The Life of the First Friars - Chapter VII of the book St. Francis of Assisi A Biography by Omer Englebert (Article 2, Continuation)

The superior of the brotherhood was, of course, Francis. "His orders were not disputed," wrote Thomas of Celano. "Scarcely had he expressed them, when all rushed to carry them out." But Francis did not spend all his time giving orders. He delegated a part of his authority to a friar who bore the name of "mother," and, like a mother, looked out for the community's needs. The "mother" played the role of Martha and led the active life. Thus the others could, like Mary, give themselves to the contemplative life. From time to time - to reverse the roles and even things up - the "children" became "mothers," and the latter became "children." This arrangement was kept up for a time in the hermitages, where number of religious was limited to three or four. But the "mothers" were soon replaced by the "guardians" or local superiors. Their name perhaps came from the fact that they "guarded" the door andwatched over their brethren. The Fiorette shows us two guradians, Brother Masseo and Brother Angelo exercising their charge. A handsomer man or one with a more pleasing personality could nowhere be found than Brother Masseo da Marignano, who, it seems, always brought back the best morsels from the begging tours. Thus he sometimes needed to be humiliated.

One day Francis made him whirl around with arms flung wide, until he became dizzy and fell full length on the ground. Another time he said to him before the assembled community: "Brother Masseo, if the brothers here possess the grace of prayer, you have received the gift of eloquence and know how to talk to people. So let us practice contemplation, you are to have charge of the door, give out alms and do the cooking. While we eat inside, you will eat outside; and if visitors come, you will be there to say some good words to them without our having to be disturbed." Brother Masseo bowed his head drew back his hood in sign of obedience; and for several days he was cook, porter, and almsgiver. But the others soon began to feel remorse to see all the burden of the work fall on Brother Masseo's shoulders, and they came and begged their Father to release him. "Until you have done so," they said, "we feel that we will be lukewarm and distracted in our prayers." They got their request; for, judging that the trial had lasted long enough, Francis restored things as they were before. But if we are to believe the Fiorette, Brother Masseo was again porter and Brother Elias the superior on the day that a youthful pilgrim of a marvelous beauty came to the door of the hermitage and knocked so loud and so long that all in their huts wandered what was going on.

"Young man," said Brother Masseo, "evidently, this is the first time you have come here or you wouldn't knock that way." "And how should I knock?" inquired the stranger. "Like this! First, you knock calmly three times with a little pause between each rap. Then, after the space of an Our Father, if you see that I am not coming, you can knock again." "But I am in a great hurry," replied the visitor. "Could I speak to Brother Francis?" Masseo explained that Francis was praying in the woods, and that it was not customary to disturb him when he was receiving such great graces from Heaven. "Then call Brother Elias, who they say is so learned. I should like to ask him something." But Brother Elias refused to be disturbed and this put Brother Masseo

in an embarassing position. What was he to say to the stranger? If he told him Elias could not come, that would be a lie, but telling the truth would scandalize the visitor. So while he was debating what to do, the caller pounded louder than ever at the door. Masseo came running. "You didn't pay any attention to what I said," he complained to the angel, who soon afterward vanished. For the visitor was an angel who, under color of asking Elias why he had banned the use of meat, had come to congratulate the friars for their observance of the Gospel, which, as everyone knows does not breathe a word of any such prohibition.

For a long time, Brother Masseo prayed GOD for the gift of humility. "Lord," he prayed constantly, "make me humble, even at the price of losing my two eyes." He was finally heard, without losing his eyes; and ever thereafter so great was his happiness that he expressed it in prayer by a gentle moaning, always the same. When Brother James of Falerone, whom this "cooing" wearied slightly, remarked to him that it was a most monotonous sound, Brother Masseo replied: "Does a man who has found happiness think it necessary to change his tune?" Brother Masseo, born in Marignano, near Assisi, lived to be very old, and only died, says Wadding, in 1280. Unlike Brother Lucido, Brother Giles, and so many of the first Franciscans, he did not care for travelling and preferred the society of certain of his brethren even to pilgrimages. "I find I gain more," he said, "associating with living saints than with dead ones. For the latter are silent; whereas the others can talk and tell us of the temptations they have overcome, thus forwarning us against the perils that threaten us."

(Ibinahagi mula sa Thailand ni Kapatid Larry de los Santos/Fra Masseo Charbel)