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
Proverbs 3, 21-35
My child, hold to sound advice and prudence, never let them out of sight;
they will give life to your soul and beauty to your neck.
You will go on your way in safety, your feet will not stumble.
When you go to bed, you will not be afraid; once in bed, your sleep will be sweet.
Have no fear either of sudden terror or of attack mounted by wicked men,
since Yahweh will be your guarantor, he will keep your steps from the snare.
Refuse no kindness to those who have a right to it, if it is in your power to perform it.
Do not say to your neighbour, 'Go away! Come another time! I will give it you tomorrow,' if you can do it now.
Do not plot harm against your neighbour who is living unsuspecting beside you.
Do not pick a groundless quarrel with anyone who has done you no harm.
Do not envy the man of violence, never model your conduct on his;
for the wilful wrong-doer is abhorrent to Yahweh, who confides only in the honest.
Yahweh's curse lies on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the upright.
He mocks those who mock, but accords his favour to the humble.
Glory is the portion of the wise, all that fools inherit is contempt.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
At the beginning of this passage we read again "my son" and are reminded that being childlike is the only condition in which to receive wisdom. In the first part, the text describes the happy consequences for those who cultivate wisdom: security, serenity, peace, tranquil dreams, and absence of fear. The Lord, indeed, "will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught," that is, according to the author, from being caught by the snares and dangers of life. In the second part (verses 27-35) for the first time the text gets to the heart of relationships with one’s neighbour. First of all, it invites us to respond generously to requests for help: "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbour, Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it’-when you have it with you." What follows is a series of problems confronting our ability to live together: plotting evil against whomever lives nearby and trusts in you, fighting, envying violent men for their success. Whoever follows God’s advice has nothing to fear, because God hates evil, and evildoers ultimately will never succeed. For this reason one needs to live generously and do good, without allowing oneself to be overcome by envy and jealousy. The Lord’s friendship is intended for the just and "to the humble he shows favour." Often the Book of Proverbs returns to the theme of violence and arrogance as they contrast with goodness and humility. The daily temptation is to respond to violence with violence, just as the society in which we live habituates us to do, thinking that victory is found in imposing ourselves on others. But we know that, "All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." Wisdom instructs us in humility and in the capacity to relate to others with benevolence and generosity, because only by giving do we find joy and peace of heart.
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
