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Two companions from Assisi had already joined St.
Francis when Giles, a well-to-do young man of the town, heard about it. He
repaired to the poor hermitage yard by Assisi, which the three occupied, and
prostrate upon his knees, he begged St. Francis to accept him into his
company. Francis presented him to the other two, saying: "See here a good
brother whom almighty God has sent us." This was on April 23, 1209. On the
same day, both went to Assisi, where Giles begged in God's name for a bit of
cloth to make a habit. Giles divided his entire fortune among the poor. He was
plain and simple in mind, of a mild temperament, but also full of power and
energy when it served to accomplish anything good.
Recognizing humility as the necessary foundation
for perfection, Giles sought humiliation and contempt, but fled from honors.
Once when he was passing through the March of Ancona with the holy Founder and
at some places special honor was shown to them, he said, "O my Father, I fear
we shall lose the true honor if we are honored by men."
Giles entertained a great desire to make a
pilgrimage to the Holy Places, and since Francis knew that he did much good
everywhere by his holy example, he gladly granted his desire. The Apostle
James at Compostela in Spain, then to the Holy Places of the Passion of Christ
in Jerusalem. He also visited the sanctuary of the holy Archangel Michael on
Mt. Gargano in Italy, and the town of Bari, there to honor St.
Nicholas.
His whole appearance preached poverty, humility,
and piety. He also utilized every opportunity to encourage penance and love of
God. He endeavored to earn his livelihood mainly through manual work; whatever
he obtained over and above his immediate needs, he at once gave to the poor;
if he lacked necessities, he begged them for God's sake. Once a poor woman who
was dressed in the barest necessaries asked Brother Giles for an alms. As he
had nothing to offer her, he compassionately took off his capuche and gave it
to her.
In the year 1219, at the great chapter of 5,000
brothers, St. Francis commissioned Giles to go to Africa with several
companions, to preach the gospel to the Mohammedans. But they did not achieve
their purpose. As soon as they landed in Africa, the Christians there, who
feared a general persecution, led them by force to another ship which brought
them back to Italy.
At this time Brother Giles was sent to the quiet
convent of Perugia, which remained his abode until his death. He lived
practically only for God. Even at his work, thoughts of the last judgment, of
eternity, and of the glory of heaven constantly occupied his mind. Once when
two distinguished gentlemen asked him to pray for them, he said: "Oh you do
not need my prayers." "Why not?" they asked. Giles answered, "You live among
all the comforts of the world and still believe that you will get to heaven;
but I, a poor human being, spend my days in labor and penance, and yet I fear
I will be damned." When he reflected on the joys of heaven, he was beside
himself with longing. Often when the children in the street called out to him
the mere word "paradise," he was rapt in ecstasy.
Pope Gregory IX had heard of the contemplative gift
of Brother Giles, and being just then in the neighborhood of Perugia, he sent
for him. When the pope began to speak to Giles about divine and heavenly
matters, Giles at once went into an ecstasy. When he came to again, he humbly
begged the Holy Father's forgiveness -- it was his weakness, he said, that he
was immediately beside himself. The pope required that he give him some good
advice for the administration of his burdensome duties. Quite confounded,
Giles excused himself saying that he could not advise the head of the Church.
But when the pope commanded him in obedience, he said, "Holy Father, you must
have two eyes in your soul. The right eye must be kept on heavenly things; the
left one, on the things of this earth, which you must regulate."
St. Bonaventure considered himself fortunate to
have lived at the time when he could still see and speak with Brother Giles.
When he came to Perugia as provincial of the order, Giles said to him one
day," My Father, God has accorded you great kindness, since you are so learned
and can, therefore, serve God so perfectly; but we unlearned ones, how shall
we correspond to the goodness of God and arrive at heaven?" The learned
general of the order answered him: "My brother, in order to get to heaven, it
suffices that one love God, and a poor unlearned woman can love God as well
as, maybe even better than, a great theologian." Thereupon Giles ran out into
the garden that led to the street, and filled with joy, cried aloud, "Come, ye
simple and unlearned men, and ye poor women! You can love God as well as, and
perhaps even more than, Brother Bonaventure and the greatest
theologians."
A religious of great learning, who, however, was
much troubled with doubts concerning the virginity of Mary, came to Brother
Giles for advise. The holy brother cried out, as he struck the earth with a
stick, "Yes! yes! She was a virgin before the birth of Jesus!" and immediately
a beautiful lily sprouted forth. Giles struck anew and said, "She was a virgin
during the birth," and again a lily sprouted forth. Then he beat a third time
upon the earth, saying the words, "She was a virgin after the birth," and the
third lily sprouted forth.
Finally, pure as a lily, the soul of Brother Giles
went to the vision of things divine, which he had so often contemplated. He
died on April 22, 1262, on the anniversary of his entrance into the order, to
which he had belonged for 53 years. His grave in the Franciscan church at
Perugia is highly venerated. Pope Pius VI sanctioned the veneration accorded
him from time immemorial.
CONCERNING THE GOOD INTENTION
1. What the
divinely enlightened brother said to the pope and observed so faithfully
himself, we, too, must observe. The right eye of our soul must be directed to
things of heaven, while the left eye looks at the things of this earth which
we have to deal with, that is, amid all our occupations the higher regard of
our soul should be directed towards God, so that we may do everything
according to His good pleasure and with good intention. Yes, the Apostle warns
us always to bear about in our hearts the best, the most perfect intention,
which desires nothing but the honor of God: "whether you eat or drink, or
whatsoever else you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31). If we do
everything as God wants it, and because it pleases God, we thereby promote His
honor. Have you always been thus minded at your work?
2. Consider how
precious in the sight of God our dealings become through our good intention.
In order to make our good intention most perfectly, we should unite it with
that of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The first thing in the morning it is well
to make the intention which Pope Leo XIII prescribed for the members of the
Apostleship of Prayer, offering up all our works, prayers, and sufferings of
the day, and everything else we do, for the purpose with which the Son of God,
Jesus Christ, offers Himself to the heavenly Father in all the holy Masses of
the day. What value our works must thereby acquire in the sight of God! United
with the sacrifice of His Divine Son, they appear as a part of the holy
sacrifice of His Divine Son, they appear as a part of the holy Sacrifice
itself, and as He once assured St. Gertrude, God hardly knows how to reward
such gifts sufficiently. Should that not inspire us never to forget this good
intention and to renew it often during the day?
3. Consider how a good and
pure intention in our actions preserves us in tranquility of heart and
interior peace. That is it, in fact, that makes so many people restless and
tortures them at their work but the thought of what people will say about
them, or what success they will have in the eyes of the world. "If God were
always the only object of our desires we should not easily be disturbed," says
Thomas a Kempis (1.14). Let people think of us what they may, and let us not
be fearful about the results which so often are not in our control. Doing what
is assigned to us, and directing our whole intention towards God, we shall
always preserve interior peace.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
O God, who didst deign to
raise Thy blessed confessor Giles to the height of extraordinary
contemplation, grant through his intercession that in our actions we may
always direct our intention to Thee, and through it arrive at the peace which
surpasses all understanding. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
from:
The Franciscan Book
of Saints, ed. by
Marion Habig, ofm., © 1959 Franciscan Herald
Press
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