May 3, 2026 Written by 

Franciscan Life in the Spirit

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)

103 Last modified on Sunday, 03 May 2026 04:38
Teresa Girolami

Teresa Girolami è laureata in Materie letterarie e Teologia. Ha pubblicato vari testi, fra cui: "Pellegrinaggio del cuore" (Ed. Piemme); "I Fiammiferi di Maria - La Madre di Dio in prosa e poesia"; "Tenerezza Scalza - Natura di donna"; co-autrice di "Dialogo e Solstizio".

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Wherever people want to set themselves up as God they cannot but set themselves against each other. Instead, wherever they place themselves in the Lord’s truth they are open to the action of his Spirit who sustains and unites them (Pope Benedict
Dove gli uomini vogliono farsi Dio, possono solo mettersi l’uno contro l’altro. Dove invece si pongono nella verità del Signore, si aprono all’azione del suo Spirito che li sostiene e li unisce (Papa Benedetto)
But our understanding is limited: thus, the Spirit's mission is to introduce the Church, in an ever new way from generation to generation, into the greatness of Christ's mystery. The Spirit places nothing different or new beside Christ; no pneumatic revelation comes with the revelation of Christ - as some say -, no second level of Revelation (Pope Benedict)
Ma la nostra capacità di comprendere è limitata; perciò la missione dello Spirito è di introdurre la Chiesa in modo sempre nuovo, di generazione in generazione, nella grandezza del mistero di Cristo. Lo Spirito non pone nulla di diverso e di nuovo accanto a Cristo; non c’è nessuna rivelazione pneumatica accanto a quella di Cristo - come alcuni credono - nessun secondo livello di Rivelazione (Papa Benedetto)
Who touched Lydia's heart? The answer is: «the Holy Spirit». It’s He who made this woman feel that Jesus was Lord; He made this woman feel that salvation was in Paul's words; He made this woman feel a testimony (Pope Francis)
Chi ha toccato il cuore di Lidia? La risposta è: «lo Spirito Santo». È lui che ha fatto sentire a questa donna che Gesù era il Signore; ha fatto sentire a questa donna che la salvezza era nelle parole di Paolo; ha fatto sentire a questa donna una testimonianza (Papa Francesco)
But what does it mean to love Christ?  It means trusting him even in times of trial, following him faithfully even on the Via Crucis, in the hope that soon the morning of the Resurrection will come.  Entrusting ourselves to Christ, we lose nothing, we gain everything.  In his hands our life acquires its true meaning.  Love for Christ expresses itself in the will to harmonize our own life with the thoughts and sentiments of his Heart.  This is achieved through interior union [Pope Benedict]
Ma che vuol dire amare Cristo? Vuol dire fidarsi di Lui anche nell'ora della prova, seguirLo fedelmente anche sulla Via Crucis, nella speranza che presto verrà il mattino della risurrezione. Affidandoci a Cristo non perdiamo niente, ma acquistiamo tutto. Nelle sue mani la nostra vita acquista il suo vero senso. L'amore per Cristo si esprime nella volontà di sintonizzare la propria vita con i pensieri e i sentimenti del suo Cuore. Questo si realizza mediante l'unione interiore [Papa Benedetto]
St Thomas Aquinas says this very succinctly when he writes: "The New Law is the grace of the Holy Spirit" (Summa Theologiae, I-IIae, q.106 a. 1). The New Law is not another commandment more difficult than the others: the New Law is a gift, the New Law is the presence of the Holy Spirit [Pope Benedict]
San Tommaso d’Aquino lo dice in modo molto preciso quando scrive: “La nuova legge è la grazia dello Spirito Santo” (Summa theologiae, I-IIae, q. 106, a. 1). La nuova legge non è un altro comando più difficile degli altri: la nuova legge è un dono, la nuova legge è la presenza dello Spirito Santo [Papa Benedetto]
Even after seeing his people's repeated unfaithfulness to the covenant, this God is still willing to offer his love, creating in man a new heart (John Paul II)
Anche dopo aver registrato nel suo popolo una ripetuta infedeltà all’alleanza, questo Dio è disposto ancora ad offrire il proprio amore, creando nell’uomo un cuore nuovo (Giovanni Paolo II)

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