Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
I am the good shepherd,
my sheep listen to my voice,
and they become
one flock and one fold.
.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Philippians 3,3-8
We are the true people of the circumcision since we worship by the Spirit of God and make Christ Jesus our only boast, not relying on physical qualifications, although, I myself could rely on these too. If anyone does claim to rely on them, my claim is better. Circumcised on the eighth day of my life, I was born of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrew parents. In the matter of the Law, I was a Pharisee; as for religious fervour, I was a persecutor of the Church; as for the uprightness embodied in the Law, I was faultless. But what were once my assets I now through Christ Jesus count as losses. Yes, I will go further: because of the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, I count everything else as loss. For him I have accepted the loss of all other things, and look on them all as filth if only I can gain Christ
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The community in Philippi was not going through an easy moment, as we can see by reading this passage. Paul had spoken of adversaries; here he speaks of "dogs," of "evil workers" and of others who maybe used circumcision, a sign of belonging to the people of Israel, as a reason for feeling superior in a community of persons of diverse origins. The apostle is somewhat forced to praise himself as a perfect member of the people of Israel (vv. 5-6). He does so, however, only to say that this is not what matters to the Lord. In fact, the "flesh", that is, origins, conditions, culture and whatever distinguishes one from another, matters little to being a disciple. In a word, neither by birth nor by appearance is one a disciple, but only by faith. Paul considers everything "rubbish" compared to the gift that he received: the grace of meeting the Lord and becoming similar to him. For this reason he sees his life as a race to conforming himself to Christ in every way, so as to immerse himself in his death and resurrection. Paul also conveys that a Christian should desire a life intent on the realization of full communion with the Lord. Even in tribulation, the Christian lives the same joy to which the apostle exhorts the Christians of Philippi (3:1). What point is there in boasting of the flesh, believing oneself superior for it? We become miserable this way and end up becoming like people in the world! Often when we are unable to contemplate the sublime advantage of knowing Christ, the pearl of great price which we have found, through grace, in our life, then roles, worldly considerations become important and they create, as in Philippi, divisions among brothers and sisters. Indeed only the awareness of having received everything through grace helps us to realize how much we are loved, and frees us from the roles and plans which are of this world, and not of the spirit.
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
