"I also admonish and exhort the brothers that in their preaching their words be studied and chaste, useful and edifying to the people, telling them about vices and virtues, punishment and glory; and they ought to be brief, because the Lord kept his words brief when he was on earth." - Saint Francis of Assisi - Chapter IX, Approved Rule
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, peace be with you as we continue our last week in Lent before Holy Week. We come across the figure of Abraham in a very splendid way today, where we're asked once again to reflect on what it means to be a son of Abraham, or that God would say to Abraham that he would make him a father of a host of nations, a multitude of nations.
In questa ultima settimana di Quaresima prima della Settimana Santa, la figura di Abramo emerge con grande forza. Dio cambia il suo nome e lo costituisce padre di una moltitudine di nazioni, non per i suoi meriti umani, ma per la sua fede e la sua fiducia totale nel Signore.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we gather on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, a day that marks a decisive moment in salvation history — the day the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and bear the Son of God. This moment isn’t merely a historical occurrence but a profound expression of God’s intimate involvement in our lives and His unwavering desire for a relationship with us. God is about to do something great!
Cari fratelli e sorelle in Cristo, ci riuniamo nella solennità dell'Annunciazione del Signore, un giorno che segna un momento decisivo nella storia della salvezza: il giorno in cui l'arcangelo Gabriele annunciò a Maria che avrebbe concepito per opera dello Spirito Santo e avrebbe dato alla luce il Figlio di Dio. Questo momento non è solo un evento storico, ma un'espressione profonda dell'intimo coinvolgimento di Dio nella nostra vita e del suo incrollabile desiderio di avere una relazione con noi. Dio sta per fare qualcosa di grande!
In today's readings, we get yet another glimpse into the great resistance that the people of God had towards the grace of God that was working, or trying to work, with them and through them. And we see that in the first reading from the Book of Numbers, and we also see it more especially intensely in the Gospel of Saint John.
Le letture di oggi ci mostrano la resistenza del popolo di Dio alla grazia divina. Nel deserto, Israele si lamenta contro Dio e Mosè, dimenticando la liberazione ricevuta e cadendo nell’ingratitudine. Questo atteggiamento ci invita a riflettere su noi stessi, perché anche noi, nel seguire Cristo, possiamo essere tentati di mormorare e di dubitare.
As we round up our Lenten season with this fifth week in Lent, we come across a beautiful saint by the name of Toribio de Mogrovejo. Toribio was born in Mayorga, Spain, on November 16th, 1538. He died on March 23rd, 1606, in Saña, Peru, while on pastoral visitation. He was the Archbishop of Lima, and he was appointed as archbishop in 1579 and wasn't even yet a priest—interesting. He was rapidly ordained a priest and consecrated bishop after his appointment, and then he was canonized in 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII.
In questa quinta settimana di Quaresima incontriamo la figura luminosa di san Toribio de Mogrovejo, grande vescovo missionario della Chiesa. Nato in Spagna e divenuto arcivescovo di Lima, egli si distinse per il suo zelo apostolico, percorrendo grandi distanze per evangelizzare e confermare i fedeli, specialmente tra i popoli indigeni, che difese con coraggio.
We have now come to the fifth Sunday of Lent, and this is the last Sunday before Palm Sunday. And so our readings begin to intensify, and the urgency with which Jesus begins to move is now becoming very apparent in the Gospels.
Giunti alla quinta domenica di Quaresima, le letture si intensificano e ci conducono verso il mistero centrale della Pasqua. Dopo aver contemplato l’incontro con la samaritana e la guarigione del cieco nato, oggi siamo posti davanti alla risurrezione di Lazzaro, segno potente della vita nuova che Cristo porta.
Friends, the closer we get to Lent, the more the question regarding Jesus’s identity intensifies. Who is he? Where did he come from? What is he here to do? What does he mean when he says certain things that had been so unclear in the past? And yet, with great authority, he clarifies what God originally intended. Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? (Mark 4:41). So Jesus’s identity is always central in our consideration, because in order to build a relationship with him, we really need to know who he is and to spend time with him in prayer and through the reading of Scriptures.
Avvicinandoci sempre più alla Pasqua, emerge con forza la domanda sull’identità di Gesù: chi è veramente, da dove viene e quale è la sua missione. I Vangeli mostrano come le persone fossero divise su di lui, cercando di comprenderlo alla luce delle profezie riguardanti il Messia, atteso come discendente della casa di Davide e nato a Betlemme.
Reflect and pray on the Word of God, and allow it to penetrate your heart as it did the Poverello from Assisi, Saint Francis. God's Word is sent to set us free, to experience life in abundance as His sons and daughters. Each week, homilies will be posted ahead of time as regards the daily mass readings! We are currently in Year B of the Liturgical Cycle.
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FranciscanPreacher.com exists to draw you deeper into the living Word of God, inspired by the spirit and example of Saint Francis of Assisi, founder of the Order of Friars Minor. Each reflection and homily seeks to open the treasures of the daily Mass readings and to serve as a humble companion for all those who have been blessed with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
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