On Saturday, 7th March, the third event of the series ‘Francesco ha gli occhi tuoi’ (Francis has your eyes) took place in Assisi. Organised by the Seraphic Province OFM of Assisi, it accompanies us on a journey of rediscovery of the Poverello in this Franciscan Year, marking the eighth centenary of his death. The refectory of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, a few steps from the Porziuncola, hosted the meeting entitled ‘Francis and his friars,’ which featured Giovanni Grado Merlo, professor emeritus at the State University of Milan, as historian, Fr Massimo Fusarelli, Minister General of the OFM, as actualiser, and Fr Georges Massinelli, professor of Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical University Antonianum in Rome, as moderator.
The meeting discussed a concrete fraternity, lived and not just proclaimed, capable of responding to the challenges of the contemporary world. In a society marked by individualism, competition and widespread loneliness, the Franciscan experience, it was emphasised, reminds us that an authentic encounter is built on sharing life, caring for relationships and choosing minority as a way of life.
The meeting, inspired by St Francis and his friars, sought to highlight the importance of fraternal and responsible relationships, capable of generating hope and a future in today's world. In fact, the speakers affirmed, it is essential today to rediscover the value of open, inclusive and supportive communities, in which differences do not divide but enrich, and in which service to the least becomes a criterion of credibility.
At the end of the debate, the participants went to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, where Francis left his earthly life on 3 October 1226, to relive the Memory of the Transit: a prayer ritual that sought to connect intellectual reflection to the beating heart of the Franciscan charism.
In the morning, on the occasion of the exposition of the remains of St Francis, the Minister General, presided over the Eucharistic celebration in the Upper Basilica. In his homily, he emphasised the meaning of this veneration: "Why have we come here to venerate the bones of St Francis? Perhaps out of a form of ancient religiosity? Perhaps out of curiosity? Perhaps because we hope to finally find something or someone? I believe and hope that, in the end, we are here above all because we continue to be attracted to this man, because in him we have recognised, even if only glimpsed, the Face of Christ. It is Christ Himself who, through Francis, attracts us and calls us to this place. Nothing else."
Read the full text of the homily: Italiano – English - Español
