Memory of Saints Cyrillus and Methodius, fathers of the Slavic Church and patrons of Europe. Read more
Memory of Saints Cyrillus and Methodius, fathers of the Slavic Church and patrons of Europe.
Reading of the Word of God
Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory
I am the good shepherd,
my sheep listen to my voice,
and they become
one flock and one fold.
.
Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory
1 Corinthians 1, 10-16
Brothers, I urge you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, not to have factions among yourselves but all to be in agreement in what you profess; so that you are perfectly united in your beliefs and judgements.
From what Chloe's people have been telling me about you, brothers, it is clear that there are serious differences among you.
What I mean is this: every one of you is declaring, 'I belong to Paul,' or 'I belong to Apollos,' or 'I belong to Cephas,' or 'I belong to Christ.'
Has Christ been split up? Was it Paul that was crucified for you, or was it in Paul's name that you were baptised?
I am thankful I did not baptise any of you, except Crispus and Gaius,
so that no one can say that you were baptised in my name.
Yes, I did baptise the family of Stephanas, too; but besides these I do not think I baptised anyone.
Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory
I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.
Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory
Even though they were composed of a mix of poor people and people of a certain wealth, the Christians of Corinth were all made “saints,” that is, participants in the Church, the family of God. Fully aware of the new relationships that were forming between the members of this one family, Paul calls them “brothers and sisters.” This is the first time he uses this expression. It is a gift to be a member of this family; it is a grace that enriches those who are called to be part of it. The apostle just reminded his readers of this fact: “for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind.” Being children of this unique family means sharing in the knowledge that it shelters. This is why Christians are called to give thanks to the Lord and to remain strengthened “to the end.” But to remain strong, we all need to “be in agreement,” and “there should be no divisions” among us, so that we can “be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” The “Lord’s family” needs to have the same thoughts; it needs to live with “one heart and one soul,” as is written in Acts. This communion is the very reason the community exists, gathered by one shepherd, by one teacher, the Lord Jesus. Unfortunately, the demon of division, which lurks in everyone’s heart, chips away at communion, damages it, and even kills it, unless he is restrained with the bridle of love - unless he is stopped. This is why the apostle intervenes immediately. He knows what grave danger the community of Corinth is in. The various factions that have formed appeal to different figures. But Paul reminds the Corinthians to look to the one Teacher, Jesus. And Jesus cannot be divided; his Gospel cannot be torn apart by the particularities of each individual. Everyone is called to die to him or herself in order to welcome into his or her heart “the feelings that are in Christ Jesus,” and that strengthens the community of disciples.
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
