Memory of St. Anthony of the caves of Kiev (+1073). Father of Russian monasticism, with St. Theodosius he is considered the founder of the monastery of the caves. Read more
Memory of St. Anthony of the caves of Kiev (+1073). Father of Russian monasticism, with St. Theodosius he is considered the founder of the monastery of the caves.
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
1 Peter 4, 12-19
My dear friends, do not be taken aback at the testing by fire which is taking place among you, as though something strange were happening to you;
but in so far as you share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad, so that you may enjoy a much greater gladness when his glory is revealed.
If you are insulted for bearing Christ's name, blessed are you, for on you rests the Spirit of God, the Spirit of glory.
None of you should ever deserve to suffer for being a murderer, a thief, a criminal or an informer;
but if any one of you should suffer for being a Christian, then there must be no shame but thanksgiving to God for bearing this name.
The time has come for the judgement to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who refuse to believe God's gospel?
If it is hard for the upright to be saved, what will happen to the wicked and to sinners?
So even those whom God allows to suffer should commit themselves to a Creator who is trustworthy, and go on doing good.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
For the second time Peter calls the Christians "beloved," as if wanting to make his affection felt for those who were undergoing harsh persecution. Perhaps the violence unleashed against them, and which the apostle compares to a fire, was particularly intense. He encourages them then, to not be surprised by it: it is normal for suffering caused by opposition to the Gospel to accompany the life of the disciple. In fact, Peter adds that they must even rejoice in it because in this way they participate in the same suffering of Jesus. This is the path that the disciples have to follow in order to obtain the very same glory that comes with the resurrection. Actually, no pain is wasted and no sacrifice goes unnoticed under the eyes of God. There is a mystery and a ministry of suffering that manifests the saving truth of the cross: it is from the cross that salvation begins. It is not God who sends evil and suffering, even less death, however in suffering we are sympathetic with him who suffered for all of us. The disciples of Jesus called to "sharing Christ’s suffering" cooperate with him in the salvation of the world. For this reason, the imitation of Christ remains the highest ideal for the disciples: they must strive for it with all of their strength, desire it above every other thing and constantly implore the Lord for it in prayer. Perhaps, precisely to stress this imitation, Peter uses the term "Christian" to connote the disciple of Jesus. It is a term used only three times in the New Testament, twice in the Acts of the Apostles and once in this letter. But this term conveys that the disciple’s greatness consists entirely in this name that Peter does not use by chance when he speaks of the suffering inflicted upon the disciples. We can say that the disciple, when he or she suffers as Christ suffered, becomes "Christian", a disciple to the end.
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
