Luke's Gospel passage highlights Jesus' mandate to his own, sent to preach the Word to all peoples.

Jesus emphasises that «in his name conversion for the remission of sins would be preached to all peoples» (Lk 24:47).

Francis, a faithful Herald of Christ and constant proclaimer of the Word, always had at heart the spreading of the Good News of the Kingdom for the salvation of every brother.

In the Sources, the path of his first experiences of faith, we find confirmation of this attitude.

In the Early Life of Celano we read:

"He was truly steadfast and constant in the good, and sought nothing else but to do God's will. And indeed, when he even preached the word of the Lord before thousands of people, he was calm and confident, as if he were speaking to his brother and companion.

In his eyes an immense multitude of hearers was like one man, and with the same diligence he used for the crowds he preached to a single person.

From the purity of his heart he drew the certainty of his word, and even when suddenly invited, he knew how to say wondrous things that had never been heard before' (FF 447).

In the Major Legend, then, his way of proclaiming the Gospel is highlighted.

"People of all ages and sexes ran to see and hear that new man, given from heaven to the world.

He pilgrimaged through the various regions, fervently proclaiming the Gospel; and the Lord cooperated, confirming the Word with the miracles that accompanied it.

In fact, in the name of the Lord, Francis, preacher of the truth, drove out demons, healed the sick, and, an even greater miracle, by the efficacy of his word he softened and moved the obstinate to penance and, at the same time, restored health to bodies and hearts" (FF 1212).

The Poor Man of Assisi, aware of the sufferings of Christ, drew strength for his proclamation from the teachings of Jesus.

He perceived Christ's ascension to the Father as a going of Him to "prepare a place for us".

For this reason, inflamed by the mission entrusted by the Lord to his disciples, he preached the Gospel to every creature under heaven, praying constantly.

Ascension of the Lord  (Lk 24:46-53)

The passage from Luke proposed by the Liturgy today presents the visit of Mary, Mother of Jesus, to her cousin Elizabeth. Both are awaiting the birth of their son, whom they carry in their wombs. An expectation comforted by a gasp of joy in Elizabeth's womb and the hymn of the Magnificat on Mary's lips.

It is a splendid encounter that testifies to the great works of God in those who believe in Him.

Francis and Clare lived their encounter and that with every creature as a Visitation of Grace to them, rejoicing and being moved by the beauty of the divine work. 

There are passages in the Sources that hint at this.

It is enough to glance at Clare's Letters to her spiritual daughter, Agnes of Bohemia, to realise how, although distant from each other, they rejoiced in the wonders God worked in them, communicating them to each other.

"To the venerable and most holy virgin, Donna Agnes, daughter of the exalted and most illustrious King of Bohemia, Clare, unworthy servant of Jesus Christ and useless handmaiden of the women recluses of the monastery of San Damiano, his subject in all things and servant [...] wish you to attain the glory of eternal happiness" (FF 2859 - Letter prima).

"Mindful of your purpose, like another Rachel, always keep the starting point before your eyes. The results you have achieved, keep them; what you do, do well; do not stop; but on the contrary, with a swift and light step, with a sure footing, that not even the dust may retard your progress, cautiously advance confidently, joyfully and solicitously along the path of beatitude" (FF 2875 - Letter II).

And again:

"I admire you [...] clasping to yourself, through humility, with the strength of faith and the arms of poverty, the incomparable treasure, hidden in the field of the world and of human hearts, with which is bought Him who from nothingness drew all things" (FF 2885 - letter three).

"Place your eyes before the mirror of eternity, place your soul in the splendour of glory, place your heart in Him who is the figure of the divine substance, and be transformed entirely, through contemplation, into the image of His divinity" (FF 2888 - Letter Three).

So Clare, amiably, exhorts Agnes:

"In the same way, then, that the glorious Virgin of virgins bore Christ materially in her womb, you too, following his vestiges, especially his humility and poverty, can always, without any doubt, bear him spiritually in your chaste and virginal body.

And thou shalt contain in thee Him by whom thou and all creatures are contained, and shalt possess that which is most lasting and final good even in comparison with all other transient possessions of this world" (FF 2893 - letter three).

The dance of joy of these two great souls visited by Grace highlights how the Lord, from generation to generation, continues to fulfil His plans of salvation in a wondrous and unstoppable manner.

«My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit exults in God, my Saviour, because he has turned his gaze to the lowliness of his servant» (Lk 1:46b-48a)

Visitation B.V. Mary, 31 May  (Lk 1:39-56)

Jesus speaks to His own saying: «Your Joy no one can take away from you» (Jn 16:22).

The happiness that comes from Him is lasting, it is authentic because it is founded on non-worldly pillars.

Francis found joy in poverty and fraternity. Even more so in prayer, in the inner relationship with Christ.

It was his joy that came from being the Herald of the Great King, who rested his feet in the footsteps of the Son of God.

In the Sources, the source of the original Franciscan experience, there are passages that corroborate this.

Celano, the diligent biographer, in the Vita prima, informs about the fraternal and joyful life of the brothers:

"As faithful devotees of the most holy poverty, since they possessed nothing, they attached themselves to nothing, and feared nothing to lose.

They were content with a single tunic, sometimes mended inside and out, so poor and unrefined that in that garment they appeared as true crucifiers to the world, and they tightened it at the hips with a rope, and wore rough breeches.

Their holy purpose was to remain in that state, having nothing else. They were therefore always serene, free from all anxieties and thoughts, without anxieties about the future; they did not even worry about securing a hospice for the night, even if they suffered great discomfort on the journey. Often, during the coldest cold, finding no hospitality, they would huddle in an oven, or spend the night in some cave" (FF 388).

In the Legend of the Three Companions, Francis and Brother Aegidius vibrate with joy in the Lord:

"Francis together with Egidio went to the March of Ancona, the other two set out for another region. On their way to the March, they exulted joyfully in the Lord.

Francis, in a loud and clear voice, sang the praises of the Lord in French, blessing and glorifying the goodness of the Most High. So great was their joy, that they seemed to have discovered a magnificent treasure in the evangelical estate of Lady Poverty, for the love of which they had generously and spontaneously got rid of every material possession, considering it as rubbish [...]" (FF 1436).

And Clare rejoices in knowing how Agnes of Prague, her beloved daughter in the Spirit, progresses in the interior life, so much so as to say:

"On hearing the wonderful fame of your holy religious life, which has not only reached me, but has spread magnificently over almost the entire face of the earth, I am filled with joy in the Lord and I rejoice; and not only I can rejoice in this, but all those who serve or wish to serve Jesus Christ" (FF 2860).

The two Poor of Assisi lived their unadorned existence, projected into the Gospel of Jesus; they rested on the Word, which prepared them for endless bliss.

Awaiting the return of Christ, they had prepared their lives by offering them to union with God and their brothers.

With joy they welcomed favourable and (at least in appearance) contrary experiences, knowing that God is faithful to his promises and to the simple ones who follow him.

Friday of the 6th wk. in Easter  (Jn 16:20-23a)

In chapter sixteen of John's Gospel, close to his return to the Father, Jesus says to his disciples:

«You will be sad, but your sadness will become joy» (Jn 16:20).

Francis had a brilliant ability, inspired from above, to transform every sadness into joy, in anticipation of blessed hope.

He had taught, for example, Brother Leo, God's sheep, to find perfect joy in being rejected and unrecognised by others.

He found joy in suffering at the mere thought that Jesus had experienced it first and that it was a noble way of uniting with Him.

He felt sadness at the bad testimonies among his own, but he was shaken by God himself before this kind of bitterness, for the Lord reminded him that everything was in his hand.

The various melancholies of the journey were transformed by the Poor Man, by the power of the Spirit, into opportunities for grace - thinking of the return of Jesus and the blessed union.

In the Sources, a jewel of original testimonies, we discover the beauty of such dynamics that faith in God and the efficacy of the Word worked out in the Minim.

"One day he saw one of his companions with a sad and melancholic face. Grudgingly enduring it, he told him:

"The servant of God must not show himself to others sad and angry, but always serene.

To your sins, reflect in your room and in the presence of God weep and groan. But when you return among the brothers, leave sadness behind and conform to others".

And, a little later:

"The adversaries of human salvation have much envy of me, and since they cannot upset me directly, they always try to do so through my companions."

He loved then so much the man full of spiritual gladness, that as a general admonition he had these words written in a chapter

"Let the brothers beware that they do not show themselves to be sad on the outside and gloomy like hypocrites, but let them show themselves to be joyful in the Lord, cheerful and suitably gracious" " (FF 712).

And again, in the Second Life of Celano, we find Francis instructing on how to behave in turmoil:

"The servant of God," he explained, "when he is troubled, as it happens, by something, he must get up at once to pray, and persevere before the Supreme Father until He restores to him the joy of his salvation. For if they remain in sadness, that Babylonian evil will grow and, in the end, will generate an indelible rust in the heart, if it is not removed with tears" (FF 709).

Francis, an expert on life in the Spirit, used to say to his own:

"Demons can do no harm to the servant of Christ when they see him holy and joyful. 'If, on the other hand, the soul is melancholic, desolate and weeping, with all ease it is either overcome by sadness or is carried away to frivolous joys' (FF 709).

While waiting to be reunited with his Lord, he wanted to live everything in unity of Spirit with Him, who had given all of Himself for every creature.

Thursday, 6th wk. in Easter  (Jn 16:16-20)

Jesus tells his own that the Spirit of Truth sent will lead them into all truth, announcing what he will have heard.

Francis, poor and simple, was a man constantly listening to the whisper of the Spirit.

And it was precisely this constant attitude that made him grasp what others sometimes missed.

The Firstfruits collected in the Sources illustrate how the Spirit of truth instructed and led him every day.

"For though he was most perfect among the perfect, yet, not admitting it, he esteemed himself the most imperfect of all.

For he had tasted and experienced personally how sweet, gentle and good the God of Israel is to the upright in heart, who always seek him with pure simplicity and true purity.

The sweetness and gentleness, which he felt infused from on high into his soul, a very rare gift granted to very few, moved him to forget himself completely, and then, brimming with such joy, he yearned with all his might to ascend to the immortal life of the elect spirits, where, by stepping out of himself, he had already partially elevated himself.

Filled with the Spirit of God, he was ready to face any anguish of spirit, any torment in the body, as long as he was granted what he yearned for: that the merciful will of his heavenly Father might be completely fulfilled in him" (FF 481).

Moreover, Francis, by now very ill and close to death, to Brother Elias who asked how he could express so much joy in the midst of so much pain, in a burst of fervour said:

"Brother, let me rejoice in the Lord and in his Lauds in the midst of my sorrows, for, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, I am so closely united to my Lord that, by his mercy, I can well rejoice in the Most High" (FF 1614).

He had learnt that the Spirit's presence leads to the whole truth and that He offers Himself to those who invoke Him most familiarly, in solitude and in suffering.

«But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak from Himself, but will tell what He has heard, and will announce to you the things that are to come» (Jn 16:13).

Wednesday of the 6th wk. in Easter  (Jn 16:12-15)

In chapter sixteen of John, addressing his disciples, Jesus makes it clear that it is good for Him to return to the Father, otherwise the Paraclete will not come to them: the Spirit who bears witness to the Truth.

Francis, in continuous prayer, considered it the greatest treasure of his existence.

Without the Holy Spirit he could neither speak nor act according to God.

Indeed, in the Major Legend, we find an episode that confirms this:

"Once, when he was to preach before the Pope and the cardinals, at the suggestion of the Cardinal of Ostia he had sent down from memory a discourse he had drawn up with every care.

Except that, when he found himself there in the midst, at the moment of uttering those edifying words, he forgot everything and could not utter a single sentence.

So, after humbly and sincerely exposing his embarrassment, he began to invoke the Grace of the Holy Spirit.

Immediately the words began to flow so abundantly, so efficacious in moving and bending the hearts of those illustrious people, that it was clearly evident that it was not he who was speaking, but the Spirit of the Lord' (FF 1211).

And again:

"The Spirit of the Lord, who had anointed and sent him, assisted his servant Francis wherever he went; Christ himself, the power and wisdom of God, assisted him.

That is why his words overflowed with sound doctrine and his miracles were so splendid and effective.

His word was like a blazing fire, penetrating the depths of the heart and filling the minds with admiration; it did not display the elegance of rhetoric, but had the fragrance and the breath of divine revelation" (FF 1210).

Francis' vocation and his mission were truly an Epiphany of the Spirit, who dwelt in him and his fraternity. Manifestation that still testifies to the holy operation that took place in his amazing journey of faith, encouraging every creature on his path.

«If I do not go, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you» (Jn 16:7)

Tuesday, 6th wk. in Easter  (Jn 16:5-11)

Francis and Clare of Assisi had a special devotion to the Spirit of the Lord and his holy operation.

There are countless passages in the Sources that attest to this.

In the Early Life of Celano, concerning the fraternal life led by the brothers, we read:

"Because they walked with simplicity before God and with courage before men, at that time the holy brothers merited the grace of a supernatural revelation.

Animated by the fire of the Holy Spirit, they prayed singing the 'Pater noster' to a religious tune, not only at the prescribed times, but at every hour, because they were not preoccupied with material cares" (FF 404).

Francis himself, captivated by the Spirit, went to Rome to make a request to Pope Honorius. These, together with his Cardinals, welcomed him with great devotion.

"[...] he preached before the Pope and the Cardinals with a frank mind and full of ardour, drawing from the fullness of his heart, as the Spirit suggested to him.

At his Word those high ones were moved and, drawing deep sighs from within, they washed their inner man with tears.

Having finished his speech and after a few moments of cordial conversation with the Pope, he finally expressed his request thus:

"It is not easy, Lord, as you know, for poor and humble people to have access to such great majesty.

You have the world in your hands, and very important commitments do not allow you to devote yourself to minutiae.

For this reason, Lord,' he continued, 'I ask the tender affection of your Holiness to grant us as pope the Lord of Ostia, who is present here; thus, the dignity of your pre-eminence remaining always intact, the friars will be able to turn to him in time of need, and be, with advantage, defended and governed'.

The Pope was pleased with such a holy request, and he immediately appointed to the Order, according to the request of the man of God, sir Ugolino, then Bishop of Ostia.

The holy cardinal accepted with love the flock, which had been entrusted to him, he tended it thoughtfully, and was its shepherd and pupil at the same time until the blessed end' (FF 612).

Clare too, bride of the Holy Spirit in the footsteps of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, thus addressed Agnes of Prague, her faithful disciple:

"And do not believe, and do not let yourself be seduced by anyone who would try to divert you from this purpose or put obstacles in your way, to prevent you from bringing back to the Most High your promises with that perfection to which the Spirit of the Lord invited you" (FF 2876).

The Spirit of God had fertilised the lives of Francis and Clare and that of their respective fraternities, making their actions an eloquent witness to the Gospel.

«When the Paraclete comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify of me. But you also shall bear witness, because from the beginning you have been with me»  (Jn 15:26-27)

Monday of the 6th wk. in Easter  (Jn 15:26-16:4a)

On this Sunday, the Gospel highlights the response given by Jesus to the disciples:

"If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him" (Jn 14:23).

Francis, in love with Christ, longed to be dwelt in fullness by the Lord, cherishing a profound relationship of love.

He longed to be God's dwelling place and asked for it in prayer for his brothers.

In the Sources, a place of firstfruits, we find:

"And as many as do these things, as long as they do such things and persevere in them to the end, the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon them, and he will make his habitation and dwelling place therein. And they shall be children of the heavenly Father, whose works they do, and they shall be spouses, brothers and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ [...]" (FF 200 - Letter to the Faithful).

Again, in the Vita prima of Celano:

"Passing one day through those quarters with great pomp and clamour by the Emperor Otto*, who was on his way to receive "the crown of the earth", the most holy father did not even want to come out of his hovel, which was close to the transit route, nor did he allow his own people to go there, except for one who had to firmly announce to the emperor that his glory would last very little.

Since the glorious saint had his dwelling in the depths of his heart, where he prepared a worthy habitation for God, the outer world with its clamour could never distract him, nor any voice interrupt the great work to which he was intent. He felt himself invested with apostolic authority, and therefore he firmly refused to flatter kings and princes" (FF 396).

The Poor Man considered himself the Herald of the Great King, the only true King: Jesus, who certainly did not chase the human crown.

Dwelling in God for Francis meant living his Word to the full, having the sentiments of Christ, fulfilling his own mission received, with the power of the Spirit.

And Clare, also, in her third letter to Agnes of Prague, recalls:

"It is now clear that the soul of the faithful man, who is the most worthy of all creatures, is made greater than heaven by the grace of God.

While, in fact, the heavens with all other created things cannot contain the Creator, the faithful soul, on the other hand, and it alone, is His dwelling place and sojourn, and this only by reason of charity, of which the ungodly are deprived. It is the Truth itself that affirms this:

"He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I also will love him; we will come to him and make our abode in him" (FF 2892).

The community of St Mary of the Portiuncula and that of San Damiano were indeed two places where the Trinity was mirrored and shone.

* Otto IV passed through the Duchy of Spoleto at the end of September 1209.

* Crowned in Rome on 4 October and dismissed by Pope Innocent III himself a year later. But the news could also refer to a later passing of the emperor in 1210.

6th Sunday in Easter C  (Jn 14:23-29)

Jesus reminds us that the world's hatred for His disciples reveals hatred for Him.

He adds that if they persecuted the Son of God, his own will be treated no better.

Francis was convinced that only love and courtesy extinguish hatred, and in the face of persecution for Christ it is important to persevere in the call received.

In the Legend of the Three Companions we read:

"As he prolonged his stay there, his father, worried, went looking for where his son had gone.

He thus came to know that, completely transformed, he was living near San Damiano.

The man was deeply saddened by this and, shocked by his son's unbelievable turn of events, he called his friends and neighbours and in all fury rushed to San Damiano.

When Francis, having become a knight of Christ, learnt that his own men were threatening him, and that his father was about to burst in on him, in order to dodge his father's violent wrath, he went to take refuge in a secret cave, which he had prepared for the purpose, and remained hidden there for a whole month.

The cave was known to only one member of the family.

From time to time, he would bring the abducted volunteer some food, which he consumed without being seen.

And he prayed with abundant tears that the Lord would deliver him from that persecution and lovingly help him to realise his aspirations' (FF 1416).

And again:

"One day, inflamed with enthusiasm, he left the cave and set out for Assisi, lively, brisk and gay. Armed with trust in Christ and inflamed with heavenly love, he reproached himself with cowardice and vain trepidation, and boldly decided to expose himself to the hands and blows of the persecutors.

At the first sight of him, those who knew him as he was before began to insult him, shouting that he was mad and senseless, throwing mud and stones at him.

Seeing him so changed, exhausted by penances, they attributed his change to exhaustion and dementia.

'But the knight of Christ passed through that storm without taking any notice of it, not letting himself be struck and agitated by the insults, giving thanks to God instead' (FF 1417).

Being called by God for his Kingdom involves living in the footsteps of Christ.

The servant is not superior to his master and is certainly tested as he is.

Strengthened by this, Francis lived in unity with Jesus the persecution of those who neither considered nor lived the Word of God.

«If the world hates you, know that it hated me first» (Jn 15:18)

Saturday of the 5th wk. in Easter  (Jn 15:18-21)