FAUSTI - Those who do not love Jesus do not observe His words. For this reason he ignores the Son sent by the Father to reveal His Love for us. The period in which He has dwelt with us is the centre and summit of time. Through the proclamation of the Gospel, each time enters that time, in which God reveals Himself in a definitive and normative way. The Spirit of Love will teach us and imprint the Son in our hearts. God, who was with us first in the Law and then among us in the flesh of the Son, will be in us through His Spirit. The Holy Spirit, Who is Love, will make us understand all that the Son has told us. Love, as it makes us understand, thus makes us remind, carry in our hearts, all that Jesus said, because we can live of it. Jesus said and gave everything. The Holy Spirit will not add anything to what He has revealed and given; instead, He will make the mystery of the Son and the Father enter ever more deeply into us, with a Love that makes us know and a knowledge that makes love. Peace is the gift that contains every other gift. Peace is only for those who have found what they seek and obtained what they desire. Jesus, leaving, leaves us peace, gives us His peace, it is Messianic peace, the fullness of every blessing. Peace for the world is the interval between two wars. It lasts until the winner can impose himself and the conquered cannot rebel. It is the pax romana, fruit of weapons, that the world has always known, and it seems that it does not yet know a different one.
This is not the peace that Jesus leaves to us. But it is not even the peace of the Stoic, who remains courageous even if the world collapses on him. Nor is it the pernicious pax of those who live peacefully as slaves of selfishness, either their own or those of others. The peace of Jesus is born of a love stronger than death; it is the peace of the Risen Crucified One, which makes us co-citizens of the Saints and family members of God. The leaving of Jesus does not leave a void full of fear and discouragement; it is in fact His being forever in us with His Love. "I leave and come to you": Jesus once again reassures His own, saying that His leaving is a coming to us in a new way. Whoever loves Jesus rejoices for His return to the Father. He sees the Cross as the fulfillment of Love. Jesus enters into darkness to enlighten it. He gives His Life to those who steal it from Him. So "the world" that rejects Him because has not seen Him or known Him, can finally know how much God loves all and be drawn to Him. Father's command for the Son is to expose, dispose and lay down one's Life for the benefit of one's brothers and sisters. Jesus says: "No one takes it away from me, but I lay it away from myself. I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to take it again. This command taken from my Father"(10,18). The cross, now imminent, is the free action of the Son, who carries out the command of Love of the Father and reveals the glory of God. "Awake, let us go from here" are the same words that Jesus says before being arrested (Mark 14:42). The Lord tells the disciples to awaken. Through the command of love, He associates them with His leaving from this world to the Father. With these words, Jesus' speech symbolically comes out of Cenacle and is projected out, into space and time. It is addressed to the future community which, as a branch united to the vine, will prolong in the world the fruitful Presence of its Lord. "The Father is greater than Me". The Son and the Father are equal. The Father is greater in two ways: first because He is the origin of the Son, second because He Who loves considers the Beloved more than Himself. Here, being the Son who speaks, He affirms the greatness of the Father. The Word of Jesus anticipates the event because, when it happens, we can read it in Its Light. Then we will believe that He is the Lord of history: He knows what He does and does what He knows, directing everything according to His Love for us. (Ez 33:33).
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 14:5-18
There was an attempt in Iconium by both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their leaders, to attack and stone Paul and Barnabas. They realized it, and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside, where they continued to proclaim the Good News.
At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth, who had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him, saw that he had the faith to be healed, and called out in a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet.” He jumped up and began to walk about. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they cried out in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in human form.” They called Barnabas “Zeus” and Paul “Hermes,” because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice.
The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, “Men, why are you doing this? We are of the same nature as you, human beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways; yet, in bestowing his goodness, he did not leave himself without witness, for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts.” Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.
Gospel of the day From the Gospel according to John 14:21-26
Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name -- he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”
The words of the Popes Jesus says in today’s Gospel: “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (v. 21). So, love introduces us to the knowledge of Jesus, thanks to the action of this “Advocate” that Jesus sent, that is, the Holy Spirit. Love for God and neighbour is the greatest commandment of the Gospel. The Lord today calls us to respond generously to the Gospel’s call to love, placing God at the centre of our lives and dedicating ourselves to the service of our brothers and sisters, especially those most in need of support and consolation. If ever there is an attitude that is never easy, even for a Christian community, it is precisely how to love oneself, to love after the Lord’s example and with his grace. (…) We have to learn the art of loving every day. Listen to this: every day we must learn the art of loving; every day we must patiently follow the school of Christ. Every day we must forgive and look to Jesus, and do this with the help of this “Advocate”, of this Counsellor whom Jesus has sent to us that is the Holy Spirit. (Pope Francis, Regina Caeli, 21 May 2017)
FAUSTI - Those who do not love Jesus do not observe His words.
RispondiEliminaFor this reason he ignores the Son sent by the Father to reveal His Love for us.
The period in which He has dwelt with us is the centre and summit of time.
Through the proclamation of the Gospel, each time enters that time, in which God reveals Himself in a definitive and normative way.
The Spirit of Love will teach us and imprint the Son in our hearts.
God, who was with us first in the Law and then among us in the flesh of the Son, will be in us through His Spirit. The Holy Spirit, Who is Love, will make us understand all that the Son has told us.
Love, as it makes us understand, thus makes us remind, carry in our hearts, all that Jesus said,
because we can live of it.
Jesus said and gave everything. The Holy Spirit will not add anything to what He has revealed and given; instead, He will make the mystery of the Son and the Father enter ever more deeply into us, with a Love that makes us know and a knowledge that makes love.
Peace is the gift that contains every other gift.
Peace is only for those who have found what they seek and obtained what they desire.
Jesus, leaving, leaves us peace, gives us His peace, it is Messianic peace, the fullness of every blessing.
Peace for the world is the interval between two wars. It lasts until the winner can impose himself and the conquered cannot rebel.
It is the pax romana, fruit of weapons, that the world has always known, and it seems that it does not yet know a different one.
This is not the peace that Jesus leaves to us. But it is not even the peace of the Stoic, who remains courageous even if the world collapses on him.
Nor is it the pernicious pax of those who live peacefully as slaves of selfishness, either their own or those of others.
The peace of Jesus is born of a love stronger than death; it is the peace of the Risen Crucified One, which makes us co-citizens of the Saints and family members of God.
The leaving of Jesus does not leave a void full of fear and discouragement; it is in fact His being forever in us with His Love. "I leave and come to you": Jesus once again reassures His own, saying that His leaving is a coming to us in a new way.
Whoever loves Jesus rejoices for His return to the Father.
He sees the Cross as the fulfillment of Love. Jesus enters into darkness to enlighten it. He gives His Life to those who steal it from Him.
So "the world" that rejects Him because has not seen Him or known Him, can finally know how much God loves all and be drawn to Him.
Father's command for the Son is to expose, dispose and lay down one's Life for the benefit of one's brothers and sisters. Jesus says: "No one takes it away from me, but I lay it away from myself. I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to take it again. This command taken from my Father"(10,18).
The cross, now imminent, is the free action of the Son, who carries out the command of Love of the Father and reveals the glory of God.
"Awake, let us go from here" are the same words that Jesus says before being arrested (Mark 14:42).
The Lord tells the disciples to awaken. Through the command of love, He associates them with His leaving from this world to the Father.
With these words, Jesus' speech symbolically comes out of Cenacle and is projected out, into space and time. It is addressed to the future community which, as a branch united to the vine, will prolong in the world the fruitful Presence of its Lord.
"The Father is greater than Me". The Son and the Father are equal. The Father is greater in two ways: first because He is the origin of the Son, second because He Who loves considers the Beloved more than Himself.
Here, being the Son who speaks, He affirms the greatness of the Father.
The Word of Jesus anticipates the event because, when it happens, we can read it in Its Light.
Then we will believe that He is the Lord of history: He knows what He does and does what He knows, directing everything according to His Love for us. (Ez 33:33).
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
RispondiEliminaActs 14:5-18
There was an attempt in Iconium
by both the Gentiles and the Jews,
together with their leaders,
to attack and stone Paul and Barnabas.
They realized it,
and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe
and to the surrounding countryside,
where they continued to proclaim the Good News.
At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth,
who had never walked.
He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him,
saw that he had the faith to be healed,
and called out in a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet.”
He jumped up and began to walk about.
When the crowds saw what Paul had done,
they cried out in Lycaonian,
“The gods have come down to us in human form.”
They called Barnabas “Zeus” and Paul “Hermes,”
because he was the chief speaker.
And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city,
brought oxen and garlands to the gates,
for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice.
The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments
when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,
“Men, why are you doing this?
We are of the same nature as you, human beings.
We proclaim to you good news
that you should turn from these idols to the living God,
who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.
In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways;
yet, in bestowing his goodness,
he did not leave himself without witness,
for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons,
and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts.”
Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds
from offering sacrifice to them.
Gospel of the day
From the Gospel according to John
14:21-26
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever has my commandments and observes them
is the one who loves me.
Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”
Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him,
“Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us
and not to the world?”
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name --
he will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.”
The words of the Popes
Jesus says in today’s Gospel: “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him” (v. 21). So, love introduces us to the knowledge of Jesus, thanks to the action of this “Advocate” that Jesus sent, that is, the Holy Spirit. Love for God and neighbour is the greatest commandment of the Gospel. The Lord today calls us to respond generously to the Gospel’s call to love, placing God at the centre of our lives and dedicating ourselves to the service of our brothers and sisters, especially those most in need of support and consolation. If ever there is an attitude that is never easy, even for a Christian community, it is precisely how to love oneself, to love after the Lord’s example and with his grace. (…) We have to learn the art of loving every day. Listen to this: every day we must learn the art of loving; every day we must patiently follow the school of Christ. Every day we must forgive and look to Jesus, and do this with the help of this “Advocate”, of this Counsellor whom Jesus has sent to us that is the Holy Spirit.
(Pope Francis, Regina Caeli, 21 May 2017)