Today the Armenian Church remembers Metz Yeghern, "the "great Evil". It is the memorial of the massacre suffered during the First World War in which more than one million Armenians were killed. Baca lebih lanjut
Today the Armenian Church remembers Metz Yeghern, "the "great Evil". It is the memorial of the massacre suffered during the First World War in which more than one million Armenians were killed.
Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Spirit of the Lord is upon you.
The child you shall bear will be holy.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
John 10,22-30
It was the time of the feast of Dedication in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the Temple walking up and down in the Portico of Solomon. The Jews gathered round him and said, 'How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us openly.' Jesus replied: I have told you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name are my witness; but you do not believe, because you are no sheep of mine. The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from my hand. The Father, for what he has given me, is greater than anyone, and no one can steal anything from the Father's hand. The Father and I are one.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Look down, O Lord, on your servants.
Be it unto us according to your word.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The festival of the Dedication was celebrated every year in Jerusalem during the winter. Jesus, the evangelist John tells us, finds himself at the portico of Solomon, which was one of the porticos looking out on the temple plaza, on the day of this festival. After the resurrection, this place will be where the first Christian community will gather for its meetings as a way of wanting to continue with what Jesus said and did there. Many have gathered under that portico to listen to Jesus and are asking him to tell them clearly if he is the Messiah or not. They no longer want to be uncertain or in doubt. Their requests seem legitimate: "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah,* tell us plainly." In truth, rather than seeking Jesus, or understanding his heart and his thoughts, therefore becoming involved in his mission, those Jews are seeking after their own security and tranquillity. Their search -which is somehow present - is far from the one of John the Baptist who, differently from them, left behind his certainties and his selfish tranquillity that prevents from seeking God seriously. His was a desire so deep that not even prison could stifle it. Our behaviours are very plain: rather than seeking truth and the good, we want to have an easy conscience free of any anxiety and responsibility. Nevertheless, searching for God requires that we abandon our certainties and habits so as to accept a word that comes from outside of us and that asks us to be welcomed with generosity. Jesus responded to their requests for clarification by saying that the works he had performed testify to him: "The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me." But their eyes were blurred by egoism and solitude. For this reason, Jesus says to them: "But you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep." The question is that without being familiar with the Gospel, no one can draw nearer to God's mystery. Whoever listens to the Gospel with an open heart will feel how great Jesus' love is and will understand that no one can rip it out of their hands. The Lord, indeed, is stronger than evil and death.
Doa merupakan jantung kehidupan Komunitas Sant'Egidio dan merupakan prioritas yang paling penting. Di penghujung hari, setiap Komunitas Sant'Egidio, besar maupun kecil, akan berkumpul di sekeliling Tuhan untuk mendengarkan sabda-Nya. Sesungguhnya Sabda Allah dan doa merupakan landasan seluruh kehidupan Komunitas. Para rasul tidak bisa tidak selain tetap di sekitar kaki Yesus, seperti yang dilakukan oleh Maria dari Bethani, untuk menerima kasih dan belajar cara-Nya (Fil. 2:5).
Sehingga setiap malam, ketika Komunitas kembali ke kaki Tuhan, Komunitas mengulangi kata-kata dari rasul tak bernama: "Tuhan ajarkanlah kami cara berdoa" Yesus, Sang Guru, terus menjawab: "Ketika kamu berdoa, katakanlah: Abba, Bapa". Hal itu bukanlah satu seruan sederhana. Dengan kata-kata ini, Yesus membiarkan para murid untuk berperan serta dalam hubungan mereka sendiri dengan Bapa. Oleh sebab itu, fakta bahwa sebagai anak-anak Bapa yang bertahta di surga, muncul sebelum kata-kata yang mungkin kita ucapkan. Jadi doa di atas segalanya merupakan cara untuk menjadi manusia. Ini untuk mengatakan bahwa kita anak-anak yang berpaling kepada Bapa dengan iman, dan yakin bahwa hal itu akan didengar.
Yesus mengajar kita memanggil Allah dengan sebutan "Bapa Kami" Tidak hanya "Bapa" atau "Bapaku" Para murid, meskipun mereka berdoa dengan cara mereka, tidak pernah terisolasi tidak juga menjadi yatim; mereka selalu menjadi anggota keluarga Tuhan.
Dalam doa bersama, di samping misteri anak Allah, ada juga misteri persaudaraan, seperti Bapa Gereja mengatakan: "Kamu tidak bisa memiliki Allah sebagai Bapa tanpa memiliki gereja sebagai ibu". Ketika berdoa bersama, Roh Kudus menyatukan para rasul di ruangan atas bersama dengan Maria, Bunda Allah, sehingga mereka dapat memusatkan pandangan mereka kepada wajah Tuhan dan belajar dari Dia rahasia hati-Nya.
Komunitas Sant'Egidio di seluruh dunia berkumpul bersama di berbagai tempat doa dan menghamparkan di hadapan Tuhan harapan dan penderitaan manusia yang lelah dan letih seperti yang di katakan oleh Injil (Mat. 9:37). Dalam kumpulan di masa lalu ini kita bisa melihat jumlah massa yang sangat besar di kota-kota modern ini, jutaan pengungsi yang terus melarikan diri dari negeri mereka, orang miskin yang terpinggirkan ke tepi kehidupan dan mereka yang menantikan seseorang yang akan merawat mereka. Berdoa bersama termasuk di dalamnya tangisan, seruan, permohonan, keinginan bagi damai, penyembuhan dan penebusan manusia di dunia ini. Doa tidak pernah sia-sia, doa terus menerus kepada Tuhan sehingga mengubah kecemasan menjadi harapan, air mata menjadi kegembiraan, putus asa menjadi kebahagiaan, dan kesepian menjadi persatuan. Semoga Kerajaan Allah hadir segera di antara manusia.
