In today's Gospel Jesus calls those who listen to love those who behave as enemies.

«Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you» (Lk 6:27).

Francis loved those who mocked and judged him - and invited his brothers to do likewise.

The Poor Man of Assisi had come to know Christ and, according to the Word of the Gospel, he committed himself to love everyone, even those who behaved as his enemies; to give as much as he had to the poor.

In fact, in the Franciscan Sources we find various episodes that signify these circumstances.

We read in the Admonitions he wrote:

"The Lord says: 'Love your enemies [and do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute and slander you].

For truly he loves his enemy who does not grieve for the insult he does him, but burns in his innermost self for the love of God because of the sin of his soul. And let him show his love by his works" (FF 158).

The same father, who detested Francis' choice of poverty, persecuted him, driving his son into hiding.

The Sources attest:

"But Francis, an athlete still in his infancy, having been informed of the threats of the persecutors and anticipating their coming, wanted to leave time for anger and hid himself in a secret pit. He remained hidden there for some days, and in the meantime he unceasingly supplicated, amidst rivers of tears, to the Lord, that He might 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).

And again:

"He went to visit [...] the tomb of the Apostle Peter. It was on this occasion that, seeing the great multitude of beggars before the door of that church, moved by a gentle compassion, and, at the same time, allured by the love of poverty, he gave his clothes to the neediest of them and, covered in their rags, he spent the whole day among the poor, with unusual joy of spirit" (FF 1037).

Giving had become for the Poverello the a-b-c of his daily living of the Word of God.

«...for with the measure wherewith ye measure, it shall be measured unto you» (Lk 6:38)

Thursday, 23rd wk. in O.T.  (Lk 6,27-38)

In the Gospel of Luke, the Beatitudes are contrasted with the "Woe" that the Lord pronounces towards the full of this world.

We dwell on the Beatitudes.

Jesus proclaims in them the love of God for every man, especially for the poor, the object of his predilection.

Francis looked upon the Beatitudes as a portrait of Christ and followed them because he was in love with Him.

He had great veneration not only for the Virgin Mary but also for all the saints.

Indeed, among his writings is an antiphon recited every hour:

"Holy Virgin Mary, there is none like thee, born in the world, among women, daughter and handmaid of the Most High and Supreme King the heavenly Father, mother of our most holy Lord Jesus Christ, spouse of the Holy Spirit; pray for us with Saint Michael the Archangel and with all the powers of heaven and with all the saints, to thy most holy beloved Son, Lord and Master. Glory be to the Father. As it was." (FF 281).

The Sources underline that "the saints and their memory were for him like burning coals of fire, which revived in him the deifying fire" (FF 1167).

In the Admonitions of Francis we read:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

There are many who persistently apply themselves to prayers and occupations, do many abstinences and corporal mortifications, but for a single word that seems an insult to their person, or for something that is taken away from them, scandalised, they quickly become irritated.

These are not poor in spirit, for he who is truly poor in spirit hates himself and loves those who strike them in the cheek" (FF 163).

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God".

"True peacemakers are those who in all the anxieties they endure in this world, for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, keep peace in soul and body" (FF 164).

But in the same Canticle of Brother Sun, when he was very ill, he added the famous verse of forgiveness:

"Be praised, my Lord/ for those who, out of love for you, forgive/ and sustain infirmity and tribulation./

Blessed are those who will stand in peace,/ and by you, Most High, be crowned" (FF 1593).

Nevertheless, Clare of Assisi, in her wonderful Blessing to the sisters, turns her gaze to the whole assembly of saints in heaven and on earth:

"I pray to our Lord Jesus Christ through his mercy and through the Intercession of his most holy Mother Mary, of the blessed Archangel Michael and all the holy Angels of God, [of our blessed Father Francis] and of all the saints and holy women of God, that the same heavenly Father may bestow upon you and confirm this most holy blessing in heaven and on earth: on earth, multiplying you, by his Grace and virtues, among his servants in his Church militant; in heaven, exalting and glorifying you in his Church triumphant among his saints and holy ones" (FF 2855).

Clear beauty of a communion lived in the round with the Blessed who still walk the earth and with those who wave their palms before the throne of the Lamb in the heavenly Jerusalem.

«Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God» (Lk 6:20b)

Wednesday of the 23rd wk. in O.T.  (Lk 6:20-26)

Jesus spends the night in prayer, choosing, then, the Twelve - and healing the sick who flocked to Him.

Francis of Assisi, after his conversion, was no longer a man who prayed, but a creature made prayer.

By night and by day he always dialogued with God, entrusting the most important choices to his relationship with the Father. The Sources bear witness to his continuous praying:

"The devout man of God, according to his habit, spent the night praying to God, in a hovel situated in the garden of the canons, far away, with his body, from his children" (FF 1070).

In the footsteps of Christ he sought intimacy with the Father:

"And in complete annihilation of self, he dwelt for a long time as if hidden in the wounds of the Saviour.

That is why he sought solitary places in order to be able to throw his soul completely into God; however, when there was a need, he did not hesitate for a moment to take action to benefit souls and the lives of his brethren.

His safe haven was prayer, not a few minutes, or empty, or pretentious, but deeply devout, humble and prolonged as much as possible.

If he started 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 went, alone, to the deserted and lost churches to pray; thus, by the grace of the Lord, he was able to triumph over many fears and spiritual anxieties" (FF 445).

«He went out to the mountain to pray and spent the night in prayer to God» (Lk 6:12)

Tuesday of the 23rd wk. in O.T.  (Lk 6,12-19)

Today, the Gospel of Matthew tells us about Jesus' family tree and how he was conceived: Mary, his mother, found herself pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

The announcement to Joseph, Mary's husband, stands out:

«Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife» (Mt 1:20).

Looking through the Franciscan Sources, we see how Francis of Assisi always nurtured an indescribable love for the Mother of Jesus and followed her example in every situation where her virtues shone forth.

The Sources inform us in this regard:

"He surrounded the Mother of Jesus with unspeakable love, because she had made the Lord of Majesty our brother.

In her honour, he sang special praises, raised prayers, and offered so much affection that human language cannot express" (FF 786).

In his letter to the faithful, he writes:

"The Most High Heavenly Father, through the holy Angel Gabriel, announced this Word of the Father, so worthy, so Holy and glorious, in the womb of the holy and glorious Virgin Mary, and from her womb he received the true flesh of our humanity and frailty" (FF 181).

But, in my opinion, Francis' sublime prayer to Mary [which sums up well what she was to him] is the famous "Salutation to the Blessed Virgin Mary".

It reads as follows:

«Hail Holy Lady, Holy Queen,

Holy Mother of God, Mary,

who art a virgin made Church

and chosen by the most holy Heavenly Father,

who consecrated you

together with his most holy beloved Son

and with the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete;

you in whom was and is all fullness of grace and every good thing.

Hail, his palace,

Hail, his tabernacle,

Hail, his handmaid,

Hail, his Mother» (FF 259).

In addition, we note that Francis saw in Clare ‘the imprint of the Mother of God’ and loved her for this reason.

In fact, he saw the constant presence of Mary in her life.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary  (Mt 1:1-16, 18-23)

The Liturgy focuses on the passage from Luke in which Jesus sets out the conditions for following Him in His call to mission for the Gospel.

«Anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple» (Lk 14:33).

Likewise, whoever does not take up his cross cannot be a disciple of Christ.

The Poor Man of Assisi gives us a wonderful example of this.

After knowing the will of the Lord through divine inspiration, Francis the Minor devoted himself body and soul to fulfilling the mission entrusted to him by God.

His task: to proclaim the Kingdom, to make the Good News known to the people - and in poverty, renouncing everything that was not indispensable.

The Sources are extraordinarily rich in this regard.

'One day, while listening to Mass, he heard the instructions given by Christ when he sent his disciples to preach [...] He understood these instructions better afterwards, when he asked the priest to explain the passage to him.

Then, radiant with joy, he exclaimed:

'This is exactly what I long to achieve with all my strength!'.

And fixing those directives in his memory, he committed himself to carrying them out joyfully [...]

He got rid of everything he owned that was superfluous...

He made himself a poor, coarse tunic and, instead of a leather belt, he tied his waist with a rope.

Inspired by God, he began to proclaim the perfection of the Gospel, preaching penance to all with simplicity.

His words were not frivolous [...] but filled with the virtue of the Holy Spirit, they penetrated the depths of people's consciences, touching his listeners deeply" (FF 1427).

"The man of God, Francis, animated by the Spirit of the prophets and following their language, as if echoing his precursor, proclaimed peace and preached salvation" (FF 1428).

“A growing number of people were attracted by the sincerity and truthfulness of Francis’ teaching and life.

Two years after his conversion, some men were inspired by his example to do penance and join him, renouncing everything, wearing the same habit and leading the same life" (FF 1429).

The first woman to follow Francis was Clare, who left her father's house and began to follow him in order to live the Gospel.

"Noble by birth, more noble by grace... named Clare, more clear in life, most clear in virtue" (FF 351).

Sunday 23rd in O.T. year C   (Lk 14:25-33)

In Luke's Gospel, in c.6 Jesus introduces the discussion on the Sabbath of which He is Lord, at the service of life, more important than rules - and which in any case must not enslave the person, always at the centre of the work of salvation.

Francis of Assisi, the one who called himself simple and idiotic, had received authentic evangelical wisdom from on high.

He was not bound by commonplaces, he was a new man, free from tinsel and pre-established schemes, living only by the Word - declaring Jesus Lord.

In the Sources there is an episode that highlights this well:

"When Francis began to have brothers, he stayed with them at Rivotorto*.

Once, at midnight, while they were all resting [...] a friar suddenly cried out: I die! I die! All the others woke up stupefied and terrified.

Francis got up and said: "Arise, brothers, and light a lamp". Having lighted the lamp, the saint questioned:

"Who cried out: I die?" He answered: "It is I". Francis resumed:

"What is the matter with you brother? What are you dying of?" And he: "I am dying of hunger".

Francis, being a man full of goodness and kindness, immediately had the table prepared.

And so that the brother would not be ashamed to eat alone, they all sat down to eat with him [...].

After the meal Francis spoke:

'Just as we must refrain from excessive eating, harmful to body and soul, so, and even more, from excessive abstinence, since the Lord prefers mercy to sacrifice'" (FF 1545).

The Lord of the soul rules over all things!

And the Poor Man understood this well.

«The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath» (Lk 6:5)

*Rivotorto: locality in the plain of Assisi, about three kilometres from the Portiuncula.

Saturday of the 22nd wk. in O.T.  (Lk 6,1-5)

The text of Luke presents Jesus responding to the scribes and Pharisees about fasting. Now the Bridegroom is with them and they will not fast, when he is taken from them they will fast.

Logic that breaks down the legalistic mentality.

In the Sources we have various passages that highlight the Poor Man of Assisi's way of acting on this subject.

The Minim forbade excesses.

Francis knew well how to discern between the importance of fasting and exaggeration in practising it.

In his life, never did form take the place of substance. The Franciscan Sources illustrate the point:

"Francis reproached his brothers who were too hard on themselves and who were exhausted by vigils, fasts, prayers and corporal penances [...].

The man of God forbade such excesses, admonishing those brothers lovingly and calling them to common sense, healing their wounds with the medicine of wise instructions [...].

He spoke with them, identifying himself with their situation, not as a judge then, but as an understanding father with his children and as a compassionate doctor with his own sick.

He knew how to be sick with the sick, afflicted with the afflicted" (FF 1470).

All this while being "a new man, [who] with new virtues renewed the way of perfection that had disappeared from the world" (FF 3162).

As a mature and profoundly human person, he knew how to help his brothers, evaluating the different situations he had before him.

In the Legend of the Three Companions: "Nevertheless, when it was appropriate, he chastised those who committed offences" (FF 1470).

Francis had received, by Grace, the immeasurable gift of true discernment.

The Little One did not betray substance for form: he kept both in a sensible human and spiritual balance.

«But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, then they will fast in those days» (Lk 5:35)

Friday of the 22nd wk. in O.T.  (Lk 5:33-39)

After fishing all night without catching any fish, Peter threw himself at the knees of Jesus who made an incredibly fruitful catch, entrusting him and the other disciples with the mission of becoming fishers of souls for God.

In the Sources, Francis often exhorts his disciples not to be afraid of being considered unbalanced in order to proclaim the Gospel.

The Poverello, a man of God and rich in faith in the Lord, became by grace a 'fisher of men'. Indeed, many flocked to follow and listen to him.

The Franciscan documentation instructs:

"Francis, full of the grace of the Holy Spirit, to the six brothers [...] summoning them to himself from the forest that stretched near the Portiuncula, into which they often entered to pray [...].

He said:

"Beloved brothers, considering our vocation, God, in his mercy, has called us not only for our salvation, but also for that of many others.

Let us go therefore through the world, exhorting everyone, by example rather than by words, to do penance for their sins and to remember God's commandments'.

He continued:

"Do not be afraid of being thought insignificant or deranged, but proclaim penance with courage and simplicity.

Trust in the Lord, who has overcome the world! He speaks by His Spirit in you and through you, admonishing men and women to be converted to Him and to observe His precepts.

You will meet some faithful, meek and benevolent ones, who will receive you and your words with joy.

Many more, however, will be the unbelieving, proud, blasphemers, who will insult you and resist you and your proclamation.

Propose to yourselves [...] to bear everything with patience and humility" " (FF 1440).

«Do not be afraid; from now on you will be a 'fisher' of men» (Lk 5:10)

Thursday of the 22nd wk. in O.T.  (Lk 5,1-11)

In today's passage, Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law and, at sunset, many sick and possessed people, continuing his journey to announce the Good News of the Kingdom.

The Poverello of Assisi, among the many gifts received from on high, had that of preferring the proclamation of the Gospel, so that all might enjoy the encounter with Christ the Saviour.

In fact we read in the Sources, in the Vita Prima of Celano:

"In the midst of the despondency into which the doctrine of the Gospel had fallen, not in particular but in general, the Providence of God sent this man into the world, so that, like the apostles, he might be a witness to the truth before all men.

And truly he showed clearly, by word and example, how foolish earthly wisdom was, and in short, under the guidance of Christ, he led men, through the foolishness of preaching, to authentic divine Wisdom.

Thanks to this close union with Christ, he performed many healings of those who had recourse to him.

In fact: "A woman, infirm for many years and completely immobilised in her bed, as soon as she had made a vow to God and to blessed Francis, rose again healed and able to attend to all her occupations.

In the city of Narni there lived a woman who for eight years had had a withered hand that was completely useless. One day the blessed Father appeared to her and, touching her ailing hand, made it fit for work like the other" (FF 558).

Thus the Lord worked wonders of all kinds through his servant Francis.

«To the other cities also I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, for I was sent for this»  (Lk 4:43)

Wednesday of the 22nd wk. in O.T.  (Lk 4:38-44)