The three closest friends to Brother Francis were Rufino, Angelo, and Leo. They are known as the “Three Companions.” All three were buried under the high altar of the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi, beside their brother, the saint. We know more about Leo than the other two. Leo was perhaps Francis’s closest friend, his confidant, companion, secretary, and confessor.
These two writings are presented together because they physically exist together on the same piece of parchment. That parchment is, in fact, one of only two extant writings we possess with the handwriting of Francis himself.
On one side is the no longer legible handwriting of Francis praising God after receiving the stigmata (according to the testimony of Brother Leo). Francis composed these “Praises to God” while descending Mount La Verna, returning from the famous forty-day Lenten fast when he received the world’s first stigmata. Some have compared this simple text of Francis to the ancient liturgical hymn of the Church known as Te Deum, saying, “It is typical of that wholeheartedness and exuberance which characterize his writings.”25
The Te Deum is commonly prayed each day at the end of Matins, or morning prayer. It begins, Te Deum laudamus (“Thee, O God, we praise”). As a testimony to Francis’s simple approach to prayer and theology, notice the beauty of his occasional repetitions in these praises to God.
Francis’s first biographer, Thomas of Celano, tells the story of the writing of these two texts in chapter 49 of his Second Life of Francis. Briefly, Brother Leo was facing some sort of serious temptation in his life and desired from Francis a word of encouragement. Yet, for whatever reason, Leo was hesitant to ask his friend—perhaps because of the solemnity of the moment upon La Verna. Nevertheless, Francis intuits Leo’s need and asks Leo to bring him some paper and ink, and he writes these praises of God, followed by a special encouragement to Leo himself.
You are holy, Lord, the only God.
You do wondrous things.
You are strong.
You are great.
You are the most high.
You are the almighty king, holy Father, king of heaven and earth.
You are three and you are one, the Lord God of gods.
You are good, every good, the highest good, Lord
God, living and true.
You are love.
You are wisdom.
You are humility.
You are patience.
You are beauty.
You are meekness.
You are a stronghold.
You are rest.
You are joy.
You are hope.
You are justice.
You are all one needs.
You are all the riches we require.
You are beauty.
You are meekness.
You are strength.
You are refreshment.
You are hope.
You are our faith.
You are our only love.
You are all our sweetness.
You are our eternal life.
Great and wonderful Lord,
God almighty, merciful Savior.
On the other side of this rough piece of parchment, preserved today in Assisi, is the utterly simple, also handwritten note from Francis known to us as “The Blessing of Brother Leo.” It appears certain that Francis wrote his good friend this blessing while they were together upon La Verna, and to do so, Francis simply repeated the beautiful priestly blessing from the Hebrew Scriptures, adding his friend’s name at the end.
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
May God bless you, Brother Leo.
Num. 6:24–26
25 Habig, St. Francis of Assisi: Omnibus, 1914.