The Liturgy gives us the story of the healing of the haemorrhoissa, a poor sick woman - and the resuscitation of the daughter of Jairus, leader of the synagogue.

The common denominator of these episodes is the sincere trust that the Lord asks for and finds in some people.

Animated by indomitable Faith, Francis became Alter Christus and received from the Lord the Divine Energy for healing, testifying that God was in him and with him.

A simple man not by nature, but by divine Grace, he was a friend of the Most High, testifying to this character with numerous prodigies.

Already in his lifetime he performed many signs: for example, the one that took place in Nardi. A woman regained her sight the moment Francis made the sign of the cross.

Or the one portraying Francis in distress over a friar suffering from epilepsy. He went to him and, after blessing him, cured him.

In the process of canonisation, more than 40 miracles were recognised by the ecclesiastical authorities.

We report one of them, taken from the Sources and relating to after his death.

"The little son, barely seven years old, of a notary in Rome, had taken it into his head, as children do, to follow his mother who was going to the church of St Mark.

Since his mother had forced him to stay at home, he threw himself out of the window of the palace [...] The mother, seeing that she had suddenly lost her son [...] began to tear herself apart with her own hands [...].

But a friar of the Order of Friars Minor, named Rao, who was on his way there to preach, approached the child and then, full of faith, said to the father:

"Do you believe that Francis, the saint of God, can raise your son from the dead, by virtue of that love he always had for Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to give life to men?"

The father replied that he firmly believed this.

The friar prostrated himself in prayer with his companion and incited all present to pray.

As the prayer was finished, the child began to yawn a little, opened his eyes and raised his arms, finally stood up on his own and immediately, in the presence of all, began to walk, safe and sound, restored to life and, at the same time, to salvation by the admirable power of the Saint" (FF 1266).

Again in the Sources, in the Major Legend, we find a significant miraculous episode:

"The son of a nobleman of Castel San Giminiano, due to a serious infirmity, was reduced to the extremes, with no more hope of recovery.

From his eyes came a stream of blood, like that which usually spurts from the vein in his arm.

Throughout the rest of his body, too, there were signs of impending doom, so that he was now considered dead.

When his breathing became shallow, his life force, sensibility and motion were extinguished, he seemed to be gone altogether.

Relatives and friends had come for mourning, according to custom, and by now there was only talk of burial. But the father, who trusted in the Lord, ran with great strides to the church of Blessed Francis, which had been built in the village and, with the cincture around his neck, prostrated himself on the ground in all humility.

Making vows and praying without ceasing, amid weeping and sighing, he deserved to obtain that St Francis should make himself his patron saint with Christ.

In fact, returning immediately to his son, the father found him cured and transformed his mourning into joy" (FF 1280).

Prayer of Francis before the Crucifix (FF 276).

Most glorious God

illuminate the darkness of my heart.

and give me straight faith

certain hope and perfect charity

wisdom and knowledge,

Lord,

that I may do thy holy and true commandment.

Amen.

13th Sunday in O.T. B (Mk 5,21-43)