After the Crucifix of San Damiano had spoken to him, inviting him to repair his house, which was falling into ruin (referring mainly to the Church made of living stones, rather than to the walls), Francis immediately set about selling what he had with him.
In fact, in the Major Legend of St. Bonaventure, we read: "He got up, therefore, making the sign of the cross, and taking some cloths with him, hastened to the city of Foligno to sell them.
He sold all that he had brought; he also got rid, fortunate merchant, of the horse, with which he had come, collecting the price.
Returning to Assisi, he devoutly entered the church he had been commissioned to restore.
He found a poor priest there [...] and offered him the money to repair the church and humbly requested that he allow him to live with him for some time.
The priest agreed that he should stay; but, for fear of his parents, he did not accept the money - and that true despiser of money - threw him out of a window, estimating him to be abject dust' (FF 1039).
But even his son-brothers, called to follow Him who alone is good, abandoned all possessions to follow the new way traced out by Francis following the Gospel.
"Bernard, a citizen of Assisi, humbly begged him to give him his advice: what to do to stop enjoying the goods of some lord and live according to God.
Francis told him that he must return them all to the master from whom he had received them and then added:
"If you want to prove with facts what you say, as soon as it is daylight, let us go into the church, take the book of the Gospel and ask Christ for advice".
When morning comes, they enter a church and, having prayed devoutly, they open the book of the Gospel, willing to carry out the first advice offered to them.
They open the book, and Christ manifests his advice in these words:
"If you want to be perfect, go, sell all you possess and give to the poor".
Without delay Bernard did everything and did not omit a single iota" (FF 601).
Clare herself, in her first letter to Agnes of Bohemia, emphasises among other things:
"This exchange is truly magnificent and worthy of all praise: to refuse earthly goods in order to have those of Heaven, to deserve heavenly goods instead of earthly ones, to receive the hundredfold and to possess the blessed life for eternity" (FF 2868).
All that is impossible for men is possible with God!
28th Sunday, O.T. B (Mk 10:17-30)
