Aug 13, 2026 Written by 

Particularly intimate Love

Matthew highlights the answer given by Jesus to the leaders who were trying to test him, regarding the greatest commandment.

And the Lord displeases them: to love God with all one's self, and one's neighbour as oneself, is the best one can do.

Francis of Assisi was inflamed by a profound love for God and neighbour, because, by grace, he had understood that in these two commandments was contained the whole Gospel.

The Sources attest to this glaringly.

"Among other words, which recurred frequently in his speech, he could not hear the expression «love of God» without feeling a certain emotion. Immediately indeed, at the sound of this expression 'love of God' he was aroused, moved and inflamed, as if the inner chord of his heart were touched with the plectrum of his voice.

«It is a prodigality of nobility - he repeated - to offer this wealth in exchange for alms, and those who value it less than money are most foolish».

For his part, he infallibly observed until his death the resolution he had made when he was still in the world, not to refuse any poor person who asked him for the love of God.

Once a poor man asked him for charity for the love of God. Since he had nothing, the Saint secretly took the scissors and prepared to part with his miserable cassock.

And he would certainly have done so had he not been discovered by the brothers, whom he ordered to provide the poor man with other compensation" (FF 784).

"The power of love had made Francis a brother to all other creatures; it is no wonder, therefore, that the charity of Christ made him even more a brother to all those who are honoured with the image of the Creator.

For he said that nothing is more important than the salvation of souls, and he proved this very often by the fact that the Only-Begotten of God deigned to be hung on the cross for the sake of souls.

Hence his commitment to prayer, his moving from place to place to preach, his great concern to set a good example.

He did not consider himself a friend of Christ if he did not love the souls he loved [...].

But above all measure, he loved with a particularly intimate love, with all the affection of his heart, the brothers, as family members of a special faith and united by sharing in the eternal inheritance" (FF 758).

Francis knew that brotherly love was proof of the love attested to God in all its concreteness.

 

 

Friday of the 20th wk. in O.T. (Mt 22:34-40)

279 Last modified on Thursday, 13 August 2026 07:08
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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Are they not all spirits charged with a ministry, sent to serve those who are to inherit salvation? (Heb 1:14)
Non sono essi tutti spiriti incaricati di un ministero, inviati per servire coloro che devono ereditare la salvezza? (Eb 1,14)
The Church with its permanent contradiction: between the ideal and reality, the more annoying contradiction, the more the ideal is affirmed sublime, evangelical, sacred, divine, and the reality is often petty, narrow, defective, sometimes even selfish (Pope Paul VI)
La Chiesa con la sua permanente contraddizione: tra l’ideale e la realtà, tanto più fastidiosa contraddizione, quanto più l’ideale è affermato sublime, evangelico, sacro, divino, e la realtà si presenta spesso meschina, angusta, difettosa, alcune volte perfino egoista (Papa Paolo VI)
At first they say “yes” to God’s will, but their piety becomes routine and God no longer matters to them [Pope Benedict]
Essi, prima, dicono “sì” alla volontà di Dio. Ma la loro religiosità diventa routine, e Dio non li inquieta più [Papa Benedetto]
And «each of us can say: "for love to me"» (Pope Francis)
E «ognuno di noi può dire: “per amore a me”» (Papa Francesco)
We too, to reach a more conscious confession of Jesus Christ must follow, like Peter, a path made of attentive, caring listening (Pope John Paul II)
Anche noi per giungere a una più consapevole confessione di Gesù Cristo dobbiamo percorrere, come Pietro, un cammino fatto di ascolto attento, premuroso (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
It is a word that must be witnessed to and proclaimed explicitly, because without a consistent witness it proves to be less comprehensible and credible [Pope Benedict]
E’ una Parola che deve essere testimoniata e proclamata esplicitamente, perché senza una testimonianza coerente essa risulta meno comprensibile e credibile [Papa Benedetto]
The “reading and meditation of the word of God root us more deeply in Christ and guide our ministry as servants of reconciliation, justice and peace” (second Synod for Africa, Propositio 46)
La lettura e la meditazione della Parola di Dio ci radicano più profondamente in Cristo e orientano il nostro ministero di servitori della riconciliazione, della giustizia e della pace (Secondo Sinodo per l’Africa, Propositio 46)
The Gospel of Matthew written in Hebrew or Aramaic is no longer extant, but in the Greek Gospel that we possess we still continue to hear, in a certain way, the persuasive voice of the publican Matthew, who, having become an Apostle, continues to proclaim God's saving mercy to us. And let us listen to St Matthew's message, meditating upon it ever anew also to learn to stand up and follow Jesus with determination (Pope Benedict)
Non abbiamo più il Vangelo scritto da Matteo in ebraico o in aramaico, ma nel Vangelo greco che abbiamo continuiamo a udire ancora, in qualche modo, la voce persuasiva del pubblicano Matteo che, diventato Apostolo, séguita ad annunciarci la salvatrice misericordia di Dio e ascoltiamo questo messaggio di san Matteo, meditiamolo sempre di nuovo per imparare anche noi ad alzarci e a seguire Gesù con decisione (Papa Benedetto)
Freedom and love coincide! On the contrary, obeying one’s selfishness leads to rivalry and conflict (Pope Benedict)
Libertà e amore coincidono! Al contrario, obbedire al proprio egoismo conduce a rivalità e conflitti (Papa Benedetto)

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