Dangerous Words Little Flowers of Francis of Assisi Where God Happens Love Burning in the Soul The Unknown Sayings of Jesus The Practice of the Presence of God The Pocket Thomas Merton On the Prayer of Jesus Meister Eckhart, from Whom God Hid Nothing

The tales of the birds and the wolf in previous stories are less about Saint Francis as a spiritually besotted “nature boy” than they are powerful representations of certain spiritual states. So, too, here: the poor, feckless turtledoves described here, ransomed with gentleness and love, are meant to be symbols of innocence and passivity in the spiritual life, illustrated best by Saint Francis himself who speaks to them as his “little sisters.”

A young man who had caught a great number of turtledoves was taking them to market when he crossed paths with Saint Francis, who had always felt a great compassion in his heart for these gentle animals. Casting a merciful eye toward the turtledoves, he said to the young man, “Be a good boy, and let me have those birds, would you? Doves are such sweet little animals that Holy Scripture likens them to the faithful, pure, and humble among us. I would hate to see them fall into the cruel hands of those who would put them to death.” Without a thought, inspired by God, the young man handed them all to Saint Francis. Holding them close to his chest, Saint Francis began to speak to them softly, “Oh my dear little sisters, so simple, so innocent, so pure, why did you let yourselves be taken like this? I will now see to it that you escape the fate of death and will have, each of you, your own little nest, so you can be fruitful and multiply, as the Creator has commanded you to do.”

And so Saint Francis did, making nests for them, where, some time later, in front of the brothers, they began to lay their eggs and hatch them, going about with Saint Francis and the other brothers as tamely as a brood of hens that had been raised by them. Nor did they ever leave the brothers, even when Saint Francis gave them his blessing and bid them to depart.

To the young man who had given the turtledoves to him, Saint Francis said, “My young man, you will be a brother in this Order and you will graciously serve Jesus Christ.” And so it was that the young man became a friar and lived a holy life in the Order.

Praise be to Jesus Christ and his poor servant Francis. Amen.