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".
Francis had learnt from the Gospel that holding one's life in one's hands causes one to lose it, but whoever is prepared to lose it for Christ and with Christ actually gains it.
When he encountered the lepers, the Minim was at a crossroads: hold his own life or give it?
To embrace the marginalised or to continue thinking about his own existence?
The Sources attest to what choice Francis made in the matter.
The Lord had told him something very precise:
"Francis," God said to him in spirit, "you prefer
bitter things to sweet things, despise yourself, if you want to know me" (FF 591).
And again: "Among all the horrors of human misery, Francis felt an instinctive repugnance for lepers. But, lo and behold, one day he encountered precisely one, while he was on horseback near Assisi.
He felt great annoyance and revulsion, but not to fail in his fidelity, as if transgressing an order he had received, he leapt from his horse and ran to kiss him.
And the leper, who had stretched out a hand to him, as if to receive something, received both money and a kiss. Immediately he got back on his horse, looked here and there - the countryside was all open and free of obstacles all around - but he no longer saw the leper.
Full of joy and admiration, a short time later he wanted to repeat that gesture: he went to the leper colony and, after giving each sick person some money, kissed their hand and mouth.
In this way he preferred bitter things to sweet things, and was manly in keeping his other intentions" (FF 592).
In this way, the Poor Man of Assisi made loving and caring for lepers the discriminating factor in losing one's life in order to find it again.
«He who seeks to keep his life will lose it; but he who loses it will keep it alive» (Lk 17:33)
Friday, 32nd wk. in O.T. (Lk 17:26-37)
The Lord calls to pay attention to happenings. Not to waste opportunities for life.
Francis of Assisi was a singular prophet capable of reading the signs encountered on the journey of faith.
But the grave error could have been that of not having understood that Francis was a sign of the times, and what a sign!
Given by Heaven to win souls to God, knowing that time was short.
The Sources, Teachers of Franciscanism, tell why the Saint was chosen as a sign of the times.
In this sense, the Major Legend of St Bonaventure becomes a revelation:
"On him truly poor and contrite of heart, God rested his gaze with great condescension and goodness; not only did he lift him beggarly from the dust of worldly life, but he made him champion, guide and herald of evangelical perfection and chose him as a light for believers, so that, having become a witness to the light, he might prepare for the Lord the way of light and peace in the hearts of the faithful" (FF 1020).
St Bonaventure continues:
"Like the morning star appearing in the midst of the clouds, with the radiant rays of his life and teaching he drew to the light those who lay in the shadow of death; like a rainbow, shining among the bright clouds, bearing in himself the sign of the covenant with the Lord, he proclaimed to men the Gospel of peace and salvation.
Angel of true peace, he too, in imitation of the Forerunner, was predestined by God to prepare the way in the desert of the highest poverty and to preach penance by example and word [...].
He was filled with the spirit of prophecy and, deputed to the office of the angels, was filled with the ardent love of the seraphim, until, having become similar to the angelic hierarchies, he was taken up to heaven by a chariot of fire.
It is thus rationally demonstrated that he was sent among us with the spirit and power of Elijah" (FF 1021).
"And therefore, it is rightly affirmed that he is symbolised in the figure of the angel who ascends from the east and bears within himself the seal of the living God" (FF 1022).
"He had from Heaven the mission to call men to weep, to mourn, to shave their heads and gird their loins, and to impress, with the sign of the penitential cross and with a garment made in the form of a cross; the Tau, on the foreheads of those who weep and mourn" (FF 1022).
«For as the thunderbolt, shining from one end of the sky, shines to the other end of the sky, so shall the Son of Man be [on his day]» (Lk 17:24)
Thursday, 32nd wk. in O.T. (Lk 17:20-25)
All Saints, like burning coals. And the ultimate Day
Pharisee, Publican: presumption and contempt, humility and Justification
Healing on the Way: the new Light that shines in the outsider
To repent and believe in the Gospel are not two different things or in some way only juxtaposed, but express the same reality (Pope Benedict)
Convertirsi e credere al Vangelo non sono due cose diverse o in qualche modo soltanto accostate tra loro, ma esprimono la medesima realtà (Papa Benedetto)
The fire of God's creative and redeeming love burns sin and destroys it and takes possession of the soul, which becomes the home of the Most High! (Pope John Paul II)
Il fuoco dell’amore creatore e redentore di Dio brucia il peccato e lo distrugge e prende possesso dell’anima, che diventa abitazione dell’Altissimo! (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
«The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor» (Lk 4:18). Every minister of God has to make his own these words spoken by Jesus in Nazareth [John Paul II]
«Lo Spirito del Signore è sopra di me; per questo mi ha consacrato con l'unzione e mi ha mandato per annunziare un lieto messaggio» (Lc 4, 18). Ogni ministro di Dio deve far sue nella propria vita queste parole pronunciate da Gesù di Nazareth [Giovanni Paolo II]
It is He himself who comes to meet us, who lowers Heaven to stretch out his hand to us and raise us to his heights [Pope Benedict]
È Lui stesso che ci viene incontro, abbassa il cielo per tenderci la mano e portarci alla sua altezza [Papa Benedetto]
As said st. Augustine: «The Word of God which is explained to you every day and in a certain sense "broken" is also daily Bread». Complete food: basic and “compote” food - historical and ideal, in actuality
Come diceva s. Agostino: «La Parola di Dio che ogni giorno viene a voi spiegata e in un certo senso “spezzata” è anch’essa Pane quotidiano». Alimento completo: cibo base e “companatico” - storico e ideale, in atto
What begins as a discovery of Jesus moves to a greater understanding and commitment through a prayerful process of questions and discernment (John Paul II)
Quel che inizia come una scoperta di Gesù conduce a una maggiore comprensione e dedizione attraverso un devoto processo di domande e discernimento (Giovanni Paolo II)
John's Prologue is certainly the key text, in which the truth about Christ's divine sonship finds its full expression (John Paul II)
Il Prologo di Giovanni è certamente il testo chiave, nel quale la verità sulla divina figliolanza di Cristo trova la sua piena espressione (Giovanni Paolo II)
Innocence prepares, invokes, hastens Peace. But are these things of so much value and so precious? The answer is immediate, explicit: they are very precious gifts (Pope Paul VI)
L’innocenza prepara, invoca, affretta la Pace. Ma si tratta di cose di tanto valore e così preziose? La risposta è immediata, esplicita: sono doni preziosissimi (Papa Paolo VI)
We will not find a wall, no. We will find a way out […] Let us not fear the Lord (Pope Francis)
Non troveremo un muro, no, troveremo un’uscita […] Non abbiamo paura del Signore (Papa Francesco)
Raw life is full of powers: «Be grateful for everything that comes, because everything was sent as a guide to the afterlife» [Gialal al-Din Rumi]
La vita grezza è colma di potenze: «Sii grato per tutto quel che arriva, perché ogni cosa è stata mandata come guida dell’aldilà» [Gialal al-Din Rumi]
It is not enough to be a pious and devoted person to become aware of the presence of Christ - to see God himself, brothers and things with the eyes of the Spirit
duevie.art
don Giuseppe Nespeca
Tel. 333-1329741
Disclaimer
Questo blog non rappresenta una testata giornalistica in quanto viene aggiornato senza alcuna periodicità. Non può pertanto considerarsi un prodotto editoriale ai sensi della legge N°62 del 07/03/2001.
Le immagini sono tratte da internet, ma se il loro uso violasse diritti d'autore, lo si comunichi all'autore del blog che provvederà alla loro pronta rimozione.
L'autore dichiara di non essere responsabile dei commenti lasciati nei post. Eventuali commenti dei lettori, lesivi dell'immagine o dell'onorabilità di persone terze, il cui contenuto fosse ritenuto non idoneo alla pubblicazione verranno insindacabilmente rimossi.