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".
In this Gospel passage from Luke, in which the end of Jesus and the fulfilment of His work is foretold, we witness Him weeping over Jerusalem, the proverbial city that stoned and killed the prophets.
Looking in the Sources we report a particular episode of the Poor Man.
One night Francis had a dream that almost recalled Jesus' lament over Jerusalem.
Christ had wept over the holy city, which was responsible for the killing of prophets (and for stoning those sent to it) whose price would be a house left deserted.
Unity betrayed and vilified would have generated squalor and abandonment.
The saint therefore "saw a small and black hen, similar to a domestic dove, with legs and feet covered in feathers.
She had many chicks, which, no matter how much they circled around her, could not all gather under her wings.
When she awoke, the man of God resumed his thoughts and personally explained the vision.
"The hen," he commented, "is me, small in stature and dark in complexion, and I must unite to the innocence of life a simplicity of a dove: a virtue, which the rarer it is in the world, the more swiftly it rises to heaven.
The chicks are the friars, grown in numbers and grace, whom the strength of Francis is unable to protect from the disturbance of men and the attacks of malignant tongues'" (FF 610).
This is why the Minim placed the Order under the protection of the Church, since for him following Christ meant walking in the footsteps of the Bride of the Lord.
The Poverello had special solicitude for his brothers, striving to keep them in the bond of unity, for which Christ became the sacrificial Lamb, sacrificed for the salvation of all the people.
Indeed, in the Letter to the Faithful, he expresses himself thus:
"The will of his Father was this, that his blessed and glorious Son, whom he gave us and was born for us, should offer himself, through his own blood, as a sacrifice and victim on the altar of the cross, not for himself, since through him all things were created, but in atonement for our sins, leaving us the example so that we might follow in his footsteps" (FF 184).
In love with Christ in everything, even in the infirmities that afflicted him Francis wanted to follow the Lord's poverty and example.
"So vivid was his love for the salvation of souls, and his thirst to win them to God, that, no longer having the strength to walk, he went about the country riding a donkey.
Often the brethren, with gentle insistence, invited him to restore his infirm and too weak body a little, with medical care, but he, who had his spirit continually turned to heaven, declined the invitation each time, since he only wished to be untied from his body to be with Christ" (FF 490).
Thus he used his "brother donkey", borrowed for the journey to La Verna and his return through Borgo San Sepolcro, united in the meekness they shared.
Thursday 30th wk. in O.T. (Lk 13,31-35)
Pharisee, Publican: presumption and contempt, humility and Justification
Healing on the Way: the new Light that shines in the outsider
Dishonest administrator, and recovered wealth
«Lifting up the Cross»: far beyond the capacity for Resilience
Franciscan Transfiguration: without applause
An eloquent and peremptory manifestation of the power of the God of Israel and the submission of those who did not fulfill the Law was expected. Everyone imagined witnessing the triumphal entry of a great ruler, surrounded by military leaders or angelic ranks...
Ci si attendeva una manifestazione eloquente e perentoria della potenza del Dio d’Israele e la sottomissione di coloro che non adempivano la Legge. Tutti immaginavano di assistere all’ingresso trionfale d’un condottiero, circondato da capi militari o schiere angeliche…
May the Holy Family be a model for our families, so that parents and children may support each other mutually in adherence to the Gospel, the basis of the holiness of the family (Pope Francis)
La Santa Famiglia possa essere modello delle nostre famiglie, affinché genitori e figli si sostengano a vicenda nell’adesione al Vangelo, fondamento della santità della famiglia (Papa Francesco)
John is the origin of our loftiest spirituality. Like him, ‘the silent ones' experience that mysterious exchange of hearts, pray for John's presence, and their hearts are set on fire (Athinagoras)
Giovanni è all'origine della nostra più alta spiritualità. Come lui, i ‘silenziosi’ conoscono quel misterioso scambio dei cuori, invocano la presenza di Giovanni e il loro cuore si infiamma (Atenagora)
Stephen's story tells us many things: for example, that charitable social commitment must never be separated from the courageous proclamation of the faith. He was one of the seven made responsible above all for charity. But it was impossible to separate charity and faith. Thus, with charity, he proclaimed the crucified Christ, to the point of accepting even martyrdom. This is the first lesson we can learn from the figure of St Stephen: charity and the proclamation of faith always go hand in hand (Pope Benedict)
La storia di Stefano dice a noi molte cose. Per esempio, ci insegna che non bisogna mai disgiungere l'impegno sociale della carità dall'annuncio coraggioso della fede. Era uno dei sette incaricato soprattutto della carità. Ma non era possibile disgiungere carità e annuncio. Così, con la carità, annuncia Cristo crocifisso, fino al punto di accettare anche il martirio. Questa è la prima lezione che possiamo imparare dalla figura di santo Stefano: carità e annuncio vanno sempre insieme (Papa Benedetto)
“They found”: this word indicates the Search. This is the truth about man. It cannot be falsified. It cannot even be destroyed. It must be left to man because it defines him (John Paul II)
“Trovarono”: questa parola indica la Ricerca. Questa è la verità sull’uomo. Non la si può falsificare. Non la si può nemmeno distruggere. La si deve lasciare all’uomo perché essa lo definisce (Giovanni Paolo II)
Thousands of Christians throughout the world begin the day by singing: “Blessed be the Lord” and end it by proclaiming “the greatness of the Lord, for he has looked with favour on his lowly servant” (Pope Francis)
Migliaia di cristiani in tutto il mondo cominciano la giornata cantando: “Benedetto il Signore” e la concludono “proclamando la sua grandezza perché ha guardato con bontà l’umiltà della sua serva” (Papa Francesco)
The new Creation announced in the suburbs invests the ancient territory, which still hesitates. We too, accepting different horizons than expected, allow the divine soul of the history of salvation to visit us
La nuova Creazione annunciata in periferia investe il territorio antico, che ancora tergiversa. Anche noi, accettando orizzonti differenti dal previsto, consentiamo all’anima divina della storia della salvezza di farci visita
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