The Salutation of the Virtues

The Salutation of the Virtues
by St. Francis of Assisi

English version by Regis J. Armstrong, OFM CAP & Ignatius C. Brady, OFM
Original Language Italian

Hail, Queen Wisdom, may the Lord protect you
   with your sister, holy pure Simplicity.
Lady, holy Poverty, may the Lord protect you
   with your sister, holy Humility.
Lady, holy Charity, may the Lord protect you
   with your sister, holy Obedience.
O most holy Virtues, may the Lord protect all of you,
   from Whom you come and proceed.
There is surely no one in the entire world
   who can possess any one of you
   unless he dies first.
Whoever possesses one of you
   and does not offend the others,
   possesses all.
And each one destroys vices and sins.
Holy Wisdom destroys
   Satan and all his subtlety.
Pure holy Simplicity destroys
   all the wisdom of this world
   and the wisdom of the body.
Holy Poverty destroys
   the desire of riches
   and avarice
   and the cares of this world.
Holy Humility destroys
   pride
   and all the people who are in the world
   and all the things that belong to the world.
Holy Charity destroys
   every temptation of the devil and of the flesh
   and every carnal fear.
Holy Obedience destroys
   every wish of the body and of the flesh
   and binds its mortified body
   to obedience of the Spirit
   and to obedience of one's brother
and the person who possesses her is subject and submissive
   to all persons in the world
   and not to man only
   but even to all beasts and wild animals
   so that they may do whatever they want with him
   inasmuch as it has been given to them from above by the Lord.

Pax et bonum