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
Luke 21, 5-11
When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, he said,
'All these things you are staring at now -- the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another; everything will be destroyed.'
And they put to him this question, 'Master,' they said, 'when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that it is about to take place?'
But he said, 'Take care not to be deceived, because many will come using my name and saying, "I am the one" and "The time is near at hand." Refuse to join them.
And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be terrified, for this is something that must happen first, but the end will not come at once.'
Then he said to them, 'Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines in various places; there will be terrifying events and great signs from heaven.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
We are in the last week of the liturgical year. And the Holy Liturgy offers us this passage that begins Jesus’ sermon on the end-times (generally called the eschatological sermon). Truly, Luke, with Matthew and Mark, wants to communicate to us what they realized being in close contact with Jesus, that the last days have started with the very coming of the prophet of Nazareth. In this sense, we should not put off the moment of conversion to the Gospel until the end of the time, or wait for the right moment that will never arrive. The moment in which we should believe the Gospel has already come, it is this moment. We should not waste it because of our uncertainties and procrastinations. Jesus says clearly that the guarantee for future and salvation is not in the magnificent building of the temple; it is not in our human buildings, even religious ones, but only in full trust in Him, that is faith. Faith is not simply adhering to abstract truths. Faith is falling in love with Jesus, to be overwhelmed by his love, and to be involved in his project of love. This faith full of love is the true rock on which we can edify the present and future of our lives. Therefore it is necessary to be on guard against the false prophets, those outside us (like the fashions and habits of this world) but also to those who hide in the hearts of each of us (our habits, pride, and love for self). The only teacher for our lives is the Lord Jesus and the only prophecy is the Gospel. It is the strength of the Gospel that allows us not to resign to evil. How many times do we hear that the world has always moved in this direction and nothing can be done! Indeed it is true that there are still peoples who fight one another, or tragedies that strike people and continue to cause victims. Or even other terrifying acts (let us think of terrorism...). And yet, facing a world that is not able to give itself peace, the Lord asks us to be workers of peace with him and witnesses of hope. Faith means to walk with Jesus so that peace may reign in the hearts of men and women.
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
