First reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah IS 2:1-5
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In days to come, the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills. All nations shall stream toward it; many peoples shall come and say: "Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths." For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Second reading from The Letter of San Pauls to the Romans ROM 13:11-14
Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and lust, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY From the Gospel according to Matthew MT 24:37-44
Jesus said to his disciples: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER Our final goal is the encounter with the Risen Lord. I would like to ask how many of you think about this. “There will be a day in which I meet the Lord face to face”. And this is our goal: the encounter. We do not await a time or a place, but we are going to encounter a person: Jesus. Neither is it about knowing “how” these things will happen, but instead “how” we have to act today, in awaiting these things. The triumph of Jesus at the end of time will be the triumph of the Cross, the demonstration that the sacrifice of oneself for love of neighbour, in imitation of Christ, is the only victorious power, the only stable point in the midst of the upheavals and tragedies of the world. (ANGELUS, 15 November 2015)
FAUSTI - "Then stay awake", Jesus says to the disciples who ask Him " when" will be the end of the world, and "the signs" that predict the judgment of God. We can say that "when" is always the "simple daily custom"; in it God's judgment operates. Christianity is not an anesthetic which makes us forget the present evil in the illusion of a future good. Instead, it is an enlightenment that shows us reality and makes us assume it with intelligence and responsibility, in anticipation of a positive objective. Aware of the present time, we awake and live as children of light. He who has discernment, in the travails just described, sees the One Who is coming... In "this generation" as in every other, the mystery of His Cross and Glory is fulfilled. His Word comes true with certainty, but it does not say the day and the hour, because every day and every hour comes, for those who have their eyes open. We must be vigilant, because His coming (as a judgment of salvation) always happens in the present moment: at the same time and doing the same things, they can, like Noah, build the ark that saves or be overwhelmed by the flood that swallows. Salvation or damnation depends on "how" these things are lived daily. The enlightened man lives everything as a son and as a brother in thanksgiving: "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God," says Paul (1 Cor 10:31). The blind person sees these things not as a gift from God, but as an object that is to be possessed. In the end there is always a flood (7:24-27). We are mortals. What is built on the Word of God bears like the ark, what is built on our madness collapses, covered by water. Discernment and vigilance need us to see Emmanuel, Who is always with us. He who awaits Him and recognizes Him, in deed and not only in words, meets Him as the Bridegroom who comes. Otherwise He would be like the thief who bursts into the house. Discernment and vigilance, in turn, become every day a daily activity faithful to His Word, on which the eternal future depends. Jesus, instead of predicting the future, sends us back... to read the present in the light of His history. With Him time is fulfilled (Mk 1:15) and the possibility of living it fully is offered to us. In fact, God's future judgment on me is nothing more than my present judgment on Him: I do it here and now in recognizing it or not in my brother. The Church is "enlightened" is not like those of the night, but always remains vigilant and sober. In our daily work we decide salvation or perdition, being with Him or far from Him, receiving a blessing or a curse. Life or death depends on if we do or not make the "Word" that the Lord gives, He, is looking at us. In the end, what was sown before is collected. "Watch" is the conclusion to which all the discourse made so far leads, developed later on on the "how" to look at. Whoever considers himself "master" and believes he possesses himself, his life, his work, his goods, lives in the deception of a dream that fades at dawn. Ready is he who does not know "master" but "faithful and wise servant" who knows and does what the Lord has told him.
First reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah
RispondiEliminaIS 2:1-5
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
the mountain of the LORD's house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths."
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Second reading from The Letter of San Pauls to the Romans
ROM 13:11-14
Brothers and sisters:
You know the time;
it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep.
For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed;
the night is advanced, the day is at hand.
Let us then throw off the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light;
let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day,
not in orgies and drunkenness,
not in promiscuity and lust,
not in rivalry and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Matthew
MT 24:37-44
Jesus said to his disciples:
"As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
In those days before the flood,
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark.
They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be out in the field;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken, and one will be left.
Therefore, stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.
Be sure of this: if the master of the house
had known the hour of night when the thief was coming,
he would have stayed awake
and not let his house be broken into.
So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
Our final goal is the encounter with the Risen Lord. I would like to ask how many of you think about this. “There will be a day in which I meet the Lord face to face”. And this is our goal: the encounter. We do not await a time or a place, but we are going to encounter a person: Jesus. Neither is it about knowing “how” these things will happen, but instead “how” we have to act today, in awaiting these things. The triumph of Jesus at the end of time will be the triumph of the Cross, the demonstration that the sacrifice of oneself for love of neighbour, in imitation of Christ, is the only victorious power, the only stable point in the midst of the upheavals and tragedies of the world. (ANGELUS, 15 November 2015)
FAUSTI - "Then stay awake", Jesus says to the disciples who ask Him " when" will be the end of the world, and "the signs" that predict the judgment of God.
RispondiEliminaWe can say that "when" is always the "simple daily custom"; in it God's judgment operates.
Christianity is not an anesthetic which makes us forget the present evil in the illusion of a future good. Instead, it is an enlightenment that shows us reality and makes us assume it with intelligence and responsibility, in anticipation of a positive objective.
Aware of the present time, we awake and live as children of light.
He who has discernment, in the travails just described,
sees the One Who is coming...
In "this generation" as in every other, the mystery of His Cross and Glory is fulfilled.
His Word comes true with certainty, but it does not say the day and the hour, because every day and every hour comes, for those who have their eyes open.
We must be vigilant, because His coming (as a judgment of salvation) always happens in the present moment: at the same time and doing the same things, they can, like Noah, build the ark that saves or be overwhelmed by the flood that swallows.
Salvation or damnation depends on "how" these things are lived daily.
The enlightened man lives everything as a son and as a brother in thanksgiving: "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God," says Paul (1 Cor 10:31).
The blind person sees these things not as a gift from God, but as an object that is to be possessed.
In the end there is always a flood (7:24-27). We are mortals.
What is built on the Word of God bears like the ark, what is built on our madness collapses, covered by water.
Discernment and vigilance need us to see Emmanuel, Who is always with us.
He who awaits Him and recognizes Him, in deed and not only in words, meets Him as the Bridegroom who comes.
Otherwise He would be like the thief who bursts into the house.
Discernment and vigilance, in turn, become every day a daily activity faithful to His Word, on which the eternal future depends.
Jesus, instead of predicting the future, sends us back...
to read the present in the light of His history.
With Him time is fulfilled (Mk 1:15) and the possibility of living it fully is offered to us.
In fact, God's future judgment on me is nothing more than my present judgment on Him: I do it here and now in recognizing it or not in my brother.
The Church is "enlightened" is not like those of the night, but always remains vigilant and sober.
In our daily work we decide salvation or perdition, being with Him or far from Him, receiving a blessing or a curse.
Life or death depends on if we do or not make the "Word" that the Lord gives, He, is looking at us.
In the end, what was sown before is collected.
"Watch" is the conclusion to which all the discourse made so far leads, developed later on on the "how" to look at. Whoever considers himself "master" and believes he possesses himself, his life, his work, his goods, lives in the deception of a dream that fades at dawn.
Ready is he who does not know "master" but "faithful and wise servant" who knows and does what the Lord has told him.