FAUSTI: Jesus spoke of Himself as the Bread that came down from heaven: eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood makes us live of His Love for the Father and for our brothers and sisters. Now that it has been revealed to the full, he asks to join him. But he finds the wall of disbelief not only among the Jews, but also among the disciples. They were caught up in a crisis that led many to turn away from Him. The scandal, which the disciples suffered in the synagogue of Capernaum, anticipated what they would suffer on Good Friday, when they saw Him raised. His words, which we consider harsh and unacceptable, actually give us the breath of God and open us to His Life: they are words of eternal life, as Simon Peter would say ( 68). Whoever accepts His Word as Son has the gift of God's Spirit and Life. "The words I have said to you are Spirit and are Life"(6,63). Life comes from the Spirit, not from the flesh, which is alive only through the Spirit. Only those who are sufficiently free from selfishness and fear, are able to open themselves to words of love and trust. Jesus reaffirms that believing in the Son is a gift from the Father. This gift is offered to all his children. If this were not the case, God would not be the Father of all and Jesus would not be the Son, for whom everything was created. Unbelief is the great mystery of man's freedom, who, slave to ignorance and the vice that follows, is incapable of responding to love with love. For this reason, the Son, who knows the Father, will bear the evil of the world on the cross. Many of his disciples, not only some, do not believe, because they find the Word hard and scandalous. Instead of going after Jesus, they draw back from Him. They reverse the direction of their lives and no longer walk "with Him": they distance themselves from the company of the Son, abandon their own truth and return to darkness. This crisis caught many of those who initially followed Him with enthusiasm, until they saw that he did not realize their expectations. The same crisis, even inadvertently, takes every disciple who does not live what he celebrates in the Eucharist. The Eucharist in fact can be a pure memory of the Lord without doing what He did. For this reason, at the Last Supper, John will not recount the institution of the Eucharist, but rather the washing of the feet (13,1...) to show what it means for everyday life. The Twelve are distinct from the other disciples. Jesus asks if they also want to abandon Him. It is not that he wants to provoke a crisis: instead he provokes them to recognize it, to resolve it. The greatest betrayals are consumed in unconsciousness: evil is the bitter fruit of the sweet sleep of oblivion. Peter's answer, on behalf of the Twelve, is an adherence of faith. Peter adheres to him and to his promise of life, even if he does not understand it and shares the way it is done. He truly loved Jesus and his words, even if he didn't understand them. His is a beginning of faith, which will be completed in the following experience, through escapes and denials. Only afterwards will he understand who Jesus is and what his words mean.
From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John 6,60-69. At that time, many of Jesus' disciples said, "This language is hard; who can understand it?". Knowing within himself that his disciples were murmuring about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this scandalize you? And if you saw the Son of Man go up where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh is of no use; the words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who were those who did not believe and who was he who would betray him. And he continued: "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me, unless he is granted it by my Father". Since then, many of his disciples have backed down and never went with him again. Then Jesus said to the Twelve: "Maybe you also want to leave?". Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life; We have believed and known that you are the Holy One of God.
AnswerDelete
Pictures, homilies and prayers26 August 2018 00:08
XXI Sunday of Ordinary Time
Book of Joshua 24,1-2a.15-17.18b. Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together in Shechem and summoned the elders of Israel, the chiefs, the judges and the scribes of the people, who came before God. Joshua said to all the people, "Say the Lord, God of Israel, Your fathers, like Terach, father of Abraham and father of Nachor, dwelt beyond the river in ancient times and served other gods. If you are sorry to serve the Lord, choose today who you want to serve: whether the gods that your fathers served across the river or the gods of the Amorèi, in the land of which you live. As for me and my house, we want to serve the Lord. Then the people answered and said, "Far from us abandoning the Lord to serve other gods! For the Lord our God hath brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the state of servitude, he hath performed those great miracles before our eyes, and hath protected us throughout the journey which we have made, and among all the nations among which we have passed. The Lord hath cast out before us all these peoples, and the Amorites that dwelt in the land. Therefore we also wish to serve the Lord, for He is our God.
Psalm 34(33),2-3.16-17.18-19.20-21.22-23. I will bless the Lord at all times, on my mouth always his praise. I glory in the Lord, listen to the humble and rejoice.
The eyes of the Lord on the righteous, his ears to their cry for help. The face of the Lord against evildoers, to erase the memory of it from the ground.
They scream and the Lord listens to them, saves them from all their anguish. The Lord is close to those who have their hearts wounded, he saves the troubled spirits.
There are many misfortunes of the righteous, but the Lord frees him from all things. He preserves all his bones, one of them won't be broken.
Mischief kills the ungodly and whoever hates the right will be punished. The Lord redeems the lives of his servants, whoever takes refuge in him will not be condemned.
Letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians 5:21-32. Brothers, be subject to one another in fear of Christ. their husbands in all things. And you, husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her, to make her holy, purifying her by means of the wash of water accompanied by the word, That he might appear before his church all glorious, without spot or wrinkle, or anything like that, but holy and immaculate. So also husbands have the duty to love wives as their own bodies, because whoever loves his wife loves himself. No one has ever hated their own flesh; on the contrary, they nourish and care for it, as Christ does with the Church, for we are members of his body. For this reason, the man will leave his father and mother and join his woman, and the two will form one flesh. The husband is in fact the head of his wife, just as Christ is also the head of the Church, he who is the savior of his body. And just as the Church is subject to Christ, so too should wives be subject to their husbands in all things. And you, husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her, to make her holy, purifying her by means of the wash of water accompanied by the word, That he might appear before his church all glorious, without spot or wrinkle, or anything like that, but holy and immaculate. So also husbands have the duty to love wives as their own bodies, because whoever loves his wife loves himself. No one has ever hated their own flesh; on the contrary, they nourish and care n, the man will leave his father and mother and join his woman, and the two will form one flesh. This mystery is great; I say this in reference to Christ and the Church!for it, as Christ does with the Church,This mystery is great; I say this in reference to Christ and the Church!Let wives be submitted to their husbands as to the Lord; The husband is in fact the head of his wife, just as Christ is also the head of the Church, he who is the savior of his body. And just as the Church is subject to Christ, so too should wives be subject to their husbands in all things. And you, husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her, to make her holy, purifying her by means of the wash of water accompanied by the word, That he might appear before his church all glorious, without spot or wrinkle, or anything like that, but holy and immaculate. So also husbands have the duty to love wives as their own bodies, because whoever loves his wife loves himself. No one has ever hated their own flesh; on the contrary, they nourish and care n, the man will leave his father and mother and join his woman, and the two will form one flesh. This mystery is great; I say this in reference to Christ and the Church!for it, as Christ does with the Church, for we are members of his body.
FAUSTI: Jesus spoke of Himself as the Bread that came down from heaven: eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood makes us live of His Love for the Father and for our brothers and sisters. Now that it has been revealed to the full, he asks to join him. But he finds the wall of disbelief not only among the Jews, but also among the disciples.
RispondiEliminaThey were caught up in a crisis that led many to turn away from Him.
The scandal, which the disciples suffered in the synagogue of Capernaum, anticipated what they would suffer on Good Friday, when they saw Him raised.
His words, which we consider harsh and unacceptable, actually give us the breath of God and open us to His Life: they are words of eternal life, as Simon Peter would say ( 68).
Whoever accepts His Word as Son has the gift of God's Spirit and Life.
"The words I have said to you are Spirit and are Life"(6,63).
Life comes from the Spirit, not from the flesh, which is alive only through the Spirit.
Only those who are sufficiently free from selfishness and fear, are able to open themselves to words of love and trust. Jesus reaffirms that believing in the Son is a gift from the Father.
This gift is offered to all his children. If this were not the case, God would not be the Father of all and Jesus would not be the Son, for whom everything was created.
Unbelief is the great mystery of man's freedom, who, slave to ignorance and the vice that follows, is incapable of responding to love with love.
For this reason, the Son, who knows the Father, will bear the evil of the world on the cross.
Many of his disciples, not only some, do not believe, because they find the Word hard and scandalous.
Instead of going after Jesus, they draw back from Him. They reverse the direction of their lives and no longer walk "with Him": they distance themselves from the company of the Son, abandon their own truth and return to darkness.
This crisis caught many of those who initially followed Him with enthusiasm, until they saw that he did not realize their expectations.
The same crisis, even inadvertently, takes every disciple who does not live what he celebrates in the Eucharist.
The Eucharist in fact can be a pure memory of the Lord without doing what He did.
For this reason, at the Last Supper, John will not recount the institution of the Eucharist, but rather the washing of the feet (13,1...) to show what it means for everyday life.
The Twelve are distinct from the other disciples. Jesus asks if they also want to abandon Him.
It is not that he wants to provoke a crisis: instead he provokes them to recognize it, to resolve it.
The greatest betrayals are consumed in unconsciousness: evil is the bitter fruit of the sweet sleep of oblivion.
Peter's answer, on behalf of the Twelve, is an adherence of faith.
Peter adheres to him and to his promise of life, even if he does not understand it and shares the way it is done.
He truly loved Jesus and his words, even if he didn't understand them.
His is a beginning of faith, which will be completed in the following experience, through escapes and denials.
Only afterwards will he understand who Jesus is and what his words mean.
From the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John 6,60-69.
RispondiEliminaAt that time, many of Jesus' disciples said, "This language is hard; who can understand it?".
Knowing within himself that his disciples were murmuring about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this scandalize you?
And if you saw the Son of Man go up where he was before?
It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh is of no use; the words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who were those who did not believe and who was he who would betray him.
And he continued: "For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me, unless he is granted it by my Father".
Since then, many of his disciples have backed down and never went with him again.
Then Jesus said to the Twelve: "Maybe you also want to leave?".
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life;
We have believed and known that you are the Holy One of God.
AnswerDelete
Pictures, homilies and prayers26 August 2018 00:08
XXI Sunday of Ordinary Time
Book of Joshua 24,1-2a.15-17.18b.
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel together in Shechem and summoned the elders of Israel, the chiefs, the judges and the scribes of the people, who came before God.
Joshua said to all the people, "Say the Lord, God of Israel, Your fathers, like Terach, father of Abraham and father of Nachor, dwelt beyond the river in ancient times and served other gods.
If you are sorry to serve the Lord, choose today who you want to serve: whether the gods that your fathers served across the river or the gods of the Amorèi, in the land of which you live. As for me and my house, we want to serve the Lord.
Then the people answered and said, "Far from us abandoning the Lord to serve other gods!
For the Lord our God hath brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the state of servitude, he hath performed those great miracles before our eyes, and hath protected us throughout the journey which we have made, and among all the nations among which we have passed.
The Lord hath cast out before us all these peoples, and the Amorites that dwelt in the land. Therefore we also wish to serve the Lord, for He is our God.
Psalm 34(33),2-3.16-17.18-19.20-21.22-23.
I will bless the Lord at all times,
on my mouth always his praise.
I glory in the Lord,
listen to the humble and rejoice.
The eyes of the Lord on the righteous,
his ears to their cry for help.
The face of the Lord against evildoers,
to erase the memory of it from the ground.
They scream and the Lord listens to them,
saves them from all their anguish.
The Lord is close to those who have their hearts wounded,
he saves the troubled spirits.
There are many misfortunes of the righteous,
but the Lord frees him from all things.
He preserves all his bones,
one of them won't be broken.
Mischief kills the ungodly
and whoever hates the right will be punished.
The Lord redeems the lives of his servants,
whoever takes refuge in him will not be condemned.
RispondiEliminaLetter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians 5:21-32.
Brothers, be subject to one another in fear of Christ.
their husbands in all things.
And you, husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her,
to make her holy, purifying her by means of the wash of water accompanied by the word,
That he might appear before his church all glorious, without spot or wrinkle, or anything like that, but holy and immaculate.
So also husbands have the duty to love wives as their own bodies, because whoever loves his wife loves himself.
No one has ever hated their own flesh; on the contrary, they nourish and care for it, as Christ does with the Church,
for we are members of his body.
For this reason, the man will leave his father and mother and join his woman, and the two will form one flesh.
The husband is in fact the head of his wife, just as Christ is also the head of the Church, he who is the savior of his body.
And just as the Church is subject to Christ, so too should wives be subject to their husbands in all things.
And you, husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her,
to make her holy, purifying her by means of the wash of water accompanied by the word,
That he might appear before his church all glorious, without spot or wrinkle, or anything like that, but holy and immaculate.
So also husbands have the duty to love wives as their own bodies, because whoever loves his wife loves himself.
No one has ever hated their own flesh; on the contrary, they nourish and care n, the man will leave his father and mother and join his woman, and the two will form one flesh.
This mystery is great; I say this in reference to Christ and the Church!for it, as Christ does with the Church,This mystery is great; I say this in reference to Christ and the Church!Let wives be submitted to their husbands as to the Lord;
The husband is in fact the head of his wife, just as Christ is also the head of the Church, he who is the savior of his body.
And just as the Church is subject to Christ, so too should wives be subject to their husbands in all things.
And you, husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her,
to make her holy, purifying her by means of the wash of water accompanied by the word,
That he might appear before his church all glorious, without spot or wrinkle, or anything like that, but holy and immaculate.
So also husbands have the duty to love wives as their own bodies, because whoever loves his wife loves himself.
No one has ever hated their own flesh; on the contrary, they nourish and care n, the man will leave his father and mother and join his woman, and the two will form one flesh.
This mystery is great; I say this in reference to Christ and the Church!for it, as Christ does with the Church,
for we are members of his body.