Benjamin G. Robinson

St. Bonaventure: The Life of St. Francis

St. Bonaventure deigns to write an account of the life of St. Francis of Assisi because of his devotion to the man, a devotion derived from Bonaventure’s life being saved by Francis.¹ In The Life of St. Francis Bonaventure records the details of Francis’ early life to his dramatic death. The constant motif persistent in Bonaventure’s account is that of the internal and external conformity of Francis to the crucified Christ. His life is the movement of participation in Christ’s life, all the way to Christ’s death on the cross. We will argue that for Francis loving Christ is inseparable from imitating him, and this occurs in such a way that Francis’ identity becomes inextricable with the crucified Christ. Thus, we will trace the growth of this conformity, paying particular attention to the images of knight, leper, and attire that Bonaventure employs in order to symbolize the physical imprinting of the crucified Christ on the life of Francis.

Francis did not grow up as a Christian.² Yet early in his life his compassion for the poor was made manifest. He was a wealthy merchant but resisted placing his hope in money, although he was interested in making a profit.³ While his generosity was notable it was not entirely pure. Bonaventure cites an occasion when Francis’ business distracted him from aiding a poor man. Soon after Francis realized his neglect and “ran after the man and gave him a generous alms.”⁴ Thus, Bonaventure has constructed this story in such a way as to expose Francis’ shortcomings. Francis is considerably generous but his generosity is ambivalent. This infantile compassion, bestowed upon Francis by God, is the seed of Francis’ mature love of Christ and others.

Love for others becomes the litmus for Francis’ love for Christ. The two are inextricable, the former following in tandem with the latter. The limitation of Francis’ love early in his life is due to his ignorance concerning God’s plan for him, and his entanglement with his father’s business which drew him “down toward earthly things by the corruption of human nature.”⁵ God begins to break these unholy ties by afflicting Francis with an illness, which will become paradigmatic for the way in which God will bring Francis to perfection.⁶ Subsequent to Francis’ illness he meets a poor knight and gives him his very own garments.⁷ An action such as this reveals that his affliction has begun a transformation in Francis, and it is symbolized by the shedding of his garments for the sake of another. Francis is beginning to shed his secular attire in order to put on Christ.⁸ Yet immediately following this encounter Francis has a dream during the night in which he sees a splendid palace and weapons that God tells him will be for him and his knights. Francis interprets this to mean that he will be granted prosperity, and soon after he embarks on a journey to become a knight.⁹

Francis has misinterpreted the dream primarily on two accounts. First, by his allurement to prosperity he reveals that he has not truly shed his secular attire. Second, by his inability to see the spiritual reality behind the material reality of the dream he indicates his spiritual ignorance. Particularly striking, though, is Francis’ willingness to obey God when God tells him to return to Assisi and abandon his quest to become a knight. This obedience prompts Francis to pray fervently to learn what God actually desires of him, that is, what it truly means for Francis to become a knight. Bonaventure notes that at this point Francis begins to withdraw from his secular world and seeks to become a “knight” of Christ by “victory over one’s self.”¹⁰ This shift parallels Francis’ novel interaction with a leper near Assisi. Whereas formerly Francis merely gave alms out of his own surplus, now Francis gives alms and kisses to the leper.¹¹ In beginning to shed his secular attire Francis has begun to give of himself to others in the infancy of his pure humility.

Bonaventure writes that it is after this that Francis begins to seek solitary places for prayer. On one such occasion Jesus appears to him on the cross. The memory is impressed on him.¹² There is an obvious sense of anticipatory progression that Bonaventure wants to make conspicuous through the imprinting of the crucified Christ on Francis’ life. Here it is only the memory that is imprinted, whereas later the very crucifixion in the stigmata will be imprinted on Francis. It is quite intentional that Bonaventure notes that only after this vision does Francis truly begin to understand what it means to deny himself and to take up his cross.¹³ Thus, the antecedent event leads to Francis’ frequent visitation with the lepers in their homes, where he kisses not only their feet and hands but their mouths as well. Francis is beginning to be identified with the lepers.

The purpose of highlighting Francis’ encounters with lepers is primarily the association of the crucified Christ being despised as a leper.¹⁴ In caring for the lepers Francis is caring for Christ, and in moving closer to the life of the lepers Francis is moving closer to conformity with Christ. But, as aforementioned, this is only the beginning of the shedding of Francis’ secular attire and it culminates in his response to the vision at San Domiano. Francis encounters the crucified Christ again when he prays before “an image of the Crucified”¹⁵ in the church of San Domiano. Christ tells Francis to repair Christ’s house, that is, the church that is in ruin. Still encumbered by his secular attire, Francis understands this to mean the dilapidated San Domiano, and he goes to town to sell all he owns in order to rebuild the church. The selling of his horse is symbolic of Francis’ complete disavowal of his former way of life, as he no longer will dismount his horse to care for the lepers but is becoming more like them.¹⁶

Francis’ actions affect a violent retort from his father, who eventually takes Francis before the bishop and demands Francis return all the family possessions. In a scene of deep irony and symbolism Francis joyfully removes all of his outer garments and stands naked before his carnal father and the holy bishop. In tears, the holy bishop embraces Francis and, perhaps acting vicariously as Christ, clothes Francis in garments of poverty.¹⁷ Francis thus takes the place of the poor knight he encountered earlier, only now he is the one being clothed and his dress is that of poverty. Here is where Francis understands what constitutes knighthood for Christ. It is not the brandishing of sword and shield, but of poverty, humility, and joy. As Bonaventure describes it “the servant of the Most High King was left naked so that he might follow his naked crucified Lord whom, he loved.”¹⁸ With keen literary prowess Bonaventure emphasizes that now Francis has truly been released from the chains of his secular attire. Thematically we anticipate the subsequent account of Francis now going and living with the lepers. Now he begs for alms from the wealthy of which he was formerly numbered. Yet not only does he live with the lepers but he serves them. In being clothed with poverty Francis “received such power from the Lord that he had miraculous effectiveness in healing spiritual and physical illnesses.”¹⁹ Bonaventure recounts the story of a particular man with a disease that ate away his cheeks and mouth. Hoping to kiss Francis’ footprints the man sought Francis, who instead kissed the man’s mouth, healing him.²⁰

The motif Bonaventure is articulating is the progressive internal and external conformity to the crucified Christ that marks Francis’ life. Thus, Francis begins to desire the salvation of all, as Christ desires. His love of God and his true knighthood are therefore further refined in his desire for martyrdom. Not yet reaching Gospel perfection, Francis seeks martyrdom by going to the Soldan of Babylon. This occurs during the time of the fifth Crusade, and thus Francis’ attempt to gain audience with the Soldan is literally a death wish. Again, the event is one of dramatic irony.

Francis’ encounter with the Soldan parallels Christ being brought before Pilate. Francis and his companion are insulted, beaten, and put in chains. Before the Soldan Francis boldly preaches the Gospel of Christ and the Soldan is impressed by him. The Soldan offers Francis gifts, which Francis rejects in favor of the salvation of souls. However, the Soldan is afraid to convert for fear of revolt of the people, and so Francis is forced to leave without achieving his goal of martyrdom.²¹ The entire account is revelatory of what true knighthood consists. Francis does not seek the death of the Soldan, or the gifts of the Soldan, but out of love for the crucified Christ and desire to be conformed to him Francis seeks the salvation of the Soldan, and death from the Soldan. Although denied martyrdom in this way, Francis the “intrepid knight of Christ”²² will receive martyrdom in a nuanced fashion.

Bonaventure’s entire account leads up to the final years of Francis’ life and the moment of the imprinting of the stigmata. With strong parallels to Christ’s transfiguration, Francis goes up Mt. La Verna where he has a vision of a crucified Seraph. By Francis’ “sweet compassion he was being transformed into him who chose to be crucified because of the excess of his love.”²³ It is through Francis’ progression of love for the Savior that he is gifted with complete union with Christ both internally and now externally as well. His external conformity occurs not through martyrdom but through the imprinting of Christ’s wounds on his body. Until his death Francis will literally carry around the wounds of Christ on his feet, hands, and side. He descends from the mountain wearing the image of Christ engraved on his body.²⁴ Bonaventure recounts miracles that God performed through Francis’ stigmata, and it is reminiscent of the prophecy of Isaiah attributed to Christ, “through his wounds we are healed.”²⁵ The image of the knight returns as Bonaventure describes the stigmata as the arms that this knight of Christ bears. This is consummation of Francis’ life, as he is now fixed to the cross “in both body and spirit.”²⁶

In conclusion to the account Bonaventure brings the story full circle. Just as Francis truly withdrew from the world at the point of shedding his garments before the bishop, so too he embraces nakedness at the end of his life. Near death, afflicted by various illnesses, Francis lies on the ground naked. Earlier Bonaventure records that Francis was pierced through the heart when he looked upon the crucified Christ. Now, Francis’ companions look upon him and are pierced with the “spear of compassion.”²⁷ This is a powerful statement of the complete identification Francis now shares with Christ. Looking upon Francis his companions are pierced with compassion as if looking upon Christ himself. His companions give him the garment of a beggar, and like the gift of the bishop Francis accepts it. Thus, Francis dies “living to imitate Christ living, dying to imitate Christ dying […] with the imprint of Christ’s likeness.”²⁸

Francis’ love for Christ is primarily identified by his desire to be completely conformed to Christ. This progression of conformity is a process of bringing Francis to Gospel perfection. It is an act of love, both on the part of Francis and on that of God. We have attempted to illustrate this progression by highlighting Bonaventure’s images of the knight, leper, and garment Francis wears. But the essential telos of our effort has been to sketch the gradual physical conformity to Christ that Francis undergoes. Through his movement from giving alms to lepers to eventually living with them, from pursuing the sword of knighthood to seeing his sword as the stigmata, from wearing secular attire to being stripped naked, Francis’ external life mirrors the progression of his internal love for Christ. Eventually Francis’ identity is indistinguishable from that of Christ himself. Particularly poignant are the parallels that Francis’ life has to many of us who occupy the space of suburban middle class Christianity. His early life, characterized as still wearing secular attire, consists of the mere giving of alms. The perfection he seeks is exemplified in his living with the poor. Does the story of Francis speak a sharp critique against the manner of our giving which tends to reinforce the distinction between the affluent and the poor? Are we compelled by his story to dismount our horse of wealth and sell it in order to associate with the downtrodden? It is difficult to give a satisfying answer to these questions, but the complete conformity with Christ Francis sought, which is demanded of all Christians, must force us to give some response. According to Bonaventure the early example of Francis is not enough.