"Brother Leo, wish your Brother Francis health and peace! I want to say this, my son, as a mother would. My response to all the words we spoke along the way I would sum up in a brief counsel; and should you wish to come to me later for my advice, this is what I would say: Whatever seems best to you in order to serve the Lord God and to follow his footsteps and his poverty, do it with the blessing of the Lord God and with the blessing of my obedience. And if you believe it is necessary for the good of your soul or for your consolation to come to me, and you want to come, then, Leo, do come!" --Parchment written by the hand of Francis himself. It is kept in the Cathedral of Spoleto, Italy.Francis summed up his counsel to Brother Leo by telling him to do what best enables him to serve the Lord God and adds that he should do it with the blessing of the Lord. "Blessing" means "favor and protection." I recently read another's thoughts on blessing whatever comes into your life--even the difficult things. Using Francis's words to "do it with the blessing of the Lord" is actually the same thing since God does not let anything come into our life that can't be used for good. By "blessing" everything in our lives we are acknowledging that God is right there with us and for us.
