Based on this translation of “Perfect Joy” found in Chapter Eight of The Little Flowers of St. Francis: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/ugolino/flowers.iii.viii.html
*****
Saint Francis of Assisi with his fellow friar, Leo
Through flurries, in their cowls, swiftly hurried to Saint Mary’s
The winter wind so cold, not face nor fingers could they feel
Above the fray, prayed Francis, “Brother, heed!”
He bellowed, “If each friar glowed with holiness so bright
While preaching or beseeching for their bread at every home
Write down that this would not be perfect joy, nor true delight!”
So Brother Leo wrote so in his tome
Without restraint, the tonsured Saint kept on, as swept the rain
“O Brother, if each friar could restore the lame and torn
Make straight the crooked, cast out demons, dash the sinner’s shame
Relieve all pain, give cheer to souls forlorn
“And to the mute, impute the pow’r to speak and laugh and yell
But even if a greater deed than these could they engage
To raise the dead, would not be perfect joy, the truth I tell!”
This Brother Leo noted on his page
While mushing through the snow, his fervor flowed all in a rush
“O Leo, if our brothers could each foreign tongue speak well
And wield the Word of God, the devil’s strongholds strike and crush
See into souls, and future things foretell
If all the Friars Minor could with tongues of angels speak
And had recourse to knowledge of the courses of each star
Knew all the virtues of each shrub; each beast of fang or beak
Yet such would not be perfect joy, by far!”
While striding, yet abiding in his Lord, up hills of ice
Il Poverello broke the quiet, “If they so preached the Word
With power to convert all infidels to love of Christ
‘twould not be perfect joy! Think this absurd?”
The weary Leo marveled, til his query could not wait
“O Father, teach me please, wherein is perfect joy discovered?”
And Francis said, “If, when we reach Saint Mary’s convent-gate
Exhausted; fully famished and snow-covered
“Then having knocked, the porter at the gate interrogates us
With questions of our quest; and having told him, ‘We’re two brothers’
He sputters hotly, ‘What ye say is false!’ and truly hates us
Accusing, ‘You’re impostors, fooling others!’
“‘Ye take away the alms of poor ones; now begone, I say!’
And opens not, and leaves us stiff with cold to starve till night
If we were to receive such hate with meekness, not dismay
Not ruffled, nor complaining of our plight
“But trusting that the porter, though quite angry, truly knows us
And that it is our God who makes him speak and do such things
If, when we rap again, again but wrath the doorman shows us
And flings at us a lowly oath that stings
“Then shrieks, ‘Begone, begone, ye wretched thieves, now take your flight
For here ye shall not enter, no! nor eat, nor drink, nor rest!’
Were we to take with courage all these slights without requite
O Leo, ‘twould be perfect joy and blest!”
“If, grieving, starved, we knock once more, and let our sorrow show
Imploring him with tears to aid us for the love of God
Instead, he rushes, red with rage and rolls us in the snow
And knocks us with a knotted wooden rod
“If we would bear such pain with grace, remaining in God’s peace
While thinking on the sufferings of Christ, our King and Lord
This cross we’d share with love for Him, which thereby would increase
O Brother, ‘twould be perfect joy’s reward!” (1)
“Yea, note with care, O Leo, in your book, this tale’s conclusion
The greatest gift that Jesus gives His friends in their affairs, is the
The grace of overcoming self! ‘tis misery’s solution
Embracing all for Christ, Who with us shares…
“…all thorns and undeserv-éd scorn; all insults, light or grave
For in His many other gifts we truly cannot glory
Such gifts come not from us, but from our Lord, our souls to save
So says Saint Paul, whose wisdom crowns this story
“Paul asks, ‘What hast thou that thou hast not gotten from the Lord?
And if received, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not?‘ (2)
Yea, in the cross of tribulation only may we glory
Said he, ‘I boast save only in the cross…
“‘… Of Jesus Christ’“! So onward, friend, we go!” (3)
*****
(1) Col. 1:24 (RSVCE): Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church
(2) 1 Corinthians 4:7
(3) Galatians 6:14
St. Francis and Brother Leo, pray for us!
Collect prayer for his feast day, Oct. 4:
O God, by whose gift Saint Francis was conformed to Christ in poverty and humility, grant that, by walking in Francis’ footsteps, we may follow your Son, and, through joyful charity, come to be united with you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen.
Rhymes for the Rejoiceful 