Jesus answers John's disciples about fasting. Now the Bridegroom is with them and they will not fast; when he is taken from them they will fast.

Logic that breaks down the legalistic mentality.

In the Sources we have various passages that highlight the Poor Man of Assisi's way of acting on this subject.

The Minim forbade excesses.

Francis knew well how to discern between the importance of fasting and exaggeration in practising it.

In his life, never did form take the place of substance. The Franciscan Sources illustrate:

"Francis reproached his brothers who were too hard on themselves and who were exhausted by vigils, fasts, prayers and corporal penances [...].

The man of God forbade such excesses, admonishing those brothers lovingly and calling them to common sense, healing their wounds with the medicine of wise instructions [...].

He spoke with them, identifying himself with their situation, not as a judge then, but as an understanding father with his children and as a compassionate doctor with his own sick.

He knew how to be sick with the sick, afflicted with the afflicted" (FF 1470).

All this while being "a new man, [who] with new virtues renewed the way of perfection that had disappeared from the world" (FF 3162).

As a mature and profoundly human person, he knew how to help his brothers, evaluating the different situations he had before him.

In the Legend of the Three Companions: "However, when it was appropriate, he chastised those who committed offences" (FF 1470).

Francis had received, by Grace, the immeasurable gift of true discernment.

The Little One did not betray substance for form: he kept both in a sensible human and spiritual balance.

«But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast» (Mt 9:15)

Saturday of the 13th wk. in O.T.  (Mt 9:14-17)

On the first day of the week, Jesus came to the disciples while they were gathered behind closed doors.

He entrusted them with the mission of proclaiming the Good News, 'breathing' on them so that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

Thomas, who was absent, found it hard to believe and was rebuked by Jesus for demanding to see and touch, without accepting the testimony of the other disciples.

Yet Thomas sought a first-hand experience of the Risen One.

The Poor Man of Assisi and his brothers grew in faith through their active encounter with the Lord in the poverty they lived, in the solitude and prayer they experienced in their daily lives.

Faith in Jesus, who died on the cross as a criminal to assure us of eternal life, overflowed in the bare existence of Francis and his brothers.

It was certainly a divine gift, but also the fruit of a non-formal relationship that developed along the path they had taken.

It is worth remembering what the Sources attest:

"[Francis] taught them to praise God in all creatures; to honour priests with special veneration; to believe firmly and confess openly the truth of the faith [...]

They observed in everything the teachings of their holy father, and as soon as they saw a church or a cross from afar, they turned towards it, prostrated themselves humbly on the ground and prayed in the manner they had been taught" (FF 1069).

Chiara herself, in her Letter to Ermentrude of Bruges, regarding the life of Fede, suggests:

«Remain, therefore, my dearest, faithful until death to Him to whom you have bound yourself forever. And you will certainly be crowned by Him with the crown of life.

The time of toil here below is short, but the reward is eternal.

Do not be dazzled by the splendours of the world that pass like a shadow.

Do not be surprised by the empty images of this deceitful world; close your ears to the whispers of hell and strongly resist its temptations.

Bear adversity willingly, and do not let pride swell your heart in prosperous times; the former call you back to your faith, the latter demand it» (FF 2914).

The experience of God in their lives had been so strong, incisive and merciful that they could speak as no one had ever done before.

‘Thomas answered him and said, «The Lord of mine and the God of mine!»’ (Jn 20:28)

3 July, St Thomas the Apostle  (Jn 20:24-29)

By virtue of the faith testified to by the bystanders, Jesus heals not only the limbs of a sick person but, more radically, frees one from sins; a fact that scandalised the scribes with an evil eye. 

In Francis, perfectly conformed to Christ, this prerogative was repeated thanks to God's plan for him, open to divine Love.

The Franciscan Sources constitute "the vocabulary" of the life of the Poverello and the beginnings of his fraternity, with multiple episodes that reveal Francis' introspection and his holy operation through the Holy Spirit in him.

The Sources attribute to Francis 10 prodigies relating to healed paralysis. They are extensively mentioned in the Major Legend.

We quote some of them to testify how the Lord worked greatly through his servant:

"There was near the town of Orte, a child all shrunken up, who had his head joined to his feet and several bones broken.

Moved by the tears and prayers of his parents, the saint blessed him with the sign of the cross, and he stood up with his limbs well stretched out, instantly healed" (FF 1216).

Again: “In the diocese of Rieti, a weeping mother presented her child to him, who had been so swollen for four years that he could not even see his own legs: the Saint barely touched him with his sacred hands and made him perfectly healthy” (FF 1215).

Where eminent Faith is alive, God works wonders with His instruments; indeed, He endows them with His own powers and enables them to work greater things with Him.

«And seeing Jesus their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Take courage, son, your sins are forgiven'» (Mt 9:2)

Thursday of the 13th wk. in O.T. (Mt 9,1-8)

The passage from Matthew presents Jesus grappling with demons who fear being cast out.

The unclean spirits unite against the true servants of God. Francis knew something about this.

The Sources recount what happened to him once when he was staying in Rome with Cardinal Leo of Santa Croce, who had wanted him to stay with him for a while.

"Proud demons flee before the exalted virtue of the humble, except in some cases where divine mercy allows the humble to be slapped, precisely to keep them humble, as the Apostle Paul writes of himself and as Francis experienced first-hand [...]".

The saint, having accepted the invitation out of veneration and love for the cardinal, experienced a veritable assault by demons on his first night after prayer. They beat him long and cruelly, leaving him half dead.

When they had gone, he called his companion and told him what had happened.

«Brother, demons have no power except within the limits set by Providence.

Therefore, I believe that they attacked me so fiercely because my stay in the curia of the magnates does not make a good impression.

My brethren who live in poor places, hearing that I am with the cardinals, will perhaps suspect that I am entangled in worldly things, being surrounded by honours and comforts.

I therefore judge that it is better for those who are set as an example to stay away from curias and spend their lives humbly among the humble, in humble places.

In this way, living in the same conditions as those who live in poverty, he will be a comfort to them».

So they went in the morning and, with humble excuses, took their leave of the cardinal” (FF 1115).

In the face of Grace, evil calls for reinforcements; but what defeats it, says Francis, is humility.

Therefore, even the «very furious» spirits (v. 28) can do nothing before the humility of the Son of God and his servants.

As it is written in the Sources [Sacrum Commercium]:

«For he (satan) is very proud, and his pride and arrogance are even greater than his strength.

He is filled with great fury against you and will turn all the weapons of his cunning against you, seeking to spatter you with the poison of his malice, because after he has ended the war by defeating and throwing down the others, he cannot bear to see you standing above him» (FF 2026).

Count on us that, after being saved, we will proclaim the mercy God has shown us. This devastates the deceiver!

Francis did this, attesting to the poverty of the Son of God, which, transferred to the folds of daily life, drags impure spirits down from the cliff into the sea of their contradictions, destroying them.

The holy life of Francis and his brotherhood in the early days made them heralds of Mercy, singers of the Almighty.

«Demons begged him, saying: If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs» (Mt 8:31)

Wednesday 13th wk. in Ordinary Time  (Mt 8:28-34)

In today's Gospel Jesus asks his own, in the storm at sea, for a supplement of faith.

«Why are you afraid, [men] of little faith?» (Mt 8:26).

Even to Francis, in certain situations of life, Jesus asked for a greater faith, free from fear, because on his boat besieged by the waves of temptation was He: Christ, the Great Helmsman.

In the Sources, in the Second Life of Celano, we find a lesson in this regard:

"At a certain moment of his life, the Father suffered a most violent temptation of spirit, certainly for the sake of his crown.

For this he was distressed and full of suffering, he mortified and macerated his body, he prayed and wept in the most painful manner. This struggle lasted several years.

One day, while praying in St Mary of the Portiuncula, he heard a voice in spirit:

«Francis, if you have faith as much as a mustard seed, you will tell the mountain to move and it will move».

«Lord - replied the saint - what is the mountain, which I wish to move?».

And the voice again:

«The mountain is your temptation».

«O Lord - replied the Saint in tears - let it happen to me, as thou hast said».

Immediately all temptation disappeared and he felt free and completely serene in the depths of his heart" (FF 702).

Entrusting himself to Jesus, the Poverello did not become shipwrecked in the storms of life, and with Grace he was able to overcome every serious obstacle.

Clare herself, faced with pressing dangers, found the way out in the Faith and urged her sisters to do the same.

This is attested in her Letter to Ermentrude of Bruges in which she says, among other things:

«Support adversity willingly, and pride not swell your heart in prosperous things; these call you to your faith, those require it».

Tuesday of the 13th wk. in O.T.  (Mt 8,23-27)

Francis of Assisi had great respect for the Church, which he considered mother, holy, catholic, apostolic, Roman:

«At the beginning of my new life, when I separated from the world and my earthly father, the Lord placed his Word on the lips of the bishop of Assisi, that he might counsel me wisely in the service of Christ and give me comfort.

For this reason and for the other eminent qualities that I recognise [...] I want to love [...] and consider as my lords not only the bishops, but also the humble priests» (FF 1562).

Furthermore, the Sources attest how Francis went with eleven companions to the Pope's Curia to inform him of his new and original plan of life and to obtain confirmation of the Rule he had composed.

We read: "Seeing that the Lord was increasing his brothers [...] he addressed the eleven of the group:

«Brethren, I see that the merciful Lord wants to increase our community.

Let us therefore go to our mother, the holy Roman Church, and communicate to the supreme pontiff what the Lord has begun to do through us, in order to continue our mission, according to his will and dispositions» " (FF1455).

He was thus presented to the supreme pontiff who begged Francis to ask God if that kind of life really corresponded to his will.

In obedience to his request, the Poverello, after long prayer, confirmed the holy intention as coming from God, convincing the Pope with a parable received by divine inspiration.

He embraced the saint and approved the Rule.

"Having received the blessing from Innocent III, they went to visit the tombs of the Apostles [...] Then the man of God set out from Rome with his brothers, heading for the evangelisation of the world" (FF 1460-1462).

On the other hand Francis, praying in front of the Crucifix of the church of San Damiano "which was threatening ruin, old as it was [...] he heard with the ears of his body a voice descending towards him and saying three times:

«Francis, go and repair my house which, as you see, is all in ruins!» "(FF 1038).

This referring not only and not so much to the walls as "to that Church which Christ purchased with his Blood, as the Holy Spirit would have him understand and as he himself later revealed to the friars".

(FF 1038).

Saints Peter and Paul Ap. (Mt 16:13-19)

Jesus is keen to emphasise the priority of the love due to Him, the acceptance of one’s own cross, as well as the hospitality shown to the little ones, even through the smallest of gestures.

From personal experience, the Poor Man of Assisi knew God’s magnanimity, for He is attentive to His children even when it comes to a glass of water offered in His Name to those who belong to Christ.

And with a burning faith, he lived out this truth.

The Sources recount an eloquent episode:

‘Francis, a man of God, stripped of worldly possessions […] devoted himself to serving God in every possible way.

Returning to the church of St Damian, full of joy and fervour, he fashioned himself a hermit’s habit and comforted the priest of that church with the very same words of encouragement which the bishop had addressed to him.

Then, returning to the city, he began to walk through the squares and streets, singing the Lord’s praises with a soul filled with joy.

As soon as he had finished his praises, he set about gathering the stones needed to restore the church.

He would say:

«Whoever gives me one stone shall receive a reward; whoever gives two stones, two rewards; whoever gives three, three rewards».

With ardent enthusiasm he made this and similar appeals, full of innocence, for this chosen one of God had a pure and childlike soul; he did not resort to the learned language of human wisdom, but was simple and direct in everything” (FF 1420).

He also feared causing offence to people and to his brothers, thereby dishonouring God.

Indeed, we read further:

“He often repeated to his companions:

«Herein lies my sorrow, my affliction: the guidance which, through intense prayer and reflection, I receive from God’s mercy for the present and future good of the brotherhood—and which God assures me is in accordance with his will—is thwarted by some friars, who, relying on their own arrogance and the light of their learning, say: These directives must be upheld and observed, but not these others».

But the Saint, as has already been said, feared scandal so much that he allowed many things to be done, and adapted himself to the will of his brothers, however much this went against his convictions” (FF 1632).

“He was troubled by the thought that, as often happens amongst the elect, there would be some who were puffed up in their carnal mindset, ready for strife and prone to scandal” (FF 609).

«And whoever gives even a single glass of fresh [water] to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, truly I tell you, they will not lose their reward» (Mt 10:42)

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year A  (Mt 10:37–42)

Matthew tells us of the extraordinary faith of the centurion who, upon hearing of Jesus’ healing of his servant, believed without seeing.

The Lord then entered Peter’s house and healed his ailing mother-in-law and all the sick people brought to Him.

The Poor Man of Assisi, amongst the many gifts he received from on High, had a special love for the Proclamation of the Gospel, so that all might experience an encounter with Christ the Saviour, accompanied by many healings.

Indeed, we read in the Sources, in Celano’s First Life:

‘Amidst the decline into which the teaching of the Gospel had fallen—not in its details but in general—God’s Providence sent this man into the world so that, like the apostles, he might bear witness to the truth before all people.

And indeed he clearly demonstrated, through the Word and by his example, how foolish earthly wisdom was; and in short, under Christ’s guidance, he led people, through the ‘foolishness’ of his preaching, to authentic divine Wisdom” (FF 474).

Thanks to this close union with Christ, he performed many healings for those who turned to him.

Indeed: “A woman, who had been ill for many years and was completely bedridden, as soon as she had made a vow to God and to Blessed Francis, rose up healed and able to attend to all her duties.

In the town of Narni there lived a woman who, for eight years, had had a withered hand, which was completely useless. One day the Blessed Father appeared to her and, touching her ailing hand, restored it to working order, just like the other” (FF 558).

Thus the Lord worked wonders of every kind through his servant Francis.

«When Jesus came to Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and served him»  (Mt 8:14–15)

Saturday, 12th wk. in O.T.  (Mt 8:5–17)

Matthew portrays Jesus healing a leper, exhorting him not to tell anyone and to go to the priest with the prescribed offering.

Francis «the Minim» poured out on everyone the Gratuity received from Christ. A man of indomitable faith, he also embraced those who were excluded, going far beyond any judgement or stereotypical mentality.

In the Sources, the episode that makes him the guardian of the marginalised is of extraordinary beauty and special humanity.

We read:

"One day, while riding his horse across the plain at the foot of Assisi, he came across a leper.

That unexpected encounter filled him with horror.

But, thinking and reflecting that, if he wished to become a knight of Christ, he must first overcome himself, he dismounted from his horse and ran to embrace the leper and, as the latter extended his hand as if to receive alms, he handed him some money and kissed him.

Immediately he got back on his horse; but no matter how much he turned to look on all sides, and although the countryside stretched open all around, he could no longer see the leper in any way.

Therefore, filled with wonder and joy, he began devoutly to sing the praises of the Lord" (FF 1034).

"From then on he clothed himself in the spirit of poverty, an intimate feeling of humility and deep piety.

Whereas before he abhorred not only the company of lepers, but even seeing them from a distance, now, because of the crucified Christ who, according to the words of the prophet, took on the despicable appearance of a leper, he served them with humility and kindness [...].

He often visited the homes of lepers; he gave them alms generously and with great compassion and affection kissed their hands and faces" (FF 1036).

"He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying: «I want it: be cleansed!». And immediately his leprosy was washed away" (Mt 8:3)

Friday, 12th wk. in O.T.  (Mt 8,1-4)