Chapter eight of Luke, at the beginning, speaks of the proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom by Jesus and the Twelve, and of the following of women who, healed, follow the Lord, putting all they possess at their service.
Opening the Franciscan window we see that, after having known the Lord's will by divine inspiration, Francis, the Minim, devotes himself body and soul to fulfil the mission entrusted to him by God.
His task: to announce the Kingdom, to make the Good News known to people in poverty, renouncing everything that was not indispensable.
The Sources are extraordinarily rich in this regard.
"One day, while listening to Mass, he heard the instructions given by Christ when he sent his disciples to preach [...] He understood these instructions better afterwards, having the passage explained to him by the priest.
Then, beaming with joy, he exclaimed:
"This is precisely what I long to accomplish with all my strength!".
And fixing those directives in his memory, he undertook to carry them out happily [...].
He got rid of everything he owned that was double [...] He made himself a poor, coarse tunic and, instead of a leather belt, he tightened his hips with a rope.
Inspired by God, he began to proclaim the perfection of the Gospel, preaching penance to all, with simplicity.
His words were not frivolous [...] but full of the virtue of the Holy Spirit they penetrated into the depths of consciences, so as to touch his listeners vividly" (FF 1427).
"The man of God, Francis, animated by the Spirit of the prophets and following their language, as if echoing his forerunner, announced peace and preached salvation" (FF 1428).
"An increasing number of people were attracted by the frankness and truthfulness of Francis' teaching and life.
Two years after his conversion, some men felt encouraged by his example to do penance and join him, renouncing everything, wearing the same habit and leading the same life" (FF 1429).
The first woman to follow Francis was Clare, who left her father's house and followed him to live the Gospel.
"Noble by birth, nobler by grace [...] Clare by name, clearer by life, clearer by virtue" (FF 351).
Following her example, the other sisters also put their spiritual goods at the service of the Gospel.
"There were with him the Twelve and some women who had been healed [...] Susanna and many others, who served them with their possessions" (Lk 8:1b-2a.3b).
Friday 24th wk. in O.T. (Lk 8:1-3)
