By: Friendship Home San Francisco- Titay
(From the Mirror of Perfection # 85)
“The most Blessed Father, having in a certain way transformed the brothers into saints by the ardor of his love and the fervent zeal which he had for their perfection, often used to ponder within himself about the qualities and virtues which should abound in a good Lesser Brother. And,” he used to say that a good Lesser Brother is one who would possess the life and qualities of the following holy brothers: namely;
the faith and love of poverty which Brother Bernard most perfectly had;
the simplicity and purity of Brother Leo who was truly a man of most holy purity;
the courtly bearing of Brother Angelo who was the first soldier to enter the Order and was endowed with every courtesy and kindness;
the friendly manner and common sense of Brother Masseo, together with his attractive and gracious eloquence;
the mind raised in contemplation which Brother Giles had even to the highest perfection;
the virtuous and constant prayer of Brother Rufino who, whatever he was doing, even sleeping, always prayed without ceasing and whose mind was always intent on the Lord;
the patience of Brother Juniper, who achieved the perfect state of patience because he always kept in mind the perfect truth of his low estate and the ardent desire to imitate Christ through the way of the cross;
the bodily and spiritual strength of Brother John of Lauds, who at that time in his robust body surpassed everyone;
the charity of Brother Roger whose life and conduct were spent in ardent love;
the solicitude of Brother Lucidus who had the greatest care and concern and did not want to remain in any place for a month, and when he enjoyed staying some place, would immediately leave, saying: “We do not have a dwelling here on earth, but in heaven.”
As community, living together with a common calling, mission, and commitment, we welcome each sister as a “gift of God” with an open heart which eventually offers us the possibility to unfold our talents of nature and grace. We embrace each one’s unique qualities. Enjoying each other’s presence, the love and joy that is shared, the sorrows that we carry hand in hand, and the acceptance of our strengths and weaknesses make fraternal life meaningful and worth living.
