In Israel today us the Memorial of the Shoah, in which the massacre of the Jewish people in the Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War is remembered. Lees meer
In Israel today us the Memorial of the Shoah, in which the massacre of the Jewish people in the Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War is remembered.
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
John 14,1-6
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father's house there are many places to live in; otherwise I would have told you. I am going now to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you to myself, so that you may be with me where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said, 'Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?' Jesus said: I am the Way; I am Truth and Life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
After having given the commandment to love to the Apostles, Jesus tells them that he will leave them. And the disciples, upon hearing him speak this way, become sad. Jesus continues to speak to them with comforting words: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe* in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father's house, there are many dwelling-places. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am you will be also." Jesus is the first one who does not want the bonds of friendship to break, rather that they last for eternity, so much that he adds: "So that where I am, there you may be also." Jesus does not abandon them, he wants them to be with him forever. He goes ahead to prepare a place for each one of us in the large house of the Father. With these words, Jesus sheds a small glimmer of light on our future. How often do we wonder about the afterlife and ask ourselves what happened to our friends who have already passed on, those whom we loved and perhaps those for whom we toiled and suffered! The Gospel does not leave us without an answer for these questions. Rather, as if wanting us to physically touch consolation with our own hands, the Gospel speaks of heaven as a spacious house inhabited by our friends, both those nearby and far away. Jesus himself is the certain path that leads us to them and to that place. In the bond with him lies the guarantee that nothing of our life will be lost: not one thought, not one affectionate deed is done in vain, but everything is gathered and preserved like a precious treasure illuminated by the light of the announcement of life's victory over death, which we received at Easter. Jesus seems so convinced that the disciples understood the truth about what lies beyond death that he says: "And you know the way to the place where I am going." In truth, that was not the case, just as it is not the case with us today. Thomas, on behalf of all the others, asks what the way was. And Jesus, once again, explains clearly: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." By remaining united to him we are guaranteed to follow the right path all the way to the Father who is in heaven.
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.
