"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
Once again, we hear from the prophet Isaiah, and one of the striking things about prophecy is the very sheer fact that God foretells, long before the events themselves, what will happen in the future—doing so with precision and with a spiritual depth that reveals the grandeur of His plan, His wisdom, and His mighty power.
Ancora una volta il profeta Isaia ci mostra come Dio riveli il suo piano con potenza e profondità. Le sue opere manifesteranno la sua santità, e tra questi segni c’è il dono della vista ai ciechi. Con Gesù, questa promessa si compie: Dio si fa conoscere attraverso opere che trasformano la vita.
Today we celebrate the beautiful memorial of Saint John of Damascus, who was born in 675 and died in 749. He spent his entire life under Muslim rule in the Umayyad Caliphate before becoming a monk. He served as a high-ranking financial administrator, something like a chief accountant for the caliph in Damascus. This placed him in a politically sensitive position where overt Christian polemic could have cost him his life. Yet he still defended Christian doctrine unapologetically.
Oggi celebriamo san Giovanni Damasceno, nato nel seicentosettantacinque e morto nel settecentoquarantanove. Visse sotto il dominio musulmano del califfato omayyade e ricoprì un ruolo amministrativo di grande responsabilità a Damasco, posizione che rendeva pericolosa ogni difesa pubblica della fede cristiana. Eppure, con grande coraggio, egli difese la dottrina della Chiesa, soprattutto durante la crisi dell’iconoclastia.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the memorial of Saint Francis Xavier, a Jesuit priest who was reluctant at first to accept his call to religious life, but who eventually went in passionately and totally dedicated to fulfilling his mission in the world. Saint Francis Xavier was a contemporary and close companion of his founder, Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
Fratelli e sorelle, oggi celebriamo San Francesco Saverio, grande missionario gesuita, che inizialmente fu riluttante a rispondere alla chiamata di Dio, ma che poi si lasciò conquistare completamente dalla grazia. Nato nel millecinquecentosei in Navarra, colto e ambizioso, cercava successo e prestigio prima di lasciarsi convertire dalle parole insistenti di sant’Ignazio di Loyola: «Che giova all’uomo guadagnare il mondo intero e perdere la propria anima?»
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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“As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew 10:7–8)
With joy and gratitude, we share what we have freely received, entrusting every effort to the hands of Our Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph, and our seraphic father Francis — that they may place it all into the heart of Jesus, to do with it as He wills.
Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ, now and forever. +
