Memorial of Pope Saint Callixtus (+222). He was a friend to the poor and founded the house of prayer on which later would be built Santa Maria in Trastevere. Lees meer
Memorial of Pope Saint Callixtus (+222). He was a friend to the poor and founded the house of prayer on which later would be built Santa Maria in Trastevere.
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
Luke 11,47-54
'Alas for you because you build tombs for the prophets, the people your ancestors killed! In this way you both witness to what your ancestors did and approve it; they did the killing, you do the building. 'And that is why the Wisdom of God said, "I will send them prophets and apostles; some they will slaughter and persecute, so that this generation will have to answer for every prophet's blood that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the Temple." Yes, I tell you, this generation will have to answer for it all. 'Alas for you lawyers who have taken away the key of knowledge! You have not gone in yourselves and have prevented others from going in who wanted to.' When he left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began a furious attack on him and tried to force answers from him on innumerable questions, lying in wait to catch him out in something he might say.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
We must listen carefully to these words of Jesus, knowing that each one is called to be responsible for the other. It is a duty of the ones and a right of the others. In this sense there is a "generational" co-responsibility; no one can say that we are foreign to what happens in the time in which we are given to live. The Gospel must be lived in the history we are living to ferment it with the leaven of fraternity and make it wise with the salt of mercy. There is a co-responsibility of the Church and individual believers to communicate the Gospel of all time with the language that their generation understands. Each one, in his or her own way, is therefore co-responsible for those close to him or her and the growth of love in the society in which they live. Jesus' disciples must also feel co-responsible for the growth of evil in the world. And the first responsibility is to not listen attentively to the Word of God and also to despise the prophets whom the Lord continues to send into the world today. We will be charged for the weakening of prophecy and inattention to the prophets sent to us by the Lord. We could risk even greater guilt than the scribes and Pharisees: how many prophets and martyrs in the last century have witnessed the primacy of God to death! And are they not there also in our days? We have received many testimonies, we have had many gifts, we have had loving and good brothers and sisters with us. They have opened for us the way of the Gospel of love. The Lord asks us not to get stuck focusing on ourselves, but to let ourselves be guided on the path of the change of heart and transformation of the world.
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.
