Chapter 9

The intention of Saint Francis regarding the exercise of preaching

[Mature Brother]. – Note that Saint Francis did not want the brothers to seek privileges in order to be able to preach in churches against the will of their sponsors. He used to say: “I want only this privilege from the Lord: never to have any privilege from any human being, except to show reverence to all, and by the obedience of the holy Rule to convert sinners more by example than by word. You do likewise and preach by holy humility and good example more than in virtue of privileges […].

[…] Saint Francis used to say that a religious is as good a preacher as he is of good conduct since the tree is known by its fruits. One must try to first practice what he preaches and always pray before starting, asking Jesus Christ to put words on his lips and that he always preach whatever is useful for the honour of God and the salvation of souls, avoiding extravagances and pomp. Let Sacred Scripture be the whole basis of his preaching accompanied by the fear of God, religious and devout gestures and behaviour and humility and patience with respect to food being content with a few poor things for the love of Jesus Christ with the sole motivation of the love of God and neighbour.

When Saint Francis was asked if he wanted the learned brothers who had joined the Order to devote themselves to the study of Sacred Scripture, he replied in the affirmative, as long as following the example of Christ who prayed more that He read, they do not omit the study of holy prayer [121v] and as long as they do not study to learn how to speak well, but how to conduct themselves well and explain to others how to behave well: “I want my brothers to be Gospel disciples and so progress in the knowledge of truth that they increase in pure simplicity without separating the simplicity of the dove from the wisdom of the serpent both of which our eminent Master combined in a statement from his holy lips.”

Saint Francis states that the office of preaching was more acceptable than any sacrifice, especially if it was carried out with regard for perfect charity and if the preacher put more effort into preaching by example than by words, more by tearful prayer than loquacious speech. He used to say that the preacher who did not seek the salvation of souls, but his own reputation, or who destroyed the edification which his preaching gave by the depravity of his life, should lament as though he had been deprived of charity. A simple brother, bereft of eloquence, who provokes others to do good by his example and bears out the statement donec sterilis peperit plurimos is to be preferred to him.

“The sterile one is the poor little brother who does not have the duty of giving birth to children in the church through preaching. On judgement day this brother will bring many forth since those who now he is converting by his private prayers will be reckoned to his glory by the judge. Et qui multos habebat filios infirmabitur because the loquacious preacher [122r] who now prides himself on having converted many through his own efforts, is vain. He will then recognise that there was nothing of his own in this. There are some who think of nothing else than knowledge and how to show others the way to salvation while doing nothing about themselves. They will appear naked and empty handed before the judgement seat of Christ only wearing the stole of embarrassment, shame and sorrow. At that time the genuineness of holy humility, simplicity, prayer and poverty, which is our calling, will be exalted, highly valued and glorified, a fact which those who have been inflated by knowledge have underestimated by their life and vain preaching. At that time the error of the opinion which they have followed, which they preached as truth and through which many have fallen into a ditch through blindness will come to an end in sorrow, confusion and shame and they together with their dark opinions will go into exterior darkness and be drown with the spirits of darkness.”

Saint Francis said many things against vain preachers.