In today's Gospel passage Jesus, to the Jews who did not believe in Him and wanted to stone Him, says: "even if you do not believe in me, believe in works, so that you may know and acknowledge that the Father is in me and I in the Father" (Jn 10:38).

Francis, renewed by his encounter with the Lord, had sown a new way of living and understanding the works of God.

He had a multi-dimensional gaze, which grasped the greatness of every event in perspective.

Celano, in the First Life, emphasises:

"Through Francis the ancient miracles were renewed, when in the desert of this world a fruitful vine was planted, which produces, through a new way of life, but faithful to the ancient, fragrant flowers of holy virtue and spreads everywhere the branches of holy religion" (FF 476).

"In order to draw from all things incitement to love God, he exulted in all the works of the Lord's hands and, from that show of joy, he went back to the Cause and Reason that makes all things live.

He contemplated, in beautiful things, the Most Beautiful and, following the footsteps impressed in creatures, he pursued the Beloved everywhere.

Of all things he made himself a ladder to climb and grasp the One who is all desirable.

'With the fervour of an unheard-of devotion, in each of the creatures, as in a stream, he deliberated that fountain-like Goodness, and gently exhorted them, in the manner of David the prophet, to the praise of God, for he perceived as a heavenly concert in the consonance of the various gifts and aptitudes that God had bestowed upon them' (FF 1162).

His pure and simple faith enabled him to go beyond appearances and always glimpse the Goodness of the One who is present in everything.

While always united in his every fibre with Christ, he never ceased to believe in the revelation of His works, embracing them with his tender gaze.

The Sources help us to understand:

"When he beheld the sun, the moon, the stars of the firmament, his soul was flooded with joy.

O simple piety and pious simplicity! Even for worms he felt great affection, for the Scripture said of the Lord:

«I am worm and not man»; therefore he took care to remove them from the street and put them in a safe place, so that they would not be crushed by passers-by.

And what about the other lower creatures, when we know that, during the winter, he even took care to have honey and wine prepared for the bees so that they would not freeze to death?

He magnified with splendid praise the industriousness and fineness of instinct that God had bestowed upon them, it happened that he spent a whole day praising them, those and all other creatures" (FF 458).

Yes, a heart of flesh and not of stone possesses that inward sniff that makes one recognise and believe that the Son of God does the works of the Father and with the Father, always.

Those who close their inwardness exchange the works of God for blasphemy, offending the Holy Spirit.

Francis took care of all this, and tried to pass it on to his own.

Friday, 5th wk. in Lent  (Jn 10:31-42)

Jesus claims divine sonship, claiming to have God for Father, to honour Him and be glorified by Him.

The leaders, on the other hand, who do not know the Father, mistake the Lord for being presumptuous.

Francis believed deeply in the Word of God and from the very beginning of his conversion, he committed himself to live it to the letter: 'sine glossa'.

He carried written on his heart the phrase of Jesus: "If anyone keeps my word, he will not see death forever" (Jn 8:51).

In fact, in the Perugian Legend we read:

"The ministers, knowing that according to the Rule they were obliged to observe the Gospel, had that chapter removed from it where it says: "you shall carry nothing in your walk"; deluding themselves that they were not obliged to observe Gospel perfection.

Francis, knowing this suppression by virtue of the Holy Spirit, said in the presence of some brothers:

"They believe the friars ministers to deceive God and me. Well then, that all the brothers may know and know that they are bound to observe the perfection of the holy Gospel, I want it to be written at the beginning and end of the Rule that the brothers are bound to observe the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And so that they may be inexcusable before God, I want with the Lord's help to always observe and fulfil in my behaviour the ideal that God has revealed to me for the salvation of my soul and the good of the brothers".

And indeed he observed the Gospel to the letter, from the time he began to have brothers until the day he died" (FF 1622).

And again in the Major Legend:

"Seeing that the number of brothers was growing little by little, the servant of Christ wrote for himself and his brothers, in simple words, a formula of life, in which, setting the observance of the holy Gospel as an indispensable foundation, he inserted a few other things, which seemed necessary to live in a uniform manner" (FF 1061).

And in the conclusion of the Letter to the Faithful:

"I, Brother Francis, your littlest servant, beg and entreat you, in the charity that is God, and with the desire to kiss your feet, that these words and the others of our Lord Jesus Christ with humility and love you should accept them and implement and observe them.

And those who cannot read, let them read them often, and learn them by heart, putting them into holy practice to the end, for they are spirit and life" (FF 206).

The Poor Man of Assisi, in love with the Word of God, dwelt in it, teaching his brothers to do likewise, for it was a pledge of eternal life.

And in a writing [which can be placed at the latest at the beginning of 1213] addressed to Clare, Francis expresses himself thus:

"Since, by divine inspiration, you have made yourselves daughters and handmaids of the most high King, the heavenly Father, and have married the Holy Spirit, choosing to live according to the perfection of the holy Gospel, I wish and promise, on my part and that of my brothers, always to have special care and solicitude for you, as for them" (FF 139).

«It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, 'He is our God’ and you do not know him» (Jn 8:54b-55)

Thursday 5th wk. in Lent  (Jn 8,51-59)

In today's Gospel Jesus announces that if we abide in his Word, we will be disciples and know the Truth that will set us free.

Francis, together with his brothers, made this statement his own and committed himself to abide in the Scripture.

He knew that the Son redeemed us to remain free in his commandments.

The Poverello well understood that the summary of them was mutual, fraternal love, to be exercised always, and for which Christ gave his life as a ransom for the multitudes.

This evangelical icon accompanied the Saint throughout his brief existence and governed his every gesture.

The truth of man met with the Truth of Christ who, on the cross, regenerated Francis.

It drew him from his cheerful and fearless life to that of the Beatitudes, structured on the identikit of Jesus.

The Minim understood that in them was hidden the Truth that liberates.

One above all: the poverty of the humble who, disengaged from themselves, relied only on God's mercy.

All this fermented at St Mary of the Angels.

The Sources are a unique collection of early experiences. Nothing can help us more than them to understand the raison d'être of Francis and his fraternity.

Celano says in the Early Life:

"And at last he called all creatures by the name of brother and sister, perceiving their secrets in an admirable way known to no one else, because he had conquered the freedom of glory reserved for the children of God.

And now in heaven he praises you with the angels, O Lord, who on earth preached you worthy of infinite love to all creatures" (FF 461).

In the Perugian Legend:

"Wherever the friars found writings with the words and names of the Lord not decently preserved or lying scattered in improper places, they should gather them up and set them aside, to honour the Lord in the words spoken by Him. For many things are sanctified through the word of God, and by virtue of the words of Christ the sacrament of the altar is brought about" (FF 1635).

Francis had at heart that his brothers be true disciples of the Word. Indeed, in the Major Legend, we read:

"I want my brothers to be disciples of the Gospel and to progress in the knowledge of the truth, so that at the same time they may grow in the purity of simplicity. Thus they will not separate the simplicity of the dove from the prudence of the serpent, which the unsurpassable Master has joined with his blessed word" (FF 1188).

But the Poverello's meekness and faithfulness to the Word of God made disciples even among the birds:

"In the city of Parma, a university student of good character, while engaged in study with some companions, annoyed by the importunate chatter of a swallow, began to say:

"This swallow must be one of those that disturbed the man of God Francis while he was once preaching, and which he silenced". Then, turning to the swallow, he said with faith:

"In the name of the servant of God Francis, I command you to come to me and be silent immediately!".

And the swallow, having heard the name of Francis, like a good disciple of the man of God, instantly fell silent and went to take refuge in the hands of the student.

Astonished, he immediately returned her to freedom: and she no longer heard his twittering" (FF 1208).

Even the swallows, much loved by Francis, in front of the Poor One who had made himself a disciple of the Word, felt the perfume of truth and conformed.

«If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free» (Jn 8:31)

Wednesday, 5th wk. in Lent  (Jn 8:31-42)

John presents the cross as the exaltation of Jesus and thereby emphasises that the crucifixion - in appearance only death and defeat - is in reality the glorious revelation of God's love and the ascension of Jesus to the Father.

In Francis of Assisi, the uplifted [crucified] Christ was a constant object of his meditation and conformation.

The Poverello, over time, was visited by many infirmities and sorrows borne with dignity and joy, keeping his gaze fixed on the Son of God.

The Sources do not fail to remind us:

"Francis was infirm and full of pains on every side. Seeing him like this, one day one of his companions said to him:

"Father, you have always found a refuge in the Scriptures; they have always offered you a remedy for your sorrows. Please, even now let the prophets read to you: perhaps your spirit will exult in the Lord'.

The saint replied:

"It is good to read the testimonies of Scripture, and it is good to seek in them the Lord our God.

But, as for me, I have already taken so much from the Scriptures as to be more than sufficient for my meditation and reflection.

I need no more, my son: I know Christ poor and crucified" (FF 692).

Francis always kept alive in his conscience his encounter with the Crucifix of San Damiano.

Having entered that place to pray, led there by the Spirit, that experience radically marked his existence.

"He entered to pray, prostrated himself in supplication and devotion before the Crucifix and, touched in an extraordinary way by divine Grace, found himself totally changed.

While he is so deeply moved, suddenly - which is unheard of! - the image of Christ Crucified, from the painting* speaks to him, moving his lips.

"Francis," it says to him, calling him by name, "go, repair my house which, as you see, is all in ruins".

Francis is trembling and full of astonishment, and almost loses his senses at these words. But he immediately disposes himself to obey and concentrates everything on this invitation" (FF 593).

It is the Crucified One who then conforms him fully to Himself on the mountain of La Verna, reliving in the Minim's limbs His Passion.

The entire parable of the life of the Poor Man of Assisi is imbued with the Presence of the uplifted Christ.

He thus becomes an icon of reference in the journey of faith to draw every man in search to Jesus.

The mission entrusted to him by the Crucifix of San Damiano stigmatises his life, elevates him and makes him a friend of God, a place of encounter with the Divine.

Embraced by Christ, Francis began by doing what was necessary, then what was possible, and suddenly, surprisingly, he found himself doing the impossible, creating novelties and doing things pleasing to God.

Thus he allowed Love to be revealed in him and through him.

«When you have raised up the Son of Man, then you will recognise that I Am and do nothing of myself, but as the Father has taught me, these things I speak» (Jn 8:28)

*It is a tempera panel in Byzantine style, still visible in the basilica of St Clare in Assisi.

Tuesday 5th wk. in Lent  (Jn 8,21-30)

The Feast of Tents was famous for its illuminations in remembrance of the luminous cloud that had guided the Jews in their exodus.

Jesus, taking his cue from this custom, proclaimed himself the true Light of the world, the one that does not fade.

Francis, who had a special regard for light, for every lamp he saw lit (as it reminded him of Christ), in the life of the Order and the Church would be considered a point of reference and light for all, following in the footsteps of Jesus.

He was light because of his charity and wisdom; he was light because he did not judge according to the flesh; he was light because he became a Samaritan for every creature.

There is a passage in Celano's Vita Prima that beautifully states:

"How glorious is this Saint, whose soul a disciple contemplated ascending into heaven. Beautiful as the moon, shining like the sun, as she ascended she shone with glory amidst a white cloud.

O true light of the world, shining brighter than the sun in the Church of Christ, you have already concealed your rays from us and, retiring to the splendid heavenly home, you have exchanged our company of miserable mortals for that of the angels and the blessed!

O glorious beauty of such a distinguished herald, do not with your mortal flesh lay aside the care of your children" (FF 514).

In his Admonitions, Francis writes:

"The Father dwells in an inaccessible light, and God is Spirit, and no one has ever seen God. Therefore he can only be seen in the Spirit, for it is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail.

But even the Son, in what he is equal to the Father, cannot be seen by anyone other than the Father and other than the Holy Spirit" (FF 141).

In the Light of Christ, the Poor Man himself becomes a torch for his brothers and sisters. Embracing the paradigm of Jesus, he is transformed into 'Alter Christus'.

The young Clare, while still dwelling in her mother's womb, was announced to her mother Ortolana by a voice that said to her (while she was praying before the Crucifix to be saved from the dangers of childbirth)

"Fear not, woman, for safe and sound you will give the world a light, which will add light to the light itself" (FF 3156).

Hence the name Clare "hoping that the promised clarity of light would be realised in some way later" (FF 3156).

"Therefore Clare, while she was alive, shone by the light of her merits: and now, that she is bathed in endless clarity, no less does she still shine, by the marvellous light of miracles, to the ends of the earth" (FF 3262).

By following Jesus, Francis and Clare became light in the Light never dimmed by human egoism and all bent on bearing witness to the Truth.

«I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life» (Jn 8:12)

Monday 5th wk. in Lent - year C - (Jn 8:12-20)

The woman caught in adultery and brought by the scribes and Pharisees to Jesus is the specious 'fig leaf' they use to cover their sins.

The Lord knows this to be so, as to say to the bystanders:

«Let him who is without sin among you cast a stone at her first» (Jn 8:7).

He condemns the lack of mercy, shown in an arrogant and clumsy manner.

Francis was truly the herald of Compassion - the one who always made this prevail, along with patience, in the face of the sinner, giving time to change his life.

In his Letter to a Minister he writes:

"If any of the brothers, at the instigation of the enemy, has mortally sinned, he is bound by obedience to have recourse to his guardian.

And all the brothers who know of his sin, let them not be ashamed or speak ill of him, but have great mercy on him and keep the sin of their brother very secret, because it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick" (FF 237).

This attitude was also profoundly transmitted to his own, so much so that:

"One day when two brethren were walking together, they came across a madman, who started throwing stones at them.

One of them, seeing that the stones were directed at his companion, immediately stepped in front of him, preferring to be hit himself instead of his brother.

Such was the mutual love that inflamed them, and so sincerely were they ready to lay down their lives for one another" (FF 1447 - Legend of the Three Companions).

Taking upon oneself the stones directed at the other: a great merciful heart that wants the salvation of one's neighbour.

On the other hand, the Poor Man of Assisi, while hating sin, welcomed with great pity those who had fallen into error.

God had remembered him when he was in sin, and now he felt called to do the same for others.

In his memory, the Gospel sentence he had experienced was fixed:

«Go, do likewise» (Lk 10:37).

In the Testament of Francis (1226) we read:

"When I was in sin, it seemed too bitter for me to see lepers; and the Lord himself led me among them and I used mercy with them" (FF 110).

In the Major Legend, the biographer St Bonaventure narrates:

"No wonder: just as the pity of his heart had made him a brother to all creatures, so the charity of Christ made him even more intensely a brother to those who bear within themselves the image of the Creator and have been redeemed by the blood of the Redeemer.

He did not consider himself a friend of Christ if he did not lovingly care for the souls redeemed by Him.

Nothing, he said, should be put before the salvation of souls, and he confirmed this assertion above all with this argument: that the Only-Begotten of God, for the sake of souls, had deigned to go up on the cross' (FF 1168).

The clear consciousness of the salvation received gratuitously had made Francis the standard bearer of Mercy, who turns his gaze on the wretched in need of being healed and reawakened.

«Let him who is without sin among you cast a stone at her first» (Jn 8:7)

5th Sunday in Lent C  (Jn 8:1-11)

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus, who proposed himself as the Fountain of True Water, is answered by people of the people, who assert:

«He is indeed the prophet!» (Jn 7:40) - and Pharisees who counter:

«from Galilee no prophet rises!» (Jn 7:52).

Two opposing theses, but verified and unhinged by facts at the moment when, on the cross, the centurion will say that the one who was crucified was indeed the Son of God.

Real events lay bare the truth.

This is what happened in the life of Francis of Assisi: events demonstrated the authentic and eloquent character of his naked living.

Consulting the Franciscan Sources, we encounter passages that truly underline his charisma as a prophet.

"Since the herald of Christ was famous for these and many other prodigies, people paid attention to his words as if he were speaking as an Angel of the Lord.

For the prerogative of the lofty virtues, the spirit of prophecy, the thaumaturgical power, the mission to preach coming from heaven, the obedience of creatures deprived of reason, the sudden conversions of hearts brought about by hearing his word, the knowledge infused by the Holy Spirit and superior to human doctrine, the authorisation to preach granted by the Supreme Pontiff by divine revelation, as well as the Rule, which defines the form of preaching, confirmed by the Vicar of Christ himself and, finally, the signs of the Supreme King impressed like a seal on his body, are like ten testimonies for the whole world and confirm without a shadow of a doubt that Francis, the herald of Christ, is worthy of all veneration for the mission received, authentic in the doctrine taught, admirable for holiness and that, therefore, he preached the Gospel of Christ as a true envoy of God" (FF 1221).

If for his total change of life there were those who called him a madman, the events of which he became the bearer confirm his prophetic charisma.

In Clare's Testament, compiled along the lines of that of the Poverello, we find something that corroborates what has been said above.

"While in fact, the Saint himself, who had as yet neither brothers nor companions, almost immediately after his conversion, was intent on repairing the church of San Damiano, where, receiving that visit from the Lord in which he was inebriated with celestial consolation, he felt the decisive urge to abandon the world altogether, in a transport of great joy and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, he prophesied concerning us what the Lord subsequently fulfilled" (FF 2826).

And again:

"Having climbed over the wall of the said church, so he cried out, in an open voice and in French, addressed to some poor people who were standing nearby:

"Come and help me in this work of the monastery of San Damiano, for soon women will come to inhabit it, and by the fame and holiness of their lives glory will be rendered to our heavenly Father throughout his holy Church" (FF 2827).

Could a prophet arise from Assisi?

Yes, a great prophet, if even today everyone recognises him and follows him with amazement for his extraordinary humility blossomed in multiple evangelical gifts, to the praise of God.

«Those in the crowd said, 'This is indeed the prophet!'» (Jn 7:40) [...].

«Study, and see that out of Galilee no prophet rises!» (Jn 7:52)

Saturday 4th wk. in Lent  (Jn 7:40-53)

Today's Gospel passage portrays Jesus going, almost covertly, to the Feast of Booths, in a persecutory atmosphere.

He does not go at the time that seemed opportune to his relatives, nor does he intend to manifest himself in the way they wanted.

Instead, he goes up there afterwards, and in a different way: to fulfil his mission as set by God, not to seek his own glory.

Francis, too, did not follow the path his father wanted, but the mission entrusted to him by the Lord, according to the 'canvas' of divine will.

In fact, consulting the Sources, we understand many things in this regard.

For example, we become aware of the obstinate persecution of the father, who could not bear Francis' repudiation of his previous life, spent in merry bandits.

He wanted his son to live another way, far from God's plans as he was.

"While the servant of God was dwelling in the company of this priest, his father heard about it and ran there with a distraught soul.

But Francis, an athlete still in his infancy, having been informed of the threats of the persecutors and foretelling of their coming, wanted to leave time for wrath and hid himself in a secret pit.

He remained hidden there for a few days, and in the meantime he unceasingly supplicated, amidst rivers of tears, to the Lord, that He would deliver him from the hands of the persecutors and bring to fulfilment, with His goodness and favour, the pious intentions He had inspired in him" (FF 1040).

The Poverello was not concerned to please his parental prerogatives, but the project and mission prepared by God, even in the vituperation of the city of Assisi.

"The citizens of Assisi, seeing him squalid in the face and changed in spirit, thought he had lost his mind, and threw mud and stones from the streets at him, and, shouting and clamouring, insulted him as a madman, a demented person.

But the servant of God, without being discouraged or upset by the insults, passed among them, as if he were deaf.

When his father heard that strange racket, he rushed immediately, not to free his son, but rather to ruin him: putting aside all feeling of pity, he dragged him home and persecuted him, first with words and beatings, then by putting him in chains.

But this experience made the young man more ready and more determined to complete the task he had begun, because it reminded him of that saying in the Gospel:

«Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven» (FF 1041).

Even so, the Minim of Assisi, like Jesus, did not want to serve what common opinion considered opportune and convenient to do.

He preferred to follow, in another way, what Providence had revealed to him and in a manner that was disconcerting for the mentality of the world in which he lived.

His family, his fellow citizens knew Francis, but they did not understand that he was a beloved son of the heavenly Father.

A creature who had been entrusted with an unequivocal mission of renewal in the Christian walk.

«[Of course] you know me and you know where I am from. Yet I came not of myself, but he is true who sent me, whom you do not know. I know him, because I am from him and he has sent me» (Jn 7:28-29)

Friday 4th wk. in Lent  (Jn 7:1-2.10.25-30)