Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
John 14,7-14
If you know me, you will know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him. Philip said, 'Lord, show us the Father and then we shall be satisfied.' Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? 'Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father, so how can you say, "Show us the Father"? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? What I say to you I do not speak of my own accord: it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his works. You must believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe it on the evidence of these works. In all truth I tell you, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, and will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
If you believe, you will see the glory of God,
thus says the Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Jesus has just told the apostles that he is the way to reach the Father in heaven. He was not leaving them without direction: those who listen to and put in practice his word will be able to know the Father. Jesus clarifies it even further: "If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." The verb "to know" and "to see" regard the dimension of faith, a knowledge and a vision that go beyond the visible dimension and regard God's beyond. Philip, as if to put a definitive end to the conversation, asks, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus responds with a heartfelt rebuke, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." Here we penetrate into the heart of the Christian faith and of all religious seeking. Jesus states with clarity that we encounter God, the creator of heaven and earth, through him. "No one has ever seen God," John writes in his first Letter (4:12). It is Jesus, who knew him, who reveals him to us. If we want to see God's face, we have to look at Jesus; if we want to know God's thoughts, it is sufficient to know the Gospel; if we want to understand how God acts, we need to observe Jesus' behaviour. The Father of heaven is as close to the lives of men and women as Jesus was: he is a God who makes the dead rise, who becomes a child to be close to us, who weeps over his dead friend, who walks on human roads, who stops, who heals, and who is moved with compassion for all. He is truly the Father of all. Jesus adds even more daring words that he only can pronounce. He says that if we are bound to him we will do the same works he does. Indeed, Jesus says we will do even greater ones. People normally forget or do not meditate enough over these words; if anything, they seem exaggerated or in any event unlikely. We often happen to think that we are more realistic and truthful than the Gospel. In truth in this way we follow a worldly reading of the Gospel and we deny its power. The Gospel has a power that comes from containing the very Word of God, which always creates life and love. If we nourish ourselves with the words of the Gospel our words will be powerful and effective: "I will do whatever you ask in my name." Yes, our prayer, if done in the name of Jesus, is strong and powerful: it will go straight to God's heart. And God will almost yield to our word. But also, the words of preaching, of consolation and exhortation that we will pronounce in the name of Jesus will have the power to change the hearts of those who listen to them and the society in which we live.
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.
