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Memory of the Poor
Word of god every day

Memory of the Poor

Memorial of St. Clare of Assisi (1193-1253), disciple of St. Francis on the way of poverty and evangelic simplicity Read more

Libretto DEL GIORNO
Memory of the Poor
Monday, August 11

Memorial of St. Clare of Assisi (1193-1253), disciple of St. Francis on the way of poverty and evangelic simplicity


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

Matthew 17, 21-26

When they were together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, 'The Son of man is going to be delivered into the power of men;

they will put him to death, and on the third day he will be raised up again.' And a great sadness came over them.

When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel came to Peter and said, 'Does your master not pay the half-shekel?'

'Yes,' he replied, and went into the house. But before he could speak, Jesus said, 'Simon, what is your opinion? From whom do earthly kings take toll or tribute? From their sons or from foreigners?'

And when he replied, 'From foreigners,' Jesus said, 'Well then, the sons are exempt.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The evangelist notes that Jesus is still in Galilee with his disciples. Perhaps he is about to begin his journey towards Jerusalem. For the second time (the first was in chapter 16:21), Jesus tells his disciples what awaits him in Jerusalem: he will be handed over to the leaders of the people and put to death, but then he will be raised. And once again the disciples’ dismay can clearly be seen. They really have difficulty believing in the idea of a suffering Messiah, even though the prophecy also speaks of resurrection. It is a struggle with which we are all quite familiar. How often is our hearing selective? We only listen to what we want to hear, without letting ourselves be taken in by the Word that is announced to us. But the Lord continues to walk with us now, just as he did with the disciples back then. For the disciples, Jesus’ weakness is the real scandal. While Jesus and the disciples are going back to Capernaum, several tax collectors approach Peter and ask him whether Jesus intends to pay the tax for the temple. This is not a tribute to Caesar; it is the contribution every Israelite owed to keep the temple in operation. Even though he is “greater than the temple,” (12:6) Jesus does not withdraw from this duty. He orders Peter to catch a fish and take the silver coin needed for the temple tax from its mouth. Jesus did not want to cause a scandal, and, as on other occasions, he did not claim rights and privileges that would be his due. He came to edify people, not scandalize them. This is why he does not do things that otherwise would be permitted for him. Along these same lines the apostle Paul responds to the Corinthians’ claim that “all things are lawful,” by saying, “but not all things build up. Do not seek your own advantage, but that of others” (1 Cor 10:23-24). Jesus’ first concern is to gather and guard those whom the Father has entrusted to him. This is why Jesus is scrupulous about avoiding useless scandals. This wisdom requires a great deal of interior discipline, above all on the part of those who have pastoral responsibilities. We must avoid the impulse to act impulsively without reflecting. The Lord continues to show us that true wisdom is constructing the spiritual temple that is the Christian community.

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