Pontifical Missionary Union - D.A.N. Nguyen – Year A – Commentary
For this Sunday, we offer the short meditation prepared by the PMS
National Direction in Poland, which wrote, at our request, the liturgical
commentaries for all the days of the missionary month of October 2023, sent by
email to the PMS national directors for their use in missionary
animation. I take the opportunity to thank them again for this
text (with much gratitude to the translators). The PMU has added
the Useful Points to Consider.
Sunday,
October 15, 2023
XXVIII Week of
Ordinary Time - Year A
Saint Teresa of Jesus,
Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Is 25:6-10; Ps 22;
Phil 4:12-14,19-20; Mt 22:1-14
This Sunday’s Gospel,
in the heart of missionary month, urges us to invite people to the wedding
feast. The wedding feast is an image close to us. The wedding dreamed of and
desired by the bride and groom represents their feast day for which they
prepare, taking care of every detail so that it will be an unforgettable day to
remember for a lifetime. A day of celebration to be shared with the people
closest to them. The image of the wedding is present and often recurring in the
Bible. Many events in salvation history happen in this context. The prophet
Hosea uses the wedding image to describe the covenant relationship between God
and his people, a covenant made by God, eternal and joyful that overcomes the
crises and repeated infidelities of the people. Even the sacraments of
Christian life are interpreted as the celebration of this marriage between God
and man. But the emphasis of today’s Gospel passage is on the invitation: “He
dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast [...] A
second time he sent other servants [...] Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.” Go out to invite to the feast.
Being a messenger heralding a joyful invitation is the task of each of us. This
being sent implies carrying an invitation to the feast. Mission basically
consists in this and demands messengers who bring good news that they
themselves live and witness. In the face of a needy and often indifferent
humanity, which often rejects the invitations made by the Lord, may the Lord raise
up messengers of hope and comforters of hearts, for the feast will be held
anyway and blessed will be those who attend.
Useful points to consider:
Pope Francis, Address to the Participants in the General
Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies , Clementine Hall, Saturday, 3 June 2023
[…]
We have been sent to continue this
mission: to be signs of the heart of Christ and the love of the Father,
embracing the whole world. Here we find the “heart” of the evangelizing mission
of the Church: to reach all through the gift of God’s infinite love, to seek
all, to welcome all, excluding no one, to offer our lives for all. All!
That is the key word. What does Jesus tell us in the parable about the wedding
banquet (cf. Mt 22:1-14) – which went wrong because the guests did not
come… one was concerned with his farm, another had to travel, a third was
getting married, and so on – what does the Lord tell us? He says, Go to the
crossroads and invite everyone, everyone: those who are healthy, sick,
bad, good, sinners... all. This is the heart of mission: that “all”, excluding
no one. Every mission of ours, then, is born from the heart of Christ in order
that he may draw all to himself. This was the mystical and missionary spirit of
Blessed Pauline Marie Jaricot, the foundress of the Society for the Propagation
of the Faith, who was very devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Pope Francis, Homily, Holy Mass and canonization of
the Blesseds: Andrea De Soveral, Ambrogio Francesco Ferro, Matteo Moreira and
27 Companions; Cristobal, Antonio and Juan; Faustino Míguez; Angelo Da Acri, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 15 October
2017
The parable
we have just heard describes the Kingdom of God as a wedding feast (cf. Mt 22:1-14).
The central character is the king’s son, the bridegroom, in whom we can easily
see Jesus. The parable makes no mention of the bride, but only of the guests
who were invited and expected, and those who wore the wedding garments. We are
those guests, because the Lord wants “to celebrate the wedding” with us. The
wedding inaugurates a lifelong fellowship, the communion God wants to enjoy
with all of us. Our relationship with Him, then, has to be more than that of
devoted subjects with their king, faithful servants with their master, or
dedicated students with their teacher. It is above all the relationship of a
beloved bride with her bridegroom. In other words, the Lord wants us, He goes
out to seek us and He invites us. For Him, it is not enough that we should do
our duty and obey his laws. He desires a true communion of life with us, a
relationship based on dialogue, trust and forgiveness.
Such is the
Christian life, a love story with God. The Lord freely takes the
initiative and no one can claim to be the only one invited. No one has a better
seat than anyone else, for all enjoy God’s favour. The Christian life is always
born and reborn of this tender, special and privileged love. […]
The Gospel, however, warns us that
the invitation can be refused. Many of the invited guests said no,
because they were caught up in their own affairs. “They made light
of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business” (Mt 22:5).
Each was concerned with his own affairs; this is the key to
understanding why they refused the invitation. The guests did not think that
the wedding feast would be dreary or boring; they simply “made light of it”.
They were caught up in their own affairs. They were more interested in having
something rather than in risking something, as love demands. This is how love
grows cold, not out of malice but out of a preference for what is our
own: our security, our self-affirmation, our comfort. […]
There is one last idea that the
Gospel emphasizes: the mandatory garment of the invited guests. It
is not enough to respond just once to the invitation, simply to say “yes” and
then do nothing else. Day by day, we have to put on the wedding garment, the “habit”
of practising love. We cannot say, “Lord, Lord”, without experiencing and
putting into practice God’s will (cf. Mt 7:21). We need to put
on God’s love and to renew our choice for him daily.
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 12 October 2014
In this
Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to us about the response given to the invitation
from God — who is represented by a king — to participate in a wedding banquet
(cf. Mt 22:1-14). The invitation has three characteristics: freely offered,
breadth and universality. Many people were invited, but something
surprising happened: none of the intended guests came to take part in the
feast, saying they had other things to do; indeed, some were even indifferent,
impertinent, even annoyed. God is good to us, he freely offers us his
friendship, he freely offers us his joy, his salvation; but so often we do not
accept his gifts, we place our practical concerns, our interests first. And
when the Lord is calling to us, it so often seems to annoy us.
Some of the
intended guests went so far as to abuse and kill the servants who delivered the
invitation. But despite the lack of response from those called, God’s plan is
never interrupted. In facing the rejection of the first invitees, He is not
discouraged, He does not cancel the feast, but makes another invitation,
expanding it beyond all reasonable limits, and sends his servants into the town
squares and the byways to gather anyone they find. These, however, are
ordinary, poor, neglected and marginalized people, good and bad alike — even
bad people are invited — without distinction. And the hall is filled with “the
excluded”. The Gospel, rejected by some, is unexpectedly welcomed in many other
hearts.
The goodness of God has no bounds and does not discriminate against anyone. For this reason the banquet of the Lord’s gifts is universal, for everyone. Everyone is given the opportunity to respond to the invitation, to his call; no one has the right to feel privileged or to claim an exclusive right. All of this induces us to break the habit of conveniently placing ourselves at the centre, as did the High Priests and the Pharisees. One must not do this; we must open ourselves to the peripheries, also acknowledging that, at the margins too, even one who is cast aside and scorned by society is the object of God’s generosity. We are all called not to reduce the Kingdom of God to the confines of the “little church” — our “tiny little church” — but to enlarge the Church to the dimensions of the Kingdom of God. However, there is one condition: wedding attire must be worn, that is, charity toward God and neighbour must be shown.
************
For this Sunday, we offer the short meditation prepared by the PMS National Direction in Poland, which wrote, at our request, the liturgical commentaries for all the days of the missionary month of October 2023, sent by email to the PMS national directors for their use in missionary animation. I take the opportunity to thank them again for this text (with much gratitude to the translators). The PMU has added the Useful Points to Consider.
Sunday,
October 8, 2023
XXVII Week of Ordinary
Time - Year A
Saint Justina, virgin
and martyr
Is 5:1-7; Ps 79; Phil 4:6-9; Mt 21:33-43
People in relationships are often aloof and cautious.
How come? Because honesty is very risky and dangerous, and revealing one’s
heart to others is often difficult and painful.
In the story of the vine we receive today, God reveals
himself; he discovers his weakness which is love for man. Through the image of
the building of the vineyard, he shows how carefully and precisely he
approaches relationships with people; he cares about every detail of human life
like a friend who sets up and builds a vineyard and makes every effort to
create the perfect place for the vine to develop. However, despite this great
care (good place, fence, defensive tower, pruning, watering...), the vine ultimately
does not bear good fruit.
God’s plan for man’s life is the best possible plan, but it is often incomprehensible - to man. Therefore, rebellion, opposition and even reproach to God often arise in the human heart. Referring to today’s Word, like the vine we often rebuke the farmer: you built a fence and towers, that is, you wanted to limit me, you took my freedom; you pruned the branches, that is, you constantly hurt me; you weeded the vineyard, that is, you took from my life what I was attached to, what was close to me, you stole my pleasure. You sent rain when I wanted sunshine, that is, you took away my dreams and desires.... Man aspires to live as if God did not exist, according to his own life plan. But what will happen to a vineyard if the farmer does not fence it in, water it and take care of the vines? They will rake it and trample it.
Useful points to consider:
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 8 October 2017
This Sunday’s
liturgy offers us the parable of the tenants to whom a landowner lends the
vineyard which he has planted, and then goes away (cf. Mt 21:33-43). This is
how the loyalty of these tenants is tested: the vineyard is entrusted to them,
they are to tend it, make it bear fruit and deliver its harvest to the owner.
When the time comes to harvest the grapes, the landlord sends his servants to
pick the fruit. However, the vineyard tenants assume a possessive attitude.
They do not consider themselves to be simple supervisors, but rather
landowners, and they refuse to hand over the harvest. They mistreat the
servants, to the point of killing them. The landowner is patient with them. He
sends more servants, larger in number than the previous ones, but the result is
the same. In the end, he patiently decides to send his own son. But those
tenants, prisoners to their own possessive behaviour, also kill the son,
reasoning that, in this way, they would have the inheritance.
This
narrative allegorically illustrates the reproaches of the prophets in the story
of Israel. It is a history that belongs to us. It is about the Covenant which
God wished to establish with mankind and in which he also called us to
participate. Like any other love story, this story of the Covenant has its
positive moments too, but it is also marked by betrayal and rejection. In order
to make us understand how God the Father responds to the rejection of his love
and his proposal of an alliance, the Gospel passage puts a question on the lips
of the owner of the vineyard: “When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes,
what will he do to those tenants?” (v. 40). This question emphasizes that God’s
disappointment at the wicked behaviour of mankind is not the last word! This is
the great novelty of Christianity: a God who, even though disappointed by our
mistakes and our sins, does not fail to keep his Word, does not give up and,
most of all, does not seek vengeance! […]
The urgency of replying with good
fruits to the call of the Lord, who asks us to become his vineyard, helps us
understand what is new and original about the Christian faith. It is not so
much the sum of precepts and moral norms but rather, it is first and foremost a
proposal of love which God makes through Jesus and continues to make with mankind.
It is an invitation to enter into this love story, by becoming a lively and
open vine, rich in fruits and hope for everyone. […]
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 4 October 2020
[…] The
image of the vineyard is clear: it represents the people whom the Lord has
chosen and formed with such care; the servants sent by the landowner are the
prophets, sent by God, while the son represents Jesus. And just as the prophets
were rejected, so too Christ was rejected and killed.
At the end
of the story, Jesus asks the leaders of the people: “When the owner of the
vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” (v. 40). And, caught up in
the logic of the narrative, they deliver their own sentence: the householder,
they say, will severely punish those wicked people and “let out the vineyard to
other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons” (v. 41).
With this
very harsh parable, Jesus confronts his interlocutors with their
responsibility, and he does so with extreme clarity. But let us not think that
this admonition applies only to those who rejected Jesus at that time. It
applies to all times, including our own. Even today God awaits the fruits of
his vineyard from those he has sent to work in it. All of us.
In any age,
those who have authority, any authority, also in the Church, in the People of
God, may be tempted to work in their own interests instead of those of God. And
Jesus says that true authority is when one performs service; it is in serving,
not exploiting others. The vineyard is the Lord’s, not ours. Authority is a
service, and as such should be exercised for the good of all and for the dissemination
of the Gospel. It is awful to see when people who have authority in the Church
seek their own interests.
Sunday,
October 1, 2023
XXVI Week of Ordinary Time - Year
A
St. Therese of the
Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Eze 18:25-28; Ps 23; Phil 2:1-11; Mt 21:28-32
We begin with the
month of October, traditionally known as the missionary month in the Church
that guides our thoughts to Jesus, the Savior of the world. Seeking every human
being, even the most lost, the deafest, the one who is closed to the action of
the Holy Spirit is peculiar to the will of God. In today’s gospel, the Lord
Jesus himself calls attention to doing God’s will and struggling with oneself.
It is not easy to listen to the voice of God experienced by the prophets. The
struggle for one’s own holiness is the domain proper of great people, such as
Therese of the Child Jesus, Paul Manna or Paulina Maria Jaricot. Today, we all
need a strong faith in the Savior and to discover a commitment to mission.
There is no time for theoretical reflections or debates about reforming
something over which we have no influence. We can say to God: I believe in You,
take care of the rest. God awaits our decision, siding with life. Often we
ourselves are the reason that restrains the enthusiasm of others, because we
criticize the decisions of Church superiors, because we are frightened when we
look at young people away from the Church or think about the shortage of
vocations. Let us try to turn these thoughts into evangelizing activity, which
first of all implies listening to the voice of God who speaks constantly. Let
us listen, let us seek God. What is God’s will? Where can I listen to him? God
invites us to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. This we can realize in
our lives, even with our family.
Useful points to consider:
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square Sunday, 27 September 2020
With his preaching on the Kingdom of
God, Jesus opposes a religiosity that does not involve human life, that does
not question the conscience and its responsibility in the face of good and
evil. He also demonstrates this with the parable of the two sons, which is
offered to us in the Gospel of Matthew (cf. 21:28-32). […]
The exponents of this “façade” of
religiosity, of which Jesus disapproves, in that time were “the chief priests
and the elders of the people” (Mt 21:23), who, according to the Lord’s
admonition, will be preceded in the Kingdom of God by “tax collectors and
prostitutes” (cf. v. 31). […]
Jesus does not indicate publicans
and prostitutes as models of life, but as “privileged by Grace”. […] Because conversion is always a
grace. A grace that God offers to anyone who opens up and converts to him.
Indeed, these people, listening to his preaching, repented and changed their
lives. […]
God is patient with each of us: he
does not tire, he does not desist after our “no”; he leaves us free even to
distance ourselves from him and to make mistakes. […]And he anxiously awaits our “yes”,
so as to welcome us anew in his fatherly arms and to fill us with his boundless
mercy. Faith in God asks us to renew every day the choice of good over evil,
the choice of the truth rather than lies, the choice of love for our neighbour
over selfishness. Those who convert to this choice, after having experienced
sin, will find the first places in the Kingdom of heaven, where there is
greater joy for a single sinner who repents than for ninety-nine righteous
people (cf. Lk 15:7).
[…] Today’s Gospel passage calls into question the way of living a Christian life, which is not made up of dreams and beautiful aspirations, but of concrete commitments, in order to always open ourselves to God’s will and to love for our brothers and sisters. But this, even the smallest concrete commitment, cannot be made without grace. Conversion is a grace we must always ask for: “Lord, give me the grace to improve. Give me the grace to be a good Christian”.
Benedetto XVI, Apostolic Journey to Germany, 22-25 September 2011, Homily, Sunday 25 September 2011
[…] In the Gospel Jesus takes up this
fundamental theme of prophetic preaching. He recounts the parable of the two
sons invited by their father to work in the vineyard. The first son responded: “‘I
will not go’, but afterward he repented and went.” The other son said to the
father: “‘I go, sir,’ but did not go.” When asked by Jesus which of the two
sons did the father’s will, those listening rightly respond: “the first” (Mt
21:29-31). The message of the parable is clear: it is not words that
matter, but deeds, deeds of conversion and faith. […]
The Gospel for this Sunday, as we saw, speaks of two sons, but behind them, in a mysterious way, is a third son. The first son says “no,” but does the father’s will. The second son says “yes,” but does not do what he was asked. The third son both says “yes” and does what he was asked. This third son is the Only-begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, who has gathered us all here. Jesus, on entering the world, said: “Lo, I have come to do thy will, O God” (Heb 10:7). He not only said “yes”, he acted on that “yes”, and he suffered it, even to death on the Cross. As the Christological hymn in the second reading says: “Though he was in the form of God, [Jesus] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a Cross” (Phil. 2: 6-8). In humility and obedience, Jesus fulfilled the will of the Father and by dying on the Cross for his brothers and sisters, for us, he saved us from our pride and obstinacy. Let us thank him for his sacrifice, let us bend our knees before his name and proclaim together with the disciples of the first generation: “Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:11).
John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World, Christifideles Laici
[...] The gospel parable sets before
our eyes the Lord’s vast vineyard and the multitude of persons, both women and
men, who are called and sent forth by him to labour in it. The vineyard is the
whole world (cf. Mt 13:38), which is to be transformed according to the
plan of God in view of the final coming of the Kingdom of God.. […]
The States of Life and Vocations
55. All the
members of the People of God -clergy, men and women religious, the lay
faithful-are labourers in the vineyard. At one and the same time they all are
the goal and subjects of Church communion as well as of participation in the
mission of salvation. Every one of us possessing charisms and ministries,
diverse yet complementary, works in the one and the same vineyard of the Lord.
Simply in being
Christians, even before actually doing the works of a Christian, all
are branches of the one fruitful vine which is Christ.
All are
living members of the one Body of the Lord built up through the power of the
Spirit.
. […]
To Discover
and Live One’s Vocation and Mission
58. […]Therefore,
in the life of each member of the lay faithful there are particularly
significant and decisive moments for discerning God’s call and embracing
the mission entrusted by Him. Among these are the periods of adolescence and
young adulthood. No one must forget that the Lord, as the master of the
labourers in the vineyard, calls at every hour of life so as to make his
holy will more precisely and explicitly known. Therefore, the fundamental and
continuous attitude of the disciple should be one of vigilance and a conscious
attentiveness to the voice of God.
It is not a
question of simply knowing what God wants from each of us in the various
situations of life. The individual must do what God wants, as we are
reminded in the words that Mary, the Mother of Jesus, addressed to the servants
at Cana: “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5). However, to act in
fidelity to God’s will requires a capability for acting and the
developing of that capability. We can rest assured that this is possible
through the free and responsible collaboration of each of us with the grace of
the Lord which is never lacking. […]
TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
Sir 27:30-28:7; Ps 103; Rom 14:7-9; Mt 18:21-35
COMMENTARY
Proclaiming the Gospel of Forgiveness / For an Evangelical Witness of Forgiveness
After the instruction on fraternal correction that we heard last Sunday, Matthew’s Gospel continues with Jesus’ teaching on forgiveness, starting with the apostle Peter’s question about “how many times” he should forgive his brother who “sins” against him. Now the theme we reflect on is closely connected with that of a week ago. This is as suggested also by the similarity of Peter’s initial conditional phrase (“if my brother sins against me”), which actually echoes that of Jesus at the beginning of the previous discourse (“If your brother sins against you”). Thus, among Christ’s disciples, fraternal correction goes hand in hand with forgiveness among brothers and sisters, with the emphasis precisely on the latter, as highlighted in Jesus’ teaching today through a statement and a parable. So it will be to duly scrutinize every word of Jesus, to take to heart His message for us, His disciples, in a world increasingly marked by wars, conflicts and hatred.
1. “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” The Evangelical Principle of “Permanent” Forgiveness.
The apostle
Peter’s question is provocative in itself: “How often must I forgive?
As many as seven times?” It nonetheless gives a glimpse that Peter perceived
well the foundation of Jesus’ teaching on fraternal correction, which must
always have for its purpose forgiveness and reconciliation among brothers and
sisters. On the other hand, this question also expresses the apostle’s
perplexity about how to regulate the case of the repetition of faults received.
Since we know that in the Judeo-Rabbinic tradition there is a recommendation to
forgive brothers and sisters up to three times, we can understand Peter’s “generosity”
to increase the “rate” of forgiveness up to seven times. Moreover, it should be
remembered that the number seven in the Bible symbolizes completeness and
perfection, because it corresponds to the days of God’s creation of everything.
In this way, the apostle Peter wanted to ask, with some bewilderment, whether
one should really forgive almost all the time.
Jesus’ response plays exactly on the symbolic value of the number seven: “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” That is to say always for ten times of always! It is the constant, permanent, forever brotherly forgiveness that Jesus recommends to His disciples. In other words, every disciple is called to always forgive his brother and sister, and the reason for such “generosity” lies precisely in God’s generous forgiveness of everyone in life, as Jesus wanted to teach immediately afterwards through a parabolic account.
2. A Beautiful Parable, But One Small Deatil Needs Explaining
The parable Jesus tells to illustrate the need for forgiveness is
commonly called “the parable of the unforgiving servant.” The message of the
story emerges clearly from the contrast between the reactions of the master,
and later the servant, to the same moving plea from the debtor: “Be patient
with me, and I will pay you back in full.” While the master, “moved with
compassion […] of that servant, let him go and forgave him the loan” of ten
thousand talents, the servant, for his part, would not forgive his companion
the debt of one hundred denarii. The numbers of the characters’ debts seem to
have been chosen intentionally to emphasize the difference between the very
large sum that the servant owed the master and the much smaller sum that the
servant demanded from his companion. Thus, the absurdity of the ruthless and
ungrateful servant’s action is even more apparent.
In this regard, if we pay more attention to one detail in the parable, we can grasp a deeper message about the forgiveness requested from us. It is about the sum of one hundred denarii that the servant refused to forgive. Yes, this is a small amount compared to ten thousand talents, but objectively it does not seem so small because it is the equivalent of one hundred days of work (about a third of an annual salary). Significantly, Jesus did not present a smaller figure, such as ten denarii, to further emphasize the contrast. Instead, he stayed with this medium-small amount. This amount could still have been very large for this servant at that time, and therefore not forgivable. Perhaps we can glimpse a subtle lesson from the Lord regarding forgiveness. Sometimes in life we have suffered offenses that seemed very great. In fact, some “debts” owed to us by others are objectively so great that, humanly speaking, we cannot forgive them. The Lord knows this and does not question it. All He asks is that we should remember our much greater debt to our heavenly Father, who has forgiven it for us. This will give us more motivation and strength to forgive our brother generously, just as God has generously forgiven us. In the final analysis, this is the only invocation of the Lord’s Prayer in which our petition to God the Father is linked to our promise and commitment to forgive our debtors, “those who trespass against us.” In this context of the prayer “Our Father”, where we begin by praying for the coming of His Kingdom, our forgiveness will also be a concrete sign of the coming of the Kingdom in our midst. Therefore, this parable of Jesus about the need for forgiveness is also the parable of the Kingdom, as Jesus himself defined it at the very beginning of the account.
3. “This Is How All Will Know That You Are My Disciples, If You Have Love for One Another.” (Jn 13:35). The Principle of Unity in Love Among Disciples for the Credibility of Christ’s Mission
At this
point, it will be important to take up here the emphases at the end of last
Sunday’s meditation.
Indeed, in
light of what we have noted, we understand even more the “missionary”
significance of every act of correction and fraternal reconciliation, based fundamentally
on mutual forgiveness among brothers and sisters. It is about being united in
love for the credibility of the same evangelization/reconciliation mission of
Christ and of the church-community of His disciples-missionaries. That is why
Jesus insisted so much on mutual love among His disciples, defining it as His
new commandment and stressing the importance of this as a testimony of
belonging to Him before humanity: “This is how all will know that you are my
disciples.” He then prayed to the Father for all His disciples, both in the
present and in the future, “so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in
me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that
you sent me.” (Jn 17:21). May each one of us, his disciples, feel Christ’s
heart for unity in love and always have that desire of the Master in mind in
every action! This is especially true of our action of forgiving “our brother
from our heart,” as our heavenly Father has forgiven us.
We therefore conclude, also today, with St. Paul’s inspired words to
the Thessalonian believers. They are also the Lord’s wish for all of us, His
disciples-missionaries today, even in the midst of various corrections
necessary because of human weaknesses. “May the Lord make you increase and
abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness
before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy
ones.” (1Thes 3:12-13).
Useful
points to consider:
Pope Francis, General Audience, St Peter’s Square, Wednesday, 24 April 2019
[…] We have seen
that it is actually human to be debtors before God: we have received everything
from him, in terms of nature and grace. Our life has not only been wanted, but
has been loved by God. […]
The vertical
relationship with benevolence on God’s part refracts and is called to translate
into a new relationship with our brothers and sisters: a horizontal
relationship. […]
Every Christian
knows that forgiveness of sins exists for him or her. We all know this: God
forgives everything and forgives always. When Jesus describes the face of God
to his disciples, he outlines it with expressions of tender mercy. He says that
there is more joy in heaven for one sinner who repents than for a multitude of
righteous people who need no repentance (cf. Lk 15:7, 10). Nothing in the
Gospels lets one suspect that God would not forgive the sins of whoever is
ready and asks to be embraced again. […]
Here again, we find
the connection between love of God and love of neighbour. Love attracts love;
forgiveness attracts forgiveness. Again in Matthew we find a very strong
parable dedicated to fraternal forgiveness (cf. 18:21-35). Let us listen to it.
There was a servant
who had contracted an enormous debt with his king: 10,000 talents! An
impossible amount to repay; I do not know how much that would be today, but
hundreds of millions. However, a miracle happened, and that servant received
not a deferred payment but full commutation. An un-hoped for grace! But here,
immediately thereafter, that servant got angry with a fellow servant who owed
him 100 denari — something minor — and, although this is an attainable sum, he
would not accept excuses or pleas. Therefore, in the end, the master called for
him and had him condemned. Because if you do not strive to forgive, you will
not be forgiven; if you do not strive to love, neither will you be loved.
Jesus includes the
power of forgiveness in human relationships. In life not everything is resolved
with justice. No. Especially where one must put a stop to evil, someone must
love beyond what is due, in order to recommence a relationship of grace. […]
God gives every
Christian the grace to write a story of good in the life of his or her brothers
and sisters, especially of those who have done something regrettable or wrong.
With a word, an embrace, a smile, we can pass on to others the most precious
thing we have received. What is the most precious thing we have received?
Forgiveness, which we too must be able to give to others.
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square Sunday, 13
September 2020
[…] The heart of
the parable is the indulgence the master shows towards his servant with the
bigger debt. The evangelist underlines that, “moved with compassion the master”
— we should never forget this word of Jesus: “with compassion”, Jesus always
had compassion — “moved with compassion the master let him go and forgave him
the loan” (v. 27). An enormous debt, therefore a huge remission! But that
servant, immediately afterwards, shows himself to be pitiless towards his
companion, who owed him a modest amount. […]
In the parable we
find two different attitudes: God’s — represented by the king who forgives a
lot, because God always forgives — and that of the man. In the divine attitude
justice is pervaded with mercy, whereas the human attitude is limited to justice.
Jesus exhorts us to open ourselves with courage to the strength of forgiveness,
because in life not everything can be resolved with justice. We know this.
There is a need for that merciful love, which is also at the basis of the Lord’s
answer to Peter’s question, which precedes the parable. Peter’s question goes
like this: “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?”
(v. 21). And Jesus replies, “I do not say to you, seven times but seventy times
seven” (v. 22). In the symbolic language of the Bible this means that we are
called to forgive always. […]
TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
Ez 33:7-9; Ps 95; Rom 13:8-10; Mt 18:15-20
COMMENTARY
The Mission of Reconciliation in Christ
This Sunday’s Gospel offers an instruction on fraternal correction among members of the community of believers in Christ. These are the concrete directions within the so-called “Church Discourse” (or on the Church) of chapter 18, in which the evangelist St. Matthew groups the teachings of Jesus concerning the relationship between brothers and sisters in the community. The words heard today seem very clear and indicate concrete steps to be taken, almost as if it were a manual of the law to be applied in the specific case “if your brother sins against you.” They are therefore not to be ignored (it would be too complicated to talk to someone with whom we already have a difficult relationship!) nor put into practice incorrectly (in using them for a personal settling of scores). The whole thing must be interpreted in the right way, keeping in mind the literary-spiritual context of these same directions, beginning with Jesus’ very important statement at the end of the passage about his presence in the midst of the disciples gathered in his name.
1. “Where Two or Three Are Gathered Together in My Name, There Am I in the Midst of Them.” The Principle of Christ’s Constant Presence Among His Disciples
This is the
theological truth that Jesus emphasized at the end of the instruction on
fraternal correction. Thus, it illuminates the whole process that He
recommended to His disciples. In itself, this final statement of Jesus refers back
to the angel’s words to St. Joseph at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel
concerning the identity of the unborn Messiah who will be Emmanuel – “God with
us”. On the other hand, it also refers directly to the last statement of the risen
Jesus to His disciples before ascending to Heaven and after sending them on a
mission throughout the world: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end
of the age” (Mt 28:20b). Christ’s constant mystical presence among his
disciples in their lives and mission, is thus highlighted, even where there are
only two or three people, gathered in His
name.
For further
consideration, it is worth mentioning here the almost parallel saying in the
rabbinic tradition, “When two sit together and words of Torah pass between
them, the Shekinah [Divine Presence] rests between them” (m.Avot
3:2). Here, Shekinah indicates the immanent presence of God in the world
and has a strong connection with the biblical-Jewish view on the divine
dwelling among the people, which was developed in later traditions. The
parallel form of the two sayings, that of Jesus and that of the rabbis, makes
it possible to trace two significant correspondences in terms of content: Jesus
with the Torah (Law) and Jesus’
presence with the divine presence. The Jesus’ saying turns out to be all about
Jesus: it is Christ-centric, unlike the rabbinic saying which is Torah-centric and theo-centric.
In this
regard, Jesus’ analyzed statement comes after the instruction in Mt 18:19-20 (“if
two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall
be granted to them by my heavenly Father”). The latter thus illuminates and
clarifies, specifically, the promised presence of Jesus. Indeed, first and
foremost it affirms the efficacy of communal prayer, that is, at least in two!
The motivation is the mentioned Jesus’ presence in the midst of his disciples.
Thus, the gathering by “two or three” here refers primarily to gathering for
the purpose of “asking the Father” or generally for worship, as also suggested
by the emphasis “in my name.” Jesus’ presence among those gathered in His name
will have a strong cultic or “liturgical” dimension oriented toward the Father.
He will be present not so much to receive praise and worship as to pray to God the
Father together with them. Such presence of Jesus, and nothing else, guarantees
the Father’s benevolence and acceptance of their requests. And this is also the
perspective of some affermations in John’s Gospel: “whatever you ask the Father
in my name he may give you” (cf. Jn
15:16; 16.23,24,26).
It is therefore a presence that is not static but dynamic. As in the case of the Shekinah, Jesus will be present in the midst of the faithful, but now with the precise mission of walking with them to assure them of the grace and benevolence of God the Father. Such principle of Jesus’ dynamic mystical presence with his disciples in their lives and mission will be crucial, particularly for the one who will have the delicate and not easy task/duty of “correcting” his brother and sister for the “fault” committed. When they, two or three or the whole church-community, come together, do they do so in His name or in their own name? Do they let Jesus really be in their midst and thus act in them as well?
2. “If He Listens to You, You Have Won Over Your Brother.” Fraternal Correction Within the Mission of Reconciliation in Christ
What was noted above shows us the true spirit in which the concrete
steps of fraternal correction must be applied. It needs to be done, when there
is a need, but always as Christ the good shepherd does, that is, with love,
gentleness and meekness. (It is not by chance that the evangelist Matthew mentions
the parable of the Good Shepherd just before the indications on fraternal
correction that we have heard!). St. Paul will be even more explicit,
mentioning meekness among the fruits of the Spirit in the new life and
suggesting to the faithful Galatians: “Brothers, even if a person is caught in
some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that one in a gentle
spirit, looking to yourself, so that you also may not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law
of Christ.” (Gal 6:1-2).
In the same vein is the Apostle’s own teaching to the faithful Romans in Rom 13:8-10 (which we heard in the second reading): “Brothers and sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” He concludes with words illuminating for our reflection, “Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.” Therefore, fraternal correction, that is, between brothers and sisters in Christ, has and shall have no other motivation than fraternal charity. It then does not and shall not go outside this fraternal charity that “does no evil to the neighbor.”
In this way, fraternal correction is done within reconciliation in Christ. In other words, correction among brethren is done within the broad context of constant reconciliation with God in Christ, because reconciliation with brethren is intrinsically connected with reconciliation with God. It is also about the mission of reconciliation for the whole world to which Christ sent his disciples-missionaries. Let every disciple of Christ then, whether he be the one who corrects or the one who is corrected, listen again and take this profound reflection to heart with a final pressing invitation from St. Paul the Apostle: “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2Cor 5:19-20).
3. “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn 13:35). The Principle of Unity in Love Among Disciples for the Credibility of Christ’s Mission
In this perspective, we understand even more the “missionary” significance of every act of correction and fraternal reconciliation. It is about being united in love for the credibility of the same evangelization/reconciliation mission of Christ and of the church-community of His disciples-missionaries. That is why Jesus insisted so much on mutual love among His disciples, defining it as His new commandment and stressing the importance of this as a testimony of belonging to Him before humanity: “This is how all will know that you are my disciples.” He then prayed to the Father for all His disciples, both in the present and in the future, “so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” (Jn 17:21). May each one of us, his disciples, feel Christ’s heart for unity in love and always have that desire of the Master in mind in every action!
We therefore conclude with St. Paul’s inspired words to the Thessalonian believers. They are also the Lord’s wish for all of us, His disciples-missionaries today, even in the midst of various corrections necessary because of human weaknesses. “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.” (1Thes 3:12-13).
Useful
points to consider:
Pope Francis, General Audience, Paul VI Audience Hall ,
Wednesday, 3 November 2021
[…] In effect, when
we are tempted to judge others badly, as often happens, we must firstly reflect
on our weaknesses. How easy it is to criticise others! But there are people who
seem to have a degree in gossip. They criticise others every day. Take a look at
yourself! It is good to ask ourselves what drives us to correct a brother or a
sister, and if we are not in some way co-responsible for their mistake. In
addition to giving us the gift of gentleness, the Holy Spirit invites us to be
in solidarity, to bear other’s burdens. How many burdens there are in a
person’s life: illness, lack of work, loneliness, pain…! And how many other
trials that require the proximity and love of our brothers and sisters! The
words of Saint Augustine when he commented on this same passage can also help
us: “Therefore, brothers, if a man has been caught out in some wrongdoing, […]
correct him in a spirit of gentleness. And if you raise your voice, love
within. If you encourage, if you present yourself as a father, if you reprove,
if you are severe, love” (cf. Sermon 163/B 3). Love always. The supreme rule
regarding fraternal correction is love: to want the good of our brothers and
sisters. It is a matter of tolerating the problems of others, the defects of
others in the silence of prayer, so as to find the right way to help them to
correct themselves.. […]. Gentleness. Patience. Prayer. Proximity..
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter's Square Sunday, 6
September 2020
This Sunday’s
Gospel passage (cf. Mt 18:15-20) is taken from Jesus’ fourth discourse
in Matthew’s account, known as the discourse on the ‘community’ or the
‘ecclesial’ discourse. Today’s passage speaks about fraternal correction,
and invites us to reflect on the twofold dimension of Christian existence:
community, which demands safeguarding communion — that is, the unity of
the Church — and personal, which obliges attention and respect for every
individual conscience. To correct a brother who has made a mistake, Jesus
suggests a pedagogy of rehabilitation.[…]. And this pedagogy of rehabilitation
is articulated in three passages. In the first place he says: “tell him his
fault, between you and him alone” (v. 15), that is, do not air his sin in
public. It is about going to your brother with discretion, not to judge him but
to help him realize what he has done. […]
However, it may
happen that, despite my good intentions, the first intervention may fail. In this case […] Non desistere, ma ricorrere
all’appoggio di qualche altro fratello o sorella. Gesù dice: «Se non ascolterà,
prendi ancora con te una o due persone, perché ogni cosa sia risolta sulla
parola di due o tre testimoni» (v. 16). Do not give up, but seek the
support of some other brother or sister. Jesus says: “if he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you, that every word may be confirmed by the
evidence of two or three witnesses” (v. 16). This is a precept of Mosaic law
(cf. Deut 19:15). Although it may seem a disadvantage to the accused, in
reality it served to protect him against false accusers. But Jesus goes
further: the two witnesses are called not to accuse and judge, but to help. […] Gesù infatti mette in conto che possa
fallire anche questo approccio – il secondo approccio - con i testimoni,
diversamente dalla legge mosaica, per la quale la testimonianza di due o tre
era sufficiente per la condanna.
In fact Jesus
explains that even this approach — the second approach, with witnesses — may
fail, unlike Mosaic law, for which the testimony of two or three witnesses was enough
to convict.
Indeed, even the
love of two or more brothers or sisters may be insufficient, because that man
or woman is stubborn. In this case — Jesus adds — “tell it to the church” (v.
17), that is, the community. In some situations the entire community becomes
involved. There are things that can have an impact on other brothers and
sisters: it takes a greater love to rehabilitate the brother. But at times even
this may not be enough. And Jesus says: “and if he refuses to listen even to
the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” (ibid.).
This expression, seemingly so scornful, in reality invites us to put the
brother in God’s hands: only the Father will be able to show a greater love
than that of all brothers and sisters put together. […] It is the love of
Jesus, who had embraced the tax collectors and Gentiles, scandalizing the
conformists of the time. However it is not a sentence without an appeal, but a
recognition that at times our human attempts may fail, and that only being before
God can bring the brother to face his own conscience and responsibility for his
actions. […]
22nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
Jer 20:7-9; Ps 62; Rom 12:1-2; Mt 16:21-27
COMMENTARY
The True Mission of the Christ of God and His Disciples
At the end of last Sunday’s Gospel, after Peter’s profession of faith, Jesus “commanded his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ”. After confirming the truth of Peter’s spoken words with high praise why did He do this? We find the answer to this question in today’s Gospel, which follows the one read a week ago. Jesus, professed as the Christ, the Son of the living God, now reveals his true mission as Christ-Messiah for the salvation of the world according to God’s plan. The fact that Peter’s resistance to this revelation provoked an almost vehement reaction from Jesus, makes it clear that Jesus wanted not only to enlighten the disciples on the divine plan to be fulfilled, but also to give them an implicit invitation to understand and adhere to the same mission of their Master. The words of Jesus today are therefore fundamental for the mission of the disciples of all times and deserve particular study precisely from a missionary perspective. The following three points serve only as introductory notes to a broader personal reflection on the matter.
1. “[At that time] Jesus began to show… that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly…”
Also for today’s Gospel the temporal context of Jesus’ teaching must be specified. It is mentioned in the various lectionaries with the classic “At that time” (from the Latin “In illo tempore”), which is too generic and insufficient to understand the meaning of Jesus’ actions and words that follow. (The English lectionaries even omit this temporal clause!) The account of the evangelist Matthew instead has the phrase “from that time on” to underline the close relationship between our episode and the previous one of Peter’s profession of faith. In other words, what is happening today is intrinsically connected with Peter’s profession of faith and together with it effectively marks the turning point in Jesus’ mission. After and only after being professed as the Messiah of God, did Jesus reveal the true nature of his mission, “From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly…”
This is the emblematic phrase on the mission that Jesus will effectively accomplish with his life, passion, death, and resurrection. However, it should be emphasized that the used word “must” does not indicate an inevitability of events, but the plan to be carried out according to God’s will. This theological nuance of the verb analyzed is accentuated even more often and more strongly in the Gospel of Luke. Thus, just one example for all, in the account of the apparition on the road to Emmaus, the risen Christ reproached the two “foolish and slow-hearted” disciples with a rhetorical question: “Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Lk 24:26). It is the mystery of the true mission of God’s Messiah, which also passes through the moment of the passion and the cross, not because He voluntarily sought it or suffered it passively, but simply because Jesus the Christ faithfully adhered to God’s plan designed for him for the salvation of the world (“Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.” Mk 14:36). So, in our Gospel episode today, he began to introduce his disciples to this mystery of his true mission to prepare them to understand this divine plan for the Messiah as foretold in the prophets. It is the Wisdom of the Cross, of which Saint Paul the Apostle will speak. All disciples of the crucified and risen Christ are invited to embrace this Wisdom in carrying on the same mission of evangelization in the world.
2. “Get behind me, Satan!” A curious “transformation” of Peter the Apostle from “foundation stone” to “stumbling block”
Peter’s
first, spontaneous reaction to the revelation of Christ’s cross demonstrated
the usual view of all who were waiting for the Messiah – Savior of
Israel (who comes in God’s power and glory). Indeed, on that occasion, Peter
allowed himself the luxury of “rebuking” his teacher, although only “taking him
aside”: “God forbid, Lord!
No such thing shall ever happen to you.” This was followed by a very
vehement counter-reaction from Jesus who harshly reproached Peter: “Get behind me, Satan! You are
an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
These are very harsh words, never heard on the lips of Jesus who in the Gospel
never called anyone with the diabolical name “Satan” (except of course when he
denounced Satan himself in the last temptation in Saint Matthew’s account!).
On
the one hand, this reaction of Jesus gives us a glimpse of how serious the
situation was. At stake is the question of life and death for those who want to
follow God’s will, including for his Messiah. On the other hand, the apostle
Peter who a few moments ago received Jesus’ praise for his profession of faith
under divine inspiration, now even becomes “Satan”, the diabolical character
who always tries to hinder and lead people astray from God’s way. From one
moment to another, Peter - the “foundation stone” of the Church - becomes a “scandal”
for the Master, that is to say a “stumbling block”, because he was “thinking
not as God does, but as human beings do.” Kyrie eleison!
What
a “spectacular” transformation! What happens with Peter becomes a warning for
every disciple of Christ of every age. O disciple of Christ, if you are not
careful to always remain in the Lord, you can become an instrument of Satan
without even realizing it, when “you are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do,” when
you follow the plan of men according to the mentality of world, however beautiful
and useful it may be. But it is not God’s way, which can and should be learned and
discerned from His words in the Scriptures, even if it may be difficult to
achieve and may even cost you your life.
Therefore,
here is the cordial exhortation (and how appropriate today!) of Saint Paul to
the faithful in Rome and generally to all Christ’s disciples, “Do not conform
yourselves to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that
you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”
In this, the words of God will play the fundamental role for an on-going conversion
and formation of mind and heart under the illumination, inspiration, and
guidance of the Spirit of God. This is fundamental in the life of Christ’s disciples
like Peter and will be even more so in their commitment to continue the mission
of their Master and Lord. In this regard, here is an important teaching from
Pope Francis in the Message for World Mission (Sun)Day this year 2023, in his
comment on the Emmaus episode:
“Without the Lord to introduce us, it is impossible to understand sacred
Scripture in depth; yet the opposite is equally true: without sacred Scripture,
the events of Jesus’ mission and of his Church in the world remain
indecipherable” (Aperuit Illis, 1). It follows that knowledge of
Scripture is important for the Christian life, and even more so for the
preaching of Christ and his Gospel. Otherwise, what are you passing on to
others if not your own ideas and projects? A cold heart can
never make other hearts burn!
And a heart that thinks only according to the world, will it ever be able to offer and explain to others the correct way of the Lord?
3. The courage and wisdom of losing one’s life in the mission
In
the severe rebuke to Peter, it should be noted that, although the Apostle
miserably fell into the common worldly mentality on the mission of God’s
Messiah, Jesus did not send him home. Jesus did not tell Peter “Go away from me”
as he had said to Satan himself (“get away from me, Satan”). Instead, he commanded
Peter, “Get behind me,” to exhort him to place himself again on the position of
a disciple behind the master to follow him. These words are actually Jesus’ second
call for Peter after the first one “Follow me” along the shore of the lake of
Gennesaret. They are also valid for all disciples and therefore, Jesus gave
them all a so-called discourse of “sequela”, explaining the principles
of following Him in life and mission. He starts from a clear request, motivated
by a declaration of an existential sapiential nature, “Whoever wishes to come
after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever
wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake
will find it.”
Without going too far into a detailed analysis of this meaningful discourse of Jesus, I would like to underline only one fundamental point. Jesus, who asks his potential followers in such a demanding, indeed intransigent way, is the one who has already traveled this path. He has first followed personally the exposed principles of denying oneself for God, of taking up his cross, of losing one’s life and then finding it again. It is about the dynamics of the seed that falls under the earth and dies to give birth to a new plant, as Jesus himself explained on another occasion. It is therefore more than a sapiential exhortation (for a wisdom of life), but a very “personal” lection on “art of living” from Jesus who then effectively promises true life to anyone who “loses his life for my sake”. Jesus appears here as a sage who teaches the way to achieve true life. However, this way is identifiable with himself and with his message, with his mission that he will entrust to his disciples-missionaries in the world.
Let
us pray then in conclusion with the words of a popular Italian liturgical
chant, in communion with the whole Church and with the Holy Father in his
apostolic-missionary journey to Mongolia in these days:
Take
my life, take it, oh Lord,
and
let your flame burn in my heart.
(…)
Grant
me, o Lord, to give myself to You
and
let your light shine before me.
I
will follow your footsteps, oh crucified King
and
in following you, I’ll live of you.
Useful points for consideration:
ADDRESS OF POPE
FRANCIS
Room of
Renunciation of the Archbishop's Residence, Assisi - Friday, 4 October 2013
My Brother Bishop said that this is the first time in 800 years that a
Pope has come here. In recent days the newspapers and media have been stirring
up fantasies. “The Pope is going to strip the Church, there!”. “What will he
strip from the Church?”. “He is going to strip bishops and cardinals of their
vestments; then he will divest himself”. This is, indeed, a good occasion to
invite the Church to divest herself. But we are all the Church! All of us!
Beginning with the newly baptized, we are all Church, and we must all follow
the path of Jesus, who himself took the road of renunciation. He became a
servant, one who serves; he chose to be humiliated even to the Cross. And if we
want to be Christians, there is no other way. But can’t we make Christianity a
little more human — they say — without the cross, without Jesus, without
renunciation? In this way we would become like Christians in a pastry shop,
saying: what beautiful cakes, what beautiful sweets! Truly beautiful, but not
really Christians! Someone could ask: “Of what must the Church divest
herself?”. Today she must strip herself of a very grave danger, which threatens
every person in the Church, everyone: the danger of worldliness. The Christian
cannot coexist with the spirit of the world, with the worldliness that leads us
to vanity, to arrogance, to pride. And this is an idol, it is not God. It is an
idol! And idolatry is the gravest of sins!
When the media speaks about the Church, they believe the Church is made
up of priests, sisters, bishops, cardinals and the Pope. But we are all the
Church, as I said. And we all must strip ourselves of this worldliness: the
spirit opposing the spirit of the Beatitudes, the spirit opposing the spirit of
Jesus. Worldliness hurts us. It is so very sad to find a worldly Christian,
sure — according to him — of that security that the faith gives and of the
security that the world provides. You cannot be on both sides. The Church — all
of us — must strip herself of the worldliness that leads to vanity, to pride,
that is idolatry.
(…)
When Francis, here, made the gesture of divesting himself he was a
young boy, he didn’t have the strength for this. It was the strength of God
that impelled him to do this, the strength of God who wanted to remind us of
what Jesus prayed to the Father, that the Father save us from the spirit of the
world. Today, here, let us ask for grace for all Christians. May the Lord give
to all of us the courage to strip ourselves of the spirit of the world, not of
20 lire, but the spirit of the world, which is the leprosy, the cancer of
society! It is the cancer of God’s revelation! The spirit of the world is the
enemy of Jesus! I ask the Lord that, he give us all this grace to strip
ourselves. Thank you!
The following are
the words that Pope Francis had prepared for this occasion and that he
submitted for publication.
Dear Brothers and
Sisters,
Thank you for your welcome! This place is a special place, and that is
why I wished to stop here, even though it is a very full day. Here Francis
divested himself of everything, before his father, before the Bishop, and the
people of Assisi. It was a prophetic gesture, and it was also an act of prayer,
an act of love and of trust to the Father who is in Heaven.
With this gesture Francis made his choice: the choice to be poor. That
is not a sociological, ideological choice, it is a choice to be like Jesus, to
imitate him, to follow him to the end. Jesus is God stripped of his glory. We
read in St Paul: Christ Jesus, who was in the form of God, stripped himself,
and made himself like us, and in this humiliation came to die on a cross (cf.
Phil 2:6-8). Jesus is God, but he was born naked, he was placed in a manger,
and he died naked and crucified. Francis stripped himself of everything, of his
worldly life, of himself, to follow his Lord, Jesus, to be like him. Bishop Guido
understood this act and immediately rose, embraced Francis and covered him with
his cloak, and was ever after his helper and protector (cf. Vita Prima, FF, 344).
The renunciation of St Francis tells us simply what the Gospel teaches:
following Jesus means putting him in first place, stripping ourselves of the
many things that we possess that suffocate our hearts, renouncing ourselves,
taking up the cross and carrying it with Jesus. Stripping ourselves of prideful
ego and detaching ourselves from the desire to possess, from money, which is an
idol that possesses.
(…)
But I would, as a pastor, ask myself as well: What should the Church
strip herself of?
She must strip away every kind of worldly spirit, which is a temptation
for everyone; strip away every action that is not for God, that is not from
God; strip away the fear of opening the doors and going out to encounter all,
especially the poorest of the poor, the needy, the remote, without waiting.
Certainly not to get lost in the shipwreck of the world, but to bear with
courage the light of Christ, the light of the Gospel, even in the darkness,
where one can’t see, where one might stumble. She must strip away the seeming
assurance structures give, which, though certainly necessary and important,
should never obscure the one true strength it carries within: God. He is our
strength! To strip away what is not essential, because our reference is Christ;
the Church is Christ’s! Many steps, above all in these decades, have been
taken. Let us continue on this path, Christ’s, the path of Saints.
(…)
In this place that challenges us, I would like to pray that every
Christian, the Church, every man and woman of goodwill, know how to strip
themselves of what is not essential in order to go to meet the poor and ask to loved
by them. Thank you all!
Is 22:19-23; Ps 137; Rom 11:33-36; Mt 16:13-20
COMMENTARY
The profession of faith in Caesarea Philippi - The turning point of the mission
Following Jesus with his disciples on their way, with this Sunday’s Gospel we have reached the turning point of his mission, when Jesus asked his disciples and obtained from Peter, as representative of the group, the profession of faith in his messianic identity. To better understand the meaning of the episode as well as the very words spoken by both Peter and Jesus for the mission then and also today, it is necessary to delve into some details, apparently not relevant and therefore often overlooked, starting from the indication of the place of the event.
1. Why a confession of faith in “the region of Caesarea Philippi”?
Only the
evangelists Matthew and Mark indicate the geographical context of the episode: “the
region of Caesarea Philippi”. It is a Greco-Roman style city rebuilt by the
tetrarch Philip in honor of the emperor Caesar Augustus on the site formerly
called Panea (in honor of Pan, divinity of wild nature). (Thus, the
first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus mentions the city as Caesarea
Panias). Modern archeology has found there the remains of the sanctuary of this
Greek divinity and, as in every Greco-Roman city, we can also imagine the
existence in that area of other altars dedicated to other divinities, the
various “sacred monuments”, such as St. Paul found in Athens (cf. Acts 17:23).
Here we have a particular spatial context that reflects contemporary paganism
where people believed in various gods according to each one’s religious
inclination and needs. We therefore always find Jesus and the disciples in the “pagan”
area on the borders of the northern part of Galilee. (So much so that last
Sunday we “saw” them in the area of Tire and Sidon with an encounter with a
Canaanite mother).
Moreover,
the region of Caesarea-Philippi faces Mount Hermon with one of the sources of
the Jordan River. In the area we note the concentration of fig trees, which can
also be observed today by pilgrims in the Banias Natural Park-Reserve. The fig
tree, with its sturdy and tall trunk (up to 8 meters) and large leaves, offers
a cool shelter against the heat of the sun. Therefore, sitting under the fig
tree and the vine will be a sign of the messianic time (cf. Mi 4:4).
This geographical context seems crucial to us to understand why Jesus took the disciples so far from their “base” in Capernaum (at least 10 hours walk according to Google Maps!), in order to ask them a fundamental question about his identity. Regardless of and unlike how people may regard Jesus in the contemporary world of pluralism of gods and religious opinions, the disciples are now called to profess their faith in Jesus as the true and only Messiah of God of Israel, of that one and only true God. We can well understand that the question is also relevant precisely in our modern times. Every follower of Christ is now called to profess true faith in him, like Peter and other disciples, in the midst of various possible “opinions” regarding His person among the people. And this sincere “taking a position” is essential for witnessing and sharing the true faith with others.
2. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Peter’s profession of faith in Matthew’s Gospel completes and at the
same time makes explicit the other simpler forms, reported by the evangelists
Mark (“You are the Christ”) and Luke (“You are the Christ of God”). For a
detailed study of the content of this profession, I refer you to the various
books on Christology. I would like to recall here only two essential points.
Firstly, Jesus is professed to be the Christ, i.e. the “messiah”
in Hebrew, meaning the anointed one. In other words, he is the Anointed One of
God, foretold by the ancient prophets of Israel and therefore long awaited by
the Chosen People at the end of time. While in the history of Israel various
kings, priests, and in some cases even prophets were the anointed by God, Peter’s
response to Jesus accentuates the singular identity of Jesus as the messiah, the
anointed of the anointed, the only and definitive one, sent by God for the
mission of saving his people. Furthermore, in Peter’s words, we can glimpse not
so much an affirmation of an intellectual nature as an expression of adherence
to the person of Jesus as the Christ in whom the apostles now trust and place
all their hope. He is therefore “the one who is to come” into the world, as it
was clarified for a perplexed John the Baptist in prison, and as it was
declared on the lips of Martha in the Gospel of John: “I believe that you are
the Christ, the Son of God, who
comes into the world” (Jn 11:27). The coming of
Jesus Christ-Messiah inaugurates for the Chosen People and for the whole world
the awaited and predicted messianic era, in which everyone sits under his vine
and his fig tree, to use again the evocative image of the prophets mentioned
earlier.
Secondly, by professing that Jesus is the Son of the living God, Peter declares belief in the particular divine nature of Jesus in relation to the one true God of Israel who revealed himself to Moses simply as “I am”, the One-Who-Is. Also concerning this title, angels or various men were already called “sons of God” in the biblical-Jewish tradition. However, as well noted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in this profession of Peter we recognize “the transcendent character of the divine filiation of Jesus the Messiah” (nn. 442-443). So much so that in the Gospel of John, Peter will declare on behalf of the small group of few who remained with Jesus during the so-called crisis of Galilee, when “many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him” after the “hard” discourse “I am the bread of life”: “We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” (Jn 6:69). Likewise, the uniqueness of Jesus, Son of God, is accentuated with the expression “the Only Begotten of the Father” or simply the Son. (It should be added that in our evangelical episode recounted by the evangelist Matthew, divine transcendence also seems connected with the implicit title that Jesus used for himself in asking his followers at the beginning: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”)
3. «Non praevalebunt» - «[The gates of the netherworld] shall not prevail [against it.]»
Among the
evangelists who recount the same episode in Caesarea of Philippi, only Saint
Matthew reports Jesus’ discourse to Peter after the latter’s profession of
faith. These are the inspired and profound words, which have become the object
of reflection, study, theological debate over the centuries (with a few heated “disagreements”
involved up to today!) From a spiritual point of view and due to the limitation
of time, we will only dwell on two observations important for understanding Jesus’
discourse.
First of
all, we note the peculiar character of Jesus’ language in this praise of Peter.
We see in the discourse the abundance of Semitic expressions such as the form
of beatitude (blessed are you, Simon...), “flesh and blood” (to indicate human
nature), the combination of binding-loosing (to indicate the power total, as
seen in Is 22:19-23 [first reading]), the pun based on Simon’s new name as “Cephas”
– stone/rock. This reflects an “earthly” Jesus, so to speak, with his acuity
and purely Jewish way of expressing himself, well rooted in the tradition of
his people.
On the
other hand, the content of the discourse gives us a glimpse of Jesus in
ecstasy, just like in the moment when He pronounced the prayer of praise to God
for the exclusive revelation to the little ones: “I give you thanks, God, Lord
of heaven and earth …” (we heard this a few Sundays ago). That is, we are
dealing with a glorious Jesus, “above earth”, who, with particular authority,
confirmed Peter’s profession as the revelation of God himself (solemnly called
as “My Father who is in heaven”). He consequently, conferred on Peter a status
(“upon this rock I will build my church”) and a special mission (“I will give
you the keys to the kingdom of heaven”).
So we have
here the discourse of the earthly and heavenly Jesus together, which reveals
his plan concerning the future of the “kingdom of heaven” and the building up
of his “Church”. Therefore, the close relationship between the kingdom
of heaven and the Church, which Jesus declared to build on the rock which is
the person of Simon Peter, should be noted. The word “church”, from the
original Greek ekklesia, reflects the Hebrew qahal which
indicates the assembly/congregation of the people, summoned by God (for
worship). Entering the kingdom of God logically means participating in the “church”
of God that Christ builds and calls “his”.
It should be emphasized in this regard that Jesus speaks of his Church and of his action to build it on the rock which is Simon-Peter. In other words, the Church belongs to Christ who builds it, and not to Peter who, with his profession of faith, remains an instrument, albeit a fundamental one, for its foundation. It must be remembered that Christ himself is seen as the rock and as such: there is no foundation other than Christ himself. Thus, Christ’s words to Peter must be understood in an inclusive sense: For the building of the Church, Peter will be the stone in Christ - the one cornerstone and foundation of everything, and this by the will of Christ himself. In this way, we can understand that despite the human weaknesses of Peter and all the others in the Church, the powers of hell will not prevail over it, because behind Peter and generally behind the whole Church, there is Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God, who upholds both. After all, Jesus himself said to Peter and the other disciples before the Passion: “Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers.” (Lk 22:31-32).
Therefore, in this perspective, here is the beautiful affirmation of Pope Leo the Great († 461): “[...] as what Peter believed in Christ endures, so what Christ instituted on the person of Peter endures [...] Throughout the Church, Peter proclaims every day: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (De Natale ipsius, III). Let us pray then in conclusion (in the words of the alternative Collect prayer in the Italian Missal for this 21st Sunday, Year A): O Father, fount of wisdom, who in the humble testimony of the Apostle Peter you laid the foundation of our faith, give all men the light of your Spirit, so that by recognizing in Jesus of Nazareth the Son of the living God, they may become living stones for the building up of your Church. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who is God, and lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
Post Scriptum. Jesus in the end “strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.” Why? We will know the answer the following Sunday!
Useful points to consider:
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church
ARTICLE 2 “AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD”
II. Christ
436 The word “Christ” comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew
Messiah, which means “anointed”. It became the name proper to Jesus only
because he accomplished perfectly the divine mission that “Christ” signifies.
In effect, in Israel those consecrated to God for a mission that he gave were
anointed in his name. This was the case for kings, for priests and, in rare
instances, for prophets.29 This had to be the case all the more so for the Messiah whom
God would send to inaugurate his kingdom definitively.30 It was necessary that the Messiah be anointed by the Spirit
of the Lord at once as king and priest, and also as prophet.31 Jesus fulfilled the messianic hope of Israel in his
threefold office of priest, prophet and king.
(…)
438 Jesus’ messianic consecration reveals his divine mission, “for the
name ‘Christ’ implies ‘he who anointed’, ‘he who was anointed’ and ‘the very
anointing with which he was anointed’. the one who anointed is the Father, the
one who was anointed is the Son, and he was anointed with the Spirit who is the
anointing.’”35 His eternal messianic consecration was revealed during the
time of his earthly life at the moment of his baptism by John, when “God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power”, “that he might
be revealed to Israel”36 as its Messiah. His works and words will manifest him as
“the Holy One of God”.37
III. The Only Son of God
441 In the Old Testament, “son of God” is a title given to the angels,
the Chosen People, the children of Israel, and their kings.44 It signifies an adoptive sonship that establishes a
relationship of particular intimacy between God and his creature. When the
promised Messiah-King is called “son of God”, it does not necessarily imply
that he was more than human, according to the literal meaning of these texts.
Those who called Jesus “son of God”, as the Messiah of Israel, perhaps meant
nothing more than this.45
442 Such is not the case for Simon Peter when he confesses Jesus as
“the Christ, the Son of the living God”, for Jesus responds solemnly: “Flesh
and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”46 Similarly Paul will write, regarding his conversion on the
road to Damascus, “When he who had set me apart before I was born, and had
called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that
I might preach him among the Gentiles...”47 ”and in the synagogues immediately [Paul] proclaimed Jesus,
saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’”48 From the beginning this acknowledgment of Christ’s divine
sonship will be the centre of the apostolic faith, first professed by Peter as
the Church’s foundation.49
443 Peter could recognize the transcendent character of the Messiah’s
divine sonship because Jesus had clearly allowed it to be so understood. To his
accusers’ question before the Sanhedrin, “Are you the Son of God, then?” Jesus
answered, “You say that I am.”50 Well before this, Jesus referred to himself as “the Son” who
knows the Father, as distinct from the “servants” God had earlier sent to his
people; he is superior even to the angels.51 He distinguished his sonship from that of his disciples by
never saying “our Father”, except to command them: “You, then, pray like this:
‘Our Father’”, and he emphasized this distinction, saying “my Father and your
Father”.52
Article 9 “I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH”
751 The word “Church” (Latin ecclesia, from the Greek ek-ka-lein, to
“call out of”) means a convocation or an assembly. It designates the assemblies
of the people, usually for a religious purpose.139 Ekklesia is used frequently in the Greek Old Testament for
the assembly of the Chosen People before God, above all for their assembly on
Mount Sinai where Israel received the Law and was established by God as his
holy people.140 By calling itself “Church,” the first community of Christian
believers recognized itself as heir to that assembly. In the Church, God is
“calling together” his people from all the ends of the earth. the equivalent
Greek term Kyriake, from which the English word Church and the German Kirche
are derived, means “what belongs to the Lord.”
752 In Christian usage, the word “church” designates the liturgical
assembly,141 but
also the local community142 or the whole universal community of believers.143 These three meanings are inseparable. “The Church” is the
People that God gathers in the whole world. She exists in local communities and
is made real as a liturgical, above all a Eucharistic, assembly. She draws her
life from the word and the Body of Christ and so herself becomes Christ’s Body.
The Church - instituted by Christ Jesus
763 It was the Son’s task to accomplish the Father’s plan of salvation
in the fullness of time. Its accomplishment was the reason for his being sent.160 ”The Lord Jesus inaugurated his Church by preaching the Good
News, that is, the coming of the Reign of God, promised over the ages in the
scriptures.”161 To fulfill the Father’s will, Christ ushered in the Kingdom
of heaven on earth. the Church “is the Reign of Christ already present in
mystery.”162
764 “This Kingdom shines out before men in the word, in the works and
in the presence of Christ.”163 To welcome Jesus’ word is to welcome “the Kingdom itself.”164 The seed and beginning of the Kingdom are the “little flock”
of those whom Jesus came to gather around him, the flock whose shepherd he is.165 They form Jesus’ true family.166 To those whom he thus gathered around him, he taught a new
“way of acting” and a prayer of their own.167
765 The Lord Jesus endowed his community with a structure that will
remain until the Kingdom is fully achieved. Before all else there is the choice
of the Twelve with Peter as their head.168 Representing the twelve tribes of Israel, they are the
foundation stones of the new Jerusalem.169 The Twelve and the other disciples share in Christ’s mission
and his power, but also in his lot.170 By all his actions, Christ prepares and builds his Church.
766 The Church is born primarily of Christ’s total self-giving for our
salvation, anticipated in the institution of the Eucharist and fulfilled on the
cross. “The origin and growth of the Church are symbolized by the blood and
water which flowed from the open side of the crucified Jesus.”171 ”For it was from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of
death upon the cross that there came forth the ‘wondrous sacrament of the whole
Church.’”172 As Eve was formed from the sleeping Adam’s side, so the
Church was born from the pierced heart of Christ hanging dead on the cross.173
TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
Is 56:1, 6-7; Ps 67; Rom 11:13-15, 29-32; Mt 15:21-28
O God, let all the nations praise you!
COMMENTARY
Faith Rediscovered in the Mission “Abroad”
This Sunday’s Gospel offers us a moving episode that takes place during Jesus’ mission journey with the apostles “to the region of Tyre and Sidon,” that is, outside the land of Israel. In that “foreign” region an apparently unplanned encounter took place with a Canaanite woman, that is, “non-Jewish,” “pagan.” She, despite being tried by her daughter’s critical situation and unusually cold treatment by Jesus, demonstrated such maturity of faith as to merit Jesus’ beautiful praise before his disciples, “O woman, great is your faith!” Let us look more closely at some details-paradoxes in the story to understand more of what God’s Word wants to teach us today.
1. The Moving Cry of a Canaanite Mother vs. Jesus’ Unusual Behavior: Towards an Important Lesson of Faith to the Disciples
It
should be analyzed, first of all, the moving request of the woman who came to
Jesus and cried out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is
tormented by a demon.” The action of calling out gives us a glimpse of the
woman’s despair and makes us despair with her, but the content of her cry moves
us even more to the heart of a mother. His daughter is sick, but she was not
begging Jesus, “Have pity on my daughter,” but rather, “Have pity on me!” She
begs like this, because in fact the daughter’s sorrows are her sorrows, and
what torments the daughter causes the same torment to the mother as well. (Ask
any given mother and she will understand what I am talking about! – Just to
paraphrase St. Augustin’s rhetoric) In the cry of this Canaanite woman there is
her whole heart crushed by a desperate situation that prompts her to cling now
to her last hope, to Jesus, in whom she confesses to believe, calling him by
the very titles that the Israelites reserve for the Messiah, the Christ of God:
“Lord, Son of David!” And she repeated her humble request-profession of faith
one more time with the act of prostration and supplication, “Lord, help me.”
In
this touching scene, the unusual coldness of Jesus, who is always merciful and
compassionate in the face of human misery, is astonishing. At first, “Jesus did
not say a word in answer to her”, and then, when He began to speak (forced
moreover by the disciples’ insistence), He uttered the unwelcoming and even
offensive phrases to the woman with His use of the image of “dogs” for
non-Israelite people like her! Why did it happen here what had never occurred
before with Jesus anywhere else?
All will be made clear with Jesus’ final praise for the woman’s great faith before His disciples whom Jesus often rebuked as “men of little faith” (as we heard for Peter in last Sunday’s Gospel). Jesus most likely inwardly “saw” the woman’s faith-filled heart from the very beginning, even though He literally “ignored” her. He probably wanted to further test the woman (with his apparent coldness and unkindness) so that her faith would have emerged in all its fullness as a lesson for the disciples. We should note that, despite all, Jesus always stayed with the woman and did not run away from her or send her away. Moreover, here spiritually one could see applying the divine rule that St. Paul taught the Corinthians, “No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it” (1Cor 10:13). It will therefore be Jesus himself who, in testing the woman’s faith, will mysteriously give her strength and a lucid mind to pass the test with answers seasoned with superhuman wisdom and patience.
2.
The Curious Dialogue Between Jesus and the Woman and a Necessary Clarification
of Jesus’ Mission
With this in mind, the dialogue between Jesus and
the woman appears highly enlightening on a spiritual level, even if Jesus’
statements arouse some perplexity in not a few listeners and thus require
special explanation and attention.
First, it is interesting to note that when Jesus
stated the principle of his divine mission, “I was sent only to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel,” He was in fact already going further, in fact, to Tyre
and Sidon! His mission is already extended “abroad,” and with the healing
granted to the woman’s daughter at the end, the beneficiaries of the mission
are no longer limited among the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” This
mission of evangelization for all peoples will later be made explicit and
recommended by the risen Christ before ascending to Heaven (cf. Mt 28:16-20).
On the other hand, as we have explained in some
previous commentaries, the perennial validity of Israel’s precedence in Jesus’
mission must be confirmed. This is in accordance with God’s promise and His
plan of salvation for His People and for the whole world. And Jesus, God’s
Messiah, came precisely to faithfully fulfill that divine plan for
Israel and humanity. The primary focus of his mission was and will
always remain the People whom God has chosen in love and for whom God has
reserved so many benefits despite all their infidelities in history. Therefore,
it is understandable the principle that Jesus reiterated to the woman through a
phrase that, even if it were a proverb, might shock the sensibilities of some,
especially the suffering woman who was waiting for help: “It is not right to
take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs”.
Astonishing, then, was the wise and patient response of the woman who, as we pointed out earlier, spoke with superhuman strength and lucidity, received only from God in a mysterious way. She confirmed the divine predilection for “the children,” but recalled the mercy for all “dogs”! And her sharpness aroused amazement in the One who tested her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
3. The “Great Faith” of the Foreign Woman versus That of the Apostles
The desperate mother here was really supported by God to remain so patient but persistent during her encounter with Jesus. In this way, she gave everyone a lesson about faith which really performs miracles in life with the Lord. But what I would like to emphasize here is not only to have the perseverance and constancy in pleading with the Lord in difficult situations. From our account we can also understand another important aspect in life with God. Sometimes some of us may find ourselves in a situation similar to that of the Canaanite woman. It may happen that when you need help from above, you cry out to the Lord and there is no answer. Additionally, when you keep begging Him more, something even worse happens, so that your faith is exposed to the extreme. Remember then that, as in the case of the Canaanite woman, the Lord remains with you and mysteriously sustains your faith with His grace, even if He acts strangely cold and indifferent in the face of your concrete need. He is probably allowing your faith in trial to be kindled more and more for those around you, especially for His chosen “apostles” who are in crisis of faith, whether bishops, priests, friars or nuns. He will show them your great faith in the midst of difficulties to teach them how to truly believe and live with God. And thus, you become, by your own life, effectively the disciple-transmitter of faith, like the Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel.
Useful points to consider:
Pope Francis, General Audience, San
Damaso courtyard, Wednesday, 26 May 2021
Catechesis on prayer: 35. The certainty of being heard
There is a radical objection to prayer, which derives from an
observation that we all make: we pray, we ask, and yet sometimes our prayers
seem to go unheard: what we have asked for — for ourselves or for others — is
not fulfilled. […] “Some even stop praying because they think their petition is
not heard” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2734). But if God is
Father, why does he not listen to us? He who assured us that he gives good
things to his children who ask for them (cf. Mt 7:10), why does he not respond
to our requests? […]
The Catechism offers us a good summary of the matter. It puts us
on guard against the risk of not living an authentic experience of faith, but
of transforming the relationship with God into something magical. Prayer is not
a magic wand: it is a dialogue with the Lord. Indeed, when we pray we can fall
into the risk that it is not we who serve God, but we expect it to be He who
serves us (cf. 2735). This is, then, a prayer that is always demanding, that
wants to direct events according to our own design, that admits no plans other
than our own desires. […]
[…] When we pray we must be humble, so that our words may actually be
prayers and not just idle talk that God rejects. […] In prayer, it is God who
must convert us, not we who must convert God. […]
However, the scandal remains: when people pray with a sincere heart,
when they ask for things that correspond to the Kingdom of God, when a mother
prays for her sick child, why does it sometimes seem that God does not listen
to them? To answer this question, we have to meditate calmly on the Gospels.
The accounts of Jesus’ life are full of prayers: many people wounded in body
and in spirit ask him to be healed; there are those who pray for a friend who
can no longer walk; there are fathers and mothers who bring him their sick sons
and daughters. They are all prayers imbued with suffering. It is an immense
chorus that invokes: “Have mercy on us!”
We see that at times Jesus’ response is immediate, whereas in some
other cases it is delayed: it seems that God does not answer. Think of the
Canaanite woman who begs Jesus for her daughter: this woman has to insist for a
long time to be heard (cf. Mt 15:21-28). She even has the humility to
hear a word from Jesus that seems a little offensive towards her: we must not
throw bread to the dogs, to the pooches. But humiliation does not matter to
this woman: her daughter’s health is what matters. And she goes on: “Yes, but
even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table”, and Jesus likes this.
Courage in prayer. […] On some occasions, therefore, the solution to the
problem is not immediate. In our life too, each one of us has this experience.
Let us look back a little: how many times have we asked for a grace, a miracle,
let’s say, and nothing has happened. Then, over time, things have worked out
but in God’s way, the divine way, not according to what we wanted in that
moment. God’s time is not our time. […]
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 20 August
2017
Today’s Gospel (Mt 15:21-28) presents us a unique example of faith in
Jesus’ encounter with a Canaanite woman, a foreigner to the Jews. The scene
unfolds as he is walking toward the cities of Tyre and Sidon, northwest of
Galilee: it is here that the woman begs Jesus to heal her daughter, who — the
Gospel says — “is severely possessed by a demon” (v. 22). The Lord, at first,
seems not to hear this cry of pain, such that it causes the intervention of the
disciples who intercede for her. Jesus’ seeming indifference does not
discourage this mother, who persists in her invocation.
This woman’s inner strength, which enables her to overcome every
obstacle, is to be found in her maternal love and in her faith that
Jesus can grant her request. […] We could say that it is love that stirs faith,
and faith, for its part, becomes love’s reward. Heartrending love for her
daughter causes the woman to cry: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David” (v.
22). And her untiring faith in Jesus allows her not to become discouraged even
in the face of his initial rejection; thus the woman “knelt before him, saying,
‘Lord, help me’” (v. 25).
In the end, before such persistence, Jesus was in awe, nearly
astonished, by the faith of a pagan woman. Therefore he acquiesces, saying: “‘O
woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ […]. Her persistence
in beseeching Christ’s intervention is incentive for us not to become
discouraged, not to despair when we are burdened by life’s difficult trials.
The Lord does not turn away in the face of our needs and, if at times he seems
insensitive to our requests for help, it is in order to put to the test and to
strengthen our faith. We must continue to cry out like this woman: “Lord, help
me! Lord, help me!” In this way, with perseverance and courage. This is the
courage needed in prayer. […]
Let us entrust ourselves to the Holy Spirit, so that he may help us to
persevere in faith. […]
NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
1 Kgs 19:9a,11-13a; Ps 85; Rom 9:1-5; Mt 14:22-33
Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your
salvation
COMMENTARY
With Christ to Walk on the Sea Again
Following Jesus in his mission, according to what Saint Matthew the Evangelist tells us, with today’s Gospel we have arrived at the peculiar episode: Jesus walks on the waters of the rough sea. Besides the miraculous nature of the event itself, the Gospel narrative seems to convey some important messages for the life of Christ’s missionary disciples today. For an in-depth reflection, it is necessary to bear in mind at least three significant details.
1. The Temporal Context and Paschal/Passover Perspective: The Walking on the Sea after the Multiplication of the Bread
First
of all, the temporal context of today’s Gospel should be remembered. It is
indicated in the Italian Lectionary (as in the others) with the phrase: “After
he had fed the people.” What is told immediately after is therefore subsequent
to the multiplication of the bread. It should be noted that this succession of
events is reported not only in the synoptic gospels (Matthew and Mark), but
also in that of John (which follows a different tradition). It is precisely the
latter who underlined the Paschal perspective of the multiplication of the
bread by clarifying the temporal context of the event: “The Jewish feast of
Passover was near” (Jn 6:4). In this way, we are invited to immerse ourselves
in the atmosphere of Easter which celebrates the exodus of the People of God
from Egypt through great and terrible signs and wonders such as the gift of
manna in the desert and obviously the memorable crossing of the Red Sea, later
sung by the Psalmist with the inspired words: “The waters saw you, God; the
waters saw you and lashed about, even the deeps of the sea trembled (…) Through
the sea was your way; your path, through the mighty waters…” (Ps 77:17, 20). It
should be added that, according to the biblical-Jewish tradition, only God
dominates the sea and walks on its waves (cf. Job 9:8).
In this perspective, the walking of Jesus on the lake of Genesaret (usually also called the sea [of Galilee] due to its large size, as in today’s Gospel [cf. Mt 4:18; 15:29]) must be contemplated just as the actualization of the manifestation of almighty God on the waters of the sea during the Exodus of the Chosen People in the past. So much so that Jesus reassured the frightened disciples with the phrase “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid”, in which the literal affirmation “I am” (ego eimi in the original Greek) seems not only to affirm the identity of the speaker, but also deliberately reproduces the very name of God of the Exodus (cf. Ex 3:14). Even the sequence of Jesus’ actions seems to indicate a divine movement descending from high to low. He first stood apart on the mountain to pray (that is, he stayed with God) and then, from there, he went towards the disciples on the rough sea. All this underlines that now with Jesus, Son of God, and in Him the new journey of Exodus through the sea for the People of God is being realized.
2. “Jesus made the disciples get into a boat….” The significant action of Jesus towards the disciples
The highlighted temporal context of the episode with its global Easter/Passover perspective of Jesus’ mission helps us to understand in depth an apparently strange action of Jesus towards the disciples, at the beginning of the story, after the multiplication of the bread: “Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.” The literal Greek verb used to define this act of Jesus is “to force.” With this, we can imagine that his disciples still wanted to remain on the “glorious” place of the multiplication of the bread, when, according to what is reported in the Gospel of John, at the end of the miracle the people wanted to proclaim Jesus as their King (Jn 6:14-15). Jesus’ behavior is therefore very significant in that moment and highly parenthetic for the disciples, called to the same mission as the Master. On the one hand, Jesus seemed to want to teach his disciples to have clear the purpose of his and their mission, which is not to receive earthly glory from human beings, but to simply and faithfully fulfill the divine plan for the salvation of the world. In fact, Jesus himself later withdrew to the mountain alone to pray, that is to say to praise and consult God again, the source and origin of his mission. On the other hand, the disciples had been forced to get back into the boat and go ahead and “precede him to the other side.” Thus, we can glimpse an important spiritual message from a missionary perspective. Specifically, the disciples of Jesus are asked never to rest on single missionary “successes”, but to always go forward, that is, to always continue the mission with courage until the final fulfillment of the salvation of all humanity in the paschal mysteries of the Lord. Not earthly glory, but the divine plan. Never stopping to be pleased with what one has achieved, but always rowing forward in the mission, even with the wind against at times, to further realize God’s project in Christ. And in this journey of the disciples, even if sometimes, as in this case on the Sea of Galilee, the Lord physically leaves them alone to be “on the mountain” with God, He mystically remains close to them in mind and heart, in order to come to their aid promptly in their needs.
3. An interesting “close-up” of Jesus and Peter on the sea and a lesson of faith in the midst of storms
The “close-up” (to use a cinematic expression) of Jesus and Peter fits into this theological-spiritual context. It is an original insertion by the evangelist Matthew who thus wants to leave a lesson on faith in the midst of storms to readers/listeners of all times. Peter could walk on the waves at Jesus’ command, but curiously, “when he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened” and he began to sink. Until Peter paid attention to the wind around him and continued to keep his gaze fixed only on Jesus, towards whom Peter was directed, nothing happened. Peter began to sink the moment he paid too much attention to the wind around him and no longer looked at his Master. This will be the lesson of faith for every disciple-missionary of Christ in the midst of storms: it is necessary to fix one’s gaze only on Jesus, in order to continue walking with Him on the agitated waves around. Precisely according to this logic is the recommendation of the sacred author of the Letter to the Jews to the first Christians, who were experiencing a moment of crisis:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so
great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that
clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes
fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him
he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right
of the throne of God.
Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. (Heb 12:1-3)
The end of this “close-up” of the Gospel episode
reiterates once again the need to always look at Jesus, especially for those
who find their lives in danger. Beginning to sink, Peter shouted “Lord, save
me!” and then, as we can imagine the situation, again he looked upon his Master
and Saviour. At this, as the evangelist pointed out, “immediately Jesus
stretched out his hand and caught Peter.” Thus, in Jesus’ action is reflected
the powerful gesture of God who extends his hand to save the needy who turn to
him in desperate situations. And Jesus’ rebuke to Peter in that instant
confirms the perspective of faith on which the evangelist actually insists: “[Jesus]
said to him: ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’”
Let us pray that these words of Jesus, as well as the whole evangelical account today, may be a constant warning and a lesson for all of us, current disciples of Christ, in our life of faith and in our journey of mission in the contemporary world, where the wind against seems stronger and stronger. Let us keep in mind what Pope Francis affirmed with faith in his Message for World Mission Day 2023:
Today, as then, the Risen Lord remains close to his missionary disciples and walks beside them, particularly when they feel disoriented, discouraged, fearful of the mystery of iniquity that surrounds them and seeks to overwhelm them. So, “let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of hope!” (Evangelii Gaudium, 86). The Lord is greater than all our problems, above all if we encounter them in our mission of proclaiming the Gospel to the world. For in the end, this mission is his and we are nothing more than his humble co-workers, “useless servants” (cf. Lk 17:10).
Useful points to consider:
Pope Francis, Apostolic Journey to Portugal on the occasion of the XXXVII World Youth
Day,
Vespers with Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Consecrated Persons, Seminarians
and Pastoral Workers, Homily, “Mosteiro
dos Jerónimos” (Lisbon) Wednesday, 2 August 2023
[…]
Like the young people who come here from all over the world to take on the
giant waves, we too must set out fearlessly. Indeed, we need never fear the
open seas, for in the midst of storms and battling oncoming winds, Jesus comes
to meet us and says “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid” (Mt 14:27).
How often have we had this experience? Each of us can answer that question in
his or her heart. And if we have not had it, it is because something failed
during the storm. […]
Dear brothers and sisters: to all of you, laity, religious, priests and
bishops, to one and all I say, do not be afraid, let down the nets. Do not go
about hurling accusations – telling people, “this is a sin” or “this is not a
sin”. Let everyone come, we can talk later, but first they should hear the
invitation of Jesus; repentance comes later, closeness to Jesus comes later.
Please, do not turn the Church into a customs house: there the righteous,
peoples whose lives are in order, those properly married, can enter, while
everyone else remains outside. No. That is not the Church. Righteous and
sinners, good and bad: everyone, everyone, everyone. And then, may the Lord
help us to straighten things out… everyone!
Pope Francis, Message for the
2020 World Day of Vocations, (3 May 2020)
Words of Vocation
[…]I chose four key words – pain, gratitude, encouragement and
praise – as a way of thanking priests and supporting their ministry. […]
The first word of vocation, then, is gratitude. Taking the right
course is not something we do on our own, nor does it depend solely on the road
we choose to travel. […] above all else, it is a response to a call from on
high. The Lord points out our destination on the opposite shore and he grants
us the courage to board the boat. In calling us, he becomes our helmsman; he
accompanies and guides us; he prevents us from running aground on the shoals of
indecision and even enables us to walk on surging waters. […]
When the disciples see Jesus walking towards them on the sea, they
first think that he is a ghost and are filled with fear. Jesus immediately
reassures them with words that should constantly accompany our lives and our
vocational journey: “Take heart, it is I; have no fear” (Mt 14:27).
This, then, is the second word I wish to offer you: encouragement.
What frequently hinders our journey, our growth, our choosing the road
the Lord is marking out for us, are certain “ghosts” that trouble our hearts.
[…]
The Lord knows that a fundamental life choice – like marriage or
special consecration to his service – calls for courage. He knows the
questions, doubts and difficulties that toss the boat of our heart, and so he
reassures us: “Take heart, it is I; have no fear!” […]
[…]I also spoke about pain, but here I would like to translate the word
differently, as fatigue. Every vocation brings with it a responsibility.
The Lord calls us because he wants to enable us, like Peter, to “walk on water”,
in other words, to take charge of our lives and place them at the service of
the Gospel, in the concrete and everyday ways that he shows us, and
specifically in the different forms of lay, priestly and consecrated vocation.
Yet, like Saint Peter, our desire and enthusiasm coexist with our failings and
fears.
If we let ourselves be daunted by the responsibilities that await us […]
or by the hardships in store for us, then we will soon turn away from the gaze
of Jesus and, like Peter, we will begin to sink. On the other hand, despite our
frailty and poverty, faith enables us to walk towards the Risen Lord and to
weather every storm. […]
When Jesus at last boards the boat, the winds die down and the waves
are calmed. Here we have a beautiful image of what the Lord can do at times of
turbulence and tempest in our lives. He stills those winds, so that the forces
of evil, fear and resignation no longer have power over us. […]
Even amid the storm-tossed waters, then, our lives become open to praise.
This is the last of our vocation words, and it is an invitation to cultivate
the interior disposition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Grateful that Lord gazed
upon her, faithful amid fear and turmoil, she courageously embraced her
vocation and made of her life an eternal song of praise to the Lord.
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 13 August 2017
[…] This Gospel narrative contains rich symbolism and makes us reflect
on our faith, both as individuals and as an ecclesial community […]The boat is
the life of each one of us, but it is also the life of the Church. The wind
against it represents difficulties and trials. Peter’s invocation — “Lord, bid
me come to you!” — and his cry — “Lord, save me!” — are very similar to our
desire to feel the Lord’s closeness, but also the fear and anguish that
accompany the most difficult moments of our life and of our communities, marked
by internal fragility and external difficulties.
At that moment, Jesus’ word of reassurance, which was like an outstretched
rope to cling to in the face of the hostile and turbulent waters, was not
enough for Peter. This is what can happen to us as well. When one does not
cling to the Word of the Lord […].This means that the faith is not very strong.
Today’s Gospel reminds us that faith in the Lord and in his Word does not open
a way for us where everything is easy and calm; it does not rescue us from life’s
storms. Faith gives us the assurance of a Presence, the presence of Jesus who
encourages us to overcome the existential tempests, the certainty of a hand
that grabs hold of us so as to help us face the difficulties, pointing the way
for us even when it is dark. Faith, in short, is not an escape route from life’s
problems, but it sustains the journey and gives it meaning. […]
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 10 August 2014
[…] And the final scene is also very important. “And when they got into
the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly
you are the Son of God’!” (vv. 32-33). All the disciples are on the boat,
united in the experience of weakness, of doubt, of fear and of “little faith”.
But when Jesus climbs into that boat again, the weather suddenly changes: they
all feel united in their faith in Him. All the little and frightened ones
become great at the moment in which they fall on their knees and recognize the
Son of God in their Teacher. How many times the same thing happens to us!
Without Jesus, far from Jesus, we feel frightened and inadequate to the point
of thinking we cannot succeed. Faith is lacking! But Jesus is always with us,
hidden perhaps, but present and ready to support us.
This is an effective image of the Church: a boat which must brave the
storms and sometimes seems on the point of capsizing. What saves her is not the
skill and courage of her crew members, but faith which allows her to walk, even
in the dark, amid hardships. Faith gives us the certainty of Jesus’ presence
always beside us, of his hand which grasps us to pull us back from danger. We are
all on this boat, and we feel secure here despite our limitations and our
weaknesses.
[…]
FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD (YEAR A)
EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Dn 7:9-10,13-14; Ps 97; 2 Pt 1:16-19; Mt 17:1-9
The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth
COMMENTARY
The Transfigured Christ and His
Mission
By divine
providence, on this 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time we celebrate the Feast of the
Transfiguration of the Lord and the conclusion of World Youth Day 2023. The
Gospel proclaimed is the same as on the 2nd Sunday of Lent, on which we have
already meditated. Let us therefore take up the three points of the reflection
already made for an in-depth reflection on some important details of the
evangelical account, with a special wish to all young people that they may live
the beautiful experience of transfiguration with the Lord in their lives.
1. “Up a High Mountain” – The
Temporal and Spatial Context of Jesus’ Transfiguration in the Mission Journey
The first important aspect to be
clarified is the temporal context of the event (which is expressed in the
Lectionaries in various languages with a generic note “at that time”). The
transfiguration of Christ took place after Peter’s confession about Jesus (“You
are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”; Mt 16:16), immediately followed by
the first prediction of the Passion to the disciples, with which Christ reveals
His true messianic mission (cf. Mt 16:21; Lk 9:22). Moreover, with this
revelation, He invites all to follow
Him on the way of the cross and self-denial to “enter into glory,” (cf. Mt 16:24-25;
Lk 9:23-24). Thus, the transfiguration of Christ is not an isolated episode to
show a “divine spectacle” on the mountain, but it is entirely part of the
mission’s journey that He makes with His disciples with a clear
pedagogical-parenetic purpose for them.
One should note also the place of
Jesus’ transfiguration, which the evangelist Matthew describes with the
expression, “up a high mountain.” That phrase reminds us of that “very high
mountain” of Jesus’ third and final temptation that we saw last Sunday. It also
reminds us of the other mountains on which Jesus has been or will be: that of
the beatitudes, the multiplication of bread, Calvary, and finally His Ascension.
The path of Jesus’ mission is shown to be a constant ascent of the mountain,
which certainly reflects the Sinai of the Judeo-Biblical tradition, where the
encounter between God and Man took place, indeed, where concretely God revealed
himself and spoke to Moses and, later, also to Elijah, who now converse, again
on “a high mountain,” with the transfigured, glorious, divine Jesus.
Thus,
according to the evangelist Matthew’s vision, Jesus’ mission is a journey “from
mountain to mountain,” up to that of the transfiguration, the image of that
last mountain from which the glorious risen Lord ascended to heaven permanently
before the eyes of His disciples. This will then be the journey that raises the
people from the oppression of sins and death to the fullness of life in God. It
will, however, also pass through the mountain of temptations, labors and
sufferings, but it will always end with ascension to Heaven. If Jesus’ mission
is like this, will the mission of His disciples be different?
In
this perspective, the Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasizes, “The
Transfiguration gives us a foretaste of Christ’s glorious coming (…). But it
also recalls that ‘it is through many persecutions that we must enter the
kingdom of God’ (Acts 14:22)” (no. 556). This “must…through many persecutions” for
glory, of course, does not mean that Christ’s disciples will have to look for
troubles or even create it at will for pleasure (like masochists!). It simply
affirms the truth that the disciples’ mission will reflect that of their
Master. This mission will have to face difficulties, sufferings, everyday
crosses, for the Gospel and for the Kingdom of God. The Mount of the
Transfiguration is linked with Mount Calvary. We should not be surprised, then,
if there are obstacles (including temptations) in the missionary Christian
journey, but we must always remember the reassuring words of the Master: “In
the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world”
(Jn 16:33).
2.
“Lord, It Is Good That We Are Here!” Rediscovering the Beauty of Being With the
Lord
From
these words of Peter we can guess how extraordinary his experience must have
been to see Jesus transfigured with His face that “shone like the sun” and His
clothes “white as light,” as the evangelist Matthew describes it in his own original
way. However, we should stress that, according to the Gospel account, what
Peter and other disciples experienced on the mountain was not only a strong
visual experience, but of all the senses, particularly that of hearing, as they
listened to Moses and Elijah converse with Jesus. Such “integral” experience of
the whole being made Peter exclaim “Lord, it is good that we are here”; this
makes us, too, now dream of such a heavenly moment in life.
In
this regard, it should be remembered again that the beautiful experience with
the glorious Lord is offered to us in every Holy Mass, in which we are immersed
in listening to the Word, in Eucharistic communion with Christ who is
sacramentally united with His disciples. They are the precious moments Christ
gives to His faithful on the mission journey, as a kind of weekly / daily
sacramental transfiguration of Christ for us, so that we can also taste a pinch
of our transfiguration with Him and in Him. In this regard, here is the
inspired invitation from the sacred author, “Look to him and be radiant, and
your faces may not blush for shame,” indeed, “Taste and see that the LORD is
good” (Ps 34:6,9). In fact, “what the chosen three disciples heard and beheld
at the Transfiguration exactly converges now with the event of this liturgy in
which the faithful receive the Body and Blood of the Lord. (…) While still on
earth, the disciples saw the divine glory shining in the body of Jesus. While
still on earth, the faithful receive His Body and Blood and hear the Father’s
voice speaking to them in the depths of their hearts: ‘This is my beloved Son,
with whom I am well pleased; listen to him!’” (Homiletic Directory no.68).
In such a perspective, this
Sunday will perhaps also be an opportunity to renew our way of living every
Mass, so that it may be more and more a moment of deep experience of the
glorious Christ, like that on the high mountain in Galilee.
3. “Do Not
Tell the Vision to Anyone Until the Son of Man Has Been Raised From the Dead.”
The True Disciples of the Transfiguration
The
transfiguration continued and culminated with a divine manifestation like
during the theophany on Mount Sinai: the cloud over all disciples and the voice
(from the cloud) confirming Jesus’ identity as the “beloved” and “Son [of God]”,
as happened during Jesus’ baptism. In this perspective, the recommendation “listen
to Him” of the divine voice, which resounds from the cloud on the mountain as
on Sinai, has a fundamental meaning for the disciples: now in Jesus is
manifested the fullness of the Word of God, given to Moses (Law) and Elijah
(Prophets). Indeed, “in times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to
our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through
a son, whom he made heir of all things” (Heb 1:1-2).
After
the Father’s recommendation to listen to him, Jesus’ command to the disciples
seemed rather strange: “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man
has been raised from the dead.” Why? Wasn’t it necessary to announce to
everyone what had happened, as a testimony and proof of Jesus’ divine messianic
identity? Without getting lost in various historical explanations, such a
mysterious order of Jesus seems significant from a theological-spiritual point
of view. First of all, it emphasizes that His resurrection from the dead will
be the fulfillment of His transfiguration, experienced at that time by the
disciples. Consequently, the true meaning of this event on the mount will be
fully and rightly grasped only after having walked with Jesus His entire
mission journey from the mount of transfiguration to Calvary and then back to
the mount of Ascension in Galilee. In other words, only those who have
completed the entire journey with Jesus up to the passion, death, and
resurrection will be able to understand and thus proclaim Christ fully and
correctly, according to the divine vision, and not the human vision (which
usually wants a glory without a cross).
Like Peter, James, John, we all are called to become more and more disciples of transfiguration, that is, disciples of the transfigured Christ. We are concretely called to often climb the mountain with Him to “enter the cloud” of the Spirit without fear, and above all to listen to and follow Him as the only Way to the Father by constantly reflecting in the secret of the soul on all the mysteries of Christ and keeping them with us, to be all of us transformed too, indeed, transfigured with Him and in Him on our missionary Christian journey. And it is now time to start, from this Transfiguration Sunday.
Useful points to consider:
John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the
Consecrated Life and Its Mission in the Church and in the World, Vita
Consecrata
Icon of the
Transfigured Christ
14. The evangelical
basis of consecrated life is to be sought in the special relationship which
Jesus, in his earthly life, established with some of his disciples. He called
them not only to welcome the Kingdom of God into their own lives, but also to
put their lives at its service, leaving everything behind and closely imitating
his own way of life.
Many of the
baptized throughout history have been invited to live such a life “in the image
of Christ”. But this is possible only on the basis of a special vocation and in
virtue of a particular gift of the Spirit. […]
In the Gospel, many
of Christ’s words and actions shed light on the meaning of this special
vocation. But for an overall picture of its essential characteristics, it is
singularly helpful to fix our gaze on Christ’s radiant face in the mystery of
the Transfiguration. A whole ancient spiritual tradition refers to this “icon”
when it links the contemplative life to the prayer of Jesus “on the mountain.”ab
ipso Domino familiarissime celebrata, ab eius discipulis ipso praesente
concupita: cuius transfigurationis gloriam cum vidissent qui cum eo in monte
sancto erant, continuo Petrus ... optimum sibi iudicavit in hoc semper esse” (Ad
Fratres de Monte Dei, I, 1: PL 184, 310).] Even the “active”
dimensions of consecrated life can in a way be included here, for the
Transfiguration is not only the revelation of Christ’s glory but also a
preparation for facing Christ’s Cross. It involves both “going up the mountain”
and “coming down the mountain”. The disciples who have enjoyed this intimacy
with the Master, surrounded for a moment by the splendour of the Trinitarian
life and of the communion of saints, and as it were caught up in the horizon of
eternity, are immediately brought back to daily reality, where they see “Jesus
only”, in the lowliness of his human nature, and are invited to return to the
valley, to share with him the toil of God’s plan and to set off courageously on
the way of the Cross.
“And he was
transfigured before them ...”
15. […] The event
of the Transfiguration marks a decisive moment in the ministry of Jesus.
It is a revelatory event which strengthens the faith in the disciples’ hearts,
prepares them for the tragedy of the Cross and prefigures the glory of the
Resurrection. This mystery is constantly relived by the Church, the people on
its way to the eschatological encounter with its Lord. Like the three chosen
disciples, the Church contemplates the transfigured face of Christ in order to
be confirmed in faith and to avoid being dismayed at his disfigured face on the
Cross. In both cases, she is the Bride before her Spouse, sharing in his
mystery and surrounded by his light. […]
“This is my beloved Son”: listen to him!
16. […]
In the unity of the
Christian life, the various vocations are like so many rays of the one light of
Christ, whose radiance “brightens the countenance of the Church.”The laity,
by virtue of the secular character of their vocation, reflect the mystery of
the Incarnate Word particularly insofar as he is the Alpha and the Omega of the
world, the foundation and measure of the value of all created things. Sacred
ministers, for their part, are living images of Christ the Head and
Shepherd who guides his people during this time of “already and not yet”, as
they await his coming in glory. […] In the consecrated life, then, it is not
only a matter of following Christ with one’s whole heart, of loving him “more
than father or mother, more than son or daughter” (cf. Mt 10:37) — for
this is required of every disciple — but of living and expressing this by
conforming one’s whole existence to Christ in an all-encompassing
commitment which foreshadows the eschatological perfection, to the extent that
this is possible in time and in accordance with the different charisms. […]
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 6 August 2017
The event of the
Lord’s Transfiguration offers us a message of hope — thus shall we be, with Him
—: it invites us to encounter Jesus, to be at the service of our
brothers and sisters.
The disciples’
ascent up Mount Tabor leads us to reflect on the importance of disengaging from
worldly matters, in order to make a journey toward heaven and to contemplate
Jesus. It is a matter of being attentive to the careful and prayerful listening
of Christ, the beloved Son of the Father, seeking intimate moments of prayer
that allow for the docile and joyful welcoming of the Word of God. […] In this
perspective, the summer season is a providential time to cultivate our task of
seeking and encountering the Lord. In this period, students are free of
scholastic commitments and many families take their holidays; it is important
that in the period of rest and disengagement from daily activities, we can
reinforce our strengths of body and soul, by deepening our spiritual journey. […]
Transformed by
Christ’s presence and by the ardour of his Word, we will be a concrete sign of
the invigorating love of God for all our brothers and sisters, especially for
those who are suffering, for those who are lonely and neglected, for the sick
and for the multitude of men and women who, in different parts of the world,
are humiliated by injustice, abuse and violence.
SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
1 Kgs 3:5,7-12; Ps 119; Rom 8:28-30; Mt 13:44-52
Lord, I love your commands
COMMENTARY
The Gift of the Kingdom to Be Received and Proclaimed
We have arrived today at the last part of the so-called parables section in the Gospel according to Matthew. Jesus ends His teaching in (seven) parables with three stories, those of the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price and the net, which further introduce listeners to the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. At least three messages emerge from this and the final dialogue between Jesus and His disciples that are important for our lives today in relation to the Kingdom of God that Jesus tirelessly proclaimed in word and deed during His public ministry.
1. The Unexpected Gift of the Kingdom of Heaven
The first
two parables, of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price, are called
parable-twins by scholars because of their similarity in structure and message.
They emphasize the inestimable value of the Kingdom that far exceeds all the
goods that humankind can possess. Moreover, following the dynamics of the
stories, we can glimpse an unexpected element by which the man found the
treasure or the pearl, even though he could go in search of them.
Thus, the Kingdom of God, called by the evangelist Matthew the Kingdom of Heaven to avoid mentioning God according to Jewish custom, is always an unexpected gift both because of its value beyond any human prediction or vision and because of the unpredictability of its coming, according to an exclusively divine plan, with and in the person of Jesus, with and in His life and mission. Indeed, in Jesus is contained every treasure of wisdom and intelligence, of divine grace and glory. He is the treasure “hidden” in God and now revealed to all humanity.
2. A Wise and Courageous Heart to Welcome the Kingdom
Faced with the value of the Kingdom, people are
invited to make a sacrum commercium, a “sacred trade” to acquire it. It
takes wisdom along with the courage to take risks to make a fundamental
investment in life! Mankind will be required to have a wise and courageous
heart to welcome the Kingdom. Such a disposition, again, will be received as a
gift from the Lord, as happened to Solomon in the Temple of God in Gibeon (cf.
1 Kings 3:5, 7-12) (as we heard in the first reading).
Indeed, in accordance with the biblical-Jewish wisdom tradition, this required wisdom even implies a certain shrewdness, determination, and even cunning! It is the case of the treasure hidden in the field that a man finds, hides it there again, goes and then buys the field to become the master of the treasure. It will be the case of the precious pearl that the merchant surely finds only after a long patient search. The emphasis, however, in both parables falls on determination: “sells all that he has and buys” the found object. It is about human commitment that is fundamental and necessary to receive the given Kingdom! What is more, as we can glimpse in the parable of the “net,” commitment will also be required to remain in the “net” of the Kingdom as “good fish,” lest we be thrown “into the fiery furnace” at the end of the world.
3. Announcing the Kingdom Like Jesus
The final dialogue between Jesus and His disciples gives us an interesting cue to reflect on the figure of the Kingdom disciple. In this regard, the comment of St. Hilary (of Poitiers), quoted by St. Thomas Aquinas in his famous Catena Aurea, is significant: “ Speaking to His disciples, He calls them Scribes on account of their knowledge, because they understood the things that He brought forward, both new and old, that is from the Law and from the Gospels; both being of the same householder, and both treasures of the same owner. He compares them to Himself under the figure of a householder, because they had received doctrine of things both new and old out of His treasury of the Holy Spirit.”
With this in mind, the disciples who have understood “all these things” in parables, set forth by Jesus as the whole of the newness of the Good News, but rooted deeply in God’s ancient Holy Scriptures, are called to do likewise after the example of their Master in carrying out the same mission of proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom. Therefore, Jesus’ last recommendation to his faithful ones before his ascension into heaven will be precisely to go and “make disciples of all nations”, baptizing and “teaching them to observe all that” Jesus had taught (cf. Mt 28:20). In questo, il Cristo risorto ha affermato di essere con loro “always, until the end of the age.” In this, the risen Christ claimed to be with them “always, until the end of the age.” Thus, Christ’s disciples will be called to proclaim and teach the kingdom of God with Christ, as Christ, indeed in persona Christi “in the person of Christ” who is indeed always with them. They will be especially invited to speak and act with the wisdom of Christ, combining new things and old things of God under the inspiration of the Spirit, to draw all to the beauty of the Kingdom.
Useful points to consider:
John Paul II, Encyclical on the Permanent Validity
of the Church’s Missionary Mandate, Redemptoris Missio
Christ Makes the
Kingdom Present
13. Jesus of
Nazareth brings God’s plan to fulfillment. After receiving the Holy Spirit at
his Baptism, Jesus makes clear his messianic calling: he goes about Galilee “preaching
the Gospel of God and saying: ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is
at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel’” (Mk 1:14-15; cf. Mt 4:17; Lk 4:43).
The proclamation and establishment of God’s kingdom are the purpose of his
mission: “I was sent for this purpose” (Lk 4:43). But that is not all. Jesus
himself is the “Good News,” as he declares at the very beginning of his mission
in the synagogue at Nazareth, when he applies to himself the words of Isaiah
about the Anointed One sent by the Spirit of the Lord (cf. Lk 4;14-21). Since
the “Good News” is Christ, there is an identity between the message and the
messenger, between saying, doing and being. His power, the secret of the
effectiveness of his actions, lies in his total identification with the message
he announces; he proclaims the “Good News” not just by what he says or does,
but by what he is. [...]
In the Risen Christ God’s Kingdom Is Fulfilled and Proclaimed
16. By raising
Jesus from the dead, God has conquered death, and in Jesus he has definitely inaugurated
his kingdom. During his earthly life, Jesus was the Prophet of the kingdom;
after his passion, resurrection and ascension into heaven he shares in God’s
power and in his dominion over the world (cf. Mt 28:18; Acts 2:36; Eph
1:18-21). The resurrection gives a universal scope to Christ’s message, his
actions and whole mission. The disciples recognize that the kingdom is already
present in the person of Jesus and is slowly being established within man and
the world through a mysterious connection with him.
Indeed, after the resurrection, the disciples preach the kingdom by proclaiming Jesus crucified and risen from the dead. In Samaria, Philip “preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 8:12). In Rome, we find Paul “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ’’ (Acts 28:31). The first Christians also proclaim “the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Eph 5:5; cf. Rev 11:15; 12:10), or “the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pt 1:11). The preaching of the early Church was centered on the proclamation of Jesus Christ, with whom the kingdom was identified. Now, as then, there is a need to unite the proclamation of the kingdom of God (the content of Jesus’ own “kerygma”) and the proclamation of the Christ-event (the “kerygma” of the apostles). The two proclamations are complementary; each throws light on the other.
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s
Square, Sunday, 30 July 2017
Jesus’ parabolic discourse groups together seven parables in the 13th
chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, and concludes with today’s three parallel
stories: the hidden treasure (v. 44), the fine pearl (vv. 45-46)
and the fishing net (vv. 47-48). […].
These parallel stories highlight two characteristics regarding
possession of the Kingdom of God: searching and sacrifice. It is
true that the Kingdom of God is offered to all — it is a gift, it is a present,
it is a grace — but it does not come on a silver platter: it requires dynamism;
it is about searching, journeying, working hard. The attitude of searching
is the essential condition for finding. The heart must burn with the desire to
reach the valuable good, that is, the Kingdom of God which is made present in
the person of Jesus. […]
Faced with the unexpected discovery, both the farmer and the merchant realize that they are facing a unique opportunity which should not be missed; hence, they sell all that they own. Assessing the inestimable value of the treasure leads to a decision that also implies sacrifice, detachment and renunciation. When the treasure and the pearl are discovered, that is, when we have found the Lord, we must not let this discovery become barren, but rather sacrifice everything else in order to acquire it. It is not a question of disdaining the rest but of subordinating them to Jesus, putting him in first place; grace in first place.
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s
Square, Sunday, 27 July 2014
[…] Many people, many saints, reading the Gospel with an open heart,
have been so struck by Jesus they they convert to Him. Let us think of St
Francis of Assisi: he was already a Christian, though a “rosewater” Christian.
When he read the Gospel, in that decisive moment of his youth, he encountered
Jesus and discovered the Kingdom of God; with this, all his dreams of worldly
glory vanished. The Gospel allows you to know the real Jesus, it lets you know
the living Jesus; it speaks to your heart and changes your life. And then yes,
you leave it all. You can effectively change lifestyles, or continue to do what
you did before but you are someone else, you are reborn: you have found
what gives meaning, what gives flavour, what gives light to all things, even to
toil, even to suffering, and even to death. […]
Everything takes on meaning when you find your treasure there, in the Gospel. Jesus calls it “the Kingdom of God”, that is to say, God who reigns in your life, in our life; God who is love, peace and joy in every man and in all men. This is what God wants and it is why Jesus gave himself up to death on the cross, to free us from the power of darkness and to move us to the kingdom of life, of beauty, of goodness and of joy. To read the Gospel is to find Jesus and to have this Christian joy, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 26 July 2020
[…] The gestures of that man and the merchant who go searching,
depriving themselves of their goods in order to buy more precious treasures,
are decisive gestures; they are radical gestures; I would say that they are
only ‘one way’ gestures, not a ‘round trip’: they are ‘one way’ gestures.
Moreover, they are made with joy because both of them have found a treasure. We
are called upon to assume the attitude of these two Gospel figures, so that we
too may become healthily restless seekers of the Kingdom of Heaven. […]
The Kingdom of Heaven is the opposite of the superfluous things that
the world offers; it is the opposite of a dull life: it is a treasure that
renews life every day and leads it to expand towards wider horizons. Indeed,
those who have found this treasure have a creative and inquisitive heart, which
does not repeat but rather invents, tracing and setting out on new paths which
lead us to love God, to love others, and to truly love ourselves. The sign of
those who walk this path of the Kingdom is creativity. […]
Jesus, who is the hidden treasure and the pearl of great value, cannot
but inspire joy, all the joy of the world: the joy of discovering a meaning for
one’s life, the joy of feeling committed to the adventure of holiness.
FIFTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
Is 55:10-11; Ps 65; Rom 8:18-23; Mt 13:1-23 or Mt 13:1-9
The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest
COMMENTARY
The parable of the generous sower
Following the path of Jesus’ public
evangelizing activities in Matthew’s Gospel along the Sundays of liturgical
year A, we now come to the beginning of a new peculiar section, the one of the
parables. In this part, the evangelist shows a Jesus Master and the Wise of
God, revealing the mystery of the Kingdom through the simple stories of daily
life. We, who have heard these parables of Jesus many times before, face the
risk of no longer feeling awe or paying attention before these gems of
religious narrative, which originally amazed quite a few listeners. Parabolic
narratives were in fact the hallmark of the teaching of the Master of Nazareth,
rightly regarded as the genius of parables. It is therefore necessary to make
ourselves humble and small even today in the school of Jesus, in order to taste
anew the freshness and ancient but always new wisdom of His parables, beginning
with that of the sower, which Jesus offers as the first of the whole series and therefore the most important.
1. “Whoever has ears ought to hear.” A Key Parable of Jesus for Every Listener
Actually,
the prominence of the parable of the sower over the others is highlighted by
the fact that the synoptic evangelists report it at the beginning of Jesus’
teaching in parables. Indeed, as St. Mark the evangelist pointed out, Jesus
himself emphasized the fundamental role of this parabolic account in
understanding the others: “Jesus said to them, ‘Do you not understand this
parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?’”(Mk 4:13). It is
therefore the key parable because it is intended to provoke a fundamental “
jolt” in the listeners, recalling in them a right attitude toward the teaching
of Jesus who spoke almost exclusively in a parabolic way, as remarked by the
evangelist Mark: “Without parables he did not speak to them” (Mk 4:34).
The
importance of this parable emerges even more from its particular conclusion: “Whoever
has ears ought to hear.” It is the phrase often found on Jesus’ lips and thus
can be called the “wisdom refrain” in His speeches (cf., e.g., Mt 13:43). It is
the exhortation to reflection and understanding of the teaching given,
translatable as, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” It recurs throughout
the Synoptic traditions as well as in the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas (as many
as 6 times). Moreover, it is also found in the speeches of the risen Jesus to
the communities of the faithful in Rev. (cf. 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22; 13:9);
this demonstrates the great “popularity” of the saying that can be traced back
to the historical Jesus..
With
St. Jerome and many modern authors we can point out that the fundamental
meaning of these formulas is not parenetic (invitation to obey and act) but
noetic: it is the invitation to reflect, to pay attention in order to
understand. This is also confirmed by Jesus’ exhortation in Mk 7:14: “Listen to
me all and understand!” (cf. also Mk 7:18). In any case, regardless of the
problem of interpretation, it is sufficient to note that behind Jesus’ saying
there is a glimpse of the image of the wise man or even the Wisdom of God
calling, as he did in the Old Testament tradition, particularly through the
voice of the wise man at the end of the wisdom psalm praising God’s wonders in
creation and salvation history: “Whoever is wise will take note of these
things, and ponder the merciful deeds of the LORD.” (Ps 107:43). It therefore
always takes a wise listening that comes from an awareness of being small
before the divine message, which is now revealed with and in Jesus through
parables. That is why, in the liturgy of the Eastern Church, before every
proclamation of the Gospel, the deacon literally “cries out” in Greek: Sophia! That is to say, Wisdom!
2.
“A sower went out to sow.” The Mystery of Christ the Sower and God the Farmer
With the right attitude of wise listening, let us
now taste more closely the sweetness and beauty of the parabolic story heard
today which is, we would like to reiterate, the most important of Jesus’
parables.
Aside from the pressing message for all of us to think about “improving” the soil of our hearts in order to make the seed of the Word received bear fruit, the most beautiful aspect of the story concerns the generosity of the protagonist who sows without too much calculation or reservation not taking into account the various conditions of the soil. Such generous action even borders on folly if not downright foolishness: why did he not avoid “the path,” the “rocky ground,” the “thorns”? Obviously, it should be pointed out that these are probably the parts pertaining to the field. Moreover, from what the story and the sowing practice of the time suggest, what the sower does is simply to throw the seeds into the field, while a portion still ends up in the neighboring no-good soils precisely because of this abundant and generous sowing. In any case, it is an analogy, though not a perfect one, of the mystery of Christ the sower par excellence who sows the Word of God to all without any discrimination.
Thus, rather than a story about the fate of the seed, an image of God’s Word, whether or not it produces fruit in the soil of each hearer’s heart, this is the parable of the generous sower who always “went out” on mission despite the possible poor yield that awaited him. Only a quarter of the seeds sown bear fruit, and in varying quantities. Apparently, this will be precisely the most important message for Jesus’ disciples-missionaries today, those called to continue his own mission of the divine Sower. Despite the reality that arouses no small amount of perplexity and distrust in the “appropriateness” and “usefulness” of proclamation, the disciples-missionaries are invited to always go forward fearlessly and always with generosity to bring the Word of God with and in Christ to all. It is, after all, the same determination and generosity as Christ during his public ministry to the end.
3. Renewing the Mission of Evangelization Based on the Word of God
So, the message of today’s parable urges us to renew the zeal of sowing
the Word of God, and at the same time, to revive the fervor in listening wisely
to It in life as disciples-missionaries of Christ. We must allow ourselves to
be evangelized by the Word of God heard and meditated upon daily, so that we
can share with others the joy and inspiration that come from It. Interestingly,
Christ himself after the resurrection continued to proclaim and explain the
Word. He actually approached His lost and frightened disciples like those at
Emmaus to “open” the Holy Scriptures to them again. Therefore, we know how to
listen and wisely listen again to his voice so that we can share with neighbors
and friends the beauty of God’s Word lived in us. There is so much need to
renew more and more the mission of evangelization well founded on the Word of
God. In this regard, this is the Pope’s authoritative teaching to us in his
Message for World Mission (Sun)Day this year 2023:
It follows that
knowledge of Scripture is important for the Christian life, and even more so
for the preaching of Christ and his Gospel. Otherwise, what are you passing on
to others if not your own ideas and projects? A cold heart can never make other
hearts burn!
So let us always be
willing to let ourselves be accompanied by the Risen Lord as he explains to us
the meaning of the Scriptures. May he make our hearts burn within us; may he
enlighten and transform us, so that we can proclaim his mystery of salvation to
the world with the power and wisdom that come from his Spirit.
Let us pray then (in the words of the alternative Collect prayer in the
Italian Missal for Sunday XV, Year A):
Increase in us, O Father, by the power of
your Spirit the readiness to accept the seed of your word, which you continue
to sow in the furrows of humanity, so that it may bear fruit in works of
justice and peace and reveal to the world the blessed hope of your kingdom.
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Useful points to consider:
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 12
July 2020
In
this Sunday’s Gospel passage (cf. Mt 13:1-23), Jesus tells a great crowd the
Parable […] of the Sower, who casts seeds over four different types of terrain.
The Word of God, symbolized by the seeds, […] is […] Christ himself, the Word
of the Father who became flesh in Mary’s womb. Embracing the Word of God
therefore, means embracing the personage of Christ; of Christ himself. […]
The Word is given to each one of us. We can ask ourselves: what type of terrain am I? Do I resemble the path, the rocky ground, the bramble bush? If we want, with the grace of God, we can become good soil, ploughed and carefully cultivated, to help ripen the seed of the Word. It is already present in our heart, but making it fruitful depends on us; it depends on the embrace that we reserve for this seed.
Benedict XVI, Angelus, Courtyard
of the Papal Summer Residence, Castel Gandolfo, Sunday, 10 July 2011
In
this Sunday’s Gospel (Mt 13:1-23), Jesus recounts to the crowd the well-known
Parable of the Sower. In a certain way it is an “autobiographical” passage, for
it reflects the very experience of Jesus, of his preaching. He identifies
himself with the sower who scatters the good seed of the Word of God and notes
the different effects it obtains, in accordance with the way in which people
hear the proclamation. […]
However
this Gospel also puts the accent on Jesus’ preaching “method”, that is, on his
use of parables. “Why do you speak to them in parables?”, his disciples ask (Mt
13:10). And Jesus answers distinguishing between them and the crowd: to his
disciples — namely to those who have already decided for him — he can speak
openly about the Kingdom of God, to others, instead, he must proclaim it in parables,
precisely to encourage their decision, conversion of the heart; indeed, by
their very nature parables demand the effort of interpretation, they not only
challenge the mind but also freedom. St John Chrysostom explained: “And this he
[Jesus] says to draw them unto him, and to provoke them and to signify that if
they would covert he would heal them” (cf. Homily on the Gospel of Matthew, 45,
1-2).
Basically,
God’s true “Parable” is Jesus himself, his Person who, in the sign of humanity,
hides and at the same time reveals his divinity. In this manner God does not
force us to believe in him but attracts us to him with the truth and goodness
of his incarnate Son: love, in fact, always respects freedom.
FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
Zec 9:9-10; Ps 145; Rom 8:9, 11-13; Mt 11:25-30
I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God
Revelation to the “Little Ones” of God in Christ and Divine “Rest”
This
Sunday we are faced with a most peculiar Gospel text. It is referred to, by
some scholars, as “a meteorite, fallen from the Johannine sky into the Synoptic
soil,” because, the speaking of Jesus here differs from that found in the
synoptic gospels (Mt, Mk, Lk), and rather echoes that in the gospel of Jn with
the absolute use of “Father” and “Son” and with the emphasis on “knowing” God
and a confidential revelation. Moreover, we find here the only text that
acquaints us with the content of Jesus’ prayer during his public activity, and
it is a prayer of praise and thanksgiving, as is suggested by the original
Greek verb used (exomologoumai “I give praise/give thanks”) which
corresponds to the Hebrew verb yadah,
frequently used in the biblical-Jewish liturgy, expressing gratitude and praise
toward YHWH God of the covenant (cf. Ps 9:2; 74:2; 110:1; 137:1,4; 2Sam 22:50;
especially Sir 51:1 and Dan 2:23). Thus emerges the wholly distinctive
character of the Gospel passage to be meditated on today.
Offering, below, only a few summary notes on the text , we invite all readers to mull over it often and above all to re-enter, once again, the mystical atmosphere of that moment when Jesus uttered these words full of meaning in order to understand the depth of the message He wished to leave to His disciples-missionaries of all times.
1. Revelation of “These Things” of God to “Little Ones” According to His Benevolence
It should be noted that Jesus does not say that He withheld anything from anyone, as if there were some who were unworthy of His revelation, but speaks only of the rejection by the so-called wise in regard to His teaching, of “these things” divine of the Kingdom that Jesus now announces and realizes in word and deed. It is a statement of fact in the style of the Old Testament prophets. The interesting background in this regard could be the text of Is 29:9-14,17-19,24, in which the prophet strongly denounces the ungodliness and hardness of heart that make it impossible to hear the word of God (cf. also Jer 9:22-23; Is 44:25b). It is significant that St. Matthew the evangelist, unlike the brief mentions made in the parallel texts in Mk and Lk, instead quoted in full, in one of his usual so-called “fulfillment quotation” (Old Testament quotation that is fulfilled with and in Jesus), the passage from the prophet Isaiah to note the sad reality that many of the people did not understand Jesus’ teaching and consequently, did not follow Him:
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
‘You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall
indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly
hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart and be converted, and I heal them.’ (Mt 13:14-15; cf. Is 6:9-10).
We
have here an important and very well-known thought in first-century Christian
theology, since it is also echoed in Jn 12:37-43, which, like the evangelist
Matthew, quotes the entire text of Is 6:10 to explain the failure of Jesus’
preaching and evangelizing action. Thus, it is the mystery of the “secrets” of
divine revelation, reserved exclusively for those who are docile and ready to
receive it, of which the texts of Dan 2:23 as well as Sir 4:11-19 speak about
Wisdom’s action toward her disciples.
Thus,
God in Christ Wisdom continues to reveal Himself to all, but unfortunately “the
wise and the learned” of this world close themselves off in their wisdom and
thus often respond, “We will listen to you another time!” Only those who
recognize themselves as “little/lowly” and therefore always in need of God open
themselves to Him to joyfully welcome His revelation and salvation. God in His
infinite love constantly pours rain on all, but only those who come out of the “hiding
place” of their “self” will receive the water of life in Christ. And the “little”
disciples-missionaries of Christ, once they receive divine revelation and
salvation, give praise and thanks to God with Christ for this and continue to
share with all mankind “these things” divine without jealousy and without
sparing themselves, just according to God’s will in Christ that “everyone to be
saved and to come to knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4).
This declared exclusive knowledge between the
Father and the Son echoes the relationship between Wisdom personified and God.
In fact, according to the Old Testament texts, Wisdom is with God the Father
from the beginning and only the Father knows her (Job 28:25-28; Sir 1:1-10; Bar
3:27-38) and only Wisdom knows the Father’s will (Wis 8:3-4; 9:4, 9-18). It
should be remembered that the Hebrew verb “to know” includes knowledge and love
and expresses an intimate interpersonal relationship. It should also be noted
that in Wis 2:13,16 the righteous man, who is both the son of God, the servant
and the wise man, rejected and persecuted, proclaims that he possesses “the
knowledge of God” and “declares himself to be the servant (or son) of the Lord
and boasts that he has God for a father.” We have here an expression of great
theological density da’at Elohim “knowledge of God,” on which the
biblical prophets and sages insist, as seen, e.g., in the very famous
proclamation of God in Hosea, quoted twice by Jesus: “For it is loyalty that I
desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God (da’at Elohim), rather than burnt offerings” (Hos 6:6; cf. Is
11,2.9). From these biblical references, the further fundamental aspect of the
knowledge of God the Father by the Son who then reveals it to the “elect”
becomes clear. It is primarily a knowing of God’s will, His love, His commands,
His plans of salvation for humanity, His ways, His action in the world. In the
foreground then is knowledge of a concrete sapiential-existential character.
This is precisely the primary object of the Son’s revelation that subsequently
leads to the high contemplation of the mysteries of God’s nature.
According to the Old Testament, human’s full
knowledge of God YHWH happens only at the end of time and exclusively through
divine benevolence. It is the fulfillment of a dream and invitation God makes
for his people (cf. Hos 6:3; 8:2; Ps 36:11; Pro 3:6; also Is 11:9). In this
wake, the prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah announce the eschatological prospect of
the time of the new covenant when God will write his law “directly” into the hearts
of believers (cf. Jer 31:34) or, in other words, “all your children shall be
taught by the LORD” (Is 54:13). That this was kept in mind at the time of the
evangelists is attested by the quotation of the Isaiah statement, quoted from
the mouth of Jesus in Jn 6:45, which he emphasizes again in the same discourse
on the bread of life “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw
him” (Jn 6:44).
Jesus’ words in today’s gospel seem to be in this theological perspective. It is God the Father who is the original source of revelation, and it is up to Him, according to His beneplacence (eudokia), to reveal or conceal perfect knowledge of Him. However, here the figure of Jesus pops up as the exclusive and authorized agent of this revelation, always, however, according to the will of God the Father:: “All things have been handed over to me by my Father” and, consequently, “no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him” (Mt 11:27; Lk 10:22). The theological perspective of revelation acquires its full Christo-logical dimension in a language, as seen earlier, of Biblical Wisdom. This aspect is accentuated even more in Jn 12:49-50: “I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak. (…)So what I say, I say as the Father told me.” It will later be highlighted also and especially in Jn 17:25-26, at the conclusion of Jesus’ “priestly prayer”: “Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.”
3. “Come to Me…” A Touching Invitation to a Peculiar Rest With the Yoke!
The biblical sages showed some distrust of self-proclaimed wise men, as we read in Pro 26:12: “You see those who are wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for fools than for them.” This is what the prophet Isaiah denounces: “Ah! Those who are wise in their own eyes, prudent in their own view!” (Is 5,21). Precisely in this sapiential line is Jesus’ invitation “Come to Me” that concludes the discourse in Mt 11:28-30 and is addressed to the “weary and fatigued” or lit. “overburdened.” These are precisely the categories of small and somewhat exploited, forgotten or marginalized men in society. Jesus’ saying finds its parallel in the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas 90 (“Jesus said, ‘Come to me, for my yoke is light, sweet is my lordship, and you will find rest for yourselves’”) and also reflects Didache 6:1-3 (“Beware that no one causes you to deviate from this teaching [...], for if you can bear the whole yoke of the Lord, you will be perfect; but if you cannot, do what you can!”). Instead, the biblical background of Jesus’ words, as pointed out by exegetes, is Wisdom’s discourse in Sir 6:23-31 (cf. also Sir 51:23-28; Jer 6:16), which should be quoted here for comparison:
Listen, my child, and take my advice, […]
Put your feet into her fetters [of Wisdom] and your
neck under her yoke.
Bend your shoulders and carry her and do not be irked
at her bonds.
With all your soul draw close to her; and with all
your strength keep her ways.
Inquire and search, seek and find; when you get hold
of her, do not let her go.
Thus at last you will find rest in her, and she will
become your joy.
Comparison
with the Sir texts shows that, as some scholars also note, Jesus here wanted to
make it clear to His listeners that He was speaking in the person of divine
Wisdom, with a clear “transcendental self-awareness”! In this view, the yoke (“recommended”
paradoxically for resting with Jesus!) is the biblical-Jewish metaphor for (God’s)
teaching (cf. Jer. 2:20; 5:5). So much so that the yoke of the Pharisees and
scribes is mentioned in Mt 23:4 // Lk 11:46. The yoke of wisdom, identified
with the Mosaic law, is also accentuated (cf. Sir 51:26; also 6:24). Hence, the
rabbinic tradition insistently recommends the yoke of Torah: whoever puts it
on, is freed from the yoke of the kingdom (implied “earthly”) and the yoke of
worldly concerns; whoever rejects it, on him will be put the yoke of the
kingdom (implied “earthly”) and the world! Finally, the play on pronunciation
in the phrase “my yoke is light (chrēstos)” should be noted, which in
Greek sounds like christos “Christ.”
The
notion of rest, emphasized by Jesus twice with the words of the same root of
rare theological density anapausō (Mt 11:28,29), most likely refers to
eschatological rest. The term recurs, among other things, in Ps 95 and then is
treated at length in Heb 4 where it is explained that God’s promised true rest
for his people occurs only in Christ at the end of time. It must be remembered
in this regard that in the OT only Wisdom (and no wise man) promises rest (Sir
6:28) and life (Pro 8:35-36), on a par with God who made through the prophets
the same promises that will take place in the Messianic age! (cf. Jer 6:16;
31:25).
The
rest promised by Jesus now will be the divine rest that is reserved for those
willing to put upon themselves the “yoke” of the sweet revelation of God’s love
to humanity. And they, the “little ones,” the “elect,” “They will run and not
grow weary, walk and not grow faint” (cf. Is 40:31) on the way of the
proclamation of the Gospel of Christ, sharing with all others the knowledge of
God revealed to them by Christ.
Let
us pray then (in the words of the alternative Collect prayer in the Italian
Missal for Sunday XIV, Year A):
O God, who reveals you to the little ones and gives to
the meek the inheritance of your kingdom, make us poor, free and exultant, in
imitation of Christ your Son, that we may bear with him the gentle yoke of the
cross and proclaim to men the joy that comes from you. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Useful points to consider:
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 6
July 2014
In this Sunday’s Gospel, we
find Jesus’ invitation: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). When Jesus says this, he has before him the
people he meets every day on the streets of Galilee: very many simple people,
the poor, the sick, sinners, those who are marginalized.... These people always
followed him to hear his word — a word that gave hope! Jesus’ words always give
hope! — and even just to touch a hem of his garment. Jesus himself sought out
these tired, worn out crowds like sheep without a shepherd (cf. Mt 9:35-36),
and he sought them out to proclaim to them the Kingdom of God and to heal many
of them in body and spirit. […]
This invitation of Jesus
reaches to our day, and extends to the many brothers and sisters oppressed by
life’s precarious conditions, by existential and difficult situations and at
times lacking valid points of reference. […]To each of these children of the
Father in heaven, Jesus repeats: “Come to me, all of you”. […]
Jesus promises to give rest to
everyone, but he also gives us an invitation, which is like a commandment:
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart”
(Mt 11:29). The “yoke” of the Lord consists in taking on the burden of others
with fraternal love. Once Christ’s comfort and rest is received, we are called
in turn to become rest and comfort for our brothers and sisters, with a docile
and humble attitude, in imitation of the Teacher. Docility and humility of
heart help us not only to take on the burden of others, but also to keep our
personal views, our judgments, our criticism or our indifference from weighing
on them.
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 9
July 2017
In
today’s Gospel, Jesus says: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). The Lord does not reserve this phrase for
certain friends of his, no; he addresses it to “all” those who are weary and
overwhelmed by life. […] The Lord knows how arduous life can be. He knows that
many things weary the heart: disappointments and wounds of the past, burdens to
carry and wrongs to bear in the present, uncertainties and worries about the
future. In the face of all this, Jesus’ first word is an invitation, a call to
move and respond: “Come”. The mistake, when things go wrong, is to stay where
we are, lying there. […] It is not easy. In dark times it feels natural to keep
to ourselves, to ruminate over how unfair life is, over how ungrateful others
are, how mean the world is, and so on. […]Jesus, however, wants to pull us out
of this “quicksand” and thus says to each one: “Come!” […]In fact it is not
enough to come out of ourselves; it is important to know where to go. Because
many aims are illusory: they promise comfort and distract just a little; they
guarantee peace and offer amusement, then leave us with the loneliness there
was before […].Therefore Jesus indicates where to go: “Come to me”. […]Let
us not forget to open ourselves to him and to recount our life to him, to
entrust people and situations to him. […]
He
awaits us; he always awaits us. Not to magically resolve problems, but to
strengthen us amid our problems. Jesus does not lift the burdens from our life,
but the anguish from our heart; he does not take away our cross, but carries it
with us. And with him every burden becomes light (cf. v. 30), because he is the
comfort we seek. […]
Pope Francis, General
Audience, Saint Peter’s Square, Wednesday,
14 September 2016
[…]
The
first imperative is “Come to me”. Addressing those who are weary and
oppressed, Jesus presents himself as the Servant of the Lord described in the
Book of the Prophet Isaiah. The passage of Isaiah states: “The Lord has given
me a disciple’s tongue, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word”
(cf. 50:4). Among those who are weary of life, the Gospel also often includes
the poor (cf. Mt 11:5) and the little ones (cf. Mt 18:6). This means those who
cannot rely on their own means, nor on important friendships. They can only
trust in God. […]At last, in Jesus’ invitation they find the response they have
been waiting for. Becoming his disciples they receive the promise of finding
rest for all their life. It is a promise that at the end of the Gospel is
extended to all peoples: “Go therefore”, Jesus says to the Apostles, “and make
disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19). […]
The
second imperative states: “Take my yoke”. In the context of the
Covenant, biblical tradition uses the image of the yoke to indicate the close
bond that links the people to God and, as a result, the submission to his will
expressed in the Law. Debating with the scribes and the doctors of the Law,
Jesus places upon his disciples his yoke, in which the Law is fulfilled.
He wants to teach them that they will discover God’s will through Him
personally: through Jesus, not through the cold laws and prescriptions that
Jesus himself condemns. […] Thus, receiving “Jesus’ yoke”, each disciple enters
into communion with Him and participates in the mystery of his Cross and in his
destiny of salvation.
The
third imperative follows: “Learn from me”. Jesus proposes to his
disciples a journey of knowledge and of imitation. Jesus is not a severe master
who imposes upon others burdens which He does not bear: this was the accusation
He directed at the doctors of the Law. He addresses the humble, the little
ones, the poor, the needy, for He made himself little and humble. He
understands the poor and the suffering because He himself is poor and tried by
pain. In order to save humanity Jesus did not undertake an easy path; on the
contrary, his journey was painful and difficult. As the Letter to the
Philippians recalls: “he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even
death on a cross” (2:8). The yoke which the poor and the oppressed bear is the
same yoke that He bore before them: for this reason the yoke is light. He took
upon his shoulders the pain and the sins of the whole of humanity. For a
disciple, therefore, receiving Jesus’ yoke means receiving his revelation and
accepting it: in Him God’s mercy takes on mankind’s poverty, thus giving the
possibility of salvation to everyone. […]
THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
2 Kgs 4:8-11,14-16a; Ps 89; Rom 6:3-4, 8-11; Mt 10:37-42
For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord
COMMENTARY
Honor and Condition of Being Disciples-Missionaries of Christ
This Sunday’s Gospel presents us with the end of Jesus’ missionary discourse that we have heard over the past two weeks. It is thus the conclusion and, as such, culmination of all that Jesus wanted to convey to His first disciples-apostles when He sent them out on mission. Therefore, this concluding Gospel message will also be crucial for all His disciples-missionaries of all times, who are called to follow the divine Master in the mission of spreading the Gospel of God to the whole world.
1. “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me…” Total Love for Christ as the Determining Condition of Being His Disciples
It is very significant that at the end of the missionary instructions Jesus clearly laid out the very arduous conditions for being “worthy” disciples of Him, that is, His true disciples. Those who follow Him (or want to follow) in the mission for God will be called to love Him more than all others, including parents and children, as well as more than everything, including their own lives. Particularly, the first part of the statement, which insists on love for Jesus more than for father or mother, may shock many, especially those in the Jewish culture or Asian culture in general, with the special emphasis on filial piety. Moreover, it should be noted that the parallel text to this passage in Luke’s Gospel has an even stronger, more clamorous form: “If any one comes to me without hating his father and mother,… he cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:26). This is certainly an original saying of Jesus, for it is so outrageous with the mention of “hating (father and mother)” that the parallel version of Mt 10:37 wanted to use an equivalent but less disconcerting formulation “Whoever loves (father or mother) more than me is not worthy of me.” Here as in other instances, for example in the recommendation to follow Jesus without wasting time burying one’s father (cf. Mt 8:21-22), a image emerges of a Jesus who, in addition to being similar to a sage in the wording of the sayings, presents Himself as a teacher who is conscious of His own identity and mission and, consequently, sets demanding and uncompromising conditions on those who want to follow Him, little known in the biblical-Jewish and even rabbinic tradition.
To understand Jesus’ intention correctly, however, two considerations are needed. First, as well explained by one exegete, the recommended attitude of “hating” or “loving less” parents for Jesus “does not pose a problem of feelings or state of mind, but of practical and existential choice, where fidelity to Christ and the Gospel collides with family relationships. The status of the disciples, free even in regard to parental ties, is comparable to that of the “Levites” in the Old Testament (cf. Deut 33:8-11)» (R. Fabris, Matteo, Rome 1996, 256 note 3). Effectively, and this is the second point to consider, Levites “consecrated” to the service of God are called to put God above everyone and everything. In addition, God generally demands from the members of His people of Israel an exclusive, absolute love, “with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength,” as the only response worthy of His preventive saving love (cf. Deut 6:4-5Now, Jesus demands something similar from His followers, from His people, from true Israel. Thus, on the one hand, Jesus shows Himself as God, in persona Dei, speaking in love and demanding love; on the other hand, one might glimpse that the disciples’ insistence on absolute love for Jesus actually reflects the case of a man and woman called to abandon their parents to create in love their own new family, as it is also written in Scripture: “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body” (Gen 2:24). After all, Jesus made such a departure from the family bond in the love of God the Father in order to devote Himself exclusively to the divine mission (cf. Lk 2:48-49), without even recusing Himself from the arduous path of the cross. Such love, zeal and dedication is now required of His disciples-missionaries, beginning with radical detachment from everyone and everything, to continue in love the same path of Christ’s mission for God. Should we not feel called upon now by these strong words of Jesus, our Master and Lord?
2. “Whoever receives you receives me…” The Highest Honor of Presenting Christ and God in the Mission
After the disciples’ forthright recommendation of absolute love, Jesus wants to reiterate the greatness of their calling among the people to whom they are sent: “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” This is not simply a statement about the truth of hospitality. The phrase actually echoes the well-known principle of the Judeo-Rabinic institution of shaliah “sent,” according to which “He who is sent is like him who invites him.” Jesus’ mentioned saying reflects the God-Christ-disciple mission chain, what the resurrected Jesus will declare to his own in his first “official” appearance in the Upper Room according to the Gospel of John: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21). In this way, by analogy of Jesus’ statement, “Whoever sees me, sees the Father,” one could continue, with all the limitations of the case, in pointing to the disciples’ being: Whoever sees you, sees me! Here is the lofty calling of disciples-missionaries and their highest honor of presenting Christ and God in mission. Therefore, we must become more and more what we are: the living Christ, God’s witness. In this regard, it is worth rereading Pope Francis’ authoritative reflections to renew our zeal as Christ’s disciples-missionaries again:
Christ was the first to be sent, as a “missionary”
of the Father (cf. Jn 20:21), and as such, he is the Father’s “faithful
witness” (cf. Rev 1:5). In a similar way, every Christian is
called to be a missionary and witness to Christ. (…)
Christ, indeed Christ risen from the dead, is the One to whom we must testify and whose life we must share. Missionaries of Christ are not sent to communicate themselves, to exhibit their persuasive qualities and abilities or their managerial skills. Instead, theirs is the supreme honour of presenting Christ in words and deeds, proclaiming to everyone the Good News of his salvation, as the first apostles did, with joy and boldness. (Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for World Mission (Sun)Day 2022 “You shall be my witnesses” [Acts 1:8])
(…) The risen Christ, then, is both the one who breaks the bread and, at the same time, the bread itself, broken for us. It follows that every missionary disciple is called to become, like Jesus and in him, through the working of the Holy Spirit, one who breaks the bread and one who is broken bread for the world. (Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for World Mission (Sun)Day 2023 “Hearts on fire, feet on the move” [cf. Lk 24:13-35])
3. Mission and “Missionary Cooperation”
It
is very interesting to read that, after the basic statement of the principle of
representation in mission, Jesus concludes the whole discourse with the promise
of the certain reward for those who practice hospitality to needy disciples who,
as implied in the context, are sent by Christ for mission in the world: “And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple—
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” Apparently,
this is not the generic recommendation of hospitality; rather, one could
glimpse here an exhortation for material support to Christ’s missionaries.
Astonishing, in fact, is the concrete image of “a cup of cold water,” a sign of a small but significant help, for it is
highly desirable for those who have to walk often under the scorching sun in
that Land of Palestine. In this way, we glimpse in these promises of Christ the
care and concern of Christ for His disciples-missionaries. He does not forget
even the smallest help given to His sent in the mission, because they are His “representatives,”
and therefore what one offers to them is actually as if one gives to Him. On
the other hand, the reality emerges of a possible “collaboration” with the disciples
on the part of all humans, who are thus called to contribute, sometimes even
unconsciously, to the divine mission!
The Gospel thought analyzed leads us spontaneously
to the theme of so-called “missionary cooperation,” which will be even more
desired among all Christ’s faithful for the common mission, especially today.
Pope Francis wanted to insist on this in his Message for this year’s World
Mission (Sun)Day with the theme “Hearts
on fire, feet on the move”:
The image of “feet setting out” reminds us once more of the perennial validity of the missio ad gentes, the mission entrusted to the Church by the risen Lord to evangelize all individuals and peoples, even to the ends of the earth. (…) All of us can contribute to this missionary movement: with our prayers and activities, with material offerings and the offering of our sufferings, and with our personal witness. (…)The urgency of the Church’s missionary activity naturally calls for an ever closer missionary cooperation on the part of all her members and at every level. (emphasis added).
Let us pray then (in the words of the
alternative Collect prayer in the Italian Missal for Sunday XIII, Year A):
Infuse in us, O Father, the wisdom and strength of your Spirit, so we
may walk with Christ on the way of the cross, ready to make a gift of our lives
to manifest to the world the hope of your kingdom. Through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Useful points to consider:
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 2
July 2017
Today’s liturgy presents to us
the last lines of the missionary discourse in Chapter 10 of the Gospel of
Matthew (cf. 10:37-42), by which Jesus instructs the 12 Apostles at the moment
in which, for the first time, he sends them on mission to the villages of
Galilee and Judea. In this final part, Jesus underscores two essential aspects
for the life of a missionary disciple: the first, that his bond with Jesus
is stronger than any other bond; the second, that the missionary brings
not himself, but Jesus, and through Him the love of the heavenly Father.
These two aspects are connected, because the more Jesus is at the centre of the
heart and of the life of a disciple, the more this disciple is “transparent” to
His presence. The two go hand in hand. […]
Those who allow themselves to
be drawn into this bond of love and of life with the Lord Jesus become his
representatives, his “ambassadors”, above all in the way of being, of living.
To the point that Jesus himself, in sending his disciples on mission, says to
them: “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who
sent me” (Mt 10:40). It is important that the people be able to perceive that
for that disciple Jesus is truly “the Lord”; He is truly the centre of his or
her life, the everything of life. […]
Here our experience as priests
teaches us something very beautiful, something very important: it is precisely
this welcoming of the holy, faithful People of God; it is precisely that “cup
of cold water” (v. 42) that the Lord speaks of today in the Gospel, given with
affectionate faith, which helps you to be a good priest! There is a reciprocity
in mission too: if you leave everything for Jesus, the people recognize the
Lord in you; but at the same time it helps you to convert each day to him, so
as to renew and purify yourself from compromises and to overcome temptations.
The closer a priest is to the People of God, the closer will he feel to Jesus,
and the closer a priest is to Jesus, the closer will he feel to the People of
God.
Benedict XVI, Message
for the 45th World Day of Prayer for Vocations
13 APRIL 2008 - FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Theme: “Vocations at the
service of the Church on mission”
2. The promises made to our
fathers were fulfilled entirely in Jesus Christ. In this regard, the Second
Vatican Council says: “The Son, therefore, came, sent by the Father. It was in
him, before the foundation of the world, that the Father chose us and predestined
us to become adopted sons … To carry out the will of the Father, Christ
inaugurated the kingdom of heaven on earth and revealed to us the mystery of
that kingdom. By his obedience he brought about redemption” (Dogmatic
Constitution Lumen Gentium, 3). And Jesus already in his public life,
while preaching in Galilee, chose some disciples to be his close collaborators
in the messianic ministry. For example, on the occasion of the multiplication
of the loaves, he said to the Apostles: “You give them something to eat” (Mt
14: 16), encouraging them to assume the needs of the crowds to whom he wished
to offer nourishment, but also to reveal the food “which endures to eternal
life” (Jn 6: 27). He was moved to compassion for the people, because
while visiting cities and villages, he found the crowds weary and helpless,
like sheep without a shepherd (cf. Mt 9: 36). From this gaze of love
came the invitation to his disciples: “Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest
to send out labourers into his harvest” (Mt 9: 38), and he sent the
Twelve initially “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” with precise
instructions. If we pause to meditate on this passage of Matthew’s Gospel,
commonly called the “missionary discourse”, we may take note of those aspects
which distinguish the missionary activity of a Christian community, eager to
remain faithful to the example and teaching of Jesus. To respond to the Lord’s
call means facing in prudence and simplicity every danger and even
persecutions, since “a disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above
his master” (Mt 10: 24). Having become one with their Master, the
disciples are no longer alone as they announce the Kingdom of heaven; Jesus
himself is acting in them: “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives
me receives him who sent me” (Mt 10: 40). Furthermore, as true
witnesses, “clothed with power from on high” (Lk 24: 49), they preach “repentance
and the forgiveness of sins” (Lk 24: 47) to all peoples.
3. Precisely because they have
been sent by the Lord, the Twelve are called “Apostles”, destined to walk the
roads of the world announcing the Gospel as witnesses to the death and
resurrection of Christ. […]
The Book of the Acts of the
Apostles also assigns a very important role in this task of evangelization
to other disciples whose missionary vocation arises from providential,
sometimes painful, circumstances such as expulsion from their own lands for
being followers of Jesus (cf. 8,1-4). The Holy Spirit transforms this trial
into an occasion of grace, using it so that the name of the Lord can be
preached to other peoples, stretching in this way the horizons of the Christian
community. […]
TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
Jer 20:10-13; Ps 69; Rom 5:12-15; Mt 10:26-33
Lord, in your great love, answer me
COMMENTARY
Courage and Wisdom in Witnessing to Christ
Today’s Gospel illustrates the continuation of the important instructions Jesus gave His disciples-apostles when He sent them out on mission (we heard the beginning of the discourse last Sunday). It is about the concrete exhortation not to be afraid to witness to Christ. The imperative “do not be afraid” is repeated no less than three times in a few sentences, at the beginning, in the middle and at the end; and so it punctuates the whole of Jesus’ brief discourse. The Master’s insistence on this attitude that the disciples-missionaries will have to assume, or perhaps better, will have to learn to have in their mission, emerges very clearly. From Jesus’ words we can glimpse three fundamental aspects of this not-having-fear, which are still relevant today.
1. “Do Not Be Afraid.” The Courage of Proclamation in Adversity
First of all, it is about the disciples not being afraid of men in proclaiming all that they had received from their Master: “What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.” It refers, then, to the divine revelations that Jesus confides to His disciples “in the secret” of their hearts. The disciples are called to be Christ’s “megaphone” in conveying His proclamation and teaching to the world in its entirety. It will be what the Risen One will exhort to His most faithful disciples before He ascends to Heaven: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19).
2. Wisdom in Fearing Only God and Not Men
Secondly, the disciples’ attitude of not being
afraid comes from a sapiential view of life with God and in God. Thus, on the
one hand Jesus exhorts, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot
kill the soul.” That is, men are only men; they do not have absolute power over
the soul. In contrast, “rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul
and body in Gehenna.” That is to say, be afraid only of God, the true and only
Almighty.
Such teaching of Jesus on the fear of God echoes with that of the wise teachers in the biblical-Jewish tradition. It is emblematically emphasized Sir 1:6 [LXX 1:8]: “There is but one, wise and truly awesome, seated upon his throne—the Lord.” Moreover, God is the final instance and “puts to death and gives life, casts down to Sheol and brings up again” (1 Sm 2:6). Therefore, Jesus’ exhortation is a strong call for reflection: let those who are wise think about this in order to have the right attitude toward Him and Him alone, regardless of anything else or anyone else. Here we catch a glimpse of what biblical-Jewish wisdom repeatedly insists on: from contemplating God’s greatness and omnipotence to wisdom in life (cf. Ps 107:43a); indeed, it is precisely from the fear of the almighty God that right and wise behavior is arrived at, according to the aforementioned fundamental motto of the biblical-Jewish wisdom tradition: “Fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (cf. Pr 1:7; Ps 111:10).
3. True Fear That Goes Together With Trust in God
Finally,
immediately after the exhortation to fear the One who is the only Almighty,
Jesus offers a significant explanation that seems like a digression, but in
fact is not: “Are not two sparrows
sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your
Father’s knowledge. (…) So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many
sparrows.” Here God is explicitly mentioned as Father and His care for all
created things, no matter how insignificant, such as the sparrows among the
animate beings or such as the head hair, which symbolizes the marginal parts of
the human body, is highlighted. If the thought of absolute power to be afraid
helps to relativize other fears, the glimpse of God’s care for His children
adds confidence in Him and the strength not to fear anyone outside Him. Thus,
we have two aspects of the fearing of God that turn out to be somewhat
complementary: on the one hand, God is to be feared because of His omnipotence,
and on the other hand, He is the one in whom trust must be placed. The fear of
God is thus linked with trust in Him.
Here, too, Jesus’ thinking is shown to be not far removed from biblical-Jewish teaching, especially that of the sages of Israel, who often recommended finding safe refuge in the Lord Himself and even in His fear! Here are some texts from the biblical wisdom tradition that need no further clarification:
Pr 14:26-27:
The fear of the LORD is a
strong defense,
a refuge even for one’s
children.
The fear of the LORD is a
fountain of life,
turning one from the snares of death..
Pr 19:23:
The fear of the LORD leads
to life;
one eats and sleeps free from any harm.
It is therefore the thought concerning the fear of God which, manifested in the reverential and trusting relationship with Him, guarantees life and casts out all other fears. This is seen again in the psalms, so to speak, “anti-fear” (cf. Ps 23:4; 27:1.3; 46:2-3; 49:6.16-17; 56:4-5.12; 91:5-13), among which we particularly point out Ps 56:4-5 by virtue of its proximity to the content of the Gospel text contemplated: “When I am afraid, in you I place my trust. I praise the word of God; I trust in God, I do not fear. What can mere flesh do to me?” Such fear of God, which goes together with faith and trust in God that liberates from all fear, lies behind both Jesus’ instruction and biblical-Judaic and sapiential thought. And here we come full circle: from fear to awe, i.e., from instinctive fear in the face of threat from men, we come to the true fear of God, the religious fear, which includes the dimension of faith and trust in the almighty and at the same time caring God toward His creatures.
It is precisely this perspective of fear and trust in God that helps us properly understand Jesus’ concluding saying, which, at first glance, seems threatening: “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.” This is a “disturbing” principle of reciprocity that follows a cold, rather human and cruel logic without any mercy from the Lord. However, these words should be read in conjunction with another New Testament passage which, curiously picking up on the same thought, offers immediately afterwards an affirmation about the Lord’s unconditional faithfulness for the salvation of all, including those who are “unfaithful”: “This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with him we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us. If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself” (2Tm 2:11-13). In the end, God’s faithfulness, which overpowers all human unfaithfulness, will always win, like heaven above the earth.
Let us pray (in the words of the alternative
Collect prayer in the Italian Missal for Sunday XII, Year A):
O
God, who entrusts to our weakness the prophetic proclamation of your word,
sustain us by the power of your Spirit, that we may never be ashamed of our
faith, but may confess your name with all boldness before men, that we may be
recognized by you on the day of your coming. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen
Useful points to consider:
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 18
June 2023
Indeed, if the God of heaven
is close, we are not alone on earth, and even in difficulty we do not lose
faith. Here is the first thing to say to people: God is not far away, but he is
a Father. God is not distant, he is a Father, he knows you and he loves you; he
wants to take you by the hand, even when you travel on steep and rugged paths,
even when you fall and struggle to get up again and get back on track. He, the
Lord, is there with you. Indeed, often in the moments when you are at your
weakest, you can feel his presence all the more strongly. He knows the path, he
is with you, he is your Father! He is my Father! He is our Father!
Let us remain with this image,
because proclaiming God as close to us is inviting you to think like a child,
who walks held by his father’s hand: everything seems different. The world,
large and mysterious, becomes familiar and secure, because the child knows he
is protected. He is not afraid, and learns how to open up: he meets other
people, finds new friends, learns with joy things that he did not know, and
then returns home and tells everyone what he has seen, while within him there
grows the desire to become grown up and to do the things he has seen his daddy
do. This is why Jesus starts out from here, this is why God’s vicinity is the
first proclamation: by staying close to God, we conquer fear, we open ourselves
to love, we grow in goodness and we feel the need and the joy to proclaim.
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 21
June 2020
In this Sunday’s Gospel (cf.
Mt 10:26-33) the invitation that Jesus addresses to His disciples resonates: to
have no fear, to be strong and confident in the face of life’s challenges, as
he forewarns them of the adversities that await them. Today’s passage is part
of the missionary discourse, with which the Teacher prepares the Apostles for
their first experience of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Jesus persistently
exhorts them to “have no fear”. Fear is one of the most terrible enemies of our
Christian life. Jesus exhorts: “have no fear”, “fear not”. And Jesus describes
three tangible situations that they will find themselves facing.
First and foremost the
hostility of those who would like to stifle the Word of God, by sugar-coating
it, watering it down, or by silencing those who proclaim it. In this case,
Jesus encourages the Apostles to spread the message of salvation that He has
entrusted to them. For the moment, He has transmitted it cautiously, somewhat
covertly, among the small group of disciples. But they will utter his Gospel “in
the light”, that is, openly; and will proclaim it “upon the housetops” — as
Jesus says — that is, publicly.
The second difficulty that
Christ’s missionaries will encounter is the physical threat against them, that
is, direct persecution of them personally, to the point of being killed. […] Jesus
advises these disciples of yesterday and today who suffer persecution: “do not
fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (v. 28). We should not
allow ourselves to be frightened by those who seek to extinguish evangelizing
power with arrogance and violence. Indeed, they can do nothing against the
soul, that is, against communion with God: no one can take this away from
disciples, because it is a gift from God. The only fear that a disciple should
have is that of losing this divine gift, closeness, friendship with God, giving
up living according to the Gospel, thereby acquiring moral death, which is the
effect of sin.
Jesus indicates as the third
type of test that the Apostles will have to face, the sensation, which some may
feel, that God himself has abandoned them, remaining distant and silent. Here
too, Jesus exhorts them not to fear, because even while experiencing these and
other pitfalls, the life of disciples lies firmly in the hands of God who loves
us and looks after us.
[…]
May Mary Most Holy, model of
trust and abandonment in God in the hour of adversity and danger, help us never
to surrender to despair, but rather always to entrust ourselves to Him and to
his grace, because God’s grace is ever more powerful than evil.
ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
Ex 19:2-6a; Ps 100; Rom 5:6-11; Mt 9:36-10:8
We are his people: the sheep of his flock
COMMENTARY
The Initial Call of the First Missionaries
This Sunday’s Gospel invites us to reflect on Christ’s institution of the group of Twelve disciples-apostles in order to send them out later on mission. This is the initial call of the first missionaries and, as such, the episode is very rich in significant details in missionary perspective even today. Let us meditate on the three most important points.
1. “At the Sight of the Crowds, Jesus’ Heart Was Moved With Pity for Them.” The Compassionate Heart of Jesus at the Origin of Mission
The first
detail in the Gospel narrative to reflect on is precisely the evangelist’s note
on Jesus’ state of mind from which his subsequent actions depart: “At the sight
of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them.” It should be
remembered that immediately before, the evangelist Matthew points out that, “Jesus
went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness”
(Mt 9:35). Jesus’ “seeing the crowds,” then, is not of one who sits still in
one place observing people, but of one who “went around to all the towns…, teaching…, proclaiming…, and curing every disease and illness.” In other
words, it is about the seeing and feeling of a missionary who, aware of his
being “gone forth/sent by God the Father” (cf. Mk. 1:38), always goes out to
the people, stands among them and immerses himself in their lives. Jesus’
compassion, therefore, for the crowds is not a passive, detached feeling, but
it is an active compassion, which translates into concrete, tireless efforts to
make everyone experience the realities of the Kingdom of God. Here we see in
Jesus a compassionate heart that is the basis of His mission. Such a heart will
also be a model for Jesus’ disciples who will later be chosen and sent by Him
to cooperate in the same divine mission.
Regarding the heart of Jesus and mission, Pope Francis left a reflection during his recent audience to the participants of the General Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies on Saturday, 03.06.2023, with the very timely words that we quote now for a deeper meditation on the topic, especially for those who are engaged in the PMS:
1. The
heart of Jesus and mission. First of all, as we contemplate the heart of
Christ, we discover the greatness of God’s plan for humanity. Indeed, the
Father “so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). In
the pierced heart of the Crucified we can discover the infinite measure of the
Father’s love: he loves us with eternal love; he calls us to be his sons and
daughters and to share in the joy that comes from Him. He comes to seek us when
we are lost; he lifts us up when we fall and raises us from the dead. Jesus
himself speaks to us about the love of the Father in this way when, for
example, he affirms: “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose
nothing of all that he has given me” (Jn 6:39).
Dear
brothers and sisters, Jesus shows us this throughout his life: in his
compassion for those who are wounded, in his concern when faced with suffering,
in the mercy with which he anoints sinners, in his sacrifice for the sins of
the world. He has shown us the heart of God, that of a Father who always awaits
us, sees us from afar, comes toward us with open arms; a Father who turns no
one away, but welcomes all; who excludes no one, but calls everyone. […]
We have been sent to continue this mission: to be signs of the heart of Christ and the love of the Father, embracing the whole world. Here we find the “heart” of the evangelical mission of the Church: to reach all through the gift of God’s infinite love, to seek all, to welcome all, excluding no one, to offer our lives for all. All! That is the key word. What does Jesus tell us in the parable about the wedding banquet (cf. Mt 22:1-14) – which went wrong because the guests did not come… one was concerned with his farm, another had to travel, a third was getting married, and so on – what does the Lord tell us? He says, Go to the crossroads and invite everyone, everyone: those who are healthy, sick, bad, good, sinners... all. This is the heart of mission: that “all”, excluding no one. Every mission of ours, then, is born from the heart of Christ in order that he may draw all to himself. This was the mystical and missionary spirit of Blessed Pauline Marie Jaricot, the foundress of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, who was very devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
2. “So Ask the Master of the Harvest To Send Out Laborers for His Harvest!” Prayer as First Action in Mission
The second important aspect of today’s Gospel is precisely Jesus’ very first recommendation to the disciples, when He had compassion on the crowds “troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd,” “so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” It becomes very clear once again that prayer occupies the primary place among missionary activities, as Pope Francis reiterated again recently (in his Message for World Missionary (Sun)Day 2022). This is more than logical because God is “the Lord of the harvest,” the Master of the mission for the salvation of humanity that Jesus accomplishes now, in the fullness of time, and then entrusts to His disciples.
It should be noted that the recommendation to pray to God is addressed to the disciples and also precedes the institution of the twelve “apostles,” that is, “sent.” This seems to highlight God as the real protagonist on whom everything of and in the mission depends, including Jesus’ action of calling the first missionaries, “laborers in his [God’s] harvest.” On the other hand, while the Twelve are a kind of first-fruits of the disciples-missionaries, all of Jesus’ disciples are invited to participate in God’s mission precisely through concrete prayer for “the harvest” and for the abundance of “laborers.” They thus share the same concern, compassion and passion of Christ for the Kingdom, which is actually that of God himself.
3. “Do Not Go Into Pagan Territory… Go Rather to the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel.” Jesus’ Precious First Missionary Instruction and Love for Israel
By instituting the first “apostles” and sending them out on mission, Jesus imparted to them his first missionary instruction, which begins with a surprising recommendation from the point of view of the universality of mission: “Do not go into pagan territory… Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” These words, however, must be understood in the overall context of God’s Word in Scripture concerning the divine plan for the salvation of all mankind. It clearly states the will of the faithful and merciful God “who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth” (1Tim 2:4). Christ Himself after the resurrection will send his disciples to all nations, to all peoples (cf. Mt 18:20), indeed, to the whole world to preach the gospel even to every creature (cf. Mk 16:15).
Therefore, the restriction of the apostles’ activities only on the “lost sheep” of Israel in that first missionary instruction of Jesus is not meant to put permanent stakes on the divine mission, but rather to emphasize above all God’s absolute and unwavering faithfulness to His promises to His people. In other words, in His unfathomable divine plan, promised through the prophets, God in Christ at the end of time, that is, in Messianic time, comes to save His people and with them the whole world. Indeed, Jesus will later reiterate His clear awareness of this divine mission in His dialogue with the pagan Canaanite woman (cf. Mt 15:24: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”), but without denying her divine grace in response to her faith. Israel was, is, and will be in God’s heart despite all her sins, infidelities, rejections in the past, present or even future (!), as He declared in truly moving words: “With age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you” (Jer 31:3-4; cf. even Is 49:15: “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you”).
From this perspective, the first disciples-apostles, that is, disciples-missionaries, are sent to continue the same mission as Jesus, that actually of God for the salvation of the world starting from Israel. To them, in effect, Jesus’ power over spirits and “every disease and illness” has been transferred, and they are commended the same salvific actions that Jesus, the Messiah, performed as a sign of the Messianic time: “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.” And all this - I would like to reiterate again - is to be carried out with the concern for the salvation of Israel always in the heart and mind. In this regard, here is the solemn yet moving testimony of St. Paul, apostle to the Gentiles: “I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the holy Spirit in bearing me witness that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kin according to the flesh. They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Messiah. God who is over all be blessed forever. Amen.” (Rm 9:1-5).
These words perhaps find echo and resonance in
every disciple-missionary of Christ today. And may all of us, modern disciples
of Jesus, after reflecting on His actions and recommendations in today’s
Gospel, feel vividly the divine concern for the few laborers in His harvests so
that we may pray more and renew our vocation to continue with more zeal God’s
mission in Christ to bring divine love and salvation to all mankind and with
constant thought for Israel, the chosen people whom God loved for eternity.
Benedict XVI, Message
for the 45th World Day of Prayer for Vocations
13 APRIL 2008 – FOUR SUNDAY OF
EASTER
Theme: “Vocations at the
service of the Church on mission”
He was moved to compassion for
the people, because while visiting cities and villages, he found the crowds
weary and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (cf. Mt 9: 36). From
this gaze of love came the invitation to his disciples: “Pray therefore the
Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest” (Mt 9: 38),
and he sent the Twelve initially “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”
with precise instructions. If we pause to meditate on this passage of Matthew’s
Gospel, commonly called the “missionary discourse”, we may take note of those
aspects which distinguish the missionary activity of a Christian community,
eager to remain faithful to the example and teaching of Jesus. To respond to
the Lord’s call means facing in prudence and simplicity every danger and even
persecutions, since “a disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above
his master” (Mt 10: 24). Having become one with their Master, the
disciples are no longer alone as they announce the Kingdom of heaven; Jesus
himself is acting in them: “He who receives you receives me, and he who
receives me receives him who sent me” (Mt 10: 40). Furthermore, as true
witnesses, “clothed with power from on high” (Lk 24: 49), they preach “repentance
and the forgiveness of sins” (Lk 24: 47) to all peoples.
3. Precisely because they have
been sent by the Lord, the Twelve are called “Apostles”, destined to walk the
roads of the world announcing the Gospel as witnesses to the death and
resurrection of Christ. Saint Paul, writing to the Christians of Corinth, says:
“We – the Apostles – preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor 1: 23). The Book of
the Acts of the Apostles also assigns a very important role in this task
of evangelization to other disciples whose missionary vocation arises from
providential, sometimes painful, circumstances such as expulsion from their own
lands for being followers of Jesus (cf. 8,1-4). The Holy Spirit transforms this
trial into an occasion of grace, using it so that the name of the Lord can be
preached to other peoples, stretching in this way the horizons of the Christian
community. These are men and women who, as Luke writes in the Acts of the
Apostles, “have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ”
(15: 26). First among them is undoubtedly Paul of Tarsus, called by the Lord
himself, hence a true Apostle. The story of Paul, the greatest missionary of
all times, brings out in many ways the link between vocation and mission.
Accused by his opponents of not being authorized for the apostolate, he makes
repeated appeals precisely to the call which he received directly from the Lord
(cf. Rom 1: 1; Gal 1: 11-12 and 15-17).
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 18
July 2021
God’s style is to draw near,
compassion and tenderness. How many times we find this phrase in the Gospel, in
the Bible: “He had compassion on them”. Touched, Jesus dedicates himself to the
people and begins to teach again (cf. vv. 33-34). This seems to be a contradiction,
but in reality, it is not. In fact, only a heart that does not allow itself to
be taken over by hastiness is capable of being moved; that is, of not allowing
itself to be caught up in itself and by things to do, and is aware of others,
of their wounds, their needs. Compassion is born from contemplation. If
we learn to truly rest, we become capable of true compassion; if we cultivate a
contemplative outlook, we will carry out our activities without that rapacious
attitude of those who want to possess and consume everything; if we stay in
touch with the Lord and do not anesthetise the deepest part of ourselves, the
things to do will not have the power to cause us to get winded or devour us. We
need – listen to this – we need an “ecology of the heart”, that is made
up of rest, contemplation and compassion. Let us take advantage of the summer
time for this!
Benedict XVI, Pastoral Visit to Santa
Maria di Leuca and Brindisi, Homily, Sunday,
15 June 2008
Christ gave to the Twelve, we
heard, “authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every
disease and every infirmity” (Mt 10: 1). The Twelve must cooperate with Jesus
in establishing the Kingdom of God, that is, his beneficial, life-giving
lordship, and life in abundance for the whole of humanity. The Church in
essence, like Christ and together with him, is called and sent out to establish
the Kingdom of life and to drive out the dominion of death so that the life of
God may triumph in the world; so that God who is Love may triumph. Christ’s
work is always silent, it is not spectacular; the great tree of true life grows
even in the humility of being Church, of living the Gospel every day. Precisely
with these humble beginnings the Lord encourages us so that in the humility of
the Church today too, in the poverty of our Christian lives, we may see his
presence and thus have the courage to go to meet him and make his love, this
force of peace and of true life, present on our earth. So this was God’s plan:
to spread over humanity and throughout the cosmos his love that generates life.
It was not a spectacular process; it was a humble process, yet it brought with
it the true power of the future and of history.
Thus it is a plan that the
Lord desires to implement with respect for our freedom, for love, by its
nature, cannot be imposed. The Church in Christ then is the place in which to
accept and mediate God’s love. In this perspective it is clear that the Church’s
holiness and missionary character are two sides of the same coin:
only because she is holy, that is, filled with divine love, can the Church
carry out her mission, and it is precisely in terms of this task that God chose
her and sanctified her as his property. Our first duty, therefore, precisely in
order to heal this world, is to be holy, configured to God; in this way we
emanate a healing and transforming power that also acts on others, on history. […]
In this regard, it is useful
to reflect that the Twelve Apostles were not perfect men, chosen for their
moral and religious irreproachability. They were indeed believers, full of
enthusiasm and zeal but at the same time marked by their human limitations, which
were sometimes even serious. Therefore Jesus did not call them because they
were already holy, complete, perfect, but so that they might become so, so that
they might thereby also transform history, as it is for us, as it is for all
Christians. In the Second Reading we heard the Apostle Paul’s synthesis: “God
shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Rm
5: 8). The Church is the community of sinners who believe in God’s love,
letting themselves be transformed by him and thus become holy, sanctifying the
world. […]
It can only be Jesus’ style:
that of “compassion”. The Evangelist highlights this by focusing attention on
Christ looking at the crowd. He wrote: “When he saw the crowds, he had
compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep
without a shepherd” (Mt 9: 36). And after the call of the Twelve, this attitude
is once again apparent in the order he gives them to go “to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel” (Mt 10: 6). Christ’s love for his people, especially the
lowly and the poor, can be felt in these words. Christian compassion has
nothing to do with pietism or the culture of dependency. Rather, it is
synonymous with solidarity and sharing and is enlivened by hope. Were not Jesus’
words to the Apostles born from hope: “Preach as you go, saying, “the Kingdom
of Heaven is at hand’” (Mt 10: 7)? This is hope founded on Christ’s coming and
ultimately coincides with his Person and his mystery of salvation - where
Christ is, there is the Kingdom of God, there is the newness of the world - as
the theme of the Fourth Ecclesial Convention of Italy celebrated in Verona
clearly recalled: the Risen Christ is the “hope of the world”.
SOLEMNITY OF THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (YEAR A)
Dt 8:2-3,14b-16a; Ps 147; 1Cor 10:16-17; Jn 6:51-58
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem
COMMENTARY
Eucharist - “Source and Summit of the Church’s
Life and Mission”
“The feast of Corpus Christi invites us to renew each year the wonder and joy of this wondrous gift of the Lord which is the Eucharist,” so Pope Francis reminded us during the Angelus, in Saint Peter’s Square, Saturday, 23 June 2019. Therefore, we celebrate with joy this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, which is fixed after the Sunday of the Holy Trinity (Thursday according to ancient tradition, in some countries such as the Vatican, Sunday in other countries such as Italy or Vietnam). From this succession of feasts the Eucharist emerges as “a free gift of the Blessed Trinity,” just as Pope Benedict XVI called it in his Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis precisely “on the Eucharist as the Source and Summit of the Church’s Life and Mission,” as stated in the title. I would like to invite all to reread this beautiful document for a proper review and deepening of the Eucharistic mystery (perhaps also consulting the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the subject). Here, we focus on three interesting aspects from a missionary perspective.
1. “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.” The “complete” bread offered by Jesus
This
declaration of Jesus (“I am the living bread that came down from heaven”) is
part of his long speech after the multiplication of the bread. It must be
remembered that the multiplication of bread is inserted in the context of Jesus’
tireless mission for the Kingdom of God. It all begins with the beautiful
welcoming action, a sign of limitless love, to the point of forgetting oneself
to serve others (cf. Lk 9:10-11). In fact, the parallel passage in the Gospel
of Mark made it clear that at that moment, “[Jesus] saw the vast crowd, his
heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a
shepherd; and he began to teach them many things”(Mk 6:34).
Furthermore,
as underlined by the Lucan account, before feeding the people with bread, Jesus
had taught them the things of God until the waning of the day! In this way, on
that memorable day, the bread He shared with the crowd was not only the
material one made of barley or wheat, but also and above all, that of the Word
of God. Jesus offers a “complete” care for the people, giving all of himself in
the mission.
This is
also the case with the “Eucharistic bread” that Jesus offers with the
institution of the Eucharist, when his “hour” has come. It will be the bread of
his body and the blood of his flesh “for the life of the world” (Jn 6:51), but
at the same time it will also be the bread of the teaching of Him, the Word of
God, who has “the words of eternal life,” as seen in the extended Eucharistic
discourse of Jesus following the multiplication of bread in the Gospel of John
(cf. Jn 6:26-58,68). This is the “complete” bread that Jesus offers with love
for the salvation of the world.
In this regard, the reflection of Pope Benedict XVI is quite indicative:
In the Eucharist Jesus does not give us a “thing,” but himself; he offers his own body and pours out his own blood. He thus gives us the totality of his life and reveals the ultimate origin of this love [of God]. He is the eternal Son, given to us by the Father. In the Gospel we hear how Jesus, after feeding the crowds by multiplying the loaves and fishes, says to those who had followed him to the synagogue of Capernaum: “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven; for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world” (Jn 6:32-33), and even identifies himself, his own flesh and blood, with that bread: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh” (Jn 6:51). Jesus thus shows that he is the bread of life which the eternal Father gives to mankind. (Sacramentum Caritatis 7)
2. The Bread of Jesus and the Mission of the Community of the Faithful
Returning
to the Gospel account of the multiplication of bread, we note that Jesus’
mission was shared with the apostles. The latter, who were already
collaborators of Jesus in the proclamation of the Kingdom and in the care of
the sick, will also be called to cooperate in the miracle of bread at the end
of that memorable day. In fact, when they wanted to send the crowd away to “find
provisions”, “he said to them, ‘Give them some food yourselves.’” Furthermore,
the apostles will be asked to make the people sit “in groups of about fifty”,
organizing them just as in the time of the journey of God’s People in the
desert (cf. Ex 18:21,25). And even more importantly, it will be the disciples
who will receive the loaves and fishes from Jesus to distribute to the crowd: “Then
taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the
blessing over them [lit. “he blessed them”], he broke them, and gave them to
the disciples to set before the crowd”(Lk 9:16). Finally, in the mention
that “the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets,”
it can be understood that it was these disciples who collected them (as stated
in the Gospel of John [cf. Jn 6:12-13]).
As in the
multiplication of bread, Jesus also involved his disciples in the Eucharistic
Mystery with the explicit command to them: “Do this in memory of me.” Indeed,
this recommendation is repeated twice in Saint Paul’s account of the
institution of the Eucharist, both after the words on bread and after those on
wine. With this in mind, St. Paul concluded his concise account with a precious
observation on the action of proclaiming Christ that goes together with
participation in the Eucharist: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink
the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes” (1Cor 11:26).
And here is
a beautiful reflection by Benedict XVI regarding the Eucharist and the mission
of the community of the faithful:
The love that we celebrate in the sacrament [of Eucharist] is not something we can keep to ourselves. By its very nature it demands to be shared with all. What the world needs is God’s love; it needs to encounter Christ and to believe in him. The Eucharist is thus the source and summit not only of the Church’s life, but also of her mission: “an authentically eucharistic Church is a missionary Church.” (234) We too must be able to tell our brothers and sisters with conviction: “That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us” (1 Jn 1:3). Truly, nothing is more beautiful than to know Christ and to make him known to others. The institution of the Eucharist, for that matter, anticipates the very heart of Jesus’ mission: he is the one sent by the Father for the redemption of the world (cf. Jn 3:16-17; Rom 8:32). At the Last Supper, Jesus entrusts to his disciples the sacrament which makes present his self-sacrifice for the salvation of us all, in obedience to the Father’s will. We cannot approach the eucharistic table without being drawn into the mission which, beginning in the very heart of God, is meant to reach all people. Missionary outreach is thus an essential part of the eucharistic form of the Christian life. (Sacramentum Caritatis 84).
3. «Ite, missa est». Go and bring Christ to all!
In view of the aforementioned phrase of St. Paul to the Corinthians, we recall the important clarification of the Pope on the nature of the Christian proclamation that starts from participation in the Eucharistic mystery:
Emphasis on the intrinsic relationship between the Eucharist and mission also leads to a rediscovery of the ultimate content of our proclamation. The more ardent the love for the Eucharist in the hearts of the Christian people, the more clearly will they recognize the goal of all mission: to bring Christ to others. Not just a theory or a way of life inspired by Christ, but the gift of his very person. Anyone who has not shared the truth of love with his brothers and sisters has not yet given enough. The Eucharist, as the sacrament of our salvation, inevitably reminds us of the unicity of Christ and the salvation that he won for us by his blood. The mystery of the Eucharist, believed in and celebrated, demands a constant catechesis on the need for all to engage in a missionary effort centred on the proclamation of Jesus as the one Saviour. This will help to avoid a reductive and purely sociological understanding of the vital work of human promotion present in every authentic process of evangelization. (Sacramentum Caritatis 86).
Finally,
another reflection of the Pontiff in the same document on the farewell greeting
at the end of the Eucharistic celebration will also be useful for us:
After the blessing, the deacon or the priest dismisses the people with the words: Ite, missa est. These words help us to grasp the relationship between the Mass just celebrated and the mission of Christians in the world. In antiquity, missa simply meant “dismissal.” However in Christian usage it gradually took on a deeper meaning. The word “dismissal” has come to imply a “mission.” These few words succinctly express the missionary nature of the Church. (Sacramentum Caritatis 51)
Let us then pray in conclusion that, as Pope Benedict XVI expressed, “through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may the Holy Spirit kindle within us the same ardor experienced by the disciples on the way to Emmaus (cf. Lk 24:13-35) and renew our ‘eucharistic wonder’ through the splendor and beauty radiating from the liturgical rite, the efficacious sign of the infinite beauty of the holy mystery of God”(Sacramentum Caritatis 97). We pray that all of us may always welcome with joy and gratitude the gift of the “complete” Bread that Jesus offers us in every Eucharistic celebration, the Bread of his Word and of his Body and Blood, to share it with others in our life, announcing the death and resurrection of the Lord, “until he comes.”
Useful points to consider:
Pope Francis,
Message for
World Mission (Sun)Day 2023, 22 October 2023
Hearts on fire, feet on the move (cf. Lk 24:13-35)
2. Our eyes were “opened and recognized him” in the breaking of the bread. Jesus in the Eucharist is the source and summit of the mission.
The fact that their hearts burned for the word
of God prompted the disciples of Emmaus to ask the mysterious Wayfarer to stay
with them as evening drew near. When they gathered around the table, their eyes
were opened and they recognized him when he broke the bread. The decisive
element that opened the eyes of the disciples was the sequence of actions
performed by Jesus: he took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to
them. Those were the usual gestures of the head of a Jewish household, but,
performed by Jesus Christ with the grace of the Holy Spirit, they renewed for
his two table companions the sign of the multiplication of the loaves and above
all that of the Eucharist, the sacrament of the sacrifice of the cross. Yet at
the very moment when they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread, “he
vanished from their sight” (Lk 24:31). Here we can recognize an
essential reality of our faith: Christ, who breaks the bread, now becomes the
bread broken, shared with the disciples and consumed by them. He is seen no
longer, for now he has entered the hearts of the disciples, to make them burn
all the more, and this prompts them to set out immediately to share with
everyone their unique experience of meeting the Risen Lord. The risen Christ,
then, is both the one who breaks the bread and, at the same time, the bread
itself, broken for us. It follows that every missionary disciple is called to
become, like Jesus and in him, through the working of the Holy Spirit, one who
breaks the bread and one who is broken bread for the world.
Here it should be remembered that breaking our
material bread with the hungry in the name of Christ is already a work of
Christian mission. How much more so is the breaking of the Eucharistic bread,
which is Christ himself, a work of mission par excellence, since the
Eucharist is the source and summit of the life and mission of the Church.
[…]
In order to bear fruit we must remain united
to Jesus (cf. Jn 15:4-9). This union is achieved through daily prayer,
particularly in Eucharistic adoration, as we remain in silence in the presence
of the Lord, who remains with us in the Blessed Sacrament. By lovingly
cultivating this communion with Christ, the missionary disciple can become a
mystic in action. May our hearts always yearn for the company of Jesus,
echoing the ardent plea of the two disciples of Emmaus, especially in the
evening hours: “Stay with us, Lord!” (cf.
Lk 24:29).
THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY (YEAR A)
Ex 34:4-6,8-9; Dn 3:52-56; 2Cor 13:11-13; Jn 3:16-18
Glory and praise for ever!
COMMENTARY
Trinity’s Mission
The Solemnity of the Most Holy
Trinity is celebrated on the Sunday after Pentecost, that is, after the
celebration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This succession is because,
as the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us, “The sending of the person
of the Spirit after Jesus’ glorification reveals in its fullness the mystery of
the Holy Trinity” (Catechism of the Catholic Church
244). It is the “central mystery of Christian faith and life,” as the Catechism
points out and continues in this regard: “It is the mystery of God in himself.
It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that
enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the
‘hierarchy of the truths of faith.’ The whole history of salvation is identical
with the history of the way and the means by which the one true God, Father,
Son and Holy Spirit, reveals himself to men ‘and reconciles and unites with
himself those who turn away from sin’ (GCD 47)” (Catechism of the Catholic
Church 234).
Thus, the Holy Trinity is the
mystery of mysteries and, as the mystery of God, always remains unfathomable
despite human efforts. Today’s solemnity therefore, with the special Mass
prayers and readings, offers an opportunity not so much to explain everything
about the mystery of the Trinity, but to invite us Christians to contemplate
even more deeply the life of the triune God in whom our lives are immersed.
1. A Divinely Revealed but Humanly
Inaccessible Mystery
Above all, when we speak of the Trinity,
it must be strongly emphasized that it is a mystery inaccessible to the human mind
and revealed only at the end of time by the mission of Jesus and the Spirit. In
short, we believe in the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, not because
of some human reasoning that convinces us and makes us “understand” such a
complex reality, but solely and exclusively on the basis of the revelation of
Jesus Christ, conveyed by the apostles under the action of the Holy Spirit.
This is what is noted in the teaching
of the Catechism:
The Trinity is a mystery of faith in the strict sense, one of the
“mysteries that are hidden in God, which can never be known unless they are
revealed by God” (Dei Filius 4: DS 3015). To be sure, God has left traces of
his Trinitarian being in his work of creation and in his Revelation throughout
the Old Testament. But his inmost Being
as Holy Trinity is a mystery that is inaccessible to reason alone or even to
Israel’s faith before the Incarnation of God’s Son and the sending of the Holy
Spirit. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 237). (Italics added).
Thus,
to explain the mystery of the Trinity, any human reasoning, image or metaphor
(such as the three states of water, the three actions of the ray of light...)
will never be satisfactory, even if it can help us “understand” something.
(Indeed, with this kind of human explanation there is a risk of having more
questions and perplexity than before, as well as of having a not entirely
accurate view of divine reality!) The only sure foundation remains the set of
authoritative words and actions of Jesus Christ in the Gospels, transmitted in
the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We believe in the Trinity
because we believe in Jesus Christ who calls God the Father; who calls Himself
the Son; and who reveals the Holy Spirit. This is why Pope Francis confirmed
with authority and simplicity in one of his teachings: “It is a mystery that
Jesus Christ revealed to us: the Holy Trinity” (Pope
Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Trinity Sunday,
30 May 2021).
In
this regard, it is always useful to recall the (legendary) story of St.
Augustine, Doctor of the Church, who at the time attempted to understand the
mystery of the Trinity (He later left for posterity a great 15-volume treatise De Trinitate on the Trinity!). While he
was meditating on the Trinity along the seashore, he suddenly saw a child
playing on the beach. The little boy was intent on taking water from the sea
with a shell and pouring it into a hole he had dug in the sand. The curious saint
asked him, “What are you doing?” And the answer was, “I’m trying to pour that great big ocean into this tiny hole,” and
St. Augustine said, laughing, “My dear child, you could never pour this great,
magnificent ocean into that tiny hole!” At this point, the little boy became an
angel and said to Augustine, “And you will
never be able to grasp all the great mystery of the Holy Trinity in your tiny
head!”
2. The Trinity’s mission for humanity
The
mystery of the Trinity is to be experienced and lived more and more in order to
grow steadily in its understanding. In reality, the inner life of the triune
God is revealed through God’s action, and mission, in human history, as the
Collect prayer expresses: “God our Father, who by sending into the world the
Word of truth and the Spirit of sanctification made known to the human race
your wondrous mystery.” We see clearly the process of Trinitarian revelation
precisely in the act of sending, that is, the “mission,” of the Son and the
Spirit, and this serves not only to make known something of the divine life,
but also and foremost to give the fullness of such a life to all who open their
hearts to receive it. In other words, God is revealed himself in the mission
for humanity’s salvation and happiness from creation until the end of the
world.
In
this perspective, in the fullness of time, the mission of God the Father is
realized concretely by Jesus Christ, the Son of God himself, and that mission
of the Father and the Son is then carried on through time by the Holy Spirit.
Thus emerges the chain of divine mission in history, missio Dei - missio
Christi/Filii - missio Spiritus
Sancti. Such a chain, however, serves only to mark the various historical
periods before and after the earthly life of Christ, the Son and Incarnate Word
of the Father, because the divine mission for the salvation of humanity was,
is, and always will be carried out jointly by all the persons of the Trinity:
Father, Son, Holy Spirit, in a perfect divine unity. Therefore, to use a wordplay
in Italian, the mystery of the Trinity is the mystery of the triune God who “makes
himself in four” to bring humanity to divine salvation and happiness! (In Italian,
“to make oneself in four” means “to engage/commit oneself fully.”) This could
already be seen, in a mysterious way, in the Old Testament accounts of creation
with the presence of divine Wisdom alongside God the Creator (Pr 8:22-31) as
well as with reference to the action of God’s Spirit (cf. Gn 1:2; Ps 104:30).
Jesus himself affirmed that the Father always acts and so does He (cf. Jn
5:17), and the emblematic biblical icon of “Trinitarian cooperation” in the
divine mission for humanity remains the scene of Jesus’ baptism at the Jordan
River.
The constant mission of the triune
God for humankind is fulfilled by and in love, as revealed with and in Jesus,
Son of God, who declares: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only
Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have
eternal life” (Jn 3,16; today’s gospel). It cannot be otherwise, because “God is
love” (1 Jn 4,8.16), and that
means, as Pope Francis explained to us recently, “The Father is love; the Son
is love; the Holy Spirit is love. And inasmuch as he is love, God, while being
one alone, is not solitude but communion, among the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit. Because love is essentially a gift of self, and in its original
and infinite reality it is the Father who gives himself by generating his Son,
who in turn gives himself to the Father, and their mutual love is the Holy
Spirit, the bond of their unity” (Pope
Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter's Square, Trinity Sunday,
30 May 2021).
3. Our mission in the Trinity
As it is revealed to us in
Scripture, we are created in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gn 1:26-27), of
that God revealed to be triune, the “perfect Trinity and simple Unity”
(expression of St. Francis of Assisi) of communion and divine love. “In him we
live and move and have our being,” as St Paul recalled in his missionary
address in Athens (Acts 17:28). Furthermore, as Christians, we are all already
immersed in the Trinity in baptism, and thus we remain immersed in the divine
life, that eternal life of the triune God. In this way, we are called to live
the life given to the full, experiencing God’s presence in us and thus knowing
more and more the abundant love of all three divine Persons, Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit, for us. As Jesus points out in his prayer to the Father before the
passion: “Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true
God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ” (Jn 17:3). This will be our
mission in the Trinity, the mission we should live first for ourselves, so that
we can witness and share with others the grace of divine life in communion with
the triune God. The one God in three Persons who has loved us so much and
continues to “make himself in four”, that is, committed totally, to save even only
one person.
Useful points to consider:
Pope
Francis,
Angelus,
Saint Peter's Square, Trinity Sunday, 30 May 2021
God is the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit. Three persons, but God is one! The Father is God; the Son
is God; the Spirit is God. But they are not three gods: it is one God in three
Persons. […]They are Persons. There is the Father to whom I pray with the Our
Father; there is the Son, who gave me redemption, justification; there is the
Holy Spirit who abides in us and inhabits the Church. And this speaks to our
heart because we find it encompassed in that expression of Saint John which
summarizes all of Revelation: “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8-16). The Father is
love; the Son is love; the Holy Spirit is love. And inasmuch as he is love,
God, while being one alone, is not solitude but communion, among the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit. Because love is essentially a gift of self, and in
its original and infinite reality it is the Father who gives himself by
generating his Son, who in turn gives himself to the Father, and their mutual
love is the Holy Spirit, the bond of their unity.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
244 The eternal origin
of the Holy Spirit is revealed in his mission in time. The Spirit is sent to
the apostles and to the Church both by the Father in the name of the Son, and
by the Son in person, once he had returned to the Father. The sending of the
person of the Spirit after Jesus' glorification reveals in its fullness the
mystery of the Holy Trinity.
253 The Trinity is One.
We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons, the “consubstantial
Trinity.” The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but
each of them is God whole and entire: “The Father is that which the Son is, the
Son that which the Father is, the Father and the Son that which the Holy Spirit
is, i.e. by nature one God.” In the words of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215),
“Each of the persons is that supreme reality, viz., the divine substance, essence
or nature.”
255 The divine persons
are relative to one another. Because it does not divide the divine unity, the
real distinction of the persons from one another resides solely in the
relationships which relate them to one another: “In the relational names of the
persons the Father is related to the Son, the Son to the Father, and the Holy
Spirit to both. While they are called three persons in view of their relations,
we believe in one nature or substance.” Indeed “everything (in them)
is one where there is no opposition of relationship.” “Because of that unity
the Father is wholly in the Son and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Son is
wholly in the Father and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is wholly
in the Father and wholly in the Son.”
PENTECOST SUNDAY (YEAR A)
AT THE VIGIL MASS
Reading 1: Gn 11:1-9; or Ex 19:3-8a, 16-20b; or Ez 37:1-14; or Jl 3:1-5;
Ps 104; Rom 8:22-27; Jn 7:37-39
MASS DURING THE DAY
Acts 2:1-11; Ps 104; 1Cor 12:3b-7,12-13; Jn 20:19-23
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the
earth
COMMENTARY
The God’s Mission
continues
The liturgical celebration of Pentecost is not merely
a remembrance of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Mary and the apostles in
the Cenacle in the past, but the actual realization of the Event, in which God
the Father, “in his Word who became incarnate, died, and rose for us, he fills
us with his blessings. Through his Word, he pours into our hearts the Gift that
contains all gifts, the Holy Spirit” (Catechism
of the Catholic Church 1082). It is about the mystery that is also
fulfilled now in those who celebrate it in faith. In this context, the readings
and the Gospel of today’s Mass help us to understand and open ourselves even
more to the gift of the Spirit that we receive in our lives as disciples, sent
by Jesus to be his witnesses “to the ends of the earth.”
1. A Strong Driving
Wind – A Mysterious Event
and Eventful Mystery
What really happened with Jesus’ disciples on the
day of Pentecost?
Firstly, as the reading from the Acts of the
Apostles tells us, while “they were all in one place together,” that is, in the
Cenacle, the “Upper Room”, “suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a
strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.” The
emphasis on the words “noise,” and “strong driving wind,” seems to go beyond
the physical description of a weather phenomenon. Such a strong wind was
mentioned at key moments in biblical history: in the night of creation, with “a
mighty wind sweeping over the waters” of chaos, where the Hebrew expression can
also mean “the Spirit of God” (cf. Gn 1:2); on the night of the Red Sea
crossing, there was a “strong east wind all night long,” which separated the
waters of the sea into two walls to leave a dry ground for God’s people (cf. Ex
14:21-23); in the vision prophet Ezekiel’s vision, the four winds come, which
are the Spirit of God, the dead bones of the people come to life again (cf. Ez
37:9-14). Thus, as seen in the past, on this day of Pentecost came a strong
driving wind that heralds a pivotal event in the salvation history of humankind,
an event that brings a new creation, liberation, resurrection of humanity.
Secondly, on the other hand, as the Catechism of the
Catholic Church explains, “The term ‘Spirit’ translates the Hebrew word ruah, which, in its primary sense, means
breath, air, wind. Jesus indeed uses the sensory image of the wind to suggest
to Nicodemus the transcendent newness of him who is personally God’s breath,
the divine Spirit” (Catechism of the
Catholic Church 691). Thus, in the wind we can glimpse the Spirit in
action, or rather, His “descent” from heaven. We must feel all this, in heart
and mind, to enter with fear and trembling into the solemn and grandiose
atmosphere of the moment and to relive the mystery of Pentecost in all its
fullness.
2.
Tongues as of Fire – The Mystery of the
Outpouring of the Spirit
After the noise, “appeared to them tongues as of
fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.” Here is the moment of
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as it is explained immediately afterwards, “And
they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” However, an
interesting detail should be pointed out: what did the apostles see at that
moment? Flames of fire over their heads, as we usually see in various paintings
in churches? No, the sacred author was subtle in his description of what
happened: not “tongues of fire,” but “tongues as of fire”, where the meaning of the word “as” is precisely “as, like,” and not instead “equal, exactly
the same!” Again, one must keep this in mind to understand that we are dealing
with an unspeakable, inscrutable mystery, and any description will always be
approximate. (After all, if there had really been fire on their heads, their
hair would have all burned off!). On the other hand, one wants to associate the
visible image of fire with the invisible reality of the Spirit with which “they
were all filled.” As the Catechism said again, “While water signifies birth and
the fruitfulness of life given in the Holy Spirit, fire symbolizes the
transforming energy of the Holy Spirit’s actions. […] John the Baptist […]
proclaims Christ as the one who ‘will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with
fire (Lk 1:17; 3:16).’ Jesus will say of the Spirit: ‘I came to cast fire upon
the earth; and would that it were already kindled! (Lk 12:49)’ In the form of
tongues ‘as of fire,’ the Holy Spirit rests on the disciples on the morning of
Pentecost and fills them with himself (Acts 2:3-4). The spiritual tradition has
retained this symbolism of fire as one of the most expressive images of the
Holy Spirit’s actions. ‘Do not quench the Spirit’ (1 Thess 5:19).” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 696). The
Spirit is the fire that transforms life, enlightens the mind, and makes love
for God burn in the heart.
3. The Holy
Spirit “Will Teach You Everything”
Descending on the apostles, the Holy Spirit
immediately enabled them to “speak in different tongues” to everybody “of
the mighty acts of God.” It is almost a fulfillment of what Jesus had told his
disciples at the Last Supper, as today’s Gospel reminds us, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom
the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything.” From the Catechism
we know that, “When he proclaims and promises the coming of the Holy Spirit,
Jesus calls him the ‘Paraclete,’ literally, ‘he who is called to one’s side,’ advocatus (Jn 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). ‘Paraclete’
is commonly translated by ‘consoler,’ and Jesus is the first consoler. The Lord
also called the Holy Spirit ‘the Spirit of truth’ (Jn 16:13).” (Catechism
of the Catholic Church 692). Moreover, “everything” that the Spirit will
teach certainly does not refer to all the possible knowledge in the world, but
to the knowledge of God and Christ and the ability to proclaim to others the
divine truths, revealed in Christ, for their salvation. So much so that, after “[the
Holy Spirit] will teach you everything” it follows at the conclusion of the
thought “and remind you of all that I told you.”
To better understand the Jesus’ words about the role
of the Spirit it is worth recalling the authoritative teaching of St. John Paul
II in his Encyclical Dominum et
vivificantem:
The Holy Spirit will
be the Counselor of the Apostles and the Church, always present in their
midst-even though invisible-as the teacher of the same Good News that Christ
proclaimed. The words “he will teach” and “bring to remembrance” mean not only
that he, in his own particular way, will continue to inspire the spreading of
the Gospel of salvation but also that he will help people to understand the
correct meaning of the content of Christ’s message; they mean that he will
ensure continuity and identity of understanding in the midst of changing
conditions and circumstances. The Holy Spirit, then, will ensure that in the
Church there will always continue the same truth which the Apostles heard from
their Master.
Thus, the Holy Spirit continues in the Church and in
Christ’s disciples the mission of God. As Pope Francis also mentioned, “it was
precisely following the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples that the
first act of witnessing to the crucified and risen Christ took place. That
kerygmatic proclamation – Saint Peter’s “missionary” address to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem – inaugurated an era in which the disciples of Jesus evangelized
the world. Whereas they had previously been weak, fearful and closed in on
themselves, the Holy Spirit gave them the strength, courage and wisdom to bear
witness to Christ before all.” Moreover, the Pope further explains, “Just as
“no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3),
so no Christian is able to bear full and genuine witness to Christ the Lord
without the Spirit’s inspiration and assistance. All Christ’s missionary
disciples are called to recognize the essential importance of the Spirit’s
work, to dwell in his presence daily and to receive his unfailing strength and
guidance. Indeed, it is precisely when we feel tired, unmotivated or confused
that we should remember to have recourse to the Holy Spirit in prayer. Let me
emphasize once again that prayer plays a fundamental role in the missionary
life, for it allows us to be refreshed and strengthened by the Spirit as the
inexhaustible divine source of renewed energy and joy in sharing Christ’s life
with others” (Message for World Mission
Sunday 2022)
Let us pray that all of us, missionary disciples of
Christ, may experience Pentecost well, indeed fully, today, and that it will
give us new impetus to continue Christ’s mission in the power of the Spirit.
This is especially true for those who directly engage in mission and missionary
animation as in the Pontifical Mission Societies. Blessed Paolo Manna, when
planning to found the Missionary Union of Clergy, which later became the
present Pontifical Missionary Union, had a clear vision, “an authentic, genuine, missionary movement must be above all spiritual,
since it is the work of the Holy Spirit; it must be a Pentecost: then, and only
then, will it convince, penetrate, sanctify, inspire and leave lasting fruits
of prayer, works, sacrifices; only then will true missionary vocations flourish” (Le Missioni Cattoliche LX [1931], 24 may,
p. 323ff.) Mary, Mother of the Church and Queen of Missions, pray for us all
and for the whole Church!
Useful points to consider:
From a catechetical instruction by Saint Cyril
of Jerusalem, bishop
(Cat. 16, De Spiritu Sancto 1, 11-12.16: PG 33, 931-935. 939-942)
The living water of the Holy Spirit
The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of living
water, welling up into eternal life. This is a new kind of water, a
living, leaping water, welling up for those who are worthy. But why did Christ
call the grace of the Spirit water? Because all things are dependent on water;
plants and animals have their origin in water. Water comes down from heaven as
rain, and although it is always the same in itself, it produces many different
effects, one in the palm tree, another in the vine, and so on throughout the
whole of creation. It does not come down, now as one thing, now as another, but
while remaining essentially the same, it adapts itself to the needs of every
creature that receives it.
In the same way the Holy Spirit, whose nature is always the same, simple and
indivisible, apportions grace to each man as he wills. Like a dry tree which
puts forth shoots when watered, the soul bears the fruit of holiness when
repentance has made it worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit. Although the Spirit
never changes, the effects of this action, by the will of God and in the name
of Christ, are both many and marvelous.
The Spirit makes one man a teacher of divine truth, inspires another to
prophesy, gives another the power of casting out devils, enables another to
interpret Holy Scripture. The Spirit strengthens one man’s self-control, shows
another how to help the poor, teaches another to fast and lead a life of
asceticism, makes another oblivious to the needs of the body, trains another
for martyrdom. His action is different in different people, but the Spirit
himself is always the same. In each person, Scripture says, the
Spirit reveals his presence in a particular way for the common good.
John Paul II, Encyclical on the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church
and the World, Dominum et Vivificantem
25. “Having accomplished the
work that the Father had entrusted to the Son on earth (cf. Jn 17:4), on the
day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was sent to sanctify the Church forever, so
that believers might have access to the Father through Christ in one Spirit
(cf. Eph 2:18). He is the Spirit of life, the fountain of water springing up to
eternal life (cf. Jn 4:14; 7:38ff.), the One through whom the Father restores
life to those who are dead through sin, until one day he will raise in Christ
their mortal bodies” (cf. Rom 8:10f.). In this way the Second Vatican Council
speaks of the Church’s birth on the day of Pentecost. This event constitutes
the definitive manifestation of what had already been accomplished in the same
Upper Room on Easter Sunday. The Risen Christ came and “brought” to the
Apostles the Holy Spirit. He gave him to them, saying “Receive the Holy
Spirit.” What had then taken place inside the Upper Room, "the doors being
shut," later, on the day of Pentecost is manifested also outside, in
public.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
737 The mission of
Christ and the Holy Spirit is brought to completion in the Church, which is the
Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. This joint mission henceforth
brings Christ’s faithful to share in his communion with the Father in the Holy
Spirit; the Spirit prepares men and goes out to them with his grace, in order
to draw them to Christ; the Spirit manifests the risen Lord to them, recalls
his word to them and opens their minds to the understanding of his Death and
Resurrection. He makes present the mystery of Christ, supremely in the
Eucharist, in order to reconcile them, to bring them into communion with God,
that they may “bear much fruit.”
738 Thus the Church’s mission is not an addition to that of Christ and the Holy Spirit, but is its sacrament: in her whole being and in all her members, the Church is sent to announce, bear witness, make present, and spread the mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity: All of us who have received one and the same Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit, are in a sense blended together with one another and with God. For if Christ, together with the Father’s and his own Spirit, comes to dwell in each of us, though we are many, still the Spirit is one and undivided. He binds together the spirits of each and every one of us,… and makes all appear as one in him. For just as the power of Christ’s sacred flesh unites those in whom it dwells into one body, I think that in the same way the one and undivided Spirit of God, who dwells in all, leads all into spiritual unity
THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD (YEAR A)
Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47; Eph 1:17-23; Mt 28:16-20
God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of
trumpets for the Lord
COMMENTARY
“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them”
The
solemnity of the Lord’s Ascension invites us to reflect again on this
mysterious event and, in its context, on the very last words that the risen
Christ left for the disciples before ascending to heaven, as the evangelists
narrated. The Gospel of this liturgical year A invites us to meditate more
deeply on the episode of Christ’s ascension according to the account of Saint
Matthew, in particular on the “missionary mandate” of the risen Lord to his
disciples at the moment of “farewell.” We will focus on three details in the
evangelical story.
1. Again “to Galilee, to the
mountain”
The place of the Ascension of the
Lord that Saint Matthew the Evangelist wants to underline is very significant: “The
eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered
them.” This mention is concrete (Galilee) and at the same time vague (on the
mountain indicated by Jesus but without a name). It seemingly serves not to
provide a precise geographical indication, but to offer a theological and
spiritual perspective on which to reflect. In other words, it would be out of
place to compare this account of the Ascension according to St Matthew with
that according to St Luke in his Gospel and in the Acts of the Apostles (first
reading) to ask who offers more precise information on the place where Jesus
ascended into heaven: Galilee or near Jerusalem. (It would therefore be
incorrect to criticize the credibility of the evangelical accounts in question,
which want to underline more the fundamental theological message of the mystery
that happened in history).
We just need to scrutinize and
further understand the theological vision that each evangelist wants to convey.
In this perspective, the reference to Galilee in the Gospel of Saint Matthew
should be underlined as the spatial context of the farewell meeting between the
Risen One and his disciples. A highly symbolic circle clearly emerges: in
Galilee Jesus began his earthly mission, and he ends it now again in Galilee.
Thus, Jesus’ disciples will be sent by Him throughout the world, starting the
mission right from Galilee, just like their Master and Lord.
Here,
it seems useful to recall our consideration in a previous comment (3rd Sunday
in Ordinary Time): Galilee in Jesus’ time is that of the Gentiles and Israel (the land of Zàbulon and
Naphtali); it thus becomes the image of the whole world in which Israelites and
non-Israelites, Jews and Gentiles, coexisted. It was the (micro)cosmos in which
Jesus operated and fulfilled God’s plan of salvation for all humankind. In that
land Jesus, Son of God began it all, thus arose God’s “a great light” for “the people who sit in darkness.” So
much so that He Himself will declare, “I am the light of the world. Whoever
follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn
8:12). He is the light that illuminates and reveals, in word and deed, the true
face of the merciful and compassionate God who loves and calls everyone to
know, that is, to experience, His love in order to enjoy life in abundance with
and in God. This begins in the Galilee of Israel and the Gentiles.
St.
Matthew, at the end of his gospel, will “take” everyone, Jesus and His
disciples, back “to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them”
(Mt 28:16). There the last appearance of the Risen Jesus to His disciples will
take place, before the Ascension, and there He will leave them the great
missionary command: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations […]. And
behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:19-20). Thus
closes the circle of Jesus’ mission on earth: from Galilee to Galilee, and so
now begins the mission of His disciples, of all, including those who are “doubting”
(cf. Mt 28:17): from Galilee to the whole world, whose symbol remains that land
of Zàbulon and Naphtali. Though going to the farthest ends of the earth, Jesus’
missionary disciples will mystically remain in this Galilee of His,
where He will continue to be with them in their missionary activities “always,
until the end of the age.” Therefore, His disciples will also have the same
mission and vocation to be “light of the world,” just like their Master Jesus,
God’s light shining in the darkness, in the Galilee of the world.
2. “But
they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them”
As
mentioned above, in the solemn moment of Christ’s last appearance to his
disciples, these still “doubted,” as the evangelist underlines. It is an
incredible fact: in front of the true presence of the risen Lord, they, all or
many, still did not believe, even if “when they saw him, they worshiped [lit.
prostrated themselves].” But what is even more exceptional is that, despite
their doubts and weak faith, the Risen One “approached” them and entrusted them
with the lofty mandate to continue his own mission of making disciples all over
the world. Leaving the analysis of the “missionary command” for the next point,
we would like to underline the great relevance, even today, of Jesus’ trust in
his disciples when sending them on the mission.
Indeed,
what happened at that moment on the mountain in Galilee could suggest two
important aspects for missionary spirituality. First of all, it is the “doubt”
even in those who “prostrated themselves when they saw him.” We already see in
this prostration of the disciples a sign of their faith. However, such faith in
the Lord did not completely eliminate possible doubts. Indeed, even the Lord
himself here seemingly did not want to eliminate these doubts. He took note of
that, understood that, and went beyond that. He did not choose the most
perfect, the purest of faith, the doubtless, for his mission. He simply wanted
those willing to collaborate with him in spite of everything, and what matters
most, what is required most, is the absolute fidelity/faithfulness on the part
of the disciples in transmitting the Master’s words in the mission: “teaching
them [the peoples] to observe all
that I have commanded you.” This is valid for the disciples-missionaries of
then as of today, in every time and in every place!
Secondly,
at that moment on the mountain in Galilee, the resurrected Master has indeed
placed enormous trust in those who “doubted.” In reality, it is his “style,”
patient and merciful, which he demonstrated several times to the disciples
after the Resurrection, as he did with Thomas the Apostle and also in the story
with the two journeying to Emmaus. And even before any action or word, the fact
that “Jesus approached” those who “doubted” him on the mountain, appears very
beautiful and highly profound, as He did to the two lost and discouraged
disciples on the road to Emmaus. Here, we can listen again to Pope Francis’
significant comment on this act of “approaching” of Jesus, as written in this
year’s World Mission (Sun)Day Message:
Then, “as they were talking and discussing
together, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them” (v. 15). As when he
first called the disciples, so now, amid their bewilderment, the Lord takes the
initiative; he approaches them and walks alongside them. So too, in his great
mercy, he never tires of being with us, despite all our failings, doubts,
weaknesses, and the dismay and pessimism that make us become “foolish and slow
of heart” (v. 25), men and women of little faith.
Today, as then, the Risen Lord remains close to
his missionary disciples and walks beside them, particularly when they feel
disoriented, discouraged, fearful of the mystery of iniquity that surrounds
them and seeks to overwhelm them. So, “let us not allow ourselves to be robbed
of hope!” (Evangelii Gaudium, 86). The Lord is greater than all our
problems [and doubts, as we could add!], above all if we encounter them in our
mission of proclaiming the Gospel to the world. For in the end, this mission is
his and we are nothing more than his humble co-workers, “useless servants”
(cf. Lk 17:10).
3. “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them”
Here we are before the “missionary
command” of the Lord, in which every expression, indeed every word, must be
engraved in the hearts of all his disciples. Faced with the richness and depth
of this last message from the Risen One to him, we feel unable to offer some
concise comment due to limited time. Let us therefore allow ourselves to be
helped by the authoritative words of the Pope, Saint John Paul II, in the
Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio
(On the permanent validity of the Church’s missionary mandate), a document that
is always timely and relevant:
22. All the Evangelists, when they describe the risen Christ’s meeting
with his apostles, conclude with the “missionary mandate”: “All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of
all nations,... and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt
28:18-20; cf. Mk 16:15-18; Lk 24:46-49; Jn 20:21-23).
This is a sending forth in the Spirit, as is clearly
apparent in the Gospel of John […]
23. The different versions of the “missionary mandate” contain common
elements as well as characteristics proper to each. Two elements, however, are
found in all the versions. First, there is the universal dimension of the task
entrusted to the apostles, who are sent to “all nations” (Mt 28:19); “into all
the world and...to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15); to “all nations” (Lk 24:47);
“to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Secondly, there is the assurance given to
the apostles by the Lord that they will not be alone in the task, but will
receive the strength and the means necessary to carry out their mission. The
reference here is to the presence and power of the spirit and the help of Jesus
himself: “And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked
with them” (Mk 16:20).
[…] In Matthew, the missionary emphasis is placed on the foundation of
the Church and on her teaching (cf. Mt 28:19-20; 16:18). According to him, the
mandate shows that the proclamation of the Gospel must be completed by a
specific ecclesial and sacramental catechesis. […]
The four Gospels therefore bear witness to a certain pluralism within
the fundamental unity of the same mission, a pluralism which reflects different
experiences and situations within the first Christian communities. It is also
the result of the driving force of the Spirit himself; it encourages us to pay
heed to the variety or missionary charisms and to the diversity of
circumstances and peoples. Nevertheless, all the Evangelists stress that the
mission of the disciples is to cooperate in the mission of Christ; “Lo, I am
with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20). Mission, then, is based
not on human abilities but on the power of the risen Lord.
The Solemnity of the Lord’s
Ascension is therefore always also the Feast of the missionary sending out of
Christ’s disciples. With gratitude for the great mercy and trust that the Risen
One had and continues to have for us, his modern disciples-missionaries,
tormented often by so many doubts that come from an “incredulous” and “evil”
generation, let us feel called to always be faithful to his words in carrying
out his mission among all peoples. And that in our life as Christ’s
disciples-missionaries we may always raise our gaze to Heaven where our
Master-Lord ascended and where He now reigns with “all power in heaven and on
earth,” in order to draw strength from Him who is God-with-us every day, “always,
until the end of the age.” Amen.
Useful points to
consider:
Catechism of the Catholic Church
662 “And I, when I am lifted up from the
earth, will draw all men to myself.” The lifting up of Jesus on the cross
signifies and announces his lifting up by his Ascension into heaven, and indeed
begins it. Jesus Christ, the one priest of the new and eternal Covenant, “entered,
not into a sanctuary made by human hands. . . but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” There Christ permanently
exercises his priesthood, for he “always lives to make intercession” for “those
who draw near to God through him.” As “high priest of the good things to come”
he is the centre and the principal actor of the liturgy that honours the Father
in heaven.
665 Christ’s Ascension marks the definitive entrance of Jesus’ humanity
into God’s heavenly domain, whence he will come again (cf Acts 1:11); this
humanity in the meantime hides him from the eyes of men (cf Col 3:3).
666 Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, precedes us into the Father’s
glorious kingdom so that we, the members of his Body, may live in the hope of
one day being with him for ever.
667 Jesus Christ, having entered the sanctuary of heaven once and for all,
intercedes constantly for us as the mediator who assures us of the permanent
outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (YEAR A)
Acts 8:5-8,14-17; Ps 66; 1Pt 3:15-18; Jn 14:15-21
Let all the earth cry out to God with joy
COMMENTARY
The Words of Divine Love Asking to Love
Today’s
Gospel is a continuation of Jesus’ words that we heard last Sunday. We are
therefore invited to be in the mystical atmosphere of the Last Supper and Jesus’
Farewell Discourse to His intimate disciples, to welcome and cherish the
profound and moving message of Christ, the One who “loved his own in the world
and loved them to the end, when his hour had come to pass from this world to
the Father.” (Jn 13:1). Even today as a week ago, these few lines of commentary
that follow would like to propose just a few useful points for further
meditation on these profound pronouncements of Christ that we have heard.
1. “If
You Love Me, You Will Keep My Commandments”
Having declared to His disciples that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that He is the visible face of the invisible Father God, Jesus now speaks of the love His disciples should have for Him, indicating with authority in what it concretely consists: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Such a “rule” seems to be very close to Jesus’ heart, for He will reiterate again toward the end of His brief discourse, “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me” (Jn 14:21; also 15:10). It is therefore necessary to delve deeper into this message, emphasizing at least three important aspects.
Firstly,
as we remember from the introduction, the context is completely wrapped up in
Jesus’ love for his disciples and all humanity, which reaches its climax in the
sacrifice of the Cross. Jesus therefore loves first, as the Father who first “so
loved the world that he gave his only Son” (Jn 3:16). Rather, He is now the
concrete and visible expression of God’s invisible love. As such, Jesus invites
His disciples in the New Covenant era to respond concretely to this love, just
as God demanded from His people Israel love and observance of the commandments,
after freeing them from slavery in Egypt and making the Sinai covenant with
them, “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with your whole
heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength. Take to heart these words which I command you today” (Dt 6:4-6).
Secondly, the commandments to be
observed, as well as the concrete expression of love for Jesus, do not refer
only to precepts or rules of a legal and moral nature, but concern the entirety
of the teaching He left to the disciples. It is therefore about observing all
of His words, or simply His Word, as is made clear by Jesus Himself later on: “Whoever
loves me will keep my word […]. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words”
(Jn 14:23,24). Moreover, all the commandments and teachings of Jesus find their
culmination in the new commandment of love, pointed out by Him from the very
beginning of the Farewell Discourse: “I give you a new commandment: love one
another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (Jn 13:34). (It
is Love that calls for love!) Besides, this is also in keeping with what is
stated about the observance of the divine commandments in the OT, which, on the
one hand, primarily involve the Words or Word of God revealed to Moses and the
prophets, and on the other hand, are enclosed in the dual commandment of love
for God and neighbor.
Finally, in light of the foregoing,
keeping Jesus’ commandments/words is not only about the action of performing
what He recommends, but also and above all implies a constant and jealous keeping every word of the Master who alone has “words of eternal life,” as
Peter professed on behalf of all His disciples of all times (Jn 6:68). Jesus
Himself invited, indeed, implored the disciples to abide in His words, and that
means abiding in Him and His love, to bear the enduring fruit in mission (cf.
Jn 15:4-10). But do we, his disciples-missionaries today, really love Jesus? Are
we always immersed in His words and thus in the sweet love of Him and for Him?
2. Waiting
for “Another Advocate,” “the Spirit of truth”
Just in the perspective of obeying
and keeping Jesus’ words, He introduces to the disciples (for the first time in
His Farewell Discourse) the figure of “another
Advocate,” “to be with you always.” Advocate means
He-who-is-called-to-be-alongside, Consoler. We know that it is the Holy Spirit,
but here He is immediately defined as “the Spirit of truth,” because, as
explained later, He will help the disciples to remember and understand more and
more all the words of Jesus, the first Master and Advocate for His disciples (cf.
1Jn 2:1). Indeed, it is stated in Jn 14:26: “The Advocate, the holy Spirit that
the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of
all that [I] told you”; and again in Jn 16:13: “But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will
guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he
hears, and will declare to you the things that are coming.”
In
this way, every disciple of Jesus is called to know and recognize this Spirit
of truth who is actually the Spirit of Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life. Here, Jesus’
statement about the mutual relationship between the Spirit and the disciples
reveals a fact: “you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you.”
Such revelation, however, is at the same time a call to his own to be open to
the Spirit and to always cultivate such “permanence” of the Spirit in them, in
contrast to that “world” that unfortunately rejects Jesus’ words and his love.
The Spirit will be precisely the gift of the Risen One to his disciples for new
life in Christ. And the Spirit’s presence in the disciples will also be a help
and a guarantee of their abiding in Jesus, in His teaching and love for Him,
because He is God’s Spirit of Love. Such presence of the Spirit will then be a
sure guide and constant inspiration for the disciples to continue the same
mission of Jesus, Master and Lord, as the deacon Philip and other apostles,
that is, sent forth, in Samaria (cf. Acts 8:5-17; first reading). In such a
Spirit, believers in Jesus will certainly know how to be “always be ready to
give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope” that is
in them, and this “with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear”
(cf. 1Pt 3:15-18; Second reading), because everything will be done in the
Spirit of Love.
3. “Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him”
This last sentence of Jesus’
discourse sounds as if it were a condition, in return for which every man will
be loved by God and Jesus. In fact, as pointed out previously (in the first
point of the commentary), the unconditional and preventive love of God the
Father and the Son to all mankind “to the end” of the supreme self-sacrifice on
the Cross has already been affirmed. In other words, Christ’s love, which
precedes, calls “with gentleness and reverence” for man’s adherence and faith,
so that he, once the door of his heart is opened, may receive the fullness of
divine love and manifestation “will be loved by my Father, and I will love him
and reveal myself to him.” Indeed, as Jesus will explain soon after, it is not
so much the divine manifestation external to man who opens himself to Love, but
the reality of “Trinitarian indwelling” in the soul by God the Father, Son with
the Spirit: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (Jn 14:23).
It is not, therefore, about some
particular experience reserved for a select few, but about the universal
reality of every baptized person who, by virtue of his or her Baptism, becomes
the Temple of the Holy Spirit and thus of the living God. Thus, there is a
glimpse of the way of realization of God’s presence in the midst of his people,
as foretold to Israel through the prophet Zechariah: “Now, I am coming to dwell
in your midst” (Zec 2:14).
With this in mind, before finally
ascending to the Father, the risen Christ will assure His disciples, sent by
Him to all nations, “Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age”
(Mt 28:20). Thus, every disciple-missionary of Christ will always be able to
say, like St. Paul the apostle, “Yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in
me” (Gal 2:20). We pray that all of us baptized, called to be
disciple-missionaries, may grow more and more in our universal vocation to be
temples and witnesses of the God, living and great in love, so that we may be
able to pass on to all in need that love of God in Christ, on which we are
nourished every day in communion with His Word and His Body and Blood offered
for us. Amen.
Useful points to consider:
Pope Francis,
Message for
World Mission (Sun)Day 2023, 22 October 2023
Hearts on fire,
feet on the move (cf. Lk 24:13-35)
1. Our hearts burned within us “when
he explained the Scriptures to us”. In missionary activity, the word of God
illumines and transforms hearts.
[…]
After listening to the two disciples on the
road to Emmaus, the risen Jesus, “beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Lk 24:27).
The hearts of the disciples thrilled, as they later confided to each other: “Were
not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the
Scriptures to us?” (v. 32). Jesus is himself the living Word, who alone can
make our hearts burn within us, as he enlightens and transforms them.
In this way, we can better understand Saint
Jerome’s dictum that “ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (Commentary
on Isaiah, Prologue). “Without the Lord to introduce us, it is impossible
to understand sacred Scripture in depth; yet the opposite is equally true:
without sacred Scripture, the events of Jesus’ mission and of his Church in the
world remain indecipherable” (Aperuit Illis, 1). It follows that
knowledge of Scripture is important for the Christian life, and even more so
for the preaching of Christ and his Gospel. Otherwise, what are you passing on
to others if not your own ideas and projects? A cold heart can never make other
hearts burn!
So let us always be willing to let ourselves
be accompanied by the Risen Lord as he explains to us the meaning of the
Scriptures. May he make our hearts burn within us; may he enlighten and
transform us, so that we can proclaim his mystery of salvation to the world
with the power and wisdom that come from his Spirit.
John Paul II, General Audience, Wednesday, 24 April
1991 [Unofficial translation from the original Italian text]
1. Spiritual life needs enlightenment and
guidance. That is why Jesus, in founding the Church and sending the Apostles
into the world, entrusted them with the task of teaching all the nations, as we
read in the Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 28:19-20), but also of “preaching
the Gospel to the whole creation,” as the canonical text of Mark’s Gospel says
(Mk 16:15). St. Paul also speaks of the apostolate as the “light for all” (Eph
3:9).
But this work of the evangelizing and teaching
Church belongs to the ministry of the Apostles and their successors and, in a
different capacity, to all members of the Church, to continue forever the work
of Christ the “one teacher” (Mt 23:8), who brought to humanity the fullness of
God’s revelation. There remains the need for an inner Teacher, who makes Jesus’
teaching penetrate the spirit and hearts of men. It is the Holy Spirit, whom
Jesus himself calls the “Spirit of truth,” and whom he promises as the One who
will guide into all truth (cf. Jn 14:17; 16:13). If Jesus said of Himself, “I am
the truth” (Jn 14:6), it is this truth of Christ that the Holy Spirit makes
known and spreads: “He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he
hears… he will take from what is mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:13-14). he
Spirit is Light of the soul: “Lumen cordium”, as we invoke him in the
Pentecost Sequence.
2. The Holy Spirit was Light and Inner Teacher for
the Apostles who had to know Christ in depth in order to fulfill the task of
his evangelizers. He was and is for the Church, and, in the Church, for
believers of all generations and especially for theologians and teachers of the
spirit, for catechists and leaders of Christian communities. It has been and is
also so for all those who, within and outside the visible boundaries of the
Church, wish to follow God’s ways with a sincere heart, and through no fault of
their own find no one to help them decipher the riddles of the soul and
discover revealed truth. May the Lord grant all our brothers and sisters -
millions and indeed billions of men - the grace of recollection and docility to
the Holy Spirit in moments that can be decisive in their lives. For us
Christians, the intimate teaching of the Holy Spirit is a joyful certainty,
grounded in Christ’s word about the coming of the “other Advocate,” whom - he
said - “the Father will send in my name. He will teach you everything and
remind you of all that [I] told you” (Jn 14:26). “He will guide you to all
truth” (Jn 16:13).
3. As is clear from this text, Jesus does not
entrust His word only to the memory of His hearers: this memory will be
supported by the Holy Spirit, who will continually revive in the Apostles the
memory of events and the sense of the Gospel mysteries.
In fact, the Holy Spirit guided the Apostles
in the transmission of the word and life of Jesus, inspiring both their oral
preaching and writings and the redaction of the Gospels, as we saw at the time
in the catechesis on the Holy Spirit and Revelation.
But it is still He who gives the readers of
Scripture the help to understand the divine meaning included in the text of
which He Himself is the inspirer and principal author: He alone can make known “the
depths of God” (1 Cor 2:10), such as are contained in the sacred text; He who
was sent to instruct the disciples in the teachings of their Master (cf. Jn.
16:13).
FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (YEAR A)
Acts 6:1-7; Ps 33; 1Pt 2:4-9; Jn 14:1-12
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
COMMENTARY
The Climax of
Christ’s Manifestation
The
Gospel of this Fifth Sunday of Easter offers us the most important points of
theological and Christological thought in the Fourth Gospel and the New
Testament. In the mystical context of the Last Supper before the Passion and
within Jesus’ Farewell Discourse to His intimate disciples, He self-reveals
Himself as “the way, the truth, the life” and as the image of the invisible
God. This dual self-revelation, “dizzying” in its content, requires all
faithful disciples of Christ, then as now, to listen seriously and reflect
constantly in order to grow more and more in faith and knowledge of the
identity and mission of their divine Master. These few lines of commentary that
follow would like to propose just a few useful points for further meditation on
these profound pronouncements of Christ that we have heard today. (Cf. D.A.N. Nguyen,
“Gesù via-verità-vita e la missione in Gv 14,1-14: Rilettura
esegetico-teologica per una spiritualità missionaria ‘sapienziale’ in un
contesto asiatico,” in T. Longhitano
[ed.], Spiritualità missionaria [Quaderni ISCSM], Urbaniana
University Press, Vatican, 2019, 47-100.)
1. “I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No
One Comes to the Father Except Through Me”: The Self-Revelation of Jesus’
Identity and Mission in Jn 14:4-6
Jesus’ quoted pronouncement is part
of the set of seven Christological “I am” self-revelations with nominal
predicate in the Fourth Gospel, in which Jesus applies concepts or images known
in the Jewish tradition to Himself (cf. Jn 6:35: the bread of life; 8:12: the
light of the world; 10,7,9: the gate for the sheep; 10:11,14: the good shepherd;
11:25: the resurrection and the life; 14:6: the way-the truth-the life; 15:1,5:
the true vine). Precisely in this literary context, we see that, on the one hand,
the statement “I am the way and the truth and the life” in Jn 14:6a actually
summarizes the attributes of Jesus mentioned in the other self-declarations
and, on the other hand, the formal uniqueness of the phrase in question becomes
clear. In fact, it is the only one to include three predicates, all with the
definite article, somehow indicating the concrete and singular character of the
noun: the way, the truth, and the life.
About this statement, its poetic
structure with the “thematic chiasmus” ABB’A’, should be revealed, as in the
following scheme: (A) “I am” (B) “the way…” (B’) “No one comes…” (A’) “except
through me.” Thus the emphasis on “the way (to the Father)” and the person of
Jesus (“I” - “through me”) is clear. He declares that He is
the “only way” that leads to the Father, and this is true not only for Thomas
or the small group of his fellows, but for all people, as suggested by the use
of absolute and totalizing “no one.” The explanation then focuses entirely on
the way.
Thanks to Thomas’s rather “banal” comment (“Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”), Jesus stated that he was the only way, the only true way, to the Father, that is, to life. It is therefore about the mission of His existence. Indeed, the whole person of Jesus becomes the obligatory and necessary point of reference for those who want to come to God the Father, to the truth in Him and to life with Him. In this regard, we should note the Christological context of the section of Jn 13-17 in which the following names for Jesus recur: Lord, Master, the Envoy, Son of Man, Christ, the Son. (The latter, although recurring only in Jn 17:1,12, is the frequent image implied in the sentences, in which Jesus hints at the Father.) Moreover, Jn. 13 seems to set the stage for the revelation of Jesus as the way to life through the emphasis on the figure of Jesus as “Master and Lord” who left the washing of feet an example to the apostles of how to behave toward each other. Thus, “the way” such as Jesus is that way of Jesus.
Then,
the statement in Jn 14:6b (one comes to the Father only through Jesus)
emphasizes as a prerequisite for coming to the Father not only faith in Jesus
as the only Son and Lord, but also the observances of His commandments, as an
example of life, that is, following Jesus on His way that leads to life with
God from whom He came out/descended. The image of Christ as “way” turns out to
be of twofold character: ontological (Christ in Himself) and
functional/soteriological (Christ for us), in accordance with other Johannine
passages that employ the image of the way (cf. Jn. 8:12; 10:9; also 1:51).
2. “Whoever
Has Seen Me Has Seen the Father”: The Dizzying Revelation of Mutual Immanence
between Jesus and the Father
After
the revelation of Jesus as “the way, the truth, and the life,” we come to Jesus’
mysterious and provocative statement to the disciples, “If you know me, then
you will also know my Father.
From now on you do know him and have seen
him.” This statement refers back to what was already stated in the
conclusion of the prologue of John’s Gospel, “No one has ever seen God. The
only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him” (Jn 1:18).
In Jewish tradition, seeing God and
remaining alive is impossible for humankind (cf. Ex 33:20), but it also
represents its highest dream, for it is life in its fullness. Then, Philip’s
reply to Jesus in v.8 (“show us the Father, and that will be enough for us”) is
only seemingly inappropriate. Indeed, it seems that the apostle had not
understood the importance of Jesus’ statement about the fact that they had seen
God. Nonetheless, this misunderstanding, moreover typical in John’ dialogues,
echoes humankind’s deepest desire to see God as the fullness of happiness (“and
that will be enough for us!”). It was Moses who addressed a similar request to
YHWH God, and then had to settle for a vision only of God’s back and not His
face (cf. Ex 33:18,23). On the other hand, Philip’s “naïve” words set the stage
for the further revelation of Jesus, who, in the midst of two question-begging
in v. 9, declares another dizzyingly elevated truth, “Whoever has seen me has
seen the Father.” And this declaration will be explained and complemented with
an even stronger one, repeated twice in vv. 10.11: “I am in the Father and the
Father is in me.” With such concrete language, the revelation here perhaps goes
far beyond being a mere application of the well-known Jewish missionary
principle of “ juridical-legal” equality between the one sent and the one who
sends, affirmed moreover by Jesus Himself
in Jn 12:45: “whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.” It directly concerns
the intimate koinonia “communion” between Jesus and God the Father, or,
as scholars define it, the mutual immanence between the Son and the Father and
their perfect unity, hinted at insistently later on as well (cf. 14:20a; 17:21,
23). It has already been announced by Jesus with the same wording in 10:37-38,
where he also declared that He was one with the Father (cf. 10:30; 17:22).
Moreover, on that occasion, there is also mention of the necessity of believing
in Jesus or at least believing in Him because of the works the Father does in Jesus
the one He sent.
Therefore, the thought of Jn
14:10-11, particularly the revelation of the mutual immanence between Jesus and
the Father, is shown to be not accidental but well-grounded and rooted in
Johannine theology and Christology. Moreover, the fundamental characteristic of
Jesus’ mission is affirmed again, which simply consists in “letting” God the
Father speak and work in Him (v. 10b). This is obviously an active “letting” in
the sense of a “doing,” a creative collaboration in absolute obedience to the
Father’s will, as Jesus Himself solemnly
declared several times in Jn, particularly in the bread of life discourse: “I
came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me”
(Jn 6:38; cf. 4:34; 5:30).
3. “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes
in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because
I am going to the Father.”
With the initial double “Amen, amen,”
distinctive of Jesus’ speech, the sentence quoted above solemnly closes the
discourse and recalls what was mentioned at the beginning: belief in Jesus and
His going to the Father. These two themes, however, are not simply repeated
just to close, but open up a new horizon, according to the Johannine “spiral”
dynamic. In connection also with the previous mention of the works of the
Father/Son (vv. 10.11), Jesus announces with certainty that the believer will
do the same or even greater works than Jesus. We are again confronted with
something grandiose, even and especially from the point of view of mission.
Beyond a strong universalism of the
sentence that is applicable for everyone who believes and not just the group of
Twelve, the emphasis is all on “greater works” than those of Jesus. What are
they and how are they explained? First of all, the use of the original Greek
term for “works” should be clarified. It seems to indicate that we are not
dealing here exclusively with miracles, for which the Johannine word “signs”
would be used; the “works” here are connected with those of Jesus, which also
include His “words” to bear witness to the Father (cf. Jn. 14:10a; 15:22.24).
It thus refers to all activities of life, i.e., words and deeds, in
continuation with those begun by Jesus in His earthly mission. Obviously, in
light of the Johannine narrative about Jesus doing “the works” entrusted to Him
by the Father (cf. 5:36; 10:25), such works include miracles, which, however,
do not constitute the main aspect, which consists in giving life to the world.
And since the mention of Jesus’ works in Jn often hints at the unity of Him as
sent with the Father, some allusion to the union between the disciples and
Jesus in doing the works can already be sensed in the use of the term in
question. The aforementioned union between Jesus and the disciples actually
explains why the disciples will be able to do greater works than their master.
As exegete Beasley-Murray points
out, the expression “(works) greater than these” has its parallel in Jn. 5:20,
where Jesus mysteriously declares to the people that in His love for the Son,
the Father “shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him
greater works than these, so that you may be amazed.” The context of the phrase
indicates that these greater works refer to the manifestations of resurrection
and judgment that the Father will accomplish in the Son to give life to those
who believe (cf. Jn. 5:21-25). This perspective matches well with the
motivation at the end of Jn 14:12 about the possibility of doing greater works:
because Jesus goes to the Father. The return to the Father is precisely the
process of Jesus’ death and resurrection that, as its effects and consequences,
will finally flood all humanity with the grace of eternal life.
The greatest works are but the
concrete realizations of this new life, fruits of Jesus’ redemptive death.
Everyone who believes in Jesus will be able to do them, because it is actually
the glorified Jesus who does them, or rather, it is the Father who does them in
the glorified Son. Then, it becomes clear that doing greater works than Jesus’
is possible only because of Him, in faith in Him and in close communion with
Him, as He Himself states in Jn. 15:5, “without me you can do nothing.” Jesus’
disciples, then as now, will do nothing but carry on Jesus’ own mission with
the same “missionary” principle and spirit: just as Jesus accomplishes nothing
except what the Father wants, so too His disciples cannot and should do nothing
from themselves, but only from communion with their Master Jesus and to fulfill
solely His ultimate purpose of glorifying the Father by giving life to
humankind.
In this light, Pope Francis’ recall
and exhortation with which we can conclude our commentary are significant: “Christ,
indeed Christ risen from the dead, is the One to whom we must testify and whose
life we must share. Missionaries of Christ are not sent to communicate
themselves, to exhibit their persuasive qualities and abilities or their
managerial skills. Instead, theirs is the supreme honour of presenting Christ
in words and deeds, proclaiming to everyone the Good News of his salvation, as
the first apostles did, with joy and boldness. […]I exhort everyone to take up
once again the courage, frankness and parrhesía of the first
Christians, in order to bear witness to Christ in word and deed in every area
of life.” (Message for World Mission (Sun)Day 2022)
Useful points to
consider:
Pope Francis,
Message for World Mission (Sun)Day 2017
Mission and the transformative
power of the Gospel of Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life
1. The Church’s mission, directed to all men and
women of good will, is based on the transformative power of the Gospel. The
Gospel is Good News filled with contagious joy, for it contains and offers new
life: the life of the Risen Christ who, by bestowing his life-giving Spirit,
becomes for us the Way, the Truth and the Life (cf. Jn 14:6). He is the Way who
invites us to follow him with confidence and courage. In following Jesus as our
Way, we experience Truth and receive his Life, which is fullness of communion
with God the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. That life sets us free
from every kind of selfishness, and is a source of creativity in love.
2. God the Father desires this existential
transformation of his sons and daughters, a transformation that finds
expression in worship in spirit and truth (cf. Jn 4:23-24), through a life
guided by the Holy Spirit in imitation of Jesus the Son to the glory of God the
Father. “The glory of God is the living man” (Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses IV,
20, 7). The preaching of the Gospel thus becomes a vital and effective word
that accomplishes what it proclaims (cf. Is 55:10-11): Jesus Christ, who
constantly takes flesh in every human situation (cf. Jn 1:14).
4th SUNDAY OF EASTER (YEAR A)
Acts 2:14a,36-41; Ps 23; 1 Pt 2:20b-25; Jn
10:1-10
The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want
Christ, the Good
Shepherd, who is the door to the sheep
The fourth Sunday of Easter is also
called “of the Good Shepherd”, and the readings and prayers of the liturgy are
focused precisely on this beautiful image of Jesus. For this reason, since 1964
following a decision by Pope Saint Paul VI, this Sunday is the World Day of
Prayer for Vocations, for those who have received the call to follow Jesus, the
High Priest and Good Shepherd. In this perspective, today many parishes and
dioceses around the world organizes the collection for the universal solidarity
fund of the Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle (PSSPA) for the
formation of priests and consecrated persons, through the support of seminaries
and novitiates in the mission territories with their candidates and formators.
Thus, every faithful participates actively, with prayer and concrete
contribution, in the evangelization mission of the Church, concretely in caring
for vocations and formation of new good priests - shepherds with the “odor of
the sheep” in the footsteps of Christ the Good Shepherd (Pope Francis, Chrism Mass, Homily, Saint Peter’s Basilica, Holy Thursday,
28 March 2013).
In such a context, today’s Mass
readings help us to reaffirm and deepen at least three important aspects of the
mission of Christ the Shepherd, a model, according to God’s will and example,
of all the shepherds of God’s people.
1. The Particular Relationship between Jesus
and His Sheep
The
Gospel passage today is very concise, but full of implications. It represents
the beginning of Jesus’ discourse in the Fourth Gospel around his
self-declaration “I am the good shepherd” (Jn 10:11, 14). Thus, right from the
start, even before declaring that he is the Good Shepherd, he simply underlines
a fundamental characteristic of the relationship between him and his sheep: “Amen,
amen, I say to you, […] whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the
sheep. […] the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and
leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and
the sheep follow him, because they recognize [lit. know] his
voice.” The words here find their echo in what Jesus will say later in his
self-declaration of being a good shepherd: “I am the good shepherd, [says the
Lord,] and I know mine and mine know me” (Jn 10:14); as well as at the end of
the speech, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (Jn
10:27).
Here,
the verb “to know” in the Biblical-Jewish language denotes a knowledge that is
not so much intellectual (to have information about something) as existential,
as is the relationship between husband and wife. It is about intimate and
integral mutual knowledge, a knowing that implies loving and belonging to one
another. Precisely for this reason, when Jesus declared that he was a good
shepherd, he explained further that “A good shepherd lays down his life for the
sheep” (Jn 10:11b, 15b). He does this, because he knows his sheep, that
is, he loves them deeply, more than his own life.
Furthermore,
the knowledge between Jesus and his sheep is paralleled with that between Jesus
and God the Father. He affirms, in fact, “I know mine and mine know me, just as
the Father knows me and I know the Father” (Jn 10:14b-15). The relationship
between Jesus the Good Shepherd and his disciples is therefore placed in
comparison with the mystical reality of intimate knowledge between the two
divine Persons. So, on the one hand, here we can glimpse the depth of the
knowledge-love Jesus has for his sheep, like that which Jesus has for the
Father! Jesus actually states elsewhere, “As the Father loves me, so I also
love you. Remain in my love “(Jn 15: 9). On the other hand, when Jesus affirms
that his sheep know him, we can ask ourselves whether our knowledge for Jesus
is actually comparable to that between the Father and Jesus. The statement,
therefore, can also be seen as an implicit invitation to Jesus’ “sheep” for a
serious self-examination of whether and how much they know their Shepherd and
recognize his voice in the midst of the noises all around. Since one never runs
out of all the riches of the mystery of Christ, the commitment to grow more and
more in the knowledge of the Shepherd, who knows and loves them to the point of
giving his life for them, remains always relevant for the sheep of all times.
(Significant in this regard is Jesus’ reproach to Philip, one of his close
disciples: “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know
me, Philip?” (Jn 14: 9). These words are also valid for every disciple who
follows him).
2. “I came so that they might have
life and have it more abundantly.”
Affirming
the particular relationship with his sheep, Jesus states further his special
care/mission which comes from such knowledge and love: “I came so that they
might have life and have it more abundantly.” (Jn 10:10). This special
mission/care of Jesus is reaffirmed again at the end of the discourse: “I give
them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my
hand” (Jn 10:28). Thus, the gift of life in abundance is identified with
eternal life. The latter though does not designate a future reality only
after death. It indicates life in communion with Jesus and with God, which
begins already in the present and will continue into eternity. So much so that
Jesus underlines, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has
eternal life.” (Jn 6:47). Similarly, “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever hears
my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will
not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life” (Jn 5:24).
Moreover, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (Jn
6:54).
From
these quotations, especially the last one, we see another fundamental aspect of
the eternal life Jesus gives to his sheep. That “eternal life” is exactly Jesus’
own life He offers, as made explicit in the declaration of the good shepherd
mentioned above (“A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” [Jn 10:11b,
15b]). Therefore, Jesus also made himself a sacrificial lamb to give his life
to his sheep and lead them “to springs of life-giving water” (Rev 7:17), as the
second reading reminds us.
Jesus
is the shepherd who not only knows the odor of the sheep, but has also made
himself one of them, to share everything of life with them, everything
including death! This is what is stated for the figure of Christ the high
priest: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our
weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin”
(Heb 4:15).
This strong bond between Jesus the
good shepherd and his sheep will be the reason why “no one can take them out”
(Jn 10:28) of his hand and of Father’s hand. Just as Saint Paul the Apostle
expresses the same concept with moving inspired words starting from a
rhetorical question: “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will
anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the
sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved
us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height,
nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of
God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:35, 37-39).
3. An Unusual Metaphor: “I am the gate. Whoever
enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture”
In
John’s Gospel, the original image of Jesus as the gate leading to life seems to
emphasize His function as the exclusive mediator. The latter figure, for his
part, is described with another image that is as enigmatic as it is original,
which Jesus mentions in his discourse with Nathanael: the Son of Man will be
like the stairway on which angels descend and ascend (Jn. 1:51). What is
interesting is the fact that the image of the stairway has as its Old Testament
background the passage from Jacob’s dream in Luz, later called Bethel (Gen
28:12ff) where, after the vision of the stairway connecting heaven and earth
and after the struggle with God, the patriarch exclaims “How awesome this place
is! This is nothing else but the house of God, the gateway to heaven!” (Gen 28:17).
Therefore, the image of Jesus as “the gate of the sheep,” despite the slight
difference in the term used in the original, may have some connection with the
idea of the gate leading to heaven in Gen 28:12ff.
From
this perspective, the dual statement of Jesus as the door and the shepherd of
the sheep in his explanation has the theological elements very close to the
declaration of Jesus as “the way, the truth and the life.” In both cases, the
exclusivity of Jesus’ mediation for the salvation, that is, the life, of all
people is emphasized. It also emphasizes the true, genuine character in his
identity: the good shepherd is the ideal, perfect, beautiful one according to
God’s plan. Moreover, the image of Jesus as the door of the sheep comes close
to the metaphor of the way to life. It is no accident that He Himself concludes
the discourse on the door with the Christological-soteriological statement: “I
came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” (Jn 10:10b). Here
appears the contact with Wisdom personified, whose “door” leads to life and
communion with God (cf. Pro 8:34-35).
In
conclusion, the declaration of Jesus as the “good shepherd” not only emphasizes
his goodness but is intended to convey the idea of the ideal, genuine, perfect
shepherd, that is, according to God’s will for Israel at the end of time. This
perfection then consists among other things and perhaps above all in his quality
of being wise in contrast to the senseless and wicked shepherds, as attested in
the numerous Old Testament passages. Specifically, the text of John’s Gospel
highlights the two basic characteristics of the perfect shepherd: giving or
risking one’s life for the sheep and the intimate knowledge between the
shepherd and the sheep. While the first aspect is shown to be rather
Christological and alludes to the concrete fact of the cross, the second turns
out to be highly sapiential, because even the followers of Wisdom herself hear her
voice, ignored by the foolish and wicked. Thus, in Jesus we see not only the
image of the wise shepherd but Shepherd-Wisdom; that is to say, He appears to
be the Wisdom of God become Shepherd. We must then ask ourselves today: do we
who are His sheep still try to listen and follow our good Shepherd and Wisdom?
Useful points to
consider:
Pope Francis,
Message for the 2023 World Day of
Prayer for Vocations, Rome,
Saint John Lateran, 30 April 2023,
Fourth Sunday of Easter.
Vocation: Grace and Mission
“I am a mission on this earth”
God’s call, we said, includes
a “sending”. There is no vocation without mission. There is no happiness and
full self-realization unless we offer others the new life that we have found.
God’s call to love is an experience that does not allow us to remain silent.
Saint Paul says, “Woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16).
And the First Letter of John begins with the words, “What we have heard and
seen, looked at and touched – the Word made flesh – we declare also to you, so
that our joy may be complete” (cf. 1:1-4).
Five years ago, in the
Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, I spoke to every baptized
person, saying, “You need to see the entirety of your life as a mission” (No.
23). Yes, because each and every one of us is able to say: “I am a mission on
this earth; that is the reason why I am here in this world” (Evangelii
Gaudium, 273).
Our shared mission as
Christians is to bear joyful witness wherever we find ourselves, through our actions
and words, to the experience of being with Jesus and members of his community,
which is the Church. That mission finds expression in works of material
and spiritual mercy, in a welcoming and gentle way of life that reflects
closeness, compassion and tenderness, in contrast to the culture of waste and
indifference. By being a neighbour, like the Good Samaritan (cf. Lk 10:25-37),
we come to understand the heart of our Christian vocation: to imitate Jesus
Christ, who came to serve, not to be served (cf. Mk 10:45).
This missionary activity does
not arise simply from our own abilities, plans and projects, nor from our sheer
willpower or our efforts to practice the virtues; it is the result of a
profound experience in the company of Jesus. Only then can we testify to
a Person, a Life, and thus become “apostles”. Only then can we regard ourselves
as “sealed, even branded, by this mission of bringing light, blessing,
enlivening, raising, healing and freeing” (Evangelii Gaudium, 273).
The Gospel icon of this experience
is that of the two disciples journeying to Emmaus. After their encounter with
the risen Jesus, they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within
us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the Scriptures
to us?” (Lk 24:32). In those disciples, we can see what it means to have
“hearts on fire, feet on the move” [Cf. Message for World Mission Day 2023 (6 January 2023)]. This is
also my fervent hope for the coming World Youth Day in Lisbon, to which I
joyfully look forward, with its motto: “Mary arose and went with haste” (Lk 1:39).
May every man and woman feel called to arise and go in haste, with hearts on
fire.
JOHN
PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Formation of Priests in the
Circumstances of the Present Day, Pastores Dabo Vobis
18. As the Council points out,
“the spiritual gift which priests have received in ordination does not prepare
them merely for a limited and circumscribed mission, but for the fullest, in
fact the universal, mission of salvation to the end of the earth. The reason is
that every priestly ministry shares in the fullness of the mission entrusted by
Christ to the apostles.” By the very nature of their ministry they should
therefore be penetrated and animated by a profound missionary spirit and “with
that truly Catholic spirit which habitually looks beyond the boundaries of
diocese, country or rite to meet the needs of the whole Church, being prepared
in spirit to preach the Gospel everywhere.”
23. (…) The gift of self,
which is the source and synthesis of pastoral charity, is directed toward the
Church. This was true of Christ who “loved the Church and gave himself up for
her” (Eph. 5:25), and the same must be true for the priest. With pastoral
charity, which distinguishes the exercise of the priestly ministry as an amoris officium, “the priest, who
welcomes the call to ministry, is in a position to make this a loving choice,
as a result of which the Church and souls become his first interest, and with
this concrete spirituality he becomes capable of loving the universal Church
and that part of it entrusted to him with the deep love of a husband for his
wife.” The gift of self has no limits, marked as it is by the same apostolic
and missionary zeal of Christ, the good shepherd, who said: “And I have other
sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my
voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd” (Jn. 10:16).
32. Membership in and
dedication to a particular church does not limit the activity and life of the
presbyterate to that church: A restriction of this sort is not possible, given
the very nature both of the particular church and of the priestly ministry. In
this regard the Council teaches that “the spiritual gift which priests received
at their ordination prepares them not for any limited or narrow mission but for
the widest scope of the universal mission of salvation ‘to the end of the earth’
(Acts 1:8). For every priestly ministry shares in the universality of the
mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles.”
It thus follows that the
spiritual life of the priest should be profoundly marked by a missionary zeal and
dynamism. In the exercise of their ministry and the witness of their lives,
priests have the duty to form the community entrusted to them as a truly
missionary community. As I wrote in the encyclical Redemptoris Missio, “all priests must have the mind and heart of
missionaries open to the needs of the Church and the world, with concern for
those farthest away and especially for the non - Christian groups in their own
area. They should have at heart, in their prayers and particularly at the
eucharistic sacrifice, the concern of the whole Church for all of humanity.”
If the lives of priests are
generously inspired by this missionary spirit, it will be easier to respond to
that increasingly serious demand of the Church today which arises from the
unequal distribution of the clergy. In this regard, the Council was both quite
clear and forceful: “Let priests remember then that they must have at heart the
care of all the churches. Hence priests belonging to dioceses which are rich in
vocations should show themselves willing and ready, with the permission or at
the urging of their own bishop, to exercise their ministry in other regions,
missions or activities which suffer from a shortage of clergy.”
JOHN
PAUL II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Bishop, Servant of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ for the Hope of the World, Pastores Gregis
22. (…) Communion, in its
Trinitarian source and model, is always expressed in mission. Mission is the
fruit and the logical consequence of communion. The dynamic process of communion
is favoured by openness to the horizons and demands of mission, always ensuring
the witness of unity so that the world may believe and making ever greater room
for love, so that all people may attain to the Trinitarian unity from which
they have come forth and to which they are destined. The more intense communion
is, the more mission is fostered, especially when it is lived out in the
poverty of love, which is the ability to go forth to meet any person or group
or culture with the power of the Cross, our spes unica and the supreme
witness to the love of God, which is also manifested as a universal love of our
brothers and sisters.
66. In sacred Scripture the
Church is compared to a flock ‘‘which God himself foretold that he would
shepherd, and whose sheep, even though governed by human shepherds, are
continuously led and nourished by Christ himself, the Good Shepherd and the
Prince of Shepherds’’. Does not Jesus himself call his disciples a pusillus
grex and exhort them not to fear but to have hope (cf. Lk 12:32)?
Jesus often repeated this exhortation to his disciples: “In the world you will
have fear; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!” (Jn 16:33).
As he was about to return to the Father, he washed the feet of the Apostles and
said to them: “Let not your hearts be troubled,” and added: “I am the way... No
one comes to the Father, but by me” (cf. Jn 14:1-6). On this “way” which
is Christ, the little flock, the Church, has set out, and is led by him, the
Good Shepherd, who, “when he has brought out all his own, goes before them, and
the sheep follow him, for they know his voice” (Jn 10:4).
In the image of Jesus Christ,
and following in his footsteps, the Bishop also goes forth to proclaim him before
the world as the Saviour of mankind, the Saviour of every man and woman. As a
missionary of the Gospel, he acts in the name of the Church, which is an expert
in humanity and close to the men and women of our time. Consequently, the
Bishop, with the strength which comes from the radicalism of the Gospel, also
has the duty to unmask false conceptions of man, to defend values being
threatened by ideological movements and to discern the truth. With the Apostle
he can repeat: “We toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living
God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those who believe” (1 Tim
4:10).
The Bishop’s activity should
thus be marked by that parrhesía which is the fruit of the working of
the Spirit (cf. Acts 4:31). Leaving behind his very self in order to
proclaim Jesus Christ, the Bishop takes up his mission with confidence and
courage, factus pontifex, becoming in truth a ‘‘bridge’’ which leads to
every man and women. With the burning love of a shepherd he goes out in search
of the sheep, following in the footsteps of Jesus who says: “I have other sheep
that are not of this fold; I must bring them also and they will hear my voice.
So there shall be one flock, one shepherd” (Jn 10:16).
PAUL
VI,
Radio Message for the 1st World Day of
Prayer for Vocations, April 11, 1964
“Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers” for his Church (cf.
Mt 9:38).
Casting an anxious gaze over
the endless expanse of green spiritual fields, which all over the world await
priestly hands, the heartfelt invocation to the Lord springs from our soul,
according to Christ’s invitation. Yes, today as then, “the harvest is
plentiful, but the workers are few” (ibid. 9:37): few, compared to the
increased needs of pastoral care; few, in the face of the needs of the modern
world, in the face of its quivers of restlessness, its needs for clarity and
light, which require teachers and fathers who are understanding, open, updated;
few, yet, in the face of those who, although distant, indifferent, or hostile,
still want in the priest a living irreproachable model of the doctrine, which
he professes. And above all these priestly hands are scarce in the mission
fields, wherever there are people to catechize, to help, to console.
Therefore, may this Sunday,
which in the Roman Liturgy takes the name of the Good Shepherd from the Gospel,
see united in a single heartbeat of prayer the generous hosts of Catholics from
all over the world, to invoke from the Lord the workers necessary for his
harvest.
THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER (YEAR A)
Acts 2:14,22-33; Ps 16; 1Pt 1:17-21; Lk 24:13-35
Lord, you will show us the
path of life
COMMENTARY
“Hearts on Fire, Feet on the Move”
The third Sunday
of Easter in the liturgical cycle Year A invites us to reflect on the episode
of the appearance of the Risen Lord to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
By divine providence, this year Pope Francis’ message for World Mission Sunday
offers us a thorough and authoritative meditation on this beautiful Gospel
account from a missionary perspective. Since ubi maior minor cessat (where there is the greater, the lesser
ceases [to speak]), we will do nothing more here than repropose some of the
Pope’s passages in this regard, with an invitation to everyone to read the full
text of the Message, which is available in various languages on the Vatican
official website:
In the Gospel account, we perceive this change in the disciples through a few revealing images: their hearts burned within them as they heard the Scriptures explained by Jesus, their eyes were opened as they recognized him and, ultimately, their feet set out on the way. By meditating on these three images, which reflect the journey of all missionary disciples, we can renew our zeal for evangelization in today’s world.
1. Our
hearts burned within us “when he explained the Scriptures to us”. In missionary
activity, the word of God illumines and transforms hearts.
On the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus, the hearts of the two disciples were downcast, as shown by their dejected faces, because of the death of Jesus, in whom they had believed (cf. v. 17). Faced with the failure of the crucified Master, their hopes that he was the Messiah collapsed (cf. v. 21).
Then, “as they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them” (v. 15). As when he first called the disciples, so now, amid their bewilderment, the Lord takes the initiative; he approaches them and walks alongside them. So too, in his great mercy, he never tires of being with us, despite all our failings, doubts, weaknesses, and the dismay and pessimism that make us become “foolish and slow of heart” (v. 25), men and women of little faith.
Today, as then, the Risen Lord remains close to his missionary disciples and walks beside them, particularly when they feel disoriented, discouraged, fearful of the mystery of iniquity that surrounds them and seeks to overwhelm them. So, “let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of hope!” (Evangelii Gaudium, 86). The Lord is greater than all our problems, above all if we encounter them in our mission of proclaiming the Gospel to the world. For in the end, this mission is his and we are nothing more than his humble co-workers, “useless servants” (cf. Lk 17:10).
[…]
After listening to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, the risen Jesus, “beginning with Moses and all the prophets, explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Lk 24:27). The hearts of the disciples thrilled, as they later confided to each other: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” (v. 32). Jesus is himself the living Word, who alone can make our hearts burn within us, as he enlightens and transforms them.
In this way, we can better understand Saint Jerome’s dictum that “ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (Commentary on Isaiah, Prologue). “Without the Lord to introduce us, it is impossible to understand sacred Scripture in depth; yet the opposite is equally true: without sacred Scripture, the events of Jesus’ mission and of his Church in the world remain indecipherable” (Aperuit Illis, 1). It follows that knowledge of Scripture is important for the Christian life, and even more so for the preaching of Christ and his Gospel. Otherwise, what are you passing on to others if not your own ideas and projects? A cold heart can never make other hearts burn!
So let us always be willing to let ourselves be accompanied by the Risen Lord as he explains to us the meaning of the Scriptures. May he make our hearts burn within us; may he enlighten and transform us, so that we can proclaim his mystery of salvation to the world with the power and wisdom that come from his Spirit.
2. Our eyes were “opened and recognized him” in the breaking of the bread. Jesus in the Eucharist is the source and summit of the mission.
The fact that their hearts burned for the word of God prompted the disciples of Emmaus to ask the mysterious Wayfarer to stay with them as evening drew near. When they gathered around the table, their eyes were opened and they recognized him when he broke the bread. The decisive element that opened the eyes of the disciples was the sequence of actions performed by Jesus: he took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to them. Those were the usual gestures of the head of a Jewish household, but, performed by Jesus Christ with the grace of the Holy Spirit, they renewed for his two table companions the sign of the multiplication of the loaves and above all that of the Eucharist, the sacrament of the sacrifice of the cross. Yet at the very moment when they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread, “he vanished from their sight” (Lk 24:31). Here we can recognize an essential reality of our faith: Christ, who breaks the bread, now becomes the bread broken, shared with the disciples and consumed by them. He is seen no longer, for now he has entered the hearts of the disciples, to make them burn all the more, and this prompts them to set out immediately to share with everyone their unique experience of meeting the Risen Lord. The risen Christ, then, is both the one who breaks the bread and, at the same time, the bread itself, broken for us. It follows that every missionary disciple is called to become, like Jesus and in him, through the working of the Holy Spirit, one who breaks the bread and one who is broken bread for the world.
Here it should be remembered that breaking our material bread with the hungry in the name of Christ is already a work of Christian mission. How much more so is the breaking of the Eucharistic bread, which is Christ himself, a work of mission par excellence, since the Eucharist is the source and summit of the life and mission of the Church.
[…]
In order to bear fruit we must remain united to Jesus (cf. Jn 15:4-9). This union is achieved through daily prayer, particularly in Eucharistic adoration, as we remain in silence in the presence of the Lord, who remains with us in the Blessed Sacrament. By lovingly cultivating this communion with Christ, the missionary disciple can become a mystic in action. May our hearts always yearn for the company of Jesus, echoing the ardent plea of the two disciples of Emmaus, especially in the evening hours: “Stay with us, Lord!” (cf. Lk 24:29).
3. Our feet set out on the way, with the joy of telling others about the Risen Christ. The eternal youth of a Church that is always going forth.
After their
eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus “in the breaking of the bread”, the
disciples “set out without delay and returned to Jerusalem” (cf. Lk
24:33). This setting out in haste, to share with others the joy of meeting the
Lord, demonstrates that “the joy of the Gospel fills the heart and the whole
life of those who meet Jesus. Those who allow themselves to be saved by him are
freed from sin, from sadness, from inner emptiness, from isolation. With Jesus
Christ, joy is always born and reborn” (Evangelii Gaudium, 1). One
cannot truly encounter the risen Jesus without being set on fire with
enthusiasm to tell everyone about him. Therefore, the primary and principal
resource of the mission are those persons who have come to know the risen
Christ in the Scriptures and in the Eucharist, who carry his fire in their
heart and his light in their gaze. They can bear witness to the life that never
dies, even in the most difficult of situations and in the darkest of moments.
The image of “feet setting out” reminds us once more of the perennial validity of the missio ad gentes, the mission entrusted to the Church by the risen Lord to evangelize all individuals and peoples, even to the ends of the earth. Today more than ever, our human family, wounded by so many situations of injustice, so many divisions and wars, is in need of the Good News of peace and salvation in Christ.
[…]
As the Apostle Paul confirms, the love of Christ captivates and impels us (cf. 2 Cor 5:14). This love is two-fold: the love of Christ for us, which calls forth, inspires and arouses our love for him. A love that makes the Church, in constantly setting out anew, ever young. For all her members are entrusted with the mission of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, in the conviction that “he died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again” (v. 15). All of us can contribute to this missionary movement: with our prayers and activities, with material offerings and the offering of our sufferings, and with our personal witness. The Pontifical Mission Societies are the privileged means of fostering this missionary cooperation on both the spiritual and material levels. For this reason, the collection taken on World Mission Sunday is devoted to the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
The urgency of the Church’s missionary activity naturally calls for an ever closer missionary cooperation on the part of all her members and at every level. This is an essential goal of the synodal journey that the Church has undertaken, guided by the key words: communion, participation, mission. This journey is certainly not a turning of the Church in upon herself; nor is it a referendum about what we ought to believe and practice, nor a matter of human preferences. Rather, it is a process of setting out on the way and, like the disciples of Emmaus, listening to the risen Lord. For he always comes among us to explain the meaning of the Scriptures and to break bread for us, so that we can, by the power of the Holy Spirit, carry out his mission in the world.
Just as the two disciples of Emmaus told the others what had taken place along the way (cf. Lk 24:35), so too our proclamation will be a joyful telling of Christ the Lord, his life, his passion, his death and resurrection, and the wonders that his love has accomplished in our lives.
So let us set out once more, illumined by our encounter with the risen Lord and prompted by his Spirit. Let us set out again with burning hearts, with our eyes open and our feet in motion. Let us set out to make other hearts burn with the word of God, to open the eyes of others to Jesus in the Eucharist, and to invite everyone to walk together on the path of peace and salvation that God, in Christ, has bestowed upon all humanity.
Our Lady of the Way, Mother of Christ’s missionary disciples and Queen of Missions, pray for us!
Useful points to consider:
Pope Francis, Regina Caeli, Library of the Apostolic
Palace, Sunday, 26 April 2020
Today’s Gospel, which takes
place on the day of the Passover, describes the episode of the two disciples of
Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35). It is a story that begins and ends on the move.
There is in fact, the outbound journey of the disciples who, saddened by the
epilogue of Jesus’ story, leave Jerusalem and return home to Emmaus, walking
some 11 kilometres. It is a journey that takes place during the day, much of it
downhill. And there is the return journey: another 11 kilometres, but at
nightfall, partly an uphill journey after the fatigue of the outward journey
and the entire day. Two trips: one easy in daytime, and the other tiring at
night. Yet the first takes place in sadness, the second in joy. In the first
one, there is the Lord walking beside them, but they do not recognise him; in
the second one they do not see him anymore, but they feel him near them. In the
first they are discouraged and hopeless; in the second they run to bring the
good news of the encounter with the Risen Jesus to the others.
The two different paths of
those first disciples tell us, Jesus’ disciples today, that in life we have two
opposite directions before us: there is the path of those who, like those two
on the outbound journey, allow themselves to be paralysed by life’s
disappointments and proceed sadly; and there is the path of those who do not
put themselves and their problems first, but rather Jesus who visits us, and
the brothers who await his visit, that is, our brothers who are waiting for us
to take care of them. Here is the turning point: to stop orbiting around one’s
self; the disappointments of the past, the unrealised ideals, the many bad
things that have happened in our life. Very often we tend to keep going around
and around.... To leave that behind and to go forward looking at the greatest
and truest reality of life: Jesus lives, Jesus loves me. This is the greatest
reality. And I can do something for others.
Pope Francis, General Audience, Wednesday 24 May
2017
[…]
Jesus’
encounter with those two disciples appears to be completely fortuitous. It
seems to be one of those chance meetings that happen in life. The two disciples
are walking, deep in thought, and a stranger comes up alongside them. It is
Jesus, but their eyes are not able to recognize him. And therefore, Jesus
begins his “therapy of hope”. What takes place on this road is a therapy of
hope.” […]
Firstly, He
asks and listens. Our God is not an intrusive God. Even though he knows the
reason for the disappointment of those two men, he gives them time to be able
to deeply fathom the bitterness which has overcome them. […]How much sadness, how many defeats, how many failures
there are in the lives of every person! Deep down, we are all a little like
those two disciples. How many times we have hoped in our lives. How many times
we have felt like we were one step away from happiness only to find ourselves
knocked to the ground, disappointed. But, Jesus walks with all people who,
discouraged, walk with their heads hung low. And walking with them in a
discrete manner, he is able to restore hope.
Jesus speaks to them, above
all through the Scriptures. Those who take up God’s Book will not
encounter easy heroism, fierce campaigns of conquest. True hope never comes cheaply.
It always undergoes defeat. The hope of those who do not suffer is perhaps not
even [hope]. God does not like to be loved as one would love a ruler who leads
his people to victory, annihilating his enemies in a bloodbath. Our God is a
faint light burning on a cold and windy day, and as fragile as his presence in
this world may appear, he has chosen the place that we all disdain.
Jesus then repeats for the
disciples the fundamental gesture of every Eucharist. He takes bread, blesses
it, breaks it and gives it. Does not Jesus’ entire history perhaps lie in this
series of gestures? And is there not in every Eucharist, also the symbol of
what the Church should be? Jesus takes us, blesses us, “breaks” our life —
because there is no love without sacrifice — and offers it to others; he offers
it to everyone.
Jesus’ encounter with the two
disciples of Emmaus is a fleeting one. But the entire destiny of the Church is
contained within it. It tells us that the Christian community is not enclosed
within a fortified citadel, but rather journeys along its most essential
environment, which is the road. And there, it encounters people with their
hopes and disappointments, burdensome at times. The Church listens to
everyone’s stories as they emerge from the treasure chest of personal
conscience, in order to then offer the Word of Life, the witness of love, a
love that is faithful until the end. And thus, the hearts of people reignite
with hope.
SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER OR SUNDAY OF DIVINE MERCY (YEAR A)
Acts 2:42-47; Ps 118; 1Pt 1:3-9; Jn 20:19-31
Give thanks to the LORD for
he is good, his love is everlasting
COMMENTARY
Resurrecting for
the Mission: The Mission of the Sent One of God and His Disciples
“Peace
be with you.” These are the first words of Jesus “on the evening of that first
day of the week.” He appeared to his disciples for the first time on the same
day of resurrection, as the Gospel of John tells us today. Again, according to
the Gospel passage heard, the Risen One greeted his disciples “a week later”
with the same words, when he appeared to them the second time in the same
place. This “Peace be with you” thus becomes the characteristic sign which, as
seen also by the other Gospels, unites the apparitions of the Risen One in a
single great Paschal Event-Mystery that the apostles experienced in the period
from that memorable “first day” to Jesus’ definitive return to the Father. An
apparition is repeated, connected and completed with the other. All happened in
these intense days in which the risen Christ communicated / gave his disciples
the “first fruits” of the resurrection, guiding them in the final preparation
for their mission. And He did this patiently as always, especially with the
doubting disciples and the “hard of heart” like the two of Emmaus or Thomas
Didymus!
It
was, therefore, a time of intense “missionary formation” for the first
disciples, and so it will be for us, his disciples of today, who are called to
live the Paschal Mystery ever more intensely and deeply every day of this
period, particularly every Sunday, that is to say every “eighth day”, “day of
the Lord”. The Easter Season is even spiritually a stronger period than that of
Lent. It must be experienced by the
believers in daily life and in the liturgy of this very special time, when the celebrations
have an enormous richness of prayers and biblical readings. Through them the
risen and therefore living Christ still wants to speak to the heart of all his
disciples to prepare them again for the mission.
In such a missionary formation context,
every phrase and action of the Risen One is of fundamental importance. Leaving
to attentive readers / listeners the pleasure of deepening all the interesting
aspects of today’s readings and Gospel, I will focus only on three points
starting from Jesus’ words and gestures in his first appearance to the
disciples.
1. “Peace be with you”
It
is the first gift, indeed the supreme one, of the Risen One who communicates /
transmits it to the disciples with his presence. While resembling an ordinary
greeting of that culture, this actually announces the fulfillment of the
mission, acclaimed during Jesus’ solemn entry into Jerusalem before the Passion
(which we celebrated and meditated on during Palm Sunday). Where the Risen One
is, there reigns his peace, that shalom
gift of the Messiah which indicates life with and in God, the source of all
happiness, well-being and joy. Now everything is truly accomplished with and in
the presence of the Risen Christ, who had confided to his disciples as a
testament during the Last Supper before his Passion and death: “Peace I leave
with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” (Jn 14:27). Thus, now, to his
disciples gathered in the place behind closed doors “for fear of the Jews”, as
underlined in the Gospel passage, Jesus reaffirms his gift: “Peace be with you,”
so “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” The Messianic peace begins
with the inner peace of the heart that the Risen One now gives to his
disciples, so that they can pass it on to others.
In
this fulfillment perspective, not by chance but precisely after the gift of
peace, the Risen One shows the disciples the signs of his Passion: “When he had
said this, he showed them his hands and his side of him.” This seems to suggest
that these wounds of Jesus are not only proofs to recognize his identity, but
also an indication or demonstration of the “means”, indeed of the “price” with
which he “purchased” the peace to be given now to his disciples. “By his wounds
we were healed” (Is 53,5), and by them we find peace in God. They are signs of
the messianic mission, accomplished in love and fidelity, and will remain so
for eternity in Jesus’ glorious body, according to God’s wisdom. They are
forever signs of divine love and mercy on a mission!
The
gift of peace of the Risen One is fundamental for the mission. It comes from
the fact that Christ repeated the statement before announcing the sending of his
disciples: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
Precisely here, we see the phrase of peace is not a simple initial greeting:
the missionary mandate comes after the gift of peace. For every disciple,
therefore, it will always be useful, indeed necessary, to receive the peace of
the Risen One as a gift of communion with him, and to live with and in it, in
order to carry out that mission entrusted by him. This peace of the Risen One
will be the strength for the missionary disciples amidst human weaknesses and
adversities. Indeed, the relaunching of the mission starts with a return to
peace and intimate communion with the Lord. What has been said seems banal and
obvious, but it is very important not to neglect or underestimate it,
especially in the face of the frenetic pace of modern life and persecutions
against Christian mission. It is then especially true in this Easter Season, in
which the Risen One wants to communicate once again to all his disciples his peace, together with the other gifts
of his resurrection.
2. “…As the Father has
sent me, so I send you.”
After
giving his peace, the Risen One solemnly declares the missionary mandate to his
disciples with a theologically profound affirmation: “As the Father has sent
me, so I send you.” On the one hand, the beautiful chain of mission clearly emerges
here: Father - Son - disciples. The mission of the disciples therefore
continues that of the Son and reflects it. So much so that, in the Acts of the
Apostles, Peter’s activities with the people’s reaction are described just like
those of Jesus in the Gospels: “Thus they even carried the sick out into the
streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his
shadow might fall on one or another of them. A large number of people from the
towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered, bringing the sick and those
disturbed by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.” (Acts 5:15-16)
On
the other hand, with the words “as ..., so (also)…” a dizzying comparison is
highlighted: the divine mission Christ fulfilled now passes to the disciples
who will be the plenipotentiary envoys of the Son, as the Son was the exclusive
one sent, on whom the Father had “set his seal” (cf. Jn 6:27; 1:18). The
sending of the apostles by the risen Christ finds its model and its raison d’être in the sending of the Son
by the Father: this is an original thought of John’s Gospel, as the exegete
Raymond Brown noted. As the Son is the face and image of the Father, so his
missionary disciples now represent the Son who sends them. For this reason,
Jesus himself had solemnly declared to his disciples in his farewell speech at
the Last Supper: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent myself.” (Jn
13:20).
This
is a fundamental point of the Jewish shaliah
(sending) institution, according to which the one sent has all the “power” of
the one who sends him, because the one sent and the sender are a single
juridical reality, which in the case of Jesus is also true on an existential
level: “The Father and I are one.” (Jn 10:30). Therefore, in fulfilling the
mission entrusted to him by the Father, Jesus announces: “Whoever sees me sees
the one who sent me. (...) I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent
me commanded me what to say and speak.” (Jn 12:45, 49).
Thus,
now, what has been said about Christ’s faithful union with the Father who sent
him will be the ultimate measure for every missionary disciple. In other words,
the disciples sent now by Jesus will have to ensure that everyone can see Jesus
in them, as pointed out by the mentioned scholar Raymond Brown. They will have
to faithfully convey to others all the words of the Master, so that all can
feel and experience Jesus himself in them. This is the lofty essence of the
vocation of every missionary disciple of Christ, called to be a faithful
reflection of Christ in the world, indeed a revived Christ, an alter Christus (another Christ),
according to the mystical and inspired expression of St. Paul the apostle: “I
have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in
me.” (Gal 2:19b-20a). And what St. Paul describes as a way of life for the
apostles-missionaries of his generation will be the primary task of every missionary
disciple of all times: “[We] always carrying about in the body the dying of
Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body (2Cor 4:10).
It is the highest honor the disciples sent by Jesus have: to make Him manifest
through them and in them, just as he, sent by the Father, made the Father
known.
3.
When he had said this, he breathed on
them and said to them,“Receive the holy Spirit.”
As
suggested by the context and the conjunction phrase (“When he had said this”),
the proclamation of the sending of the disciples is intrinsically connected
with Jesus’ action to breath on them, giving them the Holy Spirit, which is
thus the Spirit of the Risen One, the Spirit of Jesus himself. Here we witness
the scene, called by some scholars the “Johannine Pentecost”, which precisely
marks the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples. This “Pentecost” in
John’s Gospel recalls and is linked to that described in the Acts of the
Apostles, which however happens fifty days after Easter. Here too, as with the
resurrection and the apparitions of the Risen One, we are dealing with the
various manifestations of a single “divine Mystery, which as such always
remains elusive to the human mind,” as underlined in my previous comment.
Without going too far into the exegetical-theological considerations on the
subject, we will dwell only on some important points from the spiritual
perspective.
Despite
the temporal difference due to the different settings of the individual sacred
authors, the two events actually underline a single fundamental theological
truth: the Holy Spirit is the gift of the Risen One to his disciples sent by
him into the world. What is described here in St. John’s “Pentecost” actually
reflects the content of Christ’s announcement to the disciples before ascending
to the Father in the Acts of the Apostles: “you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses (...) to the ends of the
earth.” (Acts 1:8). And this announcement took place on Pentecost day. (On the
margin, I would strongly recommend all to read Pope Francis’ Message for World
Mission Day of this year 2022, which offers reflections on the quoted Acts 1:8).
In
his theological-spiritual sensitivity, St. John the Evangelist puts the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the same first day of the resurrection to
exalt the importance of the event and of the gift. As well it emphasizes more
strongly the intrinsic connection between the resurrection of Christ and the
gift of the Spirit, between the risen Christ and the Spirit given to the
disciples sent by Christ to the mission. Furthermore, Jesus’ action of blowing
or emitting his breath on the disciples recalls that of God in the creation of
the first man, molded from the earth (cf. Gen 2:7: the LORD God formed the man
out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life,
and the man became a living being.) We therefore have here, with the Risen One,
the scene of the new creation of man or the creation of the new man. The
disciples became new human beings who carry within themselves the Spirit of the
Risen One to share it with others, thus making these recipients new in the
Spirit who purifies from sins. This is why here, in the Johannine “Pentecost”,
the Risen One connects the gift of the Spirit with the power to forgive sins: “Receive
the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you
retain are retained.” The positive and
negative formulation expresses the exclusive character of the remission of sins
in the Spirit, now entrusted to the disciples, called to carry out the mission,
that of Divine Mercy, just like Christ. All of this alludes to the reality of
baptism in water and in the Spirit for the remission of sins. This Gospel
message, therefore, appears quite fitting to celebrate both Divine Mercy Sunday
and, more traditionally, that of Dominica in albis “Sunday in white [clothes]”
for the newly baptized at Easter to mark the culmination of one-week
thanksgiving for the received grace of Baptism.
Finally,
the fulfillment of Christ’s promises to the disciples before the Passion
regarding the Holy Spirit and the mission of the disciples is emphasized. The
Spirit is given to the disciples to enable them to continue the same mission as
Jesus and like Jesus. This is exactly what Jesus said during the Last Supper: “It
was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed [lit. constitute]
you to go and bear fruit that will remain.” (Jn 15:16). This
apostolic-missionary “constitution” is realized with and in the Spirit that
Jesus communicates to the disciples after the resurrection. It will therefore
be important for us, today’s missionary disciples, to let the Risen One
mystically breathe his Spirit on us in this Easter Season, in which the Mystery
of Christ’s resurrection is still being fulfilled for us. Let us listen to Pope
Francis’ fundamental words in the aforementioned Message for World Mission Day
2022:
Just as “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’, except
by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3), so no Christian is able to bear
full and genuine witness to Christ the Lord without the Spirit’s inspiration
and assistance. All Christ’s missionary disciples are called to recognize the
essential importance of the Spirit’s work, to dwell in his presence daily and
to receive his unfailing strength and guidance. Indeed, it is precisely when we feel tired, unmotivated or confused that we
should remember to have recourse to the Holy Spirit in prayer. Let me
emphasize once again that prayer plays a fundamental role in the missionary
life, for it allows us to be refreshed and strengthened by the Spirit as the
inexhaustible divine source of renewed energy and joy in sharing Christ’s life
with others.
EASTER SUNDAY THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD (YEAR A)
THE MASS OF EASTER DAY
Acts 10:34a,37-43; Ps 118; Col 3:1-4; Jn 20:1-9
This is the day the Lord has
made; let us rejoice and be glad
COMMENTARY
Seeing the signs of the resurrection
“Alleluia! Christ is risen!” With
joy we greet each other on this very special morning of Easter Sunday. This
exclamation will be our humble profession of faith in the resurrection of
Christ to be announced to the world. It is the Mystery of mysteries which is
still realized today in the liturgical celebration and in the life of each of
us. This Sunday’s Gospel, that of Saint John, read every year in the “mass of
Easter day”, helps us to enter even more deeply into the mystical and
mysterious meaning of the “first day of the week”. A careful rereading of some
details of this Gospel passage will lead to (re)discovering important aspects
for understanding and living our faith in the Risen Christ ever more intensely as
his missionary disciples.
1.
The detective story of the stone removed
from the tomb and the disciples’ morning races
The
Johannine account of what happened that morning resembles a detective story. We
should therefore follow and meditate on its smallest details to grasp the key
points that shed light on the overall message. It all starts with Mary
Magdalene’s discovery of the overturned stone (from the tomb of Jesus) and the
implicit absence of his body. This made her run to the two disciples, Peter and
the other, specified as “the one Jesus loved”, to communicate this fact to them.
They too ran to the tomb, but “the other disciple ran faster than Peter” and “arrived
there first”.
Here
is the first detail that has intrigued many curious listeners / readers of
today and of the past. The first and simplest explanation is because the other
disciple is stronger or younger than Peter. Someone has even hypothesized that
the other disciple, traditionally identified with the apostle John, was faster
because he was a virgin (wifeless), unlike Peter (a married man)!
However, the text shows the only
difference between these two disciples, which may be the key to read what
happened: that other disciple is indicated as “the one Jesus loved”. In other
words, according to the Gospel text, the distinctive qualification of the
disciple who ran faster is that special love between Jesus and him. Obviously
the divine Master loved all of his disciples, Peter included, and he loved them
to the end (cf. Jn 13:1-2), as we mentioned in the reflection on Good Friday.
Therefore, the exalted particularity of the love between the Master and a
disciple seems to refer not only to Jesus’ love for him but also to the
intensity of the love that the disciple had for Jesus. And it is precisely this
love which has “pushed” the beloved disciple to run to the tomb as quickly as
possible, to find the beloved Master.
2.
The way to arrive to faith in the
resurrection
This
intense love of the beloved disciple for his Master also seems to be the key to
read what happened afterwards at the tomb. Here, we note another intriguing
detail of the story: “what did Peter and the other disciple see?” Let us
recompose the sequence of facts to understand this better. The beloved disciple
arrived first and initially saw “the burial cloths there” in the tomb, “but [he]
did not go in.” Then, Peter, who arrived later, “ went into the tomb and saw
the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head.” Finally, “the
other disciple also went in, (...) and he saw and believed”.
For
centuries the reason of this “saw and believed” on the part of the beloved
disciple has been questioned. In this regard, we should immediately stress that
the verb here is strictly in the singular and clearly refers to the beloved
disciple. The text therefore makes no mention of Peter’s “faith”, even though
he had seen the same things the other disciple saw. Moreover, and we must emphasise
this, the Gospel immediately underlines that “[both] had not yet understood
Scripture, that is, that he had to rise from the dead.” What does it all mean?
All
this seems to highlight that there are two ways to arrive at faith in the
resurrection of Christ. The first is based on the correct understanding of Holy
Scripture, and we can say that both disciples had not arrived at this knowledge
at the time at the tomb. The second possible way instead comes from the direct
experience of the signs that the crucified and risen Christ left. Here,
however, even though Peter and the other disciple had seen the same things,
only the latter “believed”. Why?
Someone replied that only after
entering the tomb the beloved disciple probably noticed some “strange” position
of the shroud (he had not seen before) and hence believed, but it does not seem
a plausible explanation to me. Someone wanted to limit the meaning of the verb “to
believe”, not as a manifestation of faith in the resurrection (of Jesus), but
as a reference only to “recognizing” as true what Mary of Magdala had said
before about the stolen body. Not even this (rather trivial) interpretation
seems satisfying. The only satisfactory answer that you too who are following
this “mystery” may well have guessed is love. That love for the Master that
enlightened and led the beloved disciple from seeing to believing, recognizing,
and “understanding” the mystery which had not happened before. It is no
coincidence that it will be him, the beloved disciple, to be the first to
recognize the risen Master during His appearance on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias,
and to inform Peter of the fact (cf. Jn 21:7). It is the intelligence of heart
that opens the intelligence of mind.
3.
Seeing the signs of the Risen One
The
resurrection of Jesus is the divine Mystery, which as such always remains
elusive to the human mind. This will also apply to the risen Lord’s apparitions
which took place according to the will and wisdom of God and not human wisdom
nor will, as stated in the first reading: “This man [Jesus] God raised (on) the
third day and granted that he be visible, not
to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who
ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.” On the other hand, the
Risen One will say to the apostles, “Blessed are those who have not seen and
have believed!” (Jn 20:29). (It should be remembered that he prayed for these “blessed”
who believed only on the basis of the words of the apostles [cf. Jn 17:20]).
This blessed faith is a grace which in any case needs a constant flowering in Jesus’
disciples themselves. It does come from apostolic witness, but also from
experiencing the signs of the Risen One in their lives. And these signs will
only be perceptible thanks to love.
As
we meditated on Good Friday, Jesus loved his own to the end. And he continued
to love them even beyond the end! Dead for love, he is risen in love. Today as
then, Christ always leaves the concrete signs of his resurrection to his
disciples. Indeed, he accompanies them in the mission with the signs of his
real and operative presence. These signs are sometimes as simple as the cloths
and the shroud, sometimes even ambiguous like that “stone removed from the tomb”
which may allude to a theft of the corpse or to an intentional demonstration of
the empty tomb: «It is not here. He is risen” (Lk 24:6). (Was it necessary for
the risen Christ, who later will also be able to pass through closed doors [cf.
Jn 20:19, 26], to remove the stone to get out of the tomb?). The fundamental
question then is this: which of his disciples will see these signs of the Risen
One and believe first, in order to point them out to others?
May God open the eyes of our hearts,
so that we can contemplate this morning, in front of the empty tomb, the
presence of the dead and risen Master who loved his disciples to the end,
indeed, beyond the end. And that we can see in love the signs of his
resurrection around us to enter the joy of a life which is continually reborn
in Him despite all the difficulties, tribulations, tragedies, and deaths. “Christ is risen! He is truly risen!”
HOLY THURSDAY
EVENING MASS OF THE LORD’S
SUPPER
Ex 12:1-8,11-14; Ps 116; 1Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15
Our blessing-cup is a communion with the Blood of
Christ
GOOD FRIDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION
Is 52:13-53:12; Ps 31; Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9; Jn 18:1-19:42
Father, into your hands I
commend my spirit
HOLY SATURDAY AT THE EASTER VIGIL IN THE HOLY NIGHT OF
EASTER (YEAR A)
EASTER SUNDAY THE
RESURRECTION OF THE LORD
I: Gn 1:1-2:2; Ps 104; II: Gn 22:1-18; Ps 16; III: Ex 14:15-15:1; Ex 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 17-18; IV: Is 54:5-14; Ps 30; V: Is 55:1-11; Is 12:2-6; VI: Bar 3:9-15,32-4:4; Ps 19; VII: Ez 36:16-17a,18-28; Ps 42; Epistle: Rom 6:3-11; Ps 118; Mt 28:1-10
COMMENTARY
As we enter the
Easter Triduum, I would like to remind what has been underlined in the
commentary for Palm Sunday: “[The liturgical celebration of the Holy Week and
Triduum] is not simply a remembrance of what happened in the past, but a
realization of the mystery of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection for us in
the present. We are called to relive these events, to participate in them,
moreover, to die to ourselves for a new life in Christ and in God. It will
therefore be fundamental to listen attentively and humbly to the Word of God
that speaks abundantly to us (…) in the readings as well as in various liturgical prayers. It is also necessary to
have an attitude of personal reflection and meditation on what has been heard,
to enter into the depths of the mystery being celebrated.”
“The
spiritual richness of Jesus’ Passion is immense for Christian life and mission.
What I share with you for these special days of Holy Week is just some
introductory notes, which hopefully may invite all to deeper personal
reflection and meditation upon its meaning for us.” Therefore, my intention
will simply be to let Jesus speak with His words and actions that should be dear
to every disciple of His.
That being said, I humbly lay out a few thoughts on Jesus’ last desire, last word, and last action which particularly struck me.
1. The Last Desire of Jesus (Holy Thursday)
On this
holy day, we enter into the mystery of the Eucharist’s institution with fresh
memory of what we have heard from the reading of Jesus’ Passion on Palm Sunday.
From the account of Saint Luke a detail gives us a glimpse of Jesus’ particular
sentiment at the beginning of the Last Supper. He said to his disciples: “I have
eagerly desired to eat this Passover
with you before I suffer, for, I tell you, I shall not eat it [again]
until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God” (Lk 22:15-16). Here is his
last desire before His passion and death. It is expressed in a peculiar
grammatical structure of redundancy in the Greek original: epithymia epethymêsa (lit. “I desired the desire”). Such a
construction actually reflects the Hebrew/Aramaic way of speaking (that of
Jesus), used to emphasize a very strong desire of the heart – I desired fervently.
This phrase of Jesus, in its style, echoes the statement He made during
His public ministry: “There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it
is accomplished!” (Lk 12:50). Here, too, we see Jesus’ mind and heart all
geared toward His passion and death as the culmination of His mission, that “hour”
when He will be baptized/immersed in blood, and drink the cup of the Father.
This ardent desire of Jesus to “eat” the Passover with his disciples comes from
his great zeal to faithfully fulfill the mission entrusted to Him by the Father.
On the other hand, contained in this desire is all the importance of the Last
Supper event, which is intrinsically linked with the moment of the Cross,
because at this meal Jesus will establish once and for all the Eucharist, the
rite of the New Covenant in His blood (cf. 1 Cor 11:25). It is, therefore, His
great desire that His “apostles” participate in His mission and Passion.
Everything is immersed in the perspective of the realization of the Kingdom of God. In fact, Jesus solemnly declares: “[Because] I shall not eat it [again] until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of God” (Lk 22:16) and, then, “from this time on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes” (Lk 22:18). These statements are mysterious in some ways, but they sound actually like a solemn oath of a consecrated person of God in making a vow to perform some sacred action (cf. Nm 6:2-4). Jesus, the anointed and consecrated one of God, will do everything, or rather, he will do the supreme act of all things, sacrificing Himself, for the coming of the Kingdom of God.
Will the disciples of that time have understood or sensed such a strong feeling of their Master and His zeal? And do we, His modern disciples, today as every time we are at the Eucharist (at Mass), feel such a burning desire of Jesus to eat this Passover with us? He still wants, mystically but always ardently, to have this Passover supper with His disciples in order to share again with each of them all of Himself, body, blood, life, passion, mission. To feel this desire of Jesus will surely be fundamental for each of His disciples to continue Jesus’ own mission with the same zeal to accomplish the will of the Father despite everything. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes” (1Cor 11: 26).
2. The Last Word of Jesus (Good Friday) (and His Priestly Prayer)
“It is finished.”
(Jn 19:30). This is the last sentence of Jesus before he died according to the
passion account in the Gospel of John that we hear every Good Friday. In the
original Greek, it is a verb in the perfect, tetelestai, which literally means, “it has reached the end.” This
word is wonderfully connected (and perhaps intentionally by the evangelist)
with what was stated at the beginning of the account of the passion that we
heard in the Gospel of Holy Thursday: “Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew
that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in
the world and he loved them to the end” (Jn 13:1).
The fulfillment of the whole mission of Jesus came under the sign of love. This is true both quantitatively (up to the last moment of life) and qualitatively (up to the supreme act of dying for his friends / loved ones). In Jesus on the cross, love has reached the height of its measure which is precisely love without measure (to repeat an aphorism of St. Augustine). From this perspective, we understand what Jesus himself had declared: “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself” (Jn 12:32). His is the mission in love. Indeed, it is love in mission!
As the second reading of Good Friday reminds us, “[Christ, in fact,] in the days when he was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one [God] who was able to save him from death” (Heb 5:7). Of all these prayers, there is one particularly to meditate and repeat especially during the Holy Triduum. This is the so-called priestly prayer of Jesus in Jn 17 (which unfortunately is not read in the liturgy). It expresses the whole profound meaning of the passion and death of Jesus and, at the same time, reveals the whole missionary dimension of Jesus’ existence as well as the loving heart for his disciples of all times: that they may be united in love like him with the Father, so that the world may believe in him as the One sent by the Father. It will therefore be important for every missionary disciple of Jesus to put these words of the Master to heart, to learn them by heart, in order to pray with them often, particularly in these holy days.
3. The Last Act of Jesus (Waiting for the Resurrection)
Also in the Passion account according to St. John, after uttering the mentioned last word, “bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.” Here we have another theological subtlety to emphasize, even if some modern translations of the gospel do not highlight it. The phrase may simply indicate Jesus’ act of dying, exhaling His last breath (a simple “he expired”). Nevertheless, such a construction of the sentence also implies an action of giving/donating the spirit that is in Jesus. In the evangelist’s profound theological vision, Jesus’ last breath is His final action of handing over/giving/donating to the world, indeed to the universe, His own spirit for a new creation: “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). As in the creation of the world, the Spirit of God swept over primordial and permeated the earth without form or shape (cf. Gen 1:1-2), so now from the height of the Cross on Calvary, the Spirit fills the universe once again, the one deformed now because of sins, to signal already the dawn of a new history, even if everything was still in darkness waiting for the Light that shines (just like at the beginning of the first creation).
(to be continued)
Useful points to
consider:
From a homily by
Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishop (Oratio 45, 23-24: PG 36, 654-655)
We
are soon going to share in the Passover, and although we still do so only in a
symbolic way, the symbolism already has more clarity than it possessed in
former times because, under the law, the Passover was, if I may dare to say so,
only a symbol of a symbol. Before long, however, when the Word drinks the new
wine with us in the kingdom of his Father, we shall be keeping the Passover in
a yet more perfect way, and with deeper understanding. […]
So
let us take our part in the Passover prescribed by the law, not in a literal
way, but according to the teaching of the Gospel; not in an imperfect way, but
perfectly; not only for a time, but eternally. Let us regard as our home the
heavenly Jerusalem, not the earthly one; the city glorified by angels, not the
one laid waste by armies. We are not required to sacrifice young bulls or rams,
beasts with horns and hoofs that are more dead than alive and devoid of
feeling; but instead, let us join the choirs of angels in offering God upon his
heavenly altar a sacrifice of praise. We must now pass through the first veil
and approach the second, turning our eyes toward the Holy of Holies. I will say
more: we must sacrifice ourselves to God, each day and in everything we do,
accepting all that happens to us for the sake of the Word, imitating his
passion by our sufferings, and honoring his blood by shedding our own. We must
be ready to be crucified.
If
you are a Simon of Cyrene, take up your cross and follow Christ. If you are
crucified beside him like one of the thieves, now, like the good thief,
acknowledge your God. For your sake, and because of your sin, Christ himself
was regarded as a sinner; for his sake, therefore, you must cease to sin.
Worship him who was hung on the cross because of you, even if you are hanging there
yourself. Derive some benefit from the very shame; purchase salvation with your
death. Enter paradise with Jesus, and discover how far you have fallen.
Contemplate the glories there, and leave the other scoffing thief to die
outside in his blasphemy.
If
you are a Joseph of Arimathea, go to the one who ordered his crucifixion, and
ask for Christ’s body. Make your own the expiation for the sins of the whole
world. If you are a Nicodemus, like the man who worshiped God by night, bring
spices and prepare Christ’s body for burial. If you are one of the Marys, or
Salome, or Joanna, weep in the early morning. Be the first to see the stone
rolled back, and even the angels perhaps, and Jesus himself.
PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION (YEAR A)
The Commemoration of the Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem
Mt 21:1-11
At the Mass
Is 50:4-7; Ps 22; Phil 2:6-11; Mt 26:14-27:66
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
COMMENTARY
The Heart of Divine Mission
Palm Sunday is also called Passion
Sunday because “two ancient traditions shape this unique liturgical
celebration: the custom of a procession in Jerusalem, and the reading of the
Passion in Rome” (Homiletic Directory 77).
Therefore, the Church document continues, “The exuberance surrounding Christ’s
regal entry immediately gives way to the reading of one of the Songs of the
Suffering Servant and the solemn proclamation of the Lord’s Passion.” Thus, we
immediately enter into the atmosphere of Holy Week - the events of Jesus’ last
week in Jerusalem - which is the culmination of his earthly life and the very
core of his divine mission.
In
this regard, as the above directory emphasizes, “In the liturgical celebrations
of the coming week we do not simply commemorate what Jesus did; we are plunged
into the Paschal Mystery itself, dying and rising with Christ.” In other words,
it is not simply a remembrance of what happened in the past, but a realization of
the mystery of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection for us in the present. We
are called to relive these events, to participate in them, moreover, to die to
ourselves for a new life in Christ and in God. It will therefore be fundamental
to listen attentively and humbly to the Word of God that speaks abundantly to
us today, and in the coming days, in the readings as well as in various
liturgical prayers. It is also necessary to have an attitude of personal reflection
and meditation on what has been heard, to enter into the depths of the mystery
being celebrated.
The
Passion of Jesus, his suffering, death and resurrection was the center of the
first Christians’ proclamation, because it is the heart of his divine mission,
so much so that the Gospel has been elegantly called “the Passion narrative
with a long introduction.” In the Passion, the mission God entrusted to his
Son, by sending him into the world, is ultimately fulfilled. It is also the
starting point for the mission that Jesus now entrusts to his disciples, “As
the Father has sent me, so I send you,” (Jn 20:21) said the risen Christ to his
disciples.
Therefore, the spiritual richness of Jesus’ Passion is immense for Christian life and mission. What I share with you for these special days of Holy Week is just some introductory notes, which hopefully may invite all to deeper personal reflection and meditation upon its meaning for us. For this Palm Sunday, three aspects are particularly significant to keep in mind, starting with an evocative image: Jesus on a colt.
1. The Colt of Jesus
For the triumphal entry into Jerusalem as the Messiah-king, Jesus chose to ride a colt. Some might ask why not a horse to emphasize the royal, victorious and powerful character. The answer is found in Sacred Scripture. As Matthew’s gospel points out, “This happened so that what had been spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: ‘Say to daughter Zion, ‘Behold, your king comes to you, meek and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden’” (Mt 21:4-5, quoting Zec 9:9). Jesus’ choice, therefore, wants to emphasize the fulfillment of the messianic era already foretold and, at the same time, to emphasize meekness, and not power, as his distinctive character in realizing the divine plan. His victory will never be that of violent domination that annihilates enemies, but that of meek and merciful love that raises all to the new life in God.
Accordingly, if the horse is an animal associated with wartime, the donkey/colt is an animal of everyday life in times of peace. Thus, Jesus’ image on the colt signals another fundamental characteristic of the new messianic era that He now establishes. It is peace, that Shalom in Hebrew, which means not only the absence of war, but also, and above all, life in full harmony with God, from whom all happiness, well-being, and prosperity come. As the evangelist Luke notes, the crowd accompanying Jesus proclaimed, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”
2. The Fulfillment of His Mission of Peace
Jesus is
the King of Peace, or “Prince of Peace”, to use the title given by the prophet
Isaiah to the child born for the salvation of the people (cf. Is 9:5ff.; also Zec
9:10). In this regard, here are the truly profound words of Saint Paul the
Apostle, inspired by his meditation on the passion and death of Christ: “But
now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have become near by the blood of
Christ. For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down
the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, abolishing
the law with its commandments and legal claims, that he might create in himself
one new person in place of the two, thus establishing peace,
and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that
enmity to death by it. He came and preached peace to you
who were far off and peace to those who were near, for
through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph 2:13-18).
Jesus’ mission, therefore, is the one that God declared through the prophet Jeremiah, “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you – oracle of the LORD – plans for your welfare [shalom] and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope” (Jer 29:11). That is why, when Jesus sent his disciples, he instructed them to say as a greeting, “Peace to this household” (Lk 10:5). And the risen Christ himself greeted his disciples in the same way, “Peace be with you.”
3. The Mission Continues
Jesus, the true peacemaker, blesses his disciples who work for peace, the genuine divine peace that starts with a heart reconciled to God (cf. Mt 5:9). And for peace, Jesus, the Messiah-king, sacrificed himself to make everyone choose life in God over death. In a world still torn asunder by violent conflicts and senseless wars to assert power and dominance, the time has come for us, Jesus’ disciples, to proclaim him as “our peace” even more loudly and convincingly than we already may do. Indeed, he always remains our one and only genuine peace to be shared with all. The fruit of Christ’s mission is lasting peace, now entrusted to his missionary disciples, and, in mystery, made real and present in this Holy Week of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus.
Useful points to
consider:
CATECHISM
OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
559 How will Jerusalem welcome her Messiah? Although Jesus had always refused
popular attempts to make him king, he chooses the time and prepares the details
for his messianic entry into the city of “his father David” (Lk 1:32; cf. Mt
21:1-11; Jn 6:15.). Acclaimed as son of David, as the one who brings salvation
(Hosanna means “Save!” or “Give salvation!”), the “King of glory” enters his
City “riding on an ass” (Ps 24:7-10; Zech 9:9). Jesus conquers the
Daughter of Zion, a figure of his Church, neither by ruse nor by violence, but
by the humility that bears witness to the truth (Cf. Jn 18:37) and so the subjects of his kingdom
on that day are children and God’s poor, who acclaim him as had the angels when
they announced him to the shepherds (Cf. Mt 21:15-16; cf. Ps 8:3; Lk 19:38; 2:14).
Their acclamation, “Blessed be he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Cf. Ps 118:26), is taken up by the Church in the
Sanctus of the Eucharistic liturgy that introduces the memorial of the Lord’s
Passover.
560 Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem manifested the coming of the kingdom that the
King-Messiah was going to accomplish by the Passover of his Death and
Resurrection. It is with the celebration of that entry on Palm Sunday that the
Church’s liturgy solemnly opens Holy Week.
1085 In the liturgy of the Church, it is principally his own Paschal mystery
that Christ signifies and makes present. During his earthly life Jesus
announced his Paschal mystery by his teaching and anticipated it by his
actions. When his Hour comes, he lives out the unique event of history which
does not pass away: Jesus dies, is buried, rises from the dead, and is seated
at the right hand of the Father “once for all” (Rom 6:10; Heb
7:27; 9:12; cf. Jn 13:1; 17:1). His Paschal mystery is a real event that
occurred in our history, but it is unique: all other historical events happen
once, and then they pass away, swallowed up in the past. The Paschal mystery of
Christ, by contrast, cannot remain only in the past, because by his death he
destroyed death, and all that Christ is - all that he did and suffered for all
men - participates in the divine eternity, and so transcends all times while
being made present in them all. The event of the Cross and Resurrection abides
and draws everything toward life.
FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT (YEAR A)
Ez 37:12-14; Ps 130; Rom 8:8-11; Jn 11:1-45
With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of
redemption
COMMENTARY
“I Am the Resurrection
and the Life. Do You Believe This?”
The fifth Sunday of Lent Year A is also called Lazarus Sunday, from today’s gospel that recounts the return to life of this biblical character, brother of Martha and Mary of Bethany, thanks to the work of Jesus. This is the long story that, together with the other two, heard in the previous Sundays (that of the Samaritan woman and the other of the man born blind), forms a “Lenten triptych” to help catechumens and also all of us, already baptized, to taste the beauty of the journey of faith in Christ. With this in mind, let us try to reread carefully the Gospel passage that the Church’s liturgy offers us today, reflecting on the interesting details concerning Jesus’ reaction to Lazarus’ illness/death, Martha’s faith, and Jesus’ self-revelation as “the resurrection and the life.” Such deeper reflection will lead us to discover the important aspects of the Christian faith that we are called to renew, that is, to resurrect in their fullness, again, during this time of Lent in view of Easter now on the horizon.
1. The Death of Lazarus, the “Beloved” Disciple, and Jesus’ Delay
Jesus’ behavior when faced with the news of His “friend” Lazarus’ illness is very interesting because it is paradoxical: “So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was.” The evangelist emphasizes the paradox even more, by highlighting Jesus’ love for our character in the announcement of the news: “Master, the one you love is ill,” and again immediately after: “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” Jesus Himself called Lazarus “our friend” where the noun, in light of what the context reveals, should be understood in the strong sense of “beloved.” Therefore, here some would rightly exclaim, “How strange this love of Jesus!” Indeed, after learning of His friend’s grave situation, He did not immediately go to visit, comfort and possibly heal him. Instead, He lingered precisely “for two days,” not only to “let Lazarus die,” but also to let him lie in the tomb for four days. This is the time that marks the end of any hope of some return to life, because it corresponds to the beginning of the decomposition of the corpse according to Jewish tradition. So much so that when the two sisters Mary and Martha met Jesus, their first sentence was a kind of complaint: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Thus, in the eyes of the sisters and their countrymen, Jesus is four days late to save His “friend.” However, He was still able to perform the miracle of His love, bringing Lazarus back to life. This is a fact of great spiritual depth that is emphasized in the beautiful song (Gospel song) “Four Days Late” (by American authors C. Aaron Wilburn and Roberta Wilburn): Even when He is four days late, He is always on time! Yes, He is always in time to save His friends. And here is the beautiful existential application of the Gospel episode in the mentioned song that I fully subscribe to:
You may be fighting a battle of fear
You’ve cried to the Lord “I need You now!” But He has
not appeared
Friend don’t be discouraged
Cause He’s still the same.
He’ll soon be here. He’ll roll back the stone and He’ll call out your name!
When He’s four days late and all hope is gone
Lord we don’t understand why You’ve waited so long
But His way is God’s way (it’s) not yours or mine
and isn’t it great when He’s four days late- He’s
still on time!
Oh my God is great: when He’s four days late- He’s still on time!!!
2. The “Faith” of Martha
The second paradox to be contemplated in the story is Martha’s “faith.” The quotation marks (for the word faith) are obligatory, because Martha from her dialogues with Jesus, believed in Him, but in the end, it seems instead that she did not believe her Master all the way. This is a curious journey of faith in the revelation of Jesus as “resurrection and life.”
On the one hand, indeed, from the very beginning of the encounter with Jesus, after a slight gripe (“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died”), Martha immediately expressed her faith-knowledge in her Lord’s power: “But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” However, when Jesus states, “Your brother will rise,” Martha seems not to have given too much weight to that statement, responding generically according to her knowledge (perhaps of the Catechism of the Catholic Church!): “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” Hence, there follows Jesus’ clarification-revelation that He is “the resurrection and the life” for those who believe in Him with a final question as a concrete invitation to Martha, “Do you believe this?” Here comes her very prompt reply, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” With that sentence Martha solemnly confirmed her faith in the Lord Jesus, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe.” Indeed, she repeated the confession we heard in the other Gospels on the lips of St. Peter, spokesman for the apostles and the whole Church: “You are the Christ, the Son of God.” But such a generic profession of faith (as in the Catechism!) does not sound like the response Jesus expected in this situation. Martha generally believed in Jesus, sincerely loved him, but (perhaps also because of grief over the bereavement) seemed not to pay too much attention to what Jesus concretely asked and taught. So much so that in front of the tomb, when Jesus ordered “Take away the stone”, Martha immediately advised her Master, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days,” as if to say. “Lord, don’t command strange things; perhaps You don’t know that...!”
Such faith-not-faith of Martha appears exemplary for the spiritual life of every believer who recites the Creed of the Church very well during Mass, but in everyday situations seems to act exclusively according to his or her own judgment, without confidently consulting and listening to what the Lord wants to ask at that moment for his/her own good. Such a believer would say to the Lord like Martha, “Lord, You know everything, and I believe it, but in this concrete situation, perhaps I know better than You. Therefore, do not command me strange things to do!” And here are Jesus’ words today, which always apply to such believers-not-believers like Martha (even and especially in their darkest period): “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” Truly, if you believe in Him and obey His words, even the strangest, the most seemingly absurd ones, you will see the “glory of God” in your life and in the lives of your family members, just like Martha. Do you believe this?
3. Jesus’ Statement – Resurrection and Life
Jesus’
statement in Jn 11:25-26 is articulated as in the other self-revelatory
discourses. It starts with a statement (v.25a), followed by the specification
of content (vv.25b-26a). In addition, the latter has the peculiar structure,
called “chiasmus,” with the thoughts cross-displayed: (A) the dead believer -
(B) will live; (B’) the living believer - (A’) will not die. (This is the
frequent way of expression in the Judaic tradition and also in Jesus’ speeches,
as, for example, in his saying: Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but
whoever humbles himself will be exalted.)
Here, in
Jesus’ self-declaration, such a stylistic figure detects the accentuation all
about life, the eternal life. It then determines to some extent the meaning of
Jesus’ affirmation as resurrection and life: in Him (i.e., for those who
believe in Him) the ultimate transition (i.e., the action of rising again) from
death (whether physical or spiritual) to true life, the eternal life, is
possible. In other words, He is the resurrection to eternal life as the
ultimate salvation, designed by the Father and offered in Jesus, His Sent One.
The addition therefore of “the life” after “the resurrection” appears to be an
indispensable clarification, although it is not found in some ancient
manuscripts. Moreover, any dichotomous view of physical and spiritual life in
the explanation of vv.25b-26a appears unnecessary. The life in question is the
eternal life which, in accordance with Johannine thought, can begin even now with the coming of Jesus
(present eschatology) for those who believe and remain in communion with Him
and which will continue even after physical death. The case of Lazarus is an
eloquent illustration of this, indeed, a “sign,” to use Johannine language.
The dialogue between Jesus and Martha with the technical expressions concerning the resurrection such as “he will rise again” and especially “on the last day” (vv.23-24) connect with the discourse on the bread of life in Jn 6, the only place where Jesus left similar statements. Precisely, Jesus declares on the occasion twice (with the emphatic “I” in the second) His power to resurrect the dead believer “on the last day”: “And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it [on] the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him [on] the last day” (Jn 6:39-40). Such thinking is already found on Jesus’ lips in Jn 5:28-29 in the discourse with the Jews concerning the works and power of the Son: “Do not be amazed at this, because the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good deeds to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked deeds to the resurrection of condemnation.” The idea therefore of the resurrection of the dead has a clear path in John’s gospel that culminates in the miracle of raising Lazarus, the last of Jesus’ seven signs and the foretelling of the resurrection of the Son of God (the very glory of God; cf. 11:4 and 12:23, 28). Moreover, the connection with Jn 5:28-29 gives a glimpse of Dn 12 as the Old Testament background to Johannine thinking on resurrection and, in particular, Jesus’ self-declaration in Jn 11:25.
In this context, the greatest paradox emerges from today’s gospel: Jesus, the resurrection and life of believers, will also undergo death and burial. Ironically and significantly, He commanded Lazarus to come out of the tomb because it is the place reserved for Him! He, the good shepherd, will give His life to His sheep, to His believers (cf. Jn 10:15). He will later explain, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15,13). We thus already enter the mystery of Jesus’ Passover, that is, His passage from this world to the Father, from death to resurrection. It is always about the mystery and mission of Love dying to give and renew life to His “beloved” friends.
Today’s account ends with the statement, “Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him.” This will also be an invitation for us to have true faith in the Lord Jesus and His words, even the most difficult ones, because only He has the words of eternal life, only He is the resurrection and life for those who believe in Him.
Useful points to consider:
Catechism of the Catholic Church
639 The mystery of Christ’s resurrection is a real event, with manifestations that were historically verified, as the New Testament bears witness. In about A.D. 56 St. Paul could already write to the Corinthians: “I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve…” The Apostle speaks here of the living tradition of the Resurrection which he had learned after his conversion at the gates of Damascus.
646 Christ’s Resurrection was not a return to earthly life, as was
the case with the raisings from the dead that he had performed before Easter:
Jairus’ daughter, the young man of Naim, Lazarus. These actions were miraculous
events, but the persons miraculously raised returned by Jesus’ power to
ordinary earthly life. At some particular moment they would die again. Christ’s
Resurrection is essentially different. In his risen body he passes from the
state of death to another life beyond time and space. At Jesus’ Resurrection
his body is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit: he shares the divine life
in his glorious state, so that St. Paul can say that Christ is “the man of
heaven”.
I. Christ’s Resurrection and Ours
The progressive revelation of the Resurrection
993 The Pharisees and many of the Lord’s contemporaries hoped for the resurrection. Jesus teaches it firmly. To the Sadducees who deny it he answers, “Is not this why you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God?” Faith in the resurrection rests on faith in God who “is not God of the dead, but of the living.”
994 But there is more. Jesus links faith in the resurrection to his own person: “I am the Resurrection and the life.” It is Jesus himself who on the last day will raise up those who have believed in him, who have eaten his body and drunk his blood.Already now in this present life he gives a sign and pledge of this by restoring some of the dead to life, announcing thereby his own Resurrection, though it was to be of another order. He speaks of this unique event as the “sign of Jonah,” The sign of the temple: he announces that he will be put to death but rise thereafter on the third day.
Risen with Christ
1002 Christ will raise us up “on the last day”; but it is also true
that, in a certain way, we have already risen with Christ. For, by virtue of
the Holy Spirit, Christian life is already now on earth a participation in the
death and Resurrection of Christ:
And you were buried with him in Baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.... If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
1003 United with Christ by Baptism, believers already truly participate in the heavenly life of the risen Christ, but this life remains “hidden with Christ in God.” The Father has already “raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Nourished with his body in the Eucharist, we already belong to the Body of Christ. When we rise on the last day we “also will appear with him in glory.”
1004 In expectation of that day, the believer’s body and soul already
participate in the dignity of belonging to Christ. This dignity entails the
demand that he should treat with respect his own body, but also the body of
every other person, especially the suffering:
The body [is meant] for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. and God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? .... You are not your own; .... So glorify God in your body.
FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT “LAETARE SUNDAY” (YEAR A)
1Sm 16:1b,6-7,10-13a; Ps 23; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall
want.
COMMENTARY
The mission of Christ-Light
“The
Fourth Sunday of Lent is suffused with light, a light reflected on this ‘Laetare
Sunday’ [‘Rejoice!’] by vestments of a lighter hue and the flowers that adorn
the church” (Homiletic Directory no.73). In this context of joy for “the
approaching Easter,” we heard the gospel of the healing of a man blind from
birth. As noted in our previous commentary, together with the gospel passages
of the Samaritan woman (last Sunday) and the resurrection of Lazarus (next
Sunday), this forms the Lenten triptych for a (re)discovery of the gift of
baptism, as emphasized in the liturgical commentaries. Thus, “the underlying theme of these three Sundays
is how faith can be nurtured continually even in the face of sin (the Samaritan
woman), ignorance (the blind man), and death (Lazarus). These are the ‘deserts’
through which we travel through life, and in which we discover that we are not
alone, because God is with us” (Homiletic Directory, 69).
Once
more, keeping in mind such a liturgical setting as well as the tremendous
richness of today’s very long Gospel passage, let us go into just a few details
that help us deepen our understanding of the mystery of Christ’s mission in
order to revive our faith in Him and our missionary zeal, “following in His
footsteps.”
We
follow the tripartite structure of the story, which is presented as a three-act
drama to masterfully describe the journey of the man blind from birth toward
full sight: from recovering material sight to seeing and believing in Jesus as “Son
of Man” and Lord. It is about the journey that we and all the baptized together
with the catechumens are called to take, this Lent, to rediscover the essence
of our faith and mission in Christ.
1. The “accidental” encounter with the blind
man and the mysterious actions of Jesus the physician and “light of the world”
The
whole story with the man born blind seems to begin with an “en passant” event. Indeed, as the
evangelist relates, «[In the temple of Jerusalem] Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth». Nevertheless, as pointed
out already in the commentary on the Samaritan woman episode, for Jesus and his
missionary disciples everything happens according to God’s plan for the
salvation of humanity. In their lives there will be nothing by chance. Every
encounter with people will always be a propitious opportunity to get in touch
with them and to convey the message of God’s love and the Gospel of Christ in
the concrete situation in which they live. It will always be an opportune time
(even with all the inconveniences of the situation!) for a deeper conversation
about Christ’s mission and identity. The fundamental question for us, his
modern disciples, is whether we have the same mission consciousness as Jesus,
the same sense of responsibility for the salvation of the soul (indeed of all
souls!) and the same courage of the proclamation and action.
In
this perspective, the encounter with the man born blind will be the occasion, so
that “the works of God might be made visible through him” by the concrete
actions of Jesus, who thus reveals himself as a divine physician and giver of
light to the blind. In this regard, the strange but significant peculiarities
of Jesus’ actions should be noted and clarified. First of all, He “spat on the
ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes.” This
particular gesture in the use of His own saliva actually reflects the practice
of physicians at that time. Jesus also used it in healing a deaf-mute (cf. Mk 7:33:
“[Jesus] spitting, touched his tongue”), or even in healing another blind man
in Bethsaida (cf. Mk 8:23: “[Jesus] Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his
hands on him”). However, singular in our passage today is the “combination” of
spittle with soil to obtain the “mud” to be put on the “patient’s” eyes.
Without entering too much into the centuries-old debate about the possible
material or spiritual meaning of such an action, we may wonder if we can
glimpse here a subtle reference to the primordial “mud” in the creation of the
first man. The man born blind becomes the eloquent image of the human being
blinded because of the sin of “one” (Adam, literally meaning “man”); he is now
going through with Jesus the process of the new creation to regain his God-given
sight at the origin.
Moreover,
compared to the other miracles, Jesus’ command to the blind man to complete the
healing will also be unique and mysterious: “said to him, ‘Go wash in the Pool
of Siloam.’” The hidden meaning of this command is suggested by the very
evangelist himself who immediately explains “Sìloam – which means Sent.” Now,
if Jesus is the Father’s “Sent” to save the world with the gift of “living
water,” as we also heard in the Samaritan woman episode, will not the washing
in the pool of Siloam be precisely the image of the washing in the “water” of
Jesus, God’s “Sent”?
It
should be emphasized that in order to complete the healing, the cooperation of
the blind man himself, who had to go and wash at the specified pool, was
crucial. Personally, I was struck by the man’s “blind” obedience to Jesus’
command, without grumbling or protesting about the possible difficulties of the
route from the place of his meeting with Jesus to the pool of Siloam,
especially for a blind man like him! (For those who have visited Jerusalem,
this stretch of road from the Temple Mount to the Pool of Siloam is about a
30-minute walk and always downhill; this requires utmost care not to fall).
With this in mind, the blind man’s obedient walk becomes a strong invitation to
all of us to perform the same “heroic” act, overcoming the various adversities
of life to arrive at or return to the source of new life, through immersion,
that is, baptism, in the water of “Sìloam – which means Sent.”
2. The questioning of the Jews and the
testimony of the healed blind man
Following
the healing, a “trial” by the Pharisees/Jews of the healed blind man takes
place, which the evangelist John recounts with a good deal of irony through
various “comic” elements to bring out the embarrassing helplessness of the
Pharisees/Jews at the time in the face of the blind man’s ascertainment of the
fact and in the face of the wisdom-acuteness of his parents (“Ask him, he is of
age”). Behind this telling, however, one can glimpse precisely the joyful
aspect of Christian witness that is a simple confession of the new life given
by Christ. The healed blind man, in fact, simply affirmed to the people what
had happened to him: “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and
told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to
see.” He will repeat again to the Pharisees, “[Jesus] put clay on my eyes, and
I washed, and now I can see”; and again, for the third time, to the Jews who
accused Jesus as a sinner, “If he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I was blind and
now I see.” After this final testimony, the blind man, probably amused,
continued with an ironic question: “Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
Such
a testimony of the blind man, of his truth, had an uncontroversial force,
because it was made with sincerity and faithfulness; and this in spite of the
still partial knowledge of the person of Jesus his healer. This is a journey of
faith that the blind man took: from “seeing” Jesus as a man to thinking of Him
as a prophet and, finally, to believing in Him as the Son of the man-Lord,
culminating in the gesture of adoration-accession of faith, “he worshiped Him.”
This will be the path to be retraced also by all of us, His
disciples-missionaries, to be able, already on our way, to witness to others
with simplicity what the Lord has done in our lives, like today’s healed blind
man. “One thing I do know is that I was
blind and now I see Life with Jesus with His gift of full sight and life
without knowing Him will never be the same. We remember in this regard the
important words of Pope Francis at the beginning of his pontificate, the tenth
anniversary of which is being celebrated these days:
All of us are called to offer
others an explicit witness to the saving love of the Lord, who despite our
imperfections offers us his closeness, his word and his strength, and gives
meaning to our lives. In your heart you
know that it is not the same to live without him; what you have come to
realize, what has helped you to live and given you hope, is what you also need
to communicate to others. Our falling short of perfection should be no
excuse; on the contrary, mission is a constant stimulus not to remain mired in
mediocrity but to continue growing. The witness of faith that each Christian is
called to offer leads us to say with Saint Paul: “Not that I have already
obtained this, or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because
Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Phil 3:12-13). (Evangelii Gaudium 121)
3. Jesus’ final
statements for a serious “eye” examination (i.e. of conscience)
What
particularly strikes me is Jesus’ statement toward the end of the story. After
revealing His identity to the man born blind (already healed) and receiving the
latter’s homage, Jesus said that He came into this world, “so that those who do
not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.” (Jn 9:39). This is
obviously not about Jesus’ willingness to blind anyone (so much so that He did
not hurt anyone!). It is the statement (in the manner of the prophets) of a sad
fact: there are those who, though they have sight, do not “see” Jesus as the
Son of God in their midst. As a result, they cannot clearly see God’s teaching
to follow and their own sins to forsake. In fact, as later recounted in the
Gospel, the Pharisees “heard this” from Jesus and “said to Him” ironically: “Surely
we are not also blind, are we?” (Jn 9:40). To this Jesus responded with all
seriousness, for it is indeed a matter of life and death of the soul: “If you
were blind, you would have no sin;
but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.” (Jn 9:41).
We
are faced with a strong warning against the danger of spiritual blindness for
those who boast of “seeing everything” but live, in reality, in perpetual
darkness. This recalls an enigmatic saying of Jesus about the light of the eyes:
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be
filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body
will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the
darkness be” (Mt 6:22-23). This is truly a great danger: you think you have
light, but you live in darkness! In light of what has been noted, one can
better understand Jesus’ seemingly “paradoxical” praise of the Father: “I give
praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden
these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the
childlike” (Mt 11:25; Lk 10:21). God wants to reveal to all things in Jesus,
only that the “wise and learned” of the world (and unfortunately of all times!)
in their pride do not want to see and welcome the “divine things” of and in
Jesus. Only “the childlike” in their littleness joyfully welcome the new “sight”
given by Him.
Therefore,
one can glimpse a suggestion in the struggle against spiritual blindness: “acknowledge
oneself blind” like the man born blind. What does this mean concretely? Perhaps
we need to strip ourselves a little of pride in order to grow again in humility
before God and Christ, always recognizing ourselves in need of spiritual
purification. In this we can be helped by the Word of God itself, which offers
a beautiful sincere and inspired prayer from the Psalmist to be repeated more
frequently in these days: “[Oh God] Who can detect trespasses? / Cleanse me
from my inadvertent sins. / Also from arrogant ones restrain your servant; / let
them never control me. / Then shall I be blameless, / innocent of grave sin” (Ps
19,13-14).
“Awake,
O sleeper, and arise from the dead, [from sins] and Christ will give you light.”
(Eph 5:14). Amen.
Useful points to consider:
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, IV Sunday of Lent (Laetare), 26 March 2017
At the centre of
the Gospel this Fourth Sunday of Lent we find Jesus and a man blind from birth
(cf. Jn 9:1-41). Christ restores his sight and performs this miracle with a
type of symbolic ritual: first, He mixes dirt with saliva and spreads it on the
blind man’s eyes; then, He orders him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. The
man goes, washes, and regains his sight. He was blind from birth. With this
miracle, Jesus manifests himself, and He manifests himself to us as the
Light of the World. The man blind from birth represents each one of us, who
was created to know God; but due to sin has become blind; we are in need of a
new light; we are all in need of a new light: that of faith, which Jesus has
given us. Indeed, that blind man in the Gospel, by regaining his sight, is
opened to the mystery of Christ. Jesus asks him: “Do you believe in the Son of
man?” (v. 35). “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” the healed
blind man replied. “You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you” (v. 37).
“Lord, I believe”, [the blind man said,] and he prostrated himself before
Jesus.
This episode induces us to reflect on our faith, our faith in Christ, the Son of God; and at the same time, it also refers to Baptism, which is the first Sacrament of faith: the Sacrament which makes us “come to the light”, by being reborn through the water and through the Holy Spirit; as happens to the man born blind, whose eyes are opened after being cleansed in the water of the pool of Siloam. The man born blind and healed represents us when we do not realize that Jesus is the light; he is “the Light of the World”, when we are looking elsewhere, when we prefer to entrust ourselves to little lights, when we are groping in the dark. The fact that the blind man has no name helps us to see our face reflected and our name in his story. We too have been “illuminated” by Christ in Baptism, and thus we are called to behave as children of the light. Acting as children of the light requires a radical change of mind-set, a capacity to judge men and things according to another scale of values, which comes from God. The Sacrament of Baptism, in fact, requires the choice of living as children of the light and walking in the light. If I were to ask you: “Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Do you believe that he can change your heart? Do you believe that he can show reality as he sees it, not as we see it? Do you believe that he is light, that he gives us the true light?” How would you answer? Each of you, respond in your heart.
From a treatise on John by Saint Augustine,
bishop (Tract. 34, 8-9: CCL 36, 315-316)
The Lord tells us: I
am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but
will have the light of life. In these few words he gives a command and
makes a promise. Let us do what he commands so that we may not blush to covet
what he promises. […]
Let us do now what
he commands. Let us follow in the footsteps of the Lord. Let us throw off the
chains that prevent us from following him. Who can throw off these shackles
without the aid of the one addressed in these words: You have broken my
chains? […]
Those who have been
freed and raised up follow the light. The light they follow speaks to them: I
am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness. The
Lord gives light to the blind. Brethren, that light shines on us now, for we
have had our eyes anointed with the eye-salve of faith. His saliva was mixed
with earth to anoint the man born blind. We are of Adam’s stock, blind from our
birth; we need him to give us light. He mixed saliva with earth, and so it was
prophesied: Truth has sprung up from the earth. He himself has said: I
am the way, the truth, and the life.
We shall be in
possession of the truth when we see face to face. This is his promise to us. […]
This is a great
promise. If you love me, follow me. “I do love you,” you protest, “but how do I
follow you? […] Hear Him say at the first, I
am the way. Before He said whither, He premised by what way: I am,
says He, the way. The way whither? And the truth and the life. First, He told
you the way to come; then, whither to come. […] Remaining with the Father, the
truth and life; putting on flesh, He became the way. He way itself has come to you,
and roused you from your sleep; if, however, it has roused you, up and walk.
Perhaps you are trying to walk, and art not able, because your feet ache. How come your feet to ache? Have they been running over rough places at the bidding of avarice? But the word of God has healed even the lame. Behold, you say, I have my feet sound, but the way itself I see not. He has also enlightened the blind.
Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World, Evangelii Gaudium
121. Of course, all of us are called to mature in our work
as evangelizers. We want to have better training, a deepening love and a
clearer witness to the Gospel. In this sense, we ought to let others be
constantly evangelizing us. But this does not mean that we should postpone the
evangelizing mission; rather, each of us should find ways to communicate Jesus
wherever we are. All of us are called to offer others an explicit witness to
the saving love of the Lord, who despite our imperfections offers us his closeness,
his word and his strength, and gives meaning to our lives. In your heart you
know that it is not the same to live without him; what you have come to
realize, what has helped you to live and given you hope, is what you also need
to communicate to others. Our falling short of perfection should be no excuse;
on the contrary, mission is a constant stimulus not to remain mired in
mediocrity but to continue growing. The witness of faith that each Christian is
called to offer leads us to say with Saint Paul: “Not that I have already
obtained this, or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because
Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Phil 3:12-13).
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT (YEAR A)
Ex 17:3-7; Ps 95; Rom 5:1-2,5-8; Jn 4:5-42
If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts
real request for an essential need of the body of Jesus, the missionary of God, who never hides. Indeed, for those who give water to Him and His needy missionaries, Jesus promises a certain reward: “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.” (Mk 9:41; Mt 10:42) Christ’s itinerant missionaries are never the ones who already have everything and dispense aid to everyone. On the contrary, in the intention of the same Jesus who sends them, they carry nothing on the road and therefore also know how to humbly ask for and receive help from the local people to whom they have been sent. On the other hand, such a request for the essential material support such as water will also be a provocation/occasion to enter the dialogue to announce the true water and true support for true life.
The gift of living water, promised here by Jesus, implies the one intrinsically connected with faith in him, according to the already mentioned statement, “whoever believes in me will never thirst” (Jn. 6:35b). It thus points to the reality of baptism, by which each person recognizes and accepts Jesus not only as the Prophet of God, but as the Christ, Son of God, and Savior of the world, just like the Samaritan woman’s and her countrymen’s journey to come to faith in Christ. The living water is thus revealed in the very person of Christ, sent by the Father for the salvation of the world. Moreover, such water then, in a further moment will be explained as identifiable with the Spirit of Jesus who vivifies every believer into new life in Christ (cf. Jn. 7:37-38).
In this light, we understand Jesus’ statement to the Samaritan woman, “whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst,” because life in God is the eternal fulfillment of happiness. Indeed, to continue with Jesus’ teaching, “the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (for him/her and for others), because every believer in Christ will then be able to pass on the same divine life and Spirit to others. Such believers, finally, will be the true worshipers of God, who will worship him “in Spirit and truth,” that is, according to the simplest interpretation, in Spirit and in Christ who is God’s truth for the world.
3. The joy of the gospel in the Samaritan woman and her countrymen
The reaction of the Samaritan woman after discovering the person of Jesus is significant. As the Gospel text reports, she “left her water jar and went into the town” to tell the people about Jesus Christ without fear. The image of the left water jar may indicate, yes, the woman’s haste, but also that that vessel will no longer be needed by the woman, because from that encounter with Jesus onward she will never be thirsty again! In missionary perspective, it will be important to recall Pope Francis’ reflection that offers an actualizing reading of the Samaritan woman’s action:
Indeed, anyone who has truly experienced God’s saving love does not need much time or lengthy training to go out and proclaim that love. Every Christian is a missionary to the extent that he or she has encountered the love of God in Christ Jesus: we no longer say that we are “disciples” and “missionaries,” but rather that we are always “missionary disciples.” If we are not convinced, let us look at those first disciples, who, immediately after encountering the gaze of Jesus, went forth to proclaim him joyfully, “We have found the Messiah!” (Jn 1:41). The Samaritan woman became a missionary immediately after speaking with Jesus and many Samaritans came to believe in him “because of the woman’s testimony” (Jn 4:39). So too, Saint Paul, after his encounter with Jesus Christ, “immediately proclaimed Jesus” (Acts 9:20; cf. 22:6-21). So what are we waiting for? (Evangelii Gaudium 120)
To these holy words we need to add nothing more, except for a brief comment on a curious detail at the end of the Gospel account. It is precisely the final phrase with which the Samaritans addressed the woman: “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.” This underscores the genuine faith of the Samaritans, not from hearsay but from direct experience with Jesus. From the sentence, however, we can imagine that after the mission of proclaiming the person of Christ to the people, the woman perhaps boasted a little too much about her “merit,” hence the almost rebuke, “We no longer believe because of your word.” The true disciple-missionary of Christ will also know when to step aside, as Pope Francis mentioned in a recent reflection on the figure of John the Baptist. This, indeed, will be the model for every prophet and envoy of God in humbly acknowledging that he is not the Christ, savior for the people who hear him. Moreover, he keeps clear the motto of his life and mission, “He must increase; I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30).
We
pray that all of us may have, on the one hand, the enthusiasm to proclaim
Christ like the Samaritan woman, and on the other hand, the joy like the
Baptist to see Christ “growing” and us “diminishing” more and more in our
missions.
O God, source of life, you offer to humanity parched by thirst the
living water of grace that flows from the rock, Christ the Savior; grant your
people the gift of the Spirit, that they may know how to profess their faith
with strength, and proclaim with joy the wonders of your love. Through Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Useful points to
consider:
From a treatise on
John by Saint Augustine, bishop (Tract. 15, 10-12. 16-17: CCL 36, 154-156)
A woman came. She is a symbol of
the Church not yet made righteous but about to be made righteous. Righteousness
follows from the conversation. She came in ignorance, she found Christ, and he
enters into conversation with her. Let us see what it is about, let us see why a
Samaritan woman came to draw water. The Samaritans did not form part of the
Jewish people: they were foreigners. The fact that she came from a foreign
people is part of the symbolic meaning, for she is a symbol of the Church. The
Church was to come from the Gentiles, of a different race from the Jews.
We must then recognize ourselves in her words and in her person, and with her
give our own thanks to God. She was a symbol, not the reality; she foreshadowed
the reality, and the reality came to be. She found faith in Christ, who was
using her as a symbol to teach us what was to come. She came then to
draw water. She had simply come to draw water, in the normal way of man or
woman.
Jesus says to her: Give
me water to drink. For his disciples had gone to the city to buy food. The
Samaritan woman therefore says to him: How is it that you, though a Jew, ask me
for water to drink, though I am a Samaritan woman? For Jews have nothing to do
with Samaritans.
The Samaritans were
foreigners; Jews never used their utensils. The woman was carrying a pail for
drawing water. She was astonished that a Jew should ask her for a drink of
water, a thing that Jews would not do. But the one who was asking for a drink
of water was thirsting for her faith.
Listen now and
learn who it is that asks for a drink. Jesus answered her and said: If you
knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink,”
perhaps you might have asked him and he would have given you living water.
He asks for a
drink, and he promises a drink. He is in need, as one hoping to receive, yet he
is rich, as one about to satisfy the thirst of others. He says: If you knew
the gift of God. The gift of God is the Holy Spirit. But he is still using
veiled language as he speaks to the woman and gradually enters into her heart.
Or is he already teaching her? What could be more gentle and kind than the
encouragement he gives? If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is
saying to you, “Give me a drink,” perhaps you might ask and he would give you
living water.
Pope Francis, Apostolic
Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World, Evangelii
Gaudium
Person to person
127. Today, as the Church seeks to experience a profound
missionary renewal, there is a kind of preaching which falls to each of us as a
daily responsibility. It has to do with bringing the Gospel to the people we
meet, whether they be our neighbours or complete strangers. This is the
informal preaching which takes place in the middle of a conversation, something
along the lines of what a missionary does when visiting a home. Being a
disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and
this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square,
during work, on a journey.
128. In this preaching, which is always respectful and
gentle, the first step is personal dialogue, when the other person speaks and
shares his or her joys, hopes and concerns for loved ones, or so many other
heartfelt needs. Only afterwards is it possible to bring up God’s word, perhaps
by reading a Bible verse or relating a story, but always keeping in mind the
fundamental message: the personal love of God who became man, who gave himself
up for us, who is living and who offers us his salvation and his friendship.
This message has to be shared humbly as a testimony on the part of one who is
always willing to learn, in the awareness that the message is so rich and so
deep that it always exceeds our grasp. At times the message can be presented
directly, at times by way of a personal witness or gesture, or in a way which
the Holy Spirit may suggest in that particular situation. If it seems prudent
and if the circumstances are right, this fraternal and missionary encounter could
end with a brief prayer related to the concerns which the person may have
expressed. In this way they will have an experience of being listened to and
understood; they will know that their particular situation has been placed
before God, and that God’s word really speaks to their lives.
Pope Francis, General Audience, Saint Peter's Square, Wednesday, 8 March 2023
The Council, furthermore
reminds us that it is the task of the Church to continue the mission of Christ,
who was “sent to preach the Gospel to the poor”; therefore, the document Ag
gentes continues, “the Church, prompted by the Holy Spirit, must walk
in the same path on which Christ walked: a path of poverty and obedience, of
service and self-sacrifice to the death, from which death He came forth a
victor by His resurrection” (AG, 5). If it remains faithful to this
“path”, the mission of the Church is “an epiphany, or a manifesting of God’s
decree, and its fulfilment in the world and in world history” (AG, 9).
Brothers and sisters, these
brief comments also help us understand the ecclesial meaning of the apostolic
zeal of each disciple-missionary. Apostolic zeal is not enthusiasm; it is
another thing, it is a grace of God, that we must preserve. We must understand
its meaning, because in the pilgrim and evangelizing People of God, there are
no active or passive individuals. There are not those who preach, those who
proclaim the Gospel in one way or another, and those who remain silent. “All
the baptized”, says Evangelii gaudium, “whatever their position in
the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of
evangelization” (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, 120). Are
you Christian? “Yes, I have received Baptism”. And do you evangelize?” “But
what does this mean?” If you do not evangelize, if you do not bear witness, if
you do not give that witness of the Baptism you have received, of the faith
that the Lord gave you, you are not a good Christian. By virtue of the Baptism
received and the consequent incorporation in the Church, every baptized person
participates in the mission of the Church and, in this, in the mission of
Christ the King, Priest and Prophet. Brothers and sisters, this task “is one
and the same everywhere and in every condition, even though it may be carried
out differently according to circumstances” (AG, 6). This invites us not
to become rigid or fossilized; it redeems us from that restlessness that is not
of God. The missionary zeal of the believer also expresses itself as a creative
search for new ways of proclaiming and witnessing, new ways of encountering the
wounded humanity that Christ took on.
Special Greetings to French-speaking pilgrims
Brothers and sisters, let us invoke the Holy Spirit, that this Lent may be a favorable time to revitalize our missionary dynamism by joyfully rendering service to the Gospel and humanity. God bless you!
SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
Lv 19:1-2,17-18; Ps 103; 1Cor 3:16-23; Mt 5:38-48
The Lord is kind and merciful
COMMENTARY
The Law of Divine Perfection
Today’s Gospel reading continues and finally
concludes the passage on Jesus’ teaching that we heard last Sunday, and for
this, the reminder made then may still be valid, to better understand the Lord’s
recommendations for all of us.
Here, in order not to fall into the usual moralistic, or even worse, legalistic-casuistic interpretation of Jesus’ saving words, we need to keep in mind the totality of God’s and Christ’s teaching in the Scriptures, and above all, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us in our brief reflection, so that we may welcome into Jesus’ discourse not the “dead letters,” but that of his true spirit that gives abundant life in God.
1. The Sapiential and Non-Legalistic Language of Teaching
First of all, it must be kept in mind that
Jesus’ teaching in these antitheses has a sapiential and not legalistic
language. Therefore, what we emphasized in last Sunday’s commentary should be
reiterated more strongly: the perfect fulfillment of the precepts will be that
in the spirit of the Preceptor and Lawgiver, and not according to the letter
and human explanations. […]
[…] Even in Christ’s words, one must follow not “dead letters,” but the spirit of the teaching that He gave often in the picturesque and hyperbolic manner peculiar to the master-teachers of Israel. Therefore, when Jesus teaches that “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away” and “if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away,” He surely does not recommend a certain self-mutilation of the body, but rather a determination to have no compromise with the scandalous occasion of adultery. Jesus’ drastic words serve as an effective provocation to shake the mind and make people think about the true observance of the divine commandments. And for all cases, it takes intelligence and enlightenment to understand and observe the spirit of God’s teaching in Christ. That is, one must always ask with humility, “Give me discernment, that I may observe your law and keep it with all my heart.” (Ps. 119; responsorial psalm)
In this way, misunderstanding and even
misrepresentation of Jesus’ teaching today is avoided. Thus, regarding Jesus’
recommendation “When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other
one as well” (as opposed to the mentality of “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”), some careful reader
of the gospels might ask with puzzlement, “But Jesus Himself, how did He react
when, during the trial before the Sanhedrin, a servant of the High Priest
struck His cheek?” He did not place (at least immediately) the other one as
well, but answered with dignity, “If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the
wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” (Jn 18:23). The
recommendation to turn the other cheek, then, is given not to impose a rigid
legal rule to be automatically applied childishly, but rather to provoke wise
reflection and discernment in light of Jesus’ own set of words and actions in
the Gospels. When faced with someone who slaps you in the face, to use the
language of the biblical sage Qoelet, there is a time to turn the other cheek,
and there is a time to respond with dignity and make him understand the
senselessness of such gratuitous violence. The point is that, to recall an
aphorism of a modern author, just as one cannot dry water with water, and one
cannot extinguish fire with fire, so one cannot eliminate violence with
violence, even in the name of (just) court justice “An eye for an eye and a
tooth for a tooth” (which provides for and allows for just/proportionate
vengeance for the evil suffered). Followers of Jesus are called to go further.
2. “Love Your Enemies” - The Law of Divine Love
Here we come to the summit of the Law instructed by Jesus on the Mount of Beatitudes: “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” This is a revolutionary characteristic trait that has distinguished Christians from the earliest moments. And on this paradoxical, difficult, humanly almost impossible love, Jesus will still insist throughout His public ministry, both in words (see, e.g., the parable of the Good Samaritan) and by His examples during His Passion and death on the cross. Thus, He Himself becomes for His followers the true measure of love, which is love without measure, to repeat St. Augustine’s aphorism, also taken up by Pope Francis in his explanation of this teaching of Jesus.
Speaking of love for enemies, the parallel passage in Luke’s gospel helps us further understand Christ’s recommendation: “But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Lk 6:27-28). Here it is not a matter of having who knows what psychological feelings (as if we should love enemies like our parents or loved ones), but rather concrete acts of such love that so it is not entirely “human/natural,” but “supernatural”! In other words, loving enemies means doing good to those who hate us, blessing those who curse us, and praying for those who treat us badly. In short, we are exhorted to do good, bless, that is, say good, and pray, that is, ask God for good for those who do us harm. This is the Christian principle that the Apostle Paul recommended, “Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good” (Rom 12:21). Thus the chain of evil is broken, with the generosity that originates only in God who is generous, merciful and so patient as to offer the daily gifts necessary for life even to his evil, ungrateful, ungodly children, for they are children in spite of everything. The mission of Christ and his disciples will be to pass on this divine goodness even to enemies in order to remind them of their filial dignity before God and to become ourselves more and more “children of your heavenly Father”: “that you may be children of your heavenly Father” (Mt 5:45).
3. True Christian Perfection
In this perspective, Christ’s final invitation to the disciples comes naturally: “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). The exhortation of the gospel reflects that of the Torah, “Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy” (Lv 19:2), later taken up by St. Peter in his letter (1 Pet 1:16). Perfection is precisely that of the holiness God wants for the members of his people.
On the other hand, the parallel passage in Luke’s gospel further enlightens us about the true meaning of the perfection/holiness now recommended to Christians. Jesus says, “Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36). The true perfection to which Jesus exhorts His disciples will be God’s mercy, which is indeed the essence of divine being. In other words, the more merciful you are, the more perfect you are! The path to Christian perfection turns out to be the one to attain God’s mercy. And the Christian mission in the world will be that of divine mercy. Therefore, we pray that every Christian will always know how to follow, with God’s grace, the path of divine perfection in order to become more and more bearers of God’s mercy in the world, just in the footsteps of Christ Master and Lord.
Useful points to consider:
Catechism of the Catholic Church
2262 In the Sermon on
the Mount, the Lord recalls the commandment, “You shall not kill,” and adds to
it the proscription of anger, hatred, and vengeance. Going further, Christ asks
his disciples to turn the other cheek, to love their enemies. He did not defend
himself and told Peter to leave his sword in its sheath.
2303 Deliberate hatred is contrary to charity. Hatred of the neighbor is a sin when one deliberately wishes him evil. Hatred of the neighbor is a grave sin when one deliberately desires him grave harm. “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” (Mt 5:44-45).
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint
Peter’s Square, Sunday, 20 February 2022
Why
love your enemies? If one does not react to bullies, then every abuse of power
is given free rein, and this is not fair. But is it really so? Does the Lord
really ask for the impossible and indeed even unjust things of us? Is it
so?
Let
us consider first and foremost that sense of injustice that we feel in
“turning the other cheek”. And let us think of Jesus. During the passion, in
his unjust trial before the high priest, at one point he receives a slap from
one of the guards. And how does He react? He does not insult him, no: he says
to the guard, “If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong; but if I
have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?” (Jn 18:23). He asks for an account
of the wrong done to him. Turning the other cheek does not mean suffering in
silence, giving in to injustice. With his question, Jesus denounces what is
unjust. But he does so without anger, without violence, indeed with kindness.
He does not wish to spark off an argument, but rather to defuse resentment,
this is important: to extinguish hatred and injustice together, seeking to
restore the guilty brother. This is not easy, but Jesus did it and he tells us
to do likewise. This is turning the other cheek: Jesus’ meekness is a stronger
response than the slap he received. Turning the other cheek is not the
withdrawal of the loser, but the action of one who has a greater inner
strength. Turning the other cheek means defeating evil with goodness which
opens up a breach in the heart of the enemy, unmasking the absurdity of his
hatred. And this attitude, this turning the other cheek, is dictated not by
calculation or by hatred, but by love. Dear brothers and sisters, it is the
freely given, undeserved love we receive from Jesus that generates in the heart
a way of doing things that is similar to his, that rejects all vengeance. […]
Let’s get to another objection: is it possible for a person to come to love his or her enemies? If it depended only on us, it would be impossible. But let us recall that, when the Lord asks for something, he wishes to give it. The Lord never asks for something he has not already given us first. When he tells me to love my enemies, he wants to give me the capacity to do so. Without that ability, we would not be able, but he tells you to “love your enemy” and gives you the capacity to love. […] What is God happy to give us? The strength to love, which is not a thing, but rather the Holy Spirit. The strength to love is the Holy Spirit, and with the Spirit of Jesus, we can respond to evil with good, we can love those who do us harm. This is what Christians do.
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, 19 February 2017
In this Sunday’s Gospel (Mt
5:38-48) — one of the passages that best illustrates Christian “revolution” —
Jesus shows us the way of true justice through the law of love which is greater
than the law of retaliation, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”. This
ancient law imposed the infliction on wrongdoers of a punishment equivalent to
the damage they caused: death for those who killed, amputation for those who
injured, and so on. Jesus does not ask his disciples to abide evil, but asks
them to react; however, not with another evil action, but with good. This is
the only way to break the chain of evil: one evil leads to another which leads
to another evil.... This chain of evil is broken and things truly begin to
change. Evil is, in fact, a “void”, a void of good. It is not possible to fill
a void, except with “fullness”, that is, good.
[…] What Jesus wants to teach
us is the clear distinction that we must make between justice and revenge.
Distinguishing between justice and revenge. Revenge is never just. We are permitted
to ask for justice. It is our duty to exercise justice. We are, however, not
permitted to avenge ourselves or, in any way foment revenge, as it is an
expression of hatred and violence.
Jesus does not wish to propose
a new system of civil law, but rather the commandment to love thy neighbour,
which also includes loving enemies: “Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you”. (v. 44) And this is not easy. These words should not be seen as
an approval of evil carried out by an enemy, but as an invitation to a loftier
perspective, a magnanimous perspective, similar to that of the Heavenly Father,
who, Jesus says, “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends
rain on the just and on the unjust”. (v. 45). An enemy, in fact, is also a human
being, created as such in God’s image, despite the fact that in the present,
that image may be tarnished by shameful behaviour.
FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
Sir 15:15-20; Ps 119; 1Cor 2: 6-10; Mt 5:17-37
COMMENTARY
The light of the divine Law fulfilled by and in Christ
Today’s Gospel continues and develops the talk of light that we heard last Sunday. In Christ, Christians, his followers, are called to become what they are: the light of the world. Now, a fundamental aspect of this identity-vocation to be light is exposed: the perfect fulfillment, like Christ, of the divine Law for a “higher righteousness” before God. Here, in order not to fall into the usual moralistic, or even worse, legalistic-casuistic interpretation of Jesus’ saving words, we need to keep in mind the totality of God’s and Christ’s teaching in the Scriptures, and above all, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us in our brief reflection, so that we may welcome into Jesus’ discourse not the “dead letters,” but that of his true spirit that gives abundant life in God.
1. The Light of God’s Torah Reaches Full Splendor in Christ
First of all, it should be remembered that in
the Bible, the commandments of the Torah,
that is, the whole of God’s Law, are praised as God’s perfect gift to refresh
the soul and enlighten the eyes (cf. Ps. 19:8-9 [18B:1-3]). Therefore, the
divine Torah is regarded as God’s
light and wisdom for the salvation of the world (cf. Wis 18:4: “[through God’s
children] the imperishable light of the law was to be given to the world.”). In
such a perspective, the important aspect of the Servant of God’s mission will
also be to bring to the distant islands the divine light, understood as the
authentic teaching of God who saves (cf. Is 42:6-7; 49:6).
What is recalled helps us understand Jesus’ apologetic insistence on his faithful fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.” To use a play on words, Jesus is “Light from Light” who is God, and not Light separately or differently from Light!
In this view, if the Torah is already the light of God, it now reaches its full splendor in Jesus Christ who, in word and deed, gives fulfillment to all that God had given to his people through Moses on Mount Sinai. This is the intrinsic aspect of Christ’s mission, as it is declared in the formula: “I have come for....” He, God made Man, is the new Lawgiver on the new mountain, that of the new covenant (let us remember the solemn context of this Sermon on the Mount!). We must therefore, on the one hand, always thank God for the gift of the Law-and-the-Prophets, understood - I repeat - as the totality of divine teaching in the Old Testament, and then scrutinize it in order to observe it and pass it on with fidelity and reverence; on the other hand, we must always look to Christ to see and follow the genuine splendor of divine Law. As Christ, the Word of God, is the only revealer or literal “exegete” of God the Father according to what is stated in Jn. 1:18 (“No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed Him.”), so He will henceforth be the only authentic interpreter of the precepts God has given to His faithful.
2. “But I say to you.” Christ - Authoritative Measure of the Observance of Divine Law
As the authentic interpreter of the divine Law, Jesus now indicates with authority what will be the true and faithful fulfillment of God’s precepts transmitted from “ancient” times. And he does so with a series of antitheses: “It was said...” and “but I say to you.” Indeed, the intention here is not to abolish, but to fulfill, and even to perfection (!), for “You [God] have commanded that your precepts be diligently kept” (Ps. 119; responsorial psalm). And the perfect fulfillment of the precepts will be that in the spirit of the Preceptor and Lawgiver, and not according to the letter and human explanations. Thus, specifically, the commandment not to kill also warns against “murderous attitudes” of hatred or contempt in words and in the depths of the heart. The same thing applies to “do not commit adultery,” which is meant to ask us to be vigilant already about the intention that will lead to the act.
By the way, it should be emphasized that, even in Christ’s words, one must follow not “dead letters,” but the spirit of the teaching that He gave often in the picturesque and hyperbolic manner peculiar to the master-teachers of Israel. Therefore, when Jesus teaches that “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away” and “if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away,” He surely does not recommend a certain self-mutilation of the body, but rather a determination to have no compromise with the scandalous occasion of adultery. Jesus’ drastic words serve as an effective provocation to shake the mind and make people think about the true observance of the divine commandments. And for all cases, it takes intelligence and enlightenment to understand and observe the spirit of God’s teaching in Christ. That is, one must always ask with humility, “Give me discernment, that I may observe your law and keep it with all my heart.” (Ps. 119; responsorial psalm)
3. For a “Higher Righteousness” Before God and Men
Christ’s cordial invitation to his disciples, then, is to have a “justice/righteousness” that “surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees.” For clarity, the term “justice/righteousness” here is to be understood in the sense of “right attitude” toward God. It will have to surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees because it will be linked to the authentic fulfillment of God’s Law precisely according to the spirit revealed by Jesus and not according to the understanding of men, however pious they may be. Therefore, “higher righteousness” for entering the kingdom of heaven is not about a more detailed observance of divine precepts, even more detailed that is, than that of the scribes and Pharisees. Rather, it is about becoming more and more converted to Christ in order to accept and follow Him, the wisdom of God, in fulfilling and putting into practice the divine Law in the practicalities of life. St. Paul reminds us precisely of this “God’s wisdom, mysterious, hidden, which God predetermined before the ages for our glory, and which none of the rulers of this age knew; for, if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Cor. 2:7-8; second reading).
So let us renew our following of Christ who alone has the word of life for His disciples. Let us follow Him, who is our Light, to have the light of divine life in us. By putting His teaching into practice and by His grace, we can carry on the identity-mission of “salt” and “light” in a world that seems very much conditioned by the mystery of evil. It will be our life to speak the Gospel of Christ even if in the midst of a thousand difficulties. And for this arduous mission, let us hear again the words of Pope Francis in his recent Message for World Mission Day 2023: “Today more than ever, our human family, wounded by so many situations of injustice, so many divisions and wars, is in need of the Good News of peace and salvation in Christ.” And let us always keep in mind God’s own exhortation to his faithful through St. Paul: “God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work. Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life.” (Phil 2:13-16a).
Useful points to consider:
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
I. JESUS AND THE LAW
577 At the beginning of the
Sermon on the Mount, Jesus issued a solemn warning in which he presented God’s
law, given on Sinai during the first covenant, in light of the grace of the New
Covenant:
Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets: I have
come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth
pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law,
until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these
commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the
kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great
in the kingdom of heaven.329
578 Jesus, Israel’s Messiah and
therefore the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, was to fulfil the Law by
keeping it in its all embracing detail - according to his own words, down to “the
least of these commandments”.330 He is in fact the only one who could keep it
perfectly.331 On their own admission the Jews were never able
to observe the Law in its entirety without violating the least of its precepts.332 This is why every year on the Day of Atonement
the children of Israel ask God’s forgiveness for their transgressions of the
Law. the Law indeed makes up one inseparable whole, and St. James recalls, “Whoever
keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”333
579 This principle of integral
observance of the Law not only in letter but in spirit was dear to the
Pharisees. By giving Israel this principle they had led many Jews of Jesus’
time to an extreme religious zeal.334 This zeal, were it not to lapse into “hypocritical”
casuistry,335 could only prepare the People for the
unprecedented intervention of God through the perfect fulfilment of the Law by
the only Righteous One in place of all sinners.336
580 The perfect fulfilment of
the Law could be the work of none but the divine legislator, born subject to
the Law in the person of the Son.337 In Jesus, the Law no longer appears engraved
on tables of stone but “upon the heart” of the Servant who becomes “a covenant to
the people”, because he will “faithfully bring forth justice”.338 Jesus fulfils the Law to the point of taking
upon himself “the curse of the Law” incurred by those who do not “abide by the
things written in the book of the Law, and do them”, for his death took place
to redeem them “from the transgressions under the first covenant”.339
581 The Jewish people and their
spiritual leaders viewed Jesus as a rabbi.340 He often argued within the framework of
rabbinical interpretation of the Law.341 Yet Jesus could not help but offend the
teachers of the Law, for he was not content to propose his interpretation
alongside theirs but taught the people “as one who had authority, and not as
their scribes”.342 In Jesus, the same Word of God that had
resounded on Mount Sinai to give the written Law to Moses, made itself heard
anew on the Mount of the Beatitudes.343 Jesus did not abolish the Law but fulfilled it
by giving its ultimate interpretation in a divine way: “You have heard that it
was said to the men of old. . . But I say to you. . .”344 With this same divine authority, he disavowed
certain human traditions of the Pharisees that were “making void the word of
God”.345
582 Going even further, Jesus perfects the dietary law, so important in Jewish daily life, by revealing its pedagogical meaning through a divine interpretation: “Whatever goes into a man from outside cannot defile him. . . (Thus he declared all foods clean.). . . What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts. . .”346 In presenting with divine authority the definitive interpretation of the Law, Jesus found himself confronted by certain teachers of the Law who did not accept his interpretation of the Law, guaranteed though it was by the divine signs that accompanied it.347 This was the case especially with the sabbath laws, for he recalls, often with rabbinical arguments, that the sabbath rest is not violated by serving God and neighbour,348 which his own healings did.
FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
Is 58:7-10; Ps 112; 1Cor 2:1-5; Mt 5:13-16
The just man is a light in darkness to the upright
COMMENTARY
The vocation-mission of salt and light
This Sunday’s gospel is brief but dense with meaning. It continues the proclamation of the beatitudes with which Jesus solemnly opens his first Sermon, that is, the most important one, the Manifesto or Constitution or Magna Carta, of the Kingdom of Heaven. He then immediately highlights the lofty calling of the disciples of this Kingdom and at the same time their arduous mission in life. And Jesus does so with a picturesque style peculiar to the teacher-sages of Israel, through two parallel expositions with the use of the images of salt and light. Therefore, we need to really dwell on each word in the phrases announced, in order to more fully savor and understand the divine Master’s words. This will help us to better apply the given message.
1. “You [ye] are.” The collective communitarian vocation-identity of Christ’s disciples
First of all, it is not superfluous to clarify that Jesus is speaking to his disciples, as we saw with the beatitudes last Sunday. Therefore, those around Jesus at that moment on the mountain and, by extension, all of Jesus’ disciples in every time and place, are the recipients of the twofold statement in today’s gospel, “You are the salt of the earth,” “You are the light of the world.” Here, there are two aspects to explore.
The first concerns the form used of the verb to be which, in the present tense and affirmatively, simply indicates a state, a natural identity. In other words, Jesus’ disciples are by nature of things “salt of the earth” and “light of the world” (metaphorically, of course!). This is the revelation about identity given to those who believe in Jesus, the Messiah, the one sent, and Son of God: “to those who did accept him gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name” (Jn. 1:12). Jesus’ disciples have become the children of God par excellence and as such are “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.”
On the other hand, this dual affirmation of the disciples’ identity also turns out to be an exhortation or even an implicit warning. Disciples are called and reminded to always be what they already are by virtue of their adherence to Christ. Indeed, the exhortative-admonitory nuance of the phrases even seems to be the main one, as Jesus will later mention the tragic end of the salt that loses its nature as well as exhort the disciples, in the conclusion of the discourse, to let their light shine before men: “Your light must shine before others...” The identity of Christ’s disciples will also be their mission.
The second aspect concerns the subject of the
statements, which is the second person plural, namely the pronoun “You.”
Apparently, the collective communitarian vocation-identity
of Christ’s disciples is emphasized in this way. Above all, the emphasis is on
the witness of the entire community of disciples, according also to what the
Risen Jesus said to his faithful before the Ascension, “You shall be my witnesses” (cf. Acts 1:8). The exhortation
concerns everyone and thus each of the disciples. It certainly calls upon the
responsibility of every believer to live up to his or her “Christian nature,”
for while the holiness of one can help many, the scandal of one harms the
reputation of all (as even a Vietnamese proverb says: Một con sâu làm rầu nồi canh “One worm ruins [lit. ‘saddens’] the
whole [vegetable] soup”). Nevertheless, it is not a question here of the call
addressed to individuals, exhorted to become superstar “champions” to enlighten the world and save the earth in
isolation, each with their personal gifts, but of the vocation and mission of
the whole community as such. The point is very important, but apparently
under-emphasized. Such communitarian character will later be crucial for Christ’s
disciples in carrying out the mission of their Master and Lord wherever they
are. It is worth rereading Pope Francis’ authoritative teaching on this in last
year’s World Mission Day Message:
A deeper look at the words, “You shall be my witnesses,” can clarify a few ever timely aspects of the mission Christ entrusted to the disciples. The plural form of the verb emphasizes the communitarian and ecclesial nature of the disciples’ missionary vocation. Each baptized person is called to mission, in the Church and by the mandate of the Church: consequently, mission is carried out together, not individually, in communion with the ecclesial community, and not on one’s own initiative. Even in cases where an individual in some very particular situation carries out the evangelizing mission alone, he must always do so in communion with the Church which commissioned him. [...] Hence, in carrying out the mission, the presence of a community, regardless of its size, is of fundamental importance.
2. “The salt of the earth” and “the light of the world”- A “worldwide,” universal and all-embracing vocation-mission
The Christian identity-mission then, that is,
that of the entire Christian community, is revealed by Jesus with the two
parallel and complementary images: “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.”
While each possesses its own symbolic meaning to be dissected later, one can
already glimpse a common denominator of both: the “worldwide,” universal and
all-embracing value of the vocation-mission of Christians. In this regard, I
refer to St. John Chrysostom with his famous and passionate commentary:
You are the salt of the earth. It
is not for your own sake, he says, but for the world’s sake that the word is
entrusted to you. I am not sending you into two cities only or ten or twenty,
not to a single nation, as I sent the prophets of old, but across land and sea,
to the whole world. And that world is in a miserable state. For when he says: You
are the salt of the earth, he is indicating that all mankind had lost its
savor and had been corrupted by sin. [...]
Have you noticed how, bit by bit, Christ shows them to be superior to the
prophets? He says they are to be teachers not simply for Palestine but for the
whole world. Do not be surprised, then, he says, that I address you apart from
the others and involve you in such a dangerous enterprise. Consider the
numerous and extensive cities, peoples and nations I will be sending you to
govern. For this reason I would have you make others prudent, as well as being
prudent yourselves. For unless you can do that, you will not be able to sustain
even yourselves. [...]
Then he passes on to a more exalted comparison: You are the light of the world. Once again, “of the world”: not of one nation or twenty cities, but of the whole world. The light he means is an intelligible light, far superior to the rays of the sun we see, just as the salt is a spiritual salt. First salt, then light, so that you may learn how profitable sharp words may be and how useful serious doctrine. Such teaching holds in check and prevents dissipation; it leads to virtue and sharpens the mind’s eye. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do men light a lamp and put it under a basket. Here again he is urging them to a careful manner of life and teaching them to be watchful, for they live under the eyes of all and have the whole world for the arena of their struggles.
Recommending all to read the full commentary of the holy Doctor of the Church in our Useful Points section below, we add just a few notes on the expressions “salt of the earth” and “light of the world.”
While the latter implies the function of light
for the world, the expression “salt of the earth” seems to indicate simply the
origin of this “salt” according to the popular view in Israel at that time.
(Such salt then could also “lose” its flavor with time, as mentioned in Jesus’
saying.) For the function of salt, however, St. John Chrysostom’s beautiful and
profound reflection on it is again worth mentioning:
You are the salt of the earth. What do these words imply? Did the disciples restore what had already turned rotten? Not at all. Salt cannot help what is already corrupted. That is not what they did. But what had first been renewed and freed from corruption and then turned over to them, they salted and preserved in the newness the Lord had bestowed. It took the power of Christ to free men from the corruption caused by sin; it was the task of the apostles through strenuous labor to keep that corruption from returning.
Continuing the Saint’s reasoning, we can metaphorically affirm this truth: Christ who saves and purifies from corruption is indeed the “special salt” of humanity, while the disciples are called to be salt for its preservation and, we may add, to give flavor to human life, precisely by virtue of the “special salt” power that is Christ. Disciples are salt in salt, as they will be to the world light in light, for their light is from God who is Light (cf. 1 John 1:5) and from Jesus, “Light from Light,” as we profess in the Church’s Creed. Indeed, Jesus himself is described at the beginning of his activities as a light shining into Galilee of Israel and the Gentiles, who dwelt in darkness, as we heard a few Sundays ago (cf. Mt. 4:12-16; also Jn. 1:5.9). He will then significantly declare, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (Jn 8:12; cf. 9:5).
The very last statement highlights, on the one hand, the calling of the disciples to be light in following the Light that is Jesus, and on the other hand, it clarifies that the gift of light, brought by Jesus to the world, refers not only to the illumination of the mind, but also and especially to the life in God as a whole. The disciples are included in this chain of transmission: they have received from God in Jesus the light of life and now, they are called to pass it on to others, and this with all the naturalness that comes from an authentic and joyful life with and in Christ in spite of everything.
3. “Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds.”
Considering our explanation so far, Jesus’ final exhortation mentioned above is not meant to recommend some kind of “showing off” of good works on the part of the disciples, but rather emphasizes a fundamental aspect of their vocation. That is, as long as the disciples follow Christ and persevere with Him and in Him, they have the light of life automatically shining before men (as it is said in another ancient Chinese and Vietnamese saying Hữu xạ tự nhiên hương “He who has the aroma, the fragrance naturally expands”). They become just like the true holy city of God that can never remain hidden because it is “set on a mountain”; they constitute that Jerusalem, called by God through the Old Testament prophets to actually become the light of the nations at the end of time. Moreover, just as “nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house” (Mt 5:15), it is not the disciples who will have to strive to demonstrate their light to all, but God Himself. He who has kindled in them the light of divine life will lead them to make “light to all in the house” as He wills, when He wills, and as long as He wills.
Finally, it should be pointed out that the special reference to the disciples’ “good deeds/works” as a fundamental part of their identity-mission of light concerns not only individual good works, but the whole of life in God. And all is rooted in the first good work required by God and necessary for man’s salvation: faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God (cf. Jn. 6:29: “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”). Such genuine faith, understood as adherence and faithfulness to God and Christ, is by nature “faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6), as taught by St. Paul the apostle and emphasized so much by St. James (cf. Jas. 2). One could therefore read between the lines Christ’s own insistence: let the light of your faith, working through charity, shine before men first of all, that they may see and “glorify your heavenly Father.” And let that light of mutual love among Jesus’ disciples shine above all, for He Himself exhorted, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:35), and He prayed to the Father, “that they [the disciples] may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you [the Father] sent me” (Jn. 17:23). So be it.
Useful points to consider:
Pope Francis, Message for World Mission (Sun)day 2022 “You shall be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8)
A deeper look at the words, “You shall be my witnesses,” can clarify a few ever timely aspects of the mission Christ entrusted to the disciples. The plural form of the verb emphasizes the communitarian and ecclesial nature of the disciples’ missionary vocation. Each baptized person is called to mission, in the Church and by the mandate of the Church: consequently, mission is carried out together, not individually, in communion with the ecclesial community, and not on one’s own initiative. Even in cases where an individual in some very particular situation carries out the evangelizing mission alone, he must always do so in communion with the Church which commissioned him. As Saint Paul VI taught in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, a document dear to my heart: “Evangelization is for no one an individual and isolated act; it is one that is deeply ecclesial. When the most obscure preacher, catechist or pastor in the most distant land preaches the Gospel, gathers his little community together or administers a sacrament, even alone, he is carrying out an ecclesial act, and his action is certainly attached to the evangelizing activity of the whole Church by institutional relationships, but also by profound invisible links in the order of grace. This presupposes that he acts not in virtue of a mission which he attributes to himself or by a personal inspiration, but in union with the mission of the Church and in her name” (No. 60). Indeed, it was no coincidence that the Lord Jesus sent his disciples out on mission in pairs; the witness of Christians to Christ is primarily communitarian in nature. Hence, in carrying out the mission, the presence of a community, regardless of its size, is of fundamental importance.
From a homily on
Matthew by Saint John Chrysostom, bishop (Hom. 16:6,7: PG 57, 231-232)
Salt of the earth and light of the world
You are the salt of the earth. It is not for your own sake, he says, but for the world’s sake that the word is entrusted to you. I am not sending you into two cities only or ten or twenty, not to a single nation, as I sent the prophets of old, but across land and sea, to the whole world. And that world is in a miserable state. For when he says: You are the salt of the earth, he is indicating that all mankind had lost its savor and had been corrupted by sin. Therefore, he requires of these men those virtues which are especially useful and even necessary if they are to bear the burdens of many. For the man who is kindly, modest, merciful and just will not keep his good works to himself but will see to it that these admirable fountains send out their streams for the good of others. Again, the man who is clean of heart, a peacemaker and ardent for truth will order his life so as to contribute to the common good.
Do not think, he says, that you are destined for easy struggles or unimportant tasks. You are the salt of the earth. What do these words imply? Did the disciples restore what had already turned rotten? Not at all. Salt cannot help what is already corrupted. That is not what they did. But what had first been renewed and freed from corruption and then turned over to them, they salted and preserved in the newness the Lord had bestowed. It took the power of Christ to free men from the corruption caused by sin; it was the task of the apostles through strenuous labor to keep that corruption from returning.
Have you noticed how, bit by bit, Christ shows them to be superior to the prophets? He says they are to be teachers not simply for Palestine but for the whole world. Do not be surprised, then, he says, that I address you apart from the others and involve you in such a dangerous enterprise. Consider the numerous and extensive cities, peoples and nations I will be sending you to govern. For this reason I would have you make others prudent, as well as being prudent yourselves. For unless you can do that, you will not be able to sustain even yourselves.
If others lose their savor, then your ministry will help them regain it. But if you yourself suffer that loss, you will drag others down with you. Therefore, the greater the undertakings put into your hands, the more zealous you must be. For this reason he says: But if the salt becomes tasteless, how can its flavor be restored? It is good for nothing now, but to be thrown out and trampled by men’s feet.
When they hear the words, When they curse you and persecute you and accuse you of every evil, they may be afraid to come forward. Therefore he says; “Unless you are prepared for that sort of thing, it is in vain that I have chosen you. Curses shall necessarily be your lot but they shall not harm you and will simply be a testimony to your constancy. If through fear, however, you fail to show the forcefulness your mission demands, your lot will be much worse, for all will speak evil of you and despise you. That is what being trampled by men’s feet means.”
Then he passes on to a more exalted comparison: You are the light of
the world. Once again, “of the world”: not of one nation or twenty cities,
but of the whole world. The light he means is an intelligible light, far
superior to the rays of the sun we see, just as the salt is a spiritual salt.
First salt, then light, so that you may learn how profitable sharp words may be
and how useful serious doctrine. Such teaching holds in check and prevents
dissipation; it leads to virtue and sharpens the mind’s eye. A city set on a
hill cannot be hidden; nor do men light a lamp and put it under a basket.
Here again he is urging them to a careful manner of life and teaching them to be
watchful, for they live under the eyes of all and have the whole world for the
arena of their struggles.
FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
Zep 2:3;3:12-13; Ps 146; 1Cor 1:26-31; Mt 5:1-12a
Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!
COMMENTARY
The Good News for God’s Poor
After meditating last Sunday on Jesus’ first proclamation, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” we are invited today to reflect on the beatitudes that open the Master of Nazareth’s first discourse in Matthew’s Gospel. The text is dense in meaning and it takes time to dissect all its biblical-theological and spiritual-existential riches. For those who want to, I refer to the monumental study by renowned monk-biblical scholar Fr. Jacques Dupont in three volumes, titled precisely “The Beatitudes.” (See also the series of Pope Francis’ catecheses on the beatitudes in the general audiences starting from January 29, 2020.) I will only point out the three most important aspects, for an in-depth reflection on the gospel we have just heard.
1. A Majestic Scene
The solemn atmosphere that St. Matthew the Evangelist wanted to give to the proclamation of the beatitudes should be emphasized immediately. Indeed, it is necessary for every listener to be immersed in “that time,” to see and perceive all the solemnity of the moment when Jesus proclaims the discourse, in order to enhance the importance of the teaching and then to live it with reverence and gratitude.
First of all, the place of the proclamation is the mountain. St. Matthew, in fact, explicates, “Jesus saw the crowds,” and “he went up the mountain.” The mountain immediately recalls the Mount Sinai where God delivered to His people, through Moses, the gift of the Torah, commonly translated as the Law. It is to be understood, however, not only as the legislative commands-precepts to be observed, but also and above all as the set of divine teachings to be followed. Now Jesus is also on the mountain and will thus be the new Moses, through whom God will give the Torah of the new covenant. Therefore, the following discourse of Jesus is conventionally called the “Sermon on the Mountain” and rightly regarded as the Manifesto or Constitution of the Kingdom of God, whose coming was announced by Jesus at the beginning of His public ministry. It is par excellence the first teaching of Jesus in the Gospel according to numerical or chronological order and also in importance.
The solemn atmosphere of the teaching is further enhanced by the description of Jesus’ position before He speaks, “After he had sat down, his disciples came to him.” Sitting down with the disciples around is the usual position of a teacher (rabbi) when teaching the divine Law. Also in the spirit of solemnity, the description of Jesus’ act of speaking is also highly extraordinary: “He began to teach them.” Such an expression literally comes across as more formal: “He opened his mouth.”
We need to keep in mind this majesty-filled scene to appreciate more the message of the beatitudes that will be the heart of the Gospel, the good news, which Jesus proclaims with divine authority.
2. “Blessed Are the Poor…”
Jesus’ first discourse in Matthew’s Gospel opens with the series of eight beatitudes proclaimed in the third person plural (“Blessed are the poor…, for theirs…”), followed then by the concluding beatitude addressed directly to the listeners, in the second person plural (“Blessed are you when they insult you…”).
Again, on each beatitude one can talk endlessly. For the sake of time, the primary importance of the beatitude to the poor should be emphasized, which actually occupies the first place. It is precisely the heart of the divine Gospel, that is, the Good News of God, which Jesus brings to the world and particularly to the “poor,” fulfilling his mission to “evangelize”: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
“The poor in spirit” are the first recipients of the kingdom of God. As clarified by the evangelist himself, this is not only the state of material poverty, but rather an attitude of the spirit. The poor are those who have no support or security in life except in God himself. They are those who despite everything, the precariousness of life, tribulations, and oppressions, continue to put all their trust in God who saves. From this perspective, we can glimpse that the poor in spirit are the category that encompasses all the types mentioned in the subsequent beatitudes.
In other words, on the one hand, the poor in spirit are those who are weeping, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, and persecuted for righteousness’ sake (divine implied). They are all blessed, that is, happy according to the Hebrew sense of the term, not because their situation of poverty, misery, weeping, hunger, thirst, or persecution is in itself good and praiseworthy, but because in such a situation they obtain the special grace of God who draws near to them to give them the happiness of his kingdom, that is, of his loving saving presence. On the other hand, the poor in spirit are shown to be identifiable with the meek or humble, the merciful, the pure in heart, or the peacemakers, because these are the characteristics of the people called in the OT anawim “the poor” of God. Precisely they constitute “a people humble and lowly,” the privileged recipients of divine salvation at the end of time (cf. Zep 2:3;3:12-13; Reading 1). The blessed status proclaimed to them is thus also shown to be an implicit exhortation to a commitment to conversion to these values in order to embrace the saving realities of the kingdom.
3. Following Jesus the First “Blessed” and “Poor” of God
Finally, we need to remember that Jesus himself, as St. Paul points out, became poor for our sake in order to enrich us with his poverty. Here are literally the profound words of the Apostle: “For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2Cor 8:9). Jesus then is the first blessed “poor of God,” and thus, we can glimpse His profile in all kinds of recipients of the proclaimed beatitudes. The path of the beatitudes is actually not a mere following of social or ethical values, however valid they may be, but the following of the person of Jesus, the God-Man of the beatitudes, who, as St. Paul says, “who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption” (1Cor 1:30; Reading 2). In this way, we also become men and women of the divine beatitudes who live them out and pass them on to others, near and far.
Let us continue to pray then for our own and everyone’s conversion to the Kingdom of God and His Gospel of the beatitudes:
O Lord, make us feel still and ever more in us Your heart all taken up for the Kingdom of God as well as Your cordial invitation to conversion to Your Gospel of peace and love. Help us to constantly live out this conversion in our lives, so that we may become ourselves, with You and in You, the living invitation, in word and deed, to conversion to the Kingdom for those who do not know You. And in this our mission to be witnesses of You and Your Kingdom, help us, Your disciples, to be more and more united in Your love, overcoming the divisions that exist in our churches and communities. Let Your face shine upon us, and we will be saved and resplendent with Your Light for all the world. Mary, mother of Christ and mother of His disciples, pray for us! Amen!
Useful points to consider:
Pope Francis, Message for World Mission (Sun)day 2023, Hearts on fire, feet on the move (cf. Lk 24:13-35)
3. Our feet set out on the way, with the joy of telling others about the Risen Christ. The eternal youth of a Church that is always going forth.
After their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus “in the breaking of the bread”, the disciples “set out without delay and returned to Jerusalem” (cf. Lk 24:33). This setting out in haste, to share with others the joy of meeting the Lord, demonstrates that “the joy of the Gospel fills the heart and the whole life of those who meet Jesus. Those who allow themselves to be saved by him are freed from sin, from sadness, from inner emptiness, from isolation. With Jesus Christ, joy is always born and reborn” (Evangelii Gaudium, 1). One cannot truly encounter the risen Jesus without being set on fire with enthusiasm to tell everyone about him. Therefore, the primary and principal resource of the mission are those persons who have come to know the risen Christ in the Scriptures and in the Eucharist, who carry his fire in their heart and his light in their gaze. They can bear witness to the life that never dies, even in the most difficult of situations and in the darkest of moments.
The image of “feet setting out” reminds us once more of the perennial validity of the missio ad gentes, the mission entrusted to the Church by the risen Lord to evangelize all individuals and peoples, even to the ends of the earth. Today more than ever, our human family, wounded by so many situations of injustice, so many divisions and wars, is in need of the Good News of peace and salvation in Christ. I take this opportunity to reiterate that “everyone has the right to receive the Gospel. Christians have the duty to announce it without excluding anyone, not as one who imposes a new obligation, but as one who shares a joy, signals a beautiful horizon, offers a desirable banquet” (Evangelii Gaudium, 14). Missionary conversion remains the principal goal that we must set for ourselves as individuals and as a community, because “missionary outreach is paradigmatic for all the Church’s activity” (ibid., 15).
As the Apostle Paul confirms, the love of Christ captivates and impels us (cf. 2 Cor 5:14). This love is two-fold: the love of Christ for us, which calls forth, inspires and arouses our love for him. A love that makes the Church, in constantly setting out anew, ever young. For all her members are entrusted with the mission of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ, in the conviction that “he died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again” (v. 15). All of us can contribute to this missionary movement: with our prayers and activities, with material offerings and the offering of our sufferings, and with our personal witness. The Pontifical Mission Societies are the privileged means of fostering this missionary cooperation on both the spiritual and material levels. For this reason, the collection taken on World Mission Sunday is devoted to the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
The urgency of the Church’s missionary activity naturally calls for an ever closer missionary cooperation on the part of all her members and at every level. This is an essential goal of the synodal journey that the Church has undertaken, guided by the key words: communion, participation, mission. This journey is certainly not a turning of the Church in upon herself; nor is it a referendum about what we ought to believe and practice, nor a matter of human preferences. Rather, it is a process of setting out on the way and, like the disciples of Emmaus, listening to the risen Lord. For he always comes among us to explain the meaning of the Scriptures and to break bread for us, so that we can, by the power of the Holy Spirit, carry out his mission in the world.
Pope Francis, Address to Participants in the General Chapter of the Comboni Missionaries, Consistory Hall, Saturday, 18 June 2022
The essential trait of the Heart of Christ is mercy, compassion, tenderness. This should not be forgotten: God’s style, already in the Old Testament is this. Closeness, compassion and tenderness. There is no organization, no; closeness, compassion and tenderness. And so I think that you are called to bring this witness of God’s style — closeness, compassion and tenderness — in your mission there where you are and where the Spirit will guide you. Mercy, tenderness is a universal language that knows no boundaries. But you bring this message not so much as individual missionaries, but as a community, and this entails not only care for your personal style, but also for your community style. Jesus said to his friends: “They will know you are my disciples by the way you will love one another” (cf. Jn 13:35), and the Acts of the Apostles confirms this when it narrates that the first community in Jerusalem was esteemed by all the people because they could see how they lived (cf. 2:47; 4:33): with love. […]
I would like to note that […]t is essential that everything be done in the docility of the Spirit so that the necessary plans, projects and initiatives all respond to the needs of evangelization, and I mean also the style of evangelizing: may it be joyful, meek, courageous, patient, filled with mercy, hungry and thirsty for justice, and peaceful, hence, the style of the Beatitudes. This matters.
Pope Francis, General Audience, Paul VI Audience Hall, Wednesday, 29 January 2020
Today we are beginning a series of catecheses on the Beatitudes in Matthew’s Gospel (5:1-11). This passage, which starts the “Sermon on the Mount”, illuminated the lives of believers and also that of many non-believers. It is difficult not to be touched by these words of Jesus, and the desire to understand them and welcome them ever more fully is righteous. The Beatitudes provide the “identity card” of Christians — this is our identity card — because they outline the face of Jesus himself, his style of living.[…]
But what does the word “blessed” mean? Because each of the eight
Beatitudes begins with the word “blessed”. The original term does not
mean one with a full belly or one who is doing well, but rather it is a person
who is in a condition of grace, who progresses in God’s grace and progresses on
God’s path: patience, poverty, service to others, comfort.... Those who advance
in these things are happy and shall be blessed.
In order to give himself to us, God often chooses unthinkable paths,
perhaps the path of our limitations, of our tears, of our defeats. It is the
paschal joy of which our Oriental brothers and sisters speak, the one that has
the stigmata but is alive, has been through death and has experienced the Power
of God. The Beatitudes always bring you to joy. They are the paths to reach
joy. It will do us good to take Matthew’s Gospel today, chapter 5, verses 1-11,
and to read the Beatitudes — perhaps a few more times throughout the week — in
order to understand this very beautiful path, so sure of the happiness the Lord
offers us.
THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
SUNDAY OF THE WORD OF GOD
Is 8:23-9:3; Ps 27; 1Cor 1:10-13,17; Mt 4:12-23
The Lord is my light and my salvation
COMMENTARY
Light of the world
The Word of God in today’s Liturgy invites us to contemplate the beginning of Jesus’ public activities, as recounted by St. Matthew in his gospel. From the evangelist’s emphases we can note and better understand some fundamental characteristics of Christ’s mission and, by extension, the mission of all His disciples. Such an in-depth study is very significant and more than appropriate in today’s context of the Sunday of the Word and the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity that we celebrate during these days
1. “Beginning in Galilee”
It is a historical fact that Jesus began His public activities from Galilee, the northern region of the land of Israel. This is emphasized in various sources, and succinctly and emblematically, St. Peter the Apostle announces it thus in one of his discourses in the Acts of the Apostles (which we have already heard in this year’s Feast of Baptism): “[You know] what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all” (Acts 10:37-38).
Starting from that fact, St. Matthew the Evangelist wanted to further accentuate the dual nature of this Galilee from which Jesus began His public mission. On the one hand, it is the “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,” i.e., the territory that was handed over as an inheritance to these two tribes of Israel (after entering the Promised Land). On the other hand, it is also called the “Galilee of the Gentiles,” i.e., Galilee of the pagan peoples, because after the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (721/722 B.C.), the non-Israelite peoples who slowly populated that region went there to live. This “dual” identity of Galilee is mentioned in the writing of the prophet Isaiah (first reading), and this is precisely taken up by the evangelist Matthew to emphasize the fulfillment of Scripture for the beginning of Jesus’ mission.
Galilee then in Jesus’ time is that of the Gentiles and Israel; it thus becomes the image of the whole world in which Israelites and non-Israelites, Jews and Gentiles, coexisted. It was the (micro)cosmos in which Jesus operated and fulfilled God’s plan of salvation for all humankind. In that land Jesus, Son of God began it all, thus arose God’s “a great light” for “the people who sit in darkness.” So much so that He Himself will declare, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12). He is the light that illuminates and reveals, in word and deed, the true face of the merciful and compassionate God who loves and calls everyone to know, that is, to experience, His love in order to enjoy life in abundance with and in God. This begins in the Galilee of Israel and the Gentiles.
In this regard, it is significant that St. Matthew, at the end of his gospel, will “take” everyone, Jesus and His disciples, back “to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them” (Mt 28:16). There the last appearance of the Risen Jesus to His disciples will take place, before the Ascension, and there He will leave them the great missionary command: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations […]. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:19-20). Thus closes the circle of Jesus’ mission on earth: from Galilee to Galilee, and so now begins the mission of His disciples, of all, including those who are “doubting” (cf. Mt 28:17): from Galilee to the whole world whose symbol remains that land of Zàbulon and Naphtali. Though going to the farthest ends of the earth, Jesus’ missionary disciples will mystically remain in this Galilee of His, where He will continue to be with them in their missionary activities “always, until the end of the age”. Therefore, His disciples will also have the same mission and vocation to be “light of the world,” just like their Master Jesus, God’s light shining in the darkness, in the Galilee of the world.
2. “He went around all of Galilee, teaching… proclaiming… and curing”
In light of the symbolism of “Galilee,” it is no coincidence that the evangelist Matthew later wanted to offer a summary description of Jesus’ activities, “He went around [periēgen] all of Galilee, teaching [didaskōn]… proclaiming [kēryssōn]… and curing [therapeuōn]”. The accentuation of “all l of Galilee” seems to emphasize the “universal” and “ubiquitous” character of the mission, while the four verbs summarize the four basic actions of Jesus, the Father’s Mission par excellence.
Firstly, “He went around [periēgen]” and this is the first characteristic of God’s mission, in the sense of “the most important.” It encompasses (or supports) the other actions, particularly that paradigmatic triad: “teaching [didaskōn]… proclaiming [kēryssōn]… and curing [therapeuōn]”. Jesus “going around” reflects a historical truth: the historical Jesus went from village to village to carry out the mission entrusted to Him by the Father. He advised His disciples to go as He did, but with an important clarification: “Do not move about from one house to another (Lk 10:7)” (from village to village yes, but not from house to house, perhaps to avoid religious tourism instead of missionary travel!). It should be recalled here what Jesus declared to the first disciples in Capernaum, when they sought Him early in the morning after a day of activity and found Him in solitary prayer in a deserted place outside the city: “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come [literally I went out]” (Mk 1:38). Jesus, God’s missionary, who divinely came forth from the bosom of the Father, is now always “going out” to the villages of “all of Galilee.”
Moreover, as mentioned above, in His mission Jesus performed the three concrete actions that incorporate all the others. What is more, as St. Matthew points out in the text, the universality of the recipients/beneficiaries of these actions is indicated: “teaching in their synagogues” for the Jews, “proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,” – implied for all, but particularly for those who did not attend synagogues, “and curing every disease and illness among the people” – for one another (in fact, Jesus performed healings both in and outside the synagogues!)
On this triad of actions one could speak endlessly, but it suffices for us here to point out that they are intrinsically connected with each other in Jesus’ missionary activities; they go together and aim at the integral liberation and salvation (body, soul, spirit) that God wants to accomplish through Jesus, His Messiah, as St. Peter the apostle affirms in his discourse mentioned above, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10:38).
This triad will be fundamental and to be remembered and accomplished by every missionary of God in the school of Jesus: teaching, proclaiming, healing, of which the focus was and always is proclaiming [kēryssō], also translatable as preaching, the good news of the Kingdom of God. Indeed, the very first action and word of Jesus that the evangelist mentions is this: “From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” (Mt 4:17).
3. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Continuous, Missionary, Ecumenical Christian Conversion for the Kingdom
The announcement of the coming of the Kingdom of God (here called “kingdom of heaven” to avoid, according to the Jewish way, mentioning God directly) goes together with the cordial invitation to conversion to welcome this new God-given reality in Jesus. Indeed, conversion, or rather the action of being converted, as we explained in one of the previous commentaries, is not limited to a simple abandonment of sins in order to return to God; according to the etymology of the Greek word metanoiete “repent!”, it also and above all implies a thinking (noeite) beyond (meta), a going beyond the usual patterns of reasoning, to believe the Gospel announced and fulfilled by Jesus and to embrace the gift of the Kingdom that has come to all in Him.
Interestingly, according to Matthew’s gospel (which we hear today and on the Sundays of this liturgical year A), such a cordial but pressing invitation to conversion for the sake of the Kingdom was not first announced by Jesus. It was already on the lips of John the Baptist who thus becomes Jesus’ forerunner even in the fundamental proclamation of the Kingdom. The proclamation of the approaching Kingdom will later resonate in the proclamation of Jesus’ disciples, sent by Him to prepare for its coming, as their Master and Lord recommended, “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” (Mt 10:7). This always implies a call to conversion, that is, a change of mind and heart to accept the gift of the Kingdom in Jesus, and this exhortation is made explicit by St. Peter at the end of his first preaching on the day of Pentecost: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ…” (Acts 2:38).
This proclamation-invitation will always remain at the heart of the mission of the disciples who are followers of Jesus, called to work in every time and place for the conversion of all to God, starting with themselves. Therefore, Blessed Paolo Manna, tireless missionary in Burma and founder of the present Pontifical Missionary Union, proclaimed in his time “All the churches united for the conversion of the whole world,” a phrase also quoted by St. John Paul II in the Encyclical Redemptoris Missio as the watchwords for the mission of the Church today.
In this regard, it should be emphasized again that the call to conversion also and especially applies to all Christians, who are called to become more and more what they are by virtue of baptism: “holy and immaculate in love,” “light of the world,” or as Pope Francis emphasized in the latest Message for World Mission Sunday: “prophets, witnesses, missionaries of the Lord.” It is about the ongoing conversion in the life of faith of the disciples, who due to human frailty do not always live up to their vocational “holiness,” as happened already for the first Christians in Corinth who “merited” the solemn exhortation of St. Paul the Apostle: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose” (1Cor 1:10). It should be remembered that the Lord Jesus Himself prayed to the Father in moving words before the Passion for unity in love among His future disciples, “So that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one” (Jn 17:21,23). Let us then pray:
O Lord, make us feel still and ever more in us Your heart all taken up for the Kingdom of God as well as Your cordial invitation to conversion to Your Gospel of peace and love. Help us to constantly live out this conversion in our lives, so that we may become ourselves, with You and in You, the living invitation, in word and deed, to conversion to the Kingdom for those who do not know You. And in this our mission to be witnesses of You and Your Kingdom, help, Your disciples, to be more and more united in Your love, overcoming the divisions that exist in our churches and communities. Let Your face shine upon us, and we will be saved and resplendent with Your Light for all the world. Mary, mother of Christ and mother of His disciples, pray for us! Amen!
Useful points to consider:
John Paul II, Encyclical Letter on commitment to Ecumenism, Ut unum sint
Renewal and
conversion
15. Passing from
principles, from the obligations of the Christian conscience, to the actual
practice of the ecumenical journey towards unity, the Second Vatican Council
emphasizes above all the need for interior conversion. The messianic proclamation that “the
time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand”, and the subsequent call
to “repent, and believe in the Gospel” (Mk 1:15) with which Jesus begins
his mission, indicate the essential element of every new beginning: the
fundamental need for evangelization at every stage of the Church’s journey of
salvation. his is true in a special way of the process begun by the
Second Vatican Council, when it indicated as a dimension of renewal the
ecumenical task of uniting divided Christians. “There can be no ecumenism
worthy of the name without a change of heart”.
The Council calls for personal conversion as well as
for communal conversion. The desire of every Christian Community for unity goes
hand in hand with its fidelity to the Gospel. In the case of individuals who
live their Christian vocation, the Council speaks of interior conversion, of a
renewal of mind.
Each one therefore ought to be more radically converted to the Gospel and, without ever losing sight of God’s plan, change his or her way of looking at things. Thanks to ecumenism, our contemplation of “the mighty works of God” (mirabilia Dei) has been enriched by new horizons, for which the Triune God calls us to give thanks: the knowledge that the Spirit is at work in other Christian Communities, the discovery of examples of holiness, the experience of the immense riches present in the communion of saints, and contact with unexpected dimensions of Christian commitment. In a corresponding way, there is an increased sense of the need for repentance: an awareness of certain exclusions which seriously harm fraternal charity, of certain refusals to forgive, of a certain pride, of an unevangelical insistence on condemning the “other side”, of a disdain born of an unhealthy presumption. Thus, the entire life of Christians is marked by a concern for ecumenism; and they are called to let themselves be shaped, as it were, by that concern.
23. Finally, fellowship in prayer leads people to look at the Church and Christianity in a new way. It must not be forgotten in fact that the Lord prayed to the Father that his disciples might be one, so that their unity might bear witness to his mission and the world would believe that the Father had sent him (cf. Jn 17:21). It can be said that the ecumenical movement in a certain sense was born out of the negative experience of each one of those who, in proclaiming the one Gospel, appealed to his own Church or Ecclesial Community. This was a contradiction which could not escape those who listened to the message of salvation and found in this fact an obstacle to acceptance of the Gospel. Regrettably, this grave obstacle has not been overcome. It is true that we are not yet in full communion. And yet, despite our divisions, we are on the way towards full unity, that unity which marked the Apostolic Church at its birth and which we sincerely seek. Our common prayer, inspired by faith, is proof of this. In that prayer, we gather together in the name of Christ who is One. He is our unity.
Full unity and
evangelization
98. The
ecumenical movement in our century, more than the ecumenical undertakings of
past centuries, the importance of which must not however be underestimated, has
been characterized by a missionary outlook. In the verse of John’s Gospel which is ecumenism’s
inspiration and guiding motif—”that they may all be one ... so that the world
may believe that you have sent me” (Jn 17:21)—the phrase that the
world may believe has been so strongly emphasized that at times we run the
risk of forgetting that, in the mind of the Evangelist, unity is above all for
the glory of the Father. At the same time it is obvious that the lack of unity
among Christians contradicts the Truth which Christians have the mission to
spread and, consequently, it gravely damages their witness. This was
clearly understood and expressed by my Predecessor Pope Paul VI, in his
Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi: “As evangelizers, we must
offer Christ’s faithful not the image of people divided and separated by
unedifying quarrels, but the image of people who are mature in faith and
capable of finding a meeting-point beyond the real tensions, thanks to a
shared, sincere and disinterested search for truth. Yes, the destiny of
evangelization is certainly bound up with the witness of unity given by the
Church ... At this point we wish to emphasize the sign of unity among all
Christians as the way and instrument of evangelization. The division among
Christians is a serious reality which impedes the very work of Christ”.
How indeed can we proclaim the Gospel of reconciliation without at the same time being committed to working for reconciliation between Christians? However true it is that the Church, by the prompting of the Holy Spirit and with the promise of indefectibility, has preached and still preaches the Gospel to all nations, it is also true that she must face the difficulties which derive from the lack of unity. When non-believers meet missionaries who do not agree among themselves, even though they all appeal to Christ, will they be in a position to receive the true message? Will they not think that the Gospel is a cause of division, despite the fact that it is presented as the fundamental law of love?
Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World, Evangelii Gaudium
244. Commitment to ecumenism responds to the prayer of the Lord Jesus that “they may all be one” (Jn 17:21). The credibility of the Christian message would be much greater if Christians could overcome their divisions and the Church could realize “the fullness of catholicity proper to her in those of her children who, though joined to her by baptism, are yet separated from full communion with her”. We must never forget that we are pilgrims journeying alongside one another. This means that we must have sincere trust in our fellow pilgrims, putting aside all suspicion or mistrust, and turn our gaze to what we are all seeking: the radiant peace of God’s face. Trusting others is an art and peace is an art. Jesus told us: “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Mt 5:9). In taking up this task, also among ourselves, we fulfil the ancient prophecy: “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares” (Is 2:4).[…]
246. Given the seriousness of the counter-witness of division among Christians, particularly in Asia and Africa, the search for paths to unity becomes all the more urgent. Missionaries on those continents often mention the criticisms, complaints and ridicule to which the scandal of divided Christians gives rise. If we concentrate on the convictions we share, and if we keep in mind the principle of the hierarchy of truths, we will be able to progress decidedly towards common expressions of proclamation, service and witness. The immense numbers of people who have not received the Gospel of Jesus Christ cannot leave us indifferent. Consequently, commitment to a unity which helps them to accept Jesus Christ can no longer be a matter of mere diplomacy or forced compliance, but rather an indispensable path to evangelization. Signs of division between Christians in countries ravaged by violence add further causes of conflict on the part of those who should instead be a leaven of peace. How many important things unite us! If we really believe in the abundantly free working of the Holy Spirit, we can learn so much from one another! It is not just about being better informed about others, but rather about reaping what the Spirit has sown in them, which is also meant to be a gift for us. To give but one example, in the dialogue with our Orthodox brothers and sisters, we Catholics have the opportunity to learn more about the meaning of episcopal collegiality and their experience of synodality. Through an exchange of gifts, the Spirit can lead us ever more fully into truth and goodness.
John Paul II, Encyclical Letter on the Permanent Validity of the Church’s Missionary Mandate, Redemptoris Missio
1. The mission
of Christ the Redeemer, which is entrusted to the Church, is still very far
from completion. As the second millennium after Christ’s coming draws to an
end, an overall view of the human race shows that this mission is still only
beginning and that we must commit ourselves wholeheartedly to its service. It
is the Spirit who impels us to proclaim the great works of God: “For if I
preach the Gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid
upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9: 16)
In the name of
the whole Church, I sense an urgent duty to repeat this cry of St. Paul. From
the beginning of my Pontificate I have chosen to travel to the ends of the
earth in order to show this missionary concern. My direct contact with peoples
who do not know Christ has convinced me even more of the urgency of
missionary activity, a subject to which I am devoting the present
encyclical.
The Second
Vatican Council sought to renew the Church’s life and activity in the light of
the needs of the contemporary world. The Council emphasized the Church’s “missionary
nature,” basing it in a dynamic way on the Trinitarian mission itself. The
missionary thrust therefore belongs to the very nature of the Christian life,
and is also the inspiration behind ecumenism: “that they may all be one...so
that the world may believe that you have sent me” (Jn 17:21).
SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)
Saint Maurus, Monk, Bishop; Blessed Nikolaus Gross,
Martyr
Is 49:3,5-6; Ps 40; 1Cor 1:1-3; Jn 1:29-34
Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will
COMMENTARY
By divine providence, the Liturgy of the Church this Sunday offers us, through the biblical readings and especially with the Gospel, the opportunity to delve further into the mystery of the Baptism of Jesus celebrated a week ago. Keeping in mind this fundamental event in the life and mission of our Lord and all that we have meditated on, let us now reflect together on some aspects of baptism that the Gospel wishes to emphasize with the testimony, in this regard, of John the Baptist
1. A necessary clarification on the vision of John the Baptist
The Baptist, after baptizing Jesus at the Jordan River, bears witness to what happened, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him.” We also find this description in the accounts of the other gospels. In this regard, to deepen our understanding, we can ask a simple question, “What did John the Baptist see and contemplate at that time?” The question seems trivial but it is not, because someone, indeed, many would immediately answer, “He saw a dove.” And that is the wrong answer! According to John the Baptist's literal statement, he saw “the Spirit come down like a dove” and not “a dove”! What does the key word “like” mean? “Like” means “like” (!) and not “exactly so.” Yes, I would like to reiterate, “The Baptist saw/contemplated the Holy Spirit and not the dove.” At this point someone might say, “Father, but in all the paintings and pictures of the Baptism of Jesus you always see a dove!” I reply, “Yes, because it will always be easier to paint a dove than the Spirit, isn't it?” But we have to be very clear about what the Baptist really experienced, as the Gospel points out.
The precise sense of the word “like” serves as
a reminder of the mysterious character of what happened. It is an elusive (and therefore always to be
scrutinized) mystery of the manifestation of the Trinity and particularly of
the Holy Spirit descending on the baptized Jesus at the beginning of his
mission. Likewise, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the disciples
in the Upper Room at the beginning of their proclamation of the risen Christ
and his Gospel to the world will also remain a mystery never grasped by human
perception, as can be seen from the use of the same word “like”, “Then there
appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the holy Spirit” (Acts 2:3-4). It was not fire, but the Spirit mysteriously and mystically descending “as of fire.” (After all, if there had been real fire on the heads of Mary and the disciples, all their hair would have been burned off!) Moreover, in the very event of Pentecost we can glimpse the fulfillment of what John the Baptist announced about Jesus' mission, “He is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit” (Jn 1:33).
2. “…like a dove…”
In this regard, a question arises: why at the Jordan River the Spirit descended on Jesus “like a dove,” while descending later on the disciples “as of fire”? Someone might respond jokingly, “Father, I don’t know, ask the Spirit! He wanted to do that!” Certainly, only the Spirit knows exactly why, but in light of Scripture we can glimpse the reason behind the Spirit’s manifestation “like a dove.”
First of all, it should be remembered that at the beginning of creation, the Spirit of God swept “over the waters” (Gn 1:2), and the Jewish tradition here sees the Spirit precisely as a dove that flew over the waters of primordial chaos, working during the creation of the universe. Thus, the image of the Spirit like a dove over the waters of the Jordan River seems to indicate, with Jesus’ baptism, the inauguration of the new creation.
Moreover, as St. Gregory of Nazianzus mentioned, “The Spirit descends in bodily form like the dove that so long ago announced the ending of the flood and so gives honor to the body that is one with God” (cf. Gn 8:11). The image of the dove during Jesus' baptism thus seems to allude to the beginning of the new era of messianic peace between God and all creation, as after the flood in the days of Noah.
Finally, it is interesting to note that in the OT the dove is sometimes associated with a people who are foolish and unfaithful to God. In particular, the prophet Hosea denounces the attitude of Israel/Ephraim: “Ephraim is like a dove, silly and senseless” (Hos 7:11); it seeks help not in God but in foreign powers. In this perspective, one could also glimpse, in the resting of the dove on Jesus, an allusion to the mission of Christ, Son of God: from the moment of His baptism, that is, immersion, in the water of the Jordan, He mystically carries on His shoulders all the people together with the burden of their sins, until His baptism in blood on the cross. Jesus, by the supreme sacrifice of His life in obedience and faithfulness to God, thereby accomplishes the cleansing of all sin in the world, particularly that singular sin-madness of sins as disobedience/infidelity to God. Precisely with this in mind, John solemnly announces concerning Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29) (where the singular noun is accentuated).
3. “The Lamb of God,” “Is the One Who Will Baptize With the Holy Spirit”
From what is deepened on the testimony of John the Baptist today, the dual nature of Jesus' mission becomes clear. On the one hand, He is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” and on the other, “he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.” These two aspects are actually intrinsically connected. The cleansing of sins takes place precisely with and in the Holy Spirit who purifies and sanctifies. Therefore, St. John the Evangelist points out that immediately in the first meeting with the disciples after the resurrection, Jesus transmitted to them His Spirit for the remission of sins, “He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained’” (Jn 20:22-23).
From what is explained in the Feast of Baptism, to baptize means to immerse. Therefore, the baptism in the Holy Spirit that Jesus offers will be the immersion in the Spirit, and this finds its fulfillment already on the day of Christ's resurrection for the first disciples (and then culminates with the event of the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost). It should be noted that just before the transmission of the Spirit to the disciples, the risen Christ sends his disciples to continue His mission (and this is His first "command" to the disciples after the resurrection!): “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” The disciples are invited to continue the same chain of mission that Jesus fulfilled at the Father's sending. Specifically, like Jesus and upon his mandate, they are now sent to “baptize” everyone in the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins.
Baptism or immersion in the Spirit will be the perennial mission of Jesus Christ, Son and Servant of God, to bring, “salvation to the ends of the earth.” He continues to do so even in this our time, in this our New Year, with and in every one of his disciples, already baptized/immersed in the Spirit by divine grace and called now to live it and pass it on to others in every corner of the earth. May the holy desire of Jesus Himself burn for all of us who are baptized to transmit to all, indeed to immerse all in the fire of the Holy Spirit, by virtue of the supreme baptism He performed on the cross! May we always carry these moving words of Jesus in our hearts, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing! There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!” (Lk 12:49-50). Now and forever. Amen.
Useful points to consider:
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Symbols of the Holy Spirit
694 Water. The symbolism of water signifies the Holy Spirit’s action in Baptism,
since after the invocation of the Holy Spirit it becomes the efficacious
sacramental sign of new birth: just as the gestation of our first birth took
place in water, so the water of Baptism truly signifies that our birth into the
divine life is given to us in the Holy Spirit. As “by one Spirit we were all
baptized,” so we are also “made to drink of one Spirit.” Thus the Spirit is
also personally the living water welling up from Christ crucified
as its source and welling up in us to eternal life.
696 Fire. While water signifies birth and the fruitfulness
of life given in the Holy Spirit, fire symbolizes the transforming energy of
the Holy Spirit’s actions. The prayer of the prophet Elijah, who “arose like
fire” and whose “word burned like a torch,” brought down fire from heaven on
the sacrifice on Mount Carmel. This event was a “figure” of the fire of the
Holy Spirit, who transforms what he touches. John the Baptist, who goes “before
[the Lord] in the spirit and power of Elijah,” proclaims Christ as the one who
“will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Jesus will say of the
Spirit: “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already
kindled!” In the form of tongues “as of fire,” the Holy Spirit rests on the
disciples on the morning of Pentecost and fills them with himself The spiritual
tradition has retained this symbolism of fire as one of the most expressive
images of the Holy Spirit’s actions. “Do not quench the Spirit.”
701 The dove. At the end of the flood, whose symbolism
refers to Baptism, a dove released by Noah returns with a fresh olive-tree
branch in its beak as a sign that the earth was again habitable. When Christ
comes up from the water of his baptism, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove,
comes down upon him and remains with him. The Spirit comes down and remains in
the purified hearts of the baptized. In certain churches, the Eucharist is
reserved in a metal receptacle in the form of a dove (columbarium) suspended
above the altar. Christian iconography traditionally uses a dove to suggest the
Spirit.
The Holy Spirit and the Church
737 The mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit is brought to completion in the Church, which is the Body of Christ and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. This joint mission henceforth brings Christ’s faithful to share in his communion with the Father in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit prepares men and goes out to them with his grace, in order to draw them to Christ. The Spirit manifests the risen Lord to them, recalls his word to them and opens their minds to the understanding of his Death and Resurrection. He makes present the mystery of Christ, supremely in the Eucharist, in order to reconcile them, to bring them into communion with God, that they may “bear much fruit.”
738 Thus the Church’s mission is not an addition to that of Christ and the
Holy Spirit, but is its sacrament: in her whole being and in all her members,
the Church is sent to announce, bear witness, make present, and spread the
mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity:
“All of us who have received one and the same Spirit, that is, the Holy Spirit, are in a sense blended together with one another and with God. For if Christ, together with the Father’s and his own Spirit, comes to dwell in each of us, though we are many, still the Spirit is one and undivided. He binds together the spirits of each and every one of us, . . . and makes all appear as one in him. For just as the power of Christ’s sacred flesh unites those in whom it dwells into one body, I think that in the same way the one and undivided Spirit of God, who dwells in all, leads all into spiritual unity.”
Pope Francis, Message for World Mission Sunday 2022, “You shall be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8)
When the risen Christ
commissioned the disciples to be his witnesses, he also promised them the grace
needed for this great responsibility: “You shall receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8).
According to the account in Acts, it was precisely following the descent of the
Holy Spirit on the disciples that the first act of witnessing to the crucified
and risen Christ took place. That kerygmatic proclamation – Saint Peter’s
“missionary” address to the inhabitants of Jerusalem – inaugurated an era in
which the disciples of Jesus evangelized the world. Whereas they had previously
been weak, fearful and closed in on themselves, the Holy Spirit gave them the
strength, courage and wisdom to bear witness to Christ before all.
Just as “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’, except
by the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3), so no Christian is able to bear
full and genuine witness to Christ the Lord without the Spirit’s inspiration
and assistance. All Christ’s missionary disciples are called to recognize the
essential importance of the Spirit’s work, to dwell in his presence daily and
to receive his unfailing strength and guidance. Indeed, it is precisely when we
feel tired, unmotivated or confused that we should remember to have recourse to
the Holy Spirit in prayer. Let me emphasize once again that prayer plays a
fundamental role in the missionary life, for it allows us to be refreshed and
strengthened by the Spirit as the inexhaustible divine source of renewed energy
and joy in sharing Christ’s life with others. “Receiving the joy of the Spirit
is a grace. Moreover, it is the only force that enables us to preach the Gospel
and to confess our faith in the Lord” (Message to the Pontifical Mission
Societies, 21 May 2020). The Spirit, then, is the true protagonist of
mission. It is he who gives us the right word, at the right time, and in the
right way.
VIGIL MASS
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas – Year A-B-C)
For ever I will
sing the goodness of the Lord
Is
62:1-5; Ps 89; Acts 13:16-17,22-25; Mt 1:1-25
MASS DURING THE NIGHT
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas – Year A-B-C)
Today is born
our Savior, Christ the Lord
Is
9:1-6; Ps 96; Ti 2:11-14; Lk 2:1-14
MASS AT DAWN
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas – Year A-B-C)
A light will
shine on us this day: the Lord is born for us
Is 62:11-12; Ps 97; Ti 3:4-7; Lk 2:15-20
MASS DURING THE DAY
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas – Year A-B-C)
All the ends of
the earth have seen the saving power of God
Is 52:7-10; Ps 98; Heb 1:1-6; Jn 1:1-18
COMMENTARY[1]
“What is there to say? It’s Christmas!”, in this way a pastor began and finished preaching during Christmas Mass, all for the joy of the faithful who were used to long homilies from their priest! In this same way, we could instantly open and close our reflection for this Solemnity; because before the mystery of Christ’s birth; God made man; mystery of divine truth – unheard yet never fully fathomed – and before the feast of greatest joy for all men; every word used to comment or explain fails. There is nothing more profound to say than the simple affirmation: “It’s Christmas!”
Yes, a cry of joy like this would be enough, and then the quieting of all human speech so as to hear the divine voice on this most holy night – even for all of this most holy day, and the whole of Christmas. Today there is a great need to silence the heart and the mind, perhaps especially before the manger of the church, letting go of every other worldly concern (including the temptation to take a few souvenir photos of the manger!). Let us all, believers, enter into this mystical silence of a half an hour, so as to hear the voice of God who speaks to us: whether abundantly in the many readings and liturgical prayers in the four various masses of Christmas, or through the new-born child Jesus, who wants to whisper his message to each of us even today, to those who belong to Him in this world.
1. The very first “word” of the newborn Jesus
As the second reading from the Mass of the day
emphasizes, “God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the
prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a son” (Heb 1:1-2). But in
what way? Curiously but significantly, from the historical-existential point of
view, the first “word” that Jesus uttered on earth was his crying, like all
newborn children (so much so that this cry is called in Vietnamese tieng
khoc chao doi, “the cry that greets life!”). And it is precisely in this
birth-cry, so natural and apparently unimportant, that we are able to grasp a
profound message on which we must dwell in the silence of wonder and adoration.
The God made man spoke in the first moments of his coming to earth by weeping.
Beyond a spontaneous reaction of physical-biological laws (the newborn cries to begin to breathe), this was the cry of solidarity with all humanity and thus becomes an emblematic image of God’s incarnation. When He became flesh, He took upon Himself the whole human condition: weak, fragile, wounded by sin. In his initial cry we hear the groaning of humanity, indeed of all creation awaiting redemption. The Son of God, “the only-begotten from the Father before all ages,” was born in time: not to erase the human cry from existence, but to take it upon himself and to make it divine. Thus, from that moment on, Jesus will continue to weep when faced with the tragic and painful situations of the men and women of his time (and mystically of every generation), but He Himself will also proclaim blessed those who weep now, “for they will be comforted” (Mt 5:4), specifically, by God and by the gentle presence of Emmanuel – “God with us.”
2. The two-fold joy
In this way, the very first voice of Jesus weeping signals the beginning of a great joy as well, and this is true on two levels. First, on a natural-existential level, the cry of the newborn baby arouses in everyone the immense joy of a new life, beginning with the mother who forgets all the hardships of waiting and childbirth in that very moment. This is a universal human truth that Jesus himself will curiously affirms in his last speech to the disciples: “When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world” (Jn 16:21). This natural joy is behind the proclamation of the prophet Isaiah: “A child is born to us, a son is given to us” (Is 9:5), which refers to the joyful cry of a family at their child’s birth, as also attested in the Biblical-Jewish tradition (cf. Jer 20:15; Ps 113:9). All this is because the child’s arrival opens up the future for all, and ensures the continuity of life in both the family and society, regardless of condition or social status. It is a joy so human and so simple that it overcomes pain, challenges every adversity, and illuminates the darkness of the present. It is what Mary and Joseph surely experienced and transmitted to all those whom they met.
It is therefore necessary to recover this “earthly” joy of the birth of Jesus more than two thousand years ago, in order to be able to experience another, even greater joy that comes from faith. On a theological-spiritual level, we see in the newborn Jesus not only the gift of a new life and a guaranteed future, but also the concrete beginning of the fulfillment of God’s plan for humanity: He has now come, in flesh and blood to save us, to give us life in abundance: divine life. This is what the angel of God announced to the shepherds that night: “Behold, I proclaim to you a good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a Savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord” (Lk 2:10-11). This is a fundamental proclamation, proclaimed repeatedly every Christmas in the Gospel during Midnight Mass, because the mystery of the birth of Jesus the Savior for the joy of the salvation “for all the people” is actualized in a mystical and mysterious way. This “today” of the angelic proclamation refers not only to that one specific time in Bethlehem two thousand years ago, but also and above all, refers to what is still happening among us today: it lasts until the end of time. The Lord Jesus was born also in our “today”, and the sign to recognize him is the same one announced by the angel: “This will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Lk 2:12). That is, a small, fragile, defenseless child who only knows how to cry in the face of adversity. They were waiting for the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and the Lamb of God has come (cf. Rev 5:5-6)! This is our joy of the close, tender, delicate God who wants to enter our lives on tiptoes, with all respect for our freedom, to accompany us to salvation: not with the signs of power, to repeat a beautiful formulation used by Pope Francis, but with the signs of love.
3. The zeal of a life for God
The first cry of the child Jesus eloquently begins a life entirely dedicated to the mission received from God the Father. As we heard last Sunday from the Letter to the Hebrews, Christ, on entering the world, solemnly declared to God the Father: “Behold, I come to do your will.” This mystical voice of Christ, full of zeal and determination for a special mission for God and for the salvation of humanity, finds its even stronger and more moving expression in the words of the Prophet Isaiah, which the first reading of the Vigil Mass presents again for our hearing: “For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, / for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep still, / until her vindication shines forth like the dawn / and her salvation like a burning torch” (Is 62:1-2).
For as long as there is still weeping in some corner of the Earth, Jesus still comes to weep with those who weep and to bring all to the moment of final salvation when God will wipe away every tear. The divine mission continues, and He zealously carries it out in and with His life, inviting his disciples to do the same with and in their own lives: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21). Therefore, Isaiah’s praise of the messenger who proclaims God’s salvation to humanity remains ever relevant, as the first reading from the Mass of Christmas Day reminds us: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the one bringing good news, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation” (Is 52:7).
So, today, who will be the angel of God, that divine messenger, announcing the Good News of the birth of Christ the Savior? Who will announce God’s message to today’s “shepherds” – those who are outside the cities and far from the modern lights, and who, perhaps, may not expect the communication of such an honor, and to be called to know the joy in and of Christ? Who will be the missionary who continues Christ’s zeal for the salvation of all? I leave the answer to You who read these lines. I say nothing more. In the end, what is there to say? It’s Christmas!
Useful insights:
Pope Francis, Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, 22 August 2021
“God made himself flesh. And when we say this, in the Creed, on Christmas Day, on the day of the Annunciation, we kneel to worship this mystery of the incarnation. God made himself flesh and blood; he lowered himself to the point of becoming a man like us. He humbled himself to the extent of burdening himself with our sufferings and sin, and therefore he asks us to seek him not outside of life and history, but in relationship with Christ and with our brothers and sisters. Seeking him in life, in history, in our daily life. And this, brothers and sisters, is the road to the encounter with God: the relationship with Christ and our brothers and sisters.”
Pope Francis, Apostolic Letter on the Meaning and Importance of the Nativity Scene, Admirabile Signum, n. 8
“God’s ways are astonishing, for it seems impossible that he should forsake his glory to become a man like us. To our astonishment, we see God acting exactly as we do: he sleeps, takes milk from his mother, cries and plays like every other child! As always, God baffles us. He is unpredictable, constantly doing what we least expect. The nativity scene shows God as he came into our world, but it also makes us reflect on how our life is part of God’s own life. It invites us to become his disciples if we want to attain ultimate meaning in life.”
P. Manna, Virtù Apostoliche, Bologna 1997, p. 291
“With a heart still warmed by the sweet affections that the Christmas Feasts inspire in every priestly heart […], my thoughts went to you [the missionaries], who are the Ambassadors, the Angels destined by God to bring the Good News to so many poor souls; to you to whom Christmas has certainly kindled in your heart an even more lively desire to give birth to Jesus in souls, in all the souls entrusted to you.”
Homiletic Directory
111 “Christmas
is a feast of light. It is commonly said that the celebration of the Lord’s
birth was established in late December to give a Christian meaning to the pagan
feast of Sol invictus. This may or may not
be so, as already in the first part of the third century Tertullian writes that
Christ was conceived on March 25th, which, in some calendars, marked the first
day of the year. Thus it may be that the Christmas feast was calculated from
that date. In any case, beginning in the fourth century many Fathers recognized
the symbolic value of the fact that for them the days grew longer after the
feast of the Nativity. […] The readings and prayers for the various Christmas
liturgies underscore the theme of the true Light who comes to us in Jesus
Christ.”
[1] We offer again, for a deeper reflection, our
biblical-missionary commentary, written the previous year on the same Mass readings,
because it is always relevant and important for us all.
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