Memorial of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. The Ethiopian Church, one of the first among the African churches, venerates Saint Michael as its protector. Baca lebih lanjut
Memorial of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. The Ethiopian Church, one of the first among the African churches, venerates Saint Michael as its protector.
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
Revelation 12,7-12
And now war broke out in heaven, when Michael with his angels attacked the dragon. The dragon fought back with his angels, but they were defeated and driven out of heaven. The great dragon, the primeval serpent, known as the devil or Satan, who had led all the world astray, was hurled down to the earth and his angels were hurled down with him. Then I heard a voice shout from heaven, 'Salvation and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ, now that the accuser, who accused our brothers day and night before our God, has been brought down. They have triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word to which they bore witness, because even in the face of death they did not cling to life. So let the heavens rejoice and all who live there; but for you, earth and sea, disaster is coming -- because the devil has gone down to you in a rage, knowing that he has little time left.'
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Today the Church remembers the holy archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael and reading the book of Revelation helps us to understand their importance in God's plan of love. Revelation in figurative language shows a fight against the dragon who wants to eliminate the woman (the Church) and her Son. But here is the angel Michael who, together with his angels, engages in a violent battle against the dragon (Satan): he defeats him and hurls him from heaven into the depths of hell. In a few lines, the author offers no less than five definitions of the dragon: he is "the ancient serpent," the "Devil" (he who divides), "Satan," "the Adversary," the "Tempter" and, finally, "the Accuser." The fight between Michael and Satan, already present at the beginning of the story, unfolds throughout. However, "through the blood of the Lamb" Satan's power has been definitively defeated and evil no longer has absolute power over the world. Jesus' cry on the cross is echoed by the cry in heaven heard by John: "Now salvation is accomplished, the power and the kingdom of our God and the might of his Christ." The Christian community, particularly through the witness of the martyrs, participates in the redemptive work of the Lamb. The martyrs, and with them all believers who spend their lives for the Gospel, defeat the power of Satan and save the world from violence. In the verses that follow, Satan is shown not to give up and continues to fight his battle. History continues to be a battlefield in which the duel between the dragon and the woman, between the serpent's offspring - that is, sinful humanity - and the woman's offspring, continues unabated. It is the struggle between the righteous and the faithful of which Genesis speaks (Gen 3:15). Revelation invites hope: glorious eternity belongs to God and his elect. As we remember the holy archangels today, we are called to participate in this struggle with the weapons of prayer and love that they communicate to us. Each one of us can be an "angel" who supports the lives of the poorest and the good in this world.
Doa merupakan jantung kehidupan Komunitas Sant'Egidio dan merupakan prioritas yang paling penting. Di penghujung hari, setiap Komunitas Sant'Egidio, besar maupun kecil, akan berkumpul di sekeliling Tuhan untuk mendengarkan sabda-Nya. Sesungguhnya Sabda Allah dan doa merupakan landasan seluruh kehidupan Komunitas. Para rasul tidak bisa tidak selain tetap di sekitar kaki Yesus, seperti yang dilakukan oleh Maria dari Bethani, untuk menerima kasih dan belajar cara-Nya (Fil. 2:5).
Sehingga setiap malam, ketika Komunitas kembali ke kaki Tuhan, Komunitas mengulangi kata-kata dari rasul tak bernama: "Tuhan ajarkanlah kami cara berdoa" Yesus, Sang Guru, terus menjawab: "Ketika kamu berdoa, katakanlah: Abba, Bapa". Hal itu bukanlah satu seruan sederhana. Dengan kata-kata ini, Yesus membiarkan para murid untuk berperan serta dalam hubungan mereka sendiri dengan Bapa. Oleh sebab itu, fakta bahwa sebagai anak-anak Bapa yang bertahta di surga, muncul sebelum kata-kata yang mungkin kita ucapkan. Jadi doa di atas segalanya merupakan cara untuk menjadi manusia. Ini untuk mengatakan bahwa kita anak-anak yang berpaling kepada Bapa dengan iman, dan yakin bahwa hal itu akan didengar.
Yesus mengajar kita memanggil Allah dengan sebutan "Bapa Kami" Tidak hanya "Bapa" atau "Bapaku" Para murid, meskipun mereka berdoa dengan cara mereka, tidak pernah terisolasi tidak juga menjadi yatim; mereka selalu menjadi anggota keluarga Tuhan.
Dalam doa bersama, di samping misteri anak Allah, ada juga misteri persaudaraan, seperti Bapa Gereja mengatakan: "Kamu tidak bisa memiliki Allah sebagai Bapa tanpa memiliki gereja sebagai ibu". Ketika berdoa bersama, Roh Kudus menyatukan para rasul di ruangan atas bersama dengan Maria, Bunda Allah, sehingga mereka dapat memusatkan pandangan mereka kepada wajah Tuhan dan belajar dari Dia rahasia hati-Nya.
Komunitas Sant'Egidio di seluruh dunia berkumpul bersama di berbagai tempat doa dan menghamparkan di hadapan Tuhan harapan dan penderitaan manusia yang lelah dan letih seperti yang di katakan oleh Injil (Mat. 9:37). Dalam kumpulan di masa lalu ini kita bisa melihat jumlah massa yang sangat besar di kota-kota modern ini, jutaan pengungsi yang terus melarikan diri dari negeri mereka, orang miskin yang terpinggirkan ke tepi kehidupan dan mereka yang menantikan seseorang yang akan merawat mereka. Berdoa bersama termasuk di dalamnya tangisan, seruan, permohonan, keinginan bagi damai, penyembuhan dan penebusan manusia di dunia ini. Doa tidak pernah sia-sia, doa terus menerus kepada Tuhan sehingga mengubah kecemasan menjadi harapan, air mata menjadi kegembiraan, putus asa menjadi kebahagiaan, dan kesepian menjadi persatuan. Semoga Kerajaan Allah hadir segera di antara manusia.
