PENITENTIAL SPIRITUALITY
IN THE FRANCISCAN SOURCES

"Poenitentiarn alere":
Means and Corollaries of the Penitential Life.

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The life of penance and the word of God.

The call to penance is a gift of the Lord. It is necessary, therefore, to be constantly listening to His inspirations and to meditate with fidelity on His word.

The penitential life of Francis begins with and is outlined by the voice of the Crucified and then in hearing the Gospel (cf. 2 Celano, 1 0- I 1; 1 Celano, 22). It was the Lord Himself who revealed to him that he must live according to the holy gospel (Test. 17), and Francis, affirms Celano, "was never a deaf hearer of the Gospel" (1 Celano, 22).

From this availability of the Poverello, always sensitive to the word of God, blossomed a way of inner conversion and a life of penance which would lead the Saint to conformity with Christ. The Gospel always remained the guideline-of his life, the light for his decisions and the norm of conduct for all his followers (cf.Test. 16-17; Rule 1221,1; Rule 1223,I).

The word of God was the spring from which Francis and his followers sustained daily their conversion to the Lord. Celano writes "that the Saint often read the Sacred Scriptures and that which he had put into his mind once, he wrote indelibly in his heart"; "that which he heard with his ear, his love meditated on in ardent devotion" (2 Celano, 102). He used to find constant refuge in Sacred Scripture (2 Celano,105). He prostrated himself in prayer before the Gospel, and with humility begged the Lord to show him His will (1 Celano,92-93).

Francis also proposed to his followers the same way of life according to the word of God (LM,3, 1). After the reading of the Gospel in the Church of St. Nicholas, the Saint exclaimed in the piazza (cf. 2 Celano,15):- "This is our life and our rule and that of all those who wish to join us. If you want to be perfect, go and put into practice what you have heard" (LM 3,3).

With regard to the Penitents, there are at least two important points to be remembered. In the 2 Letter to the Faithful, after having declared his wish, as the humble servant of the brothers and sisters of penance, (prol.2) to make known the words of our Lord Jesus Christ (prol.3), Francis recommends the frequent reading of the fragrant words of the Lord because they are spirit and life. Those who cannot read should have them read to them often and keep them before their eyes. (2 Faithful 11, 86-87). In the Ancient Rule of 1221 (c. 7,3) is the exhortation that the brothers and sisters of penance "have a religious instructed in the word of God to exhort them and encourage them to persevere in their penance and in performing the works of mercy. "

It is obvious that when the word of God becomes the life of man, the way of conversion is quickly accomplished. Between God who speaks and man who listens there is established a bond of dynamic, transforming love. That is why the humble and persevering contact with the word of God remains fundamental to the penitential life in its fullest sense; that is, a steadfast turning towards God in Christ and with the Holy Spirit. It is a way consisting of persistent callings of the God of love, generous responses and is full of light and progress.

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