EVERYDAY PRAYER

Memory of Jesus crucified
Word of god every day
Libretto DEL GIORNO
Memory of Jesus crucified
Friday, November 17


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

Acts 24,1-9

Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some of the elders and an advocate named Tertullus, and they laid information against Paul before the governor. Paul was called, and Tertullus opened for the prosecution, 'Your Excellency, Felix, the unbroken peace we enjoy and the reforms this nation owes to your foresight are matters we accept, always and everywhere, with all gratitude. I do not want to take up too much of your time, but I urge you in your graciousness to give us a brief hearing. We have found this man a perfect pest; he stirs up trouble among Jews the world over and is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect. He has even attempted to profane the Temple. We placed him under arrest. 'I know that you have administered justice over this nation for many years, and I can therefore speak with confidence in my defence. If you ask him you can find out for yourself the truth of all our accusations against this man.' The Jews supported him, asserting that these were the facts.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

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

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

In Caesarea, Paul is once again judged before the Roman governor, Felix. The prosecutors, led by the high priest Ananias, appear with the defendant. The environment in Caesarea is not hostile towards Paul as is it was in Jerusalem. The story of the hearing reveals a rather calm atmosphere: a peaceful court appearance, adjournment of the debates, time for reflections, private discussions, courtesy visits, and even encounters with the elite of the city. Paul will stay two years in this environment, though obviously in prison. The Roman authorities seem not to be in a hurry; time, so they believe, is working to their advantage. On the other hand, it was clear that the judges wanted to get rid of him. The Roman governor realizes that Paul is a victim of Jewish fanaticism. Paul, in fact, was accused of being the “ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes” and “a pestilent fellow, an agitator among all the Jews.” This is the political accusation. This accusation, proclaimed by a certain Tertullius, had as its basis the fact that Paul had profaned against the Temple. Once again, as had happened in Jesus’ story, the crowd speaks out against Paul. And yet, the apostle receives consolation from the Lord who sustains and encourages him. The Lord never abandons whoever believes in Him.

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