Mar 10, 2025 Written by 

More willing to serve than to appear

Jesus urges the crowd to listen and observe what the scribes and Pharisees say, without doing according to their works, because of the obvious contradiction between their saying and doing.

The Lord also calls for humility and service.

The Poor Man of Assisi had made poverty the guiding motif of his life. We are not speaking only of material poverty, but first and foremost of spiritual poverty - with the numerous "sisters"... Humility, discretion, concealment; fleeing all forms of power and appearances, as the scribes and Pharisees loved to do - rebuked, in today's passage, by the Master Jesus.

"They say and do not do [...] All their works they do to be admired by the people" (Mt 23:3.5).

Francis was convinced that virtue must remain hidden, far from seeking admiration.

In the Sources, Celano reiterates:

"In this way Francis had rejected all glory that did not know Christ and had inflicted a radical repudiation on human praise.

He well knew that the price of fame diminished the secret price of conscience, and that it is far more harmful to abuse virtue than to lack it at all [...].

[We, on the other hand] patiently endure not being good, but we do not resign ourselves to not seeming so nor to not being believed so.

Thus we live completely in the pursuit of men's esteem, because we are nothing but men' (FF 723).

He continues, regarding the Poverello:

"Humble in demeanour, most humble in feeling, most humble in his own esteem.

By nothing could one distinguish that this prince of God held the office of superior, if not by this most shining gem, that is, that he was the least among the least.

This was the virtue, this was the title, this was the badge that indicated him as minister general.

His mouth knew no haughtiness, his gestures no pomp, his acts no ostentation" (FF 724).

Moreover, Francis, faithful to the Lord, "did not want to give anyone the title of 'father' or 'master', nor write it in his letters, out of respect for the Lord who said: 'do not call anyone father on earth, nor be called master'" (FF 1615).

So, the Minim loved to make himself a servant in the footsteps of Christ, as Clare herself practised in San Damiano among her sisters.

From the Legend, contained in the Sources, we learn:

"Clare, the primary stone and noble foundation of her Order, from the beginning studied to set the edifice of all virtues on the foundation of holy humility.

She promised holy obedience to blessed Francis, and never deviated in any way from this promise [...].

she would have wished to humbly submit rather than be at the head, and among the handmaids of Christ more willingly to serve than to be served.

[...] Compelled by blessed Francis, she finally assumed the government of the Women: and from this was born in her heart fear, not arrogance; and there grew not independence, but the spirit and practice of service.

For the more she sees herself elevated by these appearances of superiority, the lower she finds herself in her own esteem, more ready for duty, more humble even in outward appearance" (FF 3179)

 

«He who is greater among you shall be your servant» (Mt 23:11)

 

 

Tuesday 2nd wk. in Lent  (Mt 23:1-12)

148 Last modified on Monday, 10 March 2025 06:03
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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Knowing God, knowing Christ, always means loving him, becoming, in a sense, one with him by virtue of that knowledge and love. Our life becomes authentic and true life, and thus eternal life, when we know the One who is the source of all being and all life (Pope Benedict)
Conoscere Dio, conoscere Cristo significa sempre anche amarLo, diventare in qualche modo una cosa sola con Lui in virtù del conoscere e dell’amare. La nostra vita diventa quindi una vita autentica, vera e così anche eterna, se conosciamo Colui che è la fonte di ogni essere e di ogni vita (Papa Benedetto)
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)

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