READING OF THE DAY First reading from the Book of Isaiah IS 55:1-3
Thus says the LORD: All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David.
Second reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans ROM 8:35, 37-39
Brothers and sisters: What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY From the Gospel according to Matthew MT 14:13-21
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” Then he said, “Bring them here to me, ” and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over— twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children.
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER This is a good test to see how we follow Jesus: ‘Am I self-interested or not?’… ‘What has Jesus done for me in my life out of love?’ And seeing this, ‘what should I do for Jesus?’ ‘How do I respond to his love?’ That’s how we can purify our faith from all self-interest. May the Lord help us along this path. (Santa Marta, 16 April 2018)
FAUSTI The palace is apparently place of life, as the desert is apparently unlivable. But right here God leads His people out of slavery. Those who do not leave the palace toward the desert do not meet God's gift. The retreat of Jesus, and those with Him in the boat, is not an escape, but the beginning of the new exodus. The people leave the city of Cain to found a new coexistence. It is the definitive exodus. Where the barque of Jesus and His comes, even the crowds of poor people arrive on foot, or even preceding them. Everyone has need of this bread. The principle of Jesus' action is His compassion. Every action that is not born of it participates in Herod's banquet. Compassion is the fundamental quality of God Love, who is Father as much He is mother. Jesus takes care of the sick, of those who do not stand on their feet. Weakness, which we exploit to enslave, is for Him objective of service. The medicine with which He cures will be His Bread, the remedy for eternal Life. The Son took the seven loaves, His life is what is given to Him. Sweat and food, pain and hope, joy and anguish, justice and injustice, division and communion, death and life: our whole existence is contained in the bread of which we live. It is all to be taken, not like Adam, but like Jesus. Who "gave thanks, broke them and gave them to the disciples..." It is the way of life of the Son, all that He is, is joy, gratitude and Love towards the Father. Because it is a difficult lesson to learn, the Master begins from the beginning, patiently repeating what He has already done. We need His Bread not just once, but always, one more time. every time, every day. This bread is the food that satisfies our hunger, the compassion that heals our afflictions. We, too, are called to make the Eucharist in everything and always, this is the Will of God, our holiness, our divine "other" way of living. The disciple, on the strength of this bread, can do as his Master: give it to all, so that each one may become a disciple.They ate and were satiated, of other breads they starved. They lifted seven full baskets, the number of the fulfillment; before that, it was twelve: one for each tribe and one for each month, enough for all and for ever. Now the quality: perfect bread that makes us children, perfect like the Father (5,48). Before it was five thousand, now four times a thousand. Four means totality: it is the crowd of all humanity, made up of sons called to live as brothers and sisters. With this viaticum, Jesus gives us to our journey: now we can walk as He walked, without failing on the road.
READING OF THE DAY
RispondiEliminaFirst reading from the Book of Isaiah
IS 55:1-3
Thus says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
Come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread;
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
Second reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
ROM 8:35, 37-39
Brothers and sisters:
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Matthew
MT 14:13-21
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me, ”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over—
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
This is a good test to see how we follow Jesus: ‘Am I self-interested or not?’… ‘What has Jesus done for me in my life out of love?’ And seeing this, ‘what should I do for Jesus?’ ‘How do I respond to his love?’ That’s how we can purify our faith from all self-interest. May the Lord help us along this path. (Santa Marta, 16 April 2018)
FAUSTI The palace is apparently place of life, as the desert is apparently unlivable. But right here God leads His people out of slavery. Those who do not leave the palace toward the desert do not meet God's gift.
RispondiEliminaThe retreat of Jesus, and those with Him in the boat, is not an escape, but the beginning of the new exodus.
The people leave the city of Cain to found a new coexistence.
It is the definitive exodus.
Where the barque of Jesus and His comes, even the crowds of poor people arrive on foot, or even preceding them. Everyone has need of this bread.
The principle of Jesus' action is His compassion.
Every action that is not born of it participates in Herod's banquet.
Compassion is the fundamental quality of God Love, who is Father as much He is mother. Jesus takes care of the sick, of those who do not stand on their feet. Weakness, which we exploit to enslave, is for Him objective of service.
The medicine with which He cures will be His Bread, the remedy for eternal Life.
The Son took the seven loaves, His life is what is given to Him.
Sweat and food, pain and hope, joy and anguish, justice and injustice, division and communion, death and life: our whole existence is contained in the bread of which we live.
It is all to be taken, not like Adam, but like Jesus.
Who "gave thanks, broke them and gave them to the disciples..." It is the way of life of the Son, all that He is, is joy, gratitude and Love towards the Father. Because it is a difficult lesson to learn, the Master begins from the beginning, patiently repeating what He has already done.
We need His Bread not just once, but always, one more time.
every time, every day.
This bread is the food that satisfies our hunger,
the compassion that heals our afflictions.
We, too, are called to make the Eucharist in everything and always, this is the Will of God, our holiness, our divine "other" way of living.
The disciple, on the strength of this bread, can do as his Master: give it to all, so that each one may become a disciple.They ate and were satiated, of other breads they starved.
They lifted seven full baskets, the number of the fulfillment; before that, it was twelve: one for each tribe and one for each month, enough for all and for ever.
Now the quality: perfect bread that makes us children, perfect like the Father (5,48).
Before it was five thousand, now four times a thousand. Four means totality: it is the crowd of all humanity, made up of sons called to live as brothers and sisters.
With this viaticum, Jesus gives us to our journey: now we can walk as He walked, without failing on the road.