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)

The passage from Jn shows how Jesus receives testimony not from men, but from works done.

People do not believe in Him because the Son hears the voice of the Father who sent Him, and His Word does not dwell in their hearts.

Francis, in love with the Word, drew from it the strength of his witness. Like Jesus, the works he performed testified to the Father's mandate.

The Word of the Almighty remained in him and the love of the Lord dwelt in him.

The Poor Man did not seek glory that comes from men; on the contrary, he fled it to seek only that which comes from God - of a different flavour.

Humility was the measure of his living.

We find important references to this in the Sources.

For example, in the Letter to the whole Order we read:

"Incline the ear of your heart and obey the voice of the Son of God.

Keep his precepts in the depths of your heart and fulfil his counsels perfectly.

Praise him for he is good, and exalt him in your works, for this he sent you throughout the whole world, that you may bear witness to his voice in word and deed and make known to all that there is none Almighty but he!

The Greater Legend informs us:

"Like a burning coal, he seemed all consumed by the flame of divine love.

On hearing the name of the Lord's love, he immediately felt stimulated, struck, inflamed: that name was for him like a plectrum, which made the depths of his heart vibrate.

"To offer, in return for alms, the precious patrimony of the love of God," he said, "is noble prodigality, and most foolish are those who esteem it less than money, for only the inappreciable price of divine love is capable of buying the kingdom of heaven.

And much must we love the love of Him who loved us much" (FF 1161).

The testimony of the Creator's works appealed to him:

"In order to draw from everything incitement to love God, he rejoiced at all the works of the Lord's hands and, from this spectacle of joy, he went back to the Cause and Reason that makes everything live.

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

Of all things he made himself a ladder to climb to grasp Him who is all desirable" (FF 1162).

And to his brothers he often repeated:

"No one should flatter himself with unjust boasting about those deeds, which even the sinner could do.

The sinner,' he explained, 'can fast, pray, weep, macerate his body.

But only one thing is not possible for him: to remain faithful to his Lord.

It is precisely this that we must glory in, if we give God the glory that is His due, if as faithful servants we attribute to Him all the good that He gives us' (FF 718).

«I do not receive glory from men. But I know that you do not have the love of God in yourselves» (Jn 5:41-42)

Thursday, 4th wk. in Lent  (Jn 5:31-47)

In today's Gospel passage Jesus affirms his intimate relationship with the Father, highlighting the gift of such greatness that has been transmitted.

Francis had a relationship of special intimacy with the Lord.

The Life received in contemplation, in Union with God, became power poured out on his neighbour in various forms.

The energy humbly received in prayer was synonymous with unitive life, which redeems and transforms.

The Sources offer us the possibility of entering the paths of this special relationship, proper to Christ and transmitted, by Grace, to his brothers.

Browsing through the Franciscan documents we read:

"And the man of God, remaining all alone and in peace, filled the woods with groans, sprinkled the earth with tears, beat his breast and, as if he had found a more intimate sanctuary, talked with his Lord.

There he answered the Judge, there he pleaded with the Father, there he conversed with the Friend.

There also, from the brothers who piously observed him, he was heard to appeal with cries and groans to the divine Goodness on behalf of sinners: to cry, even aloud, the passion of the Lord, as if he had it before his eyes.

There, as he prayed at night, he was seen with his hands outstretched in the form of a cross, lifted up from the ground with his whole body and surrounded by a luminous cloud: marvellous light spread around his body, which wonderfully testified to the light shining in his spirit.

There, moreover, as sure evidence testifies, the hidden mysteries of divine wisdom were revealed to him, which, however, he did not divulge to the outside world, except to the extent that the charity of Christ compelled him to do so and the usefulness of his neighbour demanded it [...].

When he returned from his prayers, which almost transformed him into another man, he took the greatest care to behave in uniformity with the others, lest the wind of applause, because of what he let out, deprive him of the interior reward" (FF 1180 - Major Legend).

To his brothers he recommended above all else the intimate relationship with the Father, as sons who receive every gift of life from Him and with whom they work in harmony.

In fact, the Sources illustrate:

"At that time the brothers insistently asked him to teach them to pray [...] And he answered:

"When you pray, say: Our Father!" and: "We adore you, O Christ, in all your churches that are in the world and we bless you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world"" (FF 399).

Their intimate union with the Father made them sons in the Son and, just as Jesus did what he saw the Father do, so the brothers in the school of the Son worked, following the example of Francis.

Listening to the Word and believing in Jesus they became bearers of life, animated by the Poverello.

«The Son can do nothing of himself except what he sees the Father doing; for those things which he does, these the Son also does» (Jn 5:19).

Wednesday 4th wk. in Lent  (Jn 5:17-30)

Jesus lectures the Sabbath worshippers with facts.

Respecting that day was more important than life, than the person himself, placed on the periphery, prone at the feet of the sacred laws.

Life can wait, for these Pharisaic worshippers; but according to Jesus, this is not so, and he proves it.

Even for Francis it was not so!

The man of God, from the very beginning of his calling, put in first place the person to be saved and for whom Christ died and rose again.

How many times, in his humility, did he prostrate himself before his sick, poor brothers, honouring the divine Presence of the Lord!

How many healed by that Charity that inflamed him and directed him on his way!

It is unthinkable that Francis was a bearer of novelty and a 'slave' to the law. Deeply obedient, but free in his exquisite conscience as a creature, he had the life of all at heart.

In the Sources we find many episodes on this subject.

"In the city of Narni, at the bishop's insistence, he blessed a paralytic, deprived of the use of all his limbs, by drawing a sign of the cross from his head to his feet, and restored him to perfect health" (FF 1214).

"In the city of Fano there was a shrunken man, whose ulcerated tibiae were bent backwards and stuck to his body, and he was so malodorous that no one felt willing to take him into hospital.

He implored the mercy of the most blessed Father Francis, and shortly afterwards had the joy of seeing himself completely recovered' (FF 548).

Moreover, 'He showed great compassion for the sick and tender concern for their needs [...].

She even ate on fasting days so that the sick would not feel flushed, and she was not ashamed in the public places of the city to beg meat for a sick friar' (FF 761).

Mother Clare herself, moved by tender compassion for the sick, placed at the centre of her attention the souls for whom Christ had shed his Blood.

Indeed in the Rule:

"Those who are infirm may use straw mattresses and have feather pillows under their heads; and those who need stockings and a woolen mattress may use them [...]" (FF 2799).

When the salvation of their brothers and sisters was at stake, Francis and Clare did not make a problem of rule or day.

Charity was above everything: round the clock.

They looked to Jesus, Author and Perfecter of the Law, to which He had given fulfilment with Love, without which we are only clanging cymbals.

«That is why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did such things on the Sabbath» (Jn 5:16)

Tuesday 4th wk. in Lent  (Jn 5:1-16)