they placed in it a relic of the sepulchre of the Blessed Virgin, and
because the altar was consecrated by the title of her glorious
Assumption. In the sixth century it was given to the Religious of the
Order of St. Benedict, who enlarged and strengthened it; and it was
afterwards called St. Mary of the Angels." We shall soon explain the
reason of this. It was also called Portiuncula, because of some portions
of ground which the Benedictines of Mount Saubazo possessed in the
vicinity.

We can easily understand that a man without any property, who was poor
and a beggar, could not have accomplished these works without assistance
from above; but St. Bonaventure finds in it a still further mystery.
He says that Divine Providence, who guided Francis in all his actions,
preordained things in such manner, that he repaired three churches
previous to instituting there his orders, in order that the material
temples should be the types of the three spiritual edifices which he
was to raise up; and that passing from what is perceptible to the
senses, to what is only apparent to the mind, and rising gradually to
what is still more elevated, he was enabled to give to the Church of
Jesus Christ three descriptions of soldiery able to combat for the
reformation of morals, and worthy to triumph gloriously in heaven. We
may add, that the austerities, labors, and humiliations of the servant
of God had been for the two previous years as so many strokes of the
hammer, which rendered him a chosen and living foundation-stone on
which these sacred edifices might be based. Such is the method which
is adopted by our Lord. He prepares all things, and brings them
successively to perfection; instead of which, men are always hurried,
and often endeavor in the way to perfection to advance faster than the
grace which directs them.