Muslims start the month of Ramadan Lees meer
Muslims start the month of Ramadan
Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Spirit of the Lord is upon you.
The child you shall bear will be holy.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
John 3,7-15
Do not be surprised when I say: You must be born from above. The wind blows where it pleases; you can hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. 'How is that possible?' asked Nicodemus. Jesus replied, 'You are the Teacher of Israel, and you do not know these things! 'In all truth I tell you, we speak only about what we know and witness only to what we have seen and yet you people reject our evidence. If you do not believe me when I speak to you about earthly things, how will you believe me when I speak to you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of man; as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Look down, O Lord, on your servants.
Be it unto us according to your word.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Jesus continues his dialogue with Nicodemus. It is clear to the disciple the need to be reborn from above by the Spirit of God. The Spirit's action is strong and also mysterious, just as the action of the wind is strong and mysterious: neither where it comes from nor where it goes is known. The Greek word "pneuma," used by the evangelist, indicates both the "wind" and the "Spirit" of God who guides the prophets in their prophecy. This double meaning allows the evangelist to emphasize that the action of the Spirit is "voice," that is, word and announcement, and at the same time "wind," that is, strength and movement. Here we touch the heart of the Gospel according to John, that is, the mysterious action of the Spirit that leads to believe in Jesus and therefore to salvation. Nicodemus is attentive to the words of the young master. And, astonished, he presents him with all his scepticism: "How can these things be?" Jesus, at first, responds with irony: "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?" It is a pedagogical way for Jesus to help him get rid of the resigned pride that tarnishes the adult and wise eyes of Nicodemus and do not allow him to clearly see the newness of God. We too know how much our supposed wisdom is often marked by hopeless pride: we do not rely on the words of the Gospel that ask us to look beyond our usual horizons, which we continue to consider unchangeable, despite the disappointments or failures of our lives. For Jesus this is not the case. His wisdom is far greater than ours because it is the wisdom of God himself who knows how to look at the entire humanity with limitless love. Rebirth in the Spirit occurs through the cross, that is, through that boundless love that leads Jesus to offer his own life to save others. Certainly, the Father will raise him from death for such love. But already in the cross the breadth of Jesus' love for all is clear. By standing under the cross of Jesus we better understand the breadth of his love for humankind. We are all saved by the mantle of his limitless love.
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.
