Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Isaiah 7, 10-14
Yahweh spoke to Ahaz again and said:
Ask Yahweh your God for a sign, either in the depths of Sheol or in the heights above.
But Ahaz said, 'I will not ask. I will not put Yahweh to the test.'
He then said: Listen now, House of David: are you not satisfied with trying human patience that you should try my God's patience too?
The Lord will give you a sign in any case: It is this: the young woman is with child and will give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
If you believe, you will see the glory of God,
thus says the Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
We are on the threshold of Christmas and the liturgy offers this passage from the prophet Isaiah. It is about the year 735 B.C. when Ahaz, the young king of Jerusalem, who is weak and leads a dissolute life, feels his throne threatened by the presence of enemy armies pressing on the borders of the kingdom of Judah. He wonders what he should do, but without much conviction and he tries saving the kingdom by making alliances with the neighbouring kingdom of Assyria. The prophet Isaiah speaks and proposes that he entrust himself completely to God, who never abandons his people. He strongly urges Ahaz to ask for a visible sign. But the king replies: “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” In truth, Ahaz is not a timid king; one who does not dare put the Lord to the test. He is rather a man who no longer trusts in the Lord and who no longer believes that the Lord, God of his Ancestors, can intervene and free the people from the enemy besieging Jerusalem and causing the people to suffer from hunger. He believes that his plan will prove to be the winner. This is the logical consequence of someone who lets personal ambition, pride, and individual goals grow in his heart. Faith is repulsed and personal conviction is reinforced. But by following this path, one hurts not only him or herself but others too. This is why, at this point, the Prophet - sent by God to indicate His ways - raises his voice and denounces the king's hypocrisy and presumed religiosity based more on himself than on the Lord. He adds that, despite the king's refusal, God will give his people a sign: “Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” Christian spiritual tradition has always read these words as referring to Jesus. He is truly Immanuel, which means “God with us.” The passage from Luke's Gospel, which the liturgy has us read today, fully illuminates this ancient prophecy and shows God's faithfulness towards his people. Through the angel's annunciation, Mary became the first of the believers, the cradle of the Son sent by the Father to save those who will believe in him and through them all the people of the earth. As we approach the celebration of Christmas, let us thank the Lord that we are part of this mystery of love that is freely given to us.
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
