GEBED IEDERE DAG

Memory of the Church
Woord van god elke dag
Libretto DEL GIORNO
Memory of the Church
Thursday, August 23


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

Matthew 22,1-14

Jesus began to speak to them in parables once again, 'The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son's wedding. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come. Next he sent some more servants with the words, "Tell those who have been invited: Look, my banquet is all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding." But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them. The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town. Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, go to the main crossroads and invite everyone you can find to come to the wedding." So these servants went out onto the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment, and said to him, "How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?" And the man was silent. Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth." For many are invited but not all are chosen.'

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The Lord continues to teach through parables. He speaks of a king who wants to celebrate his son's wedding. The parable represents the invitation to salvation that the Lord continues to offer to all peoples and to all individuals. Unfortunately, today, many still refuse the invitation. But the king does not give up; he wants our salvation so much that he continues to knock at the door of our hearts. In fact, he sends new servants, that is, he continues to repeat the Gospel message. The invitation to the king's servants is met with rejection. The king is indignant, and he sends the army to exterminate those assassins and destroy their goods. In reality, excessive attention to our belongings makes us competitive and at times become so ruthless that we are pushed to destruction. The king, however, does not give up; he again sends the servants to call those whom they meet and to invite them to the wedding banquet. This is the meaning of the universality of the Gospel invitation: all men and women, all peoples are called to receive salvation. In fact, this time the invitation is taken and the room is filled with diners. The Gospel notes that the invitation was offered to the good and the bad. It almost seems as though God is not interested in how we are; what he wants is that we are there, that all are in that room. Better still, on hearing the other pages of the Gospel; one could say that the poor and the sinners, the prostitutes, the tax-collectors enter before the just. In any case, whoever arrives is welcomed. At first sight in the room one cannot tell who is holy and who is a sinner, who is pure and who is impure. The king, who reads our hearts, sees whether we do or don't have on the "wedding robe," that is, the robe of mercy, a robe we all should wear, remembering that mercy covers a great number of sins. The absence of love and mercy makes life a hell here and now. On the contrary, love and mercy open the doors of heaven already here and now on this earth.

WOORD VAN GOD ELKE DAG: DE KALENDER

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.

WOORD VAN GOD ELKE DAG: DE KALENDER