Act III scene 2

ACT III

scene 2 “The Third Order”

Setting: forest near Assisi; then, a ship; then a small church (San Damiano).

(CURTAIN CLOSED: WOLF & FRANCIS at one side of the stage)

WOLF: Three!  You have three orders?  The men are the friars, the first order, right?

FRANCIS: Right.

WOLF: And the women are the Poor Clares, the second order.  And rightly so, that women should be second to the men.  But what can the third order be?  If neither men nor women?  Wolves?  Can I join?

FRANCIS: Hey!  That’s not a bad idea.  But you could form a fourth order, animals.  Yes, but I wonder what the Pope would say.   You’re wrong, though, about the women being second just because they aren’t men.  They’re the second order because the men’s order was founded first.  It never occurred to me to have women with us.  It wouldn’t be proper for women to live in ruined churches, begging for their food.  It wasn’t until Clare came along and convinced me that their example of poverty and prayer would be service to God.  And they help with the lepers, too.  That’s very important for all of us.  Do you know what Clare says about herself?  She says she is a flower that I planted in my Garden of Poverty.  Isn’t that wonderful?

WOLF: Yes, yes.  But you haven’t explained about the third order.  Not men, not women, not even wolves, so...?

FRANCIS: Both men and women.  Maybe married, or maybe not.  Might include priests, as the first order does, but mostly lay people like you and me.  Well, like me, anyway.  They hold jobs, have their own homes, raise families, just like everyone else. 

WOLF: I don’t understand.  If they’re like everyone else, how can they be Franciscans?

FRANCIS: They live in the world, but they are not of the world.  They live lives of poverty in that they are generous with what they have.  They hold lightly to the things of this world.  They don’t collect valuable treasures and have things that need guarding.  And they live in the spirit of chastity by being faithful to their families and not taking advantage of vulnerable people.  As for obedience, they have a Rule of Life, too.  And they make a vow to keep that Rule.  Above all, they are obedient to Our Lord Jesus Christ, making every effort to live as the Gospels teach.

WOLF: And what do these people get for following you?  The first and second orders, and the third?

FRANCIS: You know the Friars, and you’ve seen what they get, blisters on their feet and sleeping on floors with few covers and empty stomachs.  Not much for themselves, perhaps.  But there are blessings that are not obvious to outsiders.  The same is true for the Poor Clares, except that they live cloistered lives at San Damiano.    Oh, look!  Here come Luchesio and his wife, Buonadonna.  They’re members of the Third Order.  Why don’t they tell you all about being tertiaries?

(enter LUCHESIO & BUONADONNA )

WOLF: Great!  I like to get my information first hand.  Why don’t you introduce us, Brother Francis?

FRANCIS: Brother, Sister, come over here!  Sister Wolf wants to meet you.

LUCHESIO: Sister Wolf?  A wolf is our sister or brother? 

FRANCIS: Is that a problem?

BUONADONNA: We’re farmers, you know.  Wolves are not, um, usually considered friends, much less sisters and brothers.

FRANCIS: I hope you’ll make an exception in this case.

LUCHESIO: I think we can manage that.  Especially since we aren’t at the farm right now.

FRANCIS: Sister Wolf was wondering what you got out of being Third Order Franciscans.  Maybe you can tell him.

BUONADONNA: It’s a good question.  Because at first, I was not as keen as my husband.  He had been a very prosperous merchant.  As his wife, I had everything I could possibly want.  We were a lot like Brother Francis’ parents, I suppose.  He certainly recognized our greed and selfishness. 

LUCHESIO : My greed, especially.

BUONADONNA: But you, at least, were willing to listen to Brother Francis, and learn that there was a better way to live.

LUCHESIO: It wasn’t easy to hear that I should give up all our wealth.

BUONADONNA: And the lovely home, beautiful clothes, and being the envy of all the women in town.

LUCHESIO: I suppose those things meant more to my wife than to me.  But I did love to see her happy with all the things I was able to buy for her.  She definitely was not happy when I came home and suggested we give it all up and embrace a life of poverty.

BUONADONNA: No, I didn’t like that at all.  Fortunately, Brother Francis realized that as a family we couldn’t live exactly like the Friars Minor or like the Poor Clares.  But we could embrace the spirit of poverty, if not as completely as the first and second orders. 

WOLF: So where do you live, if you aren’t in your big house?

LUCHESIO: We sold the business and our beautiful house.  That gave us enough money to buy a little farm that would provide for our basic needs, and we could give the rest of the money to the poor.

WOLF: Yes.  But what do you get for all that?  You don’t have the blisters and the hungry nights, that the friars and Brother Francis seem to think are so great. Why do you want to be Franciscans?  What do you get?

FRANCIS: What do they get?  How can you ask that?  To begin with, they get the same gifts that God gives to all of us, to enjoy in this life and the next.  In addition, you’ve heard from some of my followers how they feel free in ways they never felt freedom before.  It is a life of joy and hope and wonder.

BUONADONNA: Exactly!  That’s true.  I’ve never felt so free and filled with joy than I do now.  Giving to the poor is so rewarding. Watching the food grow in the farm is better than wandering through a big house filled with expensive trinkets.

LUCHESIO: We don’t have the full joy that you mentioned, blisters and hunger, but we could do that maybe.  In our case, though, there is enough to do at the farm that keeps us to our Franciscan Rule of Life as it was approved for us as members of the Order of Penance. 

BUONADONNA: By the way, speaking of the farm..

LUCHESIO: Yes, you’re right!  We really must get back to work.  I hope we’ve answered all your questions, Sister Wolf.

WOLF: Yes.  Well, Most of my questions.   I don’t understand, though, is how being penitent all the time makes you happy.  But at least you don’t go hungry.  That’s what I really can’t understand.   How can the friars feel joy when they are hungry?  Being hungry never makes me joyful!  Anyway, I’m glad to have met you.  And I’ll remember you whenever I pass a farm, that you are Franciscans, too.

FRANCIS: Good-bye Brother Luchesio and Sister Buonadonna!  Pax et bonum! 

(exit LUCHESIO and BUONADONNA)

WOLF: Three orders, eh?  You know what I keep thinking of?  Your idea of a fourth order for us in the animal kingdom.

FRANCIS: I think that was your idea.

WOLF: Maybe.  But you said you liked it.

FRANCIS: I do.  I’ll have to give it more thought.  I’m not sure I could get a pope to go along with it, though, so don’t get your hopes up.  Besides, we have other things to consider now though.  I’ll need your help.

(exit WOLF & FRANCIS to opposite sides of the stage)