In the Gospels, the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a net that gathers all sorts of fish, which are then selected by the fishermen.

One day Francis, walking with Aegidius, confided to him the following:

"«Our religious movement will be similar to the fisherman, who casts his nets into the water and catches a multitude of fish; then, letting the small ones fall into the water, he piles up the big ones in baskets».

He prophesied with this simile the expansion of his Order" (FF 1436).

At the same time he never forgot the judgement of God who discerns Good and Evil, and the Lords whom we have served. Hence the final judgement on our actions.

Francis lived his entire existence in the fear of God and so did Clare; committed to ensuring that there were good fish in their Order.

And again, in the Legend of the Three Companions:

"Divine Grace had profoundly changed him. Although he did not wear a religious habit, he longed to find himself unknown in some city, where he could barter his clothes for the rags of a beggar and himself try begging for the love of God' (FF 1405).

The Minim knew that what a poor man received was addressed to Christ himself and that a single glass of water given to the small and marginalised was offered to Jesus.

His encounter with the leper in the plain of Assisi had turned bitterness into true sweetness in him.

Francis feared divine judgement and wanted to correspond to what the Word of God demanded of him.

He wanted to be that good fish at the service of the kingdom of heaven through a life spent for his neighbour.

«The kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea, which gathers all kinds of fish. When it was full, and having hauled it up on the shore, they [the fishermen] gathered the good fish into baskets but threw out the bad ones» (Mt 13:47-48)

Thursday of the 17th wk. in O.T.  (Mt 13,47-53)

Francis of Assisi, the Knower and the Least of God, always had clear in his conscience the importance and necessity of the contemplative life, tempered by work that keeps idleness at bay and conforms to Christ. He demanded this for himself and for his brothers. He went so far as to say that serving his brothers was worth more than any stay in the hermitages, where he himself loved to go when he could.

We read in his writings:

«And I worked with my own hands, and I want to work; and I firmly want all the other brothers to work as befits honesty. Those who do not know, let them learn, not out of greed to receive the reward of work, but to set an example and keep idleness at bay» (FF 119).

Furthermore: «We are convinced that [...] those who live differently in hermitages have been reproached a great deal. Many, in fact, transform the place of contemplation into idleness and the hermit's way of life, instituted to allow souls perfection, reduces it to a place of pleasure [...] Certainly this reproach is not for everyone. We know that there are saints [...] who follow excellent laws in the hermitage» (FF 765).

Even among the friars there was discussion about whether to live in contemplation or action, in fact in the Major Legend it is written:

"While, firm in their holy purpose, they faced the Spoletana valley, they began to discuss whether they should spend their lives among the people or dwell in solitary places.

But Francis, the servant of Christ, not trusting in his own experience or that of his own, entrusted himself to prayer, in order to insistently seek what the disposition of the divine will was on this point.

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 for Christ [...] 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).

But love for prayer and listening to the Word always accompanied his actions and those of his brothers.

"The tireless dedication to prayer [...] had brought the man of God to such clarity of spirit that [...] he scrutinised the depths of the Scriptures with a clear and acute intellect.

He read the sacred books and kept tenaciously imprinted in his memory what he had once assimilated: for he continually ruminated with affectionate devotion what he had listened to with an attentive mind" (FF1187).

The Poverello and Clare of Assisi had well understood that at the basis of their lives was the choice of the good part that no one would ever take away from them.

Listening to the Word and the relationship with Jesus were the driving motives behind every gesture, which took its flavour from being with God and with faith.

Clare, in fact, in a letter to her spiritual daughter, Agnes of Bohemia, writes:

«The love of Him makes one happy, contemplation restores, kindness fills. The gentleness of him pervades the whole soul, the memory shines sweetly in the memory» (FF 2901 - letter four).

Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus  (ref. Lk 10:38-42)

Francis, the Little One of God, often instructed his brethren not to be servants of the weeds sown in the world by the evil one, not to follow his perverse and anti-Gospel logic. He recommended that they live the Word sown by Christ. 

We find, in fact, in his writings:

«All those who [...] walk after evil concupiscence [...] and do not observe those things which they have promised to the Lord and serve [...] the cares of the world and the preoccupations of this life: these are prisoners of the devil, whose children they are and do the works; they are blind, for they do not see the true light, our Lord Jesus Christ. They do not have spiritual Wisdom, for they do not possess the Son of God, who is the true wisdom of the Father» (FF 178/4).

Also, as he explained to the Supreme Pontiff to whom he went for approval of the Rule, the children of God have nothing to fear:

«There is no need to fear that the children and heirs of the Eternal King should die of hunger; for they, in the likeness of Christ, were born of a poor mother, by virtue of the Holy Spirit, and were begotten, by virtue of the spirit of poverty, into a poor religion.

For if the King of Heaven promises to his imitators the Eternal Kingdom, how much more will he provide for them those things which he bestows without distinction on the good and the bad» (FF 1064).

«The good field is the world; the good seed, these are the children of the Kingdom. Whereas the tares are the sons of the wicked» (Mt 13:38)

Tuesday of the 17th wk. in O.T.  (Mt 13,36-43)

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells parables about the Kingdom of God, drawing inspiration from elements of nature: mustard seeds and yeast.

With natural and real connections, he explains the nature of the Kingdom.

Francis and Clare of Assisi were two mustard seeds that grew in humility and obscurity and became trees so large that many creatures found shelter in their branches.

Specifically, the papal bull of canonisation «Clara Claris praeclara» says this about Clare:

«This was the tall tree, stretching towards the sky, with outstretched branches, which produced sweet fruit in the field of the Church [...] and in whose pleasant and pleasant shade many followers flocked from all over, and still flock to taste its fruit» (FF 3294).

The Kingdom of God finds its development in these unique metaphors, of which the Poor Man of Assisi and the recluse Clare are vivid and concrete witnesses.

But Francis, like Jesus, also spoke to his brothers in parables. The Sources attest to this in various passages.

When he wanted to make them understand the path that awaited them in order to welcome the Kingdom of God, he recalled various parables from the Gospel.

We recall one of many with which he announced the Word entrusted to him by the Lord.

When he presented himself to the Pope, Jesus made him understand how he should express himself.

"He told the Pope how God had suggested to him the parable of a rich king who had married a beautiful poor woman with great joy and had children who looked like their father, the king, and who were therefore raised at the king's table.

He then gave the interpretation of the parable, coming to this conclusion:

«There is no need to fear that the children and heirs of the eternal King will die of hunger, for they, like Christ, were born of a poor mother by the power of the Holy Spirit and were begotten by the spirit of poverty in a poor religion.

For if the King of heaven promises the eternal kingdom to his followers, how much more will he provide for them the things he gives without distinction to the good and the bad».

The Vicar of Christ listened attentively to this parable and its interpretation and, filled with wonder, recognised without a shadow of a doubt that Christ had spoken through that man.

But he was also reassured by a vision he had at that moment, in which the Spirit of God showed him the mission to which Francis was destined.

In fact, as he recounted, he saw in a dream that the Basilica of St. John Lateran was about to collapse and that a poor man, small and despicable in appearance, was supporting it, putting his shoulders under it so that it would not fall.

«Truly - concluded the Pope - this is the one who, through his work and his teaching, will support the Church of Christ» (FF 1064).

"Relying on divine grace and papal authority, Francis, full of confidence, set out for the Spoletana valley, ready to practise and teach the Gospel" (FF 1065).

These parables are also a narrative of the coming of the Kingdom of God, its expansion in the mustard seed of Francis and Clare, and their incredible developments.

Monday, 17th week in Ordinary Time  (Mt 13:31-35)

Matthew speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is depicted in three parables concerning the treasure in the field, the precious pearl and the fishing net.

For Francis, as the Sources themselves reveal, the hidden treasure was poverty – not an end in itself, but for the sake of the Kingdom: conformity to the Poor Christ.

For him, the hidden treasure for which he was willing to sell everything was his encounter with the lepers, a tangible revelation of God, and with whom he wished to spend much time, caring for them and loving them more than himself.

For Francis, the hidden treasure was also prayer and the sufferings shared with Jesus.

The Sources attest:

“These visits to the lepers increased his goodness. Taking a companion of his, whom he had loved dearly, to a remote spot, he told him that he had discovered a great and precious treasure […]

He often took him to a cave near Assisi; he would go in alone, leaving his friend outside, eager to lay hold of the treasure” (FF 1409).

“Then, as a lover of every form of humility, he went to live amongst the lepers, staying with them and serving them all with the utmost care.

He washed their feet, bandaged their sores, removed the scabs from their sores and cleaned them of their pus.

Driven by admirable devotion, he would even kiss their gangrenous sores—he who was soon to become the Good Samaritan of the Gospel” (FF 1045).

Furthermore:

“And truly, the true religion which he embraced is God’s immaculate bride; and the Kingdom of Heaven is the hidden treasure which he sought so ardently” (FF 330) .

His biographer Celano continues, in the First Life:

“He withdraws a little from the turmoil of the world […] and seeks to keep Jesus Christ in the intimacy of his heart. Like a shrewd merchant, he hides the pearl he has found from the gaze of sceptics, and secretly sets about buying it by selling everything else” (FF 328).

«The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man, having found, hid; and in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field» (Mt 13:44)

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year A  (Mt 13:44–52)

In today's Gospel Jesus teaches his disciples about humility and greatness in service.

He who wants to become great will be first in service. Compared to the imperial criterion, the evangelical criterion is quite different - it elevates those who make themselves last and do not dominate.

Thanks to the light received from the Spirit, Francis and Clare had learnt to incarnate the Word of God on a daily basis.

The target of their action was Christ to be recognised and served in the brothers or sisters, but also to be helped in those who knocked on the door or met along the way.

The children of the kingdom of heaven do not rule, but humbly serve their neighbour.

Jesus' disciples do not aspire to prestigious positions, but to conform to the identikit outlined in the Beatitudes.

Hence the active understanding of what the Sources propose.

"They [the brothers] occupied the day in prayer and working with their hands, so as to resolutely avoid idleness, the enemy of the soul [...].

They loved each other with a deep affection, and served and provided for each other as a mother would do with her only tenderly loved child.

Such was the affection that burned in their hearts, that they were ready to give themselves up to death without hesitation, not only for the love of Christ, but also to save the souls or bodies of their brethren" (FF 1446).

«As the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life, a ransom for many»  (Mt 20:28)

And Clare herself, enclosed within Damianite walls, offered in simplicity to her sisters the witness of all-round service.

"From then on she no longer refused any servile duties, to the point that she was the one who poured water over the sisters' hands, stood to assist them while they sat and served them at table while they ate.

She hardly gave any orders: but she did it herself spontaneously, preferring to carry them out herself rather than command her sisters" (FF 3180).

"She washed the seats of the infirm, she cleansed them herself, with that noble spirit of hers, without shying away from filthiness or disgusting the stench" (FF 3181).

The Minim and the Poor Woman of Saint Damian had received as a gift a pure heart, inflamed by Charity, at the service of the Kingdom.

Looking to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of the law, they had acquired His physiognomy as fraternal servants, to redeem the multitudes.

St James the Apostle  (Mt 20:20-28)

Today's passage from Matthew highlights the importance, emphasised by Jesus, of the various types of listening to the Word.

He explains to his disciples the meaning of the parable of the Sower, so that his disciples will treasure it.

In Francis of Assisi, attentive listening to the Scriptures, then living them, was a way of life.

The Sources frequently portray him all outstretched to assimilate the Word of God, sought and offered.

In the Letter to the whole Order:

"And since he who is of God listens to the words of God, therefore we, who in a very special way are deputed to the divine offices, must not only listen to and practise what God says, but also, in order to root in us the loftiness of our Creator and our submission to him, guard the sacred vessels and liturgical books, which contain the holy words" (FF 224).

In the Sources there is a particularly plastic episode that denotes the Little Poor's attitude of faith and attentive inner ear, which proves to be fertile ground.

"While one day he was devoutly listening to the Apostles' Mass, he heard the passage from the Gospel in which Christ, sending the disciples to preach, gives them the Gospel way of life, saying:

«Keep neither gold nor silver nor money in your belts; have no travelling bag, nor two tunics, nor shoes, nor staff».

This he heard, understood, and committed to memory the friend of apostolic poverty, and immediately, filled with unspeakable joy, he exclaimed:

«This is what I desire, this is what I long for with all my heart!».

He took off his shoes from his feet; he left his staff; he cursed his saddlebag and money and, content with only one cassock, he threw away his belt and replaced it with a rope and put all his concern into discovering how to fully realise the words he had heard and adapt himself in everything to the rule of holiness, dictated by the apostles" (FF 1051).

Francis was that good soil that listened and understood the Word, bearing fruit in abundance.

He understood that the quality of listening is the authoritative place of harvest.

«The one sown on good ground is the one who listens to the Word and understands it; he bears fruit and produces a hundred, sixty, thirty times one» (Mt 13:23)

Friday, 16th wk. in O.T.  (Mt 13:18-23)

On the feast of St Bridget, patron saint of Europe, the liturgy offers us a passage from the Johannine Gospel.

In it Jesus reminds us that He is the true vine and His Father the farmer. Only those who remain united to Jesus will bear much fruit.

Francis, ever since he had met the Lord, had been convinced that only by abiding in his love would he go far, together with his own.

In the Sources there is a passage that illustrates this.

"Francis, shepherd of the little flock, inspired by divine Grace, led his twelve friars to St Mary of the Portiuncula, because he wanted the Order of Minors to grow and develop, under the protection of the Mother of God, there where, by her merits, it had begun.

There, moreover, he became a herald of the Gospel. He began to travel through towns and villages and to proclaim the kingdom of God there, not relying on persuasive speeches of human wisdom, but on the demonstration of spirit and power.

To those who saw him, he looked like a man from another world: one who, his mind and face always turned to heaven, strove to draw all upwards.

From then on, the vineyard of Christ began to produce fragrant shoots of the good odour of the Lord, and abundant fruit with sweet flowers of grace and holiness" (FF 1072).

Francis strove to ensure that his fraternity would remain well united with Jesus, the true Vine, so that in Saint Mary of the Portiuncula the sap of the Spirit would permanently echo and the Trinity would dwell in them and among them.

She knew well that without God's help it would not be possible to do anything, not even to persevere in the call-mission she had received.

Throughout her life, she strove to ensure that the extended vineyard of the Friars Minor would bear fruitful fruit for God and never stray from the Gospel, Divine Custody.

Clare also was a prudent Mother, consummate so that her daughters and sisters would commit themselves to remain in the Word of God and in communion.

The austerity of life embraced was tempered by the deep love with which they were both tenaciously attached to the Vine of Christ.

«I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing» (Jn 15:5)

St Bridget of Sweden  (Jn 15:1-8)