500 words essay about Europe medieval history

The T e sta m ent o f S t. F ra ncis Fra ncis d ie d o n O cto ber 3 , 1 226. J u st b efo re , h e d ic ta te d w hat ca m e to b e k n ow n a s h is " T e sta m ent." It is th e work of a m an w ho, in h is fin al d ays, w as a nxio us a bout th e fu tu re of h is o rd er a nd w ante d to s ta te h is posit io n o ne m ore tim e a s fo rc e fu lly a s p ossib le . It w as, in fa ct, a b it to o fo rc e fu l. B y 1226 th e o rd er w as gro w in g r a pid ly b oth in s iz e a nd in p opula rit y .

As it s m em bers h ip c lim bed, it s b ure aucra tic n etw ork e xp anded; and a s it s d utie s to th e c h urc h m ult ip lie d, th e o rd er fo und F ra ncis ' te sta m ent a n e m barra ssm ent b eca use o f th e lim it a tio ns it im pose d.

How c o uld F ra ncis ca ns c a rry o ut th eir p re ach in g a nd te ach in g m is sio n wit h out papal p ro te ctio n? H ow c o uld th ey in te rp re t th e r u le to an a rm y o f n ew r e cru it s u nle ss le arn ed th eolo gia ns were a llo w ed to d ete rm in e w hat th e r u le m eant? In 1 230 th e le aders o f th e o rd er aske d P ope G re gory IX wheth er th e te sta m ent w as b in din g a nd w ere to ld it w as n ot. M any F ra ncis ca ns w ere le ss s u re o f th e m atte r, how eve r, a nd th e te sta m ent b eca m e a n im porta nt d ocu m ent fo r th ose who la te r w ante d to r e fo rm th e o rd er acco rd in g to F ra ncis ' o rig in al in te ntio n.

This is h ow th e L ord g ave m e, b ro th er F ra ncis , th e p ow er to d o penance . W hen I w as in s in th e s ig ht o f le pers was to o b it te r fo r m e. A nd th e L ord h im se lf le d m e a m ong th em , a nd I p it ie d a nd help ed th em . A nd w hen I le ft th em I d is co ve re d th at w hat h ad s e em ed bit te r to m e w as c h anged in to s w eetn ess in m y s o ul a nd b ody.

And sh ortly a fte rw ard I r o se a nd le ft th e w orld .

And th e L ord g ave m e s u ch fa it h in c h urc h es th at I p ra ye d s im ply , sa yin g, " I a dore y o u, L ord J e su s C hris t, wit h a ll y o ur c h urc h es th ro ughout th e w orld , a nd w e b le ss y o u b eca use y o u r e deem ed th e world th ro ugh y o ur holy c ro ss. L ate r G od g ave m e a nd s till g iv e s me s u ch fa it h in p rie sts w ho liv e a cco rd in g to th e fo rm o f th e Holy R om an C hurc h th at e ve n if th ey p ers e cu te d m e I w ould s till ru n b ack to th em , b eca use o f th eir p osit io n.

And if I h ad a ll th e w is d om o f S olo m on a nd c a m e u pon s o m e p oor lit tle p rie sts in th eir p aris h es, I w ould pre ach th ere o nly if th ey w is h ed m e to do s o . A nd I w ant to fe ar, lo ve a nd h onor th ese a nd a ll o th ers as m y lo rd s. A nd I d o n ot e ve n w ant to th in k a bout th ere b ein g any s in in th em , b eca use I s e e th e s o n o f G od in th em a nd th ey are m y lo rd s. A nd I d o th is b eca use in th is w orld I p hysic a lly se e th e m ost h ig h S on o f G od only in h is m ost h oly b ody a nd b lo od, whic h th ey r e ce iv e a nd th ey a lo ne a dm in is te r to o th ers . A nd I want th is holy m yste ry to b e h onore d a bove a ll th in gs, v e nera te d, and k e pt in c o stly c o nta in ers . W heneve r I fin d h is holy n am es or w ord s in im pro per p la ce s I p ic k th em u p a nd a sk th at th ey b e co lle cte d a nd s to re d in a p ro per pla ce . A nd w e o ught to h onor and v e nera te a ll th eolo gia ns a nd th ose w ho a dm in is te r th e h oly div in e w ord , fo r th ey a dm in is te r to u s s p ir it a nd lif e .

And w hen G od g ave m e b ro th ers , n o o ne s h ow ed m e w hat I s h ould do, b ut th e M ost h ig h r e ve ale d to m e th at I s h ould liv e a cco rd in g to th e fo rm o f th e h oly g osp el. I h ad it w rit te n in fe w w ord s and s im ply , a nd th e lo rd pope c o nfir m ed it fo r m e. A nd th ose w ho ca m e to r e ce iv e lif e g ave a ll th at th ey h ad to th e p oor a nd w ere co nte nt w it h o ne tu nic p atc h ed in sid e a nd o ut, w it h a c o rd a nd tr o use rs . A nd w e d id n ot w is h to h ave m ore .

We w ho w ere c le ric s s a id th e o ffic e lif e o th er c le ric s, a nd th e la ym en s a id th e " O ur F ath er, " a nd w e g la dly sta ye d in ch urc h es. A nd w e w ere ig nora nt a nd s u bje ct to a ll. A nd I w ork e d wit h m y h ands, a nd w ant to d o s o still. A nd I d efin it e ly w ant all th e o th er b ro th ers to w ork a t s o m e h onest jo b. T hose w ho d on't kn ow h ow s h ould le arn , n ot b eca use th ey w ant to r e ce iv e w ages but a s a n e xa m ple a nd to a vo id id le ness. A nd w hen o ur w ages are wit h held fr o m u s, le t u s r e tu rn to th e L ord 's ta ble , b eggin g a lm s fr o m d oor to d oor. T he L ord r e ve ale d w hat gre etin g w e s h ould u se :

"T he L ord g iv e y o u p eace ." The b ro th ers m ust b e c a re fu l n ot to a cce pt a ny c h urc h es, p oor dw ellin gs, o r a nyth in g e ls e c o nstr u cte d fo r th em u nle ss th ese build in gs r e fle ct th e h oly p ove rty p ro m is e d b y u s in th e r u le .

We s h ould a lw ays liv e in th ese p la ce s a s s tr a ngers a nd p ilg rim s.

I fir m ly c o m mand a ll th e b ro th ers , b y th e o bedie nce th ey o w e m e, th at where ve r th ey a re th ey s h ould n ot d are to a sk e it h er d ir e ctly or th ro ugh a n in te rm edia ry fo r a ny le tte r fr o m th e Rom an c o urt to s e cu re a c h urc h o r a ny o th er p la ce , to p ro te ct th eir p re ach in g, or to p re ve nt p ers e cu tio n o f 1/2 th eir b odie s; b ut w here ve r th ey a re not r e ce iv e d, th ey s h ould fle e in to a noth er la nd a nd d o p enance wit h God's b le ssin g.

And I fir m ly w is h to o bey th e m in is te r g enera l o f th is b ro th erh ood, and a ny o th er g uard ia n th e m in is te r s h ould want to g iv e m e. A nd I w ant to b e s u ch a c a ptiv e in h is h ands th at I c a nnot g o a nyw here or d o a nyth in g wit h out h is d esir e a nd c o m mand, b eca use h e is m y lo rd . A nd a lt h ough I a m s im ple a nd ill, I a lw ays w ant to have a cle ric w ho c a n p erfo rm th e o ffic e fo r m e, a s th e r u le s ta te s.

And a ll th e o th er b ro th ers a re th us b ound to o bey th eir g uard ia ns and p erfo rm th e o ffic e a cco rd in g to th e r u le . A nd w heneve r s o m e are fo und w ho d o not w is h to p erfo rm th e o ffic e a cco rd in g to th e ru le a nd w ant to c h ange it , o r w ho a re n ot C ath olic in th eir belie fs , th en a ll th e b ro th ers w here ve r th ey m ay b e a re b ound b y o bedie nce to tu rn s u ch p eople o ve r to th e cu sto dia n n eare st th e p la ce w here th ey fo und th em . T he c u sto dia n in tu rn is b ound b y o bedie nce to guard him s tr o ngly lif e a m an in c h ain s, d ay a nd n ig ht, s o th at he c a nnot p ossib ly e sca pe fr o m h is h ands u ntil h e pers o nally p la ce s him in th e h ands o f h is m in is te r. A nd th e m in is te r is b ound b y obedie nce to p la ce h im in th e ca re o f b ro th ers w ho w ill g uard him n ig ht a nd d ay lik e a m an in c h ain s u ntil th ey tu rn h im o ve r to o ur lo rd bis h op o f O stia , w ho is th e lo rd p ro te cto r a nd c o rre cto r of th e w hole b ro th erh ood.

And th e b ro th ers m ust n ot s a y, " T his is a noth er r u le ," fo r it is a r e co lle ctio n, a dm onit io n, e xh orta tio n a nd m y te sta m ent whic h I, p oor b ro th er F ra ncis , m ake fo r y o u m y b ro th ers , s o th at we m ay o bse rv e th e r u le w e h ave pro m is e d to G od in a m ore C ath olic manner. A nd th e g enera l m in is te r a nd a ll o th er m in is te rs a nd c u sto dia ns are b ound b y o bedie nce n ot to a dd o r s u btr a ct fr o m th ese w ord s.

And th ey m ust a lw ays h ave th is w rit in g w it h th em in a ddit io n to th e r u le . A nd in a ll c h apte r m eetin gs h eld b y th em , w hen th ey re ad th e r u le , th ey m ust a ls o re ad th ese w ord s.

And I fir m ly f o r b id m y b ro th ers , b oth c le ric s a nd la ym en, to pla ce g la sse s o n th e r u le o r s a y, " T his is w hat it means." But ju st a s th e L ord g ave m e th e p ow er to c o m pose a nd w rit e b oth th e r u le a nd th ese w ord s s im ply and p ure ly , s o y o u m ust u nders ta nd th em s im ply a nd w it h out g lo ss a nd o bse rv e th em b y h oly a ct io n until th e end.

And w hoeve r o bse rv e s th em w ill b e fille d in h eave n w it h a b le ssin g of th e m ost h ig h F ath er a nd o n e arth h e will b e fille d w it h th e ble ssin g o f h is b elo ve d S on, w it h th e H oly . S pir it th e C om fo rte r and a ll th e p ow ers o f heave n a nd a ll th e s a in ts . A nd, I b ro th er Fra ncis , y o ur s e rv a nt in so fa r a s I c a n b e, in te rn ally a nd e xte rn ally co nfir m fo r y o u th is h oly b le ssin g.

Tra nsla tio n b y D avid B urr [o liv i@ mail. v t.e du]. S ee h is hom e p age .

He in dic a te d th at th e tr a nsla tio ns a re ava ila ble fo r e duca tio nal use . H e in te nds to e xp and th e n um ber o f tr a nsla tio ns, s o k e ep a n ote o f h is h om e page.

An o ut o f c o pyrig ht v e rs io n a ls o e xis ts - in The W rit in gs o f St. F ra ncis o f A ssis i , P asch al R obin so n, tr a ns, (P hila delp hia :

Dolp hin P re ss, 1 906).

Paul H als a ll J a n 1 996 hals a ll@ murra y.fo rd ham .e du 2/2