In the Gospel passage proposed today, Jesus speaks of having come to give full fulfilment to the Law.
So do not tear down or transgress the Word, but observe it by loving. Love is the true fulfilment of the Law of the Lord, which is perfect and refreshes the soul.
Francis understood this well by living and teaching his fraternity to do the same.
The Sources provide, through various pieces, precious examples of life. In the Letter to the rulers of the peoples:
"I beseech you [...] with all the reverence of which I am capable, not to forget the Lord, absorbed as you are by the cares and cares of this world, and not to deviate from his commandments, for all those who forget the Lord and depart from his commandments are accursed and will be forgotten by him" (FF 211).
At the same time, the Poverello, with that balance and elasticity that distinguished him, emphasised:
"And whenever necessity arises, let all the brothers, wherever they may be, be allowed to take all the food that men can eat, just as the Lord says of David, who ate the loaves of the offering that were not allowed to be eaten except by priests [...] Similarly, in times of manifest necessity, let all the brothers provide for their necessities as the Lord will give them grace, since necessity has no law" (FF 33).
According to Francis' thought, what harms love is detraction. In fact, in the Major Legend, we read:
"The vice of detraction, the radical enemy of piety and grace, had him in horror like the bite of the serpent and like the most harmful pestilence [...].
"The wickedness of detractors," he would say, "is all the greater than that of thieves, the greater the force with which the law of Christ, which finds its fulfilment in love, obliges us to desire the salvation of souls more than that of bodies"" (FF 1141).
Clare herself, in the Rule warns:
"I admonish, then, and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ, that the sisters beware of all pride, vainglory, envy, avarice, care and solicitude of this world, of detraction and murmuring, of discord and division" (FF 2809).
"Let them always be solicitous to preserve mutually the unity of mutual charity, which is the bond of perfection" (FF 2810).
Love was the Rule of the brothers and the Poor Ladies of San Damiano: "[...] and so, bearing the yoke of mutual charity, with ease shall we fulfil the law of Christ. Amen." (FF 2918 - Letter to Ermentrude of Bruges).
"Do not believe that I have come to tear down the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to demolish, but to fulfil" (Mt 5:17).
Wednesday, 10th wk. in O.T. (Mt 5,17-19)
