Homiletics of the Fathers of The Island of Patmos

Italian, english, español

EVERY MAN SHOULD SEARCH FOR HIS DESERT

John the Baptist lives in an essential way, simple and without any form of narcissism, he is completely focused on those he doesn't yet know, but who he already recognizes as stronger than him. So from the Baptist we learn not to look so much at ourselves, but to open ourselves to others and to the Other and above all we learn to search, maybe even where we live, a little "desert" of ours where not only our voice resonates, but that of the only Word that saves.

Author
Hermit Monk

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PDF print format article – PDF Article print format – PDF Article in printed format

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Not only the Gospels tell us about John the Baptist, but also historians, for example the Jew Flavius ​​Josephus who defined it in his work Jewish Antiquities as a "good man"., who exhorted the Jews to lead a virtuous life and to practice mutual justice and piety towards God, inviting them to approach the baptism together".

The Baptist imagines the figure of the Messiah as a ruthless judge, who would not come to save, but to settle the score by proposing the simplest solution, capable of remedying the spread of sin: the death of the sinner. But Jesus will never exercise his messianic role in this way and he will take up some of the Baptist's words, like the one on conversion (cf.. Mt 4,17: «Convert»), he will say that he came not for ruin, but for the salvation of sinners. This is the Gospel passage for the second Sunday of Advent:

"In those days, John the Baptist came and preached in the Judean desert saying: «Be converted, because the kingdom of heaven is near!». In fact, he is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said: «Voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord, his paths straight!». And he, Giovanni, he wore a camel hair dress and a leather belt around his hips; his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea and the whole area along the Jordan flocked to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. Seeing many Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he told them: "You brood of vipers!! Who made you believe you could escape the impending wrath? Therefore produce a fruit worthy of conversion, and don't think you can say it within yourselves: «We have Abraham as our father!». For I tell you that from these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already placed at the roots of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you in the water for conversion; but he who comes after me is stronger than I, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He holds the shovel in his hand and will clean his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the granary, but he will burn the straw with unquenchable fire" (Mt 3,1-12).

In the words of John the Baptist we understand his urgent call for conversion, which distinguishes the season of Advent. The word used is metanoia, which we could literally break down into two concepts, "beyond" (meta) the "mind" (We), to indicate a "change of opinion". Especially Jesus, more than the Baptist, who called for a revision of customs and the correction of injustices, will ask for a conversion of the way of thinking to welcome the kingdom and its newness.

Giovanni al Giordano must have aroused considerable amazement at the time, finding themselves in a rather particular situation and condition, if not anomalous; so long as, we know from the Evangelist Luke (cf.. LC 1,5) who was the son of a priest, nevertheless he lives in the Judean desert. This fact must have impressed the memory of his contemporaries, the fact, that is, that Giovanni had distanced himself from his father's profession. A commentator writes: «The only son of a priest of Jerusalem had in fact the solemn obligation to take over from his father in his function and to guarantee, through marriage and children, the continuity of his priestly lineage. If this was the real historical situation, at a certain point John must have turned his back and must have scandalously - for Jewish eyes - refused his obligation to be a priest in his father's footsteps". A sensational gesture therefore takes place at the beginning of Giovanni's story, that Matthew's Gospel passage presents to us today. He goes near the place from which Elijah ascended to heaven, the fiery prophet of the Old Testament who attempted to bring Israel back to God and whose return would precede the Messiah. Perhaps for this reason John dresses like Elijah (2Re 1,8), but because his diet was based on Jewish rules of purity, locusts being insects that we can feed on (Lv 11,22), and bee honey as well kasher — that is, respectful of the laws of Kasherut, the suitability of a food to be consumed by the Jewish people - it is however possible that the Forerunner also had other concerns. Because impurity prevented one from approaching God, John does not only perform ascetic gestures, but avoid dressing in fabrics touched by women or eating foods elaborated by others, for fear of contamination.

As we wrote at the beginning John did not clearly see the face of the Messiah, yet he consistently lived his wait to the end, in the desert and near the Jordan, where he baptized. Looking at him, Christians experience the time of Advent as an opportunity not to be wasted and to be, Also today, in our desert, returning to ourselves, changing mentality and life, to open ourselves to Him, Jesus the Christ, that is to come.

Furthermore, the words spoken by John are still relevant today, not only because they announce conversion for forgiveness of sins, but also because they invite us to be credible by leading an authentic life. John the Baptist lives in an essential way, simple and without any form of narcissism, he is completely focused on those he doesn't yet know, but who he already recognizes as stronger than him. So from the Baptist we learn not to look so much at ourselves, but to open ourselves to others and to the Other and above all we learn to search, maybe even where we live, a little "desert" of ours where not only our voice resonates, but that of the only Word that saves.

In fact all the readings for the second Sunday of Advent converge in delivering a message centered on the Messiah. He is the one on whom the Spirit of God rests with his gifts (Is 11,1-10); Jesus is that Messiah who, according to the word of Scripture, he fulfilled the promises of God made to the fathers (RM 15,4-9); finally he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire: it is the strongest announced by the Baptist (Mt 3,1-12). It is revealed by the Spirit (first reading), prophesied by the Scriptures (second reading), indicated by a man, Giovanni, the prophet and precursor (Gospel). Therefore this second Sunday of Advent has at its center the biblical message of preparation for the coming of the Lord. This happens with the help of the Spirit to be invoked and to whose dynamism one submits, with the help of Scripture to listen to and meditate on, so that he transforms our hearts so that they are inclined towards conversion. Which is what Giovanni asks for by experiencing it firsthand. While exhorting others by saying: «Prepare the way of the Lord» (Mt 3,3), Giovanni is already preparing it, he makes himself the path that the Lord will follow. He is the forerunner, he who precedes the Messiah with his life anticipating in himself much of what the Messiah will then do.

from the Hermitage, 7 December 2025

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EVERY MAN SHOULD SEEK HIS OWN DESERT

John the Baptist lives in an essential, simple way and without any form of narcissism; he is wholly oriented toward the One whom he does not yet know, but whom he already recognises as stronger than himself. Thus from the Baptist we learn not to look so much at ourselves, but to open ourselves to others and to the Other; and above all we learn to seek — perhaps precisely where we live — our own small “desert”, where not only our own voice resounds, but the voice of the one Word that saves.

Author
Hermit Monk

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Not only the Gospels speak to us about John the Baptist, but also historians — for example the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, who in his work Jewish Antiquities described him as “a good man, who exhorted the Jews to lead a virtuous life, to practice justice toward one another and piety toward God, inviting them to approach baptism together.” The Baptist imagined the figure of the Messiah as a ruthless judge who would come not to save but to settle accounts, proposing the simplest solution to remedy the spread of sin: the death of the sinner. But Jesus would never exercise His messianic role in such a manner, and even if He would take up some of the Baptist’s words — such as the call to conversion (cf. Mt 4:17: “Repent”) — He would declare that He had come not for the ruin but for the salvation of sinners. This is the Gospel passage of the Second Sunday of Advent:

«In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: “A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”» (Mt 3:1–12).

In the words of John the Baptist we perceive his urgent appeal to conversion, which characterises the season of Advent. The word used is metanoia, which we could literally break into two concepts: “beyond” (meta) the “mind” (We), indicating a “change of mind” or “change of understanding”. Above all Jesus — more than the Baptist, who invited to a revision of customs and to the correction of injustices — will ask for a conversion of the way of thinking in order to welcome the kingdom and its newness.

John at the Jordan must have aroused considerable astonishment in his own time, finding himself in a situation and condition rather unusual, if not anomalous; for we know from the Evangelist Luke (cf. Page 1:5) that he was the son of a priest, and yet he lives in the desert of Judea. This fact must have impressed the memory of his contemporaries — that John had distanced himself from his father’s profession. A commentator writes: “The only son of a priest of Jerusalem had, in fact, the solemn obligation to take his father’s place in his function and to guarantee, through marriage and children, the continuity of his own priestly lineage. If this was the real historical situation, at a certain point John must have turned his back and — scandalously, to Jewish eyes — refused his obligation to be a priest in his father’s footsteps.”

Thus, a striking gesture stands at the beginning of John’s story, which today’s Gospel passage from Matthew presents to us. He goes near the place from which Elijah had been taken up into heaven, the fiery prophet of the Old Testament who had attempted to bring Israel back to God, and whose return was expected to precede the Messiah. Perhaps for this reason John dresses like Elijah (2 Kgs 1:8), but since his diet was based on Jewish purity rules — locusts being insects permitted for consumption (Lev 11:22), and wild honey likewise kasher, that is, in accordance with the laws of kashrut which determine whether a food is suitable for the Jewish people — it is possible that the Forerunner had other concerns as well. Since impurity prevented a person from approaching God, John not only performs ascetical acts, but avoids wearing fabrics touched by women or eating foods prepared by others, for fear of becoming ritually defiled.

As we wrote at the beginning, John did not clearly see the face of the Messiah, yet he lived his expectation coherently and to the full, in the desert and by the Jordan, where he was baptising. Looking at him, Christians live the season of Advent as an opportunity not to be wasted, and as a call to dwell, even today, in our own desert, returning within ourselves, changing our mindset and our lives, opening ourselves to Him — Jesus the Christ — who is to come.

Moreover, the words spoken by John today are still timely, not only because they proclaim conversion for the forgiveness of sins, but also because they invite us to be credible by leading an authentic life. John the Baptist lives in an essential, simple way and without any form of narcissism; he is wholly oriented toward the One whom he does not yet know, but whom he already recognises as stronger than himself. Thus from the Baptist we learn not to look so much at ourselves, but to open ourselves to others and to the Other; and above all we learn to seek — perhaps precisely where we live — our own small “desert”, where not only our own voice resounds, but the voice of the one Word that saves.

Indeed all the readings of the Second Sunday of Advent converge in delivering a message centred upon the Messiah. He is the one upon whom the Spirit of the Lord rests with His gifts (Is 11:1–10); Jesus is that Messiah who, according to Scripture, has fulfilled the promises of God made to the fathers (Rom 15:4–9); finally, He is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit and fire: He is the Mighty One announced by the Baptist (Mt 3:1–12). He is revealed by the Spirit (first reading), prophesied by the Scriptures (second reading), pointed out by a man — John — the prophet and forerunner (Gospel). Therefore this Second Sunday of Advent has at its centre the biblical message of preparation for the coming of the Lord. This takes place with the aid of the Spirit — to be invoked and to whose dynamism we must submit — and with the help of Scripture — to be heard and meditated — so that it may transform our heart and incline it toward conversion. This is what John asks, living it himself in the first person. While he exhorts others saying, “Prepare the way of the Lord” (Mt 3:3), John is already preparing it; he makes of himself the way that the Lord will follow. He is the forerunner, the one who precedes the Messiah with his life, anticipating in himself much of what the Messiah will later accomplish.

From the Hermitage, 7 December 2025

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EVERY MAN SHOULD LOOK FOR HIS OWN DESERT

John the Baptist lives in an essential way, simple and without any form of narcissism; is totally oriented towards Him whom he does not yet know, but who he already recognizes as stronger than him. This is how we learn from the Baptist not to look so much at ourselves, but to open ourselves to others and the Other; and above all we learn to look for — perhaps precisely where we live — a small “desert” of our own., where only our voice does not resonate, but the voice of the only Word that saves.

Author
Hermit Monk

.

Not only the Gospels tell us about John the Baptist; so do historians — for example the Jew Flavius ​​Josephus, who in his work Jewish antiquities He described him as “a good man.”, who exhorted Jews to lead a virtuous life, to practice mutual justice and piety towards God, inviting them to approach baptism together.”. The Baptist imagined the figure of the Messiah as an implacable judge who would come not to save, but to settle accounts, proposing the simplest solution to remedy the spread of sin: the death of the sinner. But Jesus would never exercise his messianic mission in this way.; and although he will take up some words of the Baptist - such as that of conversion (cf. Mt 4,17: «Convert») - will say that he has come not for perdition, but for the salvation of sinners. This is the Gospel passage from the second Sunday of Advent:

«In those days John the Baptist appeared preaching in the desert of Judea: “Become, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”. He is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said: “Voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight their paths!”. Juan wore a camel hair dress and a leather belt around his waist.; and their food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem came out to him, all Judea and all the region of the Jordan; and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing your sins. Seeing that many Pharisees and Sadducees came to his baptism, he told them: “Breed of vipers! Who has taught you to flee from the impending wrath? Dad, well, fruit worthy of conversion; and don't think that you can tell each other: 'We have Abraham as our father'. For I tell you that from these stones God is able to raise children to Abraham.. The ax is already placed at the root of the trees: and every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for conversion; but he who comes after me is stronger than me, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He has the fork in his hand: He will clean his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn.; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.". (Mt 3,1–12).

In the words of John the Baptist we perceive his urgent call to conversion, that characterizes the season of Advent. The word used is metanoia, which we could literally decompose into two concepts: "beyond" (meta) of the “mind” (We), to indicate a “change of mind” or “change of mentality”. Above all Jesus — more than the Baptist, who invited us to review customs and correct injustices - will ask for a conversion of the way of thinking to welcome the Kingdom and its novelty.

Juan, next to the Jordan, must have aroused great astonishment in its time, finding yourself in a very particular situation and condition, if not abnormal; because we know from the evangelist Luke (cf. LC 1,5) who was the son of a priest, and yet he lives in the Judean desert. This fact must have impressed the memory of his contemporaries.: that Juan had distanced himself from his father's profession. A commentator writes: "The only son of a priest in Jerusalem had, indeed, the solemn obligation to succeed his father in his office and to guarantee, through marriage and children, the continuity of his priestly lineage. If this was the real historical situation, At one point Juan must have turned his back and — scandalously —, for Jewish eyes — rejecting his obligation to be a priest following in his father's footsteps.". a gesture, therefore, clamorous is at the beginning of the story of Juan, that the Gospel passage of Matthew presents to us today. He goes to the place from where Elijah had been taken to heaven., the fiery prophet of the Old Testament who had tried to lead Israel back to God, and whose return would precede the Messiah. Maybe this is why Juan dresses like Elijah. (2 Re 1,8), but since their diet was based on the standards of Jewish purity—locusts being insects permitted for consumption (Lv 11,22), and wild honey likewise kasher, that is to say, in accordance with the laws of the kashrut about the nutritional suitability of the Jewish people — it is possible that the Precursor had other concerns as well. Since impurity prevented us from approaching God, Juan not only performs ascetic gestures, but avoids wearing fabrics touched by women or eating foods prepared by others., for fear of ritual contamination.

As we wrote at the beginning, John did not see the face of the Messiah clearly, and yet he lived coherently and to the bottom his expectation, in the desert and by the Jordan, where he baptized. looking at it, Christians live the season of Advent as an occasion that should not be wasted and as a call to remain, also today, in our own desert, returning to ourselves, changing mentality and life, to open ourselves to Him — Jesus the Christ — who is to come.

Besides, the words spoken today by Juan they are still current, not only because they announce conversion for the forgiveness of sins, but also because they invite us to be credible by leading an authentic life. John the Baptist lives in an essential way, simple and without any form of narcissism; is totally oriented towards Him whom he does not yet know, but who he already recognizes as stronger than him. This is how we learn from the Baptist not to look so much at ourselves, but to open ourselves to others and the Other; Above all, we learn to look for — perhaps precisely where we live — a small “desert” of our own., where only our voice does not resonate, but the voice of the only Word that saves.

Indeed, All the readings of the second Sunday of Advent converge to transmit a message centered on the Messiah. He is the one on whom the Spirit of the Lord rests with his gifts (Is 11,1-10); Jesus is that Messiah who, according to the scripture, has fulfilled the promises made by God to the parents (RM 15,4-9); Finally, is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire: is the strongest announced by the Baptist (Mt 3,1-12). It is revealed by the Spirit (first reading), prophesied by the scriptures (second reading), pointed out by a man — John — the prophet and forerunner (Gospel). That is why this second Sunday of Advent has at its center the biblical message of preparation for the coming of the Lord.. This is done with the help of the Spirit — who we must invoke and whose dynamism we must welcome — and with the help of Scripture — which we must listen to and meditate on — so that it transforms our hearts and inclines our lives toward conversion.. That's what Juan asks, living it himself in first person. While exhorting others saying: "Prepare the way of the Lord" (Mt 3,3), Juan is already preparing it; makes himself the path that the Lord will follow. He is the forerunner, the one who precedes the Messiah with his life, anticipating in itself much of what the Messiah will later do.

From the wasteland, 7 December 2025

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Sant'Angelo Cave in Ripe (Civitella del Tronto)

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Homiletics of the Fathers of The Island of Patmos

Italian, english, español

MAKE WAY FOR US TO PASS PHARISEES PERFECT CHAMPIONS OF PURITY

"Hate, I thank you because I am not like other men, thieves, unrighteous, adultery, nor even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and pay tithes of everything I own.".

Author
Hermit Monk

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PDF print format article – PDF article print format – PDF article in printed format

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Like last Sunday's Gospel, this one from the XXX Sunday of Ordinary Time also contains a teaching on prayer. It is entrusted to the parable of the Pharisee and the publican in the temple, a text present only in the third gospel.

If Luca had specified the purpose for which Jesus had told the parable of the insistent widow and the unjust judge, or the need for persevering prayer (LC 18,1); this instead is narrated with specific recipients in mind: «He also spoke this parable for some who had the inner presumption of being righteous and despised others» (LC 18,9). In light of LC 16,15 where Jesus qualifies the Pharisees as those who "consider themselves righteous before men", one might think that the target of the story is precisely them alone, but the attitude targeted in the parable is a religious distortion that occurs everywhere and also affects Christian communities, and it is certainly these recipients that Luke is thinking of when writing his gospel. It is important to clarify this to avoid caricatural readings of the Pharisees, which unfortunately have not been lacking in Christianity precisely starting from the reading of this parable. And here is the evangelical text:

«Two men went up to the temple to pray: one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, while standing, he prayed like this to himself: "Hate, I thank you because I am not like other men, thieves, unrighteous, adultery, nor even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and pay tithes of everything I own.". The publican instead, stopped at a distance, he didn't even dare roll his eyes, but he beat his chest saying: "Hate, be merciful to me a sinner! '. I tell you: these, unlike the other, He went down to his house justified, For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, those who humble themselves will be exalted " (LC 18,9-14).

The piece can easily be divided into three parts: An introduction, of a verse; a parable of four verses (vv. 10-13); and the conclusion, of Jesus: «I tell you». The protagonists of the parable are two men, who ascend to the holiest place in Israel, the temple. The verb ascend not only says that the temple was located high up, its a mountain, but also that to go to Jerusalem one ascends, almost as if to indicate the way, also physical, how to get closer to God. In this regard we can recall the "Psalms of the Ascensions", starting from Ps 120, but also, in the Gospel, the good Samaritan who worried about the man who fell into the hands of bandits while "going down from Jerusalem to Jericho" (LC 10,30). St. Luke here describes two opposing polarities in first-century Judaism, thus showing that the characters are not chosen at random. The Pharisees were the most pious and devout people, while tax collectors were often considered thieves, a category of professionals in the pay of Rome, as Zacchaeus of Jericho could have been (LC 19,1). It also emerges that prayer at the temple could be private, while the public one was held in the morning and in the evening, and was regulated by the Templar liturgy.

So we have two men who go to the temple to pray. Their movement is identical, their purpose is the same and the place to which they go is the same, yet a great distance separates them. They are close and at the same time far away, so much so that their co-presence in the place of prayer still raises the question today, to Christians, of what it means to pray together, side by side, next to each other in the same place. It is in fact possible to pray alongside and be separated from the comparison, from comparison and even contempt: "I'm not like this tax collector" (v. 11). The differences between the two characters are also relevant for the gestures and postures of their bodies and in their positioning in the sacred space. The publican remains at the back, «stops at a distance» (v. 13), he does not dare advance, it is inhabited by the fear of those who are not used to the liturgical place, he bows his head to the ground and beats his chest saying very few words. The Pharisee, instead, expresses his confidence, his being a accustomed of the sacred place and pray while standing with your forehead high, pronouncing many refined words in his articulated thanks. This self-awareness has nothing to do with the right self-esteem, ma, marrying with contempt for others, turns out to be ostentatious arrogance, from someone who is perhaps not so sure of himself, so much so that it does not harbor any doubt in itself. And the presence of others serves to corroborate his consciousness of superiority. The verb used by Luke, exoutheneine, translated as «despise», literally means "to retain nothing", and it will be Herod's attitude towards Jesus in the story of the passion (LC 23,11). The Pharisee's confidence in condemning others is necessary to sustain the confidence of his own being better and right.

In the words of the Pharisee it also emerges what image of God he has. He prays "within himself", that is, "turned to himself" (cf.. automatic process Of LC 18,11) and his prayer seems dominated by the ego. Formally he gives thanks, but in truth he thanks God not for what he has done for him, but rather for what he does for God. The sense of thanksgiving is thus distorted since his ego replaces God and his prayer ends up being a list of pious services and a satisfaction with his not being "like other men" (v. 11). The lofty image of himself clouds that of God so much that it prevents him from seeing as a brother the one who prays in the same place and feels so at ease that God only has to confirm what he is and does.: It does not require conversion or change. Thus Jesus reveals that God's gaze does not welcome his prayer: «the publican returned to his house justified, unlike the other" (v. 14). Revealing to the reader the quiet prayer of the two characters in the parable, Luke makes an incursion into their interiority and into the soul of those who pray, showing that background of prayer that can be one with it, or conflict with it. It opens like this, in this song, a glimpse of light on the heart and depths of those who pray, on the thoughts that inhabit him while he is collected in prayer. This is a bold but important operation, because behind the words that are pronounced in liturgical or personal prayer there are often images, thoughts, feelings that can also be in sensational contradiction with the words that are spoken and with the meaning of the gestures that are made.

It is the relationship between prayer and authenticity. The Pharisee's prayer is sincere, but not truthful. It is that of the publican, while that of the Pharisee remains only sincere, as it expresses what this man believes and feels, however, bringing to light the pathology hidden in his words. They, that is, truly believing what he says, at the same time he shows that what moves him to prayer is the intimate conviction that what he does is enough to justify him. Therefore his conviction is granitic and unshakable. His personal sincerity is consistent with the image of God that moves him.

Let us underline the verse again 13, that is, the posture and prayer of the publican which contrasts with that of the Pharisee. He stays behind, perhaps in the most remote space compared to the temple building, he doesn't roll his eyes, but he recognizes himself as a sinner by beating his chest, the way David said: "I have sinned against the Lord" (2Sam 12,13); like the "prodigal son" he says: «I have sinned against heaven and against you» (LC 15,21). The publican's prayer is not centered on himself, but he asks for only one thing - mercy - with the expression: «Have mercy», inexorably, what does it mean: propitiate, make benevolent, atone for sins. The publican makes no comparison, he considers himself the only sinner, a real sinner. In the end, al v.14, we encounter Jesus' comment, which highlights who is justified and who is not. The answer begins with the expression: «I tell you» (lego smile), as if to signal a significant conclusion, a request for solemn attention. Then Jesus says that of the two who had gone up to the temple, only the publican came away justified. The verb used by Jesus means to descend home (the CEI: "went home"). The sinner's prayer is accepted by God, that of the Pharisee, however, was not because he had nothing to ask. God, on the other hand, always welcomes requests for forgiveness when they are authentic and this parable therefore turns out to be a further teaching on prayer, like the one just above, of the judge and the widow.

The Christian reader through this parable understands that the authenticity of prayer passes through the good quality of relationships with others who pray with me and who with me form the body of Christ. And in the Christian space, in which Jesus Christ is "the image of the invisible God" (With the 1,15), prayer is a process of continuous purification of the images of God starting from the image revealed in Christ and him crucified (cf.. 1Color 2,2), image that contests all the counterfeit images of God. We can say that the Pharisee's attitude is emblematic of a religious type that replaces the relationship with the Lord with quantifiable performances, he fasts twice a week and pays tithes of everything he buys, also performing supererogatory works. To the relationship with the Lord under the sign of the Spirit and the gratuitousness of love, it replaces a form of seeking sanctification through control, which requires detachment from others. The prayer, instead, suggests Luca, requires humility. And humility is adherence to reality, to the poverty and smallness of the human condition, all’humus of which we are made. It is courageous self-knowledge in the face of the God who manifested himself in the humility and abasement of the Son. Where there is humility, there is openness to grace and there is charity and mercy is found.

From the Hermitage, 26 October 2025

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STAND ASIDE, FOR WE PHARISEES, CHAMPIONS OF PURITY, ARE COMING THROUGH

“Oh God, I thank Thee that I am not like other men — thieves, unjust, adulterers — nor even like this publican. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on all I possess».

Author
Hermit Monk

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As in last Sunday’s Gospel, so too in that of this Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time we find a teaching on prayer. It is conveyed through the parable of the Pharisee and the publican in the temple — a text found only in the third Gospel. If Saint Luke had specified the purpose for which Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge, namely the necessity of persevering prayer (Page 18:1), this one, on the other hand, is told with certain hearers clearly in mind: “He also told this parable to some who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised others” (Page 18:9). In the light of Luke 16:15, where Jesus describes the Pharisees as those “who justify themselves in the sight of men”, one might suppose that they alone are the intended target of the narrative. Yet the attitude denounced in the parable is a religious distortion that can arise anywhere — it inhabits even Christian communities — and it is surely to such as these that Luke directs his Gospel. It is important to make this clarification so as to avoid caricatured readings of the Pharisees, which unfortunately have not been lacking within Christianity, often beginning precisely from this parable. And here is the Gospel text itself:

“Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'Oh God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on all I possess.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'Oh God, be merciful to me a sinner ’. I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted”. (Page 18:9–14).

The passage can easily be divided into three parts: an introduction of one verse; a parable of four verses (vv. 10–13); and the conclusion spoken by Jesus: “I tell you.”The protagonists of the parable are two men who go up to the holiest place in Israel, the Temple. The verb to go up indicates not only that the Temple stood on high, upon a mountain, but also that one ascends when going to Jerusalem — almost as though to suggest, even in bodily movement, the manner in which one draws near to God. In this regard we may recall the Psalms of Ascent, beginning with Psalm 120, and likewise, in the Gospel, the Good Samaritan who took care of the man fallen among robbers while “going down from Jerusalem to Jericho” (Page 10:30). Saint Luke here depicts two opposing poles within first-century Judaism, showing that the characters were not chosen at random. The Pharisees were regarded as the most pious and devout, while the tax collectors were often seen as thieves — a class of professionals in the service of Rome, as Zacchaeus of Jericho may have been (Page 19:1). It also becomes clear that prayer in the Temple could be private, while public prayer was held in the morning and in the evening and was governed by the Temple liturgy.

We thus have two men who go to the Temple to pray. Their movement is identical, their purpose the same, and the place to which they go is one and the same; yet a great distance separates them. They are close to each other and yet far apart, so that their being together in the place of prayer raises, even for us Christians today, the question of what it truly means to pray together — side by side, one beside another, in the same sacred space. It is indeed possible to pray next to someone and yet be separated by comparison, by rivalry, or even by contempt: “I am not like this tax collector” (v. 11). The differences between the two characters are also evident in their gestures, in the posture of their bodies, and in the way they situate themselves within the sacred space. The tax collector remains at the back, “standing at a distance” (v. 13); he does not dare to come forward, he is filled with the awe of one unaccustomed to the liturgical place; he bows his head to the ground and beats his breast, uttering but a few words. The Pharisee, on the other hand, displays his assurance, his familiarity with the holy place; he prays standing upright, head held high, pronouncing many carefully chosen words in his elaborate thanksgiving. This self-awareness has nothing to do with proper self-respect; joined with contempt for others, it becomes a form of ostentatious arrogance — perhaps the posture of one who, in truth, is not so sure of himself, and who harbours no doubt within. The presence of others serves only to confirm his sense of superiority. The verb used by Luke, exoutheneine, translated as “to despise”, literally means “to regard as nothing”, and it will describe the attitude of Herod toward Jesus in the Passion narrative (Page 23:11). The Pharisee’s certainty in condemning others is the very means by which he sustains the illusion of his own righteousness and superiority.

In the words of the Pharisee there also emerges the image of God that he bears within himself. He prays “to himself” — that is, “turned toward himself” (pros heauton, Page 18:11) — and his prayer appears to be ruled entirely by the ego. Formally, he performs an act of thanksgiving, yet in truth he thanks God not for what God has done for him, but for what he does for God. The very meaning of thanksgiving is thus distorted, for his self takes the place of God, and his prayer becomes a catalogue of pious achievements and a self-satisfaction at not being “like other men” (v. 11). His exalted image of himself obscures that of God, to the point of preventing him from seeing as a brother the man who prays in the same holy place. He feels himself so perfectly righteous that God has nothing left to do but to confirm what he already is and does: he has no need of conversion, no need of change. Thus Jesus reveals that God’s gaze does not look with favour upon his prayer: “the tax collector went home justified, rather than the other” (v. 14). By unveiling for the reader the subdued prayer of the two figures in the parable, Luke ventures into their inner world — into the soul of the one who prays — showing that hidden background of prayer which may either be one with it or at odds with it. This passage thus opens a window of light upon the heart and the depths of the one who prays, upon the thoughts that dwell within him even as he stands in prayer. It is a bold but essential insight, for behind the words uttered in prayer — whether liturgical or personal — there often lie images, thoughts, and feelings that may stand in striking contradiction to the very words we speak and to the gestures we perform.

It is the relationship between prayer and authenticity. The prayer of the Pharisee is sincere, but not truthful. That of the tax collector is truthful, whereas the Pharisee’s remains merely sincere — in that it expresses what this man believes and feels, yet at the same time reveals the hidden pathology within his words. Believing truly what he says, he also shows that what moves him to pray is the inner conviction that what he does is sufficient to justify him. Hence his conviction is granite-like and unshakable. His personal sincerity is wholly consistent with the image of God that animates him.

Let us pause once more upon verse 13 — upon the posture and the prayer of the tax collector, which stands in direct contrast to that of the Pharisee. He remains at the back, perhaps in the most distant space of the Temple precincts; he does not lift his eyes to heaven but acknowledges himself as a sinner, beating his breast as David once said, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Sam 12:13); and as the prodigal son confessed, “I have sinned against heaven and against you” (Page 15:21). The prayer of the tax collector is not centred upon himself; he asks only one thing — mercy — with the expression “Be merciful” (hilaskomai), which means to propitiate, to make favourable, to atone for sins. The tax collector makes no comparison; he considers himself the only sinner, a true sinner. Finally, in verse 14, we find the comment of Jesus, who indicates who is justified and who is not. His response begins with the expression “I tell you” (lego smile), signalling a solemn conclusion, a call for attentive listening. Then Jesus declares that of the two who went up to the Temple, only the tax collector went down to his house justified. The verb used by Jesus means to go down to one’s house. The sinner’s prayer is received by God; the Pharisee’s is not, for he had nothing to ask. God, however, always welcomes the plea for forgiveness when it is sincere. This parable thus becomes yet another teaching on prayer — like the one just above, of the judge and the widow.

Through this parable, the Christian reader understands that the authenticity of prayer passes through the goodness and integrity of one’s relationships with others who pray alongside us and who, together with us, form the Body of Christ. In the Christian sphere, where Jesus Christ is “the image of the invisible God” (With the 1:15), prayer becomes a process of continual purification of our images of God, beginning from the image revealed in Christ — and in Him crucified (cf. 1 Color 2:2) — the image that contests and unmasks all false and distorted representations of God. The attitude of the Pharisee may be seen as emblematic of a religious type that replaces relationship with the Lord by measurable performance. He fasts twice a week and pays tithes on all he acquires, even undertaking works of supererogation. In place of a relationship with the Lord marked by the Spirit and by the gratuity of love, there arises a pursuit of sanctification through control — a striving that demands separation from others. Prayer, on the contrary, as Luke suggests, requires humility. And humility is an adhesion to reality — to the poverty and smallness of the human condition, to the humus from which we are made. It is the courageous knowledge of oneself before the God who has revealed Himself in the humility and self-emptying of the Son. Where there is humility, there is openness to grace, and there is charity, and mercy is found.

From the Hermitage October 26, 2025

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STAY AWAY, WHAT WE HAPPENED, THE PHARISEES, PERFECT CHAMPIONS OF PURITY!

«Oh God, I thank you because I am not like other men, thieves, unfair, adulterers, nor like this publican. "I fast twice a week and pay tithes of everything I own.".

Author
Hermit Monk

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Just like in last Sunday's Gospel, Also in that of this thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time we find a teaching on prayer. It is expressed through the parable of the Pharisee and the publican in the temple, a text present only in the third Gospel. If Saint Luke had specified the purpose for which Jesus told the parable of the persevering widow and the wicked judge—viz., the need to always pray without fainting (LC 18,1) —, in this other, instead, is narrated with specific recipients in mind: "He also told this parable for some who trusted in themselves because they considered themselves righteous and despised others." (LC 18,9). In the light of Lk 16,15, where Jesus describes the Pharisees as those "who consider themselves righteous before men", It could be thought that they are the only recipients of the story. However, The attitude denounced in the parable is a religious distortion that can manifest itself anywhere; also lives in Christian communities, and it is surely to these recipients that Luke addresses his Gospel.. It is important to specify this to avoid caricatured readings of the Pharisees, what, unfortunately, have not been lacking in Christianity, born precisely from the interpretation of this parable. And here is the evangelical text:

«Two men went up to the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee, erected, He prayed inside saying: “Oh God, I thank you because I am not like other men, thieves, unfair, adulterers, nor like this publican. “I fast twice a week and pay tithes of everything I own.”. But the publican, staying at a distance, He didn't even dare to raise his eyes to the sky., but he beat his chest saying: “Oh God, have mercy on me, that I am a sinner. I tell you that this one went home justified and that one did not.; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (LC 18,9-14).

The passage can easily be divided into three parts: a verse introduction; a four verse parable (vv. 10-13); and the conclusion pronounced by Jesus: “I tell them”. The protagonists of the parable are two men who climb to the holiest place in Israel, the temple. The verb rise indicates not only that the temple was on top, on a mountain, but also that to go to Jerusalem one ascends, almost as if to suggest—even in physical movement—the way in which one approaches God. For this purpose we can remember the Psalms of the climbs, starting with the Psalm 120, and also, in the Gospel, the figure of the good Samaritan who took pity on the man who fell into the hands of bandits while "going down from Jerusalem to Jericho" (LC 10,30). Saint Luke presents here two opposite poles within 1st century Judaism, thus showing that the characters were not chosen at random. The Pharisees were considered the most pious and devout people, while tax collectors were often seen as thieves: a class of professionals at the service of Rome, What Zacchaeus of Jericho could have been like (LC 19,1). In this passage it is also made present that prayer in the temple could be private., while public prayer was held in the morning and afternoon, and was regulated by the temple liturgy.

Have, well, to two men who go up to the temple to pray. Their movement is identical, their purpose is the same and the place they are going is the same.; however, a great distance separates them. They are close and at the same time distant, so that their joint presence in the place of prayer also raises today, to Christians, the question of what it truly means to pray together, side by side, in the same sacred space. Indeed, it is possible to pray together with another and, however, be separated by comparison, rivalry or even contempt: "I am not like this publican" (v. 11).

The differences between the two characters They are also notable in the gestures, in the posture of their bodies and in the way they are situated within the sacred space. The publican remains in the background, "keeping at a distance" (v. 13); does not dare to move forward, is inhabited by the fear of those who are not accustomed to the liturgical place; He bows his head to the ground and beats his chest, saying just a few words.. The Pharisee, instead, expresses his security, his condition of habituation to the holy place; now raised, with your head held high, uttering many carefully chosen words in his elaborate thanks. This self-awareness has nothing to do with fair self-esteem.; linked to contempt for others, is revealed in a form of ostentatious arrogance perhaps on the part of someone who actually, he's not so sure of himself, to the point that he has no doubt inside. The presence of others only serves to reinforce his consciousness of superiority.. The verb used by Luke, exoutheneín, translated as "despise", literally means “to consider as nothing”, and describes Herod's attitude toward Jesus in the Passion story (LC 23,11). The Pharisee's confidence in condemning others is the means by which he sustains the illusion of his own righteousness and superiority..

In the words of the Pharisee the image of God that he carries within himself is also revealed. Pray “with yourself”, that is to say, "directed toward oneself" (Pros haughton, LC 18,11), and his prayer seems dominated by ego. Formally performs a thanksgiving, but in reality he thanks God not for what God has done for him, but for what he does for God. The sense of gratitude is thus denatured, for his own self takes the place of God, and his prayer becomes a catalog of pious practices and a self-congratulation for not being "like other men." (v. 11). The magnified image of himself obscures that of God to the point of preventing him from seeing the one who prays in the same holy place as a brother.. He feels so righteous that God has nothing to do but confirm what he already is and does.: does not need any conversion or change. So, Jesus reveals that God's gaze does not take pleasure in his prayer: «The publican went home justified, and the other doesn't" (v. 14). By revealing to the reader the silent prayer of the two characters in the parable, Luke penetrates into his inner world — into the soul of the one who prays — showing that undercurrent of the prayer that may coincide with it or conflict with it.. This passage opens, therefore, a slit of light on the heart and depths of those who pray, about the thoughts that inhabit him even while he is collected in prayer.
This is a bold observation, but necessary, because behind the words spoken in prayer - whether liturgical or personal - images are usually hidden, thoughts and feelings that may be in flagrant contradiction with the words that are said and with the meaning of the gestures that are made.

It's about the relationship between prayer and authenticity. The Pharisee's prayer is sincere, but not true. That of the publican on the other hand, it's true, while that of the Pharisee remains merely sincere, to the extent that it expresses what this man believes and feels, but at the same time it reveals the hidden pathology in his words. Truly believing in what he says, It also shows that what drives him to pray is the intimate conviction that what he does is enough to justify it.. That is why his conviction is granite and unbreakable.. His personal sincerity is fully consistent with the image of God that moves him..

Let's stop once again at the verse 13, in the posture and prayer of the publican, that serve as a counterweight to those of the Pharisee. Stay behind, perhaps in the space furthest from the temple precinct; does not raise his eyes to the sky, but he recognizes himself as a sinner by beating his chest, the way David said: "I have sinned against the Lord" (2 Sam 12,13); and as the prodigal son confessed: "I have sinned against heaven and against you" (LC 15,21). The Publican's Prayer Is Not Self-Centered; He asks for one thing—mercy—with the expression “Have compassion.” (hilaskomai), What does it mean to encourage?, become favorable, atone for sins. The publican makes no comparisons; he considers himself the only sinner, a true sinner. Finally, in the verse 14, we find Jesus' comment, that highlights who is justified and who is not. His response begins with the expression "I tell you." (lego smile), as to point out a significant conclusion, an invitation to listen attentively. After, Jesus declares that of the two who went up to the temple, only the publican went home justified. The verb used by Jesus means to descend home. The sinner's prayer is accepted by God; that of the Pharisee, instead, no, because he had nothing to ask for. God, however, always welcome pleas for forgiveness when they are authentic. This parable thus becomes a new teaching on prayer, just like the previous one, that of the judge and the widow.

Through this parable, The Christian reader understands that the authenticity of prayer depends on the quality and goodness of the relationships with others who pray with me and who, together with me, they form the Body of Christ. In the Christian sphere, where Jesus Christ is "the image of the invisible God" (With the 1,15), Prayer becomes a process of continuous purification of our images of God, from the image revealed in Christ — and in Him crucified (cf. 1 Color 2,2) —, image that questions and unmasks all false and distorted representations of God. The attitude of the Pharisee can be considered emblematic of a religious type that replaces the relationship with the Lord with quantifiable returns.. He fasts twice a week and pays tithes on everything he acquires., even performing supererogatory works. Instead of a relationship with the Lord under the sign of the Spirit and the gratuitousness of love, a form of search for sanctification appears through control, that requires distancing from others. The prayer, Instead—as Luke suggests—, requires humility. And humility is adherence to reality, to the poverty and smallness of the human condition, al humus what we are made of. It is the courageous knowledge of oneself before God that has manifested itself in the humility and self-emptying of the Son.. Where there is humility, there is openness to grace, there is charity and mercy is found.

From the Hermitage, 26 October 2025

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Sant'Angelo Cave in Ripe (Civitella del Tronto)

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Homiletics of the Fathers of The Island of Patmos

Italian, english, español

THE SAVING JOY OF BEING ONLY USELESS SERVANTS

The authentic disciple of the Lord, after having done his service well, he must however recognize himself as useless because his work does not necessarily guarantee him salvation, as grace will always be a gift and not a boast for having done something.

Author
Hermit Monk

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The Gospel of Luke today reports two sayings of Jesus. The first concerns faith, in response to a question from the apostles.

The second which is presented in extended form, almost a small parable, refers to the service that "useless servants" provide. The context is still that of Jesus' great journey to Jerusalem which began in LC 9,51 and will end in LC 19,45. Today's Gospel closes the second section of this pilgrimage of Jesus which is characterized by the invitation to enter the Kingdom by following certain conditions. What follows is the Gospel text:

"During that time, the apostles said to the Lord: «Increase our faith!». The Lord replied: «If you had faith as much as a mustard seed, you might say to this mulberry tree: «Uproot yourself and go and plant yourself in the sea, and it would obey you. Who among you, if he has a servant to plow or graze the flock, he will tell him, when he returns from the field: «Come quickly and sit at the table?» He won't tell him instead: «Prepare something to eat, stringiti le vesti ai fianchi e sérvimi, until I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink?» Perhaps he will be grateful to that servant, because he followed the orders he received? So do you, when you have done everything you were told to do, said: «We are useless servants. We did what we had to do" (LC 17,5-10).

After having discussed the use of material goods, of relationships with others and of the Church with community instructions, for the first time in the Gospel of Luke the Lord speaks on the theme of faith in response to an intervention by the apostles: «Increase our faith» (LC 17,5). The question of the latter refers to a similar situation recalled by the Gospel of Mark. There, after the story of the transfiguration, the father of a possessed boy turns to Jesus to ask for his son's liberation, and tells him: «Credo; help my unbelief" (MC 9,24). The Lord answers him not in words, but with a gesture of power, exorcising the impure spirit. The gospel of Matthew tells the same episode but amplifies it, adding the reaction of the disciples not handed down by Saint Mark and recording however the same words of Jesus that we hear today: «Then the disciples approached Jesus, on the sidelines, and they asked him: «Because we couldn't drive him away?». And he answered them: «For your little faith. Verily I say unto you: if you have faith equal to a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain: «Move from here to there, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you" (Mt 17,19-20).

Actually Marco too preserves the same saying of Jesus in Luke, but in a different context, that of the fruitless fig tree: «Jesus answered them: «Have faith in God! Verily I say unto you: if one were to say to this mountain: Get up and throw yourself into the sea, without doubting in his heart, but believing that what he says happens, this will happen to him" (MC 11,22-23).

Are, as Archimedes said, to lift the world you need a point of support, this is undoubtedly faith for Jesus. Jesus has just spoken of the inevitability of scandals occurring in the Christian community and invited those who sin to be corrected and those who repent and openly recognize their sin to be infinitely forgiven. (LC 17,1-4). In this context we understand the prayer of the disciples to see their faith increased. How to hold up, indeed, the weight of scandals, of obstacles to the life of communion, of the stumbling block placed on the smallest or simplest in the ecclesial space? How to exercise fraternal correction that does not crush the brother but frees him? How to forgive again and always those who repent every time? Only through faith. Let it be, by way of example, to move a mulberry tree as in today's page of Luke or a mountain, as in the gospels of Mark and Matthew, the aforementioned "lever" to do this is faith, as big as a mustard seed, in fact what matters is quality and not quantity. In the evangelical miracles it is presupposed in the needy that Jesus encounters, allows us to avoid spectacularisation or idolatry, Jesus normally asks for faith before his intervention, since after that it is no longer guaranteed, as in the case of the ten healed lepers in next Sunday's Gospel: only one returned to say thank you (cf.. LC 17,11-19).

In the second part of the song a similarity is reported, almost a parable, which presents a situation that, Fortunately, today it is very difficult to trace, since slavery has been abolished and those who perform a service do so because they are competent and gratified and not simply because they are qualified as servants. However in the Bible these terms, net of social situations different from ours, are used to define a religious condition, often positive. For instance, in the Gospel of Luke, Mary herself proclaims herself the "servant" of the Lord (cf.. LC 1,38). How typical of Jesus, the parable places us before a paradoxical situation, as an invitation to look at reality from another point of view, which is that of God. In this case the paradox corresponds to the fact that the servant, having done his duty, it was necessary to his master. But the authentic disciple of the Lord, after having done his service well, he must however recognize himself as useless because his work does not necessarily guarantee him salvation, as grace will always be a gift and not a boast for having done something. The Greek term, used by Luca, acreios (achreioi), which has the original meaning of "worthless", applied to the people mentioned by Jesus it indicates any servants, to whom nothing is owed. It's a strong feeling, which could offend modern sensibilities, yet it hides a religious and salvific meaning that, eg, the apostle Paul captures it when speaking about faith in the Letter to the Romans: «Where then is the boasting?? He was excluded! By what law? From that of the works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that man is justified by faith, independently of the works of the Law" (Rom 3,27-28). And again in the Letter to the Ephesians: “For by grace you are saved through faith; and that doesn't come from you, but it is a gift from God; nor does it come from works, so that no one can boast about it" (Ef 2,8-9).

Therefore for the disciple and in the Christian community, faith is required for service and they walk together; this is the link that we can trace between the simile that Jesus makes and the exhortation to faith, although the size of a mustard seed. Jesus is instructing those who follow him and great faith is required of the disciple, which can only be continually asked of God. The effort and commitment that Christians must have to do what they do, often at the risk of their lives in some situations and parts of the world, he must also be able to recognize that one is saved not because one was good or achieved results, but because it is God who saves. All credit, even those legitimately obtained, they must be brought back to the merciful and savior God.

From the Hermitage, 5 October 2025

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THE SAVING JOY OF BEING ONLY UNWORTHY SERVANTS

The disciple of the Lord, after having carried out his service well, must still recognise himself as unprofitable, because his work does not of itself guarantee salvation; grace will always be a gift and never a boast for having done something.

Author
Hermit Monk

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The Gospel of Luke today reports two sayings of Jesus. The first concerns faith, in response to a request from the apostles.

The second, presented at greater length as a short parable, refers to the service rendered by the «unprofitable servants». The setting is still that of the great journey of Jesus to Jerusalem which began at Page 9:51 and will end at Page 19:45. With today’s Gospel we come to the close of the second section of this pilgrimage of Jesus, which is marked by the invitation to enter the Kingdom by following certain conditions. What follows is the Gospel text:

«And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” The Lord replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to [this] mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’” (Luke 17:5–10)».

After speaking about the use of material goods, relations with one’s neighbour and the life of the Church with her communal instructions, for the first time in Luke’s Gospel the Lord speaks about the theme of faith in response to a request from the apostles: «Increase our faith» (Page 17:5). Their plea recalls a similar situation noted by Mark. There, after the account of the Transfiguration, the father of a possessed boy turns to Jesus to ask for his son’s liberation and says to him: «I do believe, help my unbelief!» (Mk 9:24). The Lord answers him not with words but with a deed of power, by casting out the unclean spirit. Matthew recounts the same episode but expands it, adding the disciples’ reaction (which Mark does not record) and preserving the same words of Jesus that we hear today: «Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you”» (Mt 17:19–20).

Mark also preserves the same saying of Jesus as Luke, but in a different context, that of the barren fig tree: «Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God. Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him”» (Mk 11:22–23).

If, as Archimedes said, to lift the world one needs a fixed point, for Jesus that point is undoubtedly faith. He has just spoken about the inevitability that scandals occur within the Christian community and has urged that the sinner be corrected and that the one who repents be forgiven without limit (Page 17:1-4). In this context one understands the disciples’ prayer to have their faith increased. How, indeed, can one bear the weight of scandals, of obstacles to communion, of stumbling blocks placed before the little ones in the Church’s life? How can one exercise fraternal correction that does not crush a brother but frees him? How can one forgive again and again those who repent each time? Only by means of faith. Whether, by way of example, it is a matter of moving a mulberry tree as in Luke, or a mountain as in Mark and Matthew, the “lever” to do so is faith — great even if only like a mustard seed — for what counts is its quality rather than its quantity. In the Gospel miracles faith is presupposed in those in need whom Jesus meets; it allows one to avoid spectacle or idolatry. Jesus normally asks for faith before he intervenes, because afterwards it is no longer guaranteed, as in the case of the ten lepers of next Sunday’s Gospel: only one returned to give thanks (cf. Page 17:11–19).

In the second part of the passage a comparison is reported, almost a parable, presenting a situation which, thankfully, is very hard to find today, since slavery has been abolished and those who perform a service do so because they are competent and fulfilled, not simply because they are labelled as servants. Nevertheless, in the Bible such terms, quite apart from social situations different from our own, are used to define a religious condition, often a positive one. For example, in Luke’s Gospel Mary herself proclaims herself the «handmaid» of the Lord (cf. Page 1:38). As is typical of Jesus, the parable sets before us a paradoxical situation that invites us to look at reality from another point of view, that of God. The paradox here is that the servant, having done his duty, has in fact been necessary to his master. But the true disciple of the Lord, after having carried out his service well, must still recognise himself as unprofitable, because his work does not of itself guarantee salvation; grace will always be a gift and never a boast for having done something. The Greek word used by Luke, acreios (achreioi), whose primary sense is “without claim,” applied to the persons in Jesus’ example indicates ordinary servants to whom nothing is owed. It is a strong expression that can jar modern sensibilities, yet it conceals a religious and saving meaning which, for example, the Apostle Paul brings out when he speaks about faith in the Letter to the Romans: «What occasion is there then for boasting? It is ruled out. On what principle, that of works? No, rather on the principle of faith. For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law» (Rom 3:27–28). And again in the Letter to the Ephesians: «For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast» (Eph 2:8–9).

For the disciple, then, and within the Christian community, faith is required for service and the two walk together. This is the link we can trace between the comparison that Jesus makes and the exhortation to a faith even the size of a mustard seed. Jesus is instructing those who follow him, and the disciple is asked for a great faith which can only be continually begged from God. The hard work and commitment Christians must put into what they do — often at the risk of their very lives in certain situations and parts of the world — must also be joined to the recognition that we are saved not because we have been good or have achieved results, but because it is God who saves. All merits, even those legitimately obtained, must be referred back to the merciful and saving God.

From the Hermitage October 5, 2025

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THE SALVIFIC JOY OF BEING ONLY USELESS SERVANTS

The true disciple of the Lord, after having performed your service well, must also be recognized as useless, because his work does not by itself guarantee his salvation; grace will always be a gift and not a reason to boast for having done something.

Author
Hermit Monk

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The Gospel of Luke today collects two sayings of Jesus. The first refers to faith, in response to a request from the apostles.

The second, presented more extensively as a small parable, refers to the service provided by "useless servants". The context remains that of Jesus' great journey to Jerusalem that began in LC 9,51 and will conclude in LC 19,45. With today's Gospel the second section of this pilgrimage of Jesus closes., which is characterized by the invitation to enter the Kingdom following certain conditions. Next, the evangelical text:

«At that time, the apostles said to the Lord: “Increase our faith!”. The Lord responded: “If you had faith like a mustard seed, would you say to this mulberry tree: 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea', and I would obey you. Which of you, If you have a servant plowing or shepherding the flock, will tell you, when he comes back from the field: 'Come right away and sit at the table'? Won't you rather tell him: 'Prepare me to eat; Gird yourself and serve me while I eat and drink, and then you will eat and drink? Do you thank the servant because he did what he was told?? So do you, when you have done everything that has been ordered of you, DECIDED: 'We are useless servants. “We have done what we had to do.” (LC 17,5–10).

After having tried of the use of material goods, of relationships with neighbors and the life of the Church with its community instructions, For the first time in the Gospel of Luke the Lord speaks on the topic of faith in response to a request from the apostles: «Increase our faith!» (LC 17,5). The plea refers to a similar situation remembered by the Gospel of Mark. Over there, after the story of the Transfiguration, The father of a possessed boy goes to Jesus to ask for his son's release and tells him: "Believe; help my disbelief!» (MC 9,24). The Lord answers him not with words, but with a gesture of power, expelling the impure spirit. Mateo narrates the same episode but expands it, adding the reaction of the disciples (that Marcos does not register) and preserving the same words of Jesus that we hear today: "Then the disciples came to Jesus apart and said to him: “Why couldn't we expel him??”. He told them: “Because of your little faith. Truly I tell you: If you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain: 'Move from here to there', and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Mt 17,19–20).

Actually, Mark also preserves the same saying of Jesus as Luke, but in a different context, the one with the barren fig tree: «Jesus answered them: “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you: whoever says to this mountain: 'Take off and throw yourself into the sea', without doubt in the heart, but believing that what he says will happen, It will happen to him." (Mc 11,22–23).

And, as Archimedes said, To move the world you need a support point, For Jesus that point is undoubtedly faith. He has just spoken about the inevitability of scandals in the Christian community and has invited people to correct those who sin and forgive without limit those who repent. (Lc 17,1–4). In this context the prayer of the disciples to increase their faith is understood.. How to endure, indeed, the weight of the scandals, of obstacles to communion, of the stumbling block placed on the little ones in ecclesial life? How to exercise a fraternal correction that does not crush the brother but rather frees him? How to forgive again and again someone who repents every time? Only through faith. Whether it is, as an example, to move a mulberry tree, like on today's page of Lucas, or a mountain, as in Mark and Matthew, the aforementioned “lever” to do so is faith, large even if it is the size of a mustard seed: quality matters, not the amount. Faith in the needy that Jesus encounters is presupposed in evangelical miracles.; allows you to escape from spectacle or idolatry. Jesus usually asks for faith before intervening, because after that it is no longer guaranteed, as in the case of the ten lepers of next Sunday's Gospel: only one returned to give thanks (cf. Lc 17,11–19).

In the second part The passage contains a comparison, almost a parable, which presents a situation that, fortunately, today it is very difficult to find, because slavery has been abolished and whoever provides a service does so because he is competent and performs, not simply by being qualified as a servant. However, In the Bible these terms—regardless of social situations different from ours—are used to define a religious condition., often positive. For example, in the Gospel of Luke, Mary herself proclaims herself a “servant” of the Lord (cf. LC 1,38). As is typical of Jesus, The parable places us before a paradoxical situation that invites us to look at reality from another point of view.: God's. The paradox here is that the servant, having fulfilled his duty, has been necessary to his lord. But the true disciple of the Lord, after having performed your service well, must also be recognized as useless, because his work does not by itself guarantee his salvation; grace will always be a gift and not a reason to boast for having done something. The Greek term used by Luke, acreios (achreioi), whose primary meaning is "without right", applied to the people of Jesus' example indicates ordinary servants to whom nothing is owed. It's a strong expression, that can shock modern sensibilities, but it contains a religious and salvific meaning that, For example, the apostle Paul captures when speaking about faith in the Letter to the Romans: "Where is, well, the reason to glory? is excluded. why law? For the works? No, by the law of faith. For we hold that man is justified by faith, without the works of the law" (Rom 3,27–28). And also in the Letter to the Ephesians: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this does not come from you, but it is a gift from God; It doesn't come from the works, so that no one can boast." (Ef 2,8–9).

For the disciple, well, and within the Christian community, faith is required for service and both walk together; This is the link that we can trace between the comparison that Jesus makes and the exhortation to a faith, even if it's the size of a mustard seed. Jesus is instructing those who follow him, and great faith is asked of the disciple, that can only be asked of God continually. The effort and commitment that Christians must put into what they do—many times at the risk of their own lives in certain situations and places in the world—must be linked to the recognition that we are saved not because we have been good or achieved results., but because it is God who saves. All the merits, even those legitimately obtained, They must refer to the merciful and savior God.

From the Hermitage, 5 October 2025

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Sant'Angelo Cave in Ripe (Civitella del Tronto)

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Homiletics of the Fathers of The Island of Patmos

The disciple is called not only to start, BUT ALSO TO COMPLETE

It should be, also in the disciple, freedom and lightness to complete the path of life traveled as a sequence of Christ. Love is called to become responsibility and freedom perseverance: there lies the necessary renunciation, purification, stripping.

Author
Hermit Monk

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PDF print format article

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The prevailing image is that of Jesus the Gospels have transmitted to us is that of an itinerant charismatic who imposes on those who intend to follow him a break withethos traditional exclusively by virtue of its word, the requests must have seemed and still seem extreme to us, as in the case of this one: «Let the dead bury their dead; you go instead’ and announces the kingdom of God" (LC 9,60).

But the ethics of Jesus is the ethics of waiting, incompatible with the modern ethics of progress or with the ethics of values. This Sunday's Gospel passage measures the quality of Jesus' relationship with his disciples, as well as the distance that separates us from his religious feeling as soon as we seriously look beyond the thick curtain of theological elaboration. Let's read it:

«A large crowd went with Jesus. He turned and told them: “If anyone comes to me and does not love me more than he loves his father, Mother, the wife, children, the brothers, sisters and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. He who does not carry his cross and does not come after me, he cannot be my disciple. Who among you, wanting to build a tower, he doesn't sit down first to calculate the expense and see if he has the means to carry it out? To avoid that, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the job, everyone who sees it begins to mock him, saying: 'This man started building, but he wasn't able to finish the job'. Or which king, going to war against another king, he does not sit down first to examine whether he can confront with ten thousand men whoever comes to meet him with twenty thousand? if not, while the other is still far away, he sends him messengers to ask for peace. So whoever of you does not give up all his possessions, he cannot be my disciple”» (LC 14,25-33).

The occasion for the short sayings of Jesus preserved from today's evangelical page is narrated in the opening verse: «A large crowd went with Jesus. He turned and said". People were going and Jesus turns: In this way the reader understands that the journey has resumed. So long as, previously, the Lord was caught at table with his disciples, invited by a leader of the Pharisees (LC 14,1). And we also remember the situation in last Sunday's Gospel regarding the choice of places and guests, while now the evangelist draws attention to the journey that Jesus has undertaken and which will come to completion in Jerusalem. The previous context of the banquet ended with words of invitation for all, so that the house would be filled: “Go out into the streets and along the hedges and force them in, so that my house may be filled" (LC 14,23); now, however, Jesus' words add something and clarify how to enter that house. These are demanding conditions to be able to follow Jesus, some rules, indeed, to be disciples, they are necessary. E, Once again, these words are for all those who want to call themselves Christians. The invitation to love Jesus more than your parents, to carry the cross, and giving up possessions is not something reserved for a select few, but it applies to every disciple who wants to be of Christ.

Words about family relationships we also find them in the Gospel of Matthew, almost identical, but the two short parables are missing in the first evangelist, the one about the tower and the one about the king going to war, which are therefore properly Lucanian material, drawn from a specific source of this evangelist. These are indeed striking words, modern sensibility perceives the contrast of loving and hating as very harsh when referring to one's family members or even to one's own life: «If anyone comes to me and does not love me more than he loves his father, Mother, the wife, children, the brothers, sisters and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple" (v.26). Jesus is really calling for a rejection of human relationships, a rigidity with others, even with those of your own family? Without weakening the eschatological tension that animated the preaching of Jesus we can affirm that here we are faced with a typical Judaism, where the verb hate means: «put it later, overshadow". We find this type of occurrence in the Old Testament, as well as in the Gospels, for example in the passage from Matthew: «No one can serve two masters, because either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will become fond of one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." (Mt 6,24). Matthew himself helps us to better understand the demanding words of Jesus, because it brings them back in an attenuated form, that is, without using the verb to hate, but a comparative one: «Who loves father or mother more than me, It is not worthy of me; who loves son or daughter more than me, not worthy of me " (Mt 10,37). It deals with, in conclusion, to subordinate all love to that of the Lord, without ceasing to love those whom the law itself commands to love, like their parents. It means that being a disciple is a serious thing, even more so in the time that has become short, and these are valid indications for all believers in Christ, we have already said it, and for every moment of life.

They follow, then, Jesus' words about carrying the cross, already met in LC 9,23, and finally two short parables. As said at the beginning of this comment, this is where we must start to understand what being a disciple entails. These parables have in common the denominator of struggle and perseverance. Following Jesus is equivalent to build a tower, commitment and perseverance are needed, like building a house on the rock (cf.. Mt 7,24); is equivalent to go to war, knowing how to measure one's strengths well.

The following is demanding also because the disciple is called not only to initiate, but also to complete (vv. 28.29.30), and indispensable for following is the willingness to lose everything, also "one's life" (v.26). The good to be possessed is the renunciation of goods, learn the art of loss, of decreasing, of not falling into the trap of possession or the logic of having. Jesus, says Paul, "he emptied himself" (Fil 2,7) and «as rich as he was, he became poor" (2Color 8,9). It should be, also in the disciple, freedom and lightness to complete the path of life traveled as a sequence of Christ. Love is called to become responsibility and freedom perseverance: there lies the necessary renunciation, purification, stripping. The demands of discipleship therefore have to do with the whole of the person - his heart - and with the whole of his time, for the duration of his life. And they warn us against the risk of leaving the work undertaken halfway.

Clement of Alexandria (Protreptic X,39) he spoke of faith as "a big risk" (calos kíndynos). For the first Christians often adhere to Christ, in a context with a pagan majority, it involved persecution and even martyrdom. Today, in our countries of old and tired Christianity, the price of conversion is not felt and even less paid. We are looking for insurance that eliminates insecurity and risks, also with regard to faith and its testimony, When, instead, Jesus, invites you to lose everything to follow Him. We do not hide the fact that we experience difficulties when faced with the harsh and demanding words of Jesus, forgetting that the radicality of the Gospel has first of all a value of revelation, reveal, that is, perspectives that would otherwise remain inaccessible to us. Pope Leo XIV also remembered this in a recent Angelus:

«Brothers and sisters, The provocation that comes to us from today's Gospel is beautiful: while sometimes we happen to judge those who are far from the faith, Jesus puts in crisis “the safety of believers”. They, indeed, tells us that it is not enough to profess faith with words, eat and drink with Him celebrating the Eucharist or know Christian teachings well. Our faith is authentic when it embraces our entire life, when it becomes a criterion for our choices, when it makes us women and men who are committed to doing good and taking risks in love just like Jesus did; He did not choose the easy path of success or power but, just to save ourselves, he loved us until we crossed the “narrow door” of the Cross. He is the measure of our faith, He is the door we must walk through to be saved (See GV 10,9), living his own love and becoming, with our life, workers of justice and peace" (WHO).

From the Hermitage, 7 September 2025

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Sant'Angelo Cave in Ripe (Civitella del Tronto)

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Visit the pages of our book shop WHO and support our editions by purchasing and distributing our books.

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The Fathers of the Island of Patmos

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Homiletics of the Fathers of The Island of Patmos

BEING SIMILAR TO THOSE WHO WAIT FOR THEIR MASTER WHEN HE RETURNS FROM THE WEDDING

Jesus' disciples live on earth, But like pilgrims, while their residence is in the skies. We are, therefore, called to an wait that many times exceeds us.

Author
Hermit Monk

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PDF print format article

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«The night [of liberation] it was foretold to our fathers, so that they had courage".

These are the opening words of the first reading this Sunday, taken from the Book of Wisdom, and they prepare well for listening to the Gospel passage reported below:

"During that time, Jesus told his disciples: "Do not fear, small flock, because it pleased your Father to give you the Kingdom. Sell ​​what you own and give it as alms; make bags that don't age, a safe treasure in the heavens, where the thief does not reach and the woodworm does not consume. Because, where is your treasure, your heart will also be there. Be ready, with their robes tight at their sides and their lamps lit; be like those who wait for their master when he returns from the wedding, so that, when he comes and knocks, let them open immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds still awake upon his return; verily I tell you, he will tighten his clothes around his waist, he will have them sit at the table and come to serve them. What if, arriving in the middle of the night or before dawn, he will find them like this, lucky them! Try to understand this: if the master of the house knew at what time the thief was coming, he wouldn't let his house be broken into. You too get ready because, in the hour you don't imagine, the Son of man is coming". Then Peter said: "Man, you say this parable for us or even for everyone?”. The Lord replied: “Who then is the trusted and prudent administrator, that the master will put in charge of his servants to give the food ration in due time? Blessed is that servant who is the master, arriving, will find himself acting like this. Truly I tell you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that servant said in his heart: “My master is late in coming.", and began to beat the male and female servants, to eat, to drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will arrive on a day when he doesn't expect it and at an hour he doesn't know, he will punish him severely and inflict on him the fate that infidels deserve. The servant who, knowing the master's will, he will not have disposed or acted according to his will, he will receive many beatings; that instead of, not knowing her, he will have done things worthy of beatings, he will receive few. To anyone who was given a lot, much will be asked for; to whom men have committed much, much more will be required”» (LC 12,32-48).

The first three verses of today's Gospel (12,32-34) they make their own text, because they close an entire pericope dedicated to Jesus' teaching on the possession of material goods. They are His final invitation, which can only be grasped if one has in mind what was written just before in the Gospel, but not reported in today's liturgy, or the verses from the 22 al 31 of the chapter 12 by Luca. Those who follow instead, part of today's song (vv. 35-48), are to be considered as an exhortation to vigilance. They are a set of sentences, of images and small parables - the exegete Maggioni calls them: «mentioned parables» — which have a common denominator: the return of the "Son of man", that, as was said, requires vigilant waiting.

To specify this wait Jesus compares himself from time to time to a Lord (the gentleman, v. 36.37.43) returning from a banquet, he comes to the door and knocks, then reward the servants who remained awake by serving them at the table. Or a thief (the thief, v. 39) who arrives at an hour that the owner of the house (the host) disavows. Or again to that Lord who promotes a trustworthy and prudent administrator with responsibility (the faithful steward, the wise one, v. 42). All these images finally, Jesus reveals to us, they fit the figure of that «Son of man [that] he will come at an hour you don't think" (v. 40).

Being attentive and vigilant at the cost of losing sleep is crucial, but who are those who wait? In the passage Jesus speaks of servants and administrators, but everywhere in the text the people called to supervise are indicated with the second person plural, as if to include both the disciples who then heard the Lord, both contemporary listeners or readers of the Gospel, so we too: "you be ready" (v. 35); «you must be similar to…» (v. 36); "get ready" (v. 40). Finally, the answer given to Peter who had asked emerges: «You are telling this parable for us or even for everyone?». The Lord, revealing a ranking of responsibility while waiting, says to him: "To whom much is given, much will be asked for; to whom men have committed much, It will ask the more ". In this way it is clarified that if the recipients of the teaching, all in all, they are all believers, However, the responsibility of the leaders of the Christian community to whom Jesus dedicates a specific parable stands out.

Let the discussion be addressed to the Church and its leaders is clear from the terms used, which refer to a precise space-time context, be it the house, of the night or of the extended time of waiting. Jesus speaks of "girded sides" (v.34), while the word "house" is explicitly mentioned and then there is the night because of the "lit lamps" (v.35) and of the "second and third watches" (v.38 in Greek). We have here a reference to the theme of the Exodus - the "girded loins" are an explicit citation of Is 12,11 — where the Easter celebration took place in the evening, at home and in the family (Is 12,3). The hasty departure from Egypt of the children of Israel which took place at night is evoked and lifting the edges of the long oriental dress and tying it at the hips with a belt made the journey easier. It seems that Jesus wants to urge the Church to set out, to make an exodus, but in reality it is a matter of proceeding in depth rather than in extension, a journey that makes us ready to receive the One who is about to arrive: the true path is made by the Lord who comes! The center of the announcement of the three parables is therefore the coming of the Lord and the name of the path to which the disciples are called is vigilance. In fact, Jesus has already given instructions so that it is not hindered by useless obstacles such as greed (LC 12,15), the worries (LC 12,22.26) and fears (LC 12,32) that occupy the heart and take away freedom.

The parable of the vigilant servants (vv. 36-38) seems to be the narrative version of a beatitude - "blessed are those servants" (v. 37); «lucky are they» (v.38) – which might sound like this: «Blessed are the vigilant servants, because the Lord himself will become their servant". The reversal of values ​​present in the Beatitudes is expressed here in the paradoxical figure of the master returning home, even late at night, e, finding his servants awake to open the door for him and welcome him to greet him, he himself begins to serve them. But this is the logic of Jesus which overturns worldly logic and which should apply in the Christian community: «Who is bigger? Who is at the table or who serves? Perhaps he is not the one who sits at the table? Yet I stand among you as one who serves" (LC 22,27).

A sense of imminence dominates the entire narrative for something that has yet to happen and yet implies anything but staticity or standing still. From everything we have seen above an indeterminacy seems to emerge, which however conveys the meaning of the Christian experience well. Jesus' disciples live on earth, But like pilgrims, while their residence is in the skies (Letter to Diognetus). We are, therefore, called to an expectation that often surpasses us. The problem of vigilance in these short parables, said another way, it is that of time, especially in everyday life, weekdays. Everyday, any weekday, if full of anticipation, it is "the day of the Lord". As in Luke's parable, every day is a good day to stay awake, keep the lamps lit and welcome the Son of man who will return. Thus he invited us to await the Collect prayer this Sunday: «Let not our lamp go out, because, vigilantly awaiting your hour, we are introduced by you into the eternal homeland".

From the Hermitage, 10 August 2025

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Sant'Angelo Cave in Ripe (Civitella del Tronto)

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Visit the pages of our book shop WHO and support our editions by purchasing and distributing our books.

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The Fathers of the Island of Patmos

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