Jesus exhorts not to accumulate treasures on earth, soon to be consumed, but in God because they are eternal.

In the Sources, the theme of not accumulating is at home, since Francis, throughout his life, thought only of returning what he had received, starting with his father to whom he "returned" even his clothes, following 'naked' the path of poverty, his coveted wealth.

The Minim had his mind and heart turned to God and sought only the Kingdom of heaven, in simplicity and purity of heart. Testimony to this is given to us by one of several passages from the Franciscan Sources.

We read:

"These visits to the lepers increased his goodness. Leading one of his companions, whom he loved very much, to an out-of-the-way place, he told him that he had discovered a great and precious treasure.

He was overjoyed and willingly joined Francis when invited.

He would often lead him to a cave near Assisi; he would enter it alone, leaving his friend outside, impatient to get hold of the treasure [...].

Animated by an extraordinary new spirit, he prayed in secret to the Father [...].

He suffered unspeakable suffering and anguish in his heart, for he could not be serene until he had realised his vocation' (FF 1409).

On his way, in the middle of winter, in Celano, the Poverello gave a little old woman his cloak.

He said to her:

«Go, make yourself a dress, that you really need it» (FF 673).

And Clare, in her letters, writing to her spiritual daughter, Agnes of Bohemia, states:

«You who have preferred poverty to temporal riches, and have entrusted your treasures, rather than to earth, to heaven, where neither rust corrodes them, nor woodworm consumes them, nor thieves discover them or steal them, you will receive abundant reward in heaven [...]» (FF 2866).

The theme of wealth to be shared, of 'not withholding' and 'giving back' to God and to one's brothers and sisters, was very much felt by Francis of Assisi; one of the guiding motives of his journey of faith.

In the Sources we read:

"Once, while returning from Siena, he met a poor man. It happened that Francis, because of illness, was wearing a cloak over his clothes.

Looking with merciful eyes at the man's misery, he said to his companion:

«We must return the cloak to this poor man: for it is his. For we have received it on loan, until we should happen to find someone poorer than ourselves».

The companion, however, considering the state in which the pitiful father found himself, opposed a clear refusal: he had no right to forget himself, in order to provide for another.

But the saint:

«I believe that the Great Elector will accuse me of theft, if I do not give what I wear to those most in need» " (FF 1143).

«Do not store up treasures on earth»  (Mt 6:19)

Friday of the 11th wk. in O.T.  (Mt 6,19-23)

Jesus invites his disciples to a prayer that is not long-winded, but lean, essential; as sons.

Although in different paradigms, Clare and Francis of Assisi were aware that in the depths of their being lurked a secret to be found in order to be reborn and healed.

To the point that, distancing himself from his earthly father, before the local bishop, the Poverello expressed himself thus:

«Hitherto I have called you, my Father on earth; from now on I can say with all confidence: OUR FATHER, WHO IS IN HEAVEN, because in Him I have placed all my Treasure and placed all my Trust and Hope» (FF 1043).

To his brothers who asked him to teach them how to pray, he replied:

«When you pray, say: Our Father, and [...] We adore you, O Christ, in all your churches throughout the world, and we bless you, because through your holy Cross you have redeemed the world» (FF 1068).

And in the paraphrase of the 'Our Father':

«Hallowed be thy Name: let the knowledge of Thee be made bright in us, that we may know the breadth of thy benefits, the extent of thy promises, the sublimity of thy majesty and the depth of thy judgments» (FF 268).

A prayer, therefore, attested by life, by the capacity for forgiveness, in Listening.

All in the cell of one's own body, Francis maintained - as the Perugina Legend reminds us:

«Wherever we are or move, we take our cell with us: brother body; the soul is the hermit who lives in it praying to God and meditating.

And if the soul does not live serenely and solitarily in its cell, it is of little use to the religious to have a cell erected by the hand of man» (FF 1636).

And in the Legend, Clare herself:

"How much strength and support she received in the furnace of ardent prayer [...] she brought back from the fire of the altar of the Lord burning words, such as to inflame the hearts of the sisters" (FF 3199).

A prayer not marked by the multiplication of words, but by an authentic and profound relationship with God, who knows everything.

«In praying, do not babble like the pagans, for they think they are heard because of their wordiness» (Mt 6:7)

Thursday of the 11th wk. in O.T.  (Mt 6,7-15)

Jesus suggests avoiding hypocrisy in prayer, the theatricality of appearance, loving and praying in the secret known to the Father.

Francis and Clare loved prayer, hidden contemplation, in a special way.

In the Second Life, compiled by Celano, we find a passage that speaks volumes about Francis' discreet relationship with God, always ready to scrupulously hide the King's secrets.

"He always sought a secluded place, where he could unite himself not only with his spirit, but with his individual members, to his God.

And if he suddenly felt visited by the Lord, so as not to be without a cell, he made himself a little one with his cloak.

And if at times he lacked this, he covered his face with his sleeve, so as not to reveal the hidden manna.

He always placed something between himself and the onlookers, so that they would not notice the contact of the bridegroom; thus he could pray unseen even if crammed among a thousand, as in the corner of a ship.

Finally, if none of this was possible for him, he made a temple of his breast.

Absorbed in God and oblivious of himself, he neither groaned nor coughed, his breathing was breathless and every other external sign disappeared" (FF 681).

Wonderful discretion, lover of concealment.

Francis and Clare were the lovers of holy prayer, fasting and almsgiving, adhering to these practices in the deepest and highest sense.

The Sources are illuminating about the evangelical journey of these two giants of the contemplative and apostolic life.

We read in the Rule of Clare

«Sisters to whom the Lord has given the grace of working, let them work, after the third hour, applying themselves to worthy works of common use, with fidelity and devotion, in such a way that, having banished idleness, the enemy of the soul, they do not extinguish the Spirit of holy prayer and devotion, to which all other temporal things must serve» (FF 2792).

And again in her Testament:

«I pray that she who will be in charge of the sisters [...] will see to it that she provides for each one in her needs with those alms which the Lord will send» (FF 2848).

Francis himself showed discreet attention to all this:

«I have never been a thief. I would like to say that of the alms, which are the inheritance of the poor, I have always taken less than I needed, so as not to spoil the share due to other poor people. 'To do otherwise would be to steal» (FF 1670).

Moreover, in other circumstances we know that "guided by the Holy Spirit, he went up a mountain with two companions and there, fasting on bread and water, dictated the Rule, according to what the divine Spirit suggested to him during prayer" (FF 1084).

«But when you pray, go into your room and shut your door [Is 26:20; 2 Kings 4:33] and pray to your Father who is in secret» (Mt 6:6).

Wednesday of the 11th wk. in O.T.  (Mt 6,1-6.16-18)

In today's passage, Matthew presents Jesus intent on emphasising true perfection according to the Gospel.

Our neighbour is not only our fellow countrymen - as the Jews tended, then, to consider - but every brother we meet.

The Lord exhorts us to love and pray for those who persecute us. Here lies authentic holiness.

In Clare of Assisi, the adventure of extreme faith led to the Beauty that wounds.

He had eyes that were attentive to all things, discovering in every event the Presence of Christ, to whom he wanted to conform.

Yes, Clare's life is a testimony that cries out beyond the walls of the monastery.

The Sources say:

"She herself washed the seats of the infirm, she cleansed them, with that noble spirit of hers, without shying away from filthiness or loathing the stench.

Very often she washed the feet of servants returning from outside and, washing them, kissed them.

Once she was washing the feet of one of these servants: as she was about to kiss them, she, not withstanding so great a humiliation, drew back her foot and in the gesture struck her lady in the face with her foot.

But she gently took up the foot of the servant girl and pressed a kiss on it, under the sole" (FF 3181-3182)

Francis and Clare knew that the truly Perfect in the Kingdom of God are those who do not give up and go all the way.

As the Sources themselves convey, in an Admonition to his brothers, Francis emphasises:

«All those who unjustly inflict on us tribulation and anguish, ignominy and insult, pain and suffering, are therefore our friends [...] we must love them dearly because by reason of what they inflict on us we have eternal life» (FF 56).

But Clare herself overcame evil with the good of her humble prayer, as she did before the invasion of Vitale d'Aversa, in the service of Emperor Frederick II. Indeed he led the army against Assisi.

But according to the Sources:

"When Clare, servant of Christ, heard of this, she was shaken with deep sorrow, called to herself the sisters and said:

«From this city we receive many goods every day [...] it would be great impiety not to bring her relief, as we can, now that the time is right.

Go to our Lord and ask him with all your heart for the deliverance of the city» (FF 3203).

The next morning the proud man was forced to leave, contrary to his designs - and the army dispersed.

«Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may become children of your Father in heaven» (Mt 5:44a)

Tuesday, 11th wk. in O.T.  (Mt 5:43-48)

In today's Gospel, Jesus sends a very clear message: give to those in need:

«Give to those who ask you, and do not turn away from those who want to borrow from you» (Mt 5:42).

Francis was a simple and genuine man; he was moved to tears at the mere mention of God's love and did everything he could to help those in need.

Countless passages from the Sources describe his incredible charity towards anyone who asked him for help in the name of God, even remaining naked in order to feed others.

The Second Life of Celano informs us of this:

"Once a poor man asked him for charity for the love of God. Since he had nothing, the Saint took his scissors secretly and prepared to divide his poor habit.

And he would certainly have done so had he not been discovered by the friars, whom he ordered to provide the poor man with other compensation" (FF 784).

And one day, when he met two French friars, the following happened:

"It happened that two friars from France, men of great holiness, met Francis; they felt incredible joy, especially since they had been tormented by this desire for a long time.

After effusive displays of affection and a sweet exchange of words, they were moved by their ardent devotion to ask Francis for his habit.

The saint immediately took it off, remaining half-naked, and gave it to them with the greatest devotion; then he put on, in a pious exchange, the poorest of their habits.

He was ready to give not only such things, but to give himself completely, and whatever was asked of him, he gave with the greatest joy" (FF 767).

Chiara of Assisi, Francis' seraphic plant, was always generous with her sisters and with the poor.

In her, the adventure of extreme faith led to the Beauty that wounds. She had eyes attentive to everything, discovering in every event the Presence of Christ, to whom she wanted to conform. Yes, Clare's life is a testimony that cries out beyond the walls of the monastery.

Legend has it that, even as a young girl, she gave to those in need without hesitation.

"She willingly stretched out her hand to the poor and from the abundance of her home she drew what was necessary to supply the needs of many [...]

Thus, growing up with her from childhood, she had a heart sensitive to the suffering of others and bent compassionately over the miseries of the unhappy" (FF 3158).

Giving themselves and what their neighbour needed was written in their spiritual DNA, exalted by the power of God's Spirit in a wonderful way.

The Two Poor Ones contrasted the mentality of having with the evangelical mentality of 'giving without counting', freely.

Monday of the 11th wk. in Ordinary Time  (Mt 5:38-42)

In today’s Gospel, Jesus, seeing the large crowd following him, emphasises the need to pray that there may be more labourers in his harvest to proclaim the Kingdom and heal the sick, as a sign of gratuitousness.

In the Sources we find various passages referring to the proclamation of the Kingdom of God and its gratuitousness by Francis and his friars. We read, in fact:

“His words were not empty, but filled with the power of the Holy Spirit: they penetrated the depths of the heart and aroused great wonder in his listeners.

At the beginning of every sermon, he would greet the people with a wish for peace, saying:

«May the Lord give you peace!»

He had learnt this form of greeting through a revelation from the Lord.

Like the prophets, he proclaimed peace and preached salvation” (FF 1052).

But it is surprising to find episodes that highlight his utter selflessness, both received and given.

“Francis, a man of God, stripped of worldly possessions, devoted himself to divine worship and, no longer regarding his own interests, committed himself to serving God in every possible way.

Returning to the church of St Damian, on his way back into the city, he began to walk through the squares and streets, raising praises to the Lord.

As soon as he finished his praises, he set about obtaining the stones needed for the restoration of the church.

He would say: «Whoever gives me a stone shall receive a reward; whoever gives two stones, two rewards; whoever gives three, three rewards!» (FF 1420).

Furthermore: “One winter morning, whilst he was praying, clad in rags, his own brother, passing by, remarked ironically to a fellow townsman:

‘Tell Francis to sell you at least a penny’s worth of his sweat!’”

The man of God, upon hearing these mocking words, was seized with superhuman joy and replied in French:

«I will sell this sweat, and at a high price, to my Lord» (FF 1424).

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time  (Mt 9:36–10:8)

Francis, the jester of God, after Grace had made him a new creature, preferred to the natural family the one given him by the Father of mercies. 

Indeed, without hesitation, before the bishop of Assisi and all the onlookers, he stripped himself naked as a sign of abandonment, adding:

«Hitherto I have called you my father on earth; from now on I can say with all confidence: Our Father, who art in heaven, for in Him I have placed all my treasure and placed all my trust and hope» (FF 1043).

As if to say: «Did you not know that I must care for the things of my Father?» (Lk 2:49).

An eloquent response to the old world that let languish in its solace, preferring to taste the sweetness breathed at home in Nazareth.

Francis is in tune with the Holy Family: both in the personal and community dimensions developed around him.

In fact, he was nourished by poverty and simplicity, growing in age, Wisdom and Grace, before God and his beloved brothers.

He was submissive to every brother and sowed everywhere that extraordinary infused Wisdom, which comes to him from above, pure and yielding.

Mary accompanies him everywhere.

He clung to her at every important event, so much so that he called her the Advocate of the Order, she who had made our brother the Lord of Majesty.

And no less was Clare a part of the unique, silent Family of God, so fully that she received as a gift [by then ill and no longer able to go to church] to participate meaningfully in the Christmas Liturgy.

The Father of Mercies and the entire Nazarethian Family were with her. 

The Sources inform us:

"At that hour of Christmas (1252), when the world rejoices with the angels for the newborn Child, all the Women set out for Matins to the place of prayer, leaving the Mother alone burdened with her infirmity. 

And as she began to think of the little Jesus and was very sorry that she could not participate in the singing of his praises, she sighed and said to him:

«Lord God, here I am left alone for You!»

And suddenly the wonderful concert that was going on in the church of St Francis began to ring in her ears.

She heard the brothers psalm in jubilation, followed the harmonies of the singers, even perceived the sound of instruments.

The place was nowhere near enough to humanly perceive those sounds: either that solemn celebration was made divinely audible to her, or her hearing was strengthened beyond all human possibility.

Indeed, which surpasses this prodigy of hearing, she was worthy to see even the Lord's crib.

When, in the morning, the daughters came to her, the blessed Clare said:

«Blessed be the Lord Jesus Christ, who did not leave me alone, when you abandoned me!

I have indeed heard, by the Grace of Christ, all those ceremonies that were celebrated this night in the church of St Francis» (FF 3212).

In the communities of Francis and Clare of Assisi, the spirit of the Family of Nazareth fermented, expert in suffering but also a place of genuine virtue. Clare, as 'other Mary', meditated in her heart on all the Mysteries of the Son of God.

Immaculate Heart of Mary  (Lk 2:41-51)

In the liturgy of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are presented with a passage from Matthew in which the portrait of the true Shepherd is defined by the humble and gentle heart that sets him apart.

Jesus praises the Father for having revealed the things of Heaven to the little ones and not to the learned.

Thus, the shepherd follows in his unmistakable footsteps.

The life of Francis, the Poor One, is rich in remarkable episodes, which bear witness to the breadth of a new heart, marked by Love, attesting to his being a merciful shepherd of souls.

At the beginning of their communal life, the friars lived at Rivotorto, 3 km from the Porziuncola.

Here is what happened there one evening:

“One night, one of those little sheep, whilst the others slept, began to cry out: «I am dying, brothers, I am dying of hunger!»

The wise shepherd rose immediately and hastened to bring the necessary help to the ailing little sheep.

He ordered the table to be set, even if with simple fare […]

He himself began to eat first and invited the other friars to fulfil that duty of charity, so that the poor creature might not feel ashamed.

Having taken the food in the fear of the Lord, so that the act of charity might be complete, the Father gave his sons a long discourse on the virtue of discretion.

He prescribed that they should always offer God a sacrifice seasoned with prudence, wisely admonishing them to take account, in divine service, of their own strength […]

Then he added:

«Dearest ones, know that what I have done in eating was not done out of greed, but out of due consideration and because fraternal charity imposed it upon me.

Let charity be your example, not food, for food satisfies the appetite, but charity satisfies the spirit» (FF 608).

And again:

‘One day, whilst travelling near Siena, he came across a large flock of sheep grazing.

As was his custom, he greeted them kindly, and they, ceasing to graze, all ran together towards him, lifting their muzzles and gazing at him with their eyes raised.

They welcomed him so joyfully that the friars and shepherds were amazed, seeing the lambs and even the rams skipping around him in such a marvellous way" (FF 1147 – Major Legend).

Charity has a special scent, and all creatures recognise its fragrance.

«[…] learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls»  (Mt 11:29b)

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus – year A  (Mt 11:25–30)