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Once when St. Francis and Brother Leo were walking from Perugia to St. Mary of the Angels in bitterly cold weather, the saint discoursed to his companion upon the subject of "Perfect Joy". There is no passage in any of the early writings about St. Francis which more clearly displays the essence of Franciscan humility. As the two men plodded on Francis called thus to Brother Leo:
"Brother Leo, though the Brothers Minor throughout all the world were great examples of sanctity and true edifying, rather write it down and take heed diligently that not therein is perfect joy." And going on a little further, St. Francis called a second time: "O Brother Leo, albeit the Brothers Minor should give sight to the blind, make straight the crooked, cast out devils, make the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, the dumb to speak, and (greater still) should raise them that have been dead a four days' space, write that not herein is perfect joy." And going on a little, he cried aloud: "O Brother Leo, if the Brother Minor should know all tongues and all sciences and all scriptures, so that he could prophesy and reveal not only things to come but also the secrets of consciences and souls, write that not therein is perfect joy." . . . And going on a little further, St. Francis cried aloud: "O Brother Leo, albeit the Brother Minor could preach so well as to turn all the infidels to the faith of Christ, write, write that not therein is perfect joy." And this manner of speech continuing for full two miles, Brother Leo with much marvel besought him, saying: "Father, I pray thee in the name of God that thou tell me wherein is perfect joy."
And St. Francis thus made the answer: "When we come to St. Mary of the Angels, all soaked as we are with rain and numbed with cold and besmirched with mud and tormented with hunger and knock at the door; and the porter comes in anger and says: 'Who are ye?' and we say: 'We be two of your brethren'; and he says: 'Ye be no true men; nay, ye be two rogues and gad about deceiving the world and robbing the alms of the poor, get ye gone'; and thereat he shuts to the door and makes us stand without in the snow and the rain, cold and a-hungered, till nightfall; if therewithal we patiently endure such wrong and such cruelty and such rebuffs without being disquieted and without murmuring against him; and with humbleness and charity bethink us that this porter knows us full well and that God makes him speak against us; O Brother Leo, write that herein is perfect joy. And if we be instant in knocking and he come out full of wrath and drive us away as importunate knaves, with insults and buffetings, saying: 'Get ye gone hence, vilest of thieves, begone to the alms-house, for here ye shall find nor food nor lodging'; if we suffer this with patience and with gladness and with love, O Brother Leo, write that herein is perfect joy. And if we still constrained by hunger, cold and night, knock yet again and shout and with much weeping pray him for the love of God that he will but open and let us in; and he yet more enraged should say: 'These be importunate knaves, I will pay them well as they deserve', and should rush out with knotty stick, and taking us by the hood, throw us upon the ground and send us rolling in the snow, and beat us with all the knots of that stick: if with patience and with gladness we suffer all these things, thinking on the pains of the blessed Christ, the which we ought to suffer for the love of Him: O Brother Leo, write that here and herein is perfect joy."
"Then hear the conclusion of the whole matter, Brother Leo. Above all graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit, that Christ granteth to His beloved, is to overcome oneself, and willingly for the love of Christ endure pains and insults and shame and want: inasmuch as in all other gifts of God we may not glory, since they are not ours but God's; whence saith the Apostle: 'What hast thou that thou hast not received of God? And if thou hast received it of Him, wherefore boastest thou thyself as if thou hadst it of thyself?' But in the cross of tribulation and affliction we may boast, since this is ours; and therefore saith the Apostle: 'I would not that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.' "
-- John R. H. Moorman, Saint Francis of Assisi
