FAUSTI - They feel orphaned. They have not yet understood the mystery of the grain of wheat... The Son, leaving, gives us the fullness of Father love: he gives us the Spirit, he gives us birth from above, he gives us life and sends us to our brothers and sisters, because we bring reconciliation to all. The "Consoler" will overcome all our loneliness. He, who was "with" us before in the earthly presence of Jesus, will dwell "in" us after His departure. The most amazing reality is the awareness that God is in us, more intimate to us than ourselves. It is moving, to the point of tearing tears of exultation, to think that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. On the cross he will deliver the Spirit to us. The perspective is that of Easter, when Jesus will have delivered His Spirit. He will make the "world" understand the sin of which he is the victim. Do not accept the Son. Those who have condemned Jesus will understand that He is the Savior of the world, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The Spirit will make it clear that Jesus is right. The world will discover the emptiness of its actions and will see the beauty of love. The Spirit on the cross will make clear the judgment of God, who condemns sin and saves the sinner. The three actions of the Consoler towards the world are specified: he will enlighten him on his error, convince him of sin, make him discover the lie, make him understand what is right, save him from his evil by showing him what is the judgment of God. We will heal from this sin by contemplating the Son of God raised up, for there we will see that God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son to save him (3:16). This disbelief is not only a past fact. It also works in the present in those who, not believing in Jesus, have not believed in the Love that God has for them. The world, which has judged and condemned the Son, will understand the cross as God's judgment against evil and man's salvation. The cross is a revelation of God's Love. With it the Son condemns and drives out the head of this world, which keeps us slaves in its lie.
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Acts 16:22-34
The crowd in Philippi joined in the attack on Paul and Silas, and the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison and instructed the jailer to guard them securely. When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and secured their feet to a stake.
About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened, there was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, "Do no harm to yourself; we are all here." He asked for a light and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved." So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized at once. He brought them up into his house and provided a meal and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.
Gospel of the day From the Gospel according to John 16:5-11
Jesus said to his disciples: "Now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned."
The words of the Popes The Gospel passage takes us today to the Upper Room where, after the Last Supper, a sense of loss has saddened the Apostles. This is due to the fact that Jesus' words arouse disturbing questions: He spoke of the world's hatred of him and of his own, he spoke of his mysterious departure; and there were still many other things to be said, but for the time being the Apostles were not able to bear the weight (cf. Jn 16: 12). To console them, he explains the meaning of his departure: he will go, but he will return; meanwhile, he will not abandon them, will not leave them orphans. He will send the Consoler, the Spirit of the Father, and the Spirit will enable them to understand that Christ's work is a work of love: love of the One who gave himself, love of the Father who has given him. (…) The Holy Spirit illuminates the human spirit and, by revealing Christ Crucified and Risen, indicates the way to become more like him, that is, to be "the image and instrument of the love which flows from Christ" (Deus Caritas Est, n. 33). (Benedict XVI, Homily on the Solemnity of Pentecost, 4 June 2006)
FAUSTI - They feel orphaned. They have not yet understood the mystery of the grain of wheat... The Son, leaving, gives us the fullness of Father love: he gives us the Spirit, he gives us birth from above, he gives us life and sends us to our brothers and sisters, because we bring reconciliation to all.
RispondiEliminaThe "Consoler" will overcome all our loneliness.
He, who was "with" us before in the earthly presence of Jesus, will dwell "in" us after His departure.
The most amazing reality is the awareness that God is in us, more intimate to us than ourselves.
It is moving, to the point of tearing tears of exultation, to think that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
On the cross he will deliver the Spirit to us. The perspective is that of Easter, when Jesus will have delivered His Spirit.
He will make the "world" understand the sin of which he is the victim. Do not accept the Son. Those who have condemned Jesus will understand that He is the Savior of the world, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
The Spirit will make it clear that Jesus is right. The world will discover the emptiness of its actions and will see the beauty of love.
The Spirit on the cross will make clear the judgment of God, who condemns sin and saves the sinner.
The three actions of the Consoler towards the world are specified: he will enlighten him on his error, convince him of sin, make him discover the lie, make him understand what is right, save him from his evil by showing him what is the judgment of God.
We will heal from this sin by contemplating the Son of God raised up, for there we will see that God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son to save him (3:16).
This disbelief is not only a past fact. It also works in the present in those who, not believing in Jesus, have not believed in the Love that God has for them.
The world, which has judged and condemned the Son, will understand the cross as God's judgment against evil and man's salvation. The cross is a revelation of God's Love. With it the Son condemns and drives out the head of this world, which keeps us slaves in its lie.
A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
RispondiEliminaActs 16:22-34
The crowd in Philippi joined in the attack on Paul and Silas,
and the magistrates had them stripped
and ordered them to be beaten with rods.
After inflicting many blows on them,
they threw them into prison
and instructed the jailer to guard them securely.
When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell
and secured their feet to a stake.
About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying
and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened,
there was suddenly such a severe earthquake
that the foundations of the jail shook;
all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open,
he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,
thinking that the prisoners had escaped.
But Paul shouted out in a loud voice,
"Do no harm to yourself; we are all here."
He asked for a light and rushed in and,
trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas.
Then he brought them out and said,
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus
and you and your household will be saved."
So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds;
then he and all his family were baptized at once.
He brought them up into his house and provided a meal
and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.
Gospel of the day
From the Gospel according to John
16:5-11
Jesus said to his disciples:
"Now I am going to the one who sent me,
and not one of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'
But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts.
But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.
For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.
But if I go, I will send him to you.
And when he comes he will convict the world
in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation:
sin, because they do not believe in me;
righteousness, because I am going to the Father
and you will no longer see me;
condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned."
The words of the Popes
The Gospel passage takes us today to the Upper Room where, after the Last Supper, a sense of loss has saddened the Apostles. This is due to the fact that Jesus' words arouse disturbing questions: He spoke of the world's hatred of him and of his own, he spoke of his mysterious departure; and there were still many other things to be said, but for the time being the Apostles were not able to bear the weight (cf. Jn 16: 12). To console them, he explains the meaning of his departure: he will go, but he will return; meanwhile, he will not abandon them, will not leave them orphans. He will send the Consoler, the Spirit of the Father, and the Spirit will enable them to understand that Christ's work is a work of love: love of the One who gave himself, love of the Father who has given him. (…) The Holy Spirit illuminates the human spirit and, by revealing Christ Crucified and Risen, indicates the way to become more like him, that is, to be "the image and instrument of the love which flows from Christ" (Deus Caritas Est, n. 33). (Benedict XVI, Homily on the Solemnity of Pentecost, 4 June 2006)