On the Eve of Saint Francis’ Day, his daughters and sons gather to honour his transitus – his passing from this world to Eternity with the God he loved. There is no fixed rite for this celebration, but this is the one I have joined in at the Franciscan International Study Centre in recent years. It was adapted by Sister Clare, now the Superior General of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Littlehampton. She has arranged it for different speakers, but feel free to adapt it to suit your group, or just to read it alone.
MMB.
Thank you Clare!
The service took place in the evening, in a darkened chapel. A Franciscan habit was spread on the floor before the altar, surrounded by candles. One candle would suffice to read this by at home.
Transitus of St. Francis
(n1, n2, CANTOR, LEADER)
1. [Narrator 1] At this time Francis was staying in the palace of the Bishop of Assisi, and he therefore asked the brothers to take him as quickly as possible to the place of St. Mary of the Portiuncula. For he wished to give back his soul to God in that place where, as has been said, he first knew the way of truth perfectly.
2. [N 2] Then blessed Francis, despite the overpowering burden of his sickness, praised the Lord in a great joyful outburst of body and soul, saying to his companion: “Since I must soon die, have Brother Angel and Brother Leo come and praise our Sister Death for me.” Both arrived and, forcing back their tears, sang the “Canticle of Brother Sun” and of the other creatures, which the saint had composed during his sickness for the glory of God and for the consolation of his soul and of that of the others.
Antiphon:
Cantor: Alleluia
Francis, poor and humble, enters heaven rich and is welcomed with celestial hymns.
Alleluia
1Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, and the honour, and all blessing,
2To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no human is worthy to mention Your name.
3Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day and through whom You give us light.
4And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour;
and bears a likeness of You, Most High One.
5Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful.
6Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather,
through whom You give sustenance to Your creatures.
7Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
8Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire.
through whom You light the night,
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
9Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains and governs us,
and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs.
10Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love,
and bear infirmity and tribulation.
11Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, Most High, shall they be crowned.
12Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no one living can escape.
13Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.
14Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks
and serve Him with great humility.
All:
Alleluia
Francis, poor and humble, enters heaven rich and is welcomed with celestial hymns.
Alleluia
3. [N 1] While therefore the brothers were weeping very bitterly and grieving inconsolably, the holy father commanded that bread be brought to him. He blessed and broke it and gave a small piece of it to each one to eat. Commanding also that a book of the Gospels be brought, he asked that the Gospel according to St. John be read to him from the place that begins: “Before the feast of the Passover.” He was recalling that most holy supper which the Lord celebrated as his last supper with his disciples. He did all of this in reverent memory of that supper, showing thereby the deep love he had for his brothers. John 13:1-17
4. [N 2] Then Francis spent the few days that remained before his death in praise, teaching his companions whom he loved so much to praise Christ with him. He himself, in as far as he was able broke forth in this psalm, “I cried to the Lord with my voice: with my voice I made supplication to the Lord.” He also invited all creatures to praise God. He exhorted death itself, terrible and hateful to all, to give praise, and going joyfully to meet it, he invited it to make its lodging with him.
5. [N 1] Francis then said to the brothers: “When you see that I am brought to my last moments, place me naked upon the ground just as you saw me the day before yesterday; and let me lie there after I am dead for the length of time it takes one to walk a mile unhurriedly.” The hour therefore came, and all the mysteries of Christ being fulfilled in him, he winged his way happily to God.
LEADER: Hail, holy father, light of your country, model of your friars, mirror of virtue, path of rectitude, rule of conduct. From this exile of the flesh, lead us to the realms above.
ALL: Poor and humble Francis enters Heaven laden with riches.
LEADER: We pray to God our Father in the words Jesus himself taught us … Our Father who art in Heaven…
Let us pray. O God, Who this day gave to the soul of our holy father Francis the reward of everlasting bliss, be pleased to grant that we who, with loving hearts celebrate the memory of his departure, may deserve to obtain the same happiness for our reward. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
End of Transitus. [Quiet music: while all depart]
Before leaving Canterbury as FISC closed, Friar Austin gave a series of talks that he entitled, ‘Jesus beyond Dogma’. I was able to attend most of them, and might have challenged him to call the series, ‘Jesus BEFORE dogma’.
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