In today's Gospel Jesus takes as a point of reference for entering the Kingdom of heaven the simplicity and littleness of children, because: «of such is the Kingdom of heaven» (Mt 19:14).

His exhortation not to put obstacles between Him and the least is striking.

Francis of Assisi was loved in a special way by God because of his making himself small.

With a refined mind, he described himself as "simple and idiotic".

The Poverello understood the logic of the Gospel very well: whoever wants to be great must be the smallest, like a child - in times past considered 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 short, punishment eternal; suffering small, glory infinite" (FF 778).

Francis understood that to be Christ's and heirs of the Kingdom means not to count according to worldly mentality, and to carry with one the simplicity of the dove, as well as the frank transparency of the child.

This outfit requires belonging to the Eternal, and its transparency on earth.

Saturday of the 19th wk. in O.T. (Mt 19:13-15)

The Lucan Gospel highlights Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth and the dance of the two Little Ones carried by special women, embraced in different ways by Grace.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, expresses herself in the song of praise of the Magnificat, which refers back to God the extraordinary benefits received.

From the very beginning of his calling, Francis had a special and profound veneration for the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Lord.

Of her he always contemplated the mysteries in the various seasons of his life.

The Sources provide wonderful pictures in this regard.

"He surrounded the Mother of Jesus with an unspeakable love, because she had made our brother the Lord of majesty.

To his honour he sang special praises, raised prayers, offered affections so many and such that human tongue could not express them.

But what fills one most with joy, he made her the Advocate of the Order and placed her children under her wings [...] so that they might find warmth and protection there to the end" (FF 786).

"In her, above all, after Christ, he placed his trust [...] In her honour he fasted with great devotion, from the feast of the apostles Peter and Paul until the feast of the Assumption [...]" (FF 1165).

And to his daughters, dwelling at St Damian, Francis in a composition dedicated to them, concludes by saying:

"Those who are aggravated by infirmity/ and the others who for their part are fatigued/ all of them be sustained in peace,/ for you will sell this toil dearly,/ and each one will be queen/ in heaven crowned with the Virgin Mary" (FF 263).

And Clare, when she began her journey of faith following Francis, was received by him and his friars at the altar of the Blessed Virgin at the Portiuncula. Moreover, that same Mother, at the moment of her passing, came to take her, appearing to her by her bed.

Mary was for Clare a model to follow throughout her life, so much so that in the Letter of Introduction to the Legend, in the Sources, we read:

"Let men therefore follow the new followers of the Incarnate Word: let the women imitate Clare, the imprint of the Mother of God, the new guide of women" (FF 3153).

Francis and Clare assumed Mary, the Mother of God, into their daily lives to be assumed by Christ into heavenly glory.

«My soul magnifies the Lord [...] for he has looked upon the lowliness of his servant. For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed» (Lk 1:46, 48a)

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary  (Lk 1:39-56)

Today's passage from Matthew calls for forgiveness and correction which, if truly fraternal, does not look down on others, but rather the exact opposite.

Without forgetting that what we want to be forgiven for, we are called to forgive in others, giving them time to redeem themselves.

Chiara of Assisi loved to call herself 'little plant of the Seraphic Father Francis'.

She was always a caring mother and a great example to her daughters and sisters in the Monastery of St Damian.

Even when it was necessary to exhort or reprimand, she knew how to correct with the love and wisdom that came from Above.

The Sources attest (Rule of St. Clare):

"The abbess shall admonish and visit her sisters and correct them with humility and charity, not commanding them anything that is contrary to her soul and the form of our profession" (FF 2806).

And again, with a far-sighted and comprehensive gaze, Clare herself continues:

"I admonish and exhort all my sisters, present and future, in the Lord Jesus Christ, to always strive to imitate the way of holy simplicity, humility and poverty, and also the honesty of that holy life which was taught to us by our blessed Father Francis from the beginning of our conversion to Christ" (FF 2845 - Testament).

"And loving one another in the love of Christ, that love which you have in your hearts, show it outwardly by your deeds, so that the sisters, provoked by this example, may always grow in the love of God and in mutual charity" (FF 2847 - Testament).

In the Rule, then:

"The abbess shall also endeavour to reconcile the sisters, if ever it should happen that some of them, for any reason or occasion, should be disturbed among themselves.

The sister who, by words or gestures, has given occasion of disturbance or scandal to another, shall immediately, before offering the gift of her prayer to God, humbly kneel before her and ask forgiveness of the sister she has offended, praying her to intercede for her with the Lord, that he may forgive her the fault she has committed.

The other, remembering the words of the Lord:

"If you do not forgive from your heart, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you," should generously forgive the offence to the sister who asks for forgiveness" (FF 3358).

Chiara was a teacher of life for all the sisters, a pedagogue of true charity that always rebuilds, despite malicious actions.

«Be patient with me, and I will pay you back» (Mt 18:26)

Thursday 19th wk. in O.T.  (Mt 18:21-19:1) 

In today's Liturgy, Jesus calls for discreet, fraternal correction before taking more drastic measures.

The two Poor Men of Assisi were exemplary people in their fraternal love and in the corrections they made, always seasoned with wisdom, humanity and charity. 

Severe with themselves; attentive and merciful with their neighbour.

Francis before acting towards the brothers prayed and even beforehand examined himself.

Clare of Assisi liked to call herself "little plant of the Seraphic Father Francis".

She was always a solicitous Mother and a great example to her daughters and sisters in the Monastery of St Damian.

Even when it was necessary to exhort or remonstrate, she knew how to correct with love and wisdom that came to her from on high.

The Sources attest [Rule of St Clare]:

"Let the abbess admonish and visit her sisters and correct them with humility and charity, not commanding them anything that is against her soul and the form of our profession" (FF 2806).

And again, with an extensive far-sighted look, Clare herself continues:

"I admonish and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ all my sisters, present and future, that they always strive to imitate the way of holy simplicity, humility and poverty, and also the honesty of that holy life, which was taught to us by our blessed Father Francis from the beginning of our conversion to Christ" (FF 2845 - Testament).

"And loving one another in the love of Christ, that love which you have in your heart, show it outside with works, so that the sisters, provoked by this example, may always grow in the love of God and in mutual charity" (FF 2847 - Testament).

«If your brother commits a fault against you, go and admonish him between you and him alone; if he listens to you, you will have gained your brother» (Mt 18:15)

Wednesday 19th wk. in O.T.  (Mt 18:15-20)

Who knows how many times Francis, the Herald of the Great King, in reading the episode of the lost sheep will have dwelt on that "What do you think?" (Mt 18:12). As if to say: "Would you do it?". 

Francis will certainly have asked himself this disarming question, to which his entire eloquent existence was answered "Yes, without any doubt".

For just one sheep of his flock he would certainly have left the others safe in search of the lost one.

"Let us look closely, brothers all, at the good Shepherd who, in order to save his sheep, endured the passion of the cross" (FF 155 - Admonitions).

He, who used to call Brother Leo 'God's sheep', would have faced any adversity to find it, and for this he sought martyrdom even at the Sultan of Egypt to win it for Christ.

Rich in tenderness and mercy is an episode that highlights Francis' shepherd heart. 

We find in the Sources:

"Once crossing the March of Ancona, after preaching in the same city, and heading towards Osimo, in the company of Brother Paul, whom he had elected minister to all the brothers of that province, he met a shepherd in the countryside, who was grazing his flock of rams and goats.

In the midst of the flock was a single sheep, quietly and humbly grazing on the grass.

As soon as he saw it, Francis stopped, and as if he had had a grip on his heart, full of compassion he said to his brother:

"Do you see that lonely and meek sheep among the goats? Our Lord Jesus Christ, surrounded and hunted down by the Pharisees and Sanhedrists, must have looked just like that humble creature.

Therefore I beseech thee, my son, for love of Him, be thou also full of compassion, let us buy her and take her away from these goats and goatherds" (FF 456).

«What is it to you? Would you do it?»  (Mt 18:12)

Jesus announces his death and resurrection to his own. He teaches his own humility and minority by paying the temple tax.

The first biographer of St Francis, Thomas of Celano, in the Vita Seconda, narrates the meeting that took place between Dominic and Francis at the home of Cardinal Ugolino, later Pope Gregory IX, probably between the end of 1219 and the beginning of 1221.

The Cardinal himself was deeply moved by hearing the dialogue between 

two saints, who spoke of God with such gentleness and humility, servants of God in an original way, both living the Paschal mystery.

"They found themselves together in Rome, in the house of Cardinal d'Ostia who was later Supreme Pontiff, the shining lights of the world St Francis and St Dominic.

Hearing them speak so sweetly to each other about the Lord, at the end the bishop said:

"In the early Church the pastors were poor and people of charity, without greed. Why,' he asked, 'among your brothers those who stand out for doctrine and good example, do you not make them bishops and prelates?'

A contest arose between the two saints, not to precede each other in reply, but because one proposed the honour to the other and even wanted to force him to speak first. They actually outdid each other in the veneration they nurtured for each other.

In the end, humility won out in Francis, because he did not step forward, and it also won out in Dominic, because he humbly obeyed and answered first.

So Dominic said to the bishop:

"Lord, my brothers, if they understand this, are already placed in high rank, and as far as I am concerned I will not allow them to obtain any other dignity".

After this brief and convinced reply, Francis bowed to the bishop and said in turn:

"Lord, my brothers have been called Minors precisely for this reason, so that they will not presume to become majors.

The very name teaches them to remain lowly and to follow in the footsteps of Christ's humility, so that in the end they may be raised above others in the presence of the saints.

If you want them to bear fruit in the Church of God,' he continued, 'keep them and preserve them in the state of their vocation, and bring them down even against their will.

For this, Father, I beseech you: that they may not be as proud as they are poor and may not show themselves arrogant towards others, do not in any way allow them to obtain offices'.

These were the answers of the Saints' (FF 732).

Wisdom and humility following Christ, free children of the Kingdom.

«Now when they were gathered together in Galilee, Jesus said to them: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise again - And they were greatly grieved» (Mt 17:22)

Monday of the 19th wk. in O.T.   (Mt 17,22-27)

Jesus urges his little flock not to fear anything, because the Father has given the Kingdom to the little ones.

He encourages them to give alms, not to accumulate treasures on earth, which are soon consumed, but in God, because they are eternal.

In the life of the Poverello, we find these themes several times.

Francis grieved at having to leave his flock exposed to danger and ravenous wolves after him, but in his heart he was also certain that God would protect them and make them grow.

Through Grace, they would become heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven. Faith told him this!

In the Sources, then, the prerogative of not accumulating is commonplace, since Francis, throughout his life, thought only of giving back what he had received, starting with his father, to whom he even 'returned' his clothes, following 'naked' the path of poverty, his desired wealth.

The Little Brother had his mind and heart turned to God and sought only the Kingdom of Heaven, in simplicity and purity of heart.

Testimony of this is given to us in one of the passages of the Franciscan Sources.

We read: "These visits to the lepers increased his goodness. Leading one of his companions, whom he had loved very much, to a remote place, he told him that he had discovered a great and precious treasure.

The man was overjoyed and gladly joined Francis when he was invited.

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

Animated by a new and extraordinary spirit, he prayed secretly to the Father [...]

He suffered unspeakable pain and anguish within himself, because he could not be at peace until he had fulfilled his vocation" (FF 1409).

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

He said to her, "Go, make yourself a dress, for you are in great need" (FF 673).

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

"You who have preferred poverty to temporal riches, and have entrusted your treasures to heaven rather than to the earth, where they are not corroded by rust, consumed by moths, uncovered or stolen by thieves, you will receive an abundant reward in heaven [...]" (FF 2866).

The theme of sharing wealth, of 'not holding on to' and «giving back» to God and to one's brothers and sisters, was very dear to Francis of Assisi and was one of the guiding principles of his journey of faith.

In the Sources we read:

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

Looking with merciful eyes at the misery of that man, he said to his companion:

'We must give this cloak back to this poor man, for it is his. We have only borrowed it until we found someone poorer than ourselves'.

His companion, however, considering the state in which the merciful father found himself, refused outright: he had no right to forget himself in order to provide for another.

But the saint said:

"I believe that the Great Almoner will accuse me of theft if I do not give what I am wearing to those who are more in need" (FF 1143).

«Sell your possessions and give alms; make yourselves purses that do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail» (Lk 12:33)

Sunday 19th in O.T. year C  (Lk 12:32-48)

Lamps: Clare, Francis, the Mother of God and Thérèse.

Edhit Stein, of Jewish origin, in religion Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, went to meet Christ as a victim of the Shoah, always keeping her East before her eyes: Jesus!

Like her, St Clare was a wise and vigilant virgin who renewed the Church with her life, fertilised by the ever new power of God's Spirit.

A virgin who went to meet her Bridegroom by spending, day after day, her life for others, without sparing.

In the Sources we read:

"She used, for Matins, to anticipate the young girls; waking them noiselessly with nods, she would invite them to the praises of God.

Often, while they were all still asleep, she would light the lamps; often she would ring the bell herself, with her own hands.

There was no place in her monastery for lukewarmness, there was no place for sloth there where laziness was shaken by a stinging impulse to pray and serve the Lord" (FF 3200).

At the beginning of the Legend of St Clare, we find an enlightening passage:

"Therefore merciful God aroused the venerable virgin Clare and in her made women shine a very bright lamp: and you blessed Father [...] have placed this lamp on the candelabrum, that it may give light to all who are in the house" (FF 3151).

"Let the women imitate Clare, the imprint of the Mother of God, the new guide of women" (FF 3153).

Throughout her brief existence, Clare was a wise virgin diligently awaiting her Bridegroom, making "Clare by name and clear by virtue" (FF 3154) shine as the new woman of the Spoletana valley.

In fact, she was so loving towards her daughters and sisters that 'very often in the cold of the night by her own hand she covered them while they slept and wanted those whom she saw incapable of observing common austerity to be content with a less severe regime.

If some were troubled by temptation, if some, as can happen, were seized with sadness, he would call them aside and console them by weeping.

Sometimes he prostrated himself at the feet of the afflicted to relieve the violence of the pain with motherly caresses" (FF 3233).

Francis himself, recounts his biographer Celano, had "respect for the lamps, lamps and candles, and did not want to extinguish their splendour with his own hand, symbol of the eternal Light" (FF 750).

He had understood, by revelation of the Crucifix of San Damiano, the task assigned to him: to repair the Church of Christ, purchased with his Blood, and now in ruins.

Hence his solicitous gesture of having an oil lamp placed before that image, a solicitous and immediate response of the Poverello to become a concrete witness of an existence-expected in transparency for Christ: for the One who had deigned to call him to live for Him and of Him.

«Behold the Bridegroom! Come out to meet [Him]!» (Mt 25:6)

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross Patron Saint of Europe  (Mt 25:1-13)

In today's passage from Matthew, the conditions for following Jesus are summarised in three verbs and therefore in three movements: renounce, take up the cross, follow Christ.

Jesus emphasises that life will not come to us from worldly gain, but from the loss of every advantage and esteem for the sake of the Gospel.

At the beginning of the Earlier Rule (1221), Francis writes that the friars desired to live following the example of the Lord Jesus.

He emphasises various expressions of the Gospel, highlighting the importance of denying oneself and taking up the cross.

The pious father often gathered his sons around him and spoke at length about the Kingdom of God, "about contempt for the world, about the need to deny one's own will" (FF 1058), teaching them:

"Go [...] proclaim peace to men; preach penance for the remission of sins. Be patient in tribulations, vigilant in prayer [...]" (FF 1058).

Leaving oneself behind to embrace the call in all its fullness, willing to lose one's life in order to find it in the Incarnate Word, was the leitmotif of their daily lives.

A passage from the Sources, taken from the Leggenda maggiore, is illuminating:

"While he was praying one day, isolated from the world and completely absorbed in God, in the excess of his fervour, Christ Jesus appeared to him, as if crucified.

At the sight of him, his soul melted. The memory of Christ's passion was so deeply imprinted in the depths of his heart that from that moment on, whenever the crucifixion of Christ came to mind, he could hardly restrain himself, even outwardly, from tears and sighs, as he himself confided later, when he was approaching death.

The man of God understood that, through this vision, God was addressing to him that maxim of the Gospel:

«If you want to come after me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me» (FF 1035).

And again, in the Second Life, Celano emphasises:

"Francis was already dead to this world, but Christ lived in him. The delights of the world were a cross for him, because he carried the Cross of Christ rooted in his heart" (FF 800).

But Chiara, the first little plant of the blessed father, always strove to deny herself, spurring her own soul and that of her sisters with assiduous meditation on the Passion of Christ.

"In order to nourish her soul unceasingly with the ineffable joys of the Crucified One, she meditated very frequently on the prayer of the five wounds of the Lord.

She learned the Office of the Cross, as composed by St. Francis, the lover of the cross, and she used to recite it with equal love" (FF 3216).

In her beautiful letter to Ermentrude of Bruges*, Clare expresses herself thus:

"Lift up your eyes to heaven, O dearest one, for it is an invitation to us, and take up the cross and follow Christ who goes before us. For after many and various tribulations, it is He who will bring us into his glory.

Love God with all your heart, and Jesus, his Son crucified for us sinners, and never let the memory of him fall from your mind.

Meditate without tiring on the mystery of the cross and the sorrows of the Mother standing at the foot of the cross" (FF 2915).

Chiara, following the example of Francis, lived the Word of the Gospel enclosed in San Damiano, for love of her Spouse, rejecting all worldly desires.

She was always aware that the Spouse, upon his return, would reward each person according to his or her actions, according to his or her life.

During her lifetime, she chose to live in seclusion for the One she loved and by whom she felt loved.

The penitential and renouncing dimension is no longer so harsh and disconcerting when it is Charity that makes the beauty of the spousal and regenerative experience she made, by Grace, as well as that of many of her sisters, transpire from the walls.

* Ermentrude was responsible for spreading the Order of St. Clare in Flanders.

Friday of the 18th wk. in O.T.  (Mt 16:24-28)