Aug 17, 2025 Written by 

The last in line, in the front row

On this Sunday, Luke's Gospel brings to our attention Jesus' exhortation to strive to enter through the narrow gate, reiterating that at the moment of our final encounter with Him, our deeds will speak for us.

«And behold, there are those who are last who will be first, and there are those who are first who will be last» (Lk 13:30).

The theme of the Narrow Gate and 'becoming the last' is present throughout the Franciscan sources.

After his conversion, the Son of Peter Bernardone took great care to follow Jesus' recommendation to «strive to enter through the narrow gate».

In fact, in what we call the "Writings of Francis" [mostly dictated to a friar who was his secretary], his firm adherence to the Gospel emerges clearly.

In the Earlier Rule (1221), we find among the exhortations addressed to his friars:

'And let them strive to enter through the narrow gate, for the Lord says: "Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and few find it" (FF 37).

Well aware of the Gospel's demand for humility and minority, he responded to his followers regarding who should be considered a true friar minor:

"Take a dead body," he said, "and put it wherever you like. You will see that if you move it, it does not resist; if you let it fall, it does not protest. If you put it on a chair, it will not look up, but down. If you put it in purple, it will seem twice as pale. This is the true obedient person: one who does not judge why he is being moved; he does not care where he is sent; he does not insist on being transferred; when elected to office, he maintains his usual humility; the more he is honoured, the more he considers himself unworthy" (FF 1107).

And Clare was no less so!

In her Testament left to her sisters, we read:

"But since the way is narrow and the gate is small through which one enters into life, few are those who find it and enter into it; and even if there are many who enter, very few persevere in it. But blessed are those who are allowed to walk this path and persevere to the end" (FF 2850).

In the Legend:

"From then on, she no longer refused any menial task, to the point that, for the most part, she was the one who poured water on her sisters' hands, stood to assist them while they sat, and served them at table while they ate" (FF 3180).

Yes, the last shall be first in the Kingdom of God!

How many have been pushed aside by the harshness and arrogance of competitive life will be embraced by God's mercy.

 

 

Sunday 21st O.T. year C  (Lk 13:22-30)

149 Last modified on Sunday, 17 August 2025 17:47
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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Those living beside us, who may be scorned and sidelined because they are foreigners, can instead teach us how to walk on the path that the Lord wishes (Pope Francis)
Chi vive accanto a noi, forse disprezzato ed emarginato perché straniero, può insegnarci invece come camminare sulla via che il Signore vuole (Papa Francesco)
Many saints experienced the night of faith and God’s silence — when we knock and God does not respond — and these saints were persevering (Pope Francis)
Tanti santi e sante hanno sperimentato la notte della fede e il silenzio di Dio – quando noi bussiamo e Dio non risponde – e questi santi sono stati perseveranti (Papa Francesco)
In some passages of Scripture it seems to be first and foremost Jesus’ prayer, his intimacy with the Father, that governs everything (Pope Francis)
In qualche pagina della Scrittura sembra essere anzitutto la preghiera di Gesù, la sua intimità con il Padre, a governare tutto (Papa Francesco)
It is necessary to know how to be silent, to create spaces of solitude or, better still, of meeting reserved for intimacy with the Lord. It is necessary to know how to contemplate. Today's man feels a great need not to limit himself to pure material concerns, and instead to supplement his technical culture with superior and detoxifying inputs from the world of the spirit [John Paul II]
Occorre saper fare silenzio, creare spazi di solitudine o, meglio, di incontro riservato ad un’intimità col Signore. Occorre saper contemplare. L’uomo d’oggi sente molto il bisogno di non limitarsi alle pure preoccupazioni materiali, e di integrare invece la propria cultura tecnica con superiori e disintossicanti apporti provenienti dal mondo dello spirito [Giovanni Paolo II]
This can only take place on the basis of an intimate encounter with God, an encounter which has become a communion of will, even affecting my feelings (Pope Benedict)
Questo può realizzarsi solo a partire dall'intimo incontro con Dio, un incontro che è diventato comunione di volontà arrivando fino a toccare il sentimento (Papa Benedetto)
We come to bless him because of what he revealed, eight centuries ago, to a "Little", to the Poor Man of Assisi; - things in heaven and on earth, that philosophers "had not even dreamed"; - things hidden to those who are "wise" only humanly, and only humanly "intelligent"; - these "things" the Father, the Lord of heaven and earth, revealed to Francis and through Francis (Pope John Paul II)
Veniamo per benedirlo a motivo di ciò che egli ha rivelato, otto secoli fa, a un “Piccolo”, al Poverello d’Assisi; – le cose in cielo e sulla terra, che i filosofi “non avevano nemmeno sognato”; – le cose nascoste a coloro che sono “sapienti” soltanto umanamente, e soltanto umanamente “intelligenti”; – queste “cose” il Padre, il Signore del cielo e della terra, ha rivelato a Francesco e mediante Francesco (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
We are faced with the «drama of the resistance to become saved persons» (Pope Francis)
Siamo davanti al «dramma della resistenza a essere salvati» (Papa Francesco)
That 'always seeing the face of the Father' is the highest manifestation of the worship of God. It can be said to constitute that 'heavenly liturgy', performed on behalf of the whole universe [John Paul II]
Quel “vedere sempre la faccia del Padre” è la manifestazione più alta dell’adorazione di Dio. Si può dire che essa costituisce quella “liturgia celeste”, compiuta a nome di tutto l’universo [Giovanni Paolo II]

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