Beautiful pearls of Catholic truth/Sayings of Brother Giles, one of the First Disciples of St. Francis of Assisi.

by Bernard O'Reilly

The Sayings of Brother Giles,

ONE OF THE FIRST DISCIPLES OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI.

On Vices and Virtues.

The grace of God, and the virtues, are the way and the ladder to Heaven; but sins and vices are the way and the ladder to the depths of hell. Sin and vice are a deadly poison, but virtue and good works are a good medicine. One grace induces and draws after it another; and one vice draws another after it also. Grace does not desire to be praised; and vice cannot suffer to be blamed. The mind is at peace in humility and rests, and patience is its daughter. Holy purity of heart sees God, but true devotion tastes Him. If thou lovest, thou shalt be loved. If thou servest, thou shalt be served. If thou fearest, thou shalt-be feared.

If thou bear thyself kindly towards others, it is meet that others should behave themselves kindly towards thee. But blessed is he who loves truly, and desires not to be loved again. Blessed is he who serves, and desires not to be served. Blessed is he who fears, and desires not to be feared. Blessed is he who shows kindness to others, and desires not that others should show kindness to him. But because these things are very high and require great perfection, fools cannot know or acquire them.

Three things are greatly to be desired, and of great utility; he that acquires them will never fall. The first is, that thou sustain voluntarily, and with joy, all tribulations that befall thee, for the love of Jesus Christ. The second, that thou humble thyself daily in all thou doest, and all thou seest. The third is, that thou love faithfully with all thy heart that heavenly and invisible treasure, which cannot be discerned by the eyes of the body.

Those things which are the most despised and abhorred by worldly men, of a truth, are the most acceptable and well-pleasing to God and His Saints; and the things which are the most valued and desired by the men of the world and the most pleasing to them, are most hateful and contemptible and displeasing to God and His Saints. This unhappy antagonism proceeds from the ignorance and malice of human nature; inasmuch as man, in his misery, loves most those things which he should hate, and hates that which he should love.

Brother Giles once asked another Brother: " Tell me, most beloved, is thy soul right with God?" To which the Brother replied: " That I know not." And Brother Giles said to him: " My Brother, I would have thee to know, that holy contrition, and holy humility, and holy charity, and holy devotion, and holy joy, are those things which make the soul good and blessed."

On Faith.

All those things which can be conceived in the heart, or expressed by the tongue, or seen with the eyes, or touched with the hands — all these are nothing in respect of the things which cannot be conceived, or seen, or touched. All that the Saints and wise men who have passed away, and those who are now in this present life, or will come after us, have written and spoken, or will write or speak of God, does not, and never can, tell so much of what might be told of Him, as a grain of millet compared with all heaven and earth, nay, a thousand times less. All the Scripture that speaks of God speaks of Him as it were lispingly, even as a mother does who lisps to her son who would not be able to understand her words if she spoke in another fashion.

Brother Giles once said to a secular judge: "Dost thou believe that the gifts of God are great?" The judge answered: "I do believe it." Then said Brother Giles: "I will show thee that thou does not believe it in very deed;" and he said to him: " What is the value of all thou dost possess in the world?" And the judge answered him: " It is worth about a thousand lire" ($200). Then said Brother Giles again: "Wouldst thou part with thy property for ten thousand lire?" The judge replied, without a moment's hesitation: "Certainly, I would do so willingly." And Brother Giles said: "Of a surety, all the possessions of this world are nothing in respect of heavenly things; why then dost thou not give up all thy possessions to Christ, to obtain those that are heavenly and eternal?"

Then the judge, learned in all the foolish science of this world, said to Brother Giles, pure and simple as he was: " God hath filled thee with the wisdom of divine folly; but tell me. Brother Giles, dost thou believe there is a man in all the world, who would conform his exterior actions to that which he believes inwardly?" And Brother Giles answered him: " See, my beloved: it is most certain that all the Saints have made it their study to put in practice, as perfectly as possible, all that they knew or understood to be the will of God; and all those things which they could not actually carry out externally, they fulfilled in the holy desires of their will, in such wise that the impossibility of exterior fulfillment was made up for by the desires of the soul.

Again, Brother Giles said: " If there were a man to be found who had perfect faith, in a little space of time he would arrive at a state of perfection, in which it would be given him to know, with full certainty, his salvation. What good can prosperity or temporal advantage in this world do to the miserable man who expects eternal perdition? What hurt or harm can any temporal adversity of this life do to the man who, with firm faith, looks forward to eternal, consummate, and supreme bliss? Nevertheless, however great a sinner a man may be, let him never despair so long as he lives of the infinite mercy of God; because there is not a tree in the world so thorny, or so knotty and gnarled, but can be planed, and polished, and adorned and made beautiful by men; and so also, there is no man in the world so iniquitous and sinful, but God can convert him and adorn him with singular graces, and many gifts of virtue."

On Holy Humility.

No one can gain any knowledge of God, or intimacy with Him, but by the virtue of humility; inasmuch as the direct way to ascend is first to descend. All the perils and the great falls which have taken place in this world have arisen from no other cause than exaltation of the mind through pride. This is seen in the fall of the devil, who was cast out of heaven, and in the fall of our first father Adam, who was cast out of Paradise, because of the exaltation of the mind, namely, disobedience; and again in the instance of the Pharisees, of whom Christ speaks in the Gospels, and in many other examples.

And so, on the contrary, all the good works which have ever taken place in this world have been produced entirely by humility of mind, as is proven by the blessed and most humble Virgin Mary, and by the publican, and by the holy thief on the cross, and by many other examples in the Scriptures. And therefore it would be well for us, if we could find a great and heavy weight, that we might carry it always fastened round our neck, so that it might always draw us downwards, that is to say, continually cause us to humble ourselves.

A Brother once asked Brother Giles: "Tell me, Father, how may we escape from this pride?" To which Brother Giles replied: " My Brother, set this fact before thee, that thou canst never hope to flee pride, except, first of all, thou place thy mouth where thy feet are; but if thou consider the gifts of God thou wilt know well that thou owest it to Him to bow thy head. And again, if thou consider well thy defects, and the many offences which thou has committed against God, thou wilt find sufficient cause to humble thyself. But woe to those who would be honored even for their sins! There is a degree of humility in him who knows himself to be the enemy of his own welfare. There is a degree of humility also in him, who renders to another the things which belong to him, and does not attribute them to himself; which is to say, that all good, and all virtue which man finds in himself, he must not attribute to himself, but solely to God, from whom proceeds every grace, every virtue and every good.

But all sins and evil passions in the soul, and whatever vice man finds in himself, he must take as his own, considering that they proceed from himself alone, and from his own malice, and not from any other. Blessed is the man who knows himself, and reputes himself vile before God and men! Blessed is he who judges himself, and condemns himself, and not another: for he shall not be judged in the great, and terrible final judgment. Blessed is he who bears meekly the yoke of obedience, and submits to the guidance of another, as the holy Apostles did, both before and after they received the Holy Spirit!"

And again. Brother Giles said: "He who would acquire and possess perfect peace and quiet, must consider every man his superior, and himself subject and inferior to all. Blessed is the man who desires not to be seen or known, either in his deeds or words, save in the pure disposition and the simple adornment to which he has been disposed, and by which he has been adorned of God! Blessed is the man who can keep and conceal the Divine revelations and consolations: for there is nothing so secret that God will not reveal it when it pleases Him. If a man were the most perfect and the most holy upon earth, and he should consider and believe himself to be the most miserable sinner, and the vilest man in the world, herein would be true humility. Holy humility knows not how to converse, and the blessed fear of God knows not how to speak."

Brother Giles said also: " To me it seems that humility is like the thunderbolt, for as the bolt causes a terrible concussion, breaking, rending, and burning whatever it strikes, and yet afterwards there is nothing of it to be found, thus also humility explodes, and dissipates, and consumes all malice, all vice and all sin, and afterwards it seems to be nothing at all in itself The man who possesses humility, shall through humility find grace with God, and perfect peace with his neighbor."

On the Holy Fear of God.

He who fears not, shows that he has nothing to lose. The holy fear of God orders, governs and rules the soul, and brings it into a state of grace. If a man possess any grace or divine virtue, holy fear will preserve it for him to the end. And he who has not yet acquired either virtue or grace, will be enabled, through holy fear, to acquire them. The holy fear of God is a channel of Divine grace, for it causes the soul in which it dwells to obtain these graces and all holy virtue without delay. All who have fallen into sin would never have succumbed, had they possessed the holy fear of God. But this holy gift of fear is given only to the perfect, for the more perfect a man is, the more he fears and humbles himself. Blessed is the man who knows himself to be in prison in this world, and ever remembers how grievously he has offended his Lord,

A man should always greatly fear pride, lest it cause him to stumble and fall from that state of grace in which he is, for one can never stand secure in the midst of enemies; and our enemies are the lusts of this miserable world and of our own flesh, which, along with the devils, are ever at war against our souls. One must have still greater fear lest his own malice deceive and overcome him, than of all other enemies. It is impossible for a man to ascend to any grace or Divine virtue, or persevere therein, without holy fear. He who has not the fear of God is in danger of being lost altogether. The fear of God makes a man humbly obey, and incline his head under the yoke of obedience; and the more fear a man possesses, the more fervently will he worship God.

It is not a little matter to have the gift of prayer, and to him that feareth it shall be given. The virtuous actions of men, however much we may esteem them, are not, therefore, reckoned and rewarded according to our estimation, but according to the estimation and the good pleasure of God; for God looks not at the amount of labor, but at the amount of love and humility: and, therefore, the safest par.; to choose is to love and fear always with humility, and never to trust in ourselves for any good, but to distrust the thoughts which arise in our minds under the appearance of good.

On Holy Patience.

He, who with firm patience and humility suffers tribulation for the love of God, will quickly attain to great graces and virtue; he shall be lord of this world, and possess a pledge of the glorious world to come. Everything which a man does, whether of good or evil, unto himself he does it. And, therefore, be not scandalized by him who does thee an injury; but rather have humble patience, and grieve only for his sin, having compassion and praying fervently to God for him. The stronger a man is to bear and to suffer injuries and tribulations patiently for the love of God, so much the nearer is he to God, and no more: the weaker a man is to sustain sorrows and adversities for the love of God, so much is he removed from God. If any man praise thee, and speak well of thee, render the praise solely to God: and if any speak evil of thee, or revile thee, do thou help him therein, speaking yet worse of thyself.

If thou wouldst do thy part well, study to make it seem bad, and that of thy companion good, ever accusing thyself, and ever praising and sincerely excusing thy neighbor. When any one would contend or dispute with thee, if thou wouldst be the winner, lose, and thou shalt win; for if thou wilt contend in order to overcome, even when thou shalt think thyself the winner, thou shalt find that thou hast lost greatly. And, therefore, my brother, believe me that the direct way to save thyself is to lose thyself; for if we cannot bear well our tribulations, neither can we follow after heavenly consolations.

There is much greater consolation, and much greater merit in suffering injuries and insults patiently for the love of God, and without murmuring, than in feeding a hundred poor, or fasting continually every day. For what profiteth a man, or what availeth it him, to despise himself, and to afflict his body with much fasting, vigil, and discipline, if he cannot bear a little injury from his neighbor? For this cause shall a man receive much greater reward, and greater merit, than for all the afflictions he can impose on himself of his own will; since to endure insults and injuries from our neighbor, in humble patience, purifies from sin much more quickly than a fountain of msny tears. Blessed is the man who keeps ever before his mind the memory of his sins, and of the benefits of God; for he will bear patiently every tribulation and adversity, expecting from them the greatest consolations.

A man who is truly humble expects from God neither merit nor reward; but only studies continually how he can offer satisfaction in all things, knowing himself to be God's debtor; and any good thing that he has he acknowledges that he has it solely through the goodness of God, and not through any merit of his own; and any adversity that befalls him he acknowledges truly that he receives it for his own sins.

A Brother once asked Brother Giles: "Father, if in our time some great adversity or tribulation should befall, what ought we to do under this visitation?" To which Brother Giles replied . " My Brother, I would have thee to know that if the Lord should cause it to rain stones and thunderbolts from heaven, they could not do us any harm whatever, if we were such as we ought to be, because if only a man were what he ought to be, all evil and all tribulations would be turned to his good, for we know that, as the Apostle has said: ' All things work together for good to them that love God;' and so likewise to the man of bad will all good things turn into evil, and into chastisement. If thou wouldst be saved, and attain celestial glory, thou needest not desire any vengeance or any justification at any time from any creature; for the heritage of the Saints is ever to do good, and ever to receive evil. If thou knewest of a truth how much and how greatly thou hast offended thy Creator, thou would perceive that it is meet and just that all creatures should persecute thee, and bring thee pain and tribulation, for thus they would but avenge the offences which thou hast committed against their Creator.

"It requires great virtue to overcome one's self, for he who overcometh himself shall overcome all his enemies, and attain all good. Much greater virtue would it be, if a man should suffer himself to be overcome of every one; for he should be lord over all his enemies, that is to say, his vices, the devils, the world, and his own flesh. If thou wouldst Lc saved, renounce and forsake all consolations which all the things in the world, or any human creature, could give thee; because greater and more frequent are the falls which come from prosperity and earthly consolations, than from adversities and tribulations."

On one occasion, a Religious murmured against his Superior, in the presence of Brother Giles, on account of a hard command which had been given him by obedience; to whom Brother Giles said: " Most beloved, the more thou murmurest the greater will be thy burden and the more heavy to bear, but the more humbly and devoutly thou bendest thy head under the yoke of holy obedience the easier and the sweeter to thee will it be to bear that obedience. But it seems to me that thou wouldst not be reviled in this world for the love of Christ, and yet wouldst be with Christ in the world to come; thou wouldst not be persecuted and slandered in this world for Christ's sake, and yet in the other world thou wouldst be blessed and received by Christ; thou wouldst not labor in this world, and yet wouldst have quiet and rest hereafter. I say to thee, my Brother, my Brother, that thou dost greatly deceive thyself; for by the way of dishonor and shame and insult shall a man attain to the true celestial honor; and by enduring patiently derision and insults for the glory of Christ. Therefore, well is it said, in the worldly proverb. He who will not pay the cost, shall not receive what he desires.

"The horse is a noble and useful animal, but although he can run very well alone, he suffers himself to be governed, guided, and driven hither and thither, backwards and forwards, according to the will of his rider; and thus also should the servant of God suffer himself to be governed, guided, turned and bent according to the will of his Superior, and even of everyone, for the love of Christ. If thou wouldst be perfect, study only to be gracious and virtuous, and combat valiantly thy evil inclinations, patiently enduring all adversity for the love of thy Lord, persecuted, afflicted, insulted, scourged, crucified, and dying for the love of thee, and not for sins of His own, or for His own glory, or for His own profit, but solely for thy salvation. And in order to do this, above all things it is needful that thou conquer thyself; for little doth it profit a man to direct and bring souls to God, unless first of all he conquers and governs himself."

On Sloth.

The slothful man loses both this world and the next; for he neither brings forth fruit in himself, nor is of any use to others. It is impossible for one to acquire virtue without solicitude and great labor. Therefore, when thou art able to stand in a secure place, tarry not in a doubtful one. He is secure who strives and labors and toils according to God, and for his Lord's sake, and not for the fear of punishment, or for a reward, but for the love of God. He who shrinks from working and suffering for the love of Christ verily draws back from the glory of Christ; and even as this solicitude is useful so is negligence ever hurtful to us. As sloth is the way to hell, even so is holy solicitude the way to Heaven.

Much should one strive to acquire and to preserve virtue and the grace of God, always co-operating faithfully with this grace and virtue; for the man who does not thus co-operate faithfully often sacrifices the fruit for the leaves, or the grain for the straw, for to some the Lord concedes graciously good fruit with but few leaves; to some others he gives fruit together with the leaves; and there are some others who have neither fruit nor leaves. It seems to me a greater thing to know how to guard well, and in secret to preserve the graces given by God, than to know how to acquire them; because, however well a man knows how to acquire, yet unless he knows well how to store and keep, he will never grow rich; but they who acquire things by little and little will enrich themselves, for they take care of their gains and their treasure.

O what a quantity of water the Tiber would have collected, if it had not escaped by some outlet! Man asks of God gifts without measure and without end; and he will not love God but in measure and degree. He who would be loved of God, and receive from Him infinite merit above reckoning or measure, should also love God without reckoning and without measure, and ever render Him infinite service. Blessed is he who loves God with all his heart, and with all his mind, and always afflicts his body and his mind for the love of God, seeking for no reward under Heaven, but acknowledging himself wholly as God's debtor.

If a man were exceedingly poor and needy, and another were to say to him: " I will lend thee a thing most precious for three days; and know that if thou use it well within this term of three days, thou wilt gain infinite treasure, and mayest be rich for evermore:" it is most sure that the poor man would be very solicitous to make good use of a thing so precious, and much would he study how to gather well the fruit of it. Thus also I say to thee, that our body is that good thing which we hold from the hands of God for three days; for all the years of our time upon earth may be compared unto three days.

Therefore, if thou wilt be rich, and enjoy eternally the Divine sweetness, study to labor well, and to make good use of what God hath lent thee, namely, thy body, in this space of three days, that is, in the brief space of this thy life; inasmuch as, if thou strive not to acquire in this present life whilst yet thou hast time, thou canst not hereafter enjoy the eternal riches, or enter into the holy rest of that celestial and eternal peace. But if all the possessions of the world belonged to one person, who would not cultivate them, or cause them to be cultivated by others — what fruit or what use would he have of these things? Most sure is it, that he would have neither fruit nor profit. But it might well be, that a man having but few possessions, and cultivating them diligently, should have much profit, and through his own and others' labors, have fruit enough and to spare.

There is a worldly proverb which says: Never put an empty pot on the fire, hoping from thy neighbor. And thus also it is God's will that no grace shall remain idle; for our good God does not give a man grace that he may hold it in vain, but He gives it that a man may do His will by performing good works; for a good will suffices not, unless a man study to follow and make use of the grace of God, by the practice of holiness.

On one occasion, a dissipated man said to Brother Giles: " Father, I pray thee give me some consolation." To whom Brother Giles replied: " My brother, study to stand well with God, and immediately thou shalt have all the consolation of which thou hast need; for if a man prepare not within his soul a clean abode where God may dwell and repose, he will never find a resting place for himself, or repose; or true consolation in any creature. When a man would do ill, he never seeks much counsel how to do it; but to do well, he seeks many counsels, and makes long delay."

On another occasion. Brother Giles said to his companions: " My Brothers, it seems to me that now-a-days there is no one willing to do that which profit him most, and that for his body, as well as his soul. Believe me, my Brothers, that I could swear of a truth, that the more a man seeks to fly and to shun the burden and the yoke of Christ, so much the harder does he make it for himself, and the more difficult and cumbersome he finds it; and the more ardently a man submits himself to it, voluntarily adding to its weight, the more he finds it easy and sweet to carry.

"O, that it would please God that men would indeed seek and procure in this world the welfare of their bodies, for then they would at the same time procure that of their souls! inasmuch as, without doubt, body and soul must be agreed to suffer together, or to rejoice together everlastingly; for of a truth either they shall suffer in hell eternal torments and immeasurable pains, or they shall enjoy with the Saints and the Angels in Paradise perpetual joy and unfailing consolation, through the merit of good works. For if a man do well, and also pardon others, yet without humility, his good will turn to evil; for many have done many works that seemed good and praiseworthy; but because they had not humility, it was discovered and made known that their works were done out of pride, and the works themselves proved it, for only works done in humility never become corrupt."

A Brother said once to Brother Giles: " Father, it seems to me, that we do not yet know or understand that which is for our true good." To whom Brother Giles replied: " My Brother, it is a sure thing that each one will practice the art which he has learnt, for none can rightly practice that which he has not learnt beforehand. Now wouldst thou know the noblest art upon earth? It is that of working well: and who can practice it, who has not first learnt it? Blessed is the man whom no creature can misguide; but more blessed is he who, in whatever he sees, or hears, can take to himself true edification."

On Contempt of Worldly Things.

Many sorrows befall the unhappy man who places his desires, his heart and his hope, on earthly things, through which he abandons and loses heavenly things, and in the end will lose the earthly things also. The eagle is much given to flying aloft, but if he had a weight tied to his wings, he would not fly very high; and thus man also, through the weight of earthly things, cannot fly upwards, that is to say, cannot attain to perfection. But the wise man, who binds the memory of death and judgment on the wings of his heart, shall not be able, for the greatness of bis fear, to run after or to fly amongst the vanities and the devices of this world, which are so many occasions of damnation. We see now-a-days men of the world laboring and toiling much, and putting themselves in much bodily peril, in order to acquire these deceitful riches; and then when they have labored and acquired much, in a moment they die, leaving behind them all they have gathered together in this life.

And therefore it is not meet that we should trust to this fallacious world, which will deceive all who trust in it, because the nature of it is to lie. But he who would be great, and very rich, will seek and will love the eternal riches, which ever satisfy, and never disgust, or grow less. If we will not err, let us follow the example of the beasts of the field and of the birds, who when they have had enough are content, and seek no more than to live from hour to hour, according to their necessities; thus should man also be content with satisfying his temporal necessities, and not seek after superfluities.

Brother Giles used to say, that the ant was not so pleasing to St. Francis as other creatures, on account of the great solicitude which it has to collect and lay up a store of grain in the summer-time, for the winter; he said that the birds pleased him much better, because they collect nothing on one day for the next. Yet the ants give us an example of foresight in this summer-time of our present life, that we may not be found empty and fruitless when the winter of our last and final judgment arrives.

On Holy Chastity.

Our frail and miserable human flesh resembles the swine, which ever delight in wallowing in the mire, looking on the mire as their greatest delectation. Our flesh is the devil's champion, for it combats and resists in all things that which is according to God, and for our own salvation.

A Brother once asked Brother Giles thus: " Father, teach me in what manner we may guard against carnal vices; " to which Brother Giles replied: " My Brother, he who would move a heavy weight, or great stone out of his way, must do so rather by skill than by force. And thus we also, if we would overcome carnal vices, and acquire the virtue of Chastity, shall rather attain thereto by humility, and by a good and discreet spiritual rule, than by our own presumptuous austerities, and the weight of much penance. All vices trouble and obscure this holy and resplendent Chastity; because Chastity is like to a clear mirror, which is dimmed and obscured, not only by contact with unclean things, but even by a man's breath.

"And it is impossible for one to attain to any spiritual grace, so long as he finds himself inclined to carnal concupiscence: and thus, worry thyself as thou wilt, thou wilt find no other remedy or way of attaining spiritual grace, but by overcoming all carnal vices. Therefore combat valiantly against thy sensual and fragile flesh, thy true enemy, which would thwart thee both day and night; which mortal enemy of our flesh, if a man subdue, of a surety all his other enemies shall be subdued, and he shall quickly attain to spiritual grace, and to a state of virtue and perfection."

Brother Giles said also: "Amongst all the other virtues, I prefer the virtue of Chastity: because most sweet Chastity contains alone in itself all perfection; but there is no other virtue which can be perfect without Chastity." A Brother once asked Brother Giles: " Father, is not the virtue of Charity greater, and more excellent than Chastity?" To which Brother Giles answered: "And tell me, my Brother, what is more chaste than holy Charity? " Many a time did Brother Giles sing this canticle: " O Holy Chastity, how good thou art! Verily thou art precious, and such and so great is thy fragrance, that he who has not tasted thee knows not thy worth. Therefore the foolish do not understand thy value."

A Brother asked Brother Giles thus: " Father, tell me, I pray thee, thou who dost so commend Chastity, wherein consists Chastity? " To whom Brother Giles replied: " My Brother, I tell thee, that rightly is Chastity called the careful custody and continual guard of all the senses, corporal and spiritual, by which they are kept pure and immaculate for God alone."

On Temptation.

One cannot enjoy in peace and tranquility the great graces which he receives from God; for many contradictions, many disturbances and adversities, run counter to grace, inasmuch, as the more a man is in the grace of God, so much the more violently is he assaulted by the devils. Therefore one should never cease fighting, if he would follow the grace he has received from God; because, as the battle is fiercest, the crown will be the more precious, if he overcome in the fight.

But we have not many battles, or many impediments, or temptations, because we are not such as we should be in the spiritual life. Yet most true it is, that if a man will walk well and discreetly in God's way, he shall have neither toil nor weariness in his journey; whilst the man who goes the way of this world, can never escape much, toil and tediousness, and anguish and tribulation and sorrow, until the day of his death.

One of the Brothers said to Brother Giles: " My Father, it seems to me that thou sayest two things, one contrary to the other: for first thou sayest; the more virtuous a man is, and the more in God's favor, the more contradictions and battles he has in the spiritual life; and then thou sayest the opposite; namely, that the man who walks well and discreetly in the way of God, shall know neither toil nor tediousness on his journey."

To which, Brother Giles, explaining the contradiction between these two sayings of his, replied thus: " My Brother, it is certain that the devils wage the war of temptations more fiercely against those who have a good will, than against those who have not. But what trouble, or weariness, or injury, can all the devils and all the adversities in the world cause to him who walks well and discreetly in the way of God, knowing and seeing, as he does, that the tempter sells his wares at a price a thousand times greater than they are worth? For I tell thee of a truth, that he who is enflamed with Divine love, holds vice in greater abomination the more he is attacked by it.

" Most of the devils usually hasten to tempt a man when he is in any sickness, or weakness of body, or when he is in any anxiety, or in much distress, or cold, or hungry, or thirsty, or when he has received some injury or slight, or any hurt, whether temporal or spiritual, because, in their malice, they know that at such moments and in such circumstances a man is more liable to succumb to temptations. But I say to thee, that by every temptation, and every vice which thou shalt overcome, thou shalt acquire fresh virtue; and through that very vice by which thou wert assaulted, if thou overcome, thou shalt receive so much the greater grace, and the brighter crown."

A Brother once came to ask counsel of Brother Giles, saying: " Father, I am often assaulted by a most grievous temptation, and many a time I have prayed God to deliver me from it, and yet the Lord has not taken it away; counsel me. Father, what to do." To whom Brother Giles replied: " My Brother, the better a king arms his soldiers with strong and knightly armor, the more ardently he will have them fight against his enemies, for love of him."

A Brother once asked Brother Giles: " Father, what remedy shall I use, that I may go to prayer more willingly, and with greater desire and fervor? for when I go to my prayers, I am slothful, tepid and indevout."

Brother Giles answered: "A king has two servants, and one has arms, that he may fight, and the other has no armor for the combat; and both of them would enter into the battle, and fight against the enemies of the king. The one who is armed will go into battle and fight valiantly; but the other who is unarmed, will say thus to his master: ' My lord, thou seest that I am naked and without arms; but for thy love, I will willingly go into the battle, and fight thus unarmed.' And then the good king, seeing the love of his faithful servant, will say to his ministers: ' Go to my servant, and arm him with all that is needful for the combat, that he may securely enter into battle; and seal all his arms with my royal seal, that all may know him as my faithful knight.'

"And thus it often happens, that when one goes to prayer, he finds himself naked, indevout, slothful, and hard of heart; but if he force himself, for the love of his Lord, to enter into the battle of prayer, then our merciful King and Lord, seeing the effort of His servant, will give him, by the hands of His ministering angels, the fervor of devotion and of a good will. It happens sometimes, that a man begins some great work with much toil, so as to clear and cultivate the ground, and plant the vine, that he may gather the fruits of it, in season. And many, because of the great labor and toil, leave off by degrees, and repent of the work they have begun: but if they would persevere until the vintage, they would forget all pains, and be comforted and filled with gladness, securely enjoying the fruits of their labor.

" And so shall a man also, that is strong in temptations, obtain much consolation; ' according to our tribulations,' says St. Paul, ' shall be the recompense,' and the crown of eternal life that shall be given to us. But not only shall the reward in heaven be given to them who withstand temptations, but even in this life also, as the Psalmist says: ' Lord, according to the multitude of my temptations, and of my sorrows, thy consolations have delighted my soul:' therefore the greater the temptation and the combat, the more glorious shall be the crown."

Another Brother asked counsel of Brother Giles on account of his temptations, saying: " O Father, I am attacked by two most violent temptations: one is this: that as soon as I do anything good, immediately I am tempted to vainglory; and the other, that when I do an evil, I fall into such rashness and bitterness that I almost despair."

To which Brother Giles replied: " My Brother, well dost thou do and wisely to grieve for thy sins, but I counsel thee to grieve discreetly and in measure, and ever to remember that the mercy of God is greater than thy sins. But if the infinite mercy of God receives to repentance the man who is a great sinner, and who sins wilfully, thinkest thou that this God will abandon the good sinner who sins not wilfully, seeing him contrite and penitent? Also, I counsel thee never to leave off doing good for the fear of vainglory; for if a man who was about to sow his com should say: ' I will not sow, for if I do, perchance the birds will come and devour it,' and so saying should leave his field unsown, of a surety he should gather in no harvest that year.

" But if he sow his seed, though the birds should come and eat a part of it, yet the greater part shall remain to the laborer; so it is with a man who is attacked by vainglory, and who will not do good works for the fear of vainglory; but if he continually strive against it, I say to thee, that he shall not lose the merit of the good he has done, for having been tempted."

A Brother once said to Brother Giles: " Father, it is said that St. Bernard once said the seven penitential psalms with such tranquillity of mind and devotion, that he had not a single distraction, or a thought of aught else besides each sentence of the psalms." To which Brother Giles replied: " My Brother, I esteem it a much greater thing if a knight, being assailed by his enemies, should defend himself so bravely that he should not suffer one of them to enter in, than if he were to be left in peace, and without any trouble."

On Holy Penance.

Much should a man continually afflict and macerate his body, and willingly suffer every injury, tribulation, anguish, sorrow, shame, painfulness, insult, adversity and persecution, for the 3ove of our. good Master and Lord, Jesus Christ, who has given us the example in Himself; inasmuch as, from the beginning in His glorious Nativity, to the end in His most holy Passion, He ever suffered anguish, tribulation, sorrow, pain, contumely, and persecution, solely for our salvation. And, therefore, if we should attain to the state of grace, before all things it is necessary that we should, so far as in us lies, follow in the footsteps of our good Master, Jesus Christ.

A secular once asked Brother Giles: " Father, in what way can we men of the world attain to the state of grace?" To whom Brother Giles replied: " My Brother, a man should first of all mourn for his sins with great contrition of heart; and then he should confess himself sincerely to the priest, with bitterness and sorrow of heart, without concealing or excusing aught; and having done so, he should perfectly fulfill the penance imposed upon him by his confession; and after this he should keep guard against every vice, and every sin, and every occasion of sin; and moreover he should excite himself to good works of virtue towards God and his neighbor; and thus doing, a man shall attain to the state of grace and virtue.

" Blessed is the man who shall have continual sorrow for sins, continually weeping both by day and by night in bitterness of heart, solely for the offences which he has done against God. Blessed is the man who, having always before his mind the afflictions, and the pains and sorrows of Jesus Christ, shall receive no temporal consolations in this bitter and stormy world, so that last of all he may attain to the celestial consolations of life eternal, where all his desires shall be fulfilled abundantly with everlasting joy."

On Holy Prayer.

Prayer is the beginning, the middle and the end of all good; prayer illumines the soul, and enables it to discern good from evil. Every sinful man ought to pray every day continually, humbly begging of God to give him a perfect knowledge of his own miseries and of his sins, and of all the benefits which he has received and still receives from God. And the man who knows not how to pray, how can he know God? And all those who would be saved, if they rightly use their reason, will, before all things, wholly turn themselves unto prayer.

Brother Giles said: " If a man had a son, who had been condemned to death or to banishment for his evil deeds, it is most sure that his father would be full of solicitude, laboring to the utmost of his power both by day and by night to obtain a reprieve or to have the sentence of banishment removed, addressing all possible petitions and making presents, according to the extent of his ability, both personally, and through the means of others. If, then, a man would do this for his son's mortal life, how much more should he be solicitous to pray God, and moreover to get all good men in this world to pray, and still more, in the other all- the holy Saints, for his soul which is immortal, when it is banished from the Heavenly City, or rather, condemned to eternal death for his sins! "

A Brother said to Brother Giles: " Father, it seems to me that a man should grieve within himself, when he cannot attain to the grace of true devotion in prayer." To whom Brother Giles replied: " My Brother, I counsel thee to proceed very gently; for if thou hadst a little good wine in a cask, in which there still remained some dregs beneath, of a surety, thou wouldst not shake or move the cask, for fear of mixing the good wine with the dregs. And so also I say to thee, until prayer is entirely separated from all carnal concupiscence and vice, thou canst not receive Divine consolations; because that prayer is not pure in the sight of God which is mixed with the dregs of carnal things. And therefore a man should bestir himself as far as in him lies to cast out all the dregs of vicious concupiscence, that his prayer may be pure in God's sight, and then he shall not want devotion, or Divine consolations."

A Brother once asked Brother Giles: " Father, wherefore is it that when a man is worshipping God, he is much more tempted, disturbed and troubled in his mind than at any other time?" To which Brother Giles answered: " If any man has a cause to plead, and goes before the judge to state his reasons, and asks his counsel and aid, immediately his adversary hears of it, he appears also, to contradict and resist the claims of the first, and throw every impediment in his way, seeking to disprove all that he says. And thus also it happens when a man betakes himself to prayer; for then it is that he seeks aid of God in his cause. Immediately, therefore, his adversary, the devil, appears with his temptations, to resist and to contradict him, and to use all the force, cunningness and argument he can to frustrate his prayer, and hinder it from being acceptable in the sight of God, so that he may have neither merit or consolation from it.

"And this we can see very clearly for ourselves; because it is not when we are speaking about the things of this world that we have to suffer temptations or distractions; but when we go to prayer, in order to delight and comfort our soul with God, immediately we feel our minds struck as with thunderbolts, which are the temptations which the devils bring against us, in order to make the mind wander, so that the soul may have neither delight nor consolation in speaking with God."

Brother Giles said that a man, when he prays, should be like a good knight in battle, who, if he be wounded or thrown down by his enemies, does not on this account straightway give up the battle, but rather resists valiantly, that he may gain the victory over his enemies; because when he has obtained the victory, he shall rejoice and be comforted in the glory thereof; but if he fled from the field as soon as he was thrown down or wounded, surely he should be put to shame and confusion. And thus also should we do; that is to say, not give up our prayer for every temptation, but resist courageously, for " Blessed is the man who endureth temptation," says the Apostle, " for when he hath overcome, he shall receive the crown of Eternal Life:" but if a man depart from prayer, because of temptation, of a surety, he shall be put to shame, or vanquished by his diabolical foe.

A Brother said to Brother Giles: " Father, I have seen other men who received from God the grace of devotion and of tears in their prayers, and I cannot feel in myself any such grace, when I go to worship God." To whom Brother Giles answered: " My Brother, I counsel thee to persevere humbly and faithfully in thy prayers; for the fruits of the earth cannot be had without toil and labor applied beforehand; and even after we have labored, the desired fruit does not follow immediately, but only in its season, when the fullness of time has come.

"And thus also, God does not give these graces immediately to a man in answer to his prayer; but in the end, when the time appointed is come, as it pleases Him, and not until the mind is cleansed from every carnal affection and vice. Therefore, my Brother, labor humbly in prayer; for God, Who is all good and gracious, knoweth all things, and discerneth what is best; and when the time and the season has come He will graciously give thee much fruit of consolation."

Another Brother said to Brother Giles: " What doest thou. Brother Giles, what doest thou?" And he replied: " I do evil." The Brother said: " What evil doest thou?" And Brother Giles turned to another Brother, and said: "Tell me, my Brother, which is the readiest, our Lord to give us His grace, or we to receive it? " And the Brother answered: " Of a surety, God is more in haste to give us His grace than we are to receive it." Then said Brother Giles: " How then, do we do well? " And the same Brother answered: " On the contrary, we do ill." Then Brother Giles turning to the first Brother, said: " Behold, Brother, it is clearly proved, that we do ill; and what I answered thee awhile ago was the truth, that I was doing ill."

Brother Giles said also: " Many works are praised and commended in the Holy Scriptures, such as the works of mercy, and other holy works; but of prayer, the Lord says thus: ' Your Father in Heaven seeketh men to adore Him (on earth) in spirit and in truth.' " Again Brother Giles said, that the true Religious are like the wolves, because they are seldom seen in public, except of great necessity; and with all haste, they seek how they may return to their secret place again, without holding much converse with men.

Good works adorn the soul, but prayer adorns and illumines the soul more than all others. A Brother who was an intimate companion of Brother Giles, said once: " Father, how is it that thou dost not sometimes go forth to speak of the things of God, and to procure and minister to the salvation of Christian souls?" To which Brother Giles replied: " My Brother, I would edify my neighbor by humility, and without doing hurt to my own soul, namely, by prayer." And the Brother said to him: "At least thou shouldst visit sometimes thy family." And Brother Giles answered: " Knowest thou not, that the Lord says in the Gospel: ' He that forsaketh father or mother, or brother, or sister, or possessions for My Name's sake, shall receive a hundred fold?' "

And he said: "A certain gentleman whose riches amounted to about sixty thousand lire ($12,000), entered the Order of Friars Minor; what great gifts then await the man, who for the love of God, gives up great things, seeing that God will give him back a hundredfold more! But we in our blindness cannot understand the perfection of a man truly virtuous and in favor with God, on account of our own imperfection and blindness. But if a man were truly spiritual, hardly would he ever wish to see or to hear any one, except of great necessity; because he who is truly spiritual desires continually to be separated from all men, and to be united to God by contemplation."

Then Brother Giles said to one of the Brothers: " Father, I would fain know what manner of thing is contemplation?" And the Brother answered him: " Father, I know not." And Brother Giles said: " It seems to me that the state of contemplation is a Divine fire, and a sweet unction of the Holy Spirit, and a rapture and suspension of the mind, inebriated by the contemplation of that inaffable enjoyment of the Divine sweetness; and a sweet and quiet and tender enjoyment of the soul, which is suspended and ravished through its intense admiration of the glory of supernal and heavenly things, and an inward burning consciousness of that celestial and unspeakable glory."

On Holy Prudence.

O servant of the Heavenly King, who wouldst learn the mysteries and the needful and holy precautions of the doctrine of the spiritual life, open well the ears of thy soul, and receive with true desire of heart, and lay up carefully in the storehouse of thy memory, the precious treasures of doctrine and of spiritual warning which I deliver to thee! By these thou shalt be illuminated and directed in thy way, namely, the way of the spiritual life, and guarded against the malignant and subtle assaults of thine enemies whether visible or invisible; and with a humble audacity thou shalt pass securely over the tempestuous sea of this present life, until thou arrive at the desired haven of eternal salvation. Therefore, my son, harken, and give good heed to what I tell thee!

If thou wouldst see well, pluck out thine eyes, and be blind; if thou wouldst hear well, be deaf; and if thou wouldst speak well, become dumb; if thou wouldst advance, stand still, and advance with thy mind; if thou wouldst work well, cut off thy hands, and work with thy heart; if thou wouldst love much, hate thyself; if thou wouldst live well, mortify thyself; if thou wouldst gain much and be rich, first lose all, and become poor; and if thou wouldst enjoy peace, afflict thyself, and be ever in fear, and suspect thine own self; if thou wouldst be exalted and have great honor, humble and abase thyself; if thou wouldst be held in great reverence, despise thyself, and do reverence to him who reviles thee; if thou wouldst that it should be well with thee, sustain all evil things; and if thou wouldst be blessed, desire that all should speak ill of thee; and if thou wouldst have true and eternal rest, then toil, and suffer, and desire to have every temporal affliction. O what great wisdom it is to know how to do and to work out these things.

But because these are very great and high things, God giveth the grace only to a few. But, of a truth, I tell thee, he who shall study them well and put them in practice, shall not need to go to Bologna, or to Paris, to learn any other theology; for if a man live a thousand years, and have nothing exterior to do, and nothing to say with his tongue, I tell thee that he will have enough to do to exercise himself within his own heart, laboring solely for the purification and the right direction and the justification of his own soul.

A man should neither will, nor see, nor hear, nor speak of anything, save in so far as it be useful to his soul. The man who does not know himself, is not known by God. And, therefore, woe to us, when we receive the gifts and graces of the Lord without knowing their worth! but still more woe to him who receiveth them not, neither knoweth them, nor yet careth to acquire them! Man, who is made in the image of God, changeth himself as he wills, but the good God never changeth.

On Profitable and Unprofitable Science.

He who would know much should labor much, and should humble himself much, abasing himself and inclining his head even to the earth so that his belly goeth along the ground; and then the Lord would give him much science and wisdom. The perfection of wisdom is to act always virtuously, to guard well against all defects and all occasions of defect, always considering the judgment of God.

Brother Giles said once to one who desired to go to the secular schools to learn science: " My Brother, wherefore wouldst thou seek secular learning? For I would have thee to know, that the sum of all science is to love and to fear, and with these two things thou hast enough; for so much wisdom sufficeth a man as he can make use of and no more. He needeth no more. Be not solicitous to study much for the good of others, but be solicitous, and study, and labor for the things that are profitable to thyself; for it often comes to pass, that we desire to know much science for the sake of others, and but little for our own sake; but I tell thee, the Word of God is not to the speakers, or to the hearers, but to the true doers of His Word.

"There have been those who, not knowing how to swim, have gone into the water to help others who were drowning; and so it happened that they were drowned themselves. If thou procure not the salvation of thine own soul, how wilt thou procure that of thy neighbor? And if thou look not well to thine own affairs, how wilt thou look to the affairs of others? For it is not to be believed that thou dost love the soul of another better than thine own. The preachers of the Word of God should be standards, lights, and mirrors to the people. Blessed is the man who so guideth the souls of others in the way of salvation, that he himself ceaseth not to go in the same way! Blessed is the man who in such wise inviteth others to run the race that he ceaseth not to run himself!

"More blessed is he, who, in the same manner, shall make others rich, that he himself shall not remain behind them. I believe that good preachers admonish and preach to themselves more than they do to any other. It seemeth to me that he who could convert and draw the souls of sinners into the way of God should ever be in fear, lest he should be perverted by them, and drawn aside into the way of vice, and of the devil and hell."

On Speaking Well and Speaking Ill.

The man who speaks good and useful words to the souls of others is verily the mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit: even as he who speaks evil and useless words is certainly the mouthpiece of the devil. When good and spiritual men are assembled to confer together, they should ever speak of the beauty of virtue, because the more virtue is pleasing to them, the more they will delight in practicing it; and the more we are pleased with virtue and delight in it, the more we shall exercise ourselves in it; and the more we exercise ourselves in it, the greater will grow our love for it; and by this love and by continually exercising ourselves and taking pleasure in virtue, we shall grow continually in more fervent love of God, and ascend to a higher state of perfection; for which cause also, there shall be granted to us from the Lord greater gifts and graces.

When a man is the most tempted, so much the more need he has to speak of holy virtue; because often, through talking of sins, a man is easily drawn into sinful acts; and thus also, through conversing about virtue, a man is easily led and disposed towards the holy operations of virtue. But what shall we say then of the good which proceedeth from virtue? It is so great, that we cannot worthily speak of its excellence, which is admirable and infinite. And yet again, what shall we say of evil, and of the eternal pains which follow sin? It is an abyss so profound that it is incomprehensible to us, so that it is impossible for us to conceive it, or to speak about it.

I do not consider it a lesser virtue to know well how to be silent, than to know well how to speak; and therefore it appears to me, that it would be well for a man were his neck as long as a crane's, so that, when he would speak, his words would have to pass through many joints before reaching his mouth; that is to say, that when a man would speak, he has need to consider, and reconsider, and examine and discern right well the how and the wherefore, and the time and the manner, and the condition of his audience, and his own motive and intention.

On Holy Perseverance.

What profiteth a man to fast and to pray much, and to give alms, and afflict himself, and have sublime thoughts of heavenly things, if he attain not to the blessed and desired haven of eternal salvation, namely, final and holy perseverance? Oftentimes we have seen a fair ship appear upon the sea, immense and strong and new, and laden with much treasure; and yet, overwhelmed by a storm, or else by the fault of the captain, it perishes, and is submerged, and miserably wrecked, and never attains the port for which it set out. What profit is there then, in its beauty and strength and treasure, since it has perished so miserably in the depths of the sea? And yet again, many a time we have seen on the sea a little ship, old, and carrying but little merchandise, but, having a good and skillful captain, it escaped every danger of the sea, and arrived at the desired haven; and thus also it often happens to us in the tempestuous sea of this world.

And, therefore, Brother Giles said: "A man should always fear; for although he may be in great prosperity or in great dignity, or have attained to a state of great perfection, yet if he have not a good captain, viz., skillful guidance to rule him, he may perish in the depths of vice: and therefore, in order to succeed, we need, above all other things, perseverance; .for as the Apostle says: ' Not he who has begun, but he who perseveres unto the end, shall receive the crown.' When a tree first springs from the earth, it does not immediately grow to its full size; and when it is full grown, it does not on that account immediately bear fruit; and when the fruit comes, not all of it turns out useful to the owner; for much of the fruit drops to the ground and decays, and is not eaten, except by the animals; but the fruit that remains constantly on the tree, until the end of the season, is, for the most part, gathered by the owner thereof."

And again. Brother Giles said: " What would it profit me to enjoy for a hundred years the glory of heaven, if I should not persevere, and so should not make a good end?" And yet again he said: "I consider the two greatest gifts and graces of God, which can be attained in this life, to be loving perseverance in the service of God, and to ever beware lest one fall into sin."

On True Religion.

Brother Giles said, speaking of himself: "I would rather have a little of the grace of God, being a Religious, than very much of God's grace, being a secular and living in the world; because, in the world there are more perils and obstacles, and fewer remedies and means of sanctity, than in Religion." And again Brother Giles said: "It seems to me, that the sinful man fears his own good, more than his own injury, and worst evil. For he is afraid to enter into the Religious state and do penance, but he is not afraid of offending God and of losing his soul by remaining hard-hearted and obstinate in the world awaiting his final and eternal damnation in the filthy mire of his sins."

A man of the world once asked Brother Giles: " Father, which dost thou counsel me to do, to enter Religion, or to remain in the world doing good works?" And Brother Giles answered: " My Brother, most sure it is, if a poor man knew of a great treasure hidden in an open field, that he would ask counsel of no one to assure himself whether it were well to dig it up, and to carry it home; how much more should a man endeavor, with all haste and diligence, to dig for that heavenly treasure, which is to be found in the holy state of Religion, and in spiritual congregations, without asking so much advice of others!" And the same man hearing this answer, immediately gave all he had to the poor, and thus deprived of all things, forthwith embraced the Religious state.

Brother Giles said also: " Many enter the state of Religion and afterwards do not practice what the perfection of the Religious state requires; but such resemble the ploughboy who arrayed himself in the armour of Orlando, and knew not how to fight or to fence in it. Not every one is able to ride a restive and vicious horse; and if, nevertheless, he will ride him, he shall not be able to keep himself from falling, when the horse runs away with him or becomes restive."

Brother Giles said moreover: " I do not esteem it a great thing that a man should know how to retain any favor conferred upon him by the king: but the great thing is, that he should know how to live and to converse in the court of the king, persevering with all discretion therein. The court of the great Heavenly King is the Religious state, wherein it is net hard to enter, and to receive many gifts and graces from God: but the great thing is that a man should know how to live and converse rightly and discreetly therein, persevering in the same, even until death."

And again Brother Giles said: " I would rather be in the secular state, continually hoping and devoutly desiring to enter the state of Religion, than be clothed with the holy habit of Religion, remaining in idleness and negligence and without practicing works of virtue. And therefore the Religious man should continually constrain himself to live well and virtuously, knowing that he cannot live in any other state but that of his profession."

Brother Giles once said also: " To me it seems that the Order of the Friars Minor was verily ordained of God for the great edification of the people; but woe to us Friars, if we should not be such men as we ought to be! Most surely there should not be found in this life more blessed men than we; for he is holy who follows the holy, he is good who follows in the way of the good, and he is rich who walks in the footsteps of the rich; and the Order of the Friars Minor, more than any other Order, follows in the way and the footsteps of the best, the most holy, and the richest, that ever was, or will be, namely, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself."

On the Remembrance of Death.

If a man had ever before his mind the remembrance of his death, and of the final judgment, and of the pains and torments of lost souls, most sure it is that he would never wish to sin, or to offend God. But if it were possible that a man should have lived from the beginning of the world until this present time, and during all the time had suffered every adversity, tribulation, pain, and affliction and sorrow: and then that he should die, and that his soul should receive the eternal, celestial recompense; what harm would all the evils he had sustained in the past do him? And in like manner: if a man had had, during the same time, consolation in the world, and then dying, his soul should receive the sentence of the eternal pains of hell: how would it comfort him, to have received all these things in the past?

An idle and slothful man once said to Brother Giles: "I tell thee, that I would fain live long in this world, and have great riches and abundance of all things, and be held in much honor." To whom Brother Giles said: " My Brother, if thou wert lord of all the world, and shouldst live in it a thousand years, in every enjoyment, delight, pleasure, and temporal consolation, tell me what reward and what merit couldst thou expect to have of this miserable flesh, which thou wouldst so greatly serve and please? But I tell thee, that if a man live well according to God, and guard himself from offending God, of a surety he shall receive from God the fulness of all good, an infinite and eternal recompense, and great abundance, and great riches, and great honor, and long, even eternal, life in the everlasting glory of Heaven: to which may this good God, our Lord and King, Jesus Christ, bring us also: to the praise of Jesus Christ, and His poor little one, Francis.