Bishop Giles, OFM - Sermon from June 29 - Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul
Bishop Giles, OFM - 6th Sunday after Pentecost

Bishop Bonaventure, OFM - 6th Sunday after Pentecost

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals Sixth Sunday after Pentecost 30 June 2013

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friends,

The Gospels record two instances when Our Lord multiplied bread and fish to feed the people. In the earlier account, He fed five thousand men with five loaves; here He feeds four thousand from seven loaves.

The first occurrence relates to the Israelites the second one to the Gentiles. In the first, we see the five books of Moses (the Pentateuch) symbolized. The Israelites were near at hand and were fed from the five books. In this first place we see they rested upon grass. The Israelites were given a great many blessings from God throughout their history, but they were still clinging to this earth and the pleasures of this life. We see that this life is as beautiful and pleasant as the grass and flowers of the field, but it soon fades away or is burnt up. The Israelites had a very difficult time in rising above the earth and this flesh. Christ came to these first. He performed many miracles for these people, yet they could not or would not lift their hearts up to higher spiritual realities and love. They were still eager to form an earthly kingdom and followed Christ in the hope of entering into an earthly kingdom where they would rule over all other people. Their fickle hearts Christ tried to lift up to Himself and to a spiritual life rather than the temporal life that was spent adhering to laws and regulations only for the earthly benefit while they neglected the heavenly one. Christ fed them first and many returned only for the feeding of their bodies or the healing or benefit of their bodies. For this reason, we see that Jesus then approached the water and got in a boat so that these people could not reach Him. He was still trying to impress upon them the idea of a spiritual reality and something above the physical world. In drawing away from them physically they were being led to establish a spiritual connection. We likewise are called upon to connect or reconnect in this spiritual relationship to God. Many are forced by physical circumstances to unite themselves spiritually with the Mass and Sacraments and in this way hear the voice of God from a distance. They are forced to no longer rely upon the earthly food and blessings that God sends us in this world, but rather to raise their minds to spiritual realities and to look deeper into the true faith and therefore the true life.

This second occurrence symbolizes the Gentiles. They have come from a great distance and they too are quite earthly, but they are more inclined to have faith in God without the confusion of an earthly kingdom. The seven loaves show us the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. “The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and fortitude, the Spirit of knowledge and of godliness. And he shall be filled with the Spirit of the fear of the Lord.” (Is, 11, 2) This is a much greater gift than the Pentateuch. Though the Gentiles came from a distance and have not been following the Law, they have nonetheless made great strides of spiritual progress. We see that this group sat upon the ground and not the grass. In this manner, they tread down the things of the earth.

In the first, there were twelve baskets filled with the Holy Spirit; in this one there are seven baskets or seven Churches or the seven golden candle-sticks. (Apoc 1. 4, 20). In the first, there were two fishes symbolizing the prophets, and the preaching of St. John the Baptist; in the second there is an undefined number which are the gifts of grace, as the Apostle says: “To one, by the Spirit, is given the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, to another prophecy, to another diverse kinds of tongues, to another interpretation of speeches, But all these things one and the same Spirit worketh” (I Cor. 12, 8).

St. Maximus (bishop) says: “We who believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, not through the Law but by faith, who are redeemed, not by its works but by grace itself; who are filled, not from the five loaves, that is, from the Five Books of Moses, but by the seven-fold grace of the Holy Spirit, as blessed Isaias had prophesied, saying: ‘The Spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the Spirit of knowledge, and of piety; And he shall be filled with the Spirit of the fear of the Lord’ (Is. 11), let us continue in this grace of the Sevenfold Spirit, in which we were called, being filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts ii. 38) through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns in the Unity of the Holy Ghost God for ever and ever. Amen.”

 

"The refusal to take sides on great moral issues is itself a decision. It is a silent acquiescence to evil. The Tragedy of our time is that those who still believe in honesty lack fire and conviction, while those who believe in dishonesty are full of passionate conviction." 
Fulton J. Sheen

Third Sunday After Pentecost - Bishop Giles, OFM 

4th Sunday After Pentecost - Bishop Bonaventure, OFM

5th Sunday After Pentecost - Bishop Bonaventure, OFM

Saturday, June 22, 2013 - Bishop Giles, OFM
5th Sunday after Pentecost - Bishop Giles, OFM

5th Sunday after Pentecost - Holy Mass from Our Lady of the Rosary Church

5th Sunday after Pentecost - Fr. Joseph, OFM

Mediatations on the Book of Osee

riday, June 21, 2013

Mediatations on the Book of Osee

Meditations on the Book of Osee

Many treasures of Divine Wisdom are hidden in the short books of the Old Testament. These Lesser Prophets should not be overlooked, as most Catholics rarely ever delve into these jewels of Sacred Scripture at all. I am well pleased at your desire to know more about the Old Testament, which, of course, will always clearly display Our Lord's presence as the New and Everlasting Testament.

 

Vision of Archdeacon of Lyons, who died the same day as St. Bernard (1153): "Know, Monsignor, that at the very hour I passed away, thirty-three thousand people also died. Out of this number, Bernard and myself went up to heaven without delay, three went to purgatory, and all the others fell into Hell." (Told to St. Vincent Ferrer

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals Fifth Sunday after Pentecost 23 June 2013

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friends,

Our Lord warns us against anger in today’s gospel. This anger is the same as murder. The Mosaic Law proscribed murder, but not anger that leads to murder. Christ is establishing a new law that demands we exceed this material “justice” of the Scribes and Pharisees in the Mosaic Law. We must not only avoid the taking of our brother’s life, but we must also guard against everything that tends toward or leads us in the direction of murder. Not only must we avoid hatred and anger towards our neighbor, we are even further commanded to love our enemies.

Yet the Psalmist says: “Be ye angry and sin not” (iv. 5). It is indicated that we must be angry with ourselves when we sin and be moved to: repentance, reparation, and resolve to avoid further or future sin. If we truly love our brother and our enemies as we love ourselves, it follows that we must likewise hate within them the sins or evil that are present. This anger however is not the same anger that Christ is speaking of. 

It was mentioned above that Jesus is speaking of anger that is unjust and leads or tends towards hatred of our fellow men and murder. The Psalmist would have us hate the sin and the injustice while still loving ourselves rightly because we are created in the image and likeness of God and the Holy Ghost has transformed us into His Temples. We can extend this to everyone else. 

St. Gregory the Great tells us: “Anger that comes of evil blinds the eye of the mind, but anger that comes of zeal troubles it; for in the measure that it is agitated by zeal for virtue, that image is disturbed which can only be perceived by a heart at rest. For even zeal for rectitude, because it disturbs the mind through unrest, will for a time obscure its vision; so that in its troubled state it no longer sees the higher things it had beheld clearly when at rest. But it is restored again to the vision of the higher things, and to a more acute vision, by that same power which so disturbed it that it could not see.” 

“… It is above all things necessary, that he who is moved by a zeal for justice should be careful of this; that his anger must never pass beyond the mind’s control, that in punishing evil he should be careful both as to the time and the measure; to control the rising agitation of his mind by using it with precise care; to restrain his indignation, and subject the warmth of his own feelings to the rule of moderation and courtesy, so that the more he is master of himself, the more is he fit to judge of another’s chastisement. For since he is to correct the faults of wrongdoers, let him who is to correct first enlarge his own mind through forbearance, and let him judge the matter by rising above his own resentment, lest through being provoked immoderately by his own zeal for what is right he may himself deviate far from what is right. For, as we have said, even praiseworthy zeal for what is good may cloud the eye of the mind, as it is now here said: Anger indeed killeth the foolish. This is to say: anger because of zeal troubles the wise, but anger that arises through evil destroys foolish men; for the one is subject to reason; but the other blindly rules the mind it has entered.” 

In this quote, St. Gregory reminds us that foolish anger destroys the one who is angry. If we stop and examine this evil called anger we see that the cause or source of the anger is seldom harmed by the anger. The person we are angry against often remains ignorant or unconcerned about our anger, while the man who is angry destroys his own soul and often his own health and body by harboring this anger. The anger therefore harms mostly the one harboring it, and so it is foolish to harbor anger as it only destroys oneself rather than the object of one’s anger. 

It is necessary that parents and superiors watch over those whom God has entrusted with their care. In this position of authority, they are bound to watch over their subjects as they watch over themselves. They must constantly remind themselves that they will have to give an account for the souls placed in their care. Just as we are bound to watch over ourselves and be angry so that we sin not; likewise, must we watch over our subjects and be angry and guard them from sin.

This anger is not to destruction or murder, but rather in all charity, motivated to give and protect the true life of the soul. This true charity has motivated great men to take upon themselves the very punishments that their subjects deserve. For example, St. Paul would rather be anathema, than see the destruction of those whom he loves for the love of God.

Being motivated to anger by charity, we become like Jesus. We pray for those who persecute us. We accept tribulation or suffering on behalf of those whom we love. If in our charity we desire to cast out evil spirits, we must recall the words of Christ that some demons can only be cast out by prayer and fasting. Charity, which desires to help some unfortunate soul, inspires us to pray most fervently for him, but also inspires us to inflict upon ourselves some of the punishment that he may deserve. 

The Cure of Ares gives the example to every confessor when we read of his giving of light penances in the confessional and then imposing upon himself what he deems is truly necessary for that soul. Every Catholic is inspired to do penance for his own sins and his own sanctification, but is also encouraged to do the same for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. This is true Charity – willingly sacrificing ourselves for those whom we love. And there is no greater love than Jesus’ Who laid down His very life so that we sinners might live.

Bishop Giles, OFM - Sermon for June 15, 2013
Bishop Giles, OFM - 4th Sunday after Pentecost

Fr. Joseph, OFM - 4th Sunday after Pentecost

Fr. Bernard, OFM - Our Lady of the Rosary - Holy Mass for 4th Sunday after Pentecost

Thanks to Brother Amatus for the photo!

The Audio Sermon for the 3rd Sunday After Pentecost by Bishop Bonaventure Strandt, OFM  recorded at St. Joseph' Mission Church in Union, Kentucky.

http://www.songweetrains.com/sermons/3PentecostSt.Joseph%27s.wma

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals Fourth Sunday after Pentecost 16 June 2013

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friends,

Our Lord while He walked upon the dry land healed many people’s bodies by His touch and even by His very presence. The people pressed upon Him for this bodily healing, and in their eagerness for the advantages of their bodies they were missing out in a greater gift – the healing of their souls.

Very often we act in a very similar manner. We come to God only for material things or material blessings. We want: health, long life, wealth, peace, comfort, etc. In our eagerness and solicitude for the things of this earth we miss out on many graces. These bodily things are not evil, but they are by no means the greatest blessings.

In order to impart healing for the souls of the people, it was necessary that Jesus get into the boat leaving the people on the shore. He needed to separate Himself from them physically so that they might receive spiritual healing.

This same thing is true for us. God must often pull away from us in the many physical blessings that He so generously bestows upon us, so that we might be able to lift our hearts up out of this world and look for the greater spiritual gifts.

We find many in the world today that are Catholic but, they have only the desire for the physical blessings. When the Modernists took over the houses of God, many longed for the statues, the altars, the beautiful hymns, the solemnity, the Latin and so many physical or material good things, that were cast out. Those who call themselves “Traditionalists” sought (and still seek) out principally or only these material things. They fell into the errors of materialism, seeking out only the “Latin Mass,” unconcerned for truth and order. So many bandied out the phrase: “It is the Mass that matters” as if the outward ceremony were enough.

The saying: “The rule of praying is the rule of believing” is true and these material things are very important, but the indifference to the spiritual aspects of doctrine and discipline was a grave mortal mistake. “Traditionalists” run after the symbols regardless of all right order. They found no difficulty attaching themselves to men who were heretics or schismatics as long as they said the “Latin Mass.” There were even some men presenting themselves as priests that are not priests because their “ordinations” were invalid. “Traditionalists” did find the outward signs and symbols (the material goods) that they were seeking, but in their eagerness and enthusiasm they blocked and prevented themselves from ever receiving the spiritual graces for their souls. They found beautiful statues, churches, altars, Latin, music, processions, ceremonies, etc.; and since this is all they were looking for, it was all they got. They have everything – except grace!

God has pulled away from these sects, in an attempt to wake them up so that they will lift up their minds and hearts to higher spiritual things. Tragically, the majority seem content with only the material goods of the Church and not the spiritual ones.

We still find a lot of these material things as remnants of the previous faith in the Modernist churches. There is no doubt that they have in their possession beautiful buildings, statues, music, etc. Much of it is very inspiring, but what they do not have is grace. God has left them and is now in the boat trying to draw their attention to greater things, but they cannot hear Him because they are only focused upon the earthy things.

St. Francis, imitating Christ, became indifferent to these worldly things and espoused poverty and simplicity. At the expense of earthly material goods, he sought out higher and greater goods for the soul. Today in the true Church and in the true followers of St. Francis we see this humble simplicity of heart. It is not a disdain for the beautiful symbols of the faith, but it is a much greater and eager pursuit for the spiritual ones that guide us. And this is what causes so many to despise and reject the faith we bring in the name of Christ.

When we consider that at every true Mass, transubstantiation takes place, and God is made present both Body and Soul, we realize that, at that very moment Heaven is brought to earth, and there is no better or greater place to be. The beautiful churches in the Vatican, or any of the others in the possession of the Modernist, and even all those in the hands of Traditionalists have nothing in comparison. The simple friars in their humble chapels and shrines offering up the Sacrifice of the Mass in all spiritual truth and right order have more than all these and even than all the world combined.

May we ever seek to follow Christ in the boat, ready and eager to count all the good things of this earth as naught so that we may hear and receive all the good things of heaven and the soul. What do the Modernists or the Traditionalists have in buildings, artwork, and ceremonies, when they do not have grace?! It is as Solomon tells us “vanity of vanity and all is vanity;” it is emptiness. The Traditionalists chasing after these material things have nothing but a “case after the wind.”

The ark of Peter consists in the truth – right order and doctrines – and not in the physical material buildings and ceremonies. We must keep refocusing our attention upon the soul rather than the body. The Church uses the material gifts of God, but they are not the end in themselves. Let us not make the mistake of forgetting the soul and the right order of authority and doctrine, and only focusing upon the external physical material symbols of the Faith. Let us not despise the truth simply because it is presented to us humbly and modestly. The saving faith is no longer found in the grand churches but in the humble modern day Portiuncula (little portion) of the Franciscans.

May we imitate Jesus as we give thanks to God that He has hidden the Spiritual Truths from the proud and haughty of this world and has revealed them to the humble.

 


Thursday Night Religion Class with Bishop Giles, OFM
Third Sunday after Pentecost - Bishop Giles, OFM 

Third Sunday after Pentecost-Holy Mass - Fr. Bernard, OFM 

Third Sunday after Pentecost-Fr. Joseph, OFM 

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Her Doctrine and Morals Third Sunday after Pentecost 9 June 2013

The Sunday Sermon

Dear Friends,

We, mankind, form one hundredth or one tenth of God’s rational creation. The Nine choirs of Angels in heaven represent to us the nine coins or the ninety-nine sheep. Without man God’s flock or collection is incomplete. Christ has come to bring us back and return us to our proper place in God’s design. In this light Christ is both the shepherd and the woman. We are the lost sheep and the lost coin.

Jesus left all the angels safely in heaven to come after us. In returning us to His fold he neither punishes us nor scolds us. The shepherd does not beat the sheep nor drive the sheep in front of him, but rather picks it up and carries it upon his own shoulders. We have wandered away from the flock and have exhausted ourselves in our wanderings. We have been looking for joy and happiness; we have been looking for home but in all the wrong places. This has reduced us to the helpless and miserable condition of a stray sheep that is easy prey for the wolves (devils). Unable to find our way or return by our own power, Jesus does everything for us. He redeems us, paying the price for our sins upon the cross. He nourishes us and strengthens us by the graces of the sacraments. All that is truly left for us is to patiently and willingly receive and accept the ministrations of Jesus. This, sufficient numbers of men will do to fill up and make complete the number in heaven. The saved men will complete the ten or the hundred so that in the completion of the number the joy of all in heaven will be perfect.

Jesus also appears to us as the woman looking for the lost coin. We are that coin. Upon the coin is impressed the image of the King. Upon our souls is impressed the indelible mark of God – placed there upon our baptism. He shines the light of faith throughout the house, so that we may be found. When the light of faith shines upon us then we will be able to discern the image of God within us. Even when we have greatly offended God, His image remains upon our souls.

Some of the Fathers of the Church represent to us the Shepherd as Christ; and the woman as the Church. God came to this earth to save that which was lost – mankind. Mankind is found and saved when the number of the elect enters into the flock of angels in heaven. The Church shines the light of God’s grace upon souls; she sweeps the consciences and hearts exposing the sin and filth in our souls. In this thorough lighting and cleaning, the Church finds and returns us to unity with the angels in heaven.

While it is true that all depends upon God’s grace and that there is nothing that we can do to merit these wondrous graces; it is also true that we must cooperate with the grace we have already been given so that we may receive greater ones. We must allow the shepherd to not only find us but also to approach us and pick us up and carry us to His flock in Heaven. Too often sinners do not wish to be found, or to be approached by God, much less put upon His shoulders and returned to a life of holiness. As God approaches them in their consciences they run the other way refusing the graces of God.

Or if we consider the ministrations of the Church expounding and elucidating the truths of the faith and often exposing the evils of our lives and inviting us to repentance and union within the Mystical Body; all too often sinners ignore, refuse to listen, and even denounce and reject Her. They choose to reject the light She shines and very often convince themselves that the light is darkness. And the darkness of their disordered and perverse life they convince themselves is light. Rejecting the truth and the light they refuse to be found and returned to the others and be counted as one in the completion of the whole.

It is not enough to just believe for scripture informs us that faith without works is dead. Christ tells us that if we love Him we will keep His word. Etc.

We must begin first, by stopping and resting for a moment so that we can perceive the truth of what is happening. The sinner must pause in his sins; that is, he must cease his running wildly in sin. In this pause, the Shepherd will be able to approach nearer, and the light that Holy Mother Church is shining upon our lives will begin to reveal the desperate situation that all sinners are in.

Second, we must not fear the approach of the Shepherd, but welcome Him, knowing that He comes to help us and to save us. The false pleasures of sin must now begin to be hated for having led us away from Him and our love for Him must begin to grow. The light of truth that Our Holy Mother Church shines upon our lives rather than blinding us and filling us with fear, we must welcome and seek to illuminate every particle of our souls so that any and all evil may be exposed and humbly, repented of, confessed, and thus rooted out, in this thorough cleansing of the house.

Lastly we must rush forward with faith, hope, and charity into the arms of Christ, and we must likewise return to a holy and noble life within the Church, being refreshed and renewing the image of God upon our souls with the Sacraments.

In reaching this final state we then out of love for God and the Church we become like Christ and seek out our fellow men who have fallen and seek to bring them too back to the life of love of God and the Church.

Concerning those souls that we daily walk amongst: A stern message from the renowned exorcist, the late Father Dominic Szymanski, O.F.M.Conv.

"Outside the Catholic Church baptism has lost much of its importance and where the rite is retained, it has become only a ceremony of initiation, not a sacramental expulsion of Satan as the Saviour intended. As a consequence vast numbers of people-perhaps the majority you pass on the street- are still in the state of original sin and have never been released from the shackles of sin. "
Truly, Satan is the prince of this world, and he will rule for a time; but his head will be crushed by the heel of the Blessed Virgin. May we be granted the grace to persevere in prayer and penance.

In the bath of saving water, the fire of hell is extinguished.
St. Cyprian of Carthage (200-258AD) on Baptism

 

 

The fresco below s from the cycle of the life of Christ in the Sistine Chapel, it is located in the first compartment on the north wall. It was painted by Perugino and Pinturicchio, the latter being probably responsible for the landscape and minor scenes.

 There are two secondary scenes, Christ Preaching on the right and the Sermon of John the Baptist on the left.

The paintings were to be read in pairs, one from the left and one from the right. Thus the Baptism of Christ faces the Circumcision of Moses' son by Perugino and Pinturicchio.
A comparison of the pairs of scenes shows clearly that the principal concern was to show how the new religion of Christ was deeper and more spiritual than the Jewish religion. Thus the pair of frescoes showing the Baptism and the Circumcision emphasize how baptism - prefigured, according to Augustine and many of the Fathers of Church, by circumcision - represents a "spiritual circumcision."

 

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass-Our Lady of the Rosary, Waubeka-Fr. Bernard, OFM 

Fr. Joseph, OFM - 2nd Sunday after Pentecost 

Audio Sermon June 1 - Bishop Giles, OFM 
Second Sunday after Pentecost - Bishop Giles, OFM 

CHAPTER XIII
HOW ST FRANCIS AND BROTHER MASSEO PLACED THE BREAD THEY HAD BEGGED UPON A STONE NEAR A FOUNTAIN, AND HOW ST FRANCIS PRAISED THE VIRTUE OF HOLY POVERTY, PRAYING ST PETER AND ST PAUL TO MAKE HIM LOVE HOLY POVERTY GREATLY, AND HOW ST PETER AND ST PAUL APPEARED TO HIM
The wonderful servant and follower of Christ, St Francis, wishing to be in all things conformed to his Master - who, as the Gospel tells, sent his disciples two by two into all the cities and lands whither he intended to go to prepare the way for him - after he had assembled his twelve companions, sent them forth two by two into the world to preach. In order to set them an example of holy obedience, he first began to act himself like the Saviour Jesus Christ. Wherefore, having sent his companions to divers parts of the world, he took with him Brother Masseo, and set out towards the province of France. On arriving in a certain town, being very hungry, they went, according to the Rule, begging their bread for the love of God. St Francis took one street, and Brother Masseo the other. St Francis, being a little man, with a mean exterior, did not attract much attention, and gathered only a few bits of dry bread, whereas Brother Masseo, being tall and good-looking, received many large pieces of bread, with several whole loaves. When they had ended their task of begging, they met on a spot outside the city where there was a beautiful fountain and a large stone, on which each placed what he had collected. St Francis, seeing that the pieces of bread which Brother Messeo had collected were much larger and better than those he had received, rejoiced greatly, and said: "O Brother Masseo, we are not worthy of this great treasure"; and he repeated these words several times. At this Brother Masseo answered: "Father, how canst thou talk of a treasure where there is so much poverty, and indeed a lack of all things? for we have neither cloth, nor knife, nor dish, nor table, nor house to eat in, nor servant or maid to wait upon us." St Francis answered: "This is indeed the reason why I account it a great treasure, because man has had on hand in it, but all has been given to us by divine Providence, as we clearly see in this bread of charity, this beautiful table of stone, and this so clear fountain. Wherefore let us beg of God to make us love with all our hearts the treasure of holy poverty." Having spoken thus, they returned thanks; and when they had refreshed themselves with the bread and water, they rose and went on their way to France. And meeting with a church on the road, St Francis said to his companion, "Let us enter this church and pray." And entering in, St Francis cast himself down in prayer before the altar, and during his prayer the Lord visited him with a great increase of fervour, which so inflamed his soul with affection for holy poverty, that it seemed as if flames played around his head, and preceeded from his mouth; and going thus, all shining and burning with divine love, to his companion, he said to him, "Ah! ah! ah! Brother Masseo, give thyself to me"; and these words he repeated three times. At the third time he breathed on Brother Masseo, who, to his great surprise, was raised above the earth, and fell at some distance before the saint. He told his companion afterwards that, while thus raised in the air, he had felt such a sweet sensation in his soul, and had received such consolations from the Holy Spirit, as he had never before experienced. After this St Francis said to his companion: "Let us go to St Peter and St Paul, and let us pray them together that they may teach us and help us to possess the unbounded treasure of holy poverty, for it is a treasure so great and so divine, that we are not worthy to possess it in these vile bodies of ours. It is this celestial virtue which teaches us to despise all earthly and transitory things, and through it every hindrance is removed from the soul, so that it can freely commune with God. Through this virtue it is that the soul, while still on earth, is able to converse with the angels in heaven. This virtue it is which remained with Christ upon the Cross, was buried with Christ, rose again with Christ, and with Christ went up into heaven. This virtue it is which even in this world enables the souls who are inflamed with love of him to fly up to heaven; it is also the guardian of true charity and humility. Let us then pray the holy Apostles of Christ, who were perfect lovers of this evangelical pearl, to obtain for us from the Saviour Jesus the grace, through his great mercy, to become true lovers, strict observers, and humble disciples of this most precious, most beloved, and most evangelical grace of poverty." And thus conversing they arrived at Rome, and entered the church of St Peter, where St Francis knelt in prayer in one corner and Brother Masseo in another. After praying for some time with great devotion and many tears, the most holy Apostles Peter and Paul appeared to St Francis in much splendour, and thus addressed him: "As thy prayer and thy wish is to observe that which Christ and his holy Apostles observed, the Lord Jesus sends us to thee, to tell thee that thy prayer has been heard, and that it is granted to thee and to all thy followers to possess the treasure of holy poverty. We tell thee also from him, that whosoever, after thy example, shall embrace this holy virtue, shall most certainly enjoy perfect happiness in heaven; for thou and all thy followers shall be blessed by God." Having said these words they disappeared, leaving St Francis full of consolation. Then rising from prayer, and returning to Brother Masseo, he asked him if God had revealed anything to him in prayer. He answered, "No." Then St Francis told him how the holy Apostles had appeared to him, and what they had said. And both being filled with joy, they resolved to return to the Valley of Spoleto, giving up the journey into France.