Book of Wisdom 2,12.17-20. The wicked says: "Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, Reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training. Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him. For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes. With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience. Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him." Psalms 54(53 ,3-4.5.6.8. O God, by your name save me, And by your might defend my cause. O God, hear my prayer; Hearken to the words of my mouth.
For the haughty men have risen up against me, The ruthless seek my life; They set not God before their eyes.
Behold, God is my helper; The Lord sustains my life. Freely will I offer you sacrifice; I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness.
Letter of James 3,16-18.4,1-3. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace. Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not possess because you do not ask. You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 9,30-37. Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise." But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, "What were you arguing about on the way?" But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all." Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the one who sent me."
The Gospel of today’s Liturgy (Mk 9:30-37) narrates that, on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus’ disciples were discussing “with one another who was the greatest” (v. 34). So, Jesus directed harsh words toward them that are still valid today: “If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (v. 35). If you want to be first, you need to get in line, be last, and serve everyone. Through this shocking phrase, the Lord inaugurates a reversal: he overturns the criteria about what truly matters. The value of a person does not depend any more on the role they have, the work they do, the money they have in the bank. No, no, no, it does not depend on this. Greatness and success in God’s eyes are measured differently: they are measured by service. Not on what someone has, but on what someone gives. Do you want to be first? Serve. This is the way.
Today, the word “service” appears a bit hackneyed, worn out by use. But it has a precise and concrete meaning in the Gospel. To serve is not a courteous expression: it means to act like Jesus, who, summing up his life in a few words, said he had come “not to be served, but to serve” (Mk 10:45). This is what the Lord said. Therefore, if we want to follow Jesus, we must follow the path he himself traced out, the path of service. Our fidelity to the Lord depends on our willingness to serve. And we know this often costs, because “it tastes like a cross”. But, as our care and availability toward others grows, we become freer inside, more like Jesus. The more we serve, the more we are aware of God’s presence. Above all, when we serve those who cannot give anything in return, the poor, embracing their difficulties and needs with tender compassion: and we in turn discover God’s love and embrace there.
After having spoken of the primacy of service, Jesus does something precisely to illustrate this. We have seen that Jesus’ actions are stronger than the words he uses. And what is that action? He takes a child and puts him in the midst of the disciples, at the center, in the most important place (cf. v. 36). In the Gospel, the child does not symbolize innocence so much as littleness. For like children, the little ones depend on others, on adults, they need to receive. Jesus embraces those children and says that those who welcome a little one, a child, welcome him (cf. v. 37). The ones who are to be served above all are: those in need of receiving who cannot give anything in return. To serve those who need to receive and cannot give anything in return. In welcoming those on the margins, the neglected, we welcome Jesus because He is there. And in the little one, in the poor person we serve, we also receive God’s tender embrace.
Dear brothers and sisters, challenged by the Gospel, let us ask ourselves: Am I, who follow Jesus, interested in the one who is neglected? Or am I rather seeking personal gratification, like the disciples that day? Do I understand life in terms of competing to make room for myself at others’ expense, or do I believe that being first means serving? And, concretely: do I dedicate time to a “little one”, to a person who has no means to pay me back? Am I concerned about someone who cannot give me anything in return, or only with my relatives and friends? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves.
May the Virgin Mary, the humble servant of the Lord, help us understand that to serve does not belittle us, but helps us grow. And that there is more joy in giving than in receiving (cf. Acts 20:35).
immagini,omelie e preghiere17 settembre 2021 alle ore 03:08
FAUSTI - Jesus, in the position of the Master who teaches, calls the Twelve to show their true identity, which they will have to live and proclaim. It can be said that here Jesus gives the New Law, His Law. "If anyone wishes to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all," is a definition of Jesus, Who is first as last of all and servant of all. It becomes the fundamental norm of the new people. Jesus knows that everyone wants and must realize himself. That is why He gives the true norms. To the desire to excel in having, in power and in appearances illusory realization and real illusion of all, He replaces the desire to serve and welcome the little one. This is the greatness of God. Being love, He does not affirm Himself at the expense of the other, but promotes him at His own expense; He does not make use of the other, but serves him, considering him His all. Being poor, humble and small is the characteristic of God who became the Son of Man. The primacy of love supersedes that of selfishness. Freedom, which makes us similar to God, is to make us through love slaves of one another. Thus begins the instruction that follows the second prediction of the Passion . It will conclude with the similar statement . "Many of the first will be last and of the last the first".For the Son of Man came to serve and give his life for all. Minority and service are the sign of the Spirit of Christ. He offers His disciples this criterion of fulfillment as a healing from the thirst for protagonism, the principle of destruction. He, the last and servant of all, identifies himself with the child. The child is a need for acceptance, love and absolute respect. But this is the need that every man has to be happy. God Himself, by His nature, is pure acceptance, given and received, mutual love between Father and Son. The Name of Jesus, the Son, is the only place of Truth for man, who in Him is himself, that is, son. For this reason, there is no salvation in anyone else. Acting in His Name is the principle of Communion and Life. Acting in one's own name - personal or collective - is the principle of disintegration and death. Without love, one can also serve, out of simple self-affirmation or guilt. But one cannot welcome. To welcome is to deny oneself and affirm the other, to shrink in order to leave space for him, to let oneself be invaded and taken without invading and taking him. It is the very reality of God-Love, whose Life is the mutual acceptance between Father and Son. To welcome the little one in the name of the Son is to welcome the Father Himself: one enters into the Mystery of the Trinity. Minority", understood so well by Saint Francis, is the highest of human values, full revelation of the mystery of God. The model to which the disciple must aspire is not the worldly model of the struggle for domination. At the center of the new community Jesus places Himself and a child with whom He identifies Himself. The competition to be greater is replaced by competing in littleness and welcoming the little one. Jesus, the Son who knows the Father, proposes to us His smallness as a criterion for realization.
Book of Wisdom
RispondiElimina2,12.17-20.
The wicked says: "Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, Reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training.
Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put him to the test that we may have proof of his gentleness and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him."
Psalms 54(53
,3-4.5.6.8.
O God, by your name save me,
And by your might defend my cause.
O God, hear my prayer;
Hearken to the words of my mouth.
For the haughty men have risen up against me,
The ruthless seek my life;
They set not God before their eyes.
Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord sustains my life.
Freely will I offer you sacrifice;
I will praise your name, O LORD, for its goodness.
Letter of James
3,16-18.4,1-3.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.
Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members?
You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not possess because you do not ask.
You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint Mark
9,30-37.
Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise."
But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.
They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, "What were you arguing about on the way?"
But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them,
Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the one who sent me."
POPE FRANCIS
RispondiEliminaANGELUS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 19 September 2021
Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!
The Gospel of today’s Liturgy (Mk 9:30-37) narrates that, on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus’ disciples were discussing “with one another who was the greatest” (v. 34). So, Jesus directed harsh words toward them that are still valid today: “If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (v. 35). If you want to be first, you need to get in line, be last, and serve everyone. Through this shocking phrase, the Lord inaugurates a reversal: he overturns the criteria about what truly matters. The value of a person does not depend any more on the role they have, the work they do, the money they have in the bank. No, no, no, it does not depend on this. Greatness and success in God’s eyes are measured differently: they are measured by service. Not on what someone has, but on what someone gives. Do you want to be first? Serve. This is the way.
Today, the word “service” appears a bit hackneyed, worn out by use. But it has a precise and concrete meaning in the Gospel. To serve is not a courteous expression: it means to act like Jesus, who, summing up his life in a few words, said he had come “not to be served, but to serve” (Mk 10:45). This is what the Lord said. Therefore, if we want to follow Jesus, we must follow the path he himself traced out, the path of service. Our fidelity to the Lord depends on our willingness to serve. And we know this often costs, because “it tastes like a cross”. But, as our care and availability toward others grows, we become freer inside, more like Jesus. The more we serve, the more we are aware of God’s presence. Above all, when we serve those who cannot give anything in return, the poor, embracing their difficulties and needs with tender compassion: and we in turn discover God’s love and embrace there.
After having spoken of the primacy of service, Jesus does something precisely to illustrate this. We have seen that Jesus’ actions are stronger than the words he uses. And what is that action? He takes a child and puts him in the midst of the disciples, at the center, in the most important place (cf. v. 36). In the Gospel, the child does not symbolize innocence so much as littleness. For like children, the little ones depend on others, on adults, they need to receive. Jesus embraces those children and says that those who welcome a little one, a child, welcome him (cf. v. 37). The ones who are to be served above all are: those in need of receiving who cannot give anything in return. To serve those who need to receive and cannot give anything in return. In welcoming those on the margins, the neglected, we welcome Jesus because He is there. And in the little one, in the poor person we serve, we also receive God’s tender embrace.
Dear brothers and sisters, challenged by the Gospel, let us ask ourselves: Am I, who follow Jesus, interested in the one who is neglected? Or am I rather seeking personal gratification, like the disciples that day? Do I understand life in terms of competing to make room for myself at others’ expense, or do I believe that being first means serving? And, concretely: do I dedicate time to a “little one”, to a person who has no means to pay me back? Am I concerned about someone who cannot give me anything in return, or only with my relatives and friends? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves.
May the Virgin Mary, the humble servant of the Lord, help us understand that to serve does not belittle us, but helps us grow. And that there is more joy in giving than in receiving (cf. Acts 20:35).
immagini,omelie e preghiere17 settembre 2021 alle ore 03:08
RispondiEliminaFAUSTI - Jesus, in the position of the Master who teaches,
calls the Twelve to show their true identity, which they will have to live and proclaim.
It can be said that here Jesus gives the New Law, His Law. "If anyone wishes to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all," is a definition of Jesus, Who is first as last of all and servant of all.
It becomes the fundamental norm of the new people.
Jesus knows that everyone wants and must realize himself.
That is why He gives the true norms.
To the desire to excel in having, in power and in appearances
illusory realization and real illusion of all,
He replaces the desire to serve and welcome the little one.
This is the greatness of God.
Being love, He does not affirm Himself at the expense of the other, but promotes him at His own expense; He does not make use of the other, but serves him, considering him His all.
Being poor, humble and small is the characteristic of God who became the Son of Man.
The primacy of love supersedes that of selfishness.
Freedom, which makes us similar to God, is to make us through love slaves of one another.
Thus begins the instruction that follows the second prediction of the Passion .
It will conclude with the similar statement . "Many of the first will be last and of the last the first".For the Son of Man came to serve and give his life for all.
Minority and service are the sign of the Spirit of Christ.
He offers His disciples this criterion of fulfillment as a healing from the thirst for protagonism, the principle of destruction.
He, the last and servant of all, identifies himself with the child.
The child is a need for acceptance, love and absolute respect.
But this is the need that every man has to be happy.
God Himself, by His nature, is pure acceptance, given and received, mutual love between Father and Son.
The Name of Jesus, the Son, is the only place of Truth for man, who in Him is himself, that is, son.
For this reason, there is no salvation in anyone else.
Acting in His Name is the principle of Communion and Life.
Acting in one's own name - personal or collective - is the principle of disintegration and death.
Without love, one can also serve, out of simple self-affirmation or guilt.
But one cannot welcome.
To welcome is to deny oneself and affirm the other, to shrink in order to leave space for him, to let oneself be invaded and taken without invading and taking him. It is the very reality of God-Love, whose Life is the mutual acceptance between Father and Son.
To welcome the little one in the name of the Son is to welcome the Father Himself: one enters into the Mystery of the Trinity.
Minority", understood so well by Saint Francis, is the highest of human values,
full revelation of the mystery of God.
The model to which the disciple must aspire is not the worldly model of the struggle for domination.
At the center of the new community Jesus places Himself and a child with whom He identifies Himself.
The competition to be greater is replaced by competing in littleness and welcoming the little one.
Jesus, the Son who knows the Father, proposes to us His smallness as a criterion for realization.