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)

124 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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Christians are a priestly people for the world. Christians should make the living God visible to the world, they should bear witness to him and lead people towards him. When we speak of this task in which we share by virtue of our baptism, it is no reason to boast (Pope Benedict)
I cristiani sono popolo sacerdotale per il mondo. I cristiani dovrebbero rendere visibile al mondo il Dio vivente, testimoniarLo e condurre a Lui. Quando parliamo di questo nostro comune incarico, in quanto siamo battezzati, ciò non è una ragione per farne un vanto (Papa Benedetto)
Because of this unique understanding, Jesus can present himself as the One who reveals the Father with a knowledge that is the fruit of an intimate and mysterious reciprocity (John Paul II)
In forza di questa singolare intesa, Gesù può presentarsi come il rivelatore del Padre, con una conoscenza che è frutto di un'intima e misteriosa reciprocità (Giovanni Paolo II)
Yes, all the "miracles, wonders and signs" of Christ are in function of the revelation of him as Messiah, of him as the Son of God: of him who alone has the power to free man from sin and death. Of him who is truly the Savior of the world (John Paul II)
Sì, tutti i “miracoli, prodigi e segni” di Cristo sono in funzione della rivelazione di lui come Messia, di lui come Figlio di Dio: di lui che, solo, ha il potere di liberare l’uomo dal peccato e dalla morte. Di lui che veramente è il Salvatore del mondo (Giovanni Paolo II)
It is known that faith is man's response to the word of divine revelation. The miracle takes place in organic connection with this revealing word of God. It is a "sign" of his presence and of his work, a particularly intense sign (John Paul II)
È noto che la fede è una risposta dell’uomo alla parola della rivelazione divina. Il miracolo avviene in legame organico con questa parola di Dio rivelante. È un “segno” della sua presenza e del suo operare, un segno, si può dire, particolarmente intenso (Giovanni Paolo II)
That was not the only time the father ran. His joy would not be complete without the presence of his other son. He then sets out to find him and invites him to join in the festivities (cf. v. 28). But the older son appeared upset by the homecoming celebration. He found his father’s joy hard to take; he did not acknowledge the return of his brother: “that son of yours”, he calls him (v. 30). For him, his brother was still lost, because he had already lost him in his heart (Pope Francis)
Ma quello non è stato l’unico momento in cui il Padre si è messo a correre. La sua gioia sarebbe incompleta senza la presenza dell’altro figlio. Per questo esce anche incontro a lui per invitarlo a partecipare alla festa (cfr v. 28). Però, sembra proprio che al figlio maggiore non piacessero le feste di benvenuto; non riesce a sopportare la gioia del padre e non riconosce il ritorno di suo fratello: «quel tuo figlio», dice (v. 30). Per lui suo fratello continua ad essere perduto, perché lo aveva ormai perduto nel suo cuore (Papa Francesco)
Doing a good deed almost instinctively gives rise to the desire to be esteemed and admired for the good action, in other words to gain a reward. And on the one hand this closes us in on ourselves and on the other, it brings us out of ourselves because we live oriented to what others think of us or admire in us (Pope Benedict)
Quando si compie qualcosa di buono, quasi istintivamente nasce il desiderio di essere stimati e ammirati per la buona azione, di avere cioè una soddisfazione. E questo, da una parte rinchiude in se stessi, dall’altra porta fuori da se stessi, perché si vive proiettati verso quello che gli altri pensano di noi e ammirano in noi (Papa Benedetto)

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