Anger in Poverty

At the hill of the lordship of Perugia, Francis met a certain poor man whom he had known before in the world, and said to him, “Brother how is it with you?”  But he with angry mind began to utter curses on his lord, saying, “By the grace of my lord, whom may the Lord curse, I can be nothing but ill, since he has taken away from me all my goods.”  But blessed Francis, seeing that he persisted in mortal hatred, having pity on his soul, said to him, “Brother, forgive your lord for the love of God and free your own soul.  It may be that he will restore what was taken away, but if you don’t you will have lost your goods and you will lose your soul.”  And he said, “I cannot forgive him at all, unless he first returns what he has taken away from me.”  Then Francis answered, “Behold, I give you this mantle—I beg you to forgive your lord for the love of the Lord God.”  And immediately his heart was sweetened, and moved by this good deed, he forgave his lord his injuries.

                        -Mirror of Perfection Section III, Chapter 32

Psalm 73 was written by a man in anger against the rich because of their oppression against the poor.  At the same time, the psalmist recognized that he was unworthy of being in God’s presence because of such anger.  The Lord allows us all the shame of being wronged, partly so we can share in the forgiveness God grants us.  To forgive is to share in the nature of God, and to refuse forgiveness—to retain bitterness and rage—is to separate ourselves from God, whose nature is love. 

Francis here is not only forgiving, but teaching forgiveness.  He is willing to part from that which is his own in order to grant another what he cannot give directly—a soft heart toward God’s nature.  This is spiritual discipleship; this is, in truth, imparting the imitation of Christ.  We must seek how to offer such participation in God’s love, by any means possible.