Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
You are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people acquired by God
to proclaim his marvellous works.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Matthew 19,23-30
Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'In truth I tell you, it is hard for someone rich to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Yes, I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone rich to enter the kingdom of Heaven.' When the disciples heard this they were astonished. 'Who can be saved, then?' they said. Jesus gazed at them. 'By human resources', he told them, 'this is impossible; for God everything is possible.' Then Peter answered and said, 'Look, we have left everything and followed you. What are we to have, then?' Jesus said to them, 'In truth I tell you, when everything is made new again and the Son of man is seated on his throne of glory, you yourselves will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times as much, and also inherit eternal life. 'Many who are first will be last, and the last, first.'
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
You will be holy,
because I am holy, thus says the Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The rich young man just went away sad. He preferred to stay with his wealth rather than leave it and follow Jesus. His possessions are closer to his heart than this teacher. Immediately afterwards, Jesus turns to the disciples and - with a bit of sadness at not having convinced the young man - reveals that it is difficult for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus does not say that it is impossible. He does not argue in a Manichean way that wealth is evil. Nonetheless, it is a condition that easily leads to greed, that makes avarice more comfortable, that makes it easier to forget others, and that favours an attachment to material things. To help people understand this difficulty he gives a truly incredible example: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." It is a thought-provoking exaggeration, and the disciples immediately react: "Then who can be saved?" This question should resound more loudly in a world in one of highest priorities is to seek after material possessions with determination and at any cost. Jesus has already warned his disciples repeatedly that they cannot serve God and Mammon, that is, money (Mt 6:24). Unfortunately, in today's society money, wealth, and possessions have become idols that demand total dedication. And it is easy to sacrifice life itself on their altars. It seems impossible for a rich person to be saved. But Jesus immediately adds: "For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible." Faith and complete trust in God move the human heart from trying to possess to trusting in God completely. Peter begins to understand and asks what those who abandon everything and entrust themselves to God will receive. Jesus offers an extraordinary response that demonstrates God's generosity towards those who entrust themselves to Him: they will receive in this life a hundred times what they left behind. This is to say that he or she will be surrounded by brothers and sisters and their fraternity will cover him or her with love. And after death, eternal life. It is the opposite of what is commonly believed. The Gospel takes nothing away; rather it enriches life, both in this world and after.
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
