«He who receives him whom I send, receives me; but he who receives me, receives him who sent me» (Jn 13:20).

Jesus, at the Last Supper, after having washed the feet of his disciples invites them to do the same, reminding them that a sent one is not greater than the one who sent him.

At the same time he reminds them that to receive the one God sends is to receive the Lord himself.

Francis knew, by grace, that to receive is the infinitive of the verb unveil.

The Lord manifests himself to the one who hosts with love the one sent by the Father of mercies.

The Poor Man and his sons knew the special welcome of the Assisian bishop, as is narrated in the Legend of the Three Companions:

"When they arrived in Rome, they found the Bishop of Assisi there, who received them with great joy.

He nourished an affectionate esteem for Francis and all the friars; but, ignorant of the reason for their coming, he was seized with anxiety: he feared that they might want to leave Assisi, where the Lord had begun through them to do wonders of good.

He was proud and happy to have such zealous men in his diocese, on whose exemplary life he relied greatly.

However, when he heard the purpose of the journey and understood their plans, he was reassured and promised to advise and help them' (FF 1456).

But there were also those who reacted differently with the brothers sent:

"Many took them for charlatans or simpletons, and did not want to receive them at home, for fear that they would commit theft.

In several places, after receiving a heap of insults, they found nowhere to take refuge except under the porches of churches or houses.

One day, two friars arrived in Florence. They went around the whole city begging, but could not find anyone to take them in.

When they arrived at a house that had a porch in front of it, under which there was an oven, they said to each other:

«We can rest here».

They begged the landlady to receive them into the house, but she refused.

Then they humbly proposed that she at least allow them to take refuge that night near the oven. The woman agreed [...].

That night they slept uneasily until dawn by the oven, warmed by divine love alone and protected by Our Lady Poverty's blanket.

They rose to go to the nearest church, to participate in the morning liturgy' (FF 1442).

In recognising the one Christ sends is inherent the revelation of the authentic and personal encounter with Jesus.

Moreover, Francis and his followers were clearly aware that if they had rejected the Master, the path of the disciple could not have been different.

Hence the acceptance of everything, dwelling in Love.

The Sources recall that in this lies Perfect Lettership, as Francis taught Brother Leo:

"«Behold, I return from Perugia and, deep in the night, I come here, and it is a muddy winter and so harsh that, at the end of my cassock, icicles of frozen water form [...] I come to the door and, after long beating and calling, a friar comes and asks:

«Who is it?»

I answer:

«Brother Francis» [...]

the other replies:

«Go away, you are simple and an idiot, you cannot come here anymore [...]».

And I always remain in front of the door and say:

«For God's sake, accept me for this night» [...].

«Well, if I have been patient and not disturbed, I say to you that here is true happiness and here is true virtue and salvation of the soul» " (FF 278).

Thursday of the 4th wk. in Easter   (Jn 13:16-20)

«I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and revealed them to babes» (Mt 11:25).

Jesus is the only one who can truly call the Lord of heaven and earth Father, but into this familiarity he introduces everyone.

Clare, seedling of the blessed Father Francis, with her special character of simplicity and littleness had attained, by Grace, such a great familiarity with the Lord that she moved in total harmony with Him.

Consulting the Sources, in the Legend we read of the degree of the Saint's intimate union with the divine Bridegroom.

"How much strength and support she received in the furnace of ardent prayer, how sweet the divine goodness was to her in that fruition, is attested by proven evidence.

For when she returned in the joy of holy prayer, she brought back from the fire of the altar of the Lord burning words, such as inflamed the hearts of her sisters.

For they noted with admiration that a certain gentleness radiated from her face and that her face seemed brighter than usual' (FF 3199).

In a letter to Ermentrude of Bruges* she recommends:

«Always be attentive and vigilant in prayer. Bring to its consummation the good you have begun, and fulfil the mystery you have embraced in holy poverty and sincere humility» (FF 2916).

Such was Clare, a simple and small creature, capable of rejoicing at every gift received, at every tiny reality that spoke to her of the Eternal.

"She received with great joy the scraps of alms, the pieces of bread that the beggars brought back and, almost sad for the whole loaves, she was happy instead for those little pieces" (FF 3188).

A woman conformed to Christ in everything, she considered herself a nothing before God.

In her Testament she exhorted meekness and humility of heart, as a loving Mother:

«Again I beg her who will be in charge of the sisters, that she may endeavour to preside over the others more by virtue and holiness of life than by dignity, so that, animated by her example, the sisters may lend obedience to her, not so much because of the office she occupies, but out of love.

Let her also be provident and discreet towards her sisters, like a good mother towards her daughters [...].

May she still be so affable and accessible to all that the sisters may confidently manifest their needs to her and have recourse to her at every hour with confidence [...]» (FF 2848).

Meekness and humility: stature of the little ones, to whom the Mysteries of the Kingdom are revealed, finding consolation in loving with the sentiments of Christ.

*Ermentrude of Bruges: to her we owe the spread of the Order of the Poor Clares in Flanders.

St Catherine of Siena, 29 April  (Mt 11:25-30)

Under Solomon's Portico in Jerusalem, Jesus makes his denunciation to the Jews: you are not my sheep, because you do not listen to my voice.

Francis had a great concern for the sheep of his flock, wanting to walk in the footsteps of the Lord and desiring the same for them.

He had a special fondness for sheep and lambs: they reminded him of the Lamb that was immolated for our salvation.

It is touching how these meek animals listened to him, recognising his voice as a true shepherd.

In the Sources we find significant passages on this subject. The Major Legend narrates:

"At St Mary of the Portiuncula they brought the man of God a sheep as a gift, which he accepted with gratitude, because he loved the innocence and simplicity that, by its nature, the sheep shows.

The man of God admonished the sheep to praise God and not to annoy the brothers at all. The sheep, in turn, as if feeling the pity of the man of God, put his teachings into practice with great care.

When she heard the monks singing in the choir, she would also enter the church and, without the need for a teacher, would bend her knees, uttering tender bleats before the altar of the Virgin, Mother of the Lamb, as if eager to greet her.

'During the celebration of Mass, at the moment of the elevation, he would bend his bent knees, as if he wanted, that devout animal, to reproach the ungodly for their irreverence and wanted to incite the devout to reverence towards the Sacrament' (FF 1148).

Francis, a meek shepherd, was listened to and followed by all creatures, who perceived in him his unity with Christ, the Good Shepherd sent by the Father.

His intimates listened to him with great admiration, for his eloquent life spoke for him.

«My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me» (Jn 10:27)

Tuesday of the 4th wk. in Easter  (Jn 10:22-30)

Today's liturgy offers us a passage from John's Gospel, emphasising the universal mission of the disciples.  They listen to the voice of the Shepherd and become one people in Christ and for Christ.

In the Franciscan Sources, the missionary nature of Francis and his disciples is narrated several times.

We read:

"Then the blessed Francis gathered them all together, and after speaking to them at length about the Kingdom of God, about contempt for the world, about denying one's own will, about the dominion one must exercise over one's own body, he divided them into four groups, of two each, and said to them:

«Go, beloved, two by two to the various parts of the world and proclaim to men peace and penance for the remission of sins; and be patient in persecution, confident that the Lord will fulfil his plan and keep his promises.

Respond with humility to those who question you, bless those who persecute you, thank those who insult and slander you, for in return the eternal kingdom is prepared for us» (FF 366).

"Then Brother Bernard with Brother Aegidius set out for Compostella, to the shrine of St James, in Galicia; St Francis with another companion chose another part; the other four, two by two, set out in the other two directions" (FF 368).

Thus they put the Word of the Gospel into practice, without sweetening it.

To all they brought the Good News of the Kingdom, proclaiming it even before their lips, with their simple and authentic behaviour.

Sylvester himself, who was a priest, had a dream before entering the Order:

"[...] he saw an immense cross, the summit of which touched heaven and the foot of which rested on Francis' mouth, and the arms stretched out on either side of the world.

Awakened, the priest understood and firmly believed that Francis was a true friend and servant of Christ, and his religious movement would spread prodigiously throughout the world" (FF 1434).

It often happened that they encountered rejection and harassment:

"Because of such hostility, the brothers were forced to flee from various nations. 

Thus, distressed, afflicted, not infrequently stripped of their robes and beaten by brigands, they returned to Francis with great bitterness.

They suffered such harassment in almost all the countries beyond the Alps, as in Germany, Hungary, and many others" (FF 1475).

«And they will listen to my voice and become one flock one shepherd»  (Jn 10:16b)

In chapter ten of the Gospel of John, Jesus describes himself as the Gate for the sheep; those who enter through it find salvation. He alone is the true Shepherd who cares for them and protects them from danger.

One day, as Francis neared the end of his calling, a friar asked him who would lead the Order after him.

The passage, taken from the Second Life of Celano, reads as follows:

«Father, you will pass from this life, and the family that has followed you will be left abandoned in this valley of tears. Name one, if you know of anyone in the Order, who satisfies your spirit and upon whom the burden of the office of Minister General may be laid with peace of mind».

Francis, accompanying each word with a sigh, replied:

«I know of no one capable of being the leader of such a diverse army and the shepherd of such a numerous flock. But I wish to describe to you, and, as they say, to sketch out the figure, in whom it may be clearly seen what the father of this family must be like».

«He must be,’ he continued, ‘a man of the most austere life, of great discretion and commendable reputation […] he must apply himself zealously to prayer and know how to devote certain hours to his own soul and others to the flock entrusted to him […] After prayer, then, he should make himself available to the religious, willing to be pestered by everyone, ready to respond and to provide for all with affability […] Even if he stands out for his learning, nevertheless, even more so in his conduct, he should be the portrait of virtuous simplicity and cultivate virtue […]».

And he continued:

«Let him console the afflicted, being the last refuge for the afflicted, lest it come to pass that, finding no salutary remedies with him, the sick feel overwhelmed by the disease of despair. Let him humble himself, to bend the haughty to meekness, and let him relinquish part of his right, to win a soul for Christ. When dealing with those who have deserted the Order, like lost sheep, let him not close the depths of his mercy to them, knowing full well that the temptations are most violent, which can drive one to such an act […] It is his task above all to probe the secret of consciences to extract the truth from the most hidden recesses, but let him not lend an ear to those who spread gossip […]» (FF 771-772).

All this points to the importance of being a ‘Door’ for Francis amongst his friars, whom he loved with firmness and tenderness; with discretion and understanding, for the love of Christ.

«I am the gate: whoever enters through me will be saved; they will come in and go out and find pasture»  (Jn 10:9)

4th Sunday in Easter A  (Jn 10:1-10)

«By going all over the world, preach the Gospel to every creature» (Mk 16:15).

The Risen Jesus, before ascending to the Father, entrusted the disciples with the universal mission of proclaiming the Gospel to every creature, emphasising how the proclamation would be confirmed by signs, an anticipation of that full salvation that is awaited in God's future.

Francis gave the measure of all this when he set out on a mission to the East, to meet the Sultan.

The Sources read as follows:

"In the thirteenth year of his conversion, he set out for Syria, and while bitter battles raged between Christians and pagans, taking a companion* with him, he did not hesitate to present himself before the Sultan*.

Who could describe the confidence and courage with which he stood before them and spoke to them? [...]

Before he reached the Sultan, his assassins seized him, insulted him, lashed him, and he feared nothing [...] and although invested with the brutal hatred of many, he was received by the Sultan with great honour!

He maintained that the preacher called to proclaim the Gospel "must first draw in the secret of prayer what he will then pour out in his speeches. First he must warm himself inwardly, so as not to utter cold words outwardly [...] they are the life of the body, the adversaries of demons, they are the lamp of the world.

They proclaim salvation, they perform signs, because what they carry in their hearts overflows outwardly and God works in them.

Such a model was what the brothers saw in Francis, as a witness and proclamation of the Risen One.

(FF 422) "The brothers who lived with him also know very well how every day, indeed every moment, the memory of Christ surfaced on his lips; with what gentleness and sweetness he spoke to Him, with what tender love he conversed with Him.

His mouth spoke out of the abundance of the holy affections of his heart, and that spring of enlightened love that filled him inside, overflowed outside as well.

He was really very busy with Jesus. Jesus always carried Jesus in his heart, Jesus on his lips, Jesus in his ears, Jesus in his eyes, Jesus in his hands, Jesus in all his other limbs [...]" (FF 522).

And when a creature disappears, making the image of the Son of God emerge in her, she accomplishes, wherever she is, the most perfect evangelisation, she offers the most convincing proclamation.

Thus Francis, a new man made living Word.

* He was Friar Illuminato, as St Bonaventure informs us.

* St Francis probably came to the Sultan Melek-el- Kamel in the truce of arms between the end of August and the end of September 1219.

S. Mark the Evangelist (Mk 16:15-20)

In today's passage Jesus upsets the mind-sets of the Jews who wonder how he can give them to eat his body and drink his blood.

Francis, endowed by Grace with extraordinary charisms, understood all this well.

In his simplicity he was a great lover of the Eucharist, to which he dedicated a special letter: «Letter to all clerics on the reverence of the Body of the Lord».

In it, among other things, we read:

“«For we possess and see bodily nothing in this world of the Most High himself, except the body and blood, the names and words by which we were created and redeemed «from death to life»" (FF 207a).

And again the Sources inform about Francis' devotion to the Body and Blood of the Lord.

"He was burning with love in every fibre of his being for the sacrament of the Body of the Lord, filled with awe beyond measure at such benevolent deigning and most generous charity [...] being filled with reverence for this venerable sacrament, he offered the sacrifice of all his limbs, and, when he received the immolated Lamb, he immolated his spirit in that fire, which always burned on the altar of his heart [...].

One day he wanted to send the brothers into the world with precious pyxes, so that they might place the price of redemption in the most worthy place possible, wherever they saw it kept with little decorum" (FF 789).

Clare also yearned to receive the living Bread descended from heaven with great devotion and recollection:

"When then he was about to receive the Body of the Lord, he first shed hot tears and, approaching then with trembling, feared Him who is hidden in the Sacrament no less than the Sovereign of heaven and earth" (FF 3210).

And again, during his long stay he devoted himself even more devoutly to the Eucharist.

According to the Legend:

"In that grave illness which confined her to the bedside, she had herself lifted up and supported at the back with supports; and, while sitting, she spun very delicate fabrics.

From these she made more than fifty pairs of corporals and, enclosing them in silk or purple envelopes, she destined them for various churches throughout the plain and the mountains of Assisi" (FF 3209).

The life of these two Poor Men was an unceasing Eucharistic sacrifice for the benefit of humanity, in unity with Jesus.

Their every gesture was bread broken and blood shed for every needy creature.

Living in poverty and simplicity in daily life, she became bread for all.

«He who chews my flesh and drinks my blood has the Life of the Eternal One» (Jn 6:54)

Friday of the 3rd wk. in Easter  (Jn 6,52-59)

In this part of chapter 6 of the Johannine Gospel it is emphasised by Jesus that no one can go to Him unless the Father draws him.

Whoever listens and learns from the Father goes to Jesus.

Francis, always listening to the Word and instructed by the Spirit, one day told his brothers the following:

"«The Order and the life of the Lesser Brothers resembles a little flock, which the Son of God, in this last hour, asked of his heavenly Father, saying:

«Father I wish that you would raise up and give to me in this last hour a new humble people, different in their humility and poverty from all the others who have gone before them, and happy to possess only me alone». And the Father answered his beloved Son:

«Son, what you have asked is done».

Francis then added that the Lord wanted the brothers to be called 'Minor', because this is precisely the people asked by the Son of God to his Father, and of them it says in the Gospel: Do not be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the Kingdom; and again: What you did to one of the least of my brethren (minors), you did to me.

'Although here the Lord speaks of all who are poor in spirit, yet he intended to refer in a special way to the Order of Friars Minor, which would flourish in his Church' (FF 1617).

And Clare, in the enclosure of the Damianite walls, writing to her spiritual daughter Agnes of Prague:

"«Fill yourselves with courage in the holy service which you have begun by the ardent desire of the poor Crucified One. He for all of us bore the torment of the cross, snatching us from the power of the Prince of Darkness, who held us in chains as a result of the sin of the first man, and reconciling us with God the Father»" (FF 2863).

These two saints testify with their lives that for them the Bread that comes from God is the Word of Jesus and the ultimate self-giving Act of Him, transformed into everlasting salvation for us all.

The prayer dear to Francis, and often repeated by him before the Crucifix, is an externality of listening and faith at the same time, of footsteps directed to communion with the Father and his Son Jesus in the Spirit.

"«Most high and glorious God, / illumine the darkness of my heart. / And give me straight faith, / certain hope and perfect charity,/ wisdom and knowledge, / Lord, / that I may do your holy and true commandment. Amen»" (FF 276).

«No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him» (Jn 6:44).

«He who believes has the Life of the Eternal One» (Jn 6:47).

Thursday of the 3rd wk. in Easter  (Jn 6:44-51)

In the Gospel of today's liturgy, Jesus reveals himself as the Bread of Life: salvation that every man seeks.

He affirms that he came down from heaven to do the will of the One who sent him, not his own.

Francis always distinguished himself by that continuous search for God's will in all things.

In the Sources we find from the Poverello an appreciation of the Father's will for Jesus:

«And the will of his Father was this, that his blessed and glorious son, whom he gave to us and was born for us, should offer himself, through his own blood, as a sacrifice and victim on the altar of the cross, not for himself, since through him all things were created, but in atonement for our sins, leaving us the example so that we might follow in his footsteps. And he wants us all to be saved through him and to receive him with a pure heart and a chaste body» (Letter to the Faithful. FF 184).

And in the Paraphrase of the «Our Father» he adds:

«Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven: That we may love you with all our heart, always thinking of you; with all our soul, always desiring you; with all our mind, directing all our intentions to you and in all things seeking your honour; and with all our strength, expending all our energies and sensibilities of soul and body in the service of your love and not for anything else; and that we may love our neighbour as ourselves, drawing all with all our power to your love, enjoying the goods of others as of our own and in evils suffering together with them and giving no offence to anyone» (FF 270).

In prayer he always asked God for knowledge of his will:

"Francis, the servant of Christ, not trusting in his own experience or that of his own, entrusted himself to prayer, to seek insistently what was [...] the disposition of the divine will.

He was thus enlightened with an answer from heaven and understood that he had been sent by the Lord for this purpose: to win souls to Christ, whom the devil was trying to kidnap.

And so he chose to live for all, rather than for himself alone, spurred on by the example of the One who deigned to die, He alone, for all men" (FF 1066).

From a young age Clare of Assisi always sought the will of the Father and, in the monastery, in her Rule, she wrote:

«Let the sisters [...] remember that they have renounced their own will for the love of God» (FF 2807).

Following the example of Christ who came to fulfil the Father's plan, Francis and Clare were also tireless seekers of the divine plan for them.

«For I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me» (Jn 6:38)

Wednesday 3rd wk. in Easter  (Jn 6:35-40)