a dialogue with the "perfect"
Despite Anthony’s impatience, the consent to his departure in search of the martyrdom between the Saracens delayed to arrive.
Friar Simao had sent one of the Friars with a letter to the Minister of Spain. The weeks were going by and the answer to the missive was not arriving. He hadn’t as yet received an answer.
Anthony tried very hard to be as the other Friars minor. The Guardian has assigned to his as companion Friar Nicodemo. Friar Nicodemo, before he entered the Order was a sailor, a pirate of the sea. He was conducing an adventurous and blood thirty life. When he fell the the Sarancens` hands, for a year or so, he was their prisoner who was beaten with a heavy stirrup strap. His body showed the signs of the lashes and it was covered with scars. As soon as he escaped he decided to join the Friars.
The two companions were leaving in the morning and were visiting the villages of the district. They were asking to be given a job. The various duties would range from work in the fields, break firewood, draw and carry water. Nicodemo was big and strong and without any fear. Anthony on the other hand found it very hard to perform such physical jobs.
During his life in the monastery of the canonical his fragile organism had strengthened, however, here, the sleeping on the floor, the heavy jobs assigned to him, made him loose his strengths. All his body, irritate by the rough material of the habit he was wearing, was covered by a cutaneous itchy eruption. His feet were covered with sores because of the heavy footwear.
The farmers at times had pity of that delicate man and accepted that Nicodemo to work for two so that the Friars would receive something to eat. The more and more suffering appearance of Anthony recalled the guardian’s attention. He decided not to send him to work in the fields or in the factories. He was instead ordered to assist sick people. In doing so, Anthony had to separate himself from Nicodemo and that sadnned him because he had grown affectionate to the old pirate from whom amongst other things he was acquiring the knowledge of the Saracens` language.
Anthony was assigned to take care of the unable old men and of the sick; but, if the people of the village had to go to work in the fields, he would have been assigned to take care of the children. Anthony liked this job particularly. He talked with the children and he taught them the catechism.
In the evening the Friars would return to Olivares and would bring with them the food that they received in change of their work. It often was food which irritated Anthony’s stomach. Slowly however he grew accustomed to the simple foodstuff of the farm villages.
Before resting the Friars would go to the chapel, to pray in community. Because he was the priest, they were assigning to him the recitation of the prayers.
The Friars kept dear some prayers composed by Francis, but they didn’t know how to recite them as none of them knew how to read. Anthony so was entrusted to recite the greeting to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
Hail, Lady,
Holy Queen,
Holy Mother of God, Mary
You are the Virgin made Church…
You in which there was and there is every fullness of grace
And every good…
Hail, Palace of God
Hail, his Tabernacle
Hail, Servant of Jesus
Hail, Mother of Jesus…
"How much, must that man, love the world" thought Anthony "to pray like this!" Berardo was right: for Francis the earth was not the place of deceiving temptations. He was not afraid to love the sky, the clouds, the water and the fire. He was not even afraid to love men. He loved Chiara, that for him accepted to leave the world and close herself in a monastery with other sisters. He was not afraid to love the lady that protected him and the other Friars and that he called Friar Jacopa. For him, all was pure, clear, simple. He did not know what fear was. All anxieties were swallewed by a kind of immoderate trust.
Only one of the Friars of Olivares had known in his life, Francis. Friar Zenone, an Aragonese, that some year ago he was in Italy and had come to the Porziuncola. The other Friars begged him, often, to talk to them about their founder, and when he was saying that Francis was often ill, they were praying for him and were asking Anthony to celebrate a Mass in his intention. Even Anthony listened to the tales of friar Zenone. Within him fought the desire to listen to everything that was told about Francis, and at the same time was reviving the antipathy. He continued not to know what to think of the man that he had followed, even if he had never seen him. "It wasn’t Francis" he tried to assure himself "but the desire to shed the blood, as Berardo did, to take me to the Friar minors."
He kept on being ill. He wasn’t able to free himself from the cutaneous eruption that didn`t allow him to sleep. He had his feet so covered with sores that every step caused him pain. The beard, that he had left to grow appeared as something unbearable and exasperating. He bore all this by tightening his teeth.
Weeks were passing and so were months. The torrid summer finished. One night Friar Simao called Anthony, after he had come back from a heavy day of work dedicated to the grape harvest.
"Dear Friar" he said when both sat on the ground under a tree.
"I want to tell you that the Friar that I have sent in Spain has come back. He brought a letter. I do not know how to read, so please read it to me."
Anthony opened the letter that the other gave him. He read:
"To Friar Simao, guardian of Olivares. May God bless you. To the question that you have posed to me I will answer: the Friar of whom you have spoken, that one that joined our Friars and that in precedence he was a canonical, and that he wants to announce the truth of God to the Saracens, if you have proved him under every aspect, let him go. Give him a Friar as a companion. Tell him that our Friar Francis teaches us that there are two ways in which we should behave against the infidels.
One: Not to let anyone lead him in discussions. He shouldn`t the subject to every human creature for the love of God as Saint Peter apostle wrote. He should restrict himself to profess loudly and openly of being a Christian.
Two: Announce the word of God and invite his listeners to welcom Baptism.
He needs to judge which one of the above is the best way.
nI give to him and to you all, my blessings. Our Friar Francis has left, himself, towards the Holy Land and has not yet returned..."
"So you have the permission, Friar. I give you my blessing, because I am persuaded that you have become a loyal Friar. And I will give you Friar Teofilo as your companion. He is young, the youngest between us, and I know that he too, burns with the desire of shedding the blood for the faith. He is also a strong man, so that he is going to be useful during your travelling, because you are rather delicate..."
Friar Teofilo was an adolescent in his seventeen year. He had mobile clear eyes and a mouth all the time half-open. He was really strong, but didn’t arouse any impression to excel in talent. Anthony was not able to like him and because of this he was showing him more kindness and cordiality.
Before the departure the guardian spoke once more with Anthony.
"Do not forget Friar, what the Minister has written, the recommendations that Friar Francis gives to the Friars that go between the Saracens. To shed the blood for our Lord is a Christian a great honour and happiness. But God prescribes, above all to love of our neighbour. You are going in that land to do something good for them, not for your glory, not to annoy them, but to conquer them to Jesus. We will pray all the time for you and you, if you can, let us have some news. May the Holiest Virgin Mary protect you..."
Two days later they departed. In accordance to the teaching of the Gospel they didn’t have with themselves a pocket with money, and neither shoes for change. Teofilo beside was walking barefoot, singing happily. He was like a bird, he was or singing or saying something in continuation. His mouth was never shut. Anthony has to pray him to be quiet from time to time, because he was disturbing the course of his thoughts.
From Coimbra they aimed straight towards South. Although Anthony was in a hurry to find himself as soon as possible between the Moors, they could not walk so fast, because every day, they had to stop and get some food. The people, once they knew that they were going to announce the truth of God to the heathen, were more eager to bring them bread and didn’t want them to work. They only asked for a prayer. Anthony, that observed meticulously the norms of the Friars` rule, was not happy of that, and fought in the name of the law to do some work. But Friar Teofilo was happy.
"Why must we get tired?" He was saying.
"We have to walk still for quite a long while. And for these poor people we pray..."
After ten days of march they reached Caia.
Here finished the lands taken away from the Moors during the reconquest of king Sancho. On the place there was a small garrison of regal soldiers.
Squads on horseback patrolled unceasingly these lands till the shores of Guadiana, crossing at times with Arabic squads. There was no fight. It happened even that Christians and Muslims meeting would speak to each other in a friendly way and would exchange varied goods.
Anthony and Teofilo in one day crossed the uninhabited extensions between Caia and Badajoz.
An official of the Sultan, who was sitting under an umbrella, accepted the toll from those that traversed the bridge on the river. Seeing the Friars, he signaled to them that they could pass without paying.
The city was in the hands of the Muslims. From the minaret of the mosque resounded the song of the muezzin:
"Bissmailahi rrahmani rrahim! God is great and merciful. He is the king of the last day of life and of the Day of Judgment. O Lord, we honour you and invoke your protection. Guide us on the way of salvation, and not on the way of those who deserved your anger..."
Nevertheless there weren`t many who united their prayers to the invocations of the muezzin. Some of them pretended to pray rather than really pray. In the city there were many Christians and they had even their Church. They welcomed with joy the Friars. Anthony celebrated the Mass and delivered the sermon that was listened to, in deep and attentive silence. But when he said that he wanted to go to Seville to announce publicly the word of God, some said:
"Listen Friar"
"Your enthusiasm is splendid. I do not believe, however, that with your intentions you will do some useful thing. The knowledge of the Arabic language, for what I can see, is not great, because of this you wouldn`t be able to be understood. And, all the same, even if they will understand you, they would not want to hear your teachings. Here nobody want a war with the Christians, nobody wants a war for the faith.
We all want peace. Believe me, if the Church would ask so much of the man, the Moors would welcome Christianity without opposing. Since they are lazy, they prefer the Islam. They will allow you to say everything you want, but they will shut their ears in front of your words..."
"Yet some Friars recently have died as martyrs..."
"It happened in Africa, not here. And besides, for what I heard, your Friars attracted death with all their strength. The Sultan wants peace at any price. He is lazy and conducts a dissolute life. He is only interested in that. But the population refuses Christianity..."
"The prince don Diego has written that the Sultan has cut with his own hands the head of the Friars."
"He must have been very drunk, then. Once he recovered his soberness he most certainly repented himself for his gesture. You will not receive death by his hand."
All was silent, and in that silence resounded the laughter of Friar Teofilo.
"If it is so, Friar Anthony, then it is better that we return to our people." Anthony shivered as if he had heard an unpleasant shrieking.
"No, Friar" he said making an effort not to betray with his voice his inner irritation.
"We will go to Seville, and if it will be necessary we will go to Africa."
Chapter 10
Despite Anthony’s impatience, the consent to his departure in search of the martyrdom between the Saracens delayed to arrive.
Friar Simao had sent one of the Friars with a letter to the Minister of Spain. The weeks were going by and the answer to the missive was not arriving. He hadn’t as yet received an answer.
Anthony tried very hard to be as the other Friars minor. The Guardian has assigned to his as companion Friar Nicodemo. Friar Nicodemo, before he entered the Order was a sailor, a pirate of the sea. He was conducing an adventurous and blood thirty life. When he fell the the Sarancens` hands, for a year or so, he was their prisoner who was beaten with a heavy stirrup strap. His body showed the signs of the lashes and it was covered with scars. As soon as he escaped he decided to join the Friars.
The two companions were leaving in the morning and were visiting the villages of the district. They were asking to be given a job. The various duties would range from work in the fields, break firewood, draw and carry water. Nicodemo was big and strong and without any fear. Anthony on the other hand found it very hard to perform such physical jobs.
During his life in the monastery of the canonical his fragile organism had strengthened, however, here, the sleeping on the floor, the heavy jobs assigned to him, made him loose his strengths. All his body, irritate by the rough material of the habit he was wearing, was covered by a cutaneous itchy eruption. His feet were covered with sores because of the heavy footwear.
The farmers at times had pity of that delicate man and accepted that Nicodemo to work for two so that the Friars would receive something to eat. The more and more suffering appearance of Anthony recalled the guardian’s attention. He decided not to send him to work in the fields or in the factories. He was instead ordered to assist sick people. In doing so, Anthony had to separate himself from Nicodemo and that sadnned him because he had grown affectionate to the old pirate from whom amongst other things he was acquiring the knowledge of the Saracens` language.
Anthony was assigned to take care of the unable old men and of the sick; but, if the people of the village had to go to work in the fields, he would have been assigned to take care of the children. Anthony liked this job particularly. He talked with the children and he taught them the catechism.
In the evening the Friars would return to Olivares and would bring with them the food that they received in change of their work. It often was food which irritated Anthony’s stomach. Slowly however he grew accustomed to the simple foodstuff of the farm villages.
Before resting the Friars would go to the chapel, to pray in community. Because he was the priest, they were assigning to him the recitation of the prayers.
The Friars kept dear some prayers composed by Francis, but they didn’t know how to recite them as none of them knew how to read. Anthony so was entrusted to recite the greeting to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
Hail, Lady,
Holy Queen,
Holy Mother of God, Mary
You are the Virgin made Church…
You in which there was and there is every fullness of grace
And every good…
Hail, Palace of God
Hail, his Tabernacle
Hail, Servant of Jesus
Hail, Mother of Jesus…
"How much, must that man, love the world" thought Anthony "to pray like this!" Berardo was right: for Francis the earth was not the place of deceiving temptations. He was not afraid to love the sky, the clouds, the water and the fire. He was not even afraid to love men. He loved Chiara, that for him accepted to leave the world and close herself in a monastery with other sisters. He was not afraid to love the lady that protected him and the other Friars and that he called Friar Jacopa. For him, all was pure, clear, simple. He did not know what fear was. All anxieties were swallewed by a kind of immoderate trust.
Only one of the Friars of Olivares had known in his life, Francis. Friar Zenone, an Aragonese, that some year ago he was in Italy and had come to the Porziuncola. The other Friars begged him, often, to talk to them about their founder, and when he was saying that Francis was often ill, they were praying for him and were asking Anthony to celebrate a Mass in his intention. Even Anthony listened to the tales of friar Zenone. Within him fought the desire to listen to everything that was told about Francis, and at the same time was reviving the antipathy. He continued not to know what to think of the man that he had followed, even if he had never seen him. "It wasn’t Francis" he tried to assure himself "but the desire to shed the blood, as Berardo did, to take me to the Friar minors."
He kept on being ill. He wasn’t able to free himself from the cutaneous eruption that didn`t allow him to sleep. He had his feet so covered with sores that every step caused him pain. The beard, that he had left to grow appeared as something unbearable and exasperating. He bore all this by tightening his teeth.
Weeks were passing and so were months. The torrid summer finished. One night Friar Simao called Anthony, after he had come back from a heavy day of work dedicated to the grape harvest.
"Dear Friar" he said when both sat on the ground under a tree.
"I want to tell you that the Friar that I have sent in Spain has come back. He brought a letter. I do not know how to read, so please read it to me."
Anthony opened the letter that the other gave him. He read:
"To Friar Simao, guardian of Olivares. May God bless you. To the question that you have posed to me I will answer: the Friar of whom you have spoken, that one that joined our Friars and that in precedence he was a canonical, and that he wants to announce the truth of God to the Saracens, if you have proved him under every aspect, let him go. Give him a Friar as a companion. Tell him that our Friar Francis teaches us that there are two ways in which we should behave against the infidels.
One: Not to let anyone lead him in discussions. He shouldn`t the subject to every human creature for the love of God as Saint Peter apostle wrote. He should restrict himself to profess loudly and openly of being a Christian.
Two: Announce the word of God and invite his listeners to welcom Baptism.
He needs to judge which one of the above is the best way.
nI give to him and to you all, my blessings. Our Friar Francis has left, himself, towards the Holy Land and has not yet returned..."
"So you have the permission, Friar. I give you my blessing, because I am persuaded that you have become a loyal Friar. And I will give you Friar Teofilo as your companion. He is young, the youngest between us, and I know that he too, burns with the desire of shedding the blood for the faith. He is also a strong man, so that he is going to be useful during your travelling, because you are rather delicate..."
Friar Teofilo was an adolescent in his seventeen year. He had mobile clear eyes and a mouth all the time half-open. He was really strong, but didn’t arouse any impression to excel in talent. Anthony was not able to like him and because of this he was showing him more kindness and cordiality.
Before the departure the guardian spoke once more with Anthony.
"Do not forget Friar, what the Minister has written, the recommendations that Friar Francis gives to the Friars that go between the Saracens. To shed the blood for our Lord is a Christian a great honour and happiness. But God prescribes, above all to love of our neighbour. You are going in that land to do something good for them, not for your glory, not to annoy them, but to conquer them to Jesus. We will pray all the time for you and you, if you can, let us have some news. May the Holiest Virgin Mary protect you..."
Two days later they departed. In accordance to the teaching of the Gospel they didn’t have with themselves a pocket with money, and neither shoes for change. Teofilo beside was walking barefoot, singing happily. He was like a bird, he was or singing or saying something in continuation. His mouth was never shut. Anthony has to pray him to be quiet from time to time, because he was disturbing the course of his thoughts.
From Coimbra they aimed straight towards South. Although Anthony was in a hurry to find himself as soon as possible between the Moors, they could not walk so fast, because every day, they had to stop and get some food. The people, once they knew that they were going to announce the truth of God to the heathen, were more eager to bring them bread and didn’t want them to work. They only asked for a prayer. Anthony, that observed meticulously the norms of the Friars` rule, was not happy of that, and fought in the name of the law to do some work. But Friar Teofilo was happy.
"Why must we get tired?" He was saying.
"We have to walk still for quite a long while. And for these poor people we pray..."
After ten days of march they reached Caia.
Here finished the lands taken away from the Moors during the reconquest of king Sancho. On the place there was a small garrison of regal soldiers.
Squads on horseback patrolled unceasingly these lands till the shores of Guadiana, crossing at times with Arabic squads. There was no fight. It happened even that Christians and Muslims meeting would speak to each other in a friendly way and would exchange varied goods.
Anthony and Teofilo in one day crossed the uninhabited extensions between Caia and Badajoz.
An official of the Sultan, who was sitting under an umbrella, accepted the toll from those that traversed the bridge on the river. Seeing the Friars, he signaled to them that they could pass without paying.
The city was in the hands of the Muslims. From the minaret of the mosque resounded the song of the muezzin:
"Bissmailahi rrahmani rrahim! God is great and merciful. He is the king of the last day of life and of the Day of Judgment. O Lord, we honour you and invoke your protection. Guide us on the way of salvation, and not on the way of those who deserved your anger..."
Nevertheless there weren`t many who united their prayers to the invocations of the muezzin. Some of them pretended to pray rather than really pray. In the city there were many Christians and they had even their Church. They welcomed with joy the Friars. Anthony celebrated the Mass and delivered the sermon that was listened to, in deep and attentive silence. But when he said that he wanted to go to Seville to announce publicly the word of God, some said:
"Listen Friar"
"Your enthusiasm is splendid. I do not believe, however, that with your intentions you will do some useful thing. The knowledge of the Arabic language, for what I can see, is not great, because of this you wouldn`t be able to be understood. And, all the same, even if they will understand you, they would not want to hear your teachings. Here nobody want a war with the Christians, nobody wants a war for the faith.
We all want peace. Believe me, if the Church would ask so much of the man, the Moors would welcome Christianity without opposing. Since they are lazy, they prefer the Islam. They will allow you to say everything you want, but they will shut their ears in front of your words..."
"Yet some Friars recently have died as martyrs..."
"It happened in Africa, not here. And besides, for what I heard, your Friars attracted death with all their strength. The Sultan wants peace at any price. He is lazy and conducts a dissolute life. He is only interested in that. But the population refuses Christianity..."
"The prince don Diego has written that the Sultan has cut with his own hands the head of the Friars."
"He must have been very drunk, then. Once he recovered his soberness he most certainly repented himself for his gesture. You will not receive death by his hand."
All was silent, and in that silence resounded the laughter of Friar Teofilo.
"If it is so, Friar Anthony, then it is better that we return to our people." Anthony shivered as if he had heard an unpleasant shrieking.
"No, Friar" he said making an effort not to betray with his voice his inner irritation.
"We will go to Seville, and if it will be necessary we will go to Africa."
