Jesus in the Gospel offers the identikit of the faithful servant, who in the absence and while awaiting the return of the master, serves his subordinates, in the sign of God's will. 

And this is what we find in Francis and Clare of Assisi: they faithfully served the Lord in the brothers and sisters entrusted to them, with diligence and compassion.

The Franciscan Sources, Teachers of lived life, document this for us.

In the Admonitions written by the Minim we find an eloquent pedagogy:

"Blessed is the servant who is found as humble among his subjects as when he was among his masters.

Blessed is the servant who always keeps himself under the rod of correction.

Faithful and prudent servant is he who does not delay in punishing himself for all his sins, inwardly through contrition and outwardly through confession and works of reparation" (FF 173).

"And blessed is that servant, who is not placed on high of his own accord and always desires to put himself under the feet of others" (FF 169).

A friar once asked Francis to pray for him because he was afflicted by a temptation.

The Saint replied thus:

"Believe me, son [...] for this very reason I consider you even more a servant of God, and know that the more you are tempted, the more you are dear to me".

He added:

"I tell you truly that no one should consider himself a servant of God until he has passed through trials and tribulations.

The temptation overcome is, in a sense, the ring with which the Lord marries the soul of his servant.

Many flatter themselves about the merits accumulated over long years, and rejoice that they have never sustained trials.

But we know that the Lord has taken their weakness of spirit into account because even before the clash, terror alone would have crushed them.

For difficult combats are reserved only for those with exemplary courage' (FF 704).

And Clare, in her Rule states:

"The abbess then, use towards them [the sisters] such familiarity that they may speak to her and deal with her as mistresses use with their servants, since this is how it must be, that the abbess be the servant of all the sisters" (FF 2808).

And again in the Legend:

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

«You also be ready, for in the hour you do not believe the Son of Man is coming» (Lk 12:40)

Wednesday 29th wk. in O.T.  (Lk 12,39-48)

The readiness, the vigilance that Jesus speaks of in the Gospel is very much present in the lives of Francis and Clare.

The Sources speak of this fundamental attitude in the life of the believer, regarding the Poverello.

The Perugian legend recounts that the Little One of God, having ascended to the hermitage of La Verna, stayed there for a Lent in honour of God, the Blessed Virgin and St Michael.

"Having entered the cell where he intended to stay [...] on the first night he asked the Lord to show him some sign by which he could know if it was the divine will that he should remain on Verna.

In fact, Francis, when he stopped somewhere for a period of prayer or went around the world to preach, was always anxious to know God's will, in order to please Him more [...].

Although he enjoyed many joys in that little cell, at night the demons inflicted many molestations on him, as he himself told his companion.

He once confided to him:

«If the brethren knew how many afflictions the demons inflict on me, every one of them would be moved with pity and great compassion towards me»" (FF 1649).

Clare 'the Christian' stood out for her vigilance in the spiritual life, as the same papal document Clara Claris praeclara recalls:

"Assiduous also in her vigils and intent on prayer, in this above all she spent the greater part of the day and night" (FF 3300).

In the lives of Francis and Clare of Assisi "being ready" had created the prerequisites that make it possible for a person to respond to God's prevenient love for them.

He had tempered them well, allowing Grace to act in them

in every event.

Tuesday 29th wk. in O.T.  (Lk 12,35-38)

Today's Gospel from Luke emphasises the greed of a rich man who thinks of enlarging his storehouses because of abundant harvests, neglecting his soul and his relationship with God, who finds him unprepared before a sudden death.

Instead of enriching himself with God, he foolishly thinks of accumulating for himself.

Francis of Assisi, on the other hand, donated all he possessed to the poor and set out to give back to God the little he had in exchange for the much he would receive.

He was in love with Our Lady Poverty; he married her and esteemed her because she was chosen by the Son of God, who had nowhere to lay his head.

He was so evangelically attracted to her that he took pity when he met creatures poorer than himself.

The Sources recount:

"It happened to him, during a journey, to meet a poor man. Seeing his nakedness, he was saddened in his heart and said to his companion in a voice of lamentation:

"The misery of this man has brought us great shame; for we, as our only wealth, have chosen poverty: and behold, it shines brighter in him than in us" (FF 1126).

And Bernard, a citizen of Assisi, who later became his companion in the following of Christ, was advised to leave his possessions, considered a false feud.

But to be sure, "when morning came, they entered a church and, having prayed devoutly, opened the book of the Gospel, willing to carry out the first advice offered them.

They opened the book, and Christ manifested his advice in these words: «If you want to be perfect, go, sell all you possess and give to the poor». They repeat the gesture, and the passage occurs: «Take nothing for the journey». A third time again, and they read: «Whoever wishes to come after me, let him deny himself».

Without delay Bernard performed everything and did not omit a single iota. Many others, in a short time, freed themselves from the mordacious cares of the world and, under the guidance of Francis, returned to the infinite good in the true homeland. But it would be too long to say how each one achieved the prize of the divine call" (FF 601).

Clare herself had requested and obtained from Pope Gregory IX the Privilege of Poverty (17 September 1228) in written form.

This document assured the Poor Sisters of St Damian's the right to live without any property in this world, following in the footsteps of the One who, for our sake, became poor and the Way, the Truth and the Life.

In the same Rule, concerning those who wanted to enter the Monastery to follow Christ, Clare says:

"And if she is suitable, let the word of the holy Gospel be told her: that she should go and sell all her possessions and endeavour to distribute them to the poor. If she cannot do this, her good will suffices" (FF 2757).

And in his first letter to Blessed Agnes of Prague (his spiritual daughter) he writes:

"O blessed poverty! For those who love you and embrace you procure eternal riches!

O holy poverty! To those who possess and desire you God promises the kingdom of heaven, and infallibly offers eternal glory and blessed life.

O pious poverty! Thee the Lord Jesus Christ [...] deigned to embrace in preference to everything else" (FF 2864).

«So [happens to] those who accumulate treasures for themselves and do not enrich for God» (Lk 12:21)

Monday 29th wk. in O.T.  (Lk 12,13-21)

Chapter eighteen of Luke recounts the parable of the judge and the importunate widow, emphasising the value of personal prayer that is engaging, confident and constant.

Those who know a little about the Poor Man of St. Mary of the Porziuncola know that continuous prayer was like oxygen for his lungs.

Various passages from the Sources describe how much Francis loved it and sought out places where he could give free rein to his big heart.

"He often conversed aloud with his Lord: he gave account to the Judge, he implored the Father, he spoke to his Friend, he joked amiably with his Spouse.

And in reality, in order to offer God all the fibres of his heart in a manifold holocaust, he considered in various ways the One who is supremely One [...]

He directed his whole mind and affection to that one thing he asked of God: he was not so much a man who prayed as he was himself transformed into a living prayer" (FF 682).

Celano informs us in the First Life:

"His safe haven was prayer, not of a few minutes, or empty, or pretentious, but deeply devout, humble and prolonged as much as possible. If he began it in the evening, he could hardly tear himself away from it in the morning. He was always intent on prayer, when he walked and when he sat, when he ate and when he drank. At night he would go alone to abandoned and remote churches to pray; thus, with the grace of the Lord, he managed to triumph over many fears and spiritual anxieties" (FF 445).

Confirming his ardent faith in God, he expresses himself thus in the Leggenda Maggiore:

«I, small and simple, inexperienced in speaking, have received the grace of prayer more than that of preaching.

In prayer, moreover, one either acquires or accumulates graces; in preaching, on the other hand, one distributes the gifts received from heaven [...] In prayer we speak to God, we listen to him, and we remain among the Angels» (FF 1204).

His faith grew day by day, because it was imbued with divine relationship, certain of being heard by grace and not by merit, thus becoming a giant herald and witness of the Word.

«But will God not do justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?» (Lk 18:7)

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C  (Lk 18:1-8)

Jesus urges the mission to which the disciples are called: in poverty, as lambs among wolves; preaching the Kingdom of God.

Francis knew how to address a special greeting of Peace to the people he met, by divine revelation.

And, like Jesus, he sent his brothers out two by two to announce the Good News of the Kingdom. 

The Sources specifically state.

"In each of his sermons, before communicating the Word of God to the people, he wished for peace, saying:

«May the Lord give you Peace!».

This Peace he always proclaimed with great devotion to men and women, to all those he met or who came to him.

In this way he obtained, by the grace of the Lord, to induce the enemies of Peace and of their own salvation, to become themselves children of Peace and desirous of eternal salvation" (FF 359).

And again, Francis took on the "mission of the apostles" in its entirety.

In fact, "the pious father gathered all his sons around him and spoke at length with them about the Kingdom of God, about the contempt of the world [...] and revealed his intention to send them to the four parts of the world" (FF 1058)

«Go», said the sweet Father to his children, «proclaim peace to men; preach penance for the remission of sins.

Be patient in tribulations, watchful in prayer, valiant in labours, modest in speech, grave in conduct, and grateful in benefactions.

And in recompense for all this, the eternal kingdom is prepared for you».

He then said to each one in particular:

«Entrust your fate to the Lord, and He will feed you».

He divided them two by two, in the form of a cross, sending them out into the world.

After assigning the other three parts to the other six, he himself went with a companion to a part of the world, knowing that he had been chosen as an example for others and that he had first to do and then to teach" (FF 1059).

And he often «redeemed the lambs that were led to the slaughter, in memory of that most meek Lamb, who was willing to be led to death to redeem sinners» (FF 1145).

«Go! Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves» (Lk 10:3)

St Luke, the Evangelist  (Lk 10:1-9)

In chapter twelve of Luke's Gospel, Jesus warns against hypocrisy, whose father is the one whom St Teresa of Avila called 'a liar, a hypocrite, a dark one'.

We must fear him, says the Lord, who is capable of casting us into Gehenna.

When Francis of Assisi, by grace, manages to convert and tame the wolf of Gubbio, he then reminds the inhabitants of that place of something crucial:

'The flame of hell, which will last eternally for the damned, is more dangerous than the rage of the wolf, which can only kill the body. How much more should we fear the mouth of hell, when such a multitude is kept in fear and trembling by the mouth of a small animal. Return, therefore, dearest ones, to God and do worthy penance for your sins, and God will deliver you from the wolf in the present and from the fires of hell in the future" (Fioretti. FF 1852).

Likewise, the humble Francis kept all forms of hypocrisy away from his life.

The Sources tell us a significant episode.

"One winter, the Saint had his poor body covered with only one tunic, reinforced with very coarse patches.

The guardian*, who was also his companion, bought a fox skin and brought it to him, saying: Father, you suffer from spleen and stomach problems: I beg your charity in the Lord to allow this skin to be sewn inside your tunic. If you do not want the whole thing, at least accept a part of it to cover your stomach.

Francis replied:

"If you want me to wear this fur under my tunic, let me wear another one of the same size on the outside. Sewn on the outside, it will be a sign of the skin hidden underneath."

The friar listened, but he was not of the same opinion [...] In the end, the guardian gave in and had one piece of fur sewn onto the other, so that Francis would not appear different on the outside than he was on the inside.

What an example of consistency, identical in life and words! The same inside and out, as a subject and as a superior!

You desired no glory, either external or private, because you glorified only the Lord" (FF 714).

* The guardian was brother Angelo da Rieti.

Friday, 28th wk. in Ordinary Time  (Lk 12:1-7)

Jesus' rebuke of the doctors of the Law recalls the persecution and killing reserved for the prophets sent by God.

The palm of martyrdom will speak for them, as will the responsibility of those who built their tombs, recalling that the blood shed will be called to account.

In the Sources we find passages that illustrate how Francis himself expressed himself regarding the persecution of his brethren:

"O brothers all, let us reflect carefully that the Lord says:

«Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you», since our Lord Jesus Christ, whose footsteps we must follow, called his betrayer a friend and offered himself willingly to his crucifiers" (FF 56).

And in the 21st chapter of the Regola non bollata we see that the Poor Man of Assisi also pronounces his "woe" concerning those who do works of darkness.

Indeed, we read:

"Woe to those who do not die in penance, / for they will be sons of the devil/ whose works they do" (FF 55).

It is aligned with the "woe to those who die in mortal sin" of the Canticle of Brother Sun (FF 263), testifying to those who do not enter and do not bring into the Kingdom of Heaven by their diabolical conduct.

Francis "artist and Master of evangelical life" as Celano defines him (1Cel 37) instead - like his friars - preferred to stay where there was suffering.

The Sources still attest:

"They loved patience so much that they preferred to be where there was persecution to be suffered than where, their holiness being known, they could enjoy the favours of the world.

Often insulted, vilified, beaten, stripped, tied up, imprisoned, they endured everything manfully, without seeking any defence; from their lips only a song of praise and thanksgiving came forth" (FF 390).

And Clare echoes him in her Testament:

"Blessed [...] are those to whom it is granted to walk in this way and to persevere in it to the end" (FF 2850).

Due to the fact that the persecutors will be asked to account for the blood of the prophets, the persecuted will not speak: the palm of martyrdom lived will say for them.

«I will send them prophets and apostles, and they will kill and persecute» (Lk 11:49)

Thursday, 28th wk. in O.T.  (Lk 11:47-54)

Enunciating the various woes addressed to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, Jesus emphasises how they left aside justice and the love of God. 

Francis was particularly sensitive to these human-divine realities. 

Indeed, there are extraordinary passages in the Sources to support this.

In the Regola non bollata (1221) the Poor Man expresses himself thus:

"The spirit of the flesh [...] is much concerned with possessing words, but little with putting them into practice, and seeks not the interior religiosity and holiness of the Spirit, but wants and desires to have a religiosity and holiness that appears outside to men.

It is of these that the Lord says: «Verily I say unto you, they have received their reward».

The Spirit of the Lord, on the other hand, desires the flesh to be mortified [...] and seeks humility and patience and the pure and simple peace of the Spirit; and always desires above all the divine fear and divine Wisdom and divine love of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

This holy love shines out in the daily life of Francis in countless episodes. 

Let us recount what happened at Celle di Cortona.

"Francis was wearing a new cloak, which the friars had procured just for him, when a poor man arrived, mourning the death of his wife and his family left in misery.

"I give you this cloak for the love of God," the Saint told him, "on the condition that you do not sell it to anyone unless they pay you handsomely for it.

The friars immediately ran to take the cloak and prevent it from being given away.

But the poor man, made bold by the Saint's gaze, set about defending it with hands and nails as his own.

In the end, the friars redeemed the cloak and the poor man left with the price he had received" (FF 675).

On the subject of justice Francis expressed himself thus:

"The Saint [...] loved holy simplicity in others, daughter of Grace, true sister of wisdom, mother of justice [...] It is the simplicity that in all divine laws leaves the tortuousness of words, ornaments and tinsel, as well as ostentations and curiosities to those who want to lose themselves, and seek not the bark but the marrow, not the shell but the kernel, not many things but the much, the supreme and stable Good" (FF 775).

And again, on his way to the Spoletana valley, he would discuss with his companions on how to observe the Rule: "on how to progress in all holiness and justice before God, on how to sanctify oneself and be an example to others" (FF 1065).

He was so inflamed by the love of God that his innermost being vibrated like a plectrum:

"To offer, in exchange for alms, the precious patrimony of the love of God - so he affirmed - is noble prodigality [...] since only the inappreciable price of divine love is capable of buying the kingdom of heaven. And much one must love the love of Him who loved us much' (FF 1161).

«But woe to you, Pharisees, because you pay the tithe of mint and rue and every herbage, and neglect the judgment and love of God» (Lk 11:42)

Wednesday, 28th wk. in O.T.  (Lk 11:42-46)

Francis, a disciple of Jesus, kept away from his life the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, the preoccupation with appearances on the outside without caring about the greed rooted in his heart. 

He, who had married Our Lady Poverty, was happy to give to his neighbour and for him all was world.

In this sense the Sources come to our aid, which admirably illustrate what dwelt within the Servant of God.

"Francis, the Poor Man of Christ, while on his way from Rieti to Siena for the cure of his eyes, was crossing the plain near Rocca Campiglia, in the company of a doctor fond of the Order.

And three poor women appeared along the road as the Saint passed by. They were so similar in stature, in age, in appearance, that you would have called them three copies modelled on a single mould.

When Francis was near, they, bowing their heads reverently, addressed this singular greeting to him:

"Welcome, Lady Poverty!"

The Saint was immediately filled with unspeakable joy, for there was no greeting more pleasing to him than the one they had addressed to him.

Thinking at first that the women were really poor, he turned to the doctor who accompanied him:

"Please, for the love of God, let me give something to those poor women.

The man was very quick to take out his bag and, leaping from the saddle, gave each one a few coins. 

They rode on a little further along the road they had taken, when all of a sudden, looking around, the friar and the doctor saw no shadow of women in the whole plain.

Greatly astonished, they added this fact to the wonders of the Lord, for evidently it could not have been women, those who had flown away more swiftly than birds" (FF 680). Further, we read:

"His charity extended with a brother's heart not only to men in need but also to animals [...].

He had, however, a special tenderness for lambs, because in Scripture Jesus Christ is often and rightly compared for his humility to the meek lamb' (FF 455).

Free from formalism, the Poor Man of Christ when he came across lambs that were being led to slaughter would buy them in order to save them.

He gave as alms what he had received in his heart from his God: compassion.

And Jesus' warning was not directed at them:

«Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and tray, but your inside is full of robbery and wickedness» (Lk 11:39).

This admonition concerns rather those who take glory from one another, neglecting that which pleases God: to give in alms what has been given to us.

For he who is pure everything is pure.

Tuesday 28th wk. in O.T.  (Lk 11,37-41)