Sunday Vigil

Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Whoever lives and believes in me
will never die.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Luke 9,43b-45

'For your part, you must have these words constantly in mind: The Son of man is going to be delivered into the power of men.' But they did not understand what he said; it was hidden from them so that they should not see the meaning of it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

If you believe, you will see the glory of God,
thus says the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

"Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands." This time there is no mention of the Resurrection. In the language of the Bible, "to be betrayed into human hands," refers to the painful and cruel fate of someone abandoned by God and left precisely at the mercy of the power of human beings. But despite this clarity, the disciples did not understand. This could be said of us, we who are often distant, like the disciples of that time, from the thoughts and concerns of Jesus and especially distant from the sense he had of himself and his mission. It is not that the disciples simply did not understand his words, but they risked to become hard as when one rejects weakness and sufferings. The apostle Paul will say it well to the Christians in Corinth: "But we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1Cor 1:23-24). The way of the Cross remains a stumbling-block also for us, for our individualist culture so spread in the world. And yet it is from the cross that salvation is born. Redemption from the slavery of sin comes from a love that knows no limits, like Jesus'. Luke notes that the disciples still continued not to understand Jesus' words and remained in silence, without asking for any further explanation. It is an attitude of lack of trust towards Jesus and confidence in their ignorance. They preferred to stay in the dark. We need to be guided and instructed every day by the Word of God. In listening we will find the wisdom of the Gospel.