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
Matthew 19,23-30
Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'In truth I tell you, it is hard for someone rich to enter the kingdom of Heaven.
Yes, I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for someone rich to enter the kingdom of Heaven.'
When the disciples heard this they were astonished. 'Who can be saved, then?' they said.
Jesus gazed at them. 'By human resources', he told them, 'this is impossible; for God everything is possible.'
Then Peter answered and said, 'Look, we have left everything and followed you. What are we to have, then?'
Jesus said to them, 'In truth I tell you, when everything is made new again and the Son of man is seated on his throne of glory, you yourselves will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times as much, and also inherit eternal life.
'Many who are first will be last, and the last, first.'
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Look down, O Lord, on your servants.
Be it unto us according to your word.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Yesterday, we listened to the parable of the young rich man who went away sad from his meeting with Jesus after he had refused to give up his wealth. Jesus takes this episode as an opportunity to give a warning to his disciples, both those of that time and those of today: "it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven." He does not say that it is impossible, but that it is hard. This statement has had a deep impact on the lives of believers, so much so that on several occasions over the centuries believers have wondered about its meaning. First we must clarify that being rich is not a bad thing in and of itself, but rather that it requires a great heart, because those who are rich are easily enslaved by their possessions. And today, we have to be very careful, given that the prevalent mentality of our time is marked by the predominance of material things, the obsession with money, and the race to consume. Everyone, even a disciple of Jesus, risks falling prey to the myth of ownership and becoming a slave to the reigning materialism. It truly is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. This statement seems so paradoxical that the disciples conclude that salvation is impossible. Jesus is warning them about the dangers of wealth, especially to those who let themselves be influenced and guided by it. Only those who put the Lord first can put wealth and money to good use, because they do not make it into an idol or the ultimate purpose of their lives; rather they use it for the good of others. At this point Peter, asks Jesus what he and the other disciples will be given in exchange for having given up their wealth and following him. Jesus’ response is rich with rewards. He promises that the disciples will receive a hundred times what they gave up, and they will receive it - and this is important - in this life, along with eternal life in the future. This "a hundredfold" is the community of brothers and sisters gathered in his name: it is a large and beautiful family and it is the rich and fertile land on which the Lord lets his disciples live. It is the gift of the Church, the family of God, which prepares us for the inheritance of eternal salvation.
Prayer is the heart of the life of the Community of Sant'Egidio and is its absolute priority. At the end of the day, every the Community of Sant'Egidio, large or small, gathers around the Lord to listen to his Word. The Word of God and the prayer are, in fact, the very basis of the whole life of the Community. The disciples cannot do other than remain at the feet of Jesus, as did Mary of Bethany, to receive his love and learn his ways (Phil. 2:5).
So every evening, when the Community returns to the feet of the Lord, it repeats the words of the anonymous disciple: " Lord, teach us how to pray". Jesus, Master of prayer, continues to answer: "When you pray, say: Abba, Father". It is not a simple exhortation, it is much more. With these words Jesus lets the disciples participate in his own relationship with the Father. Therefore in prayer, the fact of being children of the Father who is in heaven, comes before the words we may say. So praying is above all a way of being! That is to say we are children who turn with faith to the Father, certain that they will be heard.
Jesus teaches us to call God "Our Father". And not simply "Father" or "My Father". Disciples, even when they pray on their own, are never isolated nor they are orphans; they are always members of the Lord's family.
In praying together, beside the mystery of being children of God, there is also the mystery of brotherhood, as the Father of the Church said: "You cannot have God as father without having the church as mother". When praying together, the Holy Spirit assembles the disciples in the upper room together with Mary, the Lord's mother, so that they may direct their gaze towards the Lord's face and learn from Him the secret of his Heart.
The Communities of Sant'Egidio all over the world gather in the various places of prayer and lay before the Lord the hopes and the sufferings of the tired, exhausted crowds of which the Gospel speaks ( Mat. 9: 3-7 ), In these ancient crowds we can see the huge masses of the modern cities, the millions of refugees who continue to flee their countries, the poor, relegated to the very fringe of life and all those who are waiting for someone to take care of them. Praying together includes the cry, the invocation, the aspiration, the desire for peace, the healing and salvation of the men and women of this world. Prayer is never in vain; it rises ceaselessly to the Lord so that anguish is turned into hope, tears into joy, despair into happiness, and solitude into communion. May the Kingdom of God come soon among people!
For the sick, in memory of the dead, for peace
