The lives of the saints With introd and additional lives of English martyrs, Cornish, Scottish, and Welsh saints, and a full index to the entire work . im two years. Up to this time hehad lived a curious, semi-ecclesiastical life. But he was stilluntonsured; it does not seem to have occurred to him tomake himself a monk of any of the existing rules. He livedalone, free to follow his own devices. But the day whichwas to fix his destiny approached. He had been convertedin 1206; and it was in 1208, when he was hearing massone day in the little church he so loved, that somethingin the Gospel struc
The lives of the saints With introd and additional lives of English martyrs, Cornish, Scottish, and Welsh saints, and a full index to the entire work . im two years. Up to this time hehad lived a curious, semi-ecclesiastical life. But he was stilluntonsured; it does not seem to have occurred to him tomake himself a monk of any of the existing rules. He livedalone, free to follow his own devices. But the day whichwas to fix his destiny approached. He had been convertedin 1206; and it was in 1208, when he was hearing massone day in the little church he so loved, that somethingin the Gospel struck him as it had never done the mass was over he begged the priest to expoundit to him. The words which suddenly smote on his con-science as a new and special message were these : Provideneither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scripfor your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yetstaves. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom ofheaven is at hand. Here is what I have wanted, said Francis, here iswhat I have long sought; and leaving the church, hedivested himself of his shoes, cast away his staff, loosed -**. o > J3 r-) ^m t. J= O u H u ^ C/J o ?4 ?^ <o » w ^ o o < w t—1 Di t: ris < rt r- t— <r^ c o o oo o the leathern girdle from his waist, and supplied its place bya piece of cord, the first thing that was ready at hand. Thusagain, half by accident, another distinction of the unformedOrder came into existence. But what was more, this mes-sage to his soul conveyed to it an object, gave it a purpose,for which it had groped during the years of probation. Hismouth was opened to preach the Gospel to the poor. Hewent forth out of the little church of the Portiuncula onthat S. Barnabas Day, 1208, as a preacher, and thus, un-aware, began a mission which was to move whole kingdoms,and dominate the lives of multitudes of men. Nobodycould be less aware of this than the humble Francis. Hebegan his preaching everywhere with the salu
Size: 1367px × 1828px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., book, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectchristiansaints
