Jul 2, 2025 Written by 

Freely, simply

Chapter 10 of Matthew continues to present us with a Jesus who asks his disciples, sent to preach the nearness of the Kingdom of Heaven, to give freely as they have received, trusting in Providence.

The Poor Man of Assisi followed Jesus' instructions to his disciples to the letter, committing himself to proclaiming the Gospel without taking anything with him.

Francis described himself as "simplex et idiota" (simple and stupid). For him, the transparency and simplicity of little ones was the key to the Kingdom of Heaven.

As Jesus says in the Gospel, he was convinced that only those who become like children in their mentality can understand the dynamics of the Kingdom, which requires the acceptance of the pure of heart, of those who live the Word without prejudice of any kind and with trust in God.

In the Franciscan Sources, the dimension of smallness and simplicity is transversal and marked, as many passages attest.

"The Saint practised holy simplicity with particular care and loved it in others, for it is the daughter of Grace, the true sister of wisdom and the mother of justice.

Not that he approved of every kind of simplicity, but only that which, content with its God, despises all else.

And that which places its glory in the fear of the Lord, and which knows neither how to say nor do evil.

Simplicity that examines itself and condemns no one in its judgement, that desires no office for itself, but considers it due and attributes it to the best [...]

It is simplicity that leaves the tortuousness of words, embellishments and frills in all divine laws, as well as ostentation and curiosity to those who want to lose themselves, and seeks not the bark but the marrow, not the shell but the kernel, not many things but the many, the highest and most stable Good" (FF 775).

This simplicity, sister of true wisdom, is characteristic of the little ones, the least, the children who welcome the Kingdom of God knocking at the door of their hearts.

The smallness of Francis, the framework of his evangelical life, is moving.

"Francis, a man of God, stripped of worldly things [...] committed himself to serving God in every way possible [...]

With ardent enthusiasm he will make this and similar appeals full of ingenuity, for this chosen one of God had a candid and childlike soul, did not resort to the learned language of human wisdom, but was simple and immediate in everything" (FF 1420).

"And in fact, everything that the heavenly Father has created for the benefit of men, he continues to give us freely even after sin, to the worthy as well as to the unworthy, because of the love he has for his beloved Son" (FF 1610).

"He was not ashamed to ask small things of those smaller than himself; he, the true minor, who had learned great things from the supreme Master.

He used to seek with singular zeal the way and means of serving God more perfectly, as He pleased Him best.

This was his supreme philosophy, this his supreme desire, as long as he lived: to ask the wise and the simple, the perfect and the imperfect, the young and the old, how he might most virtuously attain the summit of perfection" (FF 1205 - Leggenda maggiore).

Francis loved with the heart of a child and taught this to his friars and to the poor ladies of St Damian, virtuous sisters on the path of faith, among whom Clare shone for her humility and transparency.

This young woman gave witness to the light; she was a morning star in becoming a child at the service of God, following in the footsteps of Christ, following the example of her blessed father Francis, a true lover and imitator of Him.

 

«Freely you have received, freely give» (Mt 10:8)

 

 

Thursday of the 14th wk. in Ordinary Time (Mt 10:7-15)

126 Last modified on Wednesday, 02 July 2025 04:25
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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We see this great figure, this force in the Passion, in resistance to the powerful. We wonder: what gave birth to this life, to this interiority so strong, so upright, so consistent, spent so totally for God in preparing the way for Jesus? The answer is simple: it was born from the relationship with God (Pope Benedict)
Noi vediamo questa grande figura, questa forza nella passione, nella resistenza contro i potenti. Domandiamo: da dove nasce questa vita, questa interiorità così forte, così retta, così coerente, spesa in modo così totale per Dio e preparare la strada a Gesù? La risposta è semplice: dal rapporto con Dio (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 (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 (Papa Benedetto)
The discovery of the Kingdom of God can happen suddenly like the farmer who, ploughing, finds an unexpected treasure; or after a long search, like the pearl merchant who eventually finds the most precious pearl, so long dreamt of (Pope Francis)
La scoperta del Regno di Dio può avvenire improvvisamente come per il contadino che arando, trova il tesoro insperato; oppure dopo lunga ricerca, come per il mercante di perle, che finalmente trova la perla preziosissima da tempo sognata (Papa Francesco)
Christ is not resigned to the tombs that we have built for ourselves (Pope Francis)
Cristo non si rassegna ai sepolcri che ci siamo costruiti (Papa Francesco)
We must not fear the humility of taking little steps, but trust in the leaven that penetrates the dough and slowly causes it to rise (cf. Mt 13:33) [Pope Benedict]
Occorre non temere l’umiltà dei piccoli passi e confidare nel lievito che penetra nella pasta e lentamente la fa crescere (cfr Mt 13,33) [Papa Benedetto]
The disciples, already know how to pray by reciting the formulas of the Jewish tradition, but they too wish to experience the same “quality” of Jesus’ prayer (Pope Francis)
I discepoli, sanno già pregare, recitando le formule della tradizione ebraica, ma desiderano poter vivere anche loro la stessa “qualità” della preghiera di Gesù (Papa Francesco)
Saint John Chrysostom affirms that all of the apostles were imperfect, whether it was the two who wished to lift themselves above the other ten, or whether it was the ten who were jealous of them (“Commentary on Matthew”, 65, 4: PG 58, 619-622) [Pope Benedict]
San Giovanni Crisostomo afferma che tutti gli apostoli erano ancora imperfetti, sia i due che vogliono innalzarsi sopra i dieci, sia gli altri che hanno invidia di loro (cfr Commento a Matteo, 65, 4: PG 58, 622) [Papa Benedetto]
St John Chrysostom explained: “And this he [Jesus] says to draw them unto him, and to provoke them and to signify that if they would covert he would heal them” (cf. Homily on the Gospel of Matthew, 45, 1-2). Basically, God's true “Parable” is Jesus himself, his Person who, in the sign of humanity, hides and at the same time reveals his divinity. In this manner God does not force us to believe in him but attracts us to him with the truth and goodness of his incarnate Son [Pope Benedict]
Spiega San Giovanni Crisostomo: “Gesù ha pronunciato queste parole con l’intento di attirare a sé i suoi ascoltatori e di sollecitarli assicurando che, se si rivolgeranno a Lui, Egli li guarirà” (Comm. al Vang. di Matt., 45,1-2) [Papa Benedetto]

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