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Chapter VIII
HOW HE BUILT THE CHURCH OF SAN DAMIANO,
AND OF THE WAY OF LIFE OF THE LADIES LIVING IN THAT PLACEa
18The first work that blessed Francis undertook,
after he had gained his freedom
from the hands of his carnally-minded father,
was to build a house of God.
He did not try to build a new one,
but he repaired an old one,
restored an ancient one.b
He did not tear out the foundation,
but he built upon it,
always reserving to Christ his prerogative,
although unaware of it,
for no one can lay another foundation,
but that which has been laid,
which is Christ Jesus. 1 Cor 3:11
When he had returned to the place mentioned where
the church of San Damiano had been built in ancient times,
he repaired it zealously within a short time,
aided by the grace of the Most High.c
This is the blessed and holy place where
the glorious religion and most excellent Order
of Poor Ladies and holy virgins
had its happy beginning,
about six years after the conversion of the blessed Francis
and through that same blessed man.
- Thomas uses the title, Domina [Lady] which traditionally referred either to princesses of blood or to nuns and canonesses. (See Du Cange, Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, ed. L. Favre [Graz, 1883-1887]. Domina 5, and Domicellae 2).
- Thomas uses the adjective novus [new] thirty-nine times in this work emphasizing Francis as a “new knight of Christ” (n. 9), a “new athlete of Christ” (n. 10), and a “new evangelist” (n. 89). Integrally associated with him are a new: mystery (n. 85), song (n. 126), Bethlehem (n. 85), miracles (nn. 119, 121), vine (n. 74), light (nn. 119, 123), order (n. 74), joy (n. 119), waters (n. 151), teachings (n. 26), spirit (n. 6), and rite (n. 89).
- Rebuilding churches was a medieval expression of piety. The eighth-century author, Eddius Stephanus, for example, writes of the English saint Wilfrid (+710), that he first rebuilt a church at York and subsequently another in honor of Saint Peter and, finally, one in honor of Saint Mary. Cf. Eddius Stephanus, The Life of Bishop Wilfrid, text, translation and notes by Bertram Colgrave (Cambridge, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1985). Similar examples may be found in the following: Theodore of Cyrus, A History of the Monks of Syria, “Life of Julian,” 13, translated by R.M. Price (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1985); Bernard of Clairvaux, The Life of Saint Malachy the Irishman VI, 12.