About the holy martyr Brother John of Spain, priest

Brother John was from the country of Spain and from a very civilised and noble city called Quadalatazza in the Spanish idiom. He was born to very noble parents who were quite Catholic and God fearers of the very noble household of the Suazzi. At an early age he attended school. Within a short time he was quite well instructed in positive grammar. He had such a good bearing and religious conversation all judicious persons judged that he would have to become a great servant of God. For just as I was informed by trustworthy and religious persons who knew him in his city, during his boyhood one never saw the neglect and defects of youth that one is accustomed to see usually in other boys. Instead the devout boy always remained withdrawn without conversing with anyone. He read spiritual books and since his parents were very devout about spiritual things and of a very peaceful disposition, he was always with his father and his mother at those devotions. He grew as a person with the spiritual life.

It pleased the Lord God that when he reached the age of about seventeen years, and since that kind spirit could no longer remain hidden in his father’s house, like a valiant soldier of Jesus Christ, he decided to go public in the battle against the word, the devil and the flesh. Taking the habit in the holy Order of Saint Francis,, he was received among the Barefoot Friars of Spain. In that Order, although he was there for a short time, he led a life that was more angelic than human. However since this great servant of God desired to go among the infidels to preach to them the Christian faith and to die for it, he took to the road to come to Rome so that he could do all this with the holy obedience of his superiors. However when the came across the Capuchin Reform and knowing that he would have obtained that permission with difficulty and afire with an immense fervour to do harsh penance, he took the habit in the holy Capuchin Reform. Because he desired very much give himself to holy contemplation his Superiors appointed him to the fraternity in the devout friary of Monte Pulciano called (Mary) Magdalen. He practised harsh penance there for a long time. For he used to go dressed in one rough, completely patched habit of sackcloth. He never wore any other in either in summer or winter. He chastised his delicate little body with harsh sackcloth which he wore on his bare skin. He fasted continuously on bread and water. When the Superiors saw the amazing abstinence of this servant of God and how he stayed ten and twelve hours at a time kneeling still in holy contemplation, so that he could practise it better they gave him a very solitary cell which was on top of the dormitory of the Friars. Giving himself there continuously to holy contemplation, he merited to be visited visibly many times by Our Lord Jesus Christ who revealed many things to him. Our Saviour Jesus Christ commanded him that he should write down those revelations. And so it happened as is seen in its place in the Chronicle.

Therefore, after Brother John persevered in such penance even though he was quite small and physically delicate, the Superiors sent him to the Province of Saint Francis and assigned him to the devout friary of the Carcere in Assisi. There he exercised himself according to his custom in holy contemplation and God gave him many new revelations. His mind was so transformed in God that the Friars rarely and hardly ever saw him except when he celebrated Mass with great devotion during which he remained rapt the best part of the time, completely transformed in God. Because of this he lasted at Mass for the space of a good hour usually. As soon as it was finished he withdrew either into the woods or into his cell and persevered in prayer until meal time. Just as I saw, he often had to say, “I lack nothing except time. I care little about anything else except contemplating my Lord.” The Superiors had given him absence from choir for all the hours of the day. He only said Matins with the others in choir. By this the servant of God was organised for holy contemplation. Once Matins was said he persevered until dawn. At dawn he said Mass and then he persevered in fasting until meal time. At the meal he only took some bread and would have drunk one and a half bowls of water. Then he rested a little. When Vespers was said he returned to prayer until midnight. He always persevered in this way of life.

This servant of God had the face of a boy, with a short, thin, black beard, with black, devout and such happy eyes that he cheered up everyone who looked at him. Although he was very austere towards himself, nonetheless he was so loving and kind to every person that many said that he resembled Father Saint Francis. Although he was rarely and hardly ever seen to laugh, nonetheless it seemed that he was always just about to laugh. A certain splendour and joyfulness shone from his face that he seemed like an Angel. Nor was anyone ever aware of him saying an idle word, so restrained was he in speaking! Most times he answered the words spoken to him more with gestures than with words, except when he was asked for some advice or to speak about the spiritual life. Then he replied so softly and humbly that the filled everyone with consolation. Once I asked him if it was permissible not to accept an office imposed him in the Order so as to give himself to holy prayer. He answered, “Know that where the Rule is observed and the office of Superior can be exercised with the observance of the rule and the good of one’s neighbour it is not permissible to excuse oneself stubbornly. However it may be permissible to excuse oneself effectively and flee from the care of souls as much as one can, just as we have the example of many saints who have fled from it. However anyone who wants to avoid mortal sin cannot stubbornly rebel against holy obedience.” I replied that I was young and knew from experience how much harm I suffered in spiritual matters and how many were the dangers to which I was exposed by accepting to be a superior. The servant of God replied, “No good deed done through obedience can impede the spirit in us. However this impediment you say that you find comes to you because you do not carry out the office with diligence and for the love of God. In such an office it is necessary to be on guard against seeking oneself by taking pleasure in being a Superior instead of the seeking the honour of God and ones neighbour. For those who desire it or exercise it mainly for their own benefit so that they would not accept it if there was no such benefit, are in a bad state and are often abandoned by God. However I give you this advice. When some office is imposed on you which you accept and you do it without favour for any person regarding the observance of the Rule and you are on your guard not to fear being deprived of it. Also do not fear shame, for the one who fears shame seeks to stay in such an office. And in order to stay in it tolerates some defects that he should not tolerate, closing his eyes when he should have them open. Ambition is evident when someone tries as much as he can, and with offence to God, to gain friends and keep for himself especially some persons whom he knows can help him to keep in a high position, often with gifts and with flattery, things that very often have been the cause of the ruin of the Order. May God forbid that these things enter among us! Our Congregation is so organised and with such a good attitude by the grace of God that even though we are Superiors, nonetheless we have ample scope to be able to do good and to exercise ourselves moreover in holy contemplation and every kind of virtue, as long as the perseveres in the observance of the Rule and in this simplicity. Therefore I say to you, my Brother Bernardine, strip yourself completely of self-love and of your very self. In all the friaries where you will be, whether as a subject or a prelate, be ready to do every good. However one dram of self-love to which you hold on contaminates all the good works that you do, so that they are not so acceptable to God as they would be. However you are young, take counsel from the old because I have heard many times from very holy men that the whole course of religious life is carried out and understood in this for anyone who wants to aim for perfection: in denying ones own will and to be totally conformed to the will of God.”

This servant of God was so assiduous in holy contemplation that he rarely spoke with anyone. However when it was necessary for the good of his neighbour he applied himself and involved himself so ardently in speaking about God that he was like an earthly Angel. His advice was so to the point and concise that it was well known that all his words came from that fine intellect God enlightened so profoundly through the continuous familiarity that he had with the Lord Jesus Christ in holy contemplation and the revelations that His goodness deigned to reveal to this servant of His.

He dwelt some years in the Province of Saint Francis great calm and contentment, particularly in the Carcere of Assisi, the city of the Seraphic Father Saint Francis. He said he had so impressed on his mind the deeds of the Seraphic Father that it seemed to him that wherever he looked he saw him kneeling at prayer. He said that there were few remote places on that mount that had not been washed in the tears of that Father. It pleased the Lord God that when the venerable Father Bernardino of Asti, the General of our Congregation at that time, came on visitation to that friary of the Carcerelle the holy man found that it was the time for the Assisi Indulgence. The great servant of God Brother John could no longer conceal that burning fire of the Holy Spirit that continuously burned in his heart to die for Jesus Christ. Moreover he spoke with the great servant of God, Brother John of Puglia, a Lay friar, who had the same desire. For more than twenty years he had insisted with the Superiors about wanting to go and receive holy martyrdom. He had never been able to obtain permission. Taking counsel among themselves they decided to ask Father General for that permission to go first to visit the holy places where Our Redeemer died and then to go among the Moors and preach the holy faith of Jesus Christ and so die for it, entrusting themselves to His grace so that He would give them the strength. Having considered this undertaking very much for many days the Father General prayed. With great humility he commended himself to the Friars so that they all should pray so that in such a difficult undertaking His Majesty might deign to enlighten him. Then having called upon some more judicious Fathers, the good Father sought their advice. In one accord they answered him that since these two men were so proven in every virtue it seemed to them that he should grant them permission. The Father (General) immediately sent to His Holiness. With his good grace and blessing he gave them the said obedience. On receiving this they knelt down and raising their eyes to heaven they gave thanks with many tears to His Majesty that He allowed them to be able to die for His love. Commending themselves humbly to all those servants of God, all afire they took to the road to Venice and within in a very short time they were able to board a boat that was sailing immediately to Jerusalem. They carried nothing with them except the written obedience. They were dressed in a habit of natural wool that more resembled sackcloth than cloth, and also a poor mantle to protect themselves from the rain. They were unkempt and emaciated because of the great abstinence that they did. Like Apostles of Christ they showed they had nothing in this world. Rather all their desire and riches were stored up in heaven. They discussed little other than God and the undertaking they had to do. They were a mirror of every virtue for everyone who saw them.

It pleased the Lord God that they found themselves safe and sound in the holy city much to their satisfaction. They stayed there some months in order to have greater freedom to visit all those holy places where the Son of God had dwelt and suffered for our redemption. When they arrived at the grotto where the holy cross was, because of the great sorrow both fell as if dead upon that opening for a good space of time. After they came to their senses and had poured out many tears, an immense fervour increased in them to die for Him who had died for us. No tongue could describe the devotion with which those servants of God visited the holy places. Then they took the road to the great Cairo of Egypt.

They suffered many things along the journey because they were among unfamiliar people. Helped by divine grace however they came to the city of Alexandria. When they were looking for somewhere they could find lodging they were told, “A Christian lives here in our city who is very friendly towards the Franciscan Order.” As it pleased God when they searched they found he was a Prelate who had become a son of the Order of Saint Francis. With great charity he received all the Friars of that Order into his house. When they showed him their obedience he received them with great charity. They rested there some days and revealed to that good man their desire to die for Christ. He was the one who shed light on the martyrdom of these two servants of God to Christians and to the Zoccolanti Fathers.

With great gratitude to their guest they departed and took the road to Cairo. If they had suffered earlier, on this journey they suffered much more. Finally they arrived and staying in Cairo they accommodated themselves as best they could in the house of some Christian merchants. Still they went quickly around the city and wept almost continuously on seeing such a multitude of people who, deprived of the Christian faith and deceived under the appalling law of Mohammed were all going to perdition. They desired to enlighten them. However, because they did not have Arabic they didn’t know how to find a way to preach to them effectively so that they would be understood and could bring them to convert. They concluded that the most effective way was to begin with the head. They hoped that being victorious with him they could be more easily victorious with the others. Since they had no one to introduce them to the Pasha, it pleased the Lord God to send them a Jew who had been in the banks in Italy. Because he knew the Capuchins he gave them a great welcome. When the poor fellows realised that he was a good means since the Jew was a friend of the Caliph they told him that they had to tell the great Pasha some very important things. They begged him insistently to be their ambassador. Thinking that he Pasha would return the favour, the Jew went and told him that two Frankish priests had to say some important things to His Lordship, if he was pleased to hear them. The Pasha commanded that they be brought into his presence. This was done very quickly. Then with great and incredible fervour Brother John announced Christ to him with a long sermon. He added that if he did not receive the Christian faith he, along with the entire Muslim multitude would go to perdition with Mohammed himself. He listened to these words with great patience and gazed at them with a kindly eye. He thought they had gone mad because of all they had suffered. He commanded that they be given much to eat and allowed to sleep. He hoped that if these two returned to their senses, he would convert them either with force or love to the diabolical Mohammedan sect and that they would be big saints of Mohammed.

After some days rest they were led into the presence of the Pasha. When he saw them he began to use sweet words to persuade them to abandon the Christian faith. When they were given the freedom to speak, Brother John the Priest again magnified and exulted the Christian faith while despising and scorning Mohammed and his law. He said that in that sect it was not possible to be able to save oneself and find mercy with God. When the Pasha heard these words he became very angry and commanded them to be vigorously scourged. This was carried out immediately at the hands of the Moors. While receiving these atrocious and bloody beatings, in a loud voice and with great fervour they thanked the Lord God. They confessed with great constancy that Christ is the true Redeemer and Saviour of all and that all those who do not believe this will go to eternal punishment. When they had scourged them so that they were almost dead, they were brought back to a very dark prison. There the poor fellows consoled each other, saying, “We have already got one foot in paradise. Very soon our souls will fly to heaven with the palm of martyrdom.”

The imprisonment of these servants of God lasted for many days during which they suffered extremely for want of food and sleep and every thing else that is necessary for the sustenance of nature. They did this with a glad face and with such a joyful heart because their overflow of fervour made everything easier for them and the wounds they had received in their persons seemed like roses and flowers to them. They never stopped thanking God who had deigned to number them among the great army of holy Martyrs.

Quite often they were presented to that tribunal who when he saw their constancy had them scourged in different ways. However they always confessed Our Lord Jesus Christ with ever greater fervour. When they had reduced them to such weakness with beatings and other instruments so that the poor fellows were nothing more than blood and scourged flesh, they took them so badly treated back to that prison. Sated and satisfied with their blood, when the Pasha saw they had little time to live and with great hatred even to hear them mentioned and having lost all hope of converting them, he left them in that prison like perfidious enemies of Mohammed. He wanted them to die on their own. They were not mentioned any more and no longer cared about them.

Meanwhile the Ambassador of the King of France was passing though. When the Christian merchants informed him about these servants of God he went personally to the Pasha and asked for them as a gift. However when they went to the prison they found that both of them were dead. Because of this nothing more was done. I believe they were buried as Christians.

Therefore blessed are these servants of God who with such good example in religious life and who with the palm of martyrdom have gloriously terminated the course of their life. Now we can believe that Brother John of Spain and Brother John of Puglia, both happy and blessed in heaven pray for us. The grace of God was in them and with the Capuchin habit in the true observance of the Rule they flew to heaven.

To the praise and glory of Our Lord Jesus Christ and of His most fair Mother and our Father Saint Francis. Amen.