Today’s Gospel highlights the hardness of heart of the Pharisees, who were quick to accuse Jesus for healing a paralysed hand.
For them, observance takes precedence over the person. And that is terrifying!
Francis, on the other hand, following in Christ’s footsteps, placed the well-being of the person – both physical and spiritual – at the centre.
After his conversion, the Little One of Assisi lived his life always doing good, without allowing himself to be influenced by the prevailing mindset; and he taught his friars to do the same, in the freedom of the children of God.
In the Sources – specifically in the Unconfirmed Rule (1221) – we find what he recommended to his brothers:
‘And even if they are accused of being hypocrites, let them not cease to do good’ (FF 8).
And again:
‘Let us bear fruits worthy of penance. And let us love our neighbours as ourselves’ (FF 189).
Thus Francis never missed an opportunity to do good; he who, filled with Grace, was showered with gifts for the service of others.
Indeed, the Lord, through the ‘Poverello’, performed many healings throughout the ages:
“In Gubbio, a paralysed woman repeated the name of Blessed Francis three times, and was immediately healed.
A certain Boniface, afflicted with excruciating pain in his hands and feet, could neither move nor walk, and had completely lost his sleep and appetite. One day a woman came to him and advised and urged him to entrust himself to Blessed Francis if he wished to be immediately delivered.
That man, who at first had almost gone mad because of the spasms, refused, saying: ‘I do not believe he is a saint’.
Then, yielding to the woman’s insistence, he made a vow as follows: ‘I entrust myself to the intercession of Francis and I shall consider him a saint if, within three days, he frees me from my illness’. And his prayer was immediately answered; he regained the ability to walk, his appetite and his sleep, and gave glory to Almighty God” (FF 559).
But the Saint, as mentioned above, was struck by the hardness of heart shown by some Romans in the face of the preaching of the Word.
In the Testimonies following Francis’s death we read:
“But the Roman people […] showered him with contempt, to such an extent that not only did they refuse to listen to him, but they also shunned his sermons. And for many days they continued to mock his preaching. Then Francis rebuked them for the hardness of their hearts, saying:
«I deeply lament your wretchedness, for not only do you shower me, the Lord’s servant, with contempt, but through me you bring shame upon that Redeemer of whom I proclaim the good news […]
I shall go and proclaim Christ to the beasts and the birds of the air; they will hear these words of salvation and obey God with all their hearts» (FF 2288).
«I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy it?» (Lk 6:6–11)
*It was a fairly widespread devotional practice in the Middle Ages to offer, as a votive offering to obtain a grace, figures made of wax, bread or metal, of the same weight or size as the supplicant.
Monday of the 23rd wk. in Ordinary Time (Lk 6:6–11)
