The Life of Saint Francis by Thomas of Celano - 283 

intention. An open mind will judge neither as sound; the first is blind and the second evil. The feathers of the wings are the love of the saving and merciful Father and the fear of the Lord, Sir 1:11 the terrible judge. These lift the souls of the chosen above things of earth while restraining evil thoughts and ordering chaste affections.
The other two wings Is 6:2 are for flying: showing a double charity to our neighbor, refreshing the soul with the word of God Lk 4:4 and nourishing the body with material aid. These wings are rarely joined together, Ez 1:11 since one person could hardly do both. Thefeathers of these wings are varied works of counsel and help offered to our neighbor.
The last two wings are to cover the body Ez 1:11 that is bare of merits. This happens regularly as it is stripped naked whenever sin breaks in, but is then clothed again in innocence through contrition and confession. The feathers of these wings are the wide range of affections arising from hatred of sin and developing a longing for justice.

115 Our blessed father Francis fulfilled all these things completely: he had both the image and the form of the Seraph and, remaining on the cross, he merited to fly away to the highest order of spirits. He was always upon his cross, never shirking labor or pain, fulfilling to the utmost the Lord’s will in and about himself.

The brothers who lived with him know
that daily, constantly, talk of Jesus was always on his lips,
 sweet and pleasant Ez 33:32 conversations about Him,
kind words full of love.
Out of the fullness of the heart his mouth spoke. Mt 12:34
So the spring of radiant love that filled his heart within
gushed forth.
He was always with Jesus:
Jesus in his heart,
Jesus in his mouth,
Jesus in his ears,
Jesus in his eyes,
Jesus in his hands,
he bore Jesus always in his whole body.
Often he sat down to dinner
but on hearing or saying or even thinking “Jesus”
he forgot bodily food,

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Vita Prima, Fontes Franciscani, p. 393-394


intentionem puram non habens. 12In primo non simplicem sed caecum, in secundo nequam ipsum aperta ratio iudicabit.13Pennae harum alarum e sunt amor Patris salvantis misericorditer, et timor Domini iudicantis terribiliter, quae animos electorum, malos reprimendo motus et castos ordinando affectus, debent suspendere a terrenis.14Duabus quoque alis volandum est ad impendendam duplicem proximo charitatem, reficiendo videlicet animam verbo Dei, et corpus terreno subsidio sustentando. 15Quae alae rarissime coniunguntur, quia vix utrumque valet ab aliquo adimpleri.16Pennae harum diversa sunt opera, quae ad consilium et auxilium requiruntur, proximo exhibenda.17Duabus denique alis tegendum est corpus nudum meritis, quod tunc ordinate impletur, cum scilicet, quoties peccato interveniente fuerit denudatum, contritionis atque confessionis innocentia revestitur.18Pennae harum multimodae affectiones sunt, quae ex peccatorum exsecratione et appetitu iustitiae procreantur.

115 1Haec omnia beatissimus pater Franciscus perfectissime adimplevit, qui Seraphim imaginem tenuit atque formam, et in cruce perseverans ad sublimium spirituum gradum meruit advolare.2Semper enim in cruce fuit, nullum subterfugiens laborem atque dolorem, tantum ut posset in se et de se voluntatem Domini adimplere.

3Norunt praeterea qui cum illo conversati sunt fratres,
quam quotidiana et continua collatio de Iesu fuerit in ore ipsius,
quam dulcis et suavis confabulatio,
quam benigna et amore plena collocutio.
4Ex abundantia cordis os loquebatur,
et fons illuminati amoris replens omnia viscera eius
ebulliebat foras.
5Multa illi utique cum Iesu,
Iesum in corde,
Iesum in ore,
Iesum in auribus,
Iesum in oculis,
Iesum in manibus,
Iesum in reliquis membris semper portabat.
6O quoties cum sederet
ad prandium audiens, vel nominans, vel cogitans Iesum,
corporalis escae oblitus est,

Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, vol. 1, p. 283