ST.FRANCIS OF ASSISI : VIRTUE OF HUMILITY & DETACHMENT
At one time while St. Francis was traveling, he came to the city of Bologna. When the people heard about his arrival, they ran to see him, and there was such a crowd that he could hardly walk. And when the entire square was filled with men and women and students, St. Francis stood up on a high place in the center' and began to preach what the Holy Spirit dictated to him. And he preached such marvelous and astounding things that he seemed to be not a man but an angel. And his heavenly words seemed like sharp arrows which were shot from the bow' of divine wisdom and pierced the hearts of everyone so effectively that by this sermon he converted a very great multitude of men and women from a state of sin to remorse and penance. Among them were two noble students one was called Pellegrino, and the other’s name was Riccieri. They came to St. Francis, saying that they had an intense desire to leave, the world and receive the habit of his friars. St. Francis, considering their fervor, knew by a revelation of the Holy Spirit that they were sent by God, and moreover he understood what way of life each of them would find most suitable. Therefore he received them with joy, saying to them: “You, Pellegrino, keep to the path of humility in the Order. And you, Riccieri, serve the friars.” And so it happened. For Brother Pellegrino never wanted to become a cleric but remained a lay brother, although he was a very learned scholar and an expert in Roman law. By means of that humility he attained to very great perfection. For inflamed by the love of Christ and burning with the desire for martyrdom, he went to Jerusalem in order to visit the Holy Places of the Savior, carrying with him the Book of the Gospels. And when he read about the sacred places where the God-man had walked, and he touched them with his feet and saw them with his eyes, he bowed down to pray to God and confidently embraced those very holy spots with his arms and lovingly kissed them with his lips and moistened them with team of devotion, so that he inspired great devotion in all who saw him. As Divine Providence ordained, he returned to Italy. And like a true pilgrim and citizen of the heavenly Kingdom, he very rarely visited his noble relatives. He would encourage them to despise the world, and by his serious conversation he would urge them to love God, and then, quickly and hurriedly, he would leave them, saying that Christ Jesus who makes the soul noble is not found among relatives and familiar friends. Brother Bernard, the first-born son of our very holy Father Francis, used to say that Brother Pellegrino, was one of the most perfect friars in this world. And he really was a pilgrim. For the love of Christ, which he always had in his heart, did not allow him to find peace in any creature or to attach his affections to any temporal thing, but he always strove for his heavenly home and looked to his heavenly home, and he climbed from virtue to virtue until he transformed the lover into the loved one,. Finally Brother Pellegrino passed, full of virtue, from this life to Christ whom he loved with all his heart, and rested in peace, with many miracles before and after his death. TO THE GLORY OF GOD - AMEN