Aug 15, 2026 Written by 

Which Messiah?

Faced with people who mistook him for John the Baptist, Elijah or one of the prophets,

Jesus asked his disciples:

«But who do you say that I Am?» (Mt 16:15).

And Peter made his marvellous profession of faith.

 

Francis of Assisi, a man of unshakeable faith, Herald of the Great King, often spoke to his friars of the sufferings endured by Christ, of his Passion, for which he wept profusely.

He bore witness to his faith in Jesus, the Son of God, with great fervour.

Indeed, “he taught them […] to confess openly the truth of the faith, just as the Holy Roman Church holds and teaches it.

They observed the teachings of their holy father in every respect, and as soon as they caught sight of a church from afar, or a cross, they would turn towards it, prostrating themselves humbly on the ground and praying in the manner he had shown them” (FF 1069).

The Sources instruct us on this matter:

“He meditated continually on the words of the Lord and never lost sight of his works.

But above all, the humility of the Incarnation and the charity of the Passion were so deeply imprinted on his memory that he could scarcely think of anything else” (FF 467).

And in his writings:

“To him who suffered so much for us, who has bestowed so many blessings upon us and will bestow them upon us in the future […] He who alone is good, alone most high, alone almighty, admirable […] worthy of praise and blessed for ever and ever. Amen” (FF 202).

Again: “The compassion of the Crucified One was fixed in his holy soul and […] the venerable stigmata of the Passion, though not yet in the flesh, were deeply imprinted upon his heart […] and he could no longer hold back his tears, weeping aloud at the Passion of Christ, which was ever before his eyes. He fills the streets with groans, refusing to be consoled at the memory of Christ’s wounds.

One day, he met a close friend of his, and having explained the cause of his grief, the friend too immediately burst into bitter tears” (FF 594).

The thought that Jesus had to suffer so much tormented him, making him deeply aware of this Mystery day and night.

To him too, as to Peter, Christ gave the keys: those of the Franciscan Order, skilfully trained in evangelical witness.

 

 

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, year A  (Mt 16:13–20)

257 Last modified on Saturday, 15 August 2026 05:12
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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But what moves me even more strongly to proclaim the urgency of missionary evangelization is the fact that it is the primary service which the Church can render to every individual and to all humanity [Redemptoris Missio n.2]
Ma ciò che ancor più mi spinge a proclamare l'urgenza dell'evangelizzazione missionaria è che essa costituisce il primo servizio che la chiesa può rendere a ciascun uomo e all'intera umanità [Redemptoris Missio n.2]
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)
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)
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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