abbraccio-di-padre

Casa della Tenerezza is located in Umbria, where the Saint Francis of Assisi’s charisma offers a very specific way of living the tenderness.

During his first Angelus, Pope Francis  commented on the Gospel passage of the adulterous woman (John 8, 1-11) and he reminded everyone the mystery of God’s mercy: “ Never forget this: the Lord never gets tired of forgiving us. It is we, who get tired of asking for forgiveness.…. He is the loving Father who always forgives, who has that heart of mercy for all of us. And let us also learn to be merciful with everyone.” In these  simple and very deep expressions we find the root of the St. Francis’ Christian experience. Some of his writings and hagiographies highlight how his personal life is right characterized by the discovery of God’s mercy towards himself, therefore merciful in turn towards others. In his Testament, Francis reviews his life already at the end of his days and  recognizes the source of his path: When I was in sin the sight of lepers was too bitter for me. And the Lord himself led me among them, and I pitied and helped them.”. He does not choose this encounter before which he was only able to run away because of his “ being in sin”, whereas he learned to accept it in faith,“ pitying them”. That hurt person becomes a sign of God’s mystery to Francis. Hence, the Saint of Assisi begins his journey by recognizing God’s forgiveness of his sins and learns how to be merciful. This look will affect every Francis’ relationships.

Keep reading in Italian: http://www.cristianocattolico.it/rassegna-stampa-cattolica/formazione-e-catechesi/san-francesco-d-assisi-misericordia-e-pace-di-un-povero.html