Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
I am the good shepherd,
my sheep listen to my voice,
and they become
one flock and one fold.
.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
2 Timothy 2,8-15
Remember the gospel that I carry, 'Jesus Christ risen from the dead, sprung from the race of David'; it is on account of this that I have to put up with suffering, even to being chained like a criminal. But God's message cannot be chained up. So I persevere for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they, too, may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Here is a saying that you can rely on: If we have died with him, then we shall live with him. If we persevere, then we shall reign with him. If we disown him, then he will disown us. If we are faithless, he is faithful still, for he cannot disown his own self. Remind them of this; and tell them in the name of God that there must be no wrangling about words: all that this ever achieves is the destruction of those who are listening. Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who has no need to be ashamed, but who keeps the message of truth on a straight path.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Paul exhorts Timothy to be strong, not to lose spirit, and not to abandon himself to the faint-heartedness to which he was inclined (see 1:6-8.13). The wellspring of his strength is the "grace that is in Christ Jesus." It is from his encounter with Jesus that Timothy should continuously draw strength and inspiration for his ministry. The apostle tells him to transmit the Gospel that he has "heard from him through many witnesses" and to entrust it in turn to trustworthy people so that they may transmit it to others. This is the meaning of the tradition of the Church, which gives the same Gospel from one generation to another in an unbroken chain that links the faith of today to the preaching of the Apostles and to Jesus himself. It is not a matter of transmitting abstract truths, but the life with Jesus that becomes a witness of love in history. This is why, just as he did in the previous letter, Paul reminds Timothy to be a "good soldier of Christ," just as he, his teacher and model, was himself. He needs to be aware of the fact that preaching the Gospel implies dishonour and discomfort. The "willingness to accept all suffering" is an integral part of a disciple’s witness. Therefore every disciple has to behave like a soldier who dedicates him or herself entirely to the service of the Gospel without doing anything else that might distract him or her; or like an athlete who follows the rules of the contest, without setting off on individual journeys outside of the tradition of the community; or like a farmer who does not fear effort and sacrifice and dedicates his life so that in the end he will be able to gather the fruit of his labour. Above all, the disciple needs to welcome into his or her heart the mystery of "Jesus Christ, raised from the dead." The resurrection of Jesus is the central mystery of the Christian faith and needs to be the same for the life of the disciple. This is the Gospel that Paul preached, and it is for this that he is now suffering in chains in prison "like a criminal." But, Paul adds, "The word of God is not chained." It is stronger than chains and stronger than death itself; no human power can keep it in check (4:17). Rather, trials only strengthen preaching and testimony. When he was in prison for the first time, Paul had already written, "Most of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word with greater boldness and without fear" (Phil 1:14). Paul knows that his "suffering" is part of his apostolic vocation, and so it is for the disciples of every age. The disciples are called to follow the path of Jesus. Martyrdom, giving one’s own life for Jesus, is an integral part of the Gospel. This is why Paul can sing, "If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him." All those who give their lives for Christ inherit glory with him. But as for the destiny of those who separate themselves from Christ, Jesus himself says, "whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven" (Mt 10:33). In any case, the apostle adds, it is good to know that Jesus "remains faithful." He will never be unfaithful. This is just the fatherly admonition the apostle gives believers so that they know that Jesus is always waiting for us, just as the father waited for the prodigal son.
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
