Prologue:  Exhortation of St. Francis to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance (circa 1210-1215)

 Concerning Those Who Do Penance

All who love the Lord with their whole heart, with their whole soul and

mind, with all their strength, and love their neighbors as themselves and

hate their bodies with their vices and sins, and receive the Body and

Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and produce worthy fruits of penance.

Oh, how happy and blessed are these men and women when they do these

things and persevere in doing them, because "the spirit of the Lord will

rest upon them" and he will make "his home and dwelling among them", and

they are the sons of the heavenly Father, whose works they do, and they

are the spouses, brothers, and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are spouses, when by the Holy Spirit the faithful soul is united with

our Lord Jesus Christ, we are brothers to him when we fulfill "the will

of the Father who is in heaven".

We are mothers, when we carry him in our heart and body through divine

love and a pure and sincere conscience; we give birth to him through a

holy life which must give light to others by example.

Oh, how glorious it is to have a great and holy Father in heaven! Oh how

glorious it is to have such a beautiful and admirable Spouse, the Holy

Paraclete.

Oh, how glorious it is to have such a Brother and such a Son, loved,

beloved, humble, peaceful, sweet, lovable, and desirable above all: Our

Lord Jesus Christ, who gave up his life for his sheep and prayed to the

Father saying:

"Oh holy Father, protect them with your name whom you gave me out of the

world. I entrusted to them the message you entrusted to me and they

received it. They have known that in truth I came from you, they have

believed that it was you who sent me. For these I pray, not for the

world. Bless and consecrate them, and I consecrate myself for their

sakes. I do not pray for them alone; I pray also for those who will

belive in me through their word that they may be holy by being one as we

are. And I desire, Father, to have them in my company where I am to see

this glory of mine in your kingdom."