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".
«What do you think he will become, this son of mine?»
Today's Gospel presents us with the birth of John, the prophet of Christ, and the amazement of onlookers:
«What shall this child be? And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him» (Lk 1:66).
In the life of Francis, from his birth, a visible sign of God's predilection was manifested on him and his mother Mona Pica.
The Sources make this clear:
"In fact, she was made to share, as a privilege, a certain resemblance to the ancient Saint Elizabeth, both by the name imposed on her son and also by the prophetic spirit.
When neighbours expressed their admiration for Francis' generosity of spirit and moral integrity, she would repeat almost divinely inspired:
«What do you think he will become, this son of mine? Know, that by his merits he will become a son of God».
In fact, this was also the opinion of others, who appreciated Francis already grown up for some of his very good inclinations.
He shunned anything that might sound offensive to anyone and, growing up with a gentle spirit, he did not appear to be a son of those who were called his parents.
Therefore the name of John is appropriate to the mission he then carried out, that of Francis to his fame, which soon spread everywhere after his full conversion to God.
Above the feast of any other saint, he held that of John the Baptist to be most solemn, whose distinguished name had imprinted in his soul a sign of arcane power.
Among those born of women there arose none greater than this, and none more perfect than this among the founders of religious orders. It is a coincidence worthy of note' (FF 583).
Feria proper of 23 December (Lk 1:57-66)
Mary: Life that becomes an unceasing Canticle, and a dance with the Eternal
Paraphrasing a passage from the Spiritual Testament of Clare of Assisi and looking at Mary magnifying the Lord, we could say:
"The Daughter of Zion made herself our way, and this by word and example our blessed father Francis, true lover and imitator of her, showed and taught us" (FF 2824).
For it is now clear that the Poverello saw in Mary the life that becomes an unceasing Canticle to Him who had chosen her in the redemptive mission to be fulfilled with her Son.
Francis recognises in her the Imprint of God, and like Mary he magnifies the Lord and exults in God his Saviour "because he has looked upon the humility of his servant".
Thus Francis, in his Canticle of the Creatures, restores to God the praise due Him for the benefits received from Him, recognising His nullity.
He also invites us to do the same in the "Exhortation to the Praise of God" (Praise of God in the place of the Hermit).
It is interesting to know that these praises were found as the antipendium of the altar in the chapel of St Francis in the place of the Hermit, in the small chapel.
These praises were noted by the companions of the Poverello himself and written on the said panel on the left wall, near the altar, and it is said that Francis wrote them here in his own hand:
"All you who fear the Lord, praise him./ Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you..../ Let every living person give praise to the Lord.../ Praise the Lord because he is good/ Praise the Lord O creatures all.../ Blessed be the holy Trinity/ and the indivisible Unity..." (FF 265/a).
And in the famous Canticle, like Mary, she raises her Praise to the Creator and Lord and Saviour:
«Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,/
Yours are the praises, the glory, the honour and all blessing.
To You alone, Most High, they befit...» (FF 263)
«My soul magnifies the Lord/ and my spirit exults in God my Saviour,/ because he has looked upon the humility of his servant» (Lk 1:46-48)
Feria proper, 22 December (Lk 1:46-55)
The birth of Jesus announced to Joseph in the Gospel of St Matthew highlights not only Isaiah's prophecy but also Joseph's obedience to God's plan.
As the operetta contained in the Sources tells us: «Sacrum Commercium», Francis, a just and God-fearing man, marries Lady Poverty, with a mutual exchange of gifts and promises, with a commitment of love and fidelity summed up in one word: «Covenant».
We read:
"So enamoured of your beauty, the Son of the Most High Father united himself closely to you alone in the world and knew you to be most faithful in all things.
Even before He came to earth from the splendour of His homeland, you prepared a worthy dwelling for Him, a throne on which to sit and a bedchamber where to rest, that is, the very poor Virgin, from whom He was born to shine upon this world.
You hastened to meet him as soon as he was born, so that he might find in you, and not in softness, a place that was pleasing to him.
He was laid, says the evangelist, in a manger, because there was no room for him in the inn.
In the same way, without ever separating yourself from him, you always accompanied him, so much so that throughout his life, when he appeared on earth and lived among men, while the foxes had their dens and the birds of the sky had their nests, he had nowhere to lay his head.
And later, when he, who had once opened the mouths of the prophets, opened his mouth to teach, he first wanted to praise you, he first exalted you with the words: blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" (FF 1977).
Chiara d'Assisi echoes this in one of her letters to her spiritual daughter, writing:
" If, therefore, such a great Lord, descending into the womb of the Virgin, wanted to appear in the world as a despicable, needy and poor man, so that men - who were very poor and destitute, hungry for the excessive scarcity of heavenly nourishment - might become rich in Him with the possession of the heavenly realms, rejoice and be very glad, filled with enormous joy and spiritual gladness (FF 2865).
Fourth Sunday in Advent (A) (Mt 1:18-24)
Conversion of John the Baptist. Least is the greatest
«You too will experience what is reserved». Franciscan Advent
Christ the King: Throne of the Cross and Jesus mocked, Herald
Man is involved in penance in his totality of body and spirit: the man who has a body in need of food and rest and the man who thinks, plans and prays; the man who appropriates and feeds on things and the man who makes a gift of them; the man who tends to the possession and enjoyment of goods and the man who feels the need for solidarity that binds him to all other men [CEI pastoral note]
Nella penitenza è coinvolto l'uomo nella sua totalità di corpo e di spirito: l'uomo che ha un corpo bisognoso di cibo e di riposo e l'uomo che pensa, progetta e prega; l'uomo che si appropria e si nutre delle cose e l'uomo che fa dono di esse; l'uomo che tende al possesso e al godimento dei beni e l'uomo che avverte l'esigenza di solidarietà che lo lega a tutti gli altri uomini [nota pastorale CEI]
St John Chrysostom urged: “Embellish your house with modesty and humility with the practice of prayer. Make your dwelling place shine with the light of justice; adorn its walls with good works, like a lustre of pure gold, and replace walls and precious stones with faith and supernatural magnanimity, putting prayer above all other things, high up in the gables, to give the whole complex decorum. You will thus prepare a worthy dwelling place for the Lord, you will welcome him in a splendid palace. He will grant you to transform your soul into a temple of his presence” (Pope Benedict)
San Giovanni Crisostomo esorta: “Abbellisci la tua casa di modestia e umiltà con la pratica della preghiera. Rendi splendida la tua abitazione con la luce della giustizia; orna le sue pareti con le opere buone come di una patina di oro puro e al posto dei muri e delle pietre preziose colloca la fede e la soprannaturale magnanimità, ponendo sopra ogni cosa, in alto sul fastigio, la preghiera a decoro di tutto il complesso. Così prepari per il Signore una degna dimora, così lo accogli in splendida reggia. Egli ti concederà di trasformare la tua anima in tempio della sua presenza” (Papa Benedetto)
And He continues: «Think of salvation, of what God has done for us, and choose well!». But the disciples "did not understand why the heart was hardened by this passion, by this wickedness of arguing among themselves and seeing who was guilty of that forgetfulness of the bread" (Pope Francis)
E continua: «Pensate alla salvezza, a quello che anche Dio ha fatto per noi, e scegliete bene!». Ma i discepoli «non capivano perché il cuore era indurito per questa passione, per questa malvagità di discutere fra loro e vedere chi era il colpevole di quella dimenticanza del pane» (Papa Francesco)
[Faith] is the lifelong companion that makes it possible to perceive, ever anew, the marvels that God works for us. Intent on gathering the signs of the times in the present of history […] (Pope Benedict, Porta Fidei n.15)
[La Fede] è compagna di vita che permette di percepire con sguardo sempre nuovo le meraviglie che Dio compie per noi. Intenta a cogliere i segni dei tempi nell’oggi della storia […] (Papa Benedetto, Porta Fidei n.15)
But what do this “fullness” of Christ’s Law and this “superior” justice that he demands consist in? Jesus explains it with a series of antitheses between the old commandments and his new way of propounding them (Pope Benedict)
Ma in che cosa consiste questa “pienezza” della Legge di Cristo, e questa “superiore” giustizia che Egli esige? Gesù lo spiega mediante una serie di antitesi tra i comandamenti antichi e il suo modo di riproporli (Papa Benedetto)
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