FAUSTI - Nicodemus calls Jesus "Master". He is not a simple colleague: he knows that He came from God, like Moses, and, seeing the signs that He makes, he concludes that God is with Him. He recognizes Him as Master and Messiah, authenticated by God. Jesus leads Nicodemus beyond the law up to the very source of life: to the gift of the new heart and the new spirit of which the prophets speak, which the Pharisee also knows. Entering the Kingdom of God is not the work of man, but a gift of God. In this Kingdom of freedom they enter not those who try to win it , but who's willing to be a son, who becomes like a child, and the son in the Son. The Baptism of Jesus, as well as in water - which in John is the symbol of life - (4,14 - 7,37 - 19,34) - will be in the Spirit, which is the divine fire of Love. In fact, one exists as a person when he is loved. He is born from the wound of the heart of those who accept him and let him enter in heart, loving him as he is, distinct from themselves. One comes to the full light when he ,himself, loves. The words of Jesus to Nicodemus are intended to bring in us that passage to the new heart, required by the law and promised by the prophets we see well described (Philippians 3) by Paul who recounts his experience as a man of the law that meets the Lord. "What is generated by the flesh is flesh..." Flesh, in opposition to spirit, indicates what unites us to the earth: the weak, corruptible and mortal element. Spirit, on the other hand, is what binds us to God: the perennial force of the vital principle. From the beginning, man has been made up of clay and the divine breath (Gen 2:4), of earth and of heaven. The earth can only live on heaven. Jesus calls "earthly things" what He said about the birth of the flesh and the need for a birth from the Spirit. In fact, the law and the prophets speak of it, called earthlings, because they are witnesses of that light which has always been present in the creation and history of Israel. They give voice to the desire of the Spirit that is in every man. If one does not believe to this voice, one does not believe in the Word, which reveals heavenly things to us. The law in fact is not in heaven, but close to every man, but heavenly things are revealed by the Son, descended from heaven. Jesus wants to open Nicodemus, master of the law, to the gift of the Spirit, which the man of the earth does not understand. In Him we know the truth of God and ours. He loves us and we are the love He has for us. Looking to the One we have pierced (19:37) at the foot of the cross, we discover this truth that makes us free (8:32) and we are born from on high "We have recognized and believed in the lLove that God has for us. In fact, "God is Love" (1 Jn 4:16). "To give the Only Begotten Son" , God has given to us the Son, because only in Him, who loves as He is loved, so we see our identity as children of the Father: "Not to judge the world, but so that the world may be saved through Him". The Son has the same judgment as the Father. He comes with the scourge into the temple not to judge or condemn the sinful world. He came to save it precisely by "purifying" the Temple, by deceiving with His Cross the diabolical image that man has of God and of himself. In Him raised we have the true knowledge of Him and of ourselves, which the mouth of the serpent had taken away from us. To adhere to Him is true holiness and justice: it is to live of the Son and as sons, to share in the common Glory of the Father and the Son. For Nicodemus, as for all, the labor that brings to light is slow. To come to the truth is a path of progressive liberation, of small steps... And the Word itself does it.
Reading of the day A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 5:17-26
The high priest rose up and all his companions, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and, filled with jealousy, laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, "Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life." When they heard this, they went to the temple early in the morning and taught. When the high priest and his companions arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin, the full senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the jail to have them brought in. But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison, so they came back and reported, "We found the jail securely locked and the guards stationed outside the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside." When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were at a loss about them, as to what this would come to. Then someone came in and reported to them, "The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area and are teaching the people." Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them, but without force, because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
Gospel of the day From the Gospel according to John 3:16-21
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
The words of the Popes “God so loved the world that he gave his Only-Begotten Son”. This is one of the central verses of the Gospel. The subject is God the Father, origin of the whole creating and redeeming mystery. The verbs “to love” and “to give” indicate a decisive and definitive act that expresses the radicalism with which God approached man in love, even to the total gift, crossing the threshold of our ultimate solitude, throwing himself into the abyss of our extreme abandonment, going beyond the door of death. The object and beneficiary of divine love is the world, namely, humanity. It is a word that erases completely the idea of a distant God alien to man's journey and reveals, rather, his true face. He gave us his Son out of love, to be the near God, to make us feel his presence, to come to meet us and carry us in his love so that the whole of life might be enlivened by this divine love. The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give life. God does not domineer but loves without measure. He does not express his omnipotence in punishment, but in mercy and in forgiveness. Understanding all this means entering into the mystery of salvation. Jesus came to save, not to condemn; with the sacrifice of the Cross he reveals the loving face of God. (Pope Benedict XVI, Homily, 4 November 2010)
FAUSTI - Nicodemus calls Jesus "Master". He is not a simple colleague: he knows that He came from God, like Moses, and, seeing the signs that He makes, he concludes that God is with Him.
RispondiEliminaHe recognizes Him as Master and Messiah, authenticated by God.
Jesus leads Nicodemus beyond the law up to the very source of life: to the gift of the new heart and the new spirit of which the prophets speak, which the Pharisee also knows.
Entering the Kingdom of God is not the work of man, but a gift of God.
In this Kingdom of freedom
they enter not those who try to win it ,
but who's willing to be a son,
who becomes like a child,
and the son in the Son.
The Baptism of Jesus, as well as in water - which in John is the symbol of life - (4,14 - 7,37 - 19,34) - will be in the Spirit, which is the divine fire of Love.
In fact, one exists as a person when he is loved. He is born from the wound of the heart of those who accept him and let him enter in heart, loving him as he is, distinct from themselves.
One comes to the full light when he ,himself, loves. The words of Jesus to Nicodemus are intended to bring in us that passage to the new heart, required by the law and promised by the prophets we see well described (Philippians 3) by Paul who recounts his experience as a man of the law that meets the Lord.
"What is generated by the flesh is flesh..." Flesh, in opposition to spirit, indicates what unites us to the earth: the weak, corruptible and mortal element.
Spirit, on the other hand, is what binds us to God: the perennial force of the vital principle.
From the beginning, man has been made up of clay and the divine breath (Gen 2:4), of earth and of heaven.
The earth can only live on heaven.
Jesus calls "earthly things" what He said about the birth of the flesh and the need for a birth from the Spirit. In fact, the law and the prophets speak of it, called earthlings, because they are witnesses of that light which has always been present in the creation and history of Israel.
They give voice to the desire of the Spirit that is in every man. If one does not believe to this voice, one does not believe in the Word, which reveals heavenly things to us.
The law in fact is not in heaven, but close to every man, but heavenly things are revealed by the Son, descended from heaven. Jesus wants to open Nicodemus, master of the law, to the gift of the Spirit, which the man of the earth does not understand.
In Him we know the truth of God and ours. He loves us and we are the love He has for us.
Looking to the One we have pierced (19:37) at the foot of the cross, we discover this truth that makes us free (8:32) and we are born from on high
"We have recognized and believed in the lLove that God has for us.
In fact, "God is Love" (1 Jn 4:16).
"To give the Only Begotten Son" , God has given to us the Son, because only in Him, who loves as He is loved, so we see our identity as children of the Father: "Not to judge the world, but so that the world may be saved through Him". The Son has the same judgment as the Father.
He comes with the scourge into the temple not to judge or condemn the sinful world. He came to save it precisely by "purifying" the Temple, by deceiving with His Cross the diabolical image that man has of God and of himself. In Him raised we have the true knowledge of Him and of ourselves, which the mouth of the serpent had taken away from us. To adhere to Him is true holiness and justice: it is to live of the Son and as sons, to share in the common Glory of the Father and the Son.
For Nicodemus, as for all, the labor that brings to light is slow. To come to the truth is a path of progressive liberation, of small steps... And the Word itself does it.
Reading of the day
RispondiEliminaA reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 5:17-26
The high priest rose up and all his companions,
that is, the party of the Sadducees,
and, filled with jealousy,
laid hands upon the Apostles and put them in the public jail.
But during the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
led them out, and said,
"Go and take your place in the temple area,
and tell the people everything about this life."
When they heard this,
they went to the temple early in the morning and taught.
When the high priest and his companions arrived,
they convened the Sanhedrin,
the full senate of the children of Israel,
and sent to the jail to have them brought in.
But the court officers who went did not find them in the prison,
so they came back and reported,
"We found the jail securely locked
and the guards stationed outside the doors,
but when we opened them, we found no one inside."
When the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report,
they were at a loss about them,
as to what this would come to.
Then someone came in and reported to them,
"The men whom you put in prison are in the temple area
and are teaching the people."
Then the captain and the court officers went and brought them,
but without force,
because they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
Gospel of the day
From the Gospel according to John
3:16-21
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light,
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light,
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
The words of the Popes
“God so loved the world that he gave his Only-Begotten Son”. This is one of the central verses of the Gospel. The subject is God the Father, origin of the whole creating and redeeming mystery. The verbs “to love” and “to give” indicate a decisive and definitive act that expresses the radicalism with which God approached man in love, even to the total gift, crossing the threshold of our ultimate solitude, throwing himself into the abyss of our extreme abandonment, going beyond the door of death. The object and beneficiary of divine love is the world, namely, humanity. It is a word that erases completely the idea of a distant God alien to man's journey and reveals, rather, his true face. He gave us his Son out of love, to be the near God, to make us feel his presence, to come to meet us and carry us in his love so that the whole of life might be enlivened by this divine love. The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give life. God does not domineer but loves without measure. He does not express his omnipotence in punishment, but in mercy and in forgiveness. Understanding all this means entering into the mystery of salvation. Jesus came to save, not to condemn; with the sacrifice of the Cross he reveals the loving face of God.
(Pope Benedict XVI, Homily, 4 November 2010)
PSALM 93 https://salmiognigiorno.blogspot.com/2025/01/salmo-93-magnificenza-e-gloria-di-dio-b.html
RispondiElimina