Dec 3, 2025 Written by 

Respect and consider the thinking of the least

Jesus points out to the onlookers who John the Baptist is and how in the Kingdom of God the least is greater than he.

Indeed, Holy Scripture reveals how Wisdom from on high forms friends of God and prophets.

Since the Kingdom of heaven (the Community, the Church) suffers violence, Francis advised his brothers not to strike back blow after blow.

He advised the poverty of Christ, the poverty that possesses nothing and makes itself last in all circumstances.

"The brothers should not appropriate anything [...] and as pilgrims and strangers in this world, serving the Lord in poverty and humility, they should go for alms with confidence [...] This is the sublimity of the highest poverty, that which has constituted you, my dearest brothers, heirs and kings of the kingdom of heaven [...] this be your share of the inheritance, that which leads to the land of the living" (FF 90 - Regola bollata 1223).

Being minimal and in the last place - never scapricciarsi e vol volere prevaricare - was in Francis the most evident component of the friar minor, the richness of being minimal for the Kingdom.

In fact, he recommended his sons to respect and consider even the thoughts of the least in the community, because, he said, the Lord often speaks and reveals himself to the little ones, to those who apparently have no voice.

And since he well remembered that in heaven the smallest is greater than John the Baptist, he highly valued minority: a golden figure for the Kingdom.

In the Sources: "In different parts of the world it happened to them to be covered with insults, as despicable and unknown persons; but the love of the Gospel had made them so patient, that they themselves went to seek out the places where they knew they would be persecuted and avoided those where their holiness was known and they would find, therefore, honours and sympathy. 

Scarcity itself was for them abundance and superabundance, while, according to the advice of the Wise Man, they took pleasure not in greatness but in the smallest things" (FF 1075).

 

«Verily I say unto you, there hath not arisen among the born of women one greater than John the Baptist, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Now from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent ones take it away» (Mt 11:11-12)

 

 

Thursday 2nd wk. in Advent  (Mt 11:11-15)

71 Last modified on Wednesday, 03 December 2025 04:22
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 cannot draw energy from a severe setting, contrary to the flowering of our precious uniqueness. New eyes are transmitted only by the one who is Friend. And Christ does it not when we are well placed or when we equip ourselves strongly - remaining in a managerial attitude - but in total listening
Non possiamo trarre energia da un’impostazione severa, contraria alla fioritura della nostra preziosa unicità. Gli occhi nuovi sono trasmessi solo da colui che è Amico. E Cristo lo fa non quando ci collochiamo bene o attrezziamo forte - permanendo in atteggiamento dirigista - bensì nell’ascolto totale
The Evangelists Matthew and Luke (cf. Mt 11:25-30 and Lk 10:21-22) have handed down to us a “jewel” of Jesus’ prayer that is often called the Cry of Exultation or the Cry of Messianic Exultation. It is a prayer of thanksgiving and praise [Pope Benedict]
Gli evangelisti Matteo e Luca (cfr Mt 11,25-30 e Lc 10,21-22) ci hanno tramandato un «gioiello» della preghiera di Gesù, che spesso viene chiamato Inno di giubilo o Inno di giubilo messianico. Si tratta di una preghiera di riconoscenza e di lode [Papa Benedetto]
The human race – every one of us – is the sheep lost in the desert which no longer knows the way. The Son of God will not let this happen; he cannot abandon humanity in so wretched a condition. He leaps to his feet and abandons the glory of heaven, in order to go in search of the sheep and pursue it, all the way to the Cross. He takes it upon his shoulders and carries our humanity (Pope Benedict)
L’umanità – noi tutti - è la pecora smarrita che, nel deserto, non trova più la strada. Il Figlio di Dio non tollera questo; Egli non può abbandonare l’umanità in una simile miserevole condizione. Balza in piedi, abbandona la gloria del cielo, per ritrovare la pecorella e inseguirla, fin sulla croce. La carica sulle sue spalle, porta la nostra umanità (Papa Benedetto)
"Too bad! What a pity!" “Sin! What a shame!” - it is said of a missed opportunity: it is the bending of the unicum that we are inside, which every day surrenders its exceptionality to the normalizing and prim outline of common opinion. Divine Appeal of every moment directed Mary's dreams and her innate knowledge - antechamber of her trust, elsewhere
“Peccato!” - si dice di una occasione persa: è la flessione dell’unicum che siamo dentro, che tutti i giorni cede la sua eccezionalità al contorno normalizzante e affettato dell’opinione comune. L’appello divino d’ogni istante orientava altrove i sogni di Maria e il suo sapere innato - anticamera della fiducia
It is a question of leaving behind the comfortable but misleading ways of the idols of this world: success at all costs; power to the detriment of the weak; the desire for wealth; pleasure at any price. And instead, preparing the way of the Lord: this does not take away our freedom (Pope Francis)
Si tratta di lasciare le strade, comode ma fuorvianti, degli idoli di questo mondo: il successo a tutti i costi, il potere a scapito dei più deboli, la sete di ricchezze, il piacere a qualsiasi prezzo. E di aprire invece la strada al Signore che viene: Egli non toglie la nostra libertà (Papa Francesco)
Inside each woman and man resides a volcano of potential energies which are not to be smothered and aligned. The Lord doesn’t level the character; he doesn’t wear out the creatures. He doesn't make them desolate. The Kingdom is Near: it reinstates the imbalances. It does not mortify them, it convert them and enhances them
Dentro ciascuna donna e uomo risiede un vulcano di energie potenziali che non devono essere soffocate e allineate

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