In his particular faith journey, St Francis of Assisi always felt love for the Body and Blood of Christ.

He had a unified vision of faith, focused on the Word, on the Person of Jesus.

Not a Christ of devout remembrance, but living and life-giving, in unity with the brothers, in whom he saw his Face reflected.

The Sources inform us of what Francis says in the 'Letter to all Clerics':

"We know that there can be no Body if it is not first sanctified by the Word".

And in his Testament:

"And I want these most holy mysteries above all other things to be honoured, venerated, and placed in precious places."

"And wherever I find manuscripts with the most holy names and words of Him in indecent places, I want to collect them, and I pray that they be collected and placed in a decent place". (FF114).

"And we must honour and venerate all theologians and those who administer the most holy divine words, as well as those who administer the Spirit and life to us." (FF115).

And again:

"He burned with fervour in all his bowels for the Sacrament of the Lord's body and blood, admiring in amazement that worthiness full of charity and that charity full of worthiness [...]" (FF 1164).

Francis was in love with France, not because his Mother, Mona Pica, came from there, but because of the flourishing of the Eucharistic cult, of which James of Vitry, a convinced advocate, had informed him.

When he went to the woods or was particularly merry, he often sang praises in French.

The Sources testify to his visceral devotion to the Body of Christ.

The mere thought of the Lord's Supper, of how and how much Jesus had done for each soul, made him tremble in body and spirit. He considered it fundamental, in order to live the Gospel fully, that he and his brothers give themselves to their neighbour in every way and in every circumstance.

The Poverello had perfectly understood that everything is rhetoric if there is no effective Giving of oneself to one's brothers and sisters, who need a concrete witness to recognise Christ.

The Sources, a Franciscan treasure chest, attest to this truth he lived:

"Therefore, I beseech all of you brothers, kissing your feet and with all the love of which I am capable, that you lend, as far as you are able [...] all reverence and all honour to the Most Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom all things that are in heaven and on earth have been pacified and reconciled to Almighty God" (FF 217).

Again:

"For we possess and see bodily nothing in this world of the Most High Himself except the body and blood, the names and words by which we were created and redeemed 'from death to life'" (Letter of Francis to all clerics; FF 207).

And in Admonitions:

"Behold, every day he humbles himself, as when from the royal seat he descended into the womb of the Virgin; every day he himself comes to us in humble appearance; every day he descends from the bosom of the Father onto the altar, into the hands of the priest.

And as he showed himself to the holy apostles in the true flesh, so also now he shows himself to us in the consecrated bread.

'And just as they with the eyes of their body saw only the flesh of him, but contemplating him with the eyes of the spirit, they believed that he was the same God, so we too, seeing bread and wine with the eyes of the body, must see and firmly believe that this is his most holy body and blood alive and true' (FF 144).

Having, therefore, penetrated the Mystery by grace, Francis had become a living Eucharist, an effective gift of the One who inhabited it.

"He considered it a grave sign of contempt not to participate in the Eucharist, even a single one, if time permitted.

He communicated often and with such devotion that he made others devout too.

For, being filled with reverence for this venerable sacrament, he offered the sacrifice of all his limbs, and when he received the immolated Lamb, he immolated his spirit in that fire, which always burned on the altar of his heart.

This is why he wanted to die in France, because of the veneration it had for the sacred mysteries.

One day he wanted to send the friars into the world with precious pyxes, so that they might place the price of redemption in the most worthy place possible, wherever they saw it kept with little decorum" (FF 789).

"He wanted great respect to be shown to the hands of the priest, for to them was given the divine power to consecrate this sacrament.

"If I happened," he would often say, "to meet together a saint from heaven and a poor priest, I would greet the priest first and run to kiss his hands.

Indeed, I would say: Ouch! Wait, St Lawrence [a deacon, like Francis] because his hands touch the Word of life and possess superhuman power' " (FF 790).

And St Clare, faced with the shortage of bread in the monastery, by Grace obtained to multiply it.

"There was only one loaf of bread in the monastery, and already the mealtime and hunger were approaching.Called the dispenser, the Saint commands her to divide the bread and send one part to the brothers, to keep the other inside, for the sisters.

From this second half kept, he orders fifty slices to be cut, which was the number of the Women, and to present them to them on the table of poverty.

And to the devout daughter, who replied:

"It would take the ancient miracles of Christ, to be able to cut so little bread into fifty slices," the Mother replied, telling her:

"Do safely what I tell you, daughter!"

So the daughter hastens to carry out the Mother's command; and the Mother hastens to address pious sighs to her Christ, for her daughters.

And by divine Grace that scanty matter grows in the hands of the one who breaks it, so that there is an abundant portion for each member of the community" (FF 3189).

The love of Francis and Clare for the Body and Blood of Christ made them direct sharers in that Sacred Mystery.

Both were transformed into a living Eucharist, credible witnesses to the Bread of Life.