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passage of the Bible he was asked to explain. Because his mind was entirely released from earthly things, he flew like a swallow to the heights, and sometimes for twenty days, sometimes for thirty, he would fly alone among mountain peaks, contemplating only heavenly things. For this reason holy Brother Giles used to say that God did not give to everyone this gift, which had been given to Brother Bernard of Quintavalle, that like a swallow he could feed himself while flying.a Because of this outstanding gift given to him by the Lord, Saint Francis often and gladly conversed with him for whole days and nights. Sometimes both together were found rapt into the Lord for the whole night in the woods where they met to speak about the Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever.
Amen
XXXIII
THE TEMPTATION OF BROTHER RUFINO AND HOW CHRIST APPEARED TO HIMb
1 At one time while blessed Francis was still alive, Brother Rufino, one of the more noble men of Assisi and a companion of blessed Francis, was being seriously harassed in soul by the devil about predestination.c The ancient enemy suggested to him that he was not among those predestined to life and that he was wasting whatever he was doing in service to the religion. Because of this harassment which went on in his mind for many days, he was overcome with sadness and melancholy and he was ashamed to tell Saint Francis about his struggle. But he never gave up his usual prayers.
3 But the ancient enemy, wishing to add sorrow upon sorrow for him, which deeply wounds servants of God, also added an external struggle to the internal one. The devil appeared to him under the appearance of the Crucified and said: "Oh Brother Rufino, why do you afflict yourself with prayers and penance, since you are not among
- ChrXXIVG 44 adds: "Bernard gained such a clarity of intellect from the light of contemplation that important clerics came hurrying to him with difficult questions in theology. Once when he had not experienced divine consolation for eight days, he was extremely distressed and, remaining secluded, he fervently prayed to God for relief. Suddenly in the air there appeared to him a hand holding a violin. Another made one downward draw of the bow and the music of that violin filled him with such consolation that he believed that he would have expired if the hand had made an upward thrust of the bow."
- There is a parallel between this chapter and ChrXXIVG 50-2.
- This is the first of five chapters dedicated to Brother Rufino, a first cousin of Saint Clare and one of Francis's first followers. Together with Angelo and Leo, "nos qui cum eo fuimus [we who were with him]," Rufino is closely identified with L3C and AC. While Angelo died in 1258, both Rufino and Leo lived until 1278. All three are buried near Francis's tomb in the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi.