The Gospel passage of today’s liturgy begins with a phrase from Jesus that leaves us astonished: “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven” (Mk13:24-25). But what now, even the Lord was a doomsdayer? No, this is certainly not his intention. He wants us to understand that, sooner or later, everything in this world passes. Even the sun, the moon and the stars that make up the “firmament” — a word that indicates “firmness”, “stability” — are destined to pass away.
In the end, however, Jesus says what does not fall: “Heaven and earth will pass away”, he says, “but my words will not pass away ” (v. 31). The Lord’s words will not pass away. He makes a distinction between the penultimate things, which pass, and the ultimate things, that remain. It is a message for us, to guide us in our important decisions in life, to guide us on what is worthy of investing our life in. In something transitory, or in the words of the Lord that remain forever? Obviously on these. But it is not easy. Indeed, the things that come before our senses and give us immediate satisfaction attract us, while the Lord’s words, although beautiful, go beyond the immediate and require patience. We are tempted to cling to what we see and touch and what seems safer to us. It is human, that is temptation. But it is a deception, because “heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away”. Here then, is the invitation: do not build your life on sand. When someone builds a house, they dig deep and lay a solid foundation. Only a fool would say that it is money wasted on something that cannot be seen. According to Jesus, the faithful disciple is the one who founds his life on the rock, which is his Word, which does not pass away (cf. Mt 7:24-27), on the firmness of the Word of Jesus: this is the foundation of the life that Jesus wants from us, and which will not pass away.
And now the question — when we read the Word of God, questions always arise — let us ask ourselves: what is the centre, what is the beating heart of the Word of God? In short, what is it that gives solidity to life, and will never end? Saint Paul tells us. The very centre, the beating heart, what gives solidity, is love: “Love never ends ” (1 Cor 13:8), says Saint Paul: love. Those who do good, are investing in eternity. When we see a person who is generous and helpful, meek, patient, who is not envious, does not gossip, who is not boastful, is not puffed-up with pride, who is not rude (cf. 1 Cor 13:4-7), this is a person who builds Heaven on earth. They may not be noticed or have a career, they will not make the news in the papers, and yet, what they do will not be lost because good is never lost, good lasts forever.
And we, brothers and sisters, let us ask ourselves: on what are we investing our lives? On things that pass, such as money, success, appearance, physical well-being? We will take away none of these things. Are we attached to earthly things, as if we were to live here forever? When we are young and healthy, everything is fine, but when the time comes to depart, we have to leave everything behind.
--->The Word of God warns us today: this world will pass away. And only love will remain. ---To base one’s life on the Word of God, therefore, is not an escape from history, but an immersion into earthly realities in order to make them solid, to transform them with love, imprinting on them the sign of eternity, the sign of God. Here then is some advice for making important choices. When I do not know what to do, how to make a definitive choice, an important decision, a decision that involves Jesus’ love, what must I do? Before deciding, let us imagine that we are standing in front of Jesus, as at the end of life, before he who is love. And imagining ourselves there, in his presence, at the threshold of eternity, we make the decision for today. We must decide in this way: always looking to eternity, looking at Jesus. It may not be the easiest, it may not be the most immediate, but it will be the right one (cf. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, 187), that is certain.
May Our Lady help us make the important choices in life as she did: according to love, according to God.
FAUSTS - "Then they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds." At this encounter with him the whole of history is led by the wise and patient hand of God. Creation is on its way to the revelation of the Son of Man, in whom every man is a son in communion with the Father. The end of the world is not the falling of everything into nothingness, but the fulfilment of every hope beyond and above all expectations, in a fullness that no one dares to imagine. The invocation of the believer: "Marana - thà: come, O Lord", lends voice to the groaning of all creation, which with aspiration from vertigo tends to Him, in whom, by means of which and in view of which everything has been done. For he is the life of all that exists (Jn 1:3-4). The end of the world is not something terrible. It is rather the most desired end, the desired goal. Paul hopes it will happen while he still lives. It is in fact the encounter between the bride, who cries out in the Spirit. "Come" and the bridegroom who guarantees: "Yes, I will come soon" (Revelation 22,17). These words of Jesus present the final picture of the cosmic event. At the centre is the coming of the Son of Man, who marks the end of the old world with his evil and the beginning of the new one, in communion with him... The Lord's glorious coming and his judgment is on three levels: the past, that of the cross, where everything is fulfilled (Jn 19:30); one present, that of our following, and one future, when all that is already done in him and in those who follow him will be done in him. The first coming, witnessed to by the Word, is the norm of faith, which makes us wait for the future in hope and live the present in love... At the end of the world will happen what happened in the death of Jesus, when the sun darkened the meridian and the very light of the world died and sank into darkness ... Then what happened on the cross will happen - the extreme lowering of the Most High. It will not be a secret thing, but a visible one. He manifests himself in the cloud, because, excessive light, only by veiling himself can it be revealed... The glory of God - the splendour of his essence, that for which he is himself - is merciful love. It will be manifested to all precisely on the cross. The apostles are sent as heralds of God's glory - angels of His judgment on history. The purpose of their mission is to gather around the Crucified One all the elect... "Heaven and earth will pass away. The scene of this world passes. But it is not destroyed. It is transfigured, shared in the glory of its children. His Word remains for ever, as does his faithfulness and love. (Ps 148 - 117). Only he, who says "Amen", is the stable rock on which to base his life. The Father knows the time of the return home of all his children. Indeed, the time has already come, and it is this time to which we are all invited. But why is it late in the summer, if the fig tree has already given its first fruits? The whole of history is no more than the time of God's patience. Peter says: "Before the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a single day. The Lord does not delay in fulfilling his promise, as some believe. But he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but that everyone should have a way of repenting" (2 Pt 3:8). For he wants all men to be saved and his house to be full, but how can a father's house be full if even one son is missing? In the Son of Man, who became a curse and a sin for us (Galatians 3:13-2 Cor 5:12), the last of his sons has already returned home. For this we must celebrate and rejoice (Luke 15:22). This is what we celebrate in the Eucharist
POPE FRANCIS
RispondiEliminaANGELUS 14 November 2021
Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!
The Gospel passage of today’s liturgy begins with a phrase from Jesus that leaves us astonished: “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven” (Mk13:24-25). But what now, even the Lord was a doomsdayer? No, this is certainly not his intention. He wants us to understand that, sooner or later, everything in this world passes. Even the sun, the moon and the stars that make up the “firmament” — a word that indicates “firmness”, “stability” — are destined to pass away.
In the end, however, Jesus says what does not fall: “Heaven and earth will pass away”, he says, “but my words will not pass away ” (v. 31). The Lord’s words will not pass away. He makes a distinction between the penultimate things, which pass, and the ultimate things, that remain. It is a message for us, to guide us in our important decisions in life, to guide us on what is worthy of investing our life in. In something transitory, or in the words of the Lord that remain forever? Obviously on these. But it is not easy. Indeed, the things that come before our senses and give us immediate satisfaction attract us, while the Lord’s words, although beautiful, go beyond the immediate and require patience. We are tempted to cling to what we see and touch and what seems safer to us. It is human, that is temptation. But it is a deception, because “heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away”. Here then, is the invitation: do not build your life on sand. When someone builds a house, they dig deep and lay a solid foundation. Only a fool would say that it is money wasted on something that cannot be seen. According to Jesus, the faithful disciple is the one who founds his life on the rock, which is his Word, which does not pass away (cf. Mt 7:24-27), on the firmness of the Word of Jesus: this is the foundation of the life that Jesus wants from us, and which will not pass away.
And now the question — when we read the Word of God, questions always arise — let us ask ourselves: what is the centre, what is the beating heart of the Word of God? In short, what is it that gives solidity to life, and will never end? Saint Paul tells us. The very centre, the beating heart, what gives solidity, is love: “Love never ends ” (1 Cor 13:8), says Saint Paul: love. Those who do good, are investing in eternity. When we see a person who is generous and helpful, meek, patient, who is not envious, does not gossip, who is not boastful, is not puffed-up with pride, who is not rude (cf. 1 Cor 13:4-7), this is a person who builds Heaven on earth. They may not be noticed or have a career, they will not make the news in the papers, and yet, what they do will not be lost because good is never lost, good lasts forever.
And we, brothers and sisters, let us ask ourselves: on what are we investing our lives? On things that pass, such as money, success, appearance, physical well-being? We will take away none of these things. Are we attached to earthly things, as if we were to live here forever? When we are young and healthy, everything is fine, but when the time comes to depart, we have to leave everything behind.
--->The Word of God warns us today: this world will pass away. And only love will remain. ---To base one’s life on the Word of God, therefore, is not an escape from history, but an immersion into earthly realities in order to make them solid, to transform them with love, imprinting on them the sign of eternity, the sign of God. Here then is some advice for making important choices. When I do not know what to do, how to make a definitive choice, an important decision, a decision that involves Jesus’ love, what must I do? Before deciding, let us imagine that we are standing in front of Jesus, as at the end of life, before he who is love. And imagining ourselves there, in his presence, at the threshold of eternity, we make the decision for today. We must decide in this way: always looking to eternity, looking at Jesus. It may not be the easiest, it may not be the most immediate, but it will be the right one (cf. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises, 187), that is certain.
EliminaMay Our Lady help us make the important choices in life as she did: according to love, according to God.
FAUSTS - "Then they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds." At this encounter with him the whole of history is led by the wise and patient hand of God.
RispondiEliminaCreation is on its way to the revelation of the Son of Man, in whom every man is a son in communion with the Father.
The end of the world is not the falling of everything into nothingness, but the fulfilment of every hope beyond and above all expectations, in a fullness that no one dares to imagine.
The invocation of the believer: "Marana - thà: come, O Lord", lends voice to the groaning of all creation, which with aspiration from vertigo tends to Him, in whom, by means of which and in view of which everything has been done.
For he is the life of all that exists (Jn 1:3-4).
The end of the world is not something terrible.
It is rather the most desired end, the desired goal. Paul hopes it will happen while he still lives. It is in fact the encounter between the bride, who cries out in the Spirit. "Come" and the bridegroom who guarantees: "Yes, I will come soon" (Revelation 22,17).
These words of Jesus present the final picture of the cosmic event.
At the centre is the coming of the Son of Man, who marks the end of the old world with his evil and the beginning of the new one, in communion with him...
The Lord's glorious coming and his judgment is on three levels: the past, that of the cross, where everything is fulfilled (Jn 19:30);
one present, that of our following, and one future, when all that is already done in him and in those who follow him will be done in him.
The first coming, witnessed to by the Word, is the norm of faith, which makes us wait for the future in hope and live the present in love...
At the end of the world will happen what happened in the death of Jesus, when the sun darkened the meridian and the very light of the world died and sank into darkness ... Then what happened on the cross will happen - the extreme lowering of the Most High. It will not be a secret thing, but a visible one.
He manifests himself in the cloud, because, excessive light, only by veiling himself can it be revealed...
The glory of God - the splendour of his essence, that for which he is himself - is merciful love.
It will be manifested to all precisely on the cross.
The apostles are sent as heralds of God's glory - angels of His judgment on history.
The purpose of their mission is to gather around the Crucified One all the elect...
"Heaven and earth will pass away. The scene of this world passes. But it is not destroyed. It is transfigured, shared in the glory of its children.
His Word remains for ever, as does his faithfulness and love. (Ps 148 - 117).
Only he, who says "Amen", is the stable rock on which to base his life.
The Father knows the time of the return home of all his children. Indeed, the time has already come, and it is this time to which we are all invited.
But why is it late in the summer, if the fig tree has already given its first fruits?
The whole of history is no more than the time of God's patience.
Peter says: "Before the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a single day. The Lord does not delay in fulfilling his promise, as some believe. But he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but that everyone should have a way of repenting" (2 Pt 3:8).
For he wants all men to be saved and his house to be full, but how can a father's house be full if even one son is missing?
In the Son of Man, who became a curse and a sin for us (Galatians 3:13-2 Cor 5:12), the last of his sons has already returned home.
For this we must celebrate and rejoice (Luke 15:22).
This is what we celebrate in the Eucharist
https://salmiognigiorno.blogspot.com/2024/07/salmo-16-b-c.html
RispondiElimina