"The Lord gave me, brother Francis,to begin with doing penance in this way: when I was sinner it didn't seem to me too bitter to see lepers, and the Lord conveyed me among them and I had mercy of them.Departing from them what seemed bitter was changed in sweetness of body and soul.Then I stayed a little bit and I went out of the world.
And the Lord gave me so big a faith in the churches, so that I simply prayed and said: we adore You Lord Jesus Christ, also in all churches existing all over the world and we bless You, because with Thy Holy Cross you redeemed the world. Moreover the Lord gave me so faith in the priests who live according to the form of the Holy Roman Church because of their order, that even if they would persecute me I want to apply to them.And if I had so great a wisdom as Salomon had and I would meet the poor priests of this world in the parishes where they live I don't wont preach against their will.
And I wont to be afraid of these and all others, I wont to love and honour them as my lords.I don't wont to consider their sin because in them I recognize the son of the Lord and they are my lords.And I do this because I don't see corporally in this world anything else the Most High Son of God, but the most holy body and the most holy blood they receive and they administer to the others.
I wont that over all other things these most holy misteries would be honoured, worshipped and disposed in precious places.
And everywhere I will find manuscripts with the most holy names and his words in indecent places I want to get them together and I pray that they be put and disposed in a decorous place. And we have to honour and worship all theologians and those who administer the most holy and divine words, as
also who administer the spirit and life. After that the Lord gave me some friars, nobody told me what I had to do, but the most High revealed to me that I had to live according to the form of the Holy Gospel. So I made write it simply and with few words and the Pope confirmed it to me. Those who came and embraced this way of life distributed to the poor all that they had, and they were happy to cincture and a pair of trousers. And they didn't want anything else. Minor clerks said the offices in conformity with the other minor clerks; laymen said the Pater Noster and gladly we stopped in the churches. And we were illitterate and subdued to everyone. And I worked with my hands,and I want to work, and I want firmly that all othr friars wark honestly. Those who cannot, did learn, not for cupidity to receive the reward for their work, but for setting an example and keeping away laziness. If we didn't receive any reward for our work, we would turn to Lord's table begging from door to door. The Lord revealed to me to greet in this way:"The Lord give you the peace!".
Friars forbear from accept absolutely churches, poor houses and whatever else is built for them if it is not in accordance with the holy poverty we promised in the rule; always giving hospitality as foreigners and pilgrims.I order firmly in obedience to all friars, everywhere they are, they didn't dare to ask any letter of privilege in the papal court, neither. Personally, nor through the medium of a third party, nor for a church, nor for any other place, nor because of the preaching, nor for the persecution of their body, but where they will not be received, escape in anoither land doing penance with God's blessing. And firmly I want to obey to the general minister of this brotherhood and to that guardian he will assign ne. And so I want to be prisoner in his hands, I couldn't go or do nothing else that obedience and his will because he is my Lord. Even if I am simple and invalid, and yet I want always to have a minor clerk who says the office like is fixed in the rule. And don't say the friars: "This is another rule " because this is a memory, an admonition, an exhortation and my testament that I friar Francis do as small child to you my blessed brother so that we can respect more catholically the rule that we have promised to the Lord. And the general minister and all other guardian ministers be kept for obedience not to add and not to take awayn anything from these words.
And always keep with them this work together with the rule. And in all chapters, when they read the rule, they also read these words.
And to all my friars, minor clerks and laymen I order firmly for obedience, don't insert explanations in the rule and in these words saying: " In this way they must be intendet ", but as the Lord commandet me to say and to write with simplicity and purity the rule and these words, so try to understand them with simplicity and without comments and try to keep them with holy works until the end.
And whoever keep to these things, be full of the most High Father's blessing in heaven and on earth, be full of his beloved Son's, blessing through the Holy Paraclito Spirit and with all heaven's powers and with all saints.
And I small child friar Francis, your servant, for the few I can, I confirm to you in and out this most holy blessing.(Amen)."
St.Francis, 1226
