omitted even on the Great Festivals. The discipline shall be taken after Matins except when it is very cold; in such case it shall be taken in the evening. During Holy Week the discipline shall be taken every night. And the friars, while they chastise themselves, shall think with compassionate hearts of the Sweet Christ, Son of God, bound to the pillar; and endeavour to feel within themselves a little of His cruel sufferings. And after the Salve Regina they shall say five devout prayers.