Today's Gospel turns its gaze on Mary of Nazareth and gives us the principal expression of the Annunciation:
"Fear not, Mary, for you have found grace with God" (Lk 1:30).
Francis made himself a jester of God, but as he loved her, we might add: 'jester of the Blessed Virgin'. He saw in the divine favour poured out by God upon Mary the gift par excellence of the Giver of all good.
Clare herself, in her Spiritual Testament, addressed to her daughters, says:
"By means of these virtues, and not by our own merits, but by the sole mercy and Grace of the Giver, the Father of mercies himself, may they always pour out the perfume of their good name on those who are far off, as on those who are near" (FF 2846).
Thus highlighting how the enemy of Grace is detraction, which Mary never knew.
Grace was the travelling companion of Francis and Clare of Assisi.
We find wonderful expressions in this regard in the second letter addressed by Clare to Agnes of Prague. In various passages, they well recall the beauty of Mary of Nazareth:
"I give thanks to the Author of grace, from whom, as we believe, comes every supreme good and every perfect gift, because he has adorned you with so many recognitions of virtue and has illustrated you with the insignia of such high perfection that, having made you a diligent imitator of the Father, in whom is all perfection, you deserve to become perfect in your turn, so that his eyes find in you no sign of imperfection" (FF 2872).
Clare, 'àltera Maria', unwillingly conveys to Agnes in these few lines what she lives by Grace, offering the testimony of the Marian perfume of a handmaiden wide open to the Gift.
And Francis, on the other hand, on his path of conversion had so well understood the beneficial effects of Grace, that he put into action the same gratuitousness he received towards his brothers, especially towards those who showed the greatest need.
The Sources, in fact, narrate of a friar who in his heart pondered whether he could consider himself worthy of the Grace of heaven to those whom the Saint treated with familiarity.
Whereupon Francis, enlightened by the Spirit, addressed this friar saying:
"Let no thought disturb you, O son, for I hold you the dearest of all those who are particularly dear to me, and I gladly make you a gift of my familiarity and love".
The friar was amazed and, having become even more devout since then, not only did he grow in love towards the Saint, but by the work and Grace of the Holy Spirit he was enriched with ever greater gifts (FF 1196).
Feria proper of 20 December (Lk 1:26-38)
