Fr. Roch Niemier, O.F.M.

"In 1209, as Francis of Assisi was grounding himself in Gospel living, some men from Assisi were drawn to join up with him, Bernard of Quintavalle and Peter Catanio being the first two. The said to Francis, "We wish to live with you from now on and do what you are doing. Tell us what we should do with our possessions." Francis replied, "Let us go early in the morning to the church and taking the book of the Gospel, seek counsel from Christ." So the went to the church of 'San Nicolo' (SAINT NICHOLAS), and after a brief prayer, opened the 'BOOK OF THE GOSPELS' (the Missal), three times, asking God to confirm their plan. The Scripture texts which surfaced formed the foundation for the Rule of Saint Francis, initiated the Franciscan movement in the Church and became the groundwork for every Franciscan family. All four take their inspiration from what happened that April morning, 1209. This is the origin of the Franciscan life, DAY ONE! April 2009 commemorates 800 years of that gift to the Church and the world at large." A profound book of simplicity, 48 pages, there are mumerous digital photos of the 'Missal' and related stories, and photos of the pages and Gospel texts that Francis hands opened to in 1209. This Missal (Book Of The Gospels) still exists and is at the Walter Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.