The Gospel considered today is a hymn of praise to God the Father by Jesus, in the dimension of the weakness and vulnerability of the little ones.

He had experienced the disappointment of the "great ones", suspicious of his wonders.

Instead of asking the Father for help, as Son he praises him in his dark moments.

Looking at our Poor Man, all this is evident.

Short in stature, humble in spirit and a minor by profession, Francis of Assisi made littleness his existential and spiritual mark - and he taught his brothers the same.

To be humble and minimal in the following of the Lord was the essential trait of the friar - precisely minor - who wanted to live in communion at the Portiuncula.

Addressing the great and wise of this world, the Saint found resistance in making his proposal of poverty and essentiality of life understood.

They often replied to him:

"The poverty you seek, remain for ever with you, and your children, and your descendants after you" (cf. FF 1964).

In the Sources we find again that "Blessed Francis, hearing these words, marvelled in his heart and gave thanks to God, saying:

"Be blessed, O Lord God, who has kept these things hidden from the wise and prudent and revealed them to the little ones!

Yea, O Father, for thus it pleased thee!

O Lord, Father and master of my life, do not abandon me in their gathering, nor let me fall into that shame, but by your grace grant me to find what I seek, for I am your servant and the Son of your handmaid'" (FF 1965).

Furthermore, it must be remembered that "The servant of God, Francis, small in stature, humble of spirit and a minor by profession, while he lived here on earth, chose for himself and his brothers a small portion of the world [...] and they were certainly inspired by God who, in ancient times, called the place Porziuncola, the place that fell to those who did not want to possess anything on this earth [...].

There stood in this place a church dedicated to the Virgin Mother who, by her particular humility, deserved, after her Son, to be Sovereign of all Saints.

It was here that the Order of the Minors began, and their noble edifice rose wide and harmonious, as if resting on a solid foundation.

The Saint loved this place more than any other, and commanded the friars to venerate it with special devotion.

He wanted it always to be kept as a mirror of the Order in humility and highest poverty, reserving its ownership to others and keeping its use for himself and his own only" (FF 604).

So littleness was an eloquent sign of his being a child of God.

Precisely from such a position of hiddenness, in the difficult and obscure periods of his journey of faith, Francis raised to God the Father the praise for what he was doing:

"Most High, Almighty, good Lord,

To Thee be praise, glory and honour, and every blessing [...]

Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures [...]" (FF 263).

Francis composed such a masterpiece in the cruellest and most suffering moment of his life, ill and in darkness.

Yet, he raised to God an authentic hymn of praise.

Like Jesus, who at the moment of loneliness and apparent defeat, of failure, raised his voice to the Father - to bless and praise him.

The blind alley and the darkness became a source of inspiration, and of a deeper relationship with the Lord; combined with that vulnerable littleness, entrusted to the Father for his Kingdom.

Saturday 26th wk. in O.T. (Lk 10:17-24)

Today is the Feast of the one who gave meaning and roots to Franciscanism. The Gospel chosen is that of Jesus turning to the Father to thank Him for revealing the Mysteries of the Kingdom to the little ones. And he, Francis, is the Little One, the meek par excellence.

In the Sources, the littleness of this Giant of the Gospel is summed up thus:

"Another time he confessed to his companions:

"Among other graces, the Most High has bestowed on me this: I would obey the novice who entered the Order today, if he were my guardian, as if he were the first and oldest of the brothers.

Indeed, the subject must not consider in the prelate the man, but He for whose sake he submits to a man".

He also said:

"There would not be a prelate in the whole world, feared by his subjects and brothers as much as the Lord would have me feared by my brothers, should I wish it.

But the Most High has given me this grace: to know how to adapt myself to everyone, as if I were the smallest friar in the Order".

We have seen with our own eyes repeatedly, we who have lived with Francis, the truth of this statement of his.

On several occasions, when certain brothers did not assist him in his needs, or some word was addressed to him that produced agitation, the Saint immediately withdrew to pray.

And when he returned, he did not want to remember the insult, saying: 'That friar neglected me!', or: 'He said this word to me'.

And the closer he came to death, the more concerned he was to live and die in all the perfection of humility and poverty' (FF 1663).

He was humble and meek not only with superiors but also with peers and inferiors, content to be admonished and corrected by them.

One day, crossing a farmer's field on a donkey, because he was weak, the latter pointed out to him that he was in life really what they said about him:

'Look,' said the farmer, 'be as good as everyone says you are, because many people trust you. That is why I exhort you never to behave differently from what is hoped'.

At these words, Francis got down from the donkey and, prostrating himself before the peasant, he kissed his feet several times, humbly thanking him that he had deigned to admonish him [...].

He thought himself vile before God and men' (FF 726).

And in the Salutation to the Virtues, written by him, we read:

"Holy humility/ confounds pride/ and all men that are in the world/ and likewise all things that are in the world" (FF 258).

"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and revealed them to the little ones" (Mt 11:25).

S. Francis of Assisi, saint patron of Italy (Mt 11:25-30)

Luke emphasises Jesus' mandate to his own, highlighting how they were to be itinerants of the Gospel.

"Go! Behold, I send you as lambs among wolves. Do not carry a bag, nor a saddlebag, nor sandals, nor greet anyone on the way" (Lk 10:3-4).

After meeting the Lord, Francis considered the proclamation of the Kingdom of God as fundamental.

To all those he met he gave the greeting received by divine revelation: "May the Lord give you Peace!

Based on Jesus' mandate to his disciples, he also sent the brothers to preach the Good News, two by two, recommending to live in strict poverty, as Jesus taught in the Gospel. 

In the Sources we read:

"Francis, having completed the restoration of the church of San Damiano, continued to wear the habit of a hermit, walking with a stick in his hand, shoes on his feet, a leather belt at his hips.

But one day, as he was listening to Mass, he heard the instructions given by Christ when he sent his disciples out to preach: that they were not to carry gold, silver, bread, staff, footwear, or clothing on the road. He understood these instructions better later, having the passage explained to him by the priest.

Then, beaming with joy, he exclaimed:

"That is precisely what I long to accomplish with all my strength!".

And fixing those directives in his memory, he undertook to execute them gladly [...] He put all his enthusiasm into understanding and realising the suggestions of the new grace. Inspired by God, he began to proclaim the perfection of the Gospel, preaching penance to all, with simplicity" (FF 1427).

And he recommended the brothers not to provoke anyone to anger, but to proclaim the Kingdom with meekness:

"The Peace that you announce with your mouth, have it even more abundantly in your hearts.

Do not provoke anyone to anger or scandal, but let all be drawn to peace, goodness and concord by your gentleness [...].

This is our vocation: to heal wounds, bind up brokenness, call the lost back [...]" (FF 1469).

Francis urged his followers to live the Gospel of Christ to the letter as meek lambs among wolves.

Thursday, 26th wk. in O.T. (Lk 10,1-12)

Before the disciples arguing about who was the greatest among them, Jesus educates them by placing a child before their eyes. This is the measure of their greatness.

So: acceptance and littleness are the credentials for the Kingdom.

Small in stature, but truly endowed with that littleness that makes one a child at heart.

Francis was always concerned not to scandalise the little ones that Jesus speaks of in the Gospel.

The authority of the Sources informs us:

"Often thinking of the scandal given to the little ones, he felt an immense sadness, to the point of believing that he would have died of grief, if the divine goodness had not sustained him with its comfort" (FF 1139).

Francis himself described himself as "I, small and simple, inexperienced in speaking, have received the grace of prayer more than that of preaching [...].

In prayer we speak to God, we listen to him, and we remain in the midst of the angels" (FF 1204).

Again: "Nothing else did he possess, the Poor Man of Christ, but two pennies that he could bestow with liberal charity: his body and soul" (FF 1167).

And to his brothers he taught and recommended littleness in every happy or sad affair:

"Scarcity itself was for them abundance and superabundance, while, according to the advice of the Wise One, they took pleasure not in greatness, but in the smallest things" (FF 1075).

Oh what great love he had for the Angels!

The Franciscan Sources tell us that "to the angelic spirits, who burn with a marvellous fire, which inflames the souls of the elect and makes them penetrate into God, he was united by an unbreakable bond of love [...].

For blessed Michael the Archangel, since he has the task of presenting souls to God, he nurtured special devotion and love, dictated by his fervent zeal for the salvation of souls" (FF 1166).

"Beware of despising a single one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven ceaselessly see the face of the Father in heaven" (Mt 18:10)

Holy Guardian Angels, 2 October 2024

Luke presents Jesus proceeding firmly and courageously towards Jerusalem.

For this reason a village of Samaritans did not want to receive him.

The disciples intend to react to the inhospitality shown, but Jesus takes them back, understanding the mission he was fulfilling.

The open window of the Sources tells us interesting things about this.

In his writings, Francis taught his brothers to persevere with patience when they were not accepted, going elsewhere, for love of Christ who suffered the same things.

The Sources - specifically the Regola non bollata (1221) - says:

"And let all the brothers, wherever they are, remember that they have given themselves and abandoned their bodies to our Lord Jesus Christ.

And for his love they must expose themselves to enemies both visible and invisible, for the Lord says:

'He who loses his soul for my sake will save it for eternal life'" (FF 45).

And again in Admonitions:

"Let us look closely, brothers and sisters, at the good shepherd who, in order to save his sheep, endured the passion of the cross.

The Lord's sheep followed him in tribulation and persecution, in ignominy and hunger, in infirmity and temptation and other such things; and they received from the Lord eternal life in return" (FF 155).

On the other hand, Francis, to Brother Leo himself, will teach that when we are not received, remaining in patience, we are in perfect joy:

"And I always stand at the door and say, 'For God's sake receive me for this night.'

And he replies: 'I will not. Go to the place of the Cruciferous and ask there."

"Well, if I have been patient and have not been disturbed, I say to you that here is true joy and here is true virtue and salvation of the soul" ( FF 278).

Jesus, in fact, goes further, where he encounters rejection, rebuking his own who find it hard to accept non-acceptance.

Francis follows it as Providence.

"He hardened his face to depart towards Jerusalem. And he sent angels before his face" (Lk 9:51b-52).

Tuesday 26th wk. in O.T. (Lk 9,51-56)

Before the disciples arguing about who was the greatest among them, Jesus educates them by placing before their eyes a child. This is the measure of their greatness.

So: acceptance and littleness are the credentials for the Kingdom set out in this Gospel passage. Let us look at these themes in the Sources.

Of a refined mind, who described himself as simple and idiotic, Francis understood very well the logic of the Gospel: let the one who wants to be great be the smallest, in the same way as a child, considered in times past to be of no value; minimal.

He endeavoured to make his brothers understand all this, more with deeds than words.

Nevertheless, in his "Letter to the Rulers of the Peoples" he writes:

"To all the podestas and consuls, magistrates and rulers of every part of the world [...] to whom this letter will reach, Brother Francis, your servant in the Lord God, small and contemptible, wishes you all health and peace" (FF 210).

Furthermore, we read in the Sources:

"The servant of God, Francis, small in stature, humble of spirit and a minor by profession, while living here on earth, chose for himself and his brothers a small portion of the world: otherwise, without using anything of this world, he would not have been able to serve Christ.

And they were certainly inspired by God who, in ancient times, called Porziuncola the place that fell to the lot of those who wanted absolutely nothing on this earth.

There stood in this place a church dedicated to the Virgin Mother, who, by her particular humility, deserved, after her Son, to be Sovereign of all Saints.

It was here that the Order of the Minors began, and their noble building rose up spacious and harmonious, as if resting on a solid foundation.

The Saint loved this place more than any other and commanded his friars to venerate it with special devotion.

He wanted it always to be kept as a mirror of the Order in humility and the highest poverty, reserving its ownership to others and keeping its use for himself and his own only" (FF 604).

And to his beloved brothers he repeated:

"We have promised great things, greater things are promised to us; let us observe those and aspire to them.

Pleasure is brief, punishment eternal; suffering small, glory infinite" (FF 778).

"The smallest among you is great [...] he who is not against you is for you" (Lk 9:48b.50b).

Monday of the 26th wk. in O.T. (Lk 9,46-50)

The Poor Man of Assisi knew from experience the magnanimity of God, solicitous towards his children even for a glass of water offered in his Name to those who belong to Christ. And with great faith he lived this truth.

An eloquent episode is recounted in the Sources:

"Francis, a man of God, naked of the things of the world [...] committed himself to serving God in every possible way.

Returning to the church of San Damiano, all happy and fervent, he put on a hermit's habit and comforted the priest of that church with the same words of encouragement addressed to him by the bishop.

Then, returning to the city, he began to walk through the squares and streets singing praises to the Lord with an inebriated soul.

As he finished his praises, he worked to obtain the stones needed to restore the church.

He would say: 'Whoever gives me one stone, will have one reward; whoever gives me two stones, two rewards; whoever gives me three, as many rewards'.

With ardent enthusiasm he made this and similar appeals full of naivety, for this chosen one of God had a candid and childlike soul, he did not have recourse to the learned language of human wisdom, but was simple and straightforward in everything" (FF 1420). 

He also feared being a scandal to the people, to his brothers, dishonouring God. In fact we read again:

"He often repeated to his companions:

"In this lies my sorrow, my affliction: the directives that with intense prayer and reflection I obtain from the Mercy of God for the present and future usefulness of the fraternity, and which God assures me are in conformity with his will, here are some brothers who frustrate it, basing themselves on arrogance and on the enlightenment of their knowledge, saying: these directives are to be kept and observed, and these others are not".

But the Saint, as has already been said, was so afraid of scandal that he allowed many things to be done, and adapted himself to the will of the brothers, however much this may have been repugnant to his convictions" (FF 1632).

"He was disturbed by the thought that, as often happens among the elect, there would be some who were proud in their carnal mentality, ready to quarrel and easy to scandal" (FF 609).

Clare, then, in the Rule, addressed to the sisters, says:

"Let them not dare to bring back into the monastery the gossip of the world. And they are bound not to report anything that is said or done inside the monastery that could cause scandal outside the monastery [...]" (FF 2805).

Again:

"I admonish then, and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that the sisters beware of all pride, vainglory, envy, avarice, care and solicitude of this world, of detraction and murmuring, of discord and division" (FF 2809).

He added:

"Instead, let them always be solicitous to preserve mutually the unity of mutual charity, which is the bond of perfection" (FF 2810).

26th Sunday in O.T.  B  (Mk 9,38-43.45.47-48)