Sep 11, 2025 Written by 

The proclamation, the indispensable, and the female following

Chapter eight of Luke, at the beginning, speaks of the proclamation of the Good News of the Kingdom by Jesus and the Twelve, and of the following of women who, healed, follow the Lord, putting all they possess at their service.

Opening the Franciscan window we see that, after having known the Lord's will by divine inspiration, Francis, the Minim, devotes himself body and soul to fulfil the mission entrusted to him by God.

His task: to announce the Kingdom, to make the Good News known to people in poverty, renouncing everything that was not indispensable.

The Sources are extraordinarily rich in this regard.

"One day, while listening to Mass, he heard the instructions given by Christ when he sent his disciples to preach [...] He understood these instructions better afterwards, having the passage explained to him by the priest.

Then, beaming with joy, he exclaimed:

"This is precisely what I long to accomplish with all my strength!".

And fixing those directives in his memory, he undertook to carry them out happily [...].

He got rid of everything he owned that was double [...] He made himself a poor, coarse tunic and, instead of a leather belt, he tightened his hips with a rope.

Inspired by God, he began to proclaim the perfection of the Gospel, preaching penance to all, with simplicity.

His words were not frivolous [...] but full of the virtue of the Holy Spirit they penetrated into the depths of consciences, so as to touch his listeners vividly" (FF 1427).

"The man of God, Francis, animated by the Spirit of the prophets and following their language, as if echoing his forerunner, announced peace and preached salvation" (FF 1428).

"An increasing number of people were attracted by the frankness and truthfulness of Francis' teaching and life.

Two years after his conversion, some men felt encouraged by his example to do penance and join him, renouncing everything, wearing the same habit and leading the same life" (FF 1429).

The first woman to follow Francis was Clare, who left her father's house and followed him to live the Gospel.

"Noble by birth, nobler by grace [...] Clare by name, clearer by life, clearer by virtue" (FF 351).

Following her example, the other sisters also put their spiritual goods at the service of the Gospel.

 

«There were with him the Twelve and some women who had been healed [...] Susanna and many others, who served them with their possessions» (Lk 8:1b-2a.3b)

 

 

Friday 24th wk. in O.T.  (Lk 8:1-3)

123 Last modified on Thursday, 11 September 2025 05:15
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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