Thus says the LORD: Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, Meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass. He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; The warrior's bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Psalms 145(144) I will extol you, O my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever.
The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might.
The LORD is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. The LORD lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.
Letter to the Romans 8,9.11-13. Brothers and sisters: You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you. Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 11,25-30. At that time Jesus exclaimed, "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him." "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
POPE FRANCIS ANGELUS Sunday, 5 July 2020 Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
This Sunday’s Gospel reading (cf. Mt 11:25-30) is divided into three parts: first of all, Jesus raises a prayer of blessing and thanksgiving to the Father because he revealed the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven to the poor and to the simple; then he reveals the intimate and unique relationship between himself and the Father; and finally he invites us to go to him and to follow him to find solace.
In the first place, Jesus praises the Father because he has kept the secrets of his Kingdom, of his truth, hidden “from the wise and understanding” (v. 25). He calls them so with a veil of irony because they presume to be wise, understanding, and therefore, very often, have a closed heart. True wisdom also comes from the heart. It is not only a matter of understanding ideas: true wisdom also enters the heart. And if you know many things but have a closed heart, you are not wise. Jesus tells them that his Father’s mysteries are revealed to the “little ones”, to those who confidently open themselves to his Word of salvation, who open their heart to the Word of salvation, who feel the need for him and await everything from him. The heart that is open and trustful towards the Lord.
Then, Jesus explains that he has received everything from the Father, and calls him “my Father”, to affirm the unique nature of his relationship with him. Indeed, only between the Son and the Father is there total reciprocity: each one knows the other, each one lives in the other. But this unique communion is like a flower that blossoms to freely reveal its beauty and its goodness. And here then is Jesus’ invitation: “Come to me…” (v. 28). He wishes to give what he receives from the Father. He wants to give us Truth, and Jesus’ Truth is always free: it is a gift, it is the Holy Spirit, the Truth.
Just as the Father has a preference for the “little ones”, Jesus also addresses those “who labour and are heavy laden”. Indeed, he places himself among them, because he is “gentle and lowly in heart” (v. 29): this is how he describes himself. It is the same in the first and third Beatitudes, that of the humble and poor in spirit, and that of the meek (cf. Mt 5:35): the meekness of Jesus. In this way Jesus, “meek and humble”, is not a model for the resigned, nor is he simply a victim, but rather he is the Man who lives this condition “from the heart” in full transparency to the love of the Father, that is, to the Holy Spirit. He is the model of the “poor in spirit” and of all the other “blesseds” of the Gospel, who carry out God’s will and bear witness to his Kingdom.
And then, Jesus says that if we go to him, we will find rest. The “rest” that Christ offers to the weary and oppressed is not merely psychological solace or donated charity, but the joy of the poor who are evangelized and are builders of the new humanity: this is solace. Joy. The joy that Jesus gives us. It is unique. It is the joy that he himself has. It is a message for all of us, for all people of good will, which Jesus still conveys today in the world that exalts those who become rich and powerful... But how often do we say, “Ah, I would like to be like him, or like her, who is rich, has a lot of power, lacks nothing…”. The world exalts those who are rich and powerful, no matter by what means, and at times tramples upon the human being and his or her dignity. And we see this every day, the poor trampled underfoot… And it is a message for the Church, called to live works of mercy and to evangelize the poor, to be meek and humble. This is how the Lord wants his Church, that is, us, to be.
May, the humblest and highest of creatures, implore from God wisdom of heart for us, so that we may discern his signs in our lives and be participants in those mysteries which, hidden from the proud, are revealed to the humble.
In the Gospel today the Lord Jesus repeats to us the words that we know so well but that never fail to move us: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt 11:28-30).
As Jesus went along the roads of Galilee proclaiming the Kingdom of God and healing many sick people, “he had compassion on the crowds, for they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (cf. Mt 9:35-36).
Jesus’ gaze seems to extend to this day, to our world. Today, too, it rests on so many people oppressed by difficult living conditions and lacking valid reference points to find a meaning and a purpose for their existence. Exhausted multitudes are found in the poorest countries, harshly tried by poverty; and even in the richer countries there are numerous dissatisfied men and women who are even ill with depression. Let us think of the many evacuees and refugees, of all those who emigrate, putting their own lives at risk. Christ's gaze then rests his gaze upon all these people, indeed upon each one of these children of the Father who is in Heaven and repeats: “Come to me, all...” of you.
Jesus promised he would give everyone “rest”, but on one condition: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart”. What is this “yoke” which lightens instead of burdening, which instead of oppressing, uplifts? The “yoke” of Christ is the law of love, it is his commandment which he bequeathed to his disciples (cf. Jn 13:34; 15:12). The true remedy for humanity's wounds, both material — such as hunger and injustice in all its forms — and psychological and moral, caused by a false well-being, is a rule of life based on fraternal love, whose source is in the love of God. For this reason it is necessary to abandon the way of arrogance, of violence used to obtain ever more powerful positions, to assure oneself of success at any price.
It is also necessary to give up the aggressive attitude with regard to the environment which has prevailed in recent centuries and to adopt a reasonable “gentleness”. However, in human, interpersonal and social relations above all, the rule of respect and of non-violence, namely, the power of the truth against every kind of abuse is what can assure a future worthy of the human being.
Dear friends, yesterday we celebrated a particular liturgical Memorial of Mary Most Holy, praising God for her Immaculate Heart. May the Virgin help us to “learn” true humility from Jesus, to take up his light yoke with determination, to experience inner peace and to become in our turn capable of comforting other brothers and sisters who are walking with difficulty on life's path.
FAUSTI - Abba is the Word full of love, with which the Son says the Father. His sweetness is understood only by those who say it and those who listen it: It expresses the mystery of God who is Father and Son, in the unique Love. This Word is the centre of Christianity. The Spirit of the Son, effused in our hearts, cries into us: "Abba!". (Rom 5.5). The believer is the one who has known and believed the love that God has for him. (1Jn 4:16). What God is, we too are; through the gift of the Son we are really children of God (1Jn 3:1). This is the great mystery, already revealed now, even if as in a mirror and in an enigmatic way (! Cor 13:12). Only at the end will we see Him face to face, and we will know perfectly how we are known (1 Cor 13:13). When the child is born, he detaches himself from his mother and it seems to him to be dying, but instead he comes to the light and sees his face. When we detach ourselves from earthly life, we will come to the light of the Face of the Father and we will be similar to Him, because we will see Him as He is (! Jn 3:2). Already now, however, reflecting the Glory of the Lord, we are transformed into that same image, according to the action of the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor 3:18). "Lord of heaven and earth" Our Father, so close and tender, is the Most High and Almighty God, Lord of heaven and earth! God is spoken of only by opposites (coincidentia oppositorum, says Cusano), so that we don't reduce Him to an idol: He is near and very high, tender and omnipotent, small and great, merciful and just. The ineffable relationship of mutual knowledge between Father and Son, revealed to infants, is hidden from others, wise and intelligent. The Wisdom of the Son is the Wisdom of the Beatitudes; the wise do not understand it, the intelligent ones defend themselves from it. Infants not only ignore , they are poor. They do not even speak. To them, without words, the Word is revealed: "Abba!". In us, too, beyond the many words, there is a silent wisdom, proper to the poor. It is the "learned ignorance" of the pure of heart, to which God shows Himself, quite different from the ignorant wisdom of the clever, to which God resists. He is not the object of the robbery of our intelligence, but the Beginning and End of our love: He doesn't appear at the window of our mind, but knocks at the door of our heart. Jesus is happy about this. He is "yes" not only to the Father, but also to His brothers and sisters. All that the Father is, is a gift to the Son. The Father is God who gives everything. All that the Son is, is a gift of the Father. From Him He receives His nature, His Love and Himself, in indissoluble union with Him in His distinction from Him. The Son is God who receives everything. Jesus is the Son who calls God "My Father". If we are in Him, He also becomes "Our Father". The "things" hidden to the wise and intelligent, the mutual knowledge between Father and Son, Their Love, Their only Spirit, which is the Life of both, is communicated by the Son to the infants who welcome Him. The Word "Abba" is the inheritance of the little ones. Beyond any pretended wisdom, in every man there is the ineffable wealth of the infant, the dignity of the child. The little one knows them. He lives by gift, love, and grace.
Book of Zechariah 9,9-10.
RispondiEliminaThus says the LORD: Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, Meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass.
He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; The warrior's bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Psalms 145(144)
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
Letter to the Romans
8,9.11-13.
Brothers and sisters: You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint Matthew 11,25-30.
At that time Jesus exclaimed, "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."
"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
POPE FRANCIS
RispondiEliminaANGELUS Sunday, 5 July 2020
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!
This Sunday’s Gospel reading (cf. Mt 11:25-30) is divided into three parts: first of all, Jesus raises a prayer of blessing and thanksgiving to the Father because he revealed the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven to the poor and to the simple; then he reveals the intimate and unique relationship between himself and the Father; and finally he invites us to go to him and to follow him to find solace.
In the first place, Jesus praises the Father because he has kept the secrets of his Kingdom, of his truth, hidden “from the wise and understanding” (v. 25). He calls them so with a veil of irony because they presume to be wise, understanding, and therefore, very often, have a closed heart. True wisdom also comes from the heart. It is not only a matter of understanding ideas: true wisdom also enters the heart. And if you know many things but have a closed heart, you are not wise. Jesus tells them that his Father’s mysteries are revealed to the “little ones”, to those who confidently open themselves to his Word of salvation, who open their heart to the Word of salvation, who feel the need for him and await everything from him. The heart that is open and trustful towards the Lord.
Then, Jesus explains that he has received everything from the Father, and calls him “my Father”, to affirm the unique nature of his relationship with him. Indeed, only between the Son and the Father is there total reciprocity: each one knows the other, each one lives in the other. But this unique communion is like a flower that blossoms to freely reveal its beauty and its goodness. And here then is Jesus’ invitation: “Come to me…” (v. 28). He wishes to give what he receives from the Father. He wants to give us Truth, and Jesus’ Truth is always free: it is a gift, it is the Holy Spirit, the Truth.
Just as the Father has a preference for the “little ones”, Jesus also addresses those “who labour and are heavy laden”. Indeed, he places himself among them, because he is “gentle and lowly in heart” (v. 29): this is how he describes himself. It is the same in the first and third Beatitudes, that of the humble and poor in spirit, and that of the meek (cf. Mt 5:35): the meekness of Jesus. In this way Jesus, “meek and humble”, is not a model for the resigned, nor is he simply a victim, but rather he is the Man who lives this condition “from the heart” in full transparency to the love of the Father, that is, to the Holy Spirit. He is the model of the “poor in spirit” and of all the other “blesseds” of the Gospel, who carry out God’s will and bear witness to his Kingdom.
And then, Jesus says that if we go to him, we will find rest. The “rest” that Christ offers to the weary and oppressed is not merely psychological solace or donated charity, but the joy of the poor who are evangelized and are builders of the new humanity: this is solace. Joy. The joy that Jesus gives us. It is unique. It is the joy that he himself has. It is a message for all of us, for all people of good will, which Jesus still conveys today in the world that exalts those who become rich and powerful... But how often do we say, “Ah, I would like to be like him, or like her, who is rich, has a lot of power, lacks nothing…”. The world exalts those who are rich and powerful, no matter by what means, and at times tramples upon the human being and his or her dignity. And we see this every day, the poor trampled underfoot… And it is a message for the Church, called to live works of mercy and to evangelize the poor, to be meek and humble. This is how the Lord wants his Church, that is, us, to be.
May, the humblest and highest of creatures, implore from God wisdom of heart for us, so that we may discern his signs in our lives and be participants in those mysteries which, hidden from the proud, are revealed to the humble.
BENEDICT XVI
RispondiEliminaANGELUS, 3 July 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In the Gospel today the Lord Jesus repeats to us the words that we know so well but that never fail to move us: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt 11:28-30).
As Jesus went along the roads of Galilee proclaiming the Kingdom of God and healing many sick people, “he had compassion on the crowds, for they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (cf. Mt 9:35-36).
Jesus’ gaze seems to extend to this day, to our world. Today, too, it rests on so many people oppressed by difficult living conditions and lacking valid reference points to find a meaning and a purpose for their existence. Exhausted multitudes are found in the poorest countries, harshly tried by poverty; and even in the richer countries there are numerous dissatisfied men and women who are even ill with depression. Let us think of the many evacuees and refugees, of all those who emigrate, putting their own lives at risk. Christ's gaze then rests his gaze upon all these people, indeed upon each one of these children of the Father who is in Heaven and repeats: “Come to me, all...” of you.
Jesus promised he would give everyone “rest”, but on one condition: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart”. What is this “yoke” which lightens instead of burdening, which instead of oppressing, uplifts? The “yoke” of Christ is the law of love, it is his commandment which he bequeathed to his disciples (cf. Jn 13:34; 15:12). The true remedy for humanity's wounds, both material — such as hunger and injustice in all its forms — and psychological and moral, caused by a false well-being, is a rule of life based on fraternal love, whose source is in the love of God. For this reason it is necessary to abandon the way of arrogance, of violence used to obtain ever more powerful positions, to assure oneself of success at any price.
It is also necessary to give up the aggressive attitude with regard to the environment which has prevailed in recent centuries and to adopt a reasonable “gentleness”. However, in human, interpersonal and social relations above all, the rule of respect and of non-violence, namely, the power of the truth against every kind of abuse is what can assure a future worthy of the human being.
Dear friends, yesterday we celebrated a particular liturgical Memorial of Mary Most Holy, praising God for her Immaculate Heart. May the Virgin help us to “learn” true humility from Jesus, to take up his light yoke with determination, to experience inner peace and to become in our turn capable of comforting other brothers and sisters who are walking with difficulty on life's path.
FAUSTI - Abba is the Word full of love, with which the Son says the Father. His sweetness is understood only by those who say it and those who listen it: It expresses the mystery of God who is Father and Son, in the unique Love.
RispondiEliminaThis Word is the centre of Christianity.
The Spirit of the Son, effused in our hearts, cries into us: "Abba!". (Rom 5.5).
The believer is the one who has known and believed the love that God has for him. (1Jn 4:16).
What God is, we too are; through the gift of the Son we are really children of God (1Jn 3:1). This is the great mystery, already revealed now, even if as in a mirror and in an enigmatic way (! Cor 13:12). Only at the end will we see Him face to face, and we will know perfectly how we are known (1 Cor 13:13).
When the child is born, he detaches himself from his mother and it seems to him to be dying, but instead he comes to the light and sees his face. When we detach ourselves from earthly life, we will come to the light of the Face of the Father and we will be similar to Him, because we will see Him as He is (! Jn 3:2).
Already now, however, reflecting the Glory of the Lord, we are transformed into that same image, according to the action of the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor 3:18).
"Lord of heaven and earth" Our Father, so close and tender, is the Most High and Almighty God, Lord of heaven and earth! God is spoken of only by opposites (coincidentia oppositorum, says Cusano), so that we don't reduce Him to an idol: He is near and very high, tender and omnipotent, small and great, merciful and just.
The ineffable relationship of mutual knowledge between Father and Son, revealed to infants, is hidden from others, wise and intelligent.
The Wisdom of the Son is the Wisdom of the Beatitudes; the wise do not understand it, the intelligent ones defend themselves from it. Infants not only ignore , they are poor. They do not even speak.
To them, without words, the Word is revealed: "Abba!".
In us, too, beyond the many words, there is a silent wisdom, proper to the poor.
It is the "learned ignorance" of the pure of heart, to which God shows Himself, quite different from the ignorant wisdom of the clever, to which God resists.
He is not the object of the robbery of our intelligence, but the Beginning and End of our love: He doesn't appear at the window of our mind, but knocks at the door of our heart.
Jesus is happy about this. He is "yes" not only to the Father, but also to His brothers and sisters.
All that the Father is, is a gift to the Son.
The Father is God who gives everything.
All that the Son is, is a gift of the Father.
From Him He receives His nature, His Love and Himself, in indissoluble union with Him in His distinction from Him.
The Son is God who receives everything.
Jesus is the Son who calls God "My Father".
If we are in Him, He also becomes "Our Father".
The "things" hidden to the wise and intelligent, the mutual knowledge between Father and Son, Their Love, Their only Spirit, which is the Life of both, is communicated by the Son to the infants who welcome Him. The Word "Abba" is the inheritance of the little ones. Beyond any pretended wisdom, in every man there is the ineffable wealth of the infant, the dignity of the child.
The little one knows them. He lives by gift, love, and grace.