118. Mindful that our ultimate end is God, to Whom each of us ought to attend and aspire, and into Whom we should strive to be transformed through the Immaculate, we exhort all the Friars to direct their every thought to that end and to turn to it, with every possible yearning of love, all their intentions and desires, so that with their whole heart, mind and soul, power and strength, with actual, continuous, intense and pure affection, they may unite themselves with their supremely Good Father (cf. Mt. 22:37).

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119. Since it is impossible to reach the ends without the means, let each one cast aside as useless and disastrous, whatever could mislead or preclude us from the way of salvation. Let the Friars not be solicitous about irrelevant matters, but choose those things that are useful and necessary to lead us to God. Such are the highest poverty, spotless chastity, humble obedience, and the other theological virtues taught to us by the Son of God, by word and example, in His own person and in His Saints.

 

120. Because we are Friars Minor, the least of all, we are perfectly content with performing the most menial tasks. We do all of our own cooking, cleaning, gardening and maintenance. The Friars shall not have any others do for us what we can do for ourselves. Only when a project far exceeds the capability and expertise of the Friars are they permitted to ask the assistance of our spiritual friends and benefactors. Even when this is necessary, the Friars shall assist them to the best of their abilities.

 

121. Friars may have the use of the necessary tools for our daily work. In keeping with holy poverty, the Friars shall not have power tools. With the permission of the Guardian, power tools may be borrowed from a benefactor and returned as soon as the task for which it was borrowed is complete. Let the Friars call to mind that all the things that we have and use must be few, poor and necessary (Norms VI:5, 6). A Friar is to be appointed by the Minister General to the task of construction manager in order to oversee all the operations of any building project Norms V6f.)

 

122. There will be certain times that we will have the need of employed professional services. With the permission of the Minister General the Guardian can ask our spiritual friends and benefactors to pay for a particular work or Friary need. Let them remember that this provision is for only extreme and infrequent necessities (Norms IV: 1).

 

123. For as much as it is very difficult for a man to have his mind always raised to God, and to avoid idleness, the root of many evils (cf. Wis. 33:29), to give good example to our fellow men, to be less burdensome to the world, to follow the example of Saint Paul who worked while he preached (cf. 1Cor. 4:11-12), and of many other saints, to observe the admonition to labor, given us by our Seraphic Father in his Rule (cf. R.B. 7), and to conform ourselves to his will, expressed in his Testament (cf. Testament 4), we ordain that the Friars, when not engaged in spiritual exercises, shall occupy themselves with some honest manual labor. They shall not fail, as far as human frailty will permit, to occupy their minds in some spiritual meditation.

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124. Let the Friars take heed not to make work their sole object, nor to set their affections upon it, nor to become so engrossed in it as to extinguish, diminish or weaken the spirit to which all things should be subservient. With their eyes fixed on God, let them take the highest and shortest road, so that labor imposed on man by God (cf. Gn. 3:17-19), accepted and commanded by the Saints as a means of preserving interior recollection, may not become an occasion of distraction and laxity.

 

125. Let every Friar remember that evangelical poverty consists in not having any affection for earthly things, using the goods of this world most sparingly, as if by constraint, forced by necessity and for the Glory of God to Whom we are indebted for all. Whatever is over and above their own needs, they shall for the honor of poverty give it to the poor. We should also remember that we dwell in an inn and “eat the sins of the people”, and that we shall be called upon to render a strict account of everything.

 

126. The devout Saint Bernard was wont to say that nothing is more precious than time, and that nothing is less esteemed. He also warns us that we shall be rigorously examined as to how we have spent our allotted time. We exhort all our brethren never to be idle, nor to spend their time in matters of little or no importance, much less in vain or useless conversation, let them always bear in mind the fearful warnings of the Infallible Truth that, for every idle word we speak we shall render an account on the day of judgment (cf. Mt. 12:36). Let the Friars, therefore, spend all their time in praiseworthy, honest, and useful occupations, either of mind or body. Let them do this for the Glory of the Divine Majesty and the honor of the Immaculate, and for the edification and good to all our brethren and fellow men, religious and secular.