The prayer for peace is held in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere. Lees meer
The prayer for peace is held in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
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
2 Corinthians 6,1-10
As his fellow-workers, we urge you not to let your acceptance of his grace come to nothing. As he said, 'At the time of my favour I have answered you; on the day of salvation I have helped you'; well, now is the real time of favour, now the day of salvation is here. We avoid putting obstacles in anyone's way, so that no blame may attach to our work of service; but in everything we prove ourselves authentic servants of God; by resolute perseverance in times of hardships, difficulties and distress; when we are flogged or sent to prison or mobbed; labouring, sleepless, starving; in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness; in the Holy Spirit, in a love free of affectation; in the word of truth and in the power of God; by using the weapons of uprightness for attack and for defence: in times of honour or disgrace, blame or praise; taken for impostors and yet we are genuine; unknown and yet we are acknowledged; dying, and yet here we are, alive; scourged but not executed; in pain yet always full of joy; poor and yet making many people rich; having nothing, and yet owning everything.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The apostle is worried for himself and his reputation. What he cares about is that he is received by the Corinthians as one sent by the Lord. This is the reason of his exhortation: "We urge you not to accept the grace of God in vain" (v.1). The favourable moment is now. He has faced innumerable difficulties in order not to fail his apostolic ministry: beatings, imprisonment, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger. ...None of them has moved him away from the mission of preaching the Gospel. On the contrary, filled with feelings of purity, wisdom, patience, kindness, holiness, sincere love, he has not ceased to preach the Gospel and to serve the community. The Word which the Lord had entrusted to him was his strength, his support. We could say that the disciples of Jesus, poor of external goods, have an inner wealth that, while they communicate it, sustains them; even more, in communicating it they become more generous and strong. Paul reminds those Christians: "We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you" (v.11). But the width of the heart of the apostle is matched by the narrowness of that of the Corinthians: "There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours" (v.12). The narrowness of heart of the Corinthians embitters the apostle because it prevents him from extending to them the good food of the Gospel preaching. And, with the love of a father ("I speak as to children"), he tells them, "Open wide your hearts also." It is the condition for receiving the Gospel. Otherwise you fall under the foreign yoke of "unbelievers" (v.14), i.e. the egocentric mentality of the world. There can be no compromise between "Christ and Beliar," that is between Christ and Satan. The yoke of the latter is a burden that crushes, while the yoke of the Gospel is "easy" (Mt 11:30). And whoever accepts it becomes a "temple of God", that is, a witness of the love and mercy of the Lord.
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.
