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of that brother's brother, with the greatest devotion he took his brother's bones, washed them with the finest wine, wrapped them in a white cloth, and would not stop kissing them with great devotion and many tears.
4 The brothers were surprised by this and rather displeased because although he was known for great sanctity, he seemed to be weeping out of sensual affection in a worldly way; and, besides, they insisted that the bones of the other brothers deserved just as much honor. But he satisfied them when he said: "My dearest brothers, don't say: 'Blessed God! I'm drawn by affection for the flesh,' when I do for my brother's bones what I didn't do for others. I acted in this way because when my brother passed to the Lord I was praying in a place far from him, and I saw his soul ascend directly into heaven. So these bones are holy and are to be in the Paradise of God. It is for this reason that I do the things you see."
6 The brothers, realizing his devout intention, were greatly edified and praised God, who does great wonders in His saints.
To the praise and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
LV
BROTHER SIMON AND HIS MIRACULOUS LIFEa
1 In the beginning of our Order while Saint Francis was still living there came to the Order a young man who was called Brother Simon. The Most High provided him with such graces of blessing and sweetness, Ps 21:4 [Vulgate, Ps 20:4] and brought him to such an elevation of mind and contemplation that during his whole life he was a mirror of holiness. As I heard from those who had lived with him, he was very rarely seen outside his cell; but when he was with the brothers he always occupied himself in speaking about God.
3 He never studied grammar but always lived in the woods; yet he would speak so profoundly and sublimely about God and the love of the blessed Christ that his words seemed supernatural. One evening when he went into the woods with Brother John of Massa to talk about God,b he spoke so sweetly about divine love that, as recounted by him who was with him, they spent the whole night this way, yet it seemed to them that they stayed only a short time.
- There is a parallel between this chapter and ChrXXIVG 159-61.
- James of Massa is undoubtedly the source of knowledge of Simon of Assisi. According to HTrb III 74, Simon was one of those brothers who escaped to the Marche between 1244-7, where he would have met James who, in turn, would have told Ugolino about him.