GEBED IEDERE DAG

Prayer for peace
Woord van god elke dag

Prayer for peace

The prayer for peace is held in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
Prayer for unity of Christians. Particular memory of the ancient Churches of the East (Syrian Orthodox, Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopian, Syro-Malabar) and the Assyrian Church
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Libretto DEL GIORNO
Prayer for peace
Monday, January 20

The prayer for peace is held in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
Prayer for unity of Christians. Particular memory of the ancient Churches of the East (Syrian Orthodox, Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopian, Syro-Malabar) and the Assyrian Church


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

1 Samuel 15,16-23

Samuel then said to Saul, 'Stop! Let me tell you what Yahweh said to me last night.' He said, 'Go on.' Samuel said, 'Small as you may be in your own eyes, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? Yahweh has anointed you as king of Israel. When Yahweh sent you on a mission he said to you, "Go and put those sinners, the Amalekites, under the curse of destruction and make war on them until they are exterminated." Why then did you not obey Yahweh's voice? Why did you fall on the booty and do what is wrong in Yahweh's eyes?' Saul replied to Samuel, 'But I did obey Yahweh's voice. I went on the mission which Yahweh gave me; I brought back Agag king of the Amalekites; I put Amalek under the curse of destruction; and from the booty the people have taken the best sheep and cattle of what was under the curse of destruction only to sacrifice them to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.' To which, Samuel said: Is Yahweh pleased by burnt offerings and sacrifices or by obedience to Yahweh's voice? Truly, obedience is better than sacrifice, submissiveness than the fat of rams. Rebellion is a sin of sorcery, presumption a crime of idolatry! 'Since you have rejected Yahweh's word, he has rejected you as king.'

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Samuel reminds Saul of the meaning of his royal anointing: "to listen" (that is, to obey, shema) to the Lord (v.1). After this appeal to listen, Samuel orders Saul to destroy the Amalekites, sparing nothing, for their opposition to Israel in the past. The command is difficult to comprehend if one understands it outside the mentality of the time, but nonetheless it reveals the radicalism of God's action. Saul obeys and defeats the Amalekites, but, in part to please his people, he does not carry out to the letter the mandate for mass. Samuel receives a vision in which God says, "I regret that I made Saul king." The Lord regrets his choice to make Saul king and nullifies the decision because he disobeyed. Saul can still occupy the throne, but he is no longer a king obedient to the Lord and not even the king of Samuel. In the meeting between Samuel and Saul after the battle, Saul tries to declare his loyalty to the Lord. Samuel, however, knows what's what, and with cleverness, asks Saul the meaning of the bleating of sheep and the lowing of cattle that reaches his ears. Saul tries to defend himself and blames his people for taking the spoils. It is the perverse logic of those how defend themselves blaming others. Samuel rejects Saul's defence and accuses him of disobedience. He also reminds him that he owes everything to the Lord who had chosen and anointed him so that he would listen only to his voice and obey him alone. Saul, instead, chose to listen only to a certain point. The prophet reminds him, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obedience to the voice of the Lord? Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams" (v. 22). At this point Saul's reaction is more sincere and he admits that he listened to the people and not to the Lord (nor to Samuel). But it is not enough. The Lord's verdict is final. In vain, Saul makes one final, desperate plea, grabbing the hem of Samuel's robe (v. 27). The power of Saul's reign has been "torn" away from him. Samuel tells him that it has been transferred to another "who is better than you" (v. 28). David's name is not mentioned, but the allusion is clear. Saul accepts the inevitable (v. 30) and recognizes once again his sin. He implores Samuel permission to save face in front of the elders of "my people." Samuel listens to him, but Saul's religiosity is marked by such a profound disobedience to God that it renders ineffective the Word of God

WOORD VAN GOD ELKE DAG: DE KALENDER

Het gebed is het hart van het leven van de Gemeenschap van Sant’Egidio. Het is haar eerste “werk”. Aan het einde van de dag komt elke Gemeenschap, of die nu klein of groot is, samen bij de Heer om het Woord te beluisteren en zich tot Hem te richten in het gebed. De leerlingen kunnen niet anders dan aan de voeten van Jezus zitten, zoals Maria van Bethanië, om het “betere deel” te kiezen (Lc 10, 42) en van Hem zijn gezindheid te leren (vgl. Fil 2, 5).

Elke keer dat de Gemeenschap zich tot de Heer richt, maakt ze zich die vraag eigen van de anonieme leerling: “Heer, leer ons bidden!” (Lc 11, 1). En Jezus, meester in het gebed, antwoordt: “Wanneer jullie bidden, zeg dan: Abba, Vader”.

Wanneer we bidden, ook in de geslotenheid van ons eigen hart, zijn we nooit alleen of verweesd. Integendeel, we zijn leden van de familie van de Heer. In het gemeenschappelijk gebed wordt naast het mysterie van het kindschap, ook dat van de broederschap en zusterschap duidelijk.

De Gemeenschappen van Sant’Egidio, verspreid over de wereld, verzamelen zich op de verschillende plaatsen die gekozen zijn voor het gebed en brengen de hoop en het verdriet van de “uitgeputte en hulpeloze mensenmenigte” waarover het Evangelie spreekt (Mt 9, 37) bij de Heer. Deze oude menigte omvat de inwoners van onze hedendaagse steden, de armen die zich bevinden in de marge van het leven, en iedereen die wacht om als dagloner te worden aangenomen (vgl. Mt 20).

Het gemeenschappelijk gebed verzamelt de schreeuw, de hoop, het verlangen naar vrede, genezing, zin en redding, die beleefd worden door de mannen en vrouwen van deze wereld. Het gebed is nooit leeg. Het stijgt onophoudelijk op naar de Heer opdat verdriet verandert in vreugde, wanhoop in blijheid, angst in hoop, eenzaamheid in gemeenschap. En het rijk Gods zal spoedig temidden van de mensen komen.

WOORD VAN GOD ELKE DAG: DE KALENDER