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Today, we are pleased to present a selection of letters from “The Writings of Saint Francis of Assisi” (vegetarian), which He wrote to His ministry and the rulers, advising them to have mercy and love and to remember and praise God and Lord Jesus Christ. LETTERS OF SAINT FRANCIS TO A CERTAIN MINISTER. “To Brother N. . . Minister; may the Lord bless thee. I speak to thee as best I can on the subject of thy soul; that those things which impede thee in loving the Lord God and whosoever may be a hindrance to thee, whether brothers or others, even though they were to strike thee, all these things thou ought to reckon as a favor. And so thou should desire and not otherwise. And let this be to thee for true obedience from the Lord God and from me; for this I know surely to be true obedience. And love those that do such things to thee and wish not other from them, save in so far as the Lord may grant to thee; and in this thing love them, by wishing that they may be better Christians. And let this be to thee more than a hermitage. And by this I wish to know if thou love God and me His servant and thine, that there be no brother in the world who has sinned, how great soever his sin may be, who after he has seen thy face shall ever go away without thy mercy, if he seek mercy, and, if he seek not mercy, ask thou him if he desires mercy. And if he afterwards appears before thy face a thousand times, love him more than me, to the end that thou may draw him to the Lord, and on such ones always have mercy. […]”TO THE RULERS OF THE PEOPLE. “To all podestas [holders of highest civil office], and consuls, judges and governors, in whatever part of the world, and to all others to whom this letter may come, Brother Francis, your little and contemptible servant, wishes health and peace to you. Consider and see that the day of death draws nigh. I ask you, therefore, with such reverence as I can, not to forget the Lord on account of the cares and solicitudes of this world and not to turn aside from His commandments […]. And when the day of death comes, all that which they think they have shall be taken away from them. And the wiser and more powerful they may have been in this world, so much the greater torments shall they endure in hell. Wherefore, I strongly advise you, my lords, to put aside all care and solicitude and to receive readily the most holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in holy commemoration of Him. And cause so great honor to be rendered the Lord by the people committed to you, that every evening it may be announced by a crier or by another sign to the end that praises and thanks shall resound to the Lord God Almighty from all the people. And if you do not do this, know that you are beholden to render an account before your Lord God Jesus Christ on the day of Judgment. Let those who keep this writing with them and observe it know that they are blessed by the Lord God.”
