Reading of the Word of God
Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory
This is the Gospel of the poor,
liberation for the imprisoned,
sight for the blind,
freedom for the oppressed.
Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory
Proverbs 25, 1-28
Here are some more of Solomon's proverbs, transcribed at the court of Hezekiah king of Judah:
To conceal a matter, this is the glory of God, to sift it thoroughly, the glory of kings.
The heavens for height and the earth for depth, unfathomable, as are the hearts of kings.
From silver remove the dross and it emerges wholly purified;
from the king's presence remove the wicked and on uprightness his throne is founded.
In the presence of the king do not give yourself airs, do not take a place among the great;
better to be invited, 'Come up here', than be humiliated in the presence of the prince.
What your eyes have witnessed do not produce too quickly at the trial, for what are you to do at the end should your neighbour confute you?
Have the quarrel out with your neighbour. but do not disclose another's secret,
for fear your listener put you to shame, and the loss of repute be irremediable.
Like apples of gold inlaid with silver is a word that is aptly spoken.
A golden ring, an ornament of finest gold, is a wise rebuke to an attentive ear.
The coolness of snow in harvest time, such is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him: he revives the soul of his master.
Clouds and wind, but no rain: such is anyone whose promises are princely but never kept.
With patience a judge may be cajoled: a soft tongue breaks bones.
Eat to your satisfaction what honey you may find, but not to excess or you will bring it up again.
Do not set foot too often in your neighbour's house, for fear the neighbour tire of you and come to hate you.
A mace, a sword, a piercing arrow, such is anyone who bears false witness against a companion.
Decaying tooth, lame foot, such is the fickle when trusted in time of trouble:
as well take off your coat in bitter weather. You are pouring vinegar on a wound when you sing songs to a sorrowing heart.
If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat; if thirsty, something to drink.
By this you will be heaping red-hot coals on his head, and Yahweh will reward you.
The north wind begets the rain, and a backbiting tongue, black looks.
Better the corner of a roof to live on than a house shared with a quarrelsome woman.
Cold water to a thirsty throat; such is good news from a distant land.
A churned -- up spring, a fountain fouled; such is the upright person trembling before the wicked.
It is not good to eat too much honey, nor to seek for glory on top of glory.
An open town, and without defences: such is anyone who lacks self-control.
Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory
This passage begins with a series of proverbs that are attributed to the authority of Solomon. The figure of the king dominates; he has the task of seeking out God’s will. This task is in fact the king’s glory. It is ascribed to him as an essential role in society: to know the will of God in order to be able to act justly. Thus one needs to act humbly in front of the king: "Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, Come up here’, than to be put lower in the presence of a noble" (vv. 6-7). Humility is a quality in the life of a person who acts with justice. This is also manifested with regard to goods. A humble heart knows how to use goods in moderation and not to excess. We find this invitation to humility in the two proverbs that refer to honey (verses 16 and 27): "It is not good to eat much honey, or to seek honour on top of honour." Let us observe how the author often uses images from everyday life in order to reveal the depth of life. The same reference is also in verse 11: "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." Words are so precious that must be said in the opportune moment. In a world where words are often unconsciously squandered and where we no longer know how to be quiet and listen, this exhortation helps us to understand the consequences as well as the value of the words we speak. Indeed, verses 11 to 15 return insistently on the use of words: when we admonish someone, when we communicate something to someone and when we are gentle and not hard and cold with our words. This is because a gentle tongue is able to break up the hardest things (v. 15). The following verses address the same concern for the way we use words; they highlight once again the great evil that falsity and slander cause: "Like a war club, a sword, or a sharp arrow is one who bears false witness against a neighbour" (v. 18). We often do not realize a phenomenon that characterizes our society more and more; namely, the extent to which wicked and false speech ruin the joy of living together: "The north wind brings forth rain; and a backbiting tongue, angry looks" (v. 23). Then there is the invitation to use delicate speech in certain moments, especially where there is pain: "Like vinegar on a wound *is one who sings songs to a heavy heart" (v. 20). Let us learn to be careful when we speak and to go beyond gut reactions, so that we build up the lives of others instead of ruin them. God has left us his word. Let us read it so that it becomes our new alphabet.
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
