Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Matthew 14,1-12
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the reputation of Jesus and said to his court, 'This is John the Baptist himself; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.' Now it was Herod who had arrested John, chained him up and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. For John had told him, 'It is against the Law for you to have her.' He had wanted to kill him but was afraid of the people, who regarded John as a prophet. Then, during the celebrations for Herod's birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and so delighted Herod that he promised on oath to give her anything she asked. Prompted by her mother she said, 'Give me John the Baptist's head, here, on a dish.' The king was distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he ordered it to be given her, and sent and had John beheaded in the prison. The head was brought in on a dish and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. John's disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went off to tell Jesus.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
If you believe, you will see the glory of God,
thus says the Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Herod the Tetrarch, of whom this Gospel passage speaks, is part of the same dynasty of the royal family that appears in the Gospel's accounts of Jesus' childhood. Once again, the current Herod is afraid of losing his power. His predecessor was frightened by the information given to him by the Magi and confirmed by Scripture. The Word of God never leaves things as they are. It demands that everyone change their lives, their attitudes, and the thoughts of their hearts. In order to hold on to his power, the Herod of Jesus' childhood ordered the cruel massacre of innocent children. Defending ourselves and our interests easily leads to eliminating those we consider adversaries. This is why Jesus asks us to pull up every violent thought by the roots. The example of this Gospel page is eloquent: a whim is sufficient to start a whirlpool of violence that leads to death. The Gospel notes that Herod had been struck by the clarity of John's words, which rebuked him for his wicked behaviour. Consequently, Herod had him imprisoned, thinking that he would silence his voice. Evil uses even a whim in order to silence prophecy. We could say that this is what happens when whims take over: eyes become blind and evil takes over. The death of John the Baptist was a bitter blow for Jesus. It was a warning even for him; but Jesus did not stop. Certainly the path leading to the cross was becoming clearer and clearer. But it is the way of the Gospel that this Gospel passage reminds us. There is an unavoidable dimension of the Gospel. To give one's life even at the cost of death. The many martyrs who still today give their life are an evangelic example of men and women that we need to keep in our hearts with care and admiration.
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!
