Transit from Bonaventure's Major Legend
Story of the transit from Bonaventure's Major Legend
Approaching, at last, the moment of his transit, (Francis) called all the brothers who were there to call his presence and, trying to soften the pain they could feel at his death with words of comfort, he exhorted them with paternal Affection to the love of God. Then he went on, speaking to them about the guardianship of patience, of poverty and of fidelity to the Holy Roman Church, insisting on putting the observance of the Holy Gospel before all other norms.
Sitting around him all the brothers, he extended his hands on them, putting his arms in the shape of a cross for the love he always professed at this sign, and, by virtue and in the name of the Crucified, he blessed all the brothers both present and absent . He added later: «Stand firm, all children, in the fear of God and always remain in him. And as the test must come and the tribulation is near, happy are those who persevere in the work begun. As for me, I go to my God, to whose grace I entrust you all».
Concluded this soft exhortation, the very dear man of God commanded that the book of the gospels be brought to him and he begged that the passage of the Gospel of St. John be read, which begins like this: Before the feast of Passover (Jn 13,1). After this he sang, as he could, this psalm: In a loud voice I cry out to the Lord, in a loud voice I beg the Lord, and he recited it to the end, saying: The righteous are waiting for me until you give me the reward (Ps. 141).
Completed, finally, in Francis all the mysteries, freed his most holy soul from the bonds of the flesh and submerged in the abyss of divine clarity, this blessed man fell asleep in the Lord (St. Bonaventure, Major Legend 14, 5-6 ).
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