From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   April 23rd - Blessed Giles Of Assisi   
      
   Confessor, First Order   
      
      Two companions from Assisi had already joined St. Francis, when Giles, a   
   well-to-do young man of the town, heard about it. He [went] to the poor   
   hermitage [close] by Assisi, which the three occupied; and, prostrate upon   
   his knees, he begged St. Francis to accept him into his company. Francis   
   presented him to the other two, saying: "See here a good brother whom   
   almighty God has sent us." This was on April 23, 1209. On the same day, both   
   went to Assisi, where Giles begged in God's name for a bit of cloth to make   
   a habit. Giles divided his entire fortune among the poor. He was plain and   
   simple in mind, [and] of a mild temperament, but also full of power and   
   energy when it served to accomplish anything good.   
      
      Recognizing humility as the necessary foundation to perfection, Giles   
   sought humiliation and contempt, but fled from honors. Once when he was   
   passing through the March of Ancona with the holy Founder and at some places   
   special honor was shown to them, he said: "O my Father, I fear we shall lose   
   the true honor if we are honored by men."   
      
      Giles entertained a great desire to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Places,   
   and since Francis knew that he did much good everywhere by his holy example,   
   he gladly granted his desire. The pious man [went] first to the grave of the   
   holy Apostle James at Compostela in Spain, then to the Holy Places of the   
   Passion of Christ in Jerusalem. He also visited the sanctuary of the holy   
   Archangel Michael on Mt. Gargano in Italy, and the town of Bari, there to   
   honor St. Nicholas.   
      
      His whole appearance preached poverty, humility, and piety. He also   
   utilized every opportunity to encourage penance and love of God. He   
   endeavored to earn his livelihood mainly through manual work; whatever he   
   obtained over and above his immediate needs, he at once gave to the poor; if   
   he lacked necessities, he begged them for God's sake. Once, a poor woman who   
   was dressed in the barest necessities asked Brother Giles for alms. As he   
   had nothing to offer her, he compassionately took off his capuohe and gave   
   it to her.   
      
       In the year 1219, at the great chapter of five thousand brothers, St.   
   Francis commissioned Giles to go to Africa with several companions, to   
   preach the gospel to the Mohammedans. But they did not achieve their   
   purpose. As soon as they landed in Africa, the Christians there, who feared   
   a general persecution, led them by force to another ship which brought them   
   back to Italy.   
      
       At this time Brother Giles was sent to the quiet convent of Perugia,   
   which remained his abode until his death. He lived practically only for God.   
   Even at his work, thoughts of the last judgment, of eternity, and of the   
   glory of heaven constantly occupied his mind. Once when two distinguished   
   gentlemen asked him to pray for them, he said: "Oh, you do not need my   
   prayers." "Why not," they asked. Giles answered. "You live among all the   
   comforts of the world and still believe that you will get to heaven; but I,   
   a poor human being, spend my days in labor and penance, and yet I fear I   
   shall be damned."   
      
       When he reflected on the joys of heaven, he was beside himself with   
   longing. Often when the children in the street called out to him the mere   
   word "Paradise," he was rapt in ecstasy.   
      
      Pope Gregory IX had heard of the-contemplative gift of Brother Giles, and   
   being in the neighborhood of Perugia, he sent for him. When the pope began   
   to speak to Giles about divine and heavenly matters, Giles at once went into   
   an ecstasy. When he came to again, he humbly begged the Holy Father's   
   forgiveness - it was his weakness, he said, that he was immediately beside   
   himself. The pope required that he give him some good advice for the   
   administration of his burdensome duties. Quite confounded, Giles excused   
   himself, saying that he could not advise the head of the Church. But when   
   the pope commanded him in obedience, he said: "Holy Father, you must have   
   two eyes in your soul. The right eye must be kept on heavenly things; the   
   left one, on the things of this earth, which you must regulate."   
      
      St. Bonaventure considered himself fortunate to have lived at the time   
   when he could still see and speak with Brother Giles. When he came to   
   Perugia as provincial of the order, Giles said to him one day: "My Father,   
   God has accorded you great kindness, since you are so learned and can,   
   therefore, serve God so perfectly; but we unlearned ones, how shall we   
   correspond to the goodness of God and arrive at heaven?" The learned general   
   of the order answered him: "My brother, in order to get to heaven, it   
   suffices that one love God, and a poor unlearned woman can love God as well   
   as, maybe even better than, a great theologian." Thereupon Giles ran out   
   into the garden that led to the street, and filled with joy, cried aloud;   
   "Come, ye simple and unlearned men, and ye poor women! You can love God as   
   well as, and perhaps even more than, Brother Bonaventure and the greatest   
   theologians."   
      
       A religious of great learning, who, however, was much troubled with   
   doubts concerning the virginity of Mary, came to Brother Giles for advice.   
   The holy brother cried out, as he struck the earth with a stick: "Yes, yes!   
   She was a virgin before the birth of Jesus," and immediately a beautiful   
   lily sprouted forth. Giles struck anew and said: "She was a virgin during   
   the birth," and again a lily sprouted forth. Then he beat a third time upon   
   the earth, saying the words: "She was a virgin after the birth," and the   
   third lily sprouted forth.   
      
       Finally, pure as a lily, the soul of Brother Giles went to the vision of   
   things divine, which he had so often contemplated. He died on April 22,   
   1262, on the anniversary of his entrance into the order, to which he had   
   belonged for fifty-three years. His grave in the Franciscan church at   
   Perugia is highly venerated. Pope Pius VI sanctioned the veneration accorded   
   him from time immemorial. The feast of Blessed Giles is observed on April   
   twenty-third by the Franciscans, and on the twenty-second by the Capuchins.   
      
      
   CONCERNING THE GOOD INTENTION   
      
   1. What the divinely enlightened brother said to the pope and observed so   
   faithfully himself, we, too, must observe. The right eye of our soul must be   
   directed to things of heaven, while the left eye looks at the things of this   
   earth which we have to deal with, that is, amid all our occupations the   
   higher regard of our soul should be directed towards God, so that we may do   
   everything according to His good pleasure and with a good intention.   
      
       Yes, the Apostle warns us always to bear about in our hearts the best,   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)