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".
Conversion of John the Baptist. Least is the greatest
As the unrecognised, in the spirit and power of Elijah
The few lines of today's Gospel are dedicated to the new work of the unrecognised like Jesus, who prepare the ways of the Lord.
Undoubtedly Francis of Assisi, at that time, extendable to our days, brought a remarkable breath of evangelical novelty.
Jesus himself had asked him: Renew my Church which is in ruins!
With his simplicity and humility, united with Lady Poverty, he had revolutionised civil and religious life with the parameters of the Gospel, like Elijah redivivus.
We read in the Sources passages that emphasise this physiognomy and development:
"Like the morning star, appearing in the midst of the clouds, with the brightest rays of his life and doctrine he drew to the light those who lay in the shadow of death.
As a rainbow shining among the bright clouds, bearing within himself the sign of the covenant with the Lord, he proclaimed to men the Gospel of Peace and salvation.
An Angel of true Peace, he too, in imitation of the Precursor, was predestined by God to prepare the way in the desert of the highest poverty and to preach penance by example and word.
Precipitated at first by the gifts of heavenly Grace [...] he rose, then, by the merits of an ever victorious virtue; he was also filled with a prophetic spirit [...].
He 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 - Major Legend).
«Certainly, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I say to you, Elijah has already come and they have not recognised him» (Mt 17:11-12)
Saturday 2nd wk. in Advent (Mt 17:10-13)
Jesus likened the generation he was dealing with to capricious children who judge badly whatever one does.
Francis was a disciple and prophet of Christ who bore concrete witness to God's wise work in him.
The Sources, teachers of Franciscan life at the service of the Word, offer countless episodes that encapsulate a synthesis of the Gospel.
In fact, after the Poor Man changed his life, the Wisdom that comes from above flooded him:
"In the midst of the despondency, into which the doctrine of the Gospel had fallen, not in particular but in general, because of the customs of those who taught it, the Providence of God sent this man into the world, that, like the apostles, he might be a witness to the truth, before all men. And truly he showed clearly, by word and example, how foolish earthly wisdom was, and in short, under the guidance of Christ, he led men, through the foolishness of preaching, to true divine wisdom.
In the face of the decadence of a society that, poor in values, mistook authentic prophets and Christ himself for "gluttons" or "drunkards", Francis is the 'sign of the times' that disproves every bogus idea about Jesus and his following.
St Bonaventure says in his Major Legend:
"He appeared to the friars, transfigured on a chariot of fire and as he made himself present, in the figure of a cross to the capitulars of Arles [...].
This marvellous appearance of his physical person in various places indicated [...] how his spirit was in perfect communion with the Light of eternal Wisdom, that Wisdom which is nobler than all motion and penetrates everywhere by its purity, communicates itself to holy souls and forms the friends of God and the prophets [...].
In fact, the exalted Doctor is inclined to reveal his mysteries to the simple and little ones, as we saw first in David [...] then in Peter [...] and finally in Francis, the poor man of Christ" (FF 1202).
Francis, the merchant, by selling and giving everything for the Lord Jesus, buys the Pearl of the evangelical life, now free from existential whims fruit of immaturity.
«Yet Wisdom has been recognised as righteous by her works» (Mt 11:19)
Friday, 2nd wk. in Advent (Mt 11:16-19)
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)
«You too will experience what is reserved». Franciscan Advent
Christ the King: Throne of the Cross and Jesus mocked, Herald
All Saints, like burning coals. And the ultimate Day
And this is the problem: when the People put down roots in the land and are the depository of the Law, they are tempted to place their security and joy in something that is no longer the Word of God: in possessions, in power, in other ‘gods’ that in reality are useless, they are idols. Of course, the Law of God remains but it is no longer the most important thing, the rule of life; rather, it becomes a camouflage, a cover-up, while life follows other paths, other rules, interests that are often forms of egoism, both individual and collective. Thus religion loses its authentic meaning, which is to live listening to God in order to do his will — that is the truth of our being — and thus we live well, in true freedom, and it is reduced to practising secondary customs which instead satisfy the human need to feel in God’s place. This is a serious threat to every religion which Jesus encountered in his time and which, unfortunately, is also to be found in Christianity. Jesus’ words against the scribes and Pharisees in today’s Gospel should therefore be food for thought for us as well (Pope Benedict)
Ed ecco il problema: quando il popolo si stabilisce nella terra, ed è depositario della Legge, è tentato di riporre la sua sicurezza e la sua gioia in qualcosa che non è più la Parola del Signore: nei beni, nel potere, in altre ‘divinità’ che in realtà sono vane, sono idoli. Certo, la Legge di Dio rimane, ma non è più la cosa più importante, la regola della vita; diventa piuttosto un rivestimento, una copertura, mentre la vita segue altre strade, altre regole, interessi spesso egoistici individuali e di gruppo. E così la religione smarrisce il suo senso autentico che è vivere in ascolto di Dio per fare la sua volontà - che è la verità del nostro essere - e così vivere bene, nella vera libertà, e si riduce a pratica di usanze secondarie, che soddisfano piuttosto il bisogno umano di sentirsi a posto con Dio. Ed è questo un grave rischio di ogni religione, che Gesù ha riscontrato nel suo tempo, ma che si può verificare, purtroppo, anche nella cristianità. Perciò le parole di Gesù nel Vangelo di oggi contro gli scribi e i farisei devono far pensare anche noi (Papa Benedetto)
Salt, in the cultures of the Middle East, calls to mind several values such as the Covenant, solidarity, life and wisdom. Light is the first work of God the Creator and is a source of life; the word of God is compared to light (Pope Benedict)
Il sale, nella cultura mediorientale, evoca diversi valori quali l’alleanza, la solidarietà, la vita e la sapienza. La luce è la prima opera di Dio Creatore ed è fonte della vita; la stessa Parola di Dio è paragonata alla luce (Papa Benedetto)
Even after his failure even in Nazareth (vv.1-6) - his heralds gladly confused the Servant [who was educating them] with the victorious, sighed, respected and glorious Messiah…
Ancora dopo il suo fallimento persino a Nazareth (vv.1-6) - i suoi banditori hanno ben volentieri confuso il Servo [che li stava educando] col Messia vincitore, sospirato, rispettato e glorioso…
During more than 40 years of his reign, Herod Antipas had created a class of functionaries and a system of privileged people who had in their hands the government, the tax authorities, the economy, the justice, every aspect of civil and police life, and his command covered the territory extensively…
Durante più di 40 anni di regno, Erode Antipa aveva creato una classe di funzionari e un sistema di privilegiati che avevano in pugno il governo, il fisco, l’economia, la giustizia, ogni aspetto della vita civile e di polizia, e il suo comando copriva capillarmente il territorio…
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