EVERYDAY PRAYER

Sunday Vigil
Word of god every day
Libretto DEL GIORNO
Sunday Vigil


Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Mark 9, 2-13

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain on their own by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured:

his clothes became brilliantly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them.

Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus.

Then Peter spoke to Jesus, 'Rabbi,' he said, 'it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.'

He did not know what to say; they were so frightened.

And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and from the cloud there came a voice, 'This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.'

Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.

As they were coming down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of man had risen from the dead.

They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what 'rising from the dead' could mean.

And they put this question to him, 'Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?'

He said to them, 'Elijah is indeed first coming to set everything right again; yet how is it that the scriptures say about the Son of man that he must suffer grievously and be treated with contempt?

But I tell you that Elijah has come and they have treated him as they pleased, just as the scriptures say about him.'

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

If you believe, you will see the glory of God,
thus says the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

This Gospel passage opens with a statement by Jesus, which suggests that the kingdom of God is already present in those who welcome him in their hearts. The evangelist notes that six days have passed since Peter’s profession of faith, and Jesus is climbing another mountain with him and with the two brothers, James and John. The name is not given here, but from the two parallel passages we can deduce that it is Mount Tabor. While they were on the mountain, Jesus "was transfigured before them," the evangelist notes, and with a comment typical of Mark adds, "and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them." It is an absolutely extraordinary scene. It is the only time in the Gospels that Jesus takes on traits that are not human, but clearly divine. Only the three disciples are witnesses of this. The Father wanted to show clearly who Jesus was: the Messiah that had been foretold by the Scriptures. This is why Moses and Elijah appear at his side: they represent the Law and the Prophets. The history that comes before Jesus is not erased, but rather brought to fulfilment, as Jesus himself affirms elsewhere. Struck by the scene, Peter begins to speak enthusiastically: he wants to help build three dwellings in order to offer an appropriate welcome to the three speakers. Perhaps he thinks the Kingdom of God is about to begin on earth. But, the evangelist notes, he doesn’t know what he is saying. Suddenly a voice resounds from heaven: "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!" It is the second time, after Jesus’ baptism, that the evangelist makes the voice from heaven heard on earth. It is a revelation of the mystery of Jesus to the disciples. They fall to the ground, rightly frightened by the voice of God. But as soon as they lift their eyes, they see "no one with them any more, but only Jesus." Yes, we don’t need anyone else besides Jesus. He alone is enough for the Church and every disciple. In him alone is our salvation.

WORD OF GOD EVERY DAY: THE CALENDAR

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!

WORD OF GOD EVERY DAY: THE CALENDAR