Remembrance of the historic Meeting in Assisi (1986), when John Paul II invited representatives of all Christian confessions and the great world religions to pray for peace. Read more
Remembrance of the historic Meeting in Assisi (1986), when John Paul II invited representatives of all Christian confessions and the great world religions to pray for peace.
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
Ephesians 6,10-20
Finally, grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of his power. Put on the full armour of God so as to be able to resist the devil's tactics. For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the principalities and the ruling forces who are masters of the darkness in this world, the spirits of evil in the heavens. That is why you must take up all God's armour, or you will not be able to put up any resistance on the evil day, or stand your ground even though you exert yourselves to the full. So stand your ground, with truth a belt round your waist, and uprightness a breastplate, wearing for shoes on your feet the eagerness to spread the gospel of peace and always carrying the shield of faith so that you can use it to quench the burning arrows of the Evil One. And then you must take salvation as your helmet and the sword of the Spirit, that is, the word of God. In all your prayer and entreaty keep praying in the Spirit on every possible occasion. Never get tired of staying awake to pray for all God's holy people, and pray for me to be given an opportunity to open my mouth and fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel of which I am an ambassador in chains; pray that in proclaiming it I may speak as fearlessly as I ought to.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
At the end of the Letter Paul turns again to all the Christians of Ephesus and tells them that Christian life is a struggle. It is true that the Risen Lord definitively eradicated evil and death. But in the present time Christians, together with Christ, must continue to fight an enemy already defeated although not fully eradicated. We are called to complete the victory of love over hatred, of communion over division. Paul reminds us that the devil works through the powers of evil which, although already defeated by Christ, are still active in our old world. The struggle is difficult and hard because it is against threatening and insidious powers, against the multifaceted face of evil that manifests itself in so many ways, in so many events, and in so many historical conditions. Paul speaks of "cosmic powers of this present darkness" and "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places," forces that dominate human beings in a subtle but strong way. This is why we need "the whole armour of God," fighting in God’s way and with the weapons that come from Him. The Apostle exhorts us to "fasten the belt of truth around your waist," that is to have a strong knowledge of the Gospel, and put on the "breastplate of righteousness" that is, to accept God’s justification. The description continues with the image of military boots to wear in order to be ready to march, to communicate to all the Gospel of peace, which Jesus obtained on the cross and which completes reconciliation between all. The shield that protects the entire body of the soldier is faith in the Lord, as it is written: "The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts" (Ps 28:7). The helmet means the certainty of salvation. Finally the Christian receives from God the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God: it has a power of judgment, a penetrating effectiveness, a creative force, a destructive capacity. And it is the true strength of believers. It is just to think of the "word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation" (1:13) that not only works effectively in the struggle to overcome the enemy, but also that knows, with the power of love, how to establish the Kingdom of God among men and women. Part of the struggle against evil is prayer, particularly insistent prayer. This is a finding that runs through the whole of Scripture, from Abraham interceding to save Sodom from destruction to prayers to defeat the enemy. It is urgent for us, and for all Christian communities to recover the historical, saving power of prayer. If raised to God with confidence, it always has effect, as Jesus also repeatedly pointed out. Paul speaks of "prayer and supplication" to underline indispensable perseverance in it. The prayer for the "saints", to support and defend the life of the community, allows us to remain vigilant and gives strength to communicate the Gospel. Paul asks for prayers for himself so that when he speaks "a message may be given to [him]," meaning that he may communicate the "mystery of the gospel," that is the greatness of God’s love for us. The letter ends with a blessing of peace and grace that come from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The final farewell is wide and solemn: to "peace" is associated "love"; there is not one without the other. And in these two dimensions the strength of Christians rests today.
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
