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February 1208. A young Italian goes to Mass in the little church of St. Mary of the Angels, on the plain below the Umbrian town of Assisi. It is the feast day of St. Matthias, and the gospel reading is of Jesus sending out his disciples: "As you go, proclaim the good news, 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff. . . ." (Matthew 10:7, 9-10).
Hearing these words, the young man is filled with joy. “This is what I want,” he cries out. “This is what I long for with all my heart.”1 And immediately he begins to put into practice what he has heard. He takes off his shoes, lays aside his staff, keeps only one tunic, replaces his belt and purse with a length of rope. It is the latest and perhaps the most definitive turning point in the life of Francesco Bernardone. And it is one that in its immediate response to a word from God, and its desire to live the gospel literally, is very characteristic of the man who will become known as St. Francis of Assisi.
In 1208 Francis was twenty-six years old, and this was the latest of a series of encounters with God that had gradually drawn…
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