FAUSTI - "If the world hates you..." It is said: "You do not love the world, nor the things of the world! If one loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him". (1 Jn 2.15). Indeed, "to love the world is to hate God". (Gc 4.4). In fact, the world considers well what is evil and vice versa. It has as its principle of action selfishness and not love, possession and not gift, competition and not solidarity, accumulation and not sharing, violence and not meekness, arrogance and not simplicity, pride and not humility, anger and not compassion. Today we can add, as an extreme point that allows any delirium: the image and not the reality. The result is idolatry, which makes us inconsistent and dead, like the images we adore. "Everything in the world, the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes and the pride of life, does not come from the Father, but from the world. (1 Jn 2:16). There is a true inner struggle between evil and good. The axis of evil is not external to us, but passes within our hearts, through the worldliness that is in us. When good wins in us, and instead of imitating the desires of the world, we imitate those of the Son, then we are hated. Violence is not won by greater violence, nor selfishness by greater violence. Only meekness and love blunt the weapons of evil. Precisely for this reason, those who are mild and love are the object of violence and hatred. Jesus was the first to be hated. The hatred of the world is for the disciple, a mark of guarantee (Mt 5:11):he is similar to his Master and Lord. If the disciples had the same desires as the world, they would be loved, because they would facilitate the game. They would accept that life is an endless war, until everything is over. In the meantime, the most violent of turns is rewarded, which can be imposed on others, supplanting those who were before him. The disciples do not borrow their identity from the world. They do not want what it wants. They have another origin: they are "from the Father". They are therefore children who live as brothers. They want to imitate "the beautiful Shepherd," the One who does not take away, but gives His life. The disciples are elected to be holy as God is holy. They bear witness to the world's diversity of God: they show their brothers and sisters the Love of the Father, to bring them to the light of life. This is the "much fruit" for which they are chosen. Jesus washed the disciples' feet, declaring Himself the model to imitate in order to be like Him, Master and Lord. Immediately afterwards He said that there is no greater servant than His Lord. Here he recalls and completes the instruction. If the servant does as his Lord does, he obtains the same results: if they have persecuted Him, they will also persecute them, for the same reason. Selfishness and love are irreconcilable, like death and life. There is never peace between them. The disciple's destiny is the same as that of his Master. The disciples are persecuted because of the Name of Jesus. Not because they hurt, but because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God rests upon them.(1Pt 4:14). The reason for the persecution is the ignorance of the Father. Whoever does not know the love of the Father, does not love himself or others: he hates love. His sin is therefore inexcusable. This call to responsibility is important. Recognizing evil is the prerequisite for getting out of it. That is why the first gift of the Spirit of truth is to convince the world of sin. The purpose of every educational action is to lead not to guilt, but to responsibility. This is good for the proposal of good rather than the reproach of evil. Now that there is no longer any excuse for the evil that is done, all that remains is to recognize sin and accept forgiveness. If love comes from knowledge, ignorance generates hatred, a defensive mechanism against the unknown.
Reading of the day A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 16:1-10
Paul reached also Derbe and Lystra where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him, and Paul wanted him to come along with him. On account of the Jews of that region, Paul had him circumcised, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they traveled from city to city, they handed on to the people for observance the decisions reached by the Apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem. Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number.
They traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian territory because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the message in the province of Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them, so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision. A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." When he had seen the vision, we sought passage to Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.
Gospel of the day From the Gospel according to John John 15:18-21
Jesus said to his disciples: "If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me."
The words of the Popes Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent. Settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure.
These are contexts where it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth, where believers are mocked, opposed, despised or at best tolerated and pitied. Yet, precisely for this reason, they are the places where our missionary outreach is desperately needed. A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society.
Today, too, there are many settings in which Jesus, although appreciated as a man, is reduced to a kind of charismatic leader or superman. This is true not only among non-believers but also among many baptized Christians, who thus end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism.
This is the world that has been entrusted to us, a world in which, as Pope Francis taught us so many times, we are called to bear witness to our joyful faith in Jesus the Saviour. Therefore, it is essential that we too repeat, with Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16).
It is essential to do this, first of all, in our personal relationship with the Lord, in our commitment to a daily journey of conversion. Then, to do so as a Church, experiencing together our fidelity to the Lord and bringing the Good News to all (cf. Lumen Gentium, 1). (Pope Leo XIV, Homily Sistine Chapel, 9 May 2025)
RispondiEliminaFAUSTI - "If the world hates you..." It is said: "You do not love the world, nor the things of the world! If one loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him". (1 Jn 2.15). Indeed, "to love the world is to hate God".
(Gc 4.4). In fact, the world considers well what is evil and vice versa.
It has as its principle of action selfishness and not love, possession and not gift, competition and not solidarity, accumulation and not sharing, violence and not meekness, arrogance and not simplicity, pride and not humility, anger and not compassion.
Today we can add, as an extreme point that allows any delirium: the image and not the reality. The result is idolatry, which makes us inconsistent and dead, like the images we adore. "Everything in the world, the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes and the pride of life, does not come from the Father, but from the world.
(1 Jn 2:16). There is a true inner struggle between evil and good. The axis of evil is not external to us, but passes within our hearts, through the worldliness that is in us. When good wins in us, and instead of imitating the desires of the world, we imitate those of the Son, then we are hated.
Violence is not won by greater violence, nor selfishness by greater violence.
Only meekness and love blunt the weapons of evil.
Precisely for this reason, those who are mild and love are the object of violence and hatred.
Jesus was the first to be hated.
The hatred of the world is for the disciple, a mark of guarantee (Mt 5:11):he is similar to his Master and Lord.
If the disciples had the same desires as the world, they would be loved, because they would facilitate the game.
They would accept that life is an endless war, until everything is over. In the meantime, the most violent of turns is rewarded, which can be imposed on others, supplanting those who were before him.
The disciples do not borrow their identity from the world.
They do not want what it wants.
They have another origin: they are "from the Father". They are therefore children who live as brothers.
They want to imitate "the beautiful Shepherd," the One who does not take away, but gives His life.
The disciples are elected to be holy as God is holy. They bear witness to the world's diversity of God: they show their brothers and sisters the Love of the Father, to bring them to the light of life.
This is the "much fruit" for which they are chosen.
Jesus washed the disciples' feet, declaring Himself the model to imitate in order to be like Him, Master and Lord.
Immediately afterwards He said that there is no greater servant than His Lord.
Here he recalls and completes the instruction. If the servant does as his Lord does, he obtains the same results: if they have persecuted Him, they will also persecute them, for the same reason.
Selfishness and love are irreconcilable, like death and life. There is never peace between them.
The disciple's destiny is the same as that of his Master.
The disciples are persecuted because of the Name of Jesus.
Not because they hurt, but because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God rests upon them.(1Pt 4:14). The reason for the persecution is the ignorance of the Father.
Whoever does not know the love of the Father, does not love himself or others: he hates love.
His sin is therefore inexcusable. This call to responsibility is important.
Recognizing evil is the prerequisite for getting out of it.
That is why the first gift of the Spirit of truth is to convince the world of sin.
The purpose of every educational action is to lead not to guilt, but to responsibility.
This is good for the proposal of good rather than the reproach of evil.
Now that there is no longer any excuse for the evil that is done, all that remains is to recognize sin and accept forgiveness.
If love comes from knowledge, ignorance generates hatred, a defensive mechanism against the unknown.
Reading of the day
RispondiEliminaA reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 16:1-10
Paul reached also Derbe and Lystra
where there was a disciple named Timothy,
the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer,
but his father was a Greek.
The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him,
and Paul wanted him to come along with him.
On account of the Jews of that region, Paul had him circumcised,
for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
As they traveled from city to city,
they handed on to the people for observance the decisions
reached by the Apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem.
Day after day the churches grew stronger in faith
and increased in number.
They traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian territory
because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit
from preaching the message in the province of Asia.
When they came to Mysia, they tried to go on into Bithynia,
but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them,
so they crossed through Mysia and came down to Troas.
During the night Paul had a vision.
A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words,
"Come over to Macedonia and help us."
When he had seen the vision,
we sought passage to Macedonia at once,
concluding that God had called us to proclaim the Good News to them.
Gospel of the day
From the Gospel according to John
John 15:18-21
Jesus said to his disciples:
"If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
and I have chosen you out of the world,
the world hates you.
Remember the word I spoke to you,
'No slave is greater than his master.'
If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
And they will do all these things to you on account of my name,
because they do not know the one who sent me."
The words of the Popes
Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent. Settings where other securities are preferred, like technology, money, success, power, or pleasure.
These are contexts where it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth, where believers are mocked, opposed, despised or at best tolerated and pitied. Yet, precisely for this reason, they are the places where our missionary outreach is desperately needed. A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society.
Today, too, there are many settings in which Jesus, although appreciated as a man, is reduced to a kind of charismatic leader or superman. This is true not only among non-believers but also among many baptized Christians, who thus end up living, at this level, in a state of practical atheism.
This is the world that has been entrusted to us, a world in which, as Pope Francis taught us so many times, we are called to bear witness to our joyful faith in Jesus the Saviour. Therefore, it is essential that we too repeat, with Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16).
It is essential to do this, first of all, in our personal relationship with the Lord, in our commitment to a daily journey of conversion. Then, to do so as a Church, experiencing together our fidelity to the Lord and bringing the Good News to all (cf. Lumen Gentium, 1). (Pope Leo XIV, Homily Sistine Chapel, 9 May 2025)