Mar 25, 2025 Written by 

As the Father, the Son; so the sons

In today's Gospel passage Jesus affirms his intimate relationship with the Father, highlighting the gift of such greatness that has been transmitted.

Francis had a relationship of special intimacy with the Lord.

The Life received in contemplation, in Union with God, became power poured out on his neighbour in various forms.

The energy humbly received in prayer was synonymous with unitive life, which redeems and transforms.

The Sources offer us the possibility of entering the paths of this special relationship, proper to Christ and transmitted, by Grace, to his brothers.

Browsing through the Franciscan documents we read:

"And the man of God, remaining all alone and in peace, filled the woods with groans, sprinkled the earth with tears, beat his breast and, as if he had found a more intimate sanctuary, talked with his Lord.

There he answered the Judge, there he pleaded with the Father, there he conversed with the Friend.

There also, from the brothers who piously observed him, he was heard to appeal with cries and groans to the divine Goodness on behalf of sinners: to cry, even aloud, the passion of the Lord, as if he had it before his eyes.

There, as he prayed at night, he was seen with his hands outstretched in the form of a cross, lifted up from the ground with his whole body and surrounded by a luminous cloud: marvellous light spread around his body, which wonderfully testified to the light shining in his spirit.

There, moreover, as sure evidence testifies, the hidden mysteries of divine wisdom were revealed to him, which, however, he did not divulge to the outside world, except to the extent that the charity of Christ compelled him to do so and the usefulness of his neighbour demanded it [...].

When he returned from his prayers, which almost transformed him into another man, he took the greatest care to behave in uniformity with the others, lest the wind of applause, because of what he let out, deprive him of the interior reward" (FF 1180 - Major Legend).

To his brothers he recommended above all else the intimate relationship with the Father, as sons who receive every gift of life from Him and with whom they work in harmony.

In fact, the Sources illustrate:

"At that time the brothers insistently asked him to teach them to pray [...] And he answered:

"When you pray, say: Our Father!" and: "We adore you, O Christ, in all your churches that are in the world and we bless you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world"" (FF 399).

Their intimate union with the Father made them sons in the Son and, just as Jesus did what he saw the Father do, so the brothers in the school of the Son worked, following the example of Francis.

Listening to the Word and believing in Jesus they became bearers of life, animated by the Poverello.

 

«The Son can do nothing of himself except what he sees the Father doing; for those things which he does, these the Son also does» (Jn 5:19).

 

 

Wednesday 4th wk. in Lent  (Jn 5:17-30)

213 Last modified on Tuesday, 25 March 2025 04:42
Teresa Girolami

Teresa Girolami è laureata in Materie letterarie e Teologia. Ha pubblicato vari testi, fra cui: "Pellegrinaggio del cuore" (Ed. Piemme); "I Fiammiferi di Maria - La Madre di Dio in prosa e poesia"; "Tenerezza Scalza - Natura di donna"; co-autrice di "Dialogo e Solstizio".

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We may ask ourselves: who is a witness? A witness is a person who has seen, who recalls and tells. See, recall and tell: these are three verbs which describe the identity and mission (Pope Francis, Regina Coeli April 19, 2015)
Possiamo domandarci: ma chi è il testimone? Il testimone è uno che ha visto, che ricorda e racconta. Vedere, ricordare e raccontare sono i tre verbi che ne descrivono l’identità e la missione (Papa Francesco, Regina Coeli 19 aprile 2015)
There is the path of those who, like those two on the outbound journey, allow themselves to be paralysed by life’s disappointments and proceed sadly; and there is the path of those who do not put themselves and their problems first, but rather Jesus who visits us, and the brothers who await his visit (Pope Francis)
C’è la via di chi, come quei due all’andata, si lascia paralizzare dalle delusioni della vita e va avanti triste; e c’è la via di chi non mette al primo posto se stesso e i suoi problemi, ma Gesù che ci visita, e i fratelli che attendono la sua visita (Papa Francesco)
So that Christians may properly carry out this mandate entrusted to them, it is indispensable that they have a personal encounter with Christ, crucified and risen, and let the power of his love transform them. When this happens, sadness changes to joy and fear gives way to missionary enthusiasm (John Paul II)
Perché i cristiani possano compiere appieno questo mandato loro affidato, è indispensabile che incontrino personalmente il Crocifisso risorto, e si lascino trasformare dalla potenza del suo amore. Quando questo avviene, la tristezza si muta in gioia, il timore cede il passo all’ardore missionario (Giovanni Paolo II)
This is the message that Christians are called to spread to the very ends of the earth. The Christian faith, as we know, is not born from the acceptance of a doctrine but from an encounter with a Person (Pope Benedict))
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From ancient times the liturgy of Easter day has begun with the words: Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum – I arose, and am still with you; you have set your hand upon me. The liturgy sees these as the first words spoken by the Son to the Father after his resurrection, after his return from the night of death into the world of the living. The hand of the Father upheld him even on that night, and thus he could rise again (Pope Benedict)
Dai tempi più antichi la liturgia del giorno di Pasqua comincia con le parole: Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum – sono risorto e sono sempre con te; tu hai posto su di me la tua mano. La liturgia vi vede la prima parola del Figlio rivolta al Padre dopo la risurrezione, dopo il ritorno dalla notte della morte nel mondo dei viventi. La mano del Padre lo ha sorretto anche in questa notte, e così Egli ha potuto rialzarsi, risorgere (Papa Benedetto)
The Church keeps watch. And the world keeps watch. The hour of Christ's victory over death is the greatest hour in history (John Paul II)
Veglia la Chiesa. E veglia il mondo. L’ora della vittoria di Cristo sulla morte è l’ora più grande della storia (Giovanni Paolo II)
Before the Cross of Jesus, we apprehend in a way that we can almost touch with our hands how much we are eternally loved; before the Cross we feel that we are “children” and not “things” or “objects” [Pope Francis, via Crucis at the Colosseum 2014]

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