Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
This is the Gospel of the poor,
liberation for the imprisoned,
sight for the blind,
freedom for the oppressed.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Luke 21, 29-33
And he told them a parable, 'Look at the fig tree and indeed every tree.
As soon as you see them bud, you can see for yourselves that summer is now near.
So with you when you see these things happening: know that the kingdom of God is near.
In truth I tell you, before this generation has passed away all will have taken place.
Sky and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Gospel passage we just listened to is part of the last pericope of the eschatological discourse of Luke’s Gospel. In a certain way it binds us to Jesus’ thoughts for whom the “last days” are nearing. He is aware of this and prepares to live those days leading to the fulfilment of the Father’s will. He does not fail to warn his disciples so that they too may be aware of the times they must face. We could say that in the complexity of our world, torn by conflicts, wars, injustice, sickness, hunger and so many other tragedies, Jesus warns us too, not to be taken by fear and withdraw into ourselves, with the consequence of resigning ourselves to the power of evil. Jesus came to save us from every slavery, including resignation to evil. With his presence the new era of freedom from evil and the establishment of salvation have begun. He is the dawn of a new world: his life, his love, his miracles, his resurrection are those little buds that show the new springtime of the world. For this reason he exhorts his disciples: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.” Reading the Gospel and contemplating Jesus’ work, we know that the new world has already begunJesus’ world. And watching too, so many signs of love, even as small as buds, which take place in our time, we realize that the new future is already presentthat future outlined in the Gospel, which Jesus continues to ripen and cultivate. Where love grows, where forgiveness is shown, where mercy grows, where dialogue is practiced and where peace is established--there are the blossoms of the kingdom of God. Yes, the kingdom of God is already among us, as Jesus repeated many times to his disciples. And today he repeats it to us too. He invites us to open our eyes and become aware of these signs of a new world, watching them not only exteriorly. Each of us is called to make these signs of love grow in our own hearts and lives. From the heart blossoms will flow. In this perspective in which the heart is united to history, we hasten the full coming of his kingdom. Jesus guarantees that his words are solid, more solid than heaven and earth. The Gospel of love, in fact, is the true rock, the true base on which to build one’s life and the life of the entire world.
Prayer is the heart of the life of the Community of Sant'Egidio and is its absolute priority. At the end of the day, every the Community of Sant'Egidio, large or small, gathers around the Lord to listen to his Word. The Word of God and the prayer are, in fact, the very basis of the whole life of the Community. The disciples cannot do other than remain at the feet of Jesus, as did Mary of Bethany, to receive his love and learn his ways (Phil. 2:5).
So every evening, when the Community returns to the feet of the Lord, it repeats the words of the anonymous disciple: " Lord, teach us how to pray". Jesus, Master of prayer, continues to answer: "When you pray, say: Abba, Father". It is not a simple exhortation, it is much more. With these words Jesus lets the disciples participate in his own relationship with the Father. Therefore in prayer, the fact of being children of the Father who is in heaven, comes before the words we may say. So praying is above all a way of being! That is to say we are children who turn with faith to the Father, certain that they will be heard.
Jesus teaches us to call God "Our Father". And not simply "Father" or "My Father". Disciples, even when they pray on their own, are never isolated nor they are orphans; they are always members of the Lord's family.
In praying together, beside the mystery of being children of God, there is also the mystery of brotherhood, as the Father of the Church said: "You cannot have God as father without having the church as mother". When praying together, the Holy Spirit assembles the disciples in the upper room together with Mary, the Lord's mother, so that they may direct their gaze towards the Lord's face and learn from Him the secret of his Heart.
The Communities of Sant'Egidio all over the world gather in the various places of prayer and lay before the Lord the hopes and the sufferings of the tired, exhausted crowds of which the Gospel speaks ( Mat. 9: 3-7 ), In these ancient crowds we can see the huge masses of the modern cities, the millions of refugees who continue to flee their countries, the poor, relegated to the very fringe of life and all those who are waiting for someone to take care of them. Praying together includes the cry, the invocation, the aspiration, the desire for peace, the healing and salvation of the men and women of this world. Prayer is never in vain; it rises ceaselessly to the Lord so that anguish is turned into hope, tears into joy, despair into happiness, and solitude into communion. May the Kingdom of God come soon among people!
For the sick, in memory of the dead, for peace
