Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor.
Remembrance of Hiroshima in Japan, where the first atomic bomb was dropped in 1945.
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Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor.
Remembrance of Hiroshima in Japan, where the first atomic bomb was dropped in 1945.
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
Mark 9,2-10
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain on their own by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became brilliantly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus. Then Peter spoke to Jesus, 'Rabbi,' he said, 'it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.' He did not know what to say; they were so frightened. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and from the cloud there came a voice, 'This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.' Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus. As they were coming down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of man had risen from the dead. They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what 'rising from the dead' could mean.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The mountain of the Transfiguration, which later tradition identifies with Tabor, stands as the image of every spiritual journey. We can imagine that Jesus also calls us to lead us with him on the mountain, as he did with his three closest disciples, to live with him the experience of intimate communion with the Father. Some commentators suggest that the story tells of a spiritual experience that involved above all Jesus: a heavenly vision that produced a transfiguration in him. It is a hypothesis that allows us to grasp more deeply Jesus' spiritual life. At times we forget that he too had his spiritual itinerary, as the Gospel notes: "The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him." He too experienced the fatigue and joy of a journey. He too had to climb the mountain, as Abraham and Moses, Elijah and every believer did. It is to say that Jesus too felt the need to "go up" to the Father, to meet with him. It is true that the communion with the Father was his very being, his whole life, the bread of his days, the substance of his mission, the heart of all that he was and did; but perhaps he needed moments in which this intimate relationship emerged in its fullness. Certainly, the disciples needed it. The experience of Tabor was one of those singular moments of communion that the Gospel extends to all the historical events of the people of Israel, as evidenced by the presence of Moses and Elijah, who "were talking with Jesus." Jesus did not live this experience alone; he also involved his three closest friends. It was a moment among the most significant for Jesus' personal life, and it also became such for the three disciples and for all those who allow themselves to be involved in the same ascent. There have been many interpretations of this passage in the tradition of the Church. Among the most frequent is the one which sees in monastic life a reflex of Transfiguration, because of the radicality that this choice involves. In our common life with the Lord, in prayer and in listening to Scriptures we are called to always transfigure our life and the world around us.
Het gebed is het hart van het leven van de Gemeenschap van Sant’Egidio. Het is haar eerste “werk”. Aan het einde van de dag komt elke Gemeenschap, of die nu klein of groot is, samen bij de Heer om het Woord te beluisteren en zich tot Hem te richten in het gebed. De leerlingen kunnen niet anders dan aan de voeten van Jezus zitten, zoals Maria van Bethanië, om het “betere deel” te kiezen (Lc 10, 42) en van Hem zijn gezindheid te leren (vgl. Fil 2, 5).
Elke keer dat de Gemeenschap zich tot de Heer richt, maakt ze zich die vraag eigen van de anonieme leerling: “Heer, leer ons bidden!” (Lc 11, 1). En Jezus, meester in het gebed, antwoordt: “Wanneer jullie bidden, zeg dan: Abba, Vader”.
Wanneer we bidden, ook in de geslotenheid van ons eigen hart, zijn we nooit alleen of verweesd. Integendeel, we zijn leden van de familie van de Heer. In het gemeenschappelijk gebed wordt naast het mysterie van het kindschap, ook dat van de broederschap en zusterschap duidelijk.
De Gemeenschappen van Sant’Egidio, verspreid over de wereld, verzamelen zich op de verschillende plaatsen die gekozen zijn voor het gebed en brengen de hoop en het verdriet van de “uitgeputte en hulpeloze mensenmenigte” waarover het Evangelie spreekt (Mt 9, 37) bij de Heer. Deze oude menigte omvat de inwoners van onze hedendaagse steden, de armen die zich bevinden in de marge van het leven, en iedereen die wacht om als dagloner te worden aangenomen (vgl. Mt 20).
Het gemeenschappelijk gebed verzamelt de schreeuw, de hoop, het verlangen naar vrede, genezing, zin en redding, die beleefd worden door de mannen en vrouwen van deze wereld. Het gebed is nooit leeg. Het stijgt onophoudelijk op naar de Heer opdat verdriet verandert in vreugde, wanhoop in blijheid, angst in hoop, eenzaamheid in gemeenschap. En het rijk Gods zal spoedig temidden van de mensen komen.
