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
Luke 14,1-6
Now it happened that on a Sabbath day he had gone to share a meal in the house of one of the leading Pharisees; and they watched him closely. Now there in front of him was a man with dropsy, and Jesus addressed the lawyers and Pharisees with the words, 'Is it against the law to cure someone on the Sabbath, or not?' But they remained silent, so he took the man and cured him and sent him away. Then he said to them, 'Which of you here, if his son falls into a well, or his ox, will not pull him out on a Sabbath day without any hesitation?' And to this they could find no answer.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
On a Saturday, Jesus is invited to a banquet at the home of one of the Pharisees. One could speak of a "magisterium of meals," a teaching that emanates from the set of meals that Jesus took with sinners, publicans, Pharisees, disciples, and the crowd. Jesus made the banquet shared by everyone the most expressive symbol of a new people that welcomes and lives the fullness of God's life. It was a provocative gesture, intentionally desired by Jesus. And in fact his meals - obviously as he transformed them - provoked an immediate reaction against him. This is what happened at the meal at the Pharisee's home. The evangelist notes from the beginning the hostility of those who were present. This is not the case for the man with dropsy who enters that house, goes directly to Jesus, and puts himself in front of him: he awaits healing. Dropsy, in ancient times, was particularly feared and in Judaism was considered a curse resulting from sins one had committed. As soon as Jesus sees this man in front of him, he asks the doctors of the Law and the Pharisees whether or not it is lawful to heal a sick person on a Saturday. The question is obviously rhetorical. And in any case he receives no answer from anyone: "But they were silent," notes the evangelist. Without delay, Jesus takes him by the hand and heals him from the disease. We could say that the poor cannot wait for disputes and debates. Love and compassion for the weak do not tolerate delays, as often unfortunately happens, and do not stop in the face of opposition. It is the third miracle, after those of the man with a withered hand and the curved woman, that Jesus performs on the Sabbath. For him, the Sabbath is truly a day of celebration, the day on which God's goodness and love for men and women, especially the weakest, are fully manifested.
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.
