In today's Gospel, the healing of the two blind men highlights the theme of the inner blindness of the ambitious disciples, correlated with deep faith.
Francis was convinced that this is not witnessed with fine words, but with the eloquence of deeds.
In his Testament - for example - the Servant of God emphasises all this.
In fact, in that precious document we find a succession of expressions that emphasise the 'believing' of a grateful Francis, capable of shrouding in silence even the faults he saw in his community.
We read:
"And the Lord gave me such faith in the churches" (FF 111).
"The Lord gave me [...] such great faith in priests" (FF 112).
Even more faith he had in the Word, the bearer of inner healing.
In fact, on the basis of this, many healings took place in the same community of brothers, afflicted, at times, by various forms of blindness, before which Francis expressed himself thus:
"And all the brothers, who are aware of the sin of him [...] keep the sin of their brother very secret, because it is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick" (FF 237).
This was the evangelical logic adopted by the community of Francis, who, invested by the Spirit, healed every brother who transgressed.
"The Saint hated pride, the origin of all evil, and disobedience its worst daughter.
He welcomed, however, those who humbly repented.
Once a monk, who had transgressed the commands of obedience, was presented to him so that he might correct him with the magisterial chastisement.
But the man of God noticed from clear signs that this friar was sincerely repentant and therefore felt inclined to be lenient with him, for the sake of his humility.
However, lest the ease of forgiveness be an incentive for others to fail, he commanded that the friar's hood be removed and thrown into the flames, so that all might observe how much and what vengeance transgression against obedience demands.
And after the hood had remained a good while in the fire, he ordered it to be removed from the flames and given back to the humble and repentant friar.
Marvel: the hood had no sign of burning!
So it came to pass that by this miracle alone God exalted the power of the Saint and the humility of the repentant friar" (FF 1116).
Friday 1st wk. in Advent (Mt 9,27-31)
