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The Life and Legends of Saint Francis of Assisi by Father Candide Chalippe
page 40 of 498 (08%)

God had imprinted in his heart great feelings of compassion for the
poor, which increased from his infancy, and which induced him to afford
them liberal aid, so that, following the Gospel precept, "Give to every
one that asketh thee," he made a resolution to give to all who should
ask alms of him, and principally if they should solicit it for the
love of God. This feeling for the love of God had its effect upon him,
even then, notwithstanding his dissipation; he could seldom hear the
expression made use of, as he has since admitted, without being sensibly
affected. It having once happened to him, in the hurry of business,
to turn away a poor person who had asked a charity for the love of
God, his conscience smote him immediately, and he ran after the poor
man, relieved him amply, and made a promise to God that he would never
refuse a single individual as long as it was in his power, when an
alms should be asked for His love,--a promise which he faithfully kept
to his death, and which, as St. Bonaventure remarks, was of essential
service in increasing the grace and love of God in his heart. What is
there more likely to bring down the grace of conversion and
sanctification, and increase the love of God, than the practice of
works of mercy?

The amiable qualities of Francis rendered him a favorite throughout
the town, where he was looked up to as the flower of the youth, and
great hopes were entertained for the future in his regard. A man of
simple manners, but enlightened from above, caused a still greater
esteem to be entertained for him. When he met him in the streets, he
spread his cloak on the ground before him, and as a reason for showing
him so unusual a mark of respect, exclaimed:--"This young man will
soon do great things: he will deserve all sorts of honors, and will
be revered by the faithful." Francis, who was unconscious of the designs
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