"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
Nella lettura del Vangelo di oggi, Gesù è visto pregare il Padre. Egli ringrazia il Padre per la bellezza di come ricompensa gli umili e rivela cose speciali ai "bambini", mentre non estende la stessa grazia a coloro che si ritengono "saggi e... intelligenti". Santa Caterina da Siena, che celebriamo oggi, è stata un potente esempio di come Dio esalti gli umili.
We are told in the first reading that those who escaped the persecution “because of Stephen” travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch. Imagine how intimidating to the authorities was Stephen’s message that it triggered a full-on assault of anyone else who seemed to be an adherent of this new and revolutionary movement.
Nella prima lettura ci viene detto che coloro che sfuggirono alla persecuzione "a causa di Stefano" si spinsero fino alla Fenicia, a Cipro e ad Antiochia. Immaginiamo quanto fosse intimidatorio per le autorità il messaggio di Stefano, tanto da scatenare un vero e proprio assalto a chiunque sembrasse aderire a questo movimento nuovo e rivoluzionario.
Peter and the apostles have by now intrepidly responded to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. They’re seeing how the Risen Lord has begun something beautiful which they know cannot be contained and is meant to spread throughout the world. The voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, risen from the dead, begins to get clearer and clearer: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19).
Pietro e gli apostoli hanno ormai risposto intrepidamente alle ispirazioni dello Spirito Santo. Stanno vedendo come il Signore risorto ha dato inizio a qualcosa di bello che sanno non essere contenibile e che è destinato a diffondersi in tutto il mondo. La voce di Gesù, il Buon Pastore, risorto dai morti, comincia a farsi sempre più chiara: "Andate dunque e fate discepoli tutti i popoli, battezzandoli nel nome del Padre e del Figlio e dello Spirito Santo, insegnando loro a osservare tutte le cose che vi ho comandato; ed ecco, io sono con voi tutti i giorni, fino alla fine del mondo" (Matteo 28:19).
Every fourth Sunday of Easter, each year, is known as “Good Shepherd Sunday” because the gospel will always be from Saint John’s narrative on Jesus as the One who lays down his life for his sheep. At the same time, it is a Sunday on which we take the time to reflect and pray on vocations to religious life and specifically to priesthood. We’ll do a bit of both today.
La quarta domenica di Pasqua di ogni anno è conosciuta come "domenica del Buon Pastore" perché il Vangelo sarà sempre tratto dalla narrazione di San Giovanni su Gesù come Buon Pastore che dà la vita per le sue pecore. Allo stesso tempo, è una domenica in cui ci prendiamo il tempo per riflettere e pregare sulle vocazioni alla vita religiosa e in particolare al sacerdozio. Oggi faremo un po' di entrambe le cose.
Today in the Church we celebrate the beautiful feast of Saint Mark to whom the first gospel written is attributed, even if it appears as the second in the New Testament.
Oggi nella Chiesa celebriamo la bella festa di San Marco, al quale è attribuito il primo Vangelo scritto, anche se appare come secondo nel Nuovo Testamento.
It is of no accidental purpose that the Church puts together these two readings for us today—one from the Acts of the Apostles and the other from the Gospel of John—where in the Gospel we hear a continued discourse from Jesus on His Body and Blood, the Eucharistic discourse in the sixth chapter of John.
La Chiesa oggi unisce due letture profondamente collegate: una dagli Atti degli Apostoli e l’altra dal Vangelo di Giovanni, dove Gesù continua il discorso eucaristico. Egli non attenua le sue parole, ma le rende ancora più forti: bisogna mangiare la sua carne e bere il suo sangue per avere la vita. Questo linguaggio era sconvolgente per i Giudei, che consideravano il sangue sacro e intoccabile.
Continuing from the sixth chapter of John, the Gospel in today’s Mass has Jesus reminding us that it is not we who have just incidentally or accidentally found Jesus in our lives, but rather it is the Father Himself who first finds us and draws us to Jesus.
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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