the mystical temple of god 586 “it penetrates the clouds”;46 because God “gives grace to the humble.”47 And just as the righteous man at the beginning of his speaking is his own accuser, just so God is always present near him as a friend who takes delight in humility. Pleasing is the praise on the lips of priests, whom the Holy Spirit Himself exhorts: “Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord; [. . .] Servants of the just, bless the Lord” (Dan 3:84-85). Pleasing finally, yes, indeed most pleasing, are the poverty, chastity and obedience of Religious men and women, because it rests on the counsel of Christ; our Lord demanded earnestly and exacted these very offerings from St. Francis in the form of golden plates.48 Now since these enumerated sacrifices are most acceptable to God, then the most outstanding and lovable of all will be that in which they all are contained. This is performed when all that is ours, internally and externally, is offered daily to God with a pure intention in such a way that no part of them falls to the lot of the devil. Here is a twofold manner of making this offering, that you can use in the morning and in the evening. 46 Cf. Eccl 35:21: “The prayer of him that humbles himself shall pierce the clouds.” 47 Cf. Jas 4:6 “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 48 Cf. De Legisma, Juan R., Gomez Canedo, Lino, St. Francis of Assisi, Madrid 1956, pp. 207-208 (Florecillas de San Francisco, P. II: Consideraciones sobre las Llagas, 3), where one reads: “And among other things which He [Jesus Christ] said to me, He asked of me three gifts; Then He said to me: ‘Search in thy bosom, and offer me what thou shalt find there.’ And searching, I found there a golden ball, and I offered it to God; and the like I did three times, even as God has given me something to offer Him. And immediately it was given to me to understand that these three offerings signified holy obedience, most entire poverty, and most pure chastity, which God by His grace has enabled me so perfectly to observe And whereas thou didst see me put my hand into my bosom and offer to God those three virtues, signified by these three golden balls which God has placed in my bosom, so God has infused such virtue into my soul.” It appears therefore that the “offerings” were not “in the form of golden plates,” but of golden globes (small balls).
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