Today's Gospel presents us with Jesus praying all night long before calling his disciples to himself.
The relationship with the Father anticipates every important choice in the life of Christ.
Francis, following Jesus' example, spent entire nights praying in solitary places and before making important decisions.
In the Second Life of his biographer Celano we read:
"The Saint once came with his companion to a church*, far from the town.
Wishing to pray all alone, he warned his companion:
«Brother, I would like to stay here alone tonight. You go to the hospital* and return to me in good time in the morning».
Left all alone, he addressed long and devout prayers to God [...]" (FF 707).
This intense relationship with God meant that in a short time, stimulated by his testimony, many disciples came to him ready to live the Gospel in the same way.
"During this time four other worthy and virtuous men joined them and became disciples of Francis.
Thus the interest in the movement and the fame of the man of God grew more and more among the people.
And truly at that time Francis and his companions felt an immense joy and inexplicable joy when any of the faithful, whoever they were and whatever their condition, rich, poor, noble, common, despicable, honoured [...] guided by the Spirit of God came to take the habit of their holy religion [...]" (FF 371).
His holiness was so evident that everyone was happy to be able to touch his poor cassock and receive benefits from it.
In fact, all those who were sick or possessed were healed when approached by the Poor Man.
For example, "in Città di Castello a woman was possessed by an evil and furious spirit: as soon as the Saint had commanded her to do so out of obedience, the demon fled, full of indignation, leaving the poor obsessed woman free in soul and body" (FF 1219).
The humble disciple of Jesus had become, by Grace, «Alter Christus».
«He went out to the mountain to pray and spent the night in prayer to God» (Lk 6:12).
- FF 707= the friar who accompanied him was Brother Pacifico.
- The Church at which they stopped to pray was San Pietro in Bovara, near the Fonti del Clitunno.
- The hospital to which Francis directed his companion was a leper colony a few kilometres from the church.
Ss. Simon and Judas (Lk 6:12-19)
