St. Bonaventure accomplished great things for the Church and the Franciscan Order in his lifetime. Doctor of the Church, Second Founder of the Franciscan Order, and friend of St. Thomas Aquinas are his most famous titles.
His humility is often lost in the glow of his achievements. Some legends exist, however, which illustrate the sheer depth of this virtue in him.
Take the story of his elevation to cardinal, for instance.
Legend has it that papal legates sought him out at his residence, bringing with them his new and important galero—the special red hat worn by cardinals. Imagine the legates’ surprise when they found this newly-elevated personage outside, scrubbing away at the day’s dishes.
Wet and soapy, Bonaventure calmly indicated a tree and asked the legates to hang the galero on its branches while he dried his arms.
It’s difficult to picture the reactions of the legates, but Bonaventure’s unintentional lesson in humility surely left a big impression.
This humble task of washing his own dishes—when, as a busy and important priest, he could easily have assigned the housework to someone else—reminds us that the mundane really can lead us to angelic heights of sanctity.
In honor of the Seraphic Doctor and his model, the Seraphic Father—St. Francis of Assisi—take up the practice of the Franciscan (also called Seraphic) Rosary. A string of seven decades, this beautiful and powerful rosary focuses on the Seven Joys of Our Lady. Make it your devotional today with The Catholic Company!
