Saint Francis: "Their study should not be so much about knowing what to say, but about knowing what to do"

Source: Castet 1680

A provincial who heard this instruction from the Saint and who wished to obtain his permission to keep the many books he had purchased asked him what a Friar Minor was allowed to have for his use. Saint Francis replied without hesitation: “I understand that a Friar Minor should have only a habit, a cord, underwear, and shoes if necessary.”

The provincial then asked, “What should I do with my books, which have cost me a great deal?”

The Saint answered, “My Brother, I do not wish to spoil the Gospel, which teaches us to possess nothing in this world, for the sake of your books. Do with your library as you please, but do not expect my permission to serve as a stumbling block for you.”

A novice, who had obtained a Psalter with the permission of the Vicar General, asked Saint Francis to confirm this permission. The Saint replied, “Charlemagne and other famous captains gained a great reputation through much hardship; the martyrs only receive their crown after enduring many torments. And yet, there are now men who believe they can attain honor merely by studying their life.”

He wanted to make the young Brother understand that true honor must be earned through noble deeds, not through the vanity of knowledge. However, the novice did not grasp this deeper meaning and repeated his request. Then the Saint said more clearly, “Once I allow you to have a Psalter, you will want a breviary; and after having a breviary, you will ask for other books. Eventually, you will become a scholar full of vanity, and when you ascend the pulpit, you will boldly say to your companion, Brother, bring me such and such a book, and then another.”

After these words, he took some ashes and, rubbing them harshly on the novice’s head, he began to cry out, “Me, a Psalter! Me, a Psalter!”

“I, too, was tempted like you,” he added, “to have books. Wishing to know God’s will on this matter, I prayed earnestly for enlightenment. In doing so, I opened the book of the Gospels and came across these words: To you, it has been given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God, but to others, it is only spoken in parables.

“There are so many people who aspire to knowledge that I consider truly blessed the one who knows only Jesus Christ crucified.”

The Religious, seeing that Saint Francis had such a distant view of human sciences, asked him whether at least those who had become learned before joining the Order should dedicate themselves to the study of Holy Scripture. He replied, “I approve of it wholeheartedly, provided that, following the example of Jesus Christ, who prayed far more than He studied, they do not neglect prayer. Their study should not be so much about knowing what to say, but about knowing what to do, so that their actions precede their words and they teach only what they themselves practice.”