About the holy man Brother Rufino of Gallarate, Lay Friar

Brother Rufino was from a region called Gallarate situated within the dominion of Milan. He was born to honest parents. At an early age he applied himself to the work of the farmer. However when he reached about twenty years of age he took the habit of the Conventual Fathers. Because he was very simple, devout and very dedicated towards the Order he got permission from his Superiors to come to serve God in the Sacro Convento in Assisi because the body of blessed Father Saint Francis is there. He never wanted any other duty in the Convento except to serve in the sacristy, ring the bells, sweep the church and other lowly tasks. The poor youth always went about barefoot and poorly dressed.

An organist was there who was very devout and enthusiastic about his profession. It pleased the Lord God that when the organist was there it happened at the time that a young man died who because of his poverty often went to the Convento for alms. This organist often gave him alms. One day this boy died and passed away to the better life and was buried in the Convento. Behold the Lord God wanted to enlighten the organist. While he was at prayer he fell into a kind of ecstasy and God showed him a frightening vision. He felt as though he was led to a very deep lake situated in the middle of a valley. He saw a very narrow bridge that crossed the lake. Anxious to cross it he hastened to the bridge. Looking at the side of the road he saw a beautiful garden full of many beautiful roses. Inside the garden was the young man who was collecting the roses. Recognising him he said to him with great joy, “Son, what are you doing here?” He answered, “I am collecting some roses in order to make a wreath for my mother. But you, Father, where are you going?” The organist answered, “I am going to the bridge to cross the lake.” The boy replied, “Don’t go. The lake is full of dragons. The bridge is so narrow that you will soon fall off and be devoured. Go to the top of the lake and you can pass there. When the organist arrived between two mountains he saw a wheel that seemed to touch the sky. The wheel was terraced and to each terrace a person was attached by the feet. The wheel spun very quickly and the poor wretches hit their heads on the mountain. Then when they arrived at the other side they did the same. When the organist stopped to see if he could see anyone from his region, he saw a great number whom he had know. He came to his senses. So the he knew that it was a vision and not a dream, the mother of the boy died a few days later. The organist was frightened by this and went to the Carcerelle, the friary of the Capuchins, to speak with the Guardian who was Brother Justin of Panicale. He wanted to become a Capuchin. Since the Father Vicar was not there, he could not be clothed. So he set out from the friary and no one knows what became of him.

News of the vision went around and came to the ears of Brother Rufino. Frightened, he left and went to find the Provincial of the Capuchins who received him kindly and put him the novitiate under the care of the venerable Father Seraphim of Villafranca. He instructed this good youth every type of good conduct and with devout sermons showed him and the other novices what religious life is.

It was marvellous how this servant of God used all the time of his life in the service of God. He loved the holy virtues to such an extent that he kept himself as mortified, humble and devout as if he were always a novice. The virtue of charity, of doing good to his neighbour was so dear to his heart that no one ever saw him tire of it, especially in serving the sick. He served them so happily and carefully and with silence that he was like an Angel of God. He was the one who took care of the holy old Friars Father Francis of Iesi and Father Baptist of Norcia when they died in the friary at Montemalbi.

He stayed in the Province of Saint Francis for many years. Then the Father General sent him back to the Province of Milan where he led a life that was more angelic than human. He fasted often, more than the usual fasts of the Order. He practised holy prayer continuously. He was a man of few words and rarely spoke with anyone. However when it did happen he always spoke about the things of God or about some passage of the Rule. Idle words never came from his mouth. He knew how to read a little and when he finished serving the needs of the Friars he withdrew to say the seven psalms and the Office of Our Lady. He was never idle. He was very zealous about holy poverty, especially in clothing. He always wore rough, patched habits. When he saw things wasted the servant of God felt very sad. He was always accustomed to keep the friary clean and that things stay in their right places. He said to the Friars, “Brothers, we have to give an account to the Lord God for the littlest things because they are all alms and the blood of Christ. Don’t you know what happened to the Zoccolanti Fathers in the Province of Saint Francis, in Our Lady of the Angels? A sacristan had the custom of carrying lots of tapers in his sleeve. He used to burn one of the tapers at night and when he came across some Friars he used to strike up a conversation with them. When the taper finished burning he lit another. He used up many in this way. This went on for many years. Finally he arrived at death. The devil brought all those tapers to his cell. Even though his cell was large, the tapers nearly filled it half way. The devil stood on top of them and said to him, “You are damned because you have gone against holy poverty. When he returned to his senses, the temptation was such that he said he was completely lost. It pleased the Lord God that he recovered from that illness. He went to confession with many tears and from then on changed his life. He said to the Friars, ‘Brothers, take me as an example. I thought it was nothing to burn a taper. I gave no consideration that they amounted to such a great number over many years.’ That’s what we do,” said the servant of God, “when we waste one thing today and tomorrow another. Today we take some superfluous either in food or something else and something else tomorrow. In a short time these things all add up. It is not permissible for us as poor men to take more than what we need for our physical sustenance. How many unnecessary things do we send down our throats and take them from the poor, things that would sustain many of them. Our Father Saint Francis did not dare to drink some water and said, ‘I don’t have to give an account to God for what flows down the river, but for what I drink.’ There can be no poverty where there is abundance. Yet we have promised poverty.” He was always careful and very adamant not to use more for himself than what was necessary. He was very frugal in everything.

God gave him the gift and virtue of holy humility for a profound humility shone in him both inwardly and outwardly. He regarded himself as the greatest sinner in the world. This is what exalted and magnified all the glorious saints before God. The Mother of Christ attributed his taking human flesh from her to this virtue when she replied to Saint Elizabeth who said to her, “You are blessed because you have believed.” She replied, “Because God has gazed upon the humility of his servant.” Because she was the humblest girl there was in the whole world, the son of God left aside all the others and took the humble and holy virgin as His Mother. This was the virtue that exalted our Father Saint Francis so much. For when his companion Brother Pacificus saw him saw a throne in paradise that was higher and more beautiful than all the others, he was told, “this throne is reserved for the humble Saint Francis.” Therefore this virtue exalted this servant of God who always persevered in humility in the holy Order for fifty three years. He always did the humblest and most menial duties and tasks: cook, quester, gardener, sweeping the friary and countless other things without ever lifting the yoke of holy obedience from his neck. If those servants of God who do miracles are recognised a acceptable to His Majesty, his perseverance for so many years without doing anything to the contrary may be regarded as the greatest a miracle that a servant of God can do, that is, to live so many years without ones own will and subject to holy obedience. Perseverance is what crowns the chosen of God. It is not enough to begin to serve God. However the one who perseveres until death earns the crown. All the more so if one perseveres without every breaking the covenant that we have made with Jesus Christ to observe the Rule all the days of our life. For if we go against it just once, our life is denigrated. However, perseverance from the beginning until the end, as this servant of God obviously did, is most praiseworthy.

Hence as he reached old age when he could not work hard anymore, he was so worn out and doubled over that his head nearly touched the ground he walked along. Nonetheless, because of the good habit that the servant of God had acquired, the servant of God never wasted time. He prayed either in his cell or in the woods. He received the most holy sacraments more than ever, going to Holy Communion nearly every day. Nothing but good words ever came from his lips. He loved to speak about the Rule so much and exhorted the young to observe it. Being unable to fast, he still ate so little that everyone was amazed. When he was in the friary in Milan he usually heard the first Mass and most times went to Holy Communion. However once when the holy old man did not come to Mass and did not come to eat at his usual time, the Friars wanted to see what he was doing. When they went to his cell they found him kneeling in bed. He was just like the great servant of God, Paul the first hermit, whom Saint Anthony found kneeling with his face lifted up to heaven. Having given up his spirit to God he saw the glorious Saint Anthony placed in the choir of Seraphim. This happened to him because in this world of holy contemplation he loved the Lord god with such an ardent love that he imitated the holy Seraphim, those supreme creatures who love God more than all the rest of paradise. After this servant of God had imitated the servant of God, Paul the Hermit, in this way according to his own capacity, it pleased His Majesty to make him the same again in the passage of his death. For while the Friars thought he was praying, when the called him he did not answer. When they touched him, although he was kneeling, they knew that he had given up his spirit to God. That is just what he wanted because if prayer is necessary, it is needed especially at the time of death when we receive the last temptations from the devil. That body was buried in the same friary in Milan, and he left behind the best example to his brothers so that they should imitate him.

I won’t write about miracles. Even though there are some deeds, because he died in the Province of Milan, I do not know about them. It is enough that we can piously believe that his soul is paradise and may pray for us and for everyone. Since he had such great charity towards his neighbour in this world, in heaven it will be completely fulfilled.

To the praise and glory of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.