The Gospel of Luke speaks today of the second announcement of the Passion of Jesus.
He sought to prepare the disciples for the consummation of his Paschal Mystery, but they struggled to understand, they did not grasp the meaning of what the Lord was expressing.
Just as Jesus is faced with the disciples' incomprehension before the mystery of his death, so Francis has before him, at the end of his life, the bewilderment of his brothers.
In the Sources:
"He summoned all the brothers present in the house, and seeking to soothe the grief they showed at his death, he exhorted them with fatherly affection to the love of God [...].
"Farewell," he said, "all you my sons, live in the fear of the Lord and keep yourselves in it always!
And since the hour of trial and tribulation draws near, blessed are those who persevere in what they have undertaken!
For I hasten to God and commend you all to his grace'.
And he also blessed all the brothers, wherever they were in the world, and those who would come after them until the end of the ages" (FF 806).
"While the brothers shed bitter tears and lamented in despair [...] He also wanted the books of the Gospels and asked that they read to him the Gospel according to John [...]" (FF 808).
And again:
"He then turned to the doctor:
"Courage, Brother Doctor, tell me that death is imminent: for me it will be the door of life!".
And to the friars:
"When you see me reduced to the extreme, expose me naked on the earth as you saw me the day before yesterday, and after I am dead, let me lie like this for the time necessary to comfortably cover a mile".
At last his hour came, and all the mysteries of Christ having been fulfilled in him, he departed happily to God" (FF 810).
"Put these words in your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men" (Lk 9:44).
Saturday of the 25th wk. in O.T. (Lk 9,43b-45)