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 the liturgy of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are presented with a passage from Matthew in which the portrait of the true Shepherd is defined by the humble and gentle heart that sets him apart.
Jesus praises the Father for having revealed the things of Heaven to the little ones and not to the learned.
Thus, the shepherd follows in his unmistakable footsteps.
The life of Francis, the Poor One, is rich in remarkable episodes, which bear witness to the breadth of a new heart, marked by Love, attesting to his being a merciful shepherd of souls.
At the beginning of their communal life, the friars lived at Rivotorto, 3 km from the Porziuncola.
Here is what happened there one evening:
“One night, one of those little sheep, whilst the others slept, began to cry out: «I am dying, brothers, I am dying of hunger!»
The wise shepherd rose immediately and hastened to bring the necessary help to the ailing little sheep.
He ordered the table to be set, even if with simple fare […]
He himself began to eat first and invited the other friars to fulfil that duty of charity, so that the poor creature might not feel ashamed.
Having taken the food in the fear of the Lord, so that the act of charity might be complete, the Father gave his sons a long discourse on the virtue of discretion.
He prescribed that they should always offer God a sacrifice seasoned with prudence, wisely admonishing them to take account, in divine service, of their own strength […]
Then he added:
«Dearest ones, know that what I have done in eating was not done out of greed, but out of due consideration and because fraternal charity imposed it upon me.
Let charity be your example, not food, for food satisfies the appetite, but charity satisfies the spirit» (FF 608).
And again:
‘One day, whilst travelling near Siena, he came across a large flock of sheep grazing.
As was his custom, he greeted them kindly, and they, ceasing to graze, all ran together towards him, lifting their muzzles and gazing at him with their eyes raised.
They welcomed him so joyfully that the friars and shepherds were amazed, seeing the lambs and even the rams skipping around him in such a marvellous way" (FF 1147 – Major Legend).
Charity has a special scent, and all creatures recognise its fragrance.
«[…] learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls» (Mt 11:29b)
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus – year A (Mt 11:25–30)
Paraclete, Spirit of the Truth, Jesus’ Commandments, in Francis and Clare
Saint Francis, the caring Shepherd: the Gate, the People, the Word
Emmaus. Seeing and Believing with Francis and Clare. On a Pilgrimage
Franciscan Transfiguration: without applause
For Jesus we are not a "mass", a "multitude"! We are individual "persons" with an eternal value, both as creatures and as re-deemed persons! He knows us! He knows me, and loves me and gave himself for me! (Gal 2:20) [John Paul II]
Non siamo “massa”, “moltitudine”, per Gesù! Siamo “persone” singole con un valore eterno, sia come creature sia come persone redente! lui ci conosce! lui mi conosce, e mi ama e ha dato se stesso per me! (Gal 2,20) [Giovanni Paolo II]
The grain of wheat that "falls to the ground and dies" becomes the promise of bread (Pope John Paul II)
Il chicco di grano che “cade in terra e muore” diventa la promessa del pane (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
The power of faith can move mountains (cf. Mt 17:20): the Lord can illuminate even the deepest darkness [Pope Benedict]
La forza della fede può spostare le montagne (cfr Mt 17,20): il Signore può illuminare anche la tenebra più profonda [Papa Benedetto]
By willingly accepting death, Jesus carries the cross of all human beings and becomes a source of salvation for the whole of humanity. St Cyril of Jerusalem commented: “The glory of the Cross led those who were blind through ignorance into light, loosed all who were held fast by sin and brought redemption to the whole world of mankind” (Catechesis Illuminandorum XIII, 1: de Christo crucifixo et sepulto: PG 33, 772 B) [Pope Benedict]
Accettando volontariamente la morte, Gesù porta la croce di tutti gli uomini e diventa fonte di salvezza per tutta l’umanità. San Cirillo di Gerusalemme commenta: «La croce vittoriosa ha illuminato chi era accecato dall’ignoranza, ha liberato chi era prigioniero del peccato, ha portato la redenzione all’intera umanità» (Catechesis Illuminandorum XIII,1: de Christo crucifixo et sepulto: PG 33, 772 B) [Papa Benedetto]
In the New Testament, it is Christ who constitutes the full manifestation of God's light [Pope Benedict]
Nel Nuovo Testamento è Cristo a costituire la piena manifestazione della luce di Dio [Papa Benedetto]
Faith opens us to knowing and welcoming the real identity of Jesus, his newness and oneness, his word, as a source of life, in order to live a personal relationship with him. Knowledge of the faith grows, it grows with the desire to find the way and in the end it is a gift of God who does not reveal himself to us as an abstract thing without a face or a name, because faith responds to a Person who wants to enter into a relationship of deep love with us and to involve our whole life (Pope Benedict)
La fede ci apre a conoscere e ad accogliere la reale identità di Gesù, la sua novità e unicità, la sua Parola, come fonte di vita, per vivere una relazione personale con Lui. Il conoscere della fede cresce, cresce con il desiderio di trovare la strada, ed è finalmente un dono di Dio, che si rivela a noi non come una cosa astratta senza volto e senza nome, ma la fede risponde a una Persona, che vuole entrare in un rapporto di amore profondo con noi e coinvolgere tutta la nostra vita (Papa Benedetto)
Jesus Christ clearly indicates that even acts of devotion and penance (such as fasting, almsgiving, prayer), which by their religious purpose are primarily 'interior', can succumb to current 'externalism', and can therefore be falsified [John Paul II]
Gesù Cristo indica chiaramente che anche gli atti di devozione e di penitenza (come digiuno, elemosina, preghiera) che per la loro finalità religiosa sono principalmente “interiori”, possono cedere all’“esteriorismo” corrente, e quindi possono essere falsificati [Giovanni Paolo II]
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