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
John 6,44-51
'No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me, and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They will all be taught by God; everyone who has listened to the Father, and learnt from him, comes to me. Not that anybody has seen the Father, except him who has his being from God: he has seen the Father. In all truth I tell you, everyone who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate manna in the desert and they are dead; but this is the bread which comes down from heaven, so that a person may eat it and not die. I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.'
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Gospel continues to show us Jesus teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. At the beginning of the passage, Jesus clarifies that no one can comprehend his mystery without having faith, which the Father himself gives. Faith is not the fruit of human effort, in striving to practice a virtuous life. Faith has its beginning in God: "No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me," says Jesus. This coming to Jesus is not simply an intellectual question, and not even the adhesion to a group organized to some goal. Faith, is a question of complete love and involving love. This happens in different ways and yet they all require an encounter with Jesus that can be mediated by a brother, a sister, a poor person, by an experience of prayer and also by listening to the Gospel. The free quotation that Jesus makes of the prophet Isaiah: "All your children shall be taught by the Lord," (Is 54:13) recalls the primacy of listening in faith. Jesus suggests that the meeting with God has a privileged path in an open listening to his Word. In the Lord's words, there is an attractive force: they broaden our mind and heart, insert us in the great design of God on the world, get us closer to Jesus, to his heart, and allow us to take part in the very action of Jesus among men and women. This is why Jesus says: "Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me." It is truly difficult to think that God himself can manifest himself through the weakness of the Gospel's words, that his love can be touched through his children's love. It may seem more natural to look elsewhere for nourishment for our life, in certainties apparently more solid and in certainties and affections that may guarantee us our happiness and security. In reality, it is all an illusion. We all know the limitations and weaknesses of human things. It is much better to trust in a God who chose the words of a man to make manifest his Word, who chose weak sacramental signs through which to give us strength. There is no need for superhuman strength in order to understand heavenly things. Whoever wants to know God should know the Son. Jesus clarifies that no one has seen the Father but him. Whoever listens to these words will be drawn to God and receive the bread of eternity as Jesus says: "I am the bread of life; who comes to me will not be hungry and who believes in me will never me thirsty; never!" We live this mystery every time we participate in the Eucharistic Liturgy where the eyes of the heart open as for the two disciples. This is how believers meet the Risen One.
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.
