Memory of the dedication of the Roman basilicas of Saint Peter's in the Vatican and Saint Paul's outside the walls. Read more
Memory of the dedication of the Roman basilicas of Saint Peter’s in the Vatican and Saint Paul’s outside the walls.
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
Matthew 14, 22-33
And at once he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he sent the crowds away.
After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
while the boat, by now some furlongs from land, was hard pressed by rough waves, for there was a head-wind.
In the fourth watch of the night he came towards them, walking on the sea,
and when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. 'It is a ghost,' they said, and cried out in fear.
But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, 'Courage! It's me! Don't be afraid.'
It was Peter who answered. 'Lord,' he said, 'if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.'
Jesus said, 'Come.' Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water,
but then noticing the wind, he took fright and began to sink. 'Lord,' he cried, 'save me!'
Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. 'You have so little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?'
And as they got into the boat the wind dropped.
The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, 'Truly, you are the Son of God.'
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Since the beginning of the second millennium, the feast of the dedication of the basilicas of St. Peter and of St. Paul has been celebrated in Rome. This is to underline the link between the two apostles who are called the “columns” of the Church of Rome. In them we can see two dimensions of the Church, the institutional one of Peter and the charismatic one of Paul. Both are part of the mystery of the Church and should live in each Christian community. The reading of the Acts of the Apostles tells of Paul’s arrival in Rome where for two years, despite his imprisonment, he proclaimed the Gospel “with all boldness and without hindrance.” On the other hand, the Gospel presents to us Peter’s faith. The evangelist Matthew says that, after the multiplication of the bread and of the fish, Jesus invites the disciples to go on the boat and go ahead to the other shore, while he would dismiss the crowd. In the end, after everyone left, both the crowds and the disciples, Jesus goes up the mountain by himself to pray. It is a scene that we find often in the Gospels; clearly it impressed the disciples and the first community a great deal. While the boat is crossing the lake a storm breaks out. The evangelist seems to suggest that without Jesus it is easy for winds and storms to arise. In any event, night, every night is always full of fear. But then dawn comes and while the sun is rising, Jesus draws near the disciples walking on the waters. Fear upsets the ideas and eyes of the disciples; they think he is a ghost. Jesus speaks directly to them, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” And immediately he responds to the Peter’s question and says to him, “Come!” Maybe Peter recognizes the voice of their first encounter on the same lake and right away once again he leaves the boat and the nets and goes toward Jesus. Peter too walks on the waters. A trustful and immediate response to the Lord’s call always allows miracles to occur. But doubts rise and Peter starts drowning. Fear that is still deeply rooted in his heart takes the upper hand, and Peter is about to be swallowed up by the waves. At this point, Peter truly despairs and cries out, “Lord, save me!” Again he prays to the Lord and Jesus takes the poor Peter by hand. What matters is not leaving the Lord and always following his voice. The two apostles, Peter and Paul, continue to repurpose to us, with one voice, the exhortation to always follow the voice of the Lord.
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
