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
Proverbs 21,1-6.10-13
Like flowing water is a king's heart in Yahweh's hand; he directs it wherever he pleases. All actions are straight in the doer's own eyes, but it is Yahweh who weighs hearts. To do what is upright and just is more pleasing to Yahweh than sacrifice. Haughty eye, proud heart, lamp of the wicked, nothing but sin. The hardworking is thoughtful, and all is gain; too much haste, and all that comes of it is want. To make a fortune with the help of a lying tongue: such is the idle fantasy of those who look for death. The soul of the wicked is intent on evil, to such a person no neighbour can ever do right. When a cynic is punished, simpletons grow wiser, but someone of understanding acquires knowledge by instruction. The Upright One watches the house of the wicked; he hurls the wicked to destruction. Whoever refuses to listen to the cry of the weak, will in turn plead and not be heard.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Look down, O Lord, on your servants.
Be it unto us according to your word.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Today’s passage lists a series of proverbs that, without following a particular order, address the virtues that should be practiced, and oppose the righteous and the wicked. If the believer wants to the wisdom of the heart, he or she must humbly learn each day how to identify what is righteous in God’s eyes and practice it. For people without discernment, for superficial people who only focus on themselves or on their own priorities, everything is fine, because deep down they think they are the ones who decide what is good or bad. The sacred author warns: "All deeds are right in the sight of the doer." But in truth, it is not so, because it is the Lord who determines whether these deeds lead to life or death: "the Lord weighs the heart." The wise are those who try to see the world’s events through God’s own eyes, letting themselves be illuminated by the Word of God, which should nourish them every day. The text warns us not to let ourselves be guided by greed, self-love, or lust for possessions. It calls people back to the practice of justice and fairness. Not only is it not possible to separate worship from working for justice and fairness, the author even suggests that justice and fairness are superior to worship. Wisdom - which descends directly from God - requires compassion and mercy: "The souls of the wicked desire evil; their neighbours find no mercy in their eyes." It is a clear condemnation of a haughty heart that cannot be moved by those in need. In this light, the conclusion of the passage, which illuminates all that we have heard, seems even stronger. It is vital for the wise to pay attention to the poor. Their cry, the sacred author concludes - never leaves God’s heart indifferent. Believers must learn from God how to favour the poor, knowing that their own relationship with God depends on it. The sacred author affirms, "If you close your ear to the cry of the poor, you will cry out and not be heard."
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
