Introduction

The Legenda de Origine Ordinis fratrum Servorum Virginis Mariae (LO) – a title added by the copier at the end of the document – or Introduction to the Legenda beati Philippi servorum beatae Virginis Mariae – as the title at the beginning has it –, narrates the history of the beginnings of the Order of the Servants of Mary: the experience of the first group of the seven from 1233 to 1249/51 and consequent developments up to 1267, the beginning of the Generalate of Saint Philip Benizi.

The LO has come down to us through one manuscript, preserved in the Servite General Archives in Rome. It is a copy, as can be seen from the mistakes made in various places by the copier. The manuscript comes from the 14th century more precisely, perhaps, 1375 when a parchment was purchased in Florence for a copy of the "book of the beginnings of the Order" (F. TOZZI, Libro degli spogli, segnato A, in the year 1375).

The document, as it has come down to us, must have been drawn up shortly after 1317, as the author himself tells us. "This year", he writes, "the body of one of these fathers of ours was solemnly moved, and by divine providence I happened to be present" (LO, 4). This was the translation of the body of Saint Philip Benizi which happened in the 10th of June 1317 in Todi, as the Legenda "toscana" or "vulgata" of the saint tells us (no. 33). Fra Peter of Todi, prior general from 1314 to 1344, was present at the translation. The document is usually attributed to him, even though other authors have been suggested.

The text is easily divided into three parts:

A. An introductory part, consisting of the preface and chapters I-II (nos. 1-14), centered on the figure of Saint Philip Benizi and his relationship with the Order, of which the honor and the obligations deriving from the fact of having been founded directly by "Our Lady" are underlined.

B. A central part which is a real Legenda de Origine and which sketches out, without any precise references to people or dates, the spiritual journey and the first developments of the first group of Servites: chapters III-XII (nos. 15-49).

C. A third part consisting of chapters XIII-XV (nos. 50-62), primarily of a historical nature, taking up the theme interrupted at chapter II, clarifying the role of Saint Peter of Verona in the evolution of the original group of Servants in the years 1244-45 and the successive steps of its development into juridically recognized communities, up to 1267, on the basis of those concessions granted by the popes from 1255 onwards, which foreshadowed the structured that the Order would assumed after the approval of Benedict XI in the bull Dum levamus (1304).

As can be seen, the document contains more than what we could expect when we read its title. But this, as has been said, is not the real title of the work; the copier who wrote the codex that has come down to us, added it at the end. The LO is more than a history of the origins of the Order. The introduction (nos. 1-6) the author says he wishes to collect examples of the "fathers" of the Order among whom the most famous is Saint Philip: he promises to write immediately afterwards a legenda about him, which at present we do not have.

The LO is therefore a composite work which connects together the figure of Saint Philip and the beginnings of the Order with the intention of demonstrating this thesis: the Order has been directly founded by the Virgin who made use for this purpose of seven men specially gifted with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and who intended this Order, "hers" in a special way, to be illuminated by the teaching and by the holiness of Philip, and who disposed that the Order should begin in the same year as the saint was born, 1233, and that it should be completed in all structures at the time when Philip entered 1254. To prove this thesis made more believable by a few adaptations of dates and facts, the author makes use of the testimony of one of the Seven, Alexis, whose life and death in 1310 he describes.

The document which we have is not therefore either a simple legenda del beato Filippo, as the title at the beginning would have us believe, or a legenda de origine Ordinis as the final sentence declares. A deeper analysis of the content, of the lexicography and of the morphology has demonstrated the different layers of the text in which the final editor has inserted more ancient documents, either citing them literally in some cases or interpolating them in others. This editing explains the diversity of styles and theological thinking in different parts of the LO, the different ways of referring to the Scriptures, to the Fathers, and the narrative sources, the repetitions, or contradictions and the forced connections.

In the course of the research on the text it became ever clearer that there was, beyond the 14th century presentation, a more archaic text going back to a time just after the community experience of the Servant culminating in the stay at Monte Senario.

This ancient nucleus, the real Legenda de origine, is centered in the religious experience of "our glorious fathers", beginning from the time when they were still living in the world (nos. 20-21, the last two paragraphs of chapter III), and then recounting their friendship and their retreat from the world (chapter VI: nos. 29-31), their community life outside the gates of Florence and later at Monte Senario (chaps. VII-IX: nos. 35-35), the decision of receiving new bothers and opening new priories (chap. XII: nos. 46-49).

This 13th century section has not only a different vocabulary but also a different theological and spiritual basis. It is a theocentric concept, based on the penitential and contemplative journey of those who began the Order, beginning from an act of entrusting themselves to the "Queen of Heaven, the most glorious Virgin Mary, mediatrix and advocate" (no. 18), and continued with the search, like Abraham, of the holy mountain where they can have a meeting with God and, in Him with their brothers. There is constant reference to Holy Scripture and, even if some of the citations are common place in the literary and religious ambient of the age, this is original and allows us to penetrate more closely into the heart of the monastic life lived on Monte Senario.

Only this ancient section speaks about Monte Senario. The author names it Sonario (no. 41) or Sonaia (no. 42) even though he knows the popular name of Monte Asinario, which he considers a corruption of the original title. The documents for the period 1241-1246 in our possession are an exact reflection of this situation: the use of monte Asinario in documents outside the Servite Order, a particular and significant use of monte Sonaio, Sonaia and Sonario in the documents that pertain to the Order. After 1256 all mention of the mountain disappears from the documentation of the Order itself; therefore the fact that the editor of the central section of the LO seems to be so well informed about the different forms of the same name and demonstrates also a direct knowledge of the place, indicates the great antiquity of this section. Monte Senario seems then to be at the height of its vitality: from the mountain there spreads the echo of the holy life of the glorious men that lived there and up to the mountain come people who want to draw light from their lives or even to share more concretely in their experience.

A different spiritual climate is found in the parts that can be attributed to the final editor, that is the forward, chapters I-II, part of the third chapter, the final chapters XIIXV and the connecting chapters IV-V and VII. Here at the center have to be found the action of the Virgin and the fundamental events of the life of Saint Philip, who is the great model presented for the imitation of all Servants.

The final 14th century editor, therefore, has incorporated in his work preceding narrative sources which go back to a time close to the origins. He declares that he has made scrupulous investigations by means of friars who knew these times, in particular, fra Alexis, one of the Seven. He asked him for much information about the origins of the Order; this he subsequently wrote down on a piece of paper which, through an unfortunate accident, was lost (no. 26). He also cites a very important source for the reconstruction of the origins De origine Ordinis, written by Saint Philip; but this document too was lost through unknown causes or perhaps even through the carelessness of the friars (nos. 13 and 14). In reality the author well knows of the existence of this document of which he makes use in his work and which, in all probability is to be identified with the ancient nucleus of the LO.

His intention is to create a work able to offer a synthetical vision of the origins and of the development of the Order. By means of the mention of the repeated interventions of the Virgin, the commitment to Marian service, the figure of Philip and the witness of fra Alexis, he seeks to harmonize the Marian character which the Order already had at the start of in the 14th century and the fundamental primitive elements. This attempt to study the original inspiration in the light of the new historical circumstances has given rise to a work of great dedication, the expression of a rich religious personality well grounded in theology and philosophy, and concerned to preserve the Order in faithfulness to the holy life of which his glorious fathers remain undoubted models.

Editions

Legenda de origine Ordinis fratrum Servorum Virginis Mariae auctore incerto 1317, ed. A. Morini, in Monumenta OSM, I, Bruxelles 1897, p. 55-105 (introduction, p. 55-60; text, p. 60-105).

A. M. ROSSI, Codice mariano: La "Legenda de origine ordinis Servorum Virginis Mariae". Versione, commento e testo, Rome 1951 (text, p. 99-152).

[E. M. TONIOLO], La "Legenda de origine Ordinis" dei Servi di Maria, Latin text and Italian translation edited by D. PIERACCIONI, Rome 1982.

Bibliography

F. A. DAL PINO, I frati Servi di s. Maria, I, p. 239-439.

F. A. DAL PINO, I "viri gloriosi parentes nostri" fondatori dell’Ordine dei Servi, in Spazi e figure lungo la storia dei Servi di santa Maria (sec. XIII-XX). Rome 1997, p. 449-526.

P. M. GRAFFIUS, Quale immagine dei Sette Santi dalla "Legenda de origine Ordinis?", in I Sette Santi nel primo centenario della canonizzazione (1888- 1988). Convegno di studio promosso dalla Pontificia facoltà teologica Marianum in collaborazione con l’Istituto storico OSM, Rome 3-8 October 1988. Edited by E. PERETTO. Rome 1990, p. 218-255 (Scripta Pontificiae facultatis theologicae "Marianum", 42; nova series, 14).

D. M. MONTAGNA, Nuove ricerche filologiche sulla "Legenda de origine Ordinis fratrum Servorum". Due citazioni dell’Etica di Aristotele (LO, 19), in Studi Storici OSM, 27 (1977), p. 165-168; Echi di esperienza monastica a Monte Senario nel Duecento (rilettura della "Legenda de origine Ordinis fratrum Servorum"), in Studi Storici OSM, 29 (1979), p. 233-240.

P. M. SUÁREZ, Spiritualità mariana dei frati Servi di Maria nei documenti agiografici del secolo XIV, in Studi Storici OSM, 9 (1959), p. 126-129 and passim; 10 (1960), p. 1-41.

TEXT

In Praise of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ

INTRODUCTION TO THE LEGENDA OF BLESSED PHILIP OF THE SERVANTS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

1. Our purpose here is to extol a group of godly men[1] who, second only to the Lord[2], deserve to be called our spiritual fathers. It was they who begot us, in the Order, by the holiness of their word and example. It was they who, like fathers, watched over us and saw to it that we had spiritual food for our nourishment; they took in hand our upbringing in knowledge, art and science, pointing out to us the best and surest way to attain a holy life. This they did in the Order by offering themselves to God, every thought, word and deed, in humility of heart[3]. They chose the path of truth[4] and lived according to its laws without wavering.

Willingly dedicating their whole lives to the Lord, they made our Order in their own day pleasing to God and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Even more, through their prayers they won this favor: that the Order would continue after them and into the future, God willing, and would count saintly friars among its members. The Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary were pleased by the lives of these godly men who began our Order and graciously accepted the service they so wholeheartedly gave.

We are able to prove this, first of all, by the fact that even while they were alive the Lord enhanced their lives with many wonders and miracles. When they were dying, signs and other prodigies showed that their souls were very dear to him. And afterwards he proved beyond doubt that these fathers of ours were with him in eternal glory by working through their merits yet more signs and wonders.

2. If we can keep before our eyes the word and example with which these fathers of ours spiritually begot us; if we can learn about how they lived and made themselves and the Order pleasing to the Lord, then we will find ourselves speaking and acting like they did and everyone will be able to see that they have left behind sons who resemble them[5]. It will be obvious that we have taken their example, doing everything in humility of heart; that we too have chosen the path of truth, living according to its laws without wavering; and that we like them have willingly dedicated our lives to the Lord and made the Order and ourselves in our own day pleasing to God and Our Lady. By our constant prayers we will assure that the Order will continue after us too.

Just as they gave us an example to live by, we too have to leave an example for those who come after us in the Order, urging them to do the same for their successors and so on from one generation to the next. If we and those who come after us can do this, great good will come to the Order. It will be a source of tremendous joy to Our Lady; she will be wonderfully consoled in us[6], her servants, and we will be honoring her with our service, showing the world that she is worthy of every reverence. The Lord himself will be moved to endow our Order with constant spiritual gifts and graces, evidence of how pleased he is with it. There is yet another point to be made.

When people come from the world to our Order, as to one of the six biblical cities of refuge[7], and find in it without fail friars who are life-giving in what they say and do, they will be attracted to the Order by the gentleness of the example and instruction. They will never want to go away, either in body or in spirit, from this city of refuge until the end of their lives when their souls, now dead to the world and sin, will be called by Christ the High Priest[8] to unending life and be restored to complete liberty.

3. The time is fast approaching when those who lived with these blessed men, those who heard their words, saw their deeds and acts of virtue, will no longer be with us. As these eyewitnesses grow fewer and fewer, there will soon be no one left who has firsthand knowledge and can tell us stories about their lives. When I realized that the remembrance of them was in danger of being lost to the friars of our Order – and even though I felt unworthy and little suited for this task and had to rely solely on the protection and help of the Lord – I felt obliged to dedicate all my energy to search out the details of their amiable lives. Within the limits of my modest ability, I wanted to put the results into writing and make it available to any who wanted to progress in perfection, leaving a lasting record of them for all who will come afterwards.

I have done this work in a spirit of reverence and out of the profound love I have and feel I should have towards these men; I am one who has personally experienced no small gain from each one of them. I can see that this will be very useful for my Order and for all the friars of the Order who I know are eagerly looking for such information. Besides, by doing this I may be able to obtain from the Lord, through their merits and intercession, grace and glory for my soul. And what will I have accomplished?

The friars of our Order will be able to find in the Order itself a biography of these men whom they were never able to know personally. Seeing reflected therein, as in a flawless mirror[9], the image of their soul, the readers will nourish the beauties they see there and root out with tears of penance the defects that become apparent.

4. There is yet another reason for my decision to take on this task, even though I know I am not worthy. This year the body of one of these fathers of ours was solemnly moved[10], and by divine providence I happened to be present. During the ceremony and before my very eyes, God worked many miracles through the merits of his saint. I will say more about that later.

But what I saw convinced me that I should research his life and miracles, leaving in writing for the friars a record also of this great man. In fact, I could probably be accused of ingratitude if I did not do this, at least to the best of my ability, after having received such a special grace from him and having been an eyewitness to such miracles. St. Gregory says: "What experience makes impossible, love supplies"[11].

Now, many godly and praiseworthy men may have been fathers, in a spiritual sense, in the Order, even before those I intend to propose here for our imitation, and many others have also come after them. Still, more than all the others in our Order, these deserve to be held up as models for our friars, because they were more noted than the rest for their virtue and for what they said and did. I would apply this first and foremost to blessed Philip. He is justifiably put ahead of all the others as a model for the Order because he gave himself without stint to its essential obligations and in so doing served Our Lady faithfully and perfectly. Consider his chastity; his example urges us to curb the desires of the flesh. Reflecting on his poverty, we come to count as refuse[12] all the riches of the world. And his obedience teaches us to submit our will to the Lord.

5. I was filled with a desire to find out (and other friars urged me in this direction) as much as I possibly could about the life of this blessed man and with the greatest possible certainty. So, in this very same year I visited every house of our Order accessible to me, places where I had heard there was still any friar who had known him personally while he was alive. Some perhaps had lived in the same house with him or perhaps had accompanied him on his trips. I talked to them in great detail about his daily life, his death, his miracles.

From their very own mouths, from these trustworthy men, I gathered what little information they still remembered. It was little, I say, in contrast to the many, many virtuous and miraculous things he did in his lifetime. Of course, the main reason I found so little information was that more than thirty-two years had passed since his death. Few and far between were the friars I could track down who had lived at his time and were with us still. But among them I was able to find some who were very trustworthy, of exemplary and holy life. From these then I gathered my facts, everything I could find on the life of the holy man. I ascertained that other persons were also in agreement with these facts. But much time had already passed and the few people I have mentioned did not remember much about his life and miracles.

There was another very particular obstacle to my research. This holy man had an amazing habit of keeping his miracles and pious works hidden from his brethren, so that only on the rare occasion when he could not prevent it were they aware of them. Very meager therefore were the facts that came to the attention of the friars.

I gathered up what little there was, as I have said, like so many fragments[13] left in the memory of these few friars. I have put them into some kind of order and sequence as well as I could, sometimes keeping chronological integrity, other times making some changes I felt necessary.

6. I decided that I should write as thorough a biography of blessed Philip as possible. This meant that I had to investigate not only his life while in the Order but also his family and the events of his earlier years. And so I made a visit to the city, to the very street and house where he was born and raised, where he lived right up to the time he entered the Order. I found there a surviving nephew of his, a certain Fra Forte[14], who was almost eighty years old. And on the same street I interviewed another venerable old man named Fecino. He too, like the nephew, was a well-respected man of holy life. In spite of his almost one hundred years, he had all his wits about him and his memory was good. He had a house of his own on that street and had always lived near the home of Philip. From both of these men I got many reliable facts about his family and his activities as a young layman.

I have laid out this story in fifteen orderly chapters. This way, those who are interested will be able to follow his life in detail; and others who want to use this book as a spiritual vade mecum will be able to find easily selections they want.