After having read the letter, Anthony reflected deeply. Here it was, another news. He, that had abandoned his studies, now he had to go back to them by order of his Superior...
He reached the Church and kneeling in front of the statue of the Madonna placed in the side aisle he prayed:
"Holy Virgin once again I am finding myself in the struggle of what I should do. Please look after me and show me the way."
Friar Elijah was the general Minister of the order, hence he should obey to him. Yet Anthony continued to remember what he heard in Sicily on Montepaolo about how contrary was Francis about learning. In his recommendations one could see a severe indication:
"The study must follow the action."
The Friars had mentioned to Anthony how Francis reproached those who wanted to possess books. One of the novices desired have the Book of the Psalms. He has asked friar Elijah, and he had received the consent. But to the Friar that was not enough, he wanted Francis permission:
Francis told him:
"The great Christian heroes such as Orlando fought tenaciously against the infidels and sometimes they lost their life in the fight. Nowadays people would like to conquer the same glory speaking about the heroes. And the same happens between us: there are those who pronounce sermons on saints and martyrs, but do not imitate them in their life. My dear son, if you today want to possess the Salterio, tomorrow will desire a breviary, and the day after tomorrow you will sit down as if you were a Prelate, and you will say to your brother: bring my breviary here! Dear friar, I too, once desired to possess books. But I opened the Gospel and in the place in which it opened I read:
"To you is given to know the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to them I can speak only in parables. This is the path that you should follow: search for the truth and do not settle for the tale. Today, many desire knowledge and the glory that is derived from it. Blessed are those that for the love of the Lord are ready to be foolish and ignorant…"
"And so, how should I behave Mother?" he prayed.
Here in Rimini crowds always bigger were gathering to listen to his teaching. The truth about God enveloped the people as quickly as the fire flares up in a field of arid stubbles. He was listened, respected, and admired… Those people that not long ago has thrown stones at him, now they were kissing the edge of his habit. The heretics had disappeared. Some had converted themselves, the others had left the city or had hidden. Even the magistrates of the city were attending his sermons. The knight Santini that in absence of the count Malatesta guarded the city, was coming at the mass celebrated by Anthony. The population of the nearby villages came up there to listen to Anthony. Now he was asked to become a teacher in Bologna. There, he would have had nothing to do with common people. He would have to return to the theological speculations, that some time before fascinated him so. From this point the way he had taken towards the Friar minor would finish and also the expedition in Africa to imitate Berardo.
Friar Elijah letter was an order. As a Friar minor there was only one path to follow. Francis taught:
"He who doesn’t renounce what he possesses, cannot be my disciple."
Renounce to everything. Place the trust blindly to the will of the
Superior, as an object, as a cork cast in the running water. He shouldn’t disobey, he should make a gift to God of his will, and follow the will of the
Superior…
"So, this is the way I should behave" he decided.
The Madonna, too, has submitted herself without opposing to the will of the Lord.
"I want to imitate her. "
The day after he left for Bologna.
Chapter 21
After having read the letter, Anthony reflected deeply. Here it was, another news. He, that had abandoned his studies, now he had to go back to them by order of his Superior...
Chapter 21
He reached the Church and kneeling in front of the statue of the Madonna placed in the side aisle he prayed:
"Holy Virgin once again I am finding myself in the struggle of what I should do. Please look after me and show me the way."
Friar Elijah was the general Minister of the order, hence he should obey to him. Yet Anthony continued to remember what he heard in Sicily on Montepaolo about how contrary was Francis about learning. In his recommendations one could see a severe indication:
"The study must follow the action."
The Friars had mentioned to Anthony how Francis reproached those who wanted to possess books. One of the novices desired have the Book of the Psalms. He has asked friar Elijah, and he had received the consent. But to the Friar that was not enough, he wanted Francis permission:
Francis told him:
"The great Christian heroes such as Orlando fought tenaciously against the infidels and sometimes they lost their life in the fight. Nowadays people would like to conquer the same glory speaking about the heroes. And the same happens between us: there are those who pronounce sermons on saints and martyrs, but do not imitate them in their life. My dear son, if you today want to possess the Salterio, tomorrow will desire a breviary, and the day after tomorrow you will sit down as if you were a Prelate, and you will say to your brother: bring my breviary here! Dear friar, I too, once desired to possess books. But I opened the Gospel and in the place in which it opened I read:
"To you is given to know the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to them I can speak only in parables. This is the path that you should follow: search for the truth and do not settle for the tale. Today, many desire knowledge and the glory that is derived from it. Blessed are those that for the love of the Lord are ready to be foolish and ignorant…"
"And so, how should I behave Mother?" he prayed.
Here in Rimini crowds always bigger were gathering to listen to his teaching. The truth about God enveloped the people as quickly as the fire flares up in a field of arid stubbles. He was listened, respected, and admired… Those people that not long ago has thrown stones at him, now they were kissing the edge of his habit. The heretics had disappeared. Some had converted themselves, the others had left the city or had hidden. Even the magistrates of the city were attending his sermons. The knight Santini that in absence of the count Malatesta guarded the city, was coming at the mass celebrated by Anthony. The population of the nearby villages came up there to listen to Anthony. Now he was asked to become a teacher in Bologna. There, he would have had nothing to do with common people. He would have to return to the theological speculations, that some time before fascinated him so. From this point the way he had taken towards the Friar minor would finish and also the expedition in Africa to imitate Berardo.
Friar Elijah letter was an order. As a Friar minor there was only one path to follow. Francis taught:
"He who doesn’t renounce what he possesses, cannot be my disciple."
Renounce to everything. Place the trust blindly to the will of the
Superior, as an object, as a cork cast in the running water. He shouldn’t disobey, he should make a gift to God of his will, and follow the will of the
Superior…
"So, this is the way I should behave" he decided.
The Madonna, too, has submitted herself without opposing to the will of the Lord.
"I want to imitate her. "
The day after he left for Bologna.