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Luchesio Modestini was a merchant in the little
town of Poggibonzi in Tuscany. More than most merchants, he was so entirely
and solely concerned with material success that he was generally reputed to be
an avaricious man. His wife, Buonadonna, was of a similar disposition. Then
the grace of God touched the husband. He realized how foolish it is to strive
only for worldly goods, of which he could take nothing with him to eternity,
meanwhile forgetting about his soul's salvation, as he had, unfortunately,
been doing until then. He began to practice works of mercy and to perform his
religious obligations with fidelity; he succeeded in winning his wife over to
a similar outlook on life.
Since they had no one to care for but themselves,
and Luchesio feared that in conducting his business he might relapse into
covetousness, he gave up his business entirely. He and his good wife divided
everything among the poor and retained for themselves only so much acreage as
would suffice for their support. Luchesio tilled this with his own
hands.
About this time St. Francis came to Tuscany. After
his sermon on penance, hosts of people desired to leave all and enter the
convent. But the saint admonished them calmly to persevere in their vocation,
for he had in mind soon to give them a special rule according to which they
could serve God perfectly even in the world.
At Poggibonzi Francis visited Luchesio, with whom
he had become acquainted through former business transactions. Francis greatly
rejoiced to find this avaricious man so altered, and Luchesio, who had already
heard about the blessed activities of Francis, asked for special instructions
for himself and his wife, so that they might lead a life in the world that
would be pleasing to God.
Francis then explained to them his plans for the
establishment of an order for lay people; and Luchesio and Buonadonna asked to
be received into it at once. This, according to tradition, they became the
first members of the Order of Penance, which later came to be called the Third
Order, (and then Secular Franciscan Order).
If Luchesio and Buonadonna were really the first
Tertiaries, they must have become such not long after St. Francis founded his
First Order in 1209. The first simple rule of life, which St. Francis gave to
the first Tertiaries at that time, was supplanted in 1221 by one which
Cardinal Ugolino prepared in legal wording. And in the same year Pope Honorius
III approved this rule verbally. For this reason the year 1221 is often given
as the date of the founding of the Third Order of St. Francis.
After Luchesio had put on the gray garment of a
Tertiary, he rapidly advanced toward perfect holiness. He practiced
penitential austerities, often fated on bread and water, slept on the hard
floor, and at his work bore God constantly in his heart. His generosity to the
poor knew no bounds, so that one day there was not even a loaf of bread for
his own household. When still another poor man came, he asked his wife to look
whether there was not something they could find for him. That vexed her and
she scolded him severely; his mortifications, she said, had well nigh crazed
him, he would keep giving so long that they themselves would have to suffer
hunger. Luchesio asked her gently to please look in the pantry, for he trusted
in Him who had multiplied a few loaves for the benefit of thousands. She did
so, and the marvel of it! The whole pantry was filled with the best kind of
bread. From that time on Buonadonna vied with her husband in doing
good.
When a plague raged in Poggibonzi and the
surrounding places, Luchesio went out with his laden donkey, to bring the
necessaries to the sick. When he did not have enough to supply all, he begged
for more from others in behalf of the distressed.
Once he carried a sick cripple, whom he had found
on the way, to his home on his shoulders. A frivolous young man met him, and
asked him mockingly, "what poor devil is that you are carrying there on your
back?" Luchesio replied calmly. "I am carrying my Lord Jesus Christ." At once
the young man's face became distorted, he cried out fearfully, and was dumb.
Contritely he cast himself on his knees before Luchesio, who restored his
speech to him by means of the Sign of the Cross.
The time had come when the faithful servant of God
was to receive the reward for his good works. When he lay very ill, and there
was no hope for his recovery, his wife said to him, "Implore God, who gave us
to each other as companions in life, to permit us also to die together."
Luchesio prayed as requested. and Buonadonna fell ill with a fever, from which
she died even before her husband, after devoutly receiving the holy
sacraments. Luchesio passed away with holy longing for God on April 28, 1260.
At his grave in the Franciscan church at Poggibonzi many miracles have
occurred. His continuous veneration as Blessed was approved by Pope Pius
VI.
CONCERNING IMPERISHABLE TREASURES
1. Christ our
Lord says in His Gospel: "The kingdom of heaven is like to a merchant seeking
good pearls. Who when he had found one pearl of great price, went his way, and
sold all that he had, and bought it" (Matt 13:45-46). Such a merchant was
Blessed Luchesio, since, having been enlightened by grace, he found the costly
pearl of true godliness. Then he desisted from his covetous chase after
perishable goods, gave them up in order to inherit imperishable treasures,
which now delight him in his beatitude with God, and will be his eternal joy.
May we, too, find this costly pearl!
2. Consider what folly, on the other
hand, it is to strive after temporal goods as is done by so many people. They
place their body and soul in danger; they have troubles here on earth and
hereafter. The body is exposed to fatigue, hardships, privations, and even
danger to life; through falsehood and deceit, through disregard of the
commandments of God and of the Church, the soul becomes laden with much guilt.
And in the end, what does man achieve with the temporal goods he has acquired?
"As he came forth naked from his mother's womb, so shall he return, and shall
take nothing away with him of his labor" (Eccl 5:14). Must the same judgement
perhaps be passed concerning your endeavors?
3. Consider that not everybody
in this world can act as did Blessed Luchesio. Not everyone is free of
obligations toward others, who are perhaps entrusted to his temporal care, nor
has everyone the grace and the vocation for such extraordinary virtues. If
anyone believes himself called by God in that way, he should seek counsel with
his spiritual director. But everyone can and should strive, while following
his occupation and business, to gather at the same time eternal and
imperishable goods. He can do that if he conducts his temporal business as the
special vocation assigned to him by God to acquire a livelihood for himself
and his family; if through it he endeavors to be of service to his fellowmen;
if he tries to promote Christian morality according to the best of his power,
himself setting the good example; if, finally, he does not endeavor greedily
to hoard what he acquires, but uses it well, gladly sharing it with those in
need. "Blessed is the rich man who is found without blemish; and who has not
gone after gold, nor put his trust in money nor in treasures" (Eccl
31:8).
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
O God, who in the
plentitude of Thy mercy didst call Blessed Luchesio to penance and didst
permit him to shine by the merits of piety and liberality, grant us at his
intercession, that in imitation of his example, we may produce worthy fruits
of penance, and through works of piety and charity merit forgiveness. Through
Christ or Lord. Amen.
from:
The Franciscan Book
of Saints, ed. by
Marion Habig, ofm., © 1959 Franciscan Herald
Press
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