He got up at the dawn. In the small room where the five Friars slept, the air was thick and heavy. The Friars while sleeping were snoring according to different tunes. He silently walked out. The semi-ruined cottage which gave shelter to the Friars minor was adjacent to the city walls. It could have been a refuge to the guardians placed to guard the door that led outside the walls. Presently nobody guarded the door. It swung pendulous on the rusted hinges. Anthony pushed it and found himself outside the walls. Not far, beyond a brief sandy shore, there was thew sea, grey and almost dormant. From time to time it rippled and along its surface wandered a wave that was breaking noisily on the stony shore.
Absorbed in prayer Anthony stood still on the seashore. The waves followed one another murmuring and some broke on the shore and flooded Anthony`s feet. He didn`t notice that close to him there were some busy fishermen that were gathering a big net so that they could take it back to boat. There were also some women supporting on their head baskets of laundry. Obviously they were going to do their laundy on the seashore.
"What shall I say today?" he was thinking.
He had made the decision to say something, at least a few words.
"What can anyone say before he dies? Something which should be of extreme importance... "
Standing close to the calm sea, that ran towards him with small ripples, he remembered the words of Francis’ prayer that he had recited the night before:
"Bless the Lord, all the creatures... animals, birds, and fish, give him honour..."
He, too, loved the living creatures. The horses in which he had climbed, the dogs that wandered by the castle of the Buglione`s family, the birds that flew around his native house.
He remembered that the only thing that attracted him towards the founder of the Friar minor was his love towards all that living creatures. Francis considered brother, the dog, and the wolf, sister, the cow and even the mouse of the fields…
He had been told that Francis preached to the larks, the turtledoves and even to the grasshoppers. Anthony thought that if he had to speak to the fish, he would have said:
"Brother fish, brother fish, you too are God`s creatures. It was God who created you. He made you beautiful and agile. He has given you silvery bodies and he has allowed you to live under the pure water and to find in it your nourishment."
"Brothers fish" he started without realising that he was speaking loudly,
"He called you to complete his great works. Because he commanded you, you have once saved the prophet Giona, and one of you hid him for such a long time just as long the sepulchre had hidden the body of our Lord, when he was laid down from the cross. It was you who brought to Jesus the small offering so that he had money to pay for himself and for Peter. It was you who nourished the Son of God and the gathered population with your bodies along with bread.
Brothers fish, you keep quiet just as he kept quiet in front of the slanderous accusations. You should be very thankful to God because your image was the symbol of the first Christians. It is an honour of which you can boast about. Always, always for all this, you have to thank God… To men sometimes it seems that the world belongs to them. They are ready to take possessions without thinking about you: fish, birds, and animals. Yet, what would the world be without you? By obeying Him, you have become necessary and perform the function that He gives you. With your suffering and your life you share the destiny of men. Brother fish, you have been created to be our companions. Today you bear with us our fate. Nevertheless, one day, in the new world promised by Jesus, there will be a place even for you. You will embellish it with your grace, your agility, your colours; brothers fish, give honour to God because he called you to serve him..."
It seemed to him that the wave in its run towards the shore had inflated and had halted in its movement.
The water had become heavy and thick by the silvery bodies that gathered. He had the sensation that thousands of eyes were fixedly looking at him.
"Brothers fish," he continued "thank God that allowed you to perform such useful service. Remember that you are not creatures of the wicked world, as those unhappy heretics believe it. The good Lord has created you so that you can live in his world, and this world is good and only we, men, make it wicked with our sins. Brothers fish, thanks to you we will remember God’s goodness and we praise him. Your silence is wiser than our words. Be happy and praise the Lord for what he is able to accomplish through you, dear brothers fish…"
He suddenly realised that he was not any longer alone on the seashore. He turned and saw in a semicircle around him a multitude of people. They had come without being noticed and were listening to his words.
The crowd grew. Groups and groups of people were approaching from the city.
"So, in a few moments I will be dead" he thought.
"They won’t allow me to say anything. They are, in fact, the same people that nearly killed me yesterday."
He had even the impression of recognising some faces. He noticed in the crowd even some 'perfects' dressed in black.
He turned to face the crowd of people. He opened wide his arms. This time he addressed his words to the people.
"Brothers and sisters, inhabitants of the good city of Rimini. It is written in the Holy Book that the people who followed and gathered to listen to Jesus were very hungry. Then he broke some bread and along with fish he fed an enormous crowd. Jesus had come to save the soul of people, but along with the soul He also nourished the body. When his last hour came, ones again He broke the bread and distributed it to his disciples. That however was not the usual bread, even if it had the appearance of bread. That bread represented his Holiest Body offered to us for our salvation. He has given us food which brings us to salvation and frees us from hunger. Brothers and sisters, the people of the desert that received from Jesus the common bread, they were so grateful towards him that they wanted to make him king. But those who received the bread of the Divine Body, when the guards arrived they ran away and hid, and one of them even betrayed Him. You, brothers and sisters have received not only the food, that is indispensable for life, but even the bread that gives eternal life. The city of Rimini is rich. In the streets I haven’t seen hungered and miserable people. In your Churches every day it is performed the transformation of the bread in the Body of Jesus. Anyone can receive it. But are you thankful to Jesus for that? Each and every one of you can welcome, every day Jesus, however, do you go to Church and eat such an inestimable gift? You listen to people who affirm that Jesus in not in the wafer. You believe in them more than in Jesus, since He, himself said, by the mouth of the priests:
"This is my body.."
You listen to people who teach that a man can repudiate his wife. Yet Jesus said clearly, that husband and wife are one thing, and that it is not allowed to divide this unity! You listen to teachers who teach to women not to have children, however, who has Jesus placed as a model to the people, if not Himself, as a little defenseless and innocent child? Hasn’t He said that He, who welcomes a child, welcome Him? These people teach to hate the world that surrounds you. Being themselves blind, they want to blind you too. Open your eyes! Look how beautiful and how much good you have received. Do not listen to those unhappy people who are on the way of perdition, and so they poison you indeed with the sadness of Satan. Who loves God, must be happy to see him in his works…"
He had before himself hundreds of eyes that looked at him fixedly. The crowd was silent, as petriefied. The words uttered by the Friar reached their heart and made understand the wrong they were doing or were made to do. In the deep silence one could here just the murmur of the sea that was breaking on the stony shore and the deep and accelerated sighs of the people. They listened to him with an almost unusual tension. When he stopped to speak, in the dominant silence resounded a cry:
"Keep on speaking!"
"Keep on speaking" said some voices. "We beg you! Speak! Teach us!"
"Very well" he swallowed with fatigue and won that sense of suffocation similar to a hand pressed on his throat. "Well, I will speak. I will tell you about the mercy of Jesus. I will tell you of how his love starts from a great gift: he has given his mother, so that she could become our mother..."
Chapter 20
Chapter 20
He got up at the dawn. In the small room where the five Friars slept, the air was thick and heavy. The Friars while sleeping were snoring according to different tunes. He silently walked out. The semi-ruined cottage which gave shelter to the Friars minor was adjacent to the city walls. It could have been a refuge to the guardians placed to guard the door that led outside the walls. Presently nobody guarded the door. It swung pendulous on the rusted hinges. Anthony pushed it and found himself outside the walls. Not far, beyond a brief sandy shore, there was thew sea, grey and almost dormant. From time to time it rippled and along its surface wandered a wave that was breaking noisily on the stony shore.
Absorbed in prayer Anthony stood still on the seashore. The waves followed one another murmuring and some broke on the shore and flooded Anthony`s feet. He didn`t notice that close to him there were some busy fishermen that were gathering a big net so that they could take it back to boat. There were also some women supporting on their head baskets of laundry. Obviously they were going to do their laundy on the seashore.
"What shall I say today?" he was thinking.
He had made the decision to say something, at least a few words.
"What can anyone say before he dies? Something which should be of extreme importance... "
Standing close to the calm sea, that ran towards him with small ripples, he remembered the words of Francis’ prayer that he had recited the night before:
"Bless the Lord, all the creatures... animals, birds, and fish, give him honour..."
He, too, loved the living creatures. The horses in which he had climbed, the dogs that wandered by the castle of the Buglione`s family, the birds that flew around his native house.
He remembered that the only thing that attracted him towards the founder of the Friar minor was his love towards all that living creatures. Francis considered brother, the dog, and the wolf, sister, the cow and even the mouse of the fields…
He had been told that Francis preached to the larks, the turtledoves and even to the grasshoppers. Anthony thought that if he had to speak to the fish, he would have said:
"Brother fish, brother fish, you too are God`s creatures. It was God who created you. He made you beautiful and agile. He has given you silvery bodies and he has allowed you to live under the pure water and to find in it your nourishment."
"Brothers fish" he started without realising that he was speaking loudly,
"He called you to complete his great works. Because he commanded you, you have once saved the prophet Giona, and one of you hid him for such a long time just as long the sepulchre had hidden the body of our Lord, when he was laid down from the cross. It was you who brought to Jesus the small offering so that he had money to pay for himself and for Peter. It was you who nourished the Son of God and the gathered population with your bodies along with bread.
Brothers fish, you keep quiet just as he kept quiet in front of the slanderous accusations. You should be very thankful to God because your image was the symbol of the first Christians. It is an honour of which you can boast about. Always, always for all this, you have to thank God… To men sometimes it seems that the world belongs to them. They are ready to take possessions without thinking about you: fish, birds, and animals. Yet, what would the world be without you? By obeying Him, you have become necessary and perform the function that He gives you. With your suffering and your life you share the destiny of men. Brother fish, you have been created to be our companions. Today you bear with us our fate. Nevertheless, one day, in the new world promised by Jesus, there will be a place even for you. You will embellish it with your grace, your agility, your colours; brothers fish, give honour to God because he called you to serve him..."
It seemed to him that the wave in its run towards the shore had inflated and had halted in its movement.
The water had become heavy and thick by the silvery bodies that gathered. He had the sensation that thousands of eyes were fixedly looking at him.
"Brothers fish," he continued "thank God that allowed you to perform such useful service. Remember that you are not creatures of the wicked world, as those unhappy heretics believe it. The good Lord has created you so that you can live in his world, and this world is good and only we, men, make it wicked with our sins. Brothers fish, thanks to you we will remember God’s goodness and we praise him. Your silence is wiser than our words. Be happy and praise the Lord for what he is able to accomplish through you, dear brothers fish…"
He suddenly realised that he was not any longer alone on the seashore. He turned and saw in a semicircle around him a multitude of people. They had come without being noticed and were listening to his words.
The crowd grew. Groups and groups of people were approaching from the city.
"So, in a few moments I will be dead" he thought.
"They won’t allow me to say anything. They are, in fact, the same people that nearly killed me yesterday."
He had even the impression of recognising some faces. He noticed in the crowd even some 'perfects' dressed in black.
He turned to face the crowd of people. He opened wide his arms. This time he addressed his words to the people.
"Brothers and sisters, inhabitants of the good city of Rimini. It is written in the Holy Book that the people who followed and gathered to listen to Jesus were very hungry. Then he broke some bread and along with fish he fed an enormous crowd. Jesus had come to save the soul of people, but along with the soul He also nourished the body. When his last hour came, ones again He broke the bread and distributed it to his disciples. That however was not the usual bread, even if it had the appearance of bread. That bread represented his Holiest Body offered to us for our salvation. He has given us food which brings us to salvation and frees us from hunger. Brothers and sisters, the people of the desert that received from Jesus the common bread, they were so grateful towards him that they wanted to make him king. But those who received the bread of the Divine Body, when the guards arrived they ran away and hid, and one of them even betrayed Him. You, brothers and sisters have received not only the food, that is indispensable for life, but even the bread that gives eternal life. The city of Rimini is rich. In the streets I haven’t seen hungered and miserable people. In your Churches every day it is performed the transformation of the bread in the Body of Jesus. Anyone can receive it. But are you thankful to Jesus for that? Each and every one of you can welcome, every day Jesus, however, do you go to Church and eat such an inestimable gift? You listen to people who affirm that Jesus in not in the wafer. You believe in them more than in Jesus, since He, himself said, by the mouth of the priests:
"This is my body.."
You listen to people who teach that a man can repudiate his wife. Yet Jesus said clearly, that husband and wife are one thing, and that it is not allowed to divide this unity! You listen to teachers who teach to women not to have children, however, who has Jesus placed as a model to the people, if not Himself, as a little defenseless and innocent child? Hasn’t He said that He, who welcomes a child, welcome Him? These people teach to hate the world that surrounds you. Being themselves blind, they want to blind you too. Open your eyes! Look how beautiful and how much good you have received. Do not listen to those unhappy people who are on the way of perdition, and so they poison you indeed with the sadness of Satan. Who loves God, must be happy to see him in his works…"
He had before himself hundreds of eyes that looked at him fixedly. The crowd was silent, as petriefied. The words uttered by the Friar reached their heart and made understand the wrong they were doing or were made to do. In the deep silence one could here just the murmur of the sea that was breaking on the stony shore and the deep and accelerated sighs of the people. They listened to him with an almost unusual tension. When he stopped to speak, in the dominant silence resounded a cry:
"Keep on speaking!"
"Keep on speaking" said some voices. "We beg you! Speak! Teach us!"
"Very well" he swallowed with fatigue and won that sense of suffocation similar to a hand pressed on his throat. "Well, I will speak. I will tell you about the mercy of Jesus. I will tell you of how his love starts from a great gift: he has given his mother, so that she could become our mother..."