Today's Gospel recounts Jesus' second proclamation of his death and resurrection, combined with the ability to know how to welcome the advancing Kingdom through the little ones.

He advises that the more one wants to be 'first', the more one must be a servant.

Small in stature, but truly endowed with that littleness that makes children in the heart, in his life Francis was minor in interiority

and knew how to recognise the bearers of the Gospel.

He was always concerned to welcome those who in their simplicity came to him in the name of Jesus.

The authority of the Sources informs us:

"Often thinking of the scandal given to the little ones, he felt an immense sadness, to the point of believing that he would have died of grief, if the divine goodness had not sustained him with its comfort" (FF 1139).

Francis himself described himself as "I, small and simple, inexperienced in speaking, have received the grace of prayer more than that of preaching [...]".

Again: "Nothing else did he possess, the Poor Man of Christ, but two pennies that he could bestow with liberal charity: his body and soul" (FF 1167).

And to his brothers he taught and recommended littleness in every happy or sad affair:

"Scarcity itself was for them abundance and superabundance, while, according to the advice of the Wise Man, they took pleasure not in greatness, but in the smallest things" (FF 1075).

The same simplicity of children with which he loved to receive the Word of God, he transferred it between the lines of life.

This episode helps us to understand the childlike heart he had received from God.

"At St. Mary of the Portiuncula they brought the man of God a sheep as a gift, which he accepted with gratitude, because he loved the innocence and simplicity that, by its nature, the sheep shows.

The man of God admonished the sheep to praise God and not to annoy the brothers at all. The sheep, in turn, as if feeling the pity of the man of God, put his teachings into practice with great care.

When she heard the friars singing in the choir, she would also enter the church and, without the need of a teacher, she would bend her knees, uttering tender bleats before the altar of the Virgin, Mother of the Lamb, as if impatient to greet her" (FF 1148).

By becoming a child at heart, Francis welcomed in simplicity the Kingdom that was coming to him, attesting in his concrete life the infancy of the Spirit that informed him.

«Whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but him who sent me» (Mk 9:37)

Tuesday, 7th wk. in O.T.  (Mk 9,30-37)

Jesus heals an epileptic boy by corroborating the synergy of Faith and Prayer.

The Poor Man of Assisi knew from direct experience that demons fear prayer done with faith and humility.

They know, in fact, that it transcends the clouds and is pleasing to God, increasing their trusting surrender to Him.

The Franciscan Sources are a well of experience and spiritual wealth in this regard.

In them we read: "There they were continually intent on praying to God, applying themselves to the exercise of prayer and devotion more with the mind than with the voice, for the reason that they did not yet have liturgical books [...].

But instead of those books, they read uninterruptedly, leafing through it and leafing over it again the book of the cross of Christ, day and night, instructed by the example and the word of the Father, who continually gave them the discourse of the cross of Christ" (FF 1067).

It is clear that on this granite foundation was wedged a great faith, which made possible healings of all kinds, demonic deliverances, because they were fertilised by so much Grace.

The Lord acted through Francis and his friars, working prodigious things:

"In the village of Sangemini the servant of God received hospitality from a devout man, whose wife was tormented by the devil. After praying, he commanded, by virtue of obedience, the demon to leave the woman and, with the help of divine power, forced him to flee immediately: a clear demonstration that the obstinacy of demons cannot resist the virtue of holy obedience [...]" (FF 1219).

«And he said to them, 'This kind of demons cannot come out with anything except prayer» (Mk 9:29).

Since Francis knew that everything is possible for those who believe, he incessantly repeated to his brothers and in his writings:

"All the small and the great [...] and all men from every part of the earth, who are and who will be, all of us Friars Minor, useless servants, humbly pray and entreat that we persevere in the true faith and penance, for no one can be saved in any other way" (FF 68).

"Let us all love with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, with all our ability and fortitude, with all our intelligence, with all our strength [...] the Lord God [...] who created us, redeemed us and will save us through his mercy alone" (FF 69).

The Poor Man often prayed thus before the Crucifix:

«Most glorious God,

illuminate the darkness of my heart.

And give me sure faith

certain hope and perfect charity

wisdom and knowledge,

Lord,

that I may do thy holy and true commandment.

Amen».

(FF 276).

Monday 7th wk. in O.T.  (Mk 9,14-29)

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.

In the Sources:

"Deeply humble and mature in charity, each nurtured for his brother the sentiments one has towards a father and lord [...] They were careful not to fall victim to unbridled desires. They were implacable judges of themselves, concerned not to harm one another in any way" (FF 1448).

"If it sometimes happened that a brother missed a word that could hurt, the remorse of conscience would not let him rest until he confessed his mistake, humbly throwing himself to the ground and begging the offended person to put his foot over his mouth.

And in the Letter to the Faithful, Francis, speaking of enemies, expresses himself thus:

"We must love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. We must also deny ourselves and place our bodies under the yoke of service and holy obedience, as each one has promised to the Lord" (FF196).

The holy father, if he was misjudged by men or his brothers were singled out, reminded himself and them that therein lies the perfect joy of one who is poor in heart.

The Sources illustrate:

"There were therefore conflicting opinions about these evangelical men. Some regarded them as madmen and fixated; others maintained that their talk came from anything but dementia.

One of the hearers remarked: 'These here are either united to God in an extraordinarily perfect way, or they are true fools, for they lead a desperate life: they eat almost nothing, they walk barefoot, they have miserable clothes'" (FF 1437).

Furthermore, Francis abhorred detraction like a plague.

In fact we read:

"The vice of detraction, the radical enemy of piety and Grace, he abhorred it as the bite of the serpent and as the most harmful pestilence.

He affirmed that the most pitiful God has it in abomination, because the detractor feeds on the blood of souls, after having killed them with the sword of the tongue [...].

Sometimes he judged that one who had stripped his brother of his good name should be stripped of his habit, and he did not want him to raise his eyes to God, if he had not first procured by all means to return what he had taken.

"The wickedness of detractors," he said, "is all the greater than that of thieves, the greater the force with which the law of Christ, which finds its fulfilment in love, compels us to desire the salvation of souls more than that of bodies.

«...for with the measure with which you measure, it will be measured back to you» (Lk 6:38).

7th Sunday in O.T. (C)  (Lk 6,27-38)

The Lord used Francis to renew his Church, placing him as the foundation stone of the Order in the ecclesial community, just as he used Peter as the point around which to build its visible Unity.

Jesus also entrusted the Poverello with the responsibility of restoring a spiritually broken Church.

Francis began by materially repairing various churches; then through mission he understood what God was asking of him.

In fact in the Sources we find:

"Now well rooted in the humility of Christ, Francis recalls the obedience of restoring the church of San Damiano, which the Cross imposed on him.

Truly obedient, he returns to Assisi, to carry out the order of the divine voice, if only by begging.

Having laid aside all shame for love of the poor Crucified One, he went to seek alms from those with whom he had once lived in abundance, and subjected his weak body, prostrated by fasting, to the weight of stones.

He thus succeeded in restoring the little church, with God's help and the devoted assistance of his fellow citizens.

Then, so as not to let his body grow numb in idleness, after his fatigue, he went on to repair, in a place a little further from the city, the church dedicated to St Peter, driven by the special devotion he nourished, together with pure and sincere faith, towards the Prince of the Apostles" (FF 1047).

Having repaired to this church, he went to the Porziuncola [St Mary of the Angels] and, seeing it so abandoned, driven by his devotion to the Queen of the world, he settled there.

The Sources continue: "This is the place where St Francis, guided by divine revelation, began the Order of Friars Minor. Precisely by the disposition of divine Providence, which directed him in all things, the servant of Christ had materially restored three churches, before founding the Order and devoting himself to the preaching of the Gospel.

In this way he had not only achieved a harmonious spiritual progress, rising from the sensible to the intelligible, from the lesser to the greater, but had also, by a tangible work, symbolically shown and prefigured his future mission.

For, just as the three buildings were repaired, under the leadership of this holy man the Church would be renewed in three ways: according to the form of life, according to the Rule and according to the doctrine of Christ proposed by him - and a threefold militia of the elect would celebrate its triumphs" (FF 1050).

22 February, Chair of St Peter (Mt 16:13-19)

Jesus told the crowd and his disciples: «If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me [...]» (Mk 8:34).

Francis, after his profound conversion, had grasped by Grace the fuller meaning of self-denial.

Scanning the Sources, the episodes contained therein highlight this well.

At the beginning of the Franciscan parable, the Poverello encouraged his brothers to persevere, renouncing all that was contrary to the Word of God.

"At the same time, another worthy person entered the Religion, and so the blessed sons of the man of God reached the number of seven.

Then the pious father gathered all his children around him and spoke at length with them about the Kingdom of God, about the contempt of the world, about the necessity of denying one's own will and mortifying one's own body, and he revealed his intention of sending them to the four parts of the world.

By now the holy father, like the barren, simple and poor woman of the Bible, had given birth seven times, and wished to give birth to Christ to all the people of the faithful, calling them to weeping and penance" (FF 1058).

Francis had a watchful eye on the ability to deny those who wanted to enter into that evangelical fraternity.

In fact, in the Franciscan documents, we find a very significant episode.

The Minim of Assisi, travelling through the province of the Marches to preach, met a man who asked him to join his community.

The father addressed him thus:

"Brother, if you want to enter our family, it is necessary first that you distribute all your goods to the poor, according to the perfection advised by the holy Gospel, and then that you renounce your will completely" (FF 1567).

At these words the man inspired by carnal and not spiritual love, gave all his goods to his kinsmen.

Then he went to Francis reporting that he had deprived himself of all he had.

But the father asked him how he had done it.

He replied: "Brother, I have given all mine to some relatives who were in need" (FF 1567).

The passage continues: 'Francis knew, through the Holy Spirit, that this was a carnal man, and immediately took him away:

"Go your way, brother Fly, for you have given yours to your kinsmen, and now you would like to live on alms among the brethren".

And he went his way, refusing to distribute his possessions to other poor people (FF 1567).

Friday, 6th wk. in O.T.  (Mk 8,34-9,1)

Jesus asks his disciples a precise question:

«Who do men say that I am?» (Mk 8:27b).

He then explains that the Son of Man will have no worldly triumphs. He then reproaches Peter - who represents us all - for his banal way of thinking, not according to God.

But those who approached Francis immediately understood that he was a man who thought according to God and not according to men.

In fact, his words, his gestures were so different from the commonplace thinking and acting of people, that they aroused astonishment.

The Sources, precious testimonies of the time, confirm this.

"Truly, Francis always carried in his heart that little bundle of myrrh*, always gazed upon the face of his Christ, always remained in contact with the Man of sorrows, who knows all suffering" (FF 672).

In the sufferings of the poor she saw those of the Poor One par excellence: Christ; working to alleviate them in every way.

"Once, while returning from Siena, he met a poor man. It happened that Francis, because of illness, was wearing a cloak over his habit.

Observing the man's misery with merciful eyes, he said to his companion:

"We must return the cloak to this poor man: for it is his. For we have received it on loan, until we should happen to find someone poorer than ourselves'.

The companion, however, considering the state in which the pitiful father found himself, opposed a clear refusal: he had no right to forget himself, in order to provide for another.

But the saint:

"I believe that the Great Elector will accuse me of theft if I do not give what I wear to those most in need" (FF 1143).

Example of thinking according to God and according to men.

Two distant logics: love that gives itself to the end, regardless of the suffering to be borne to the point of exhaustion - and self-love that flees or wants to flee from all that is trial, suffering, discomfort, inconvenience.

Francis had chosen Christ and loved: he thought like Jesus, according to the measure of the Gospel.

The Herald of the Great King, in truth, repeated to the Son of God, with his bare existence and continually:

«You are the Christ».

In what he did, one could always hear its echo.

Myrrh, enclosed in special bags or purses, was worn around the neck by the elegant women of the time. Here the bunch of myrrh symbolises the suffering Christ, always lovingly present in Francis' heart.

«But who do you say that I am?» (Mk 8:29)

Thursday, 6th wk. in O.T.  (Mk 8:27-33)

Mk narrates the healing of the blind man of Bethsaida. Jesus heals him outside the village, and asks him not to enter it.

Francis, the Poor Man of Assisi, healed many blind in body and spirit, by the gift of the Most High.

In the "Treatise of Miracles" numerous episodes of eye healings are narrated, cases of people who, thanks to the Minim, regained their sight. The Sources inform us in this regard.

"To a blind girl from Bevagna he restored her desired sight by smearing her eyes with spit three times, in the name of the Trinity.

A woman from Narni, struck blind, recovered her sight as soon as he blessed her.

A child from Bologna had one eye completely covered by a spot and could see absolutely nothing. No remedy could be found to help him. But after the Lord's servant had made the sign of the cross to him, from head to toe, he regained crystal-clear sight. He later entered the Order of Friars Minor and said he could see much clearer from his healed eye than from the eye that had always remained healthy' (FF 1218).

But also St Mary of the Portiuncula, a place so dear to Francis, was the scene of salvation for many souls suffering from inner blindness.

"Concerning this place, a friar, devoted to God, before his conversion, had a vision worthy of being reported.

It seemed to him that he saw innumerable men, suffering from blindness, standing around this church, on their knees and with their faces turned towards heaven.

They all stretched out their hands upwards and, weeping, they invoked mercy and light from God.

And behold, there came from heaven an immense splendour, which, penetrating into them all, brought to each one the desired light and salvation" (FF 1049).

Francis, the Poverello, Herald of Christ, was concerned not only with material sight, but also with interior sight - to lead so many souls to the Lord.

This is why the Portiuncula was considered a place of salvation: those who frequented it saw more clearly, because it was the seat of celestial and humanising radiance.

«Then again he laid his hands on his eyes and was restored and saw everything distinctly at a distance» (Mk 8:25)

Wednesday 6th wk. in O.T. (Mk 8,22-26)