Brother Leo accompanied Brother Francis to the grotto. Francis spent the entire day in the cavern reflecting on the poverty in Bethlehem, the mystery of Christmas, the universal reconciliation between the body and the spirit, the marriage of heaven and earth. He longed to see the Infant, who is the link between heaven and earth, with his own eyes.
At nightfall, Brother Francis went up to the cabin. After eating, Francis was carried away but did not speak.
“Brother Francis, say something,” insisted Brother Leo.
“Words?” inquired Francis. “Here the appropriate words are tears. Oh, Brother Leo, the Lord has been too good to us! When I think of Bethlehem, tears are the only thing I can express. I don’t know how to speak, Brother Leo. All I can produce are broken phrases, but a tearful silence is better.”
“Share with me those broken phrases that evoke the mystery of Christmas,” Brother Leo insisted.
Francis closed his eyes and was silent for a long while. Finally, he opened his mouth as if to say something, but said nothing. He fell silent once again. Brother Francis looked as if he were controlling his emotions, reducing them to words. Finally, in a soft and sweet voice he began to pronounce a string of words: Bethlehem. Humility. Peace. Silence. Intimacy. Pleasure. Sweetness. Hope. Kindness. Softness. Aurora. Goodness. Love. Light. Tenderness. Dawn…
The last words were almost inaudible. Afterwards, Brother Francis did not say another word.
Extracted from the book “Brother Francis of Assisi”, by Fr. Ignacio Larrañaga, OFM
