Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Matthew 23, 1-12
Then addressing the crowds and his disciples Jesus said,
'The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses.
You must therefore do and observe what they tell you; but do not be guided by what they do, since they do not practise what they preach.
They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people's shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they!
Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader headbands and longer tassels,
like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues,
being greeted respectfully in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.
'You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one Master, and you are all brothers.
You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven.
Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant.
Anyone who raises himself up will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be raised up.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
If you believe, you will see the glory of God,
thus says the Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Jesus is in the temple, and he speaks violently against the "Scribes and Pharisees," denouncing their false justice. His words are very harsh: he accuses them of sitting on Moses’ seat while betraying its spirit. These are the final days of Jesus’ ministry. His passionate love for the crowds pushes him to use these vehement tones to defend them from these mercenaries. Jesus sets himself up as the true shepherd who wants to keep his sheep safe from the dangers that surround them. He wants to lead them to different pastures, ones that are good and abundant and give true life. Jesus does not attack the doctrines of the scribes or of the Pharisees; indeed he says that they are just and should be observed. But their behaviour is a different matter, and it reveals an empty, cold religiosity that consists entirely of external practices. Jesus tells the crowds that the scribes and Pharisees read the law but through their interpretations place heavy and difficult observances on other people’s shoulders, from which they calmly exempt themselves with subtle exceptions and sophistry. Jesus is alluding to the rules about legal purity and impurity: tithing, fasting, prayers, the Sabbath, and so on, which weigh on the consciences of the crowd. Then he unmasks the vanity of their ostentatious religious practices: they act so as to be seen by men and women more than God. That is why they broaden their "phylacteries", but do not remember the Word of God or apply it. They lengthen the "fringes" of their cloaks, but their hearts do not change. They love the best seats and greetings because they prefer to be honoured rather than loved. But the thing that seems to irritate Jesus the most is their claim to the title of "rabbi," that is "teacher." Even here Jesus is not denying the teaching mission. Instead he is underlining the uniqueness of his Word. All believers are subordinate to the Gospel: it is the only Word that we must always listen to, proclaim, and live. Jesus is the "teacher" sent by the Father who is in heaven to communicate love to men and women. And he is the "guide" who knows how to lead the sheep gathered out of the wandering of sin towards the green pastures of heaven. And he adds that we should not be called "father" (a title that was sometimes also given to teachers of the law), there is only one Father, the one in heaven. Everything comes from the Father in heaven for our good. The example of the Father and the example of the Son help us understand that greatness is found in taking care of others, in serving the weakest. That is what moved the heart of the Father to send his only Son among us. Jesus can say: "The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." This is what Jesus first lived himself. It is an invitation to follow him on the path of love.
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
