SOLO GESÙ POTEVA ESSERE COSI BUONO E MISERICORDIOSO DA CURARE E GUARIRE UNA SUOCERA

«La suocera di Simone era a letto con la febbre e subito gli parlarono di lei. He approached and made her stand up by the hand; the fever left her and she served them. Evening came, dopo il tramonto del sole, gli portavano tutti i malati e gli indemoniati. Tutta la città era riunita davanti alla porta».

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La pericope del Vangelo di questa V Domenica del Tempo Ordinario ci racconta ancora della giornata-tipo di Gesù a Cafarnao.

"During that time, Jesus, uscito dalla sinagoga, subito andò nella casa di Simone e Andrea, in compagnia di Giacomo e Giovanni. La suocera di Simone era a letto con la febbre e subito gli parlarono di lei. He approached and made her stand up by the hand; the fever left her and she served them. Evening came, dopo il tramonto del sole, gli portavano tutti i malati e gli indemoniati. Tutta la città era riunita davanti alla porta. Guarì molti che erano affetti da varie malattie e scacciò molti demòni; ma non permetteva ai demòni di parlare, perché lo conoscevano. Al mattino presto si alzò quando ancora era buio e, uscito, si ritirò in un luogo deserto, e là pregava. Ma Simone e quelli che erano con lui si misero sulle sue tracce. Lo trovarono e gli dissero: «Tutti ti cercano!». Egli disse loro: «Andiamocene altrove, nei villaggi vicini, perché io predichi anche là; per questo infatti sono venuto!». E andò per tutta la Galilea, predicando nelle loro sinagoghe e scacciando i demòni». (MC 1,29-39)

Se l’utilizzo frequente in Marco dell’avverbio «subito» è servito ad accelerare il tempo narrativo, evidenziando la fretta di Gesù riguardo l’annuncio del regno; nel brano odierno, anche i luoghi qui sono presi in considerazione, come uno spazio che tende ad allargarsi sempre di più. Il movimento del racconto passa infatti dalla sinagoga della cittadina sul lago (MC 1,29) alla casa di Pietro, poi ancora dalla casa alla strada aperta davanti alla porta del cortile della casa di Pietro (v. 33), da una città ai villaggi vicini (v. 38); at last, dai villaggi fino a «tutta la Galilea» (v. 39). Come se tutto lo spazio, velocemente, debba essere occupato da Gesù, dal suo annuncio e dalle sue opere.

I personaggi del racconto sono i discepoli più vicini a Gesù, la suocera di Simone e soprattutto i malati. Sono questi ad impadronirsi della scena. Essi si possono trovare già dove arriva Gesù, come la suocera di Pietro, oppure vengono portati a lui; altri ancora lo cercano spontaneamente sin dall’alba, quando egli sta pregando. La malattia incornicia il nostro brano: che si tratti di una febbre o di una sofferenza più profonda, spirituale o fisica (come quella causata dagli spiriti impuri del v. 39), il vocabolario del campo semantico dell’infermità costella il racconto ed è presente in modo consistente, includendo tutta la narrazione.

«E subito gli parlarono di lei». La sollecitudine verso questa donna anziana colpisce, perché manifesta un’attenzione verso i fragili e la fede nella presenza di Gesù. La donna anziana e febbricitante non viene nascosta al Maestro come fosse un problema o qualcuno di cui vergognarsi, per cui non varrebbe la pena disturbare. Il fatto che i discepoli parlino subito della suocera di Pietro a Gesù mostra che quella donna era per loro una priorità. Non ne chiedono la guarigione, non sfruttano la presenza del Maestro ai loro fini, semplicemente indicano la donna malata: questa persona per loro è importante. Da questo si può capire il senso e il valore dell’intercessione come del parlare a favore di qualcuno. Gesù lo apprezza, tanto che fa subito qualcosa: le tende la mano, la solleva e poi la guarisce dalla sua malattia. Gesù vuol essere disturbato dai malati. Gesù apprezza e ammira l’intercessione a favore dei malati, come nel caso del centurione che intercede per il suo servo malato (LC 7,1-10).

Il tema della malattia, dicevamo, percorre tutto il testo marciano. La sofferenza tocca ogni uomo, ma «sperimentando nella malattia la propria impotenza, l’uomo di fede riconosce di essere radicalmente bisognoso di salvezza. Si accetta come creatura povera e limitata. Si affida totalmente a Dio. Imita Gesù Cristo e lo sente personalmente vicino» (Catechismo degli Adulti, The truth will set you free, 1021). È la «conversione» alla quale sono chiamati i malati sanati da Gesù, rather, alla quale siamo chiamati tutti noi.

Scopriamo così un altro senso delle prime parole di Gesù nel Vangelo di Marco: «Il tempo è compiuto e il regno di Dio è vicino» (MC 1,15). Il tempo e lo spazio, ma anche gli uomini e le donne sono toccati dalla pienezza della presenza di Dio e il regno è quella realtà in cui è possibile l’incontro con Gesù. Gesù non compie solo attività terapeutiche, perché i suoi gesti sono accompagnati da parole, da insegnamenti. In effetti si tratta di segni per dire che il regno è vicino: i miracoli annunciano e inaugurano il regno di Dio e corrispondono alle attese di Israele, dove si credeva che il Messia sarebbe venuto con capacità taumaturgiche. Per questo motivo l’annuncio che «il regno è vicino» è complementare alla parola «convertitevi e credete al vangelo», perché le folle che accorrono da Gesù, davanti a questi gesti divini, sono chiamate a credere e a convertirsi. Se questo non accade, i miracoli non servono, come spiega Matteo in un altro passo: «Allora si mise a rimproverare le città nelle quali aveva compiuto il maggior numero di miracoli, because they did not repent: Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida. Because, if in Tyre and Sidon they had been done the miracles that were done among you, some time would have repented, ravvolte nel cilicio e nella cenere» (Mt 11,20-21). La guarigione più grande che Dio può operare è quella dalla nostra incredulità.

Finally, forse collegato a ciò che abbiamo appena detto, notiamo la piccola discrepanza fra i «tutti» che accorrono a Gesù per essere sanati (vv. 32.33.37) e i «molti» che invece, actually, sono guariti: «Guarì molti che erano afflitti da varie malattie» (v. 34). That, But, viene superata dal vocabolario della risurrezione usato da Marco. Infatti il verbo che Marco adopera per narrare la guarigione della suocera di Pietro — «la sollevò» del v. 31) — è molto importante nel Nuovo Testamento, perché non ricorre soltanto nei contesti delle guarigioni (MC 2,9.11; 5,41; 9,27), ma soprattutto nel racconto della risurrezione di Lazzaro (GV 12,1.9) e di Cristo (ad es.: At 3,15; RM 10,9). Come Gesù è stato capace di sollevare la suocera di Simone, così sarà capace di dare la vita ai morti, to everyone. Si chiarisce allora la strada che vuol farci percorrere Marco per arrivare a conoscere chi è Gesù. Colui che nell’apertura del Vangelo viene definito come «Figlio di Dio» (MC 1,1), come il Battezzatore nello Spirito Santo (v. 8), come il «Figlio prediletto» (v. 11) è finalmente svelato nel suo essere nei confronti degli uomini: è colui che è «venuto» («uscito», verbatim, dal verbo exérchomai; cf.. v. 38) agli uomini perché lo ascoltino e siano guariti dalle loro infermità.

Il racconto della giornata di Gesù prosegue col riposo, ma poi «al mattino presto si alzò quando ancora era buio e, uscito, si ritirò in un luogo deserto, e là pregava. Simone e quelli che erano con lui si misero sulle sue tracce. Lo trovarono e gli dissero: «Tutti ti cercano!» (MC 1,35-37). Non sappiamo a quale luogo deserto possa riferirsi l’evangelista, ma certo non doveva essere distante dal lago. Marco ha già accennato alla preghiera di Gesù, nella forma celebrata in sinagoga. Questa preghiera mattutina e personale, come apprendiamo anche da altre tradizioni evangeliche, sembra essere il modo in cui il Signore riconduce tutto al Padre: quello che ha vissuto dalla sera precedente, quello che lo aspetterà nel giorno che continua. Così Gesù insegna ai discepoli che la preghiera è indispensabile per fare unità nella propria vita.

From the Hermitage, 4 February 2024

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«COME BEHIND ME, I WILL MAKE YOU BECOME FISHERS OF MEN". E SUBITO LASCIARONO LE RETI E LO SEGUIRONO

Come potremmo descrivere il regno di Dio proclamato da Gesù? The main difficulty is that Jesus never used any definition to talk about it. Rather, he used parables and images, paragonandolo, per rimanere sempre al Vangelo di Marco che leggeremo quest’anno, a un seminatore che getta del seme in terra o a un granello di senapa e così via.

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Lasciato alle spalle il passaggio nel Vangelo secondo Giovanni di domenica scorsa, il lezionario ci riporta a Marco, who, terminata l’esposizione della trilogia comune ai sinottici (John the Baptist, Battesimo di Gesù e la prova nel deserto), riprende la narrazione dandoci un’indicazione temporale importante che apprendiamo dall’attacco del Vangelo di oggi.

«Dopo che Giovanni fu arrestato, Gesù andò nella Galilea, proclamando il vangelo di Dio, e diceva: «The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near; convertitevi e credete nel Vangelo». Passando lungo il mare di Galilea, he saw Simone and Andrea, brother of Simone, as they cast their nets into the sea; they were in fact fishermen. Jesus said to them,: «Venite dietro a me, I will make you fishers of men ". And immediately they left their nets and followed him. Going a little further, vide Giacomo, figlio di Zebedeo, e Giovanni suo fratello, mentre anch’essi nella barca riparavano le reti. E subito li chiamò. Ed essi lasciarono il loro padre Zebedeo nella barca con i garzoni e andarono dietro a lui. (MC 1,14-20).

Scrive Marco che Gesù inizia a proclamare il regno di Dio «dopo che Giovanni fu arrestato» (MC 1,14 cf.. also Mt 4,12). Molti immaginano che la cronologia dell’inizio del ministero pubblico di Gesù si sia svolta così: from Galilee, regione da cui viene, Gesù scende al Giordano per essere battezzato. Subito dopo, attempted, rimane quaranta giorni nel deserto per poi ritornare in Galilea. Ma deve invece essere passato più tempo e il punto di svolta, ciò che fa tornare Gesù in Galilea è rappresentato dall’arresto del Battista. Forse è in quel preciso momento che per Gesù giunge la consapevolezza che è ora di assumersi le sue responsabilità.

La voce che gridava nel deserto, poiché è stata messa a tacere, passa ora alla Parola che annuncia il regno. Questa interpretazione aiuta noi credenti nei momenti di difficoltà e sofferenza, come deve essere stato per Gesù l’arresto di Giovanni e ci fa proferire: bisogna fare qualcosa. È in tali situazioni che, se non vai tu, nessuno può andare al posto tuo. La chiamata che ora Gesù farà dei discepoli, l’ha vissuta in prima persona lui; il regno che annuncia l’ha visto arrivare per primo lui, anche nella dolorosa notizia che Giovanni non può più parlare.

Ma eccoci a una questione teologica importante. Come potremmo descrivere il regno di Dio proclamato da Gesù? The main difficulty is that Jesus never used any definition to talk about it. Rather, he used parables and images, paragonandolo, per rimanere sempre al Vangelo di Marco che leggeremo quest’anno, a un seminatore che getta del seme in terra (MC 4,26) o a un granello di senapa (MC 4,31) and so on. Il regno, says Jesus, non solo è vicino, ma bisogna accoglierlo come fanno i bambini (MC 10,15) ed entrarci dentro, anche se non è così facile, soprattutto se si hanno molte ricchezze (MC 10,23). È presente, cioè qui o vicino, ma è anche futuro, come quello in cui Gesù berrà, together with us, il vino nuovo, altro vino rispetto a quello dell’ultima sua cena (MC 14,25). La teologia cristiana ha elaborato a proposito una formula, quella del «già» ma «non ancora», quasi un ossimoro che dice però come il regno possiamo già ereditarlo e viverci, anche se non è ancora compiuto. Non è ancora esteso a tutti gli uomini, ma, come insegna il documento del Concilio Vaticano II The light «è già presente in mistero» con la Chiesa (cf.. n. 5).

In this sense Gesù si distingue dalle due principali concezioni sul regno che circolavano nel giudaismo del suo tempo. Egli infatti non ha inventato questa idea, già nota all’Antico Testamento (cf. 1Cr 28,5) e non l’ha applicata né a quel modo di pensare che vedeva il regno come una realtà «nazionalistica», tutta presente, da attuare magari ad ogni costo, né tanto meno alla concezione opposta, di tipo apocalittico, che vedeva il regno possibile solo come una realizzazione futura che negava il presente. Se vogliamo rintracciare questi due estremi nella storia dell’umanità, potremmo dire che il materialismo si è spesso fondato sull’illusione che tutto potesse risolversi qui, now; ma dall’altra parte è facile riconoscere in certi movimenti spiritualistici la svalutano del presente, considerato in modo negativo.

Gesù ha invece usato l’idea di regno per dire anzitutto che è arrivato e quindi ci si può entrare. Ma per farlo bisogna cambiare mentalità, modo di ragionare e pensare; per dirlo con le parole di Gesù: «convertirsi» (MC 1,15). "Come your kingdom!», prega ancora la Chiesa, today, after two thousand years. Il regno c’è già, ma deve ancora essere accolto come un dono e trovato lì anche dove si fatica a vederlo.

In conformità dunque con l’attesa escatologica giudaica, ma con la differenza decisiva però che non più di attesa si tratta, il Regno di Dio è l’effetto dell’evento messianico annunciato da Gesù e in lui presente. Il pieno dispiegamento della sua sovranità redentrice non si è ancora realizzato, ma il tempo della fine è giunto e dunque per parlare in modo appropriato non c’è più sviluppo storico, but rather a recapitulation of the whole story called to trial.

«È questo il contenuto dell’«evangelo di Dio» quale ci è sinteticamente riferito dalla tradizione più antica raccolta da Marco: «Il tempo è compiuto ed è vicino il Regno di Dio: convert, e credete nell’evangelo» (1,14-15). What is announced here is the time (the kairos) of definitive fulfillment, the promised coming of the Kingdom, the great turning point of the world inaugurated by Jesus whose final act is about to take place with his parousia. Evidentemente qui non può essere il Gesù storico a parlare, bensì il Risorto predicato dall’evangelista, che segna con precisione il tempo della fine tra resurrezione e parusia, come un evento unico in cui tutto il tempo, tutta la storia si condensa, ivi compresa la vita stessa di Gesù. For this now, unlike Jewish eschatology, occorre «fede nell’evangelo», that is, in Jesus Christ, in the Messiah, who is present as the one who came and who is coming. Tutto dunque in forza di questa fede precipita e si concentra nel presente, non vi è più oscillazione tra passato e futuro, tradizione e attesa; ma solo l’ora attuale in cui il passato è redento e il futuro è solo desiderio del compimento: «Come Lord Jesus» (AP 22, 20).[1]

Il Vangelo prosegue descrivendo la fretta di Gesù di portare ad attuazione la sua parola sul regno, perché “il tempo è compiuto”. Il concetto emerge molto chiaramente nel Vangelo di Marco, dove abbonda l’avverbio euthus (εὐθὺς), «subito», ripetuto decine di volte. Tale sollecitudine trova una prima applicazione nella chiamata dei quattro discepoli (vv. 16-20) e nell’episodio dell’insegnamento nella sinagoga di Cafarnao, accompagnato dalla liberazione di un indemoniato (next Sunday). Jesus, con gesti e con parole, mostra davvero come il regno è arrivato, e lo dice: to the disciples (appena chiamati a sé) e alla sua gente (nella sinagoga). Ecco che allora il regno può essere solo uno spazio in cui Dio è presente, where is that, precisely, solo lui regna. Le altre potenze non possono fare altro che riconoscerne l’autorità («Io so chi tu sei: il santo di Dio» di MC 1,24) e sottomettersi.

I padri della Chiesa erano colpiti dal modo in cui Gesù chiamò i primi a seguirlo: rilevano che erano persone semplici e illetterate (Origene), che probabilmente avranno obiettato con la loro inadeguatezza (Eusebio); noi ci stupiamo anche del fatto che questi «subito» lascino le reti lo seguano (cf.. MC 1,18), ma soprattutto per il fatto che ancora oggi, after many years, Gesù ancora «passi accanto» (MC 1,16) alle nostre situazioni, al nostro quotidiano, alle nostre reti, e ci inviti a seguirlo per stare con lui.

Ciascuno di noi viene chiamato lì dove si trova e ogni inizio ha sempre un prima che lo ha preparato su cui poi si innesta una novità, un cambiamento: come il seme che è stato seminato ha una forma diversa dalla pianta che poi germoglierà, così anche noi siamo presi dal Signore a partire dalle nostre storie e dal nostro oggi per far sviluppare quelle potenzialità di bene e di vita che sono racchiuse nel «piccolo seme» della nostra vita e che solo il Signore può dischiudere e trasformare con la forza e la fantasia del suo Spirito. A noi è chiesta l’attenzione alla sua voce che chiama, l’abbandono filiale e fiducioso alle sue parole, e la prontezza nel rispondere senza dilazioni nel tempo o attaccamenti al «già», a quel noto e conosciuto che ci rassicura ma anche rischia di bloccarci: «E subito lasciarono le reti e lo seguirono».

 

From the Hermitage, 21 January 2024

 

NOTE

[1] Gaeta G., The time of the end, Any, 2020

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THE DIVINE PROVOKER JESUS ​​TO THE APOSTLES: «WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?»

This first meeting of Jesus with his first disciples is a mix of glances and testimonies that converge towards the Lord. The profound mystery of his person begins to reveal itself, as well as the names of the first followers. This moment must have been so significant that they even kept the timetable: four in the afternoon, the tenth hour.

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In the Gospel of this Second Sunday of Ordinary Time let's read: «At that time John was with two of his disciples and, fixing his gaze on Jesus as he passed by, he said: «Behold the lamb of God!». And his two disciples, hearing him talk like that, they followed Jesus. Jesus then turned and, observing that they followed him, he told them: «What are you looking for??». They answered: «Rabbi – what, translated, means teacher –, where you live?». He told them: «Come and see». So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day; it was around four in the afternoon. One of the two who had heard John's words and followed him, it was Andrea, brother of Simon Pietro. He met his brother Simon first and told him: “We have found the Messiah” – which translates as Christ – and led him to Jesus. Staring at him, Jesus said: «You are Simone, the son of John; you will be called Cephas" – which means Peter». (GV 1,35-42).

The Church has understood the unity of the three mysteries that relate to the revelation of Jesus, and he already linked them in the ancient antiphon of the Second Vespers of the day of the Epiphany:

«Three wonders we celebrate on this holy day: today the star guided the magi to the nativity scene, today the water changed into wine at the wedding, today Christ is baptized by John in the Jordan for our salvation, alleluia».

This year the third mystery relating to the manifestation of Jesus it is always announced through the Gospel according to Saint John, but instead of the episode at Cana, the liturgy proposes that of the first manifestation of Jesus to the disciples, following the indication of John the Baptist who defines him as "Lamb of God".

The evangelical episode takes place on the third day of the inaugural week of Jesus' ministry, week that will culminate in the manifestation of his glory in Cana before his disciples who "believed in him" (GV 2,11). The text offers the Johannine version of the call of the first disciples narrated by the synoptic tradition, but with notable differences. John presents a scheme in which the mediation of a witness who confesses faith in Jesus and leads others to encounter him is fundamental: it is like this for John the Baptist with regard to two of his disciples (1,35-39), for Andrea towards Simon Pietro (1,40-41), for Philip who turns to Nathanael. In particular John the Baptist who, after a negative testimony about himself ("I am not the Christ") and a positive one about Jesus («Behold the Lamb of God»), he reveals in front of two of his disciples the identity of the one of whom he was the precursor and leads them to become disciples of Jesus. He who was sent by God as a witness of the Word "so that all might believe through him" (1,7) He thus fulfills his mandate by letting his disciples become Jesus', asking them to join him.

That we are faced with the manifestation of a mystery is also signaled by the “revelation scheme”, often used by the evangelist in his work and which can be summarized in the three phases of seeing, say and pronounce the adverb: «Ecco». The evangelical passage opens, like this, with John who "fixes his gaze" (1,36) about Jesus and says: «Behold the Lamb of God» and ends with Jesus who «gazes his gaze» (1,42) about Simon Peter tells him: «You are Simone, the son of John, you will be called Cephas – which means Peter". It deals with, in both cases, of an intense gaze, a seeing in depth, a discernment of a person's identity. Vocation is not just a calling as in the synoptics, but also a look like here in Giovanni. The look, like and perhaps more than the voice it is communication and revelation. In John the most neutral verb is to perceive, they see (Blepein). We find it for the initial scene of the baptism in the Jordan. John the Baptist sees Jesus coming to him and says: «Behold the lamb of God». But we can already see in this episode a transition from seeing to contemplating (GV 1,32) and then to the "I saw" of GV 1,34, come in GV 14,9.

To the most complete verb form we arrive in GV 14,9, where the verb «see» will be used in the perfect tense: I'm sorry (Euraka). Applied to Jesus, describes what the attentive and amazed gaze has discovered in him and of which the discovery is preserved in the memory. We can observe that every time John uses this verb "I saw" (and I cherish the memory of it) Jesus is recognized as the holy place where God manifests himself, the temple of divine presence, home, that is, the abode in which God himself lives. In such a context the meaning of the verse becomes clear Gv14,9: "Whoever has seen me has seen the father". Having seen Jesus and preserving his interior vision in memory means recognizing Jesus as the Father's dwelling place, present in his Son as in a dwelling. Because of this, returning to this Sunday's Gospel passage, it must be said that the renewed version of the CEI Bible in an adequate manner 2008 he translated v.38 as: «Rabbi where do you live?» and not «where you live?» as it was in the previous version, given the presence of the verb stay (Meno) which has particular importance in the fourth Gospel. The theme of dwelling runs, indeed, like a red thread through the entire fourth Gospel, progressively enriching itself. Broadening our gaze to the whole of the Gospel and trying to draw the threads of our discussion we can affirm that the same evangelist in 1,14 invites us to understand that in the man Jesus - the Word made flesh "full of the grace of truth" in which the witnesses "contemplated the glory of the only begotten" - there was a mystery, "unfathomably hidden" but which is revealed to us "symbolically" (St. Maximus the Confessor). It is the mystery of the "only begotten from the Father", who "came to pitch his tent among us". Thus he becomes the abode of the Father (GV 14,10), the new temple of God's presence (GV 2,21; cf.. GV 4,20-24). A beautiful passage by Saint Maximus the Confessor, sep­pur difficile, says the essential:

"The Sir […] he became his own precursor; he has become a type and symbol of himself. Symbolically he makes himself known through himself. That is, he leads all creation, starting from itself as it manifests itself, but to lead her to himself as it is unfathomably hidden".

Perhaps more intelligible and at the same time admirable is this phrase from William of Saint-Thierry, the friend of Saint Bernard, who interpreted the question of the first disciples in a spiritual and Trinitarian sense:

«Maestro, where you live? Come and see, He said. You do not believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? Thank you, man! […] We have found your place. Your place is the Father; it's still, the place of the Father is you. You are therefore located from this place. But this localization, which is yours, […] it is the unity of the Father and the Son"[1].

This first meeting of Jesus with his first disciples it is a mix of glances and testimonies that converge towards the Lord. The profound mystery of his person begins to reveal itself, as well as the names of the first followers. This moment must have been so significant that they even kept the timetable: four in the afternoon, the tenth hour. This is how we begin to get to know Andrea, Simon Pietro's brother, (1,42) who from Jesus receives the vocation to become a "rock" (this means «Cephas»), among his brothers. Who is the other disciple who was with Andrew? We can hypothesize that he is "the beloved disciple". He is the one who, present at the cross of Jesus, seeing Jesus die as a Lamb whose bones are not broken (GV 19,33.36) "He testifies so that you may believe" (GV 19,35), just as John the Baptist testifies of Jesus, after having seen him and indicated him as the Lamb of God so that all may believe (GV 1,34.36.37). The parallelism between GV 1,38 («Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them») e GV 21,20-21 («Turn around, Peter sees the disciple whom Jesus loved following... and says to Jesus") shows that next to Peter, at the beginning of the sequel and after Easter, there is, in all likelihood, the beloved disciple who followed the Lamb faithfully from the beginning. And Peter, while he is made shepherd of the Lord's sheep and invited again to follow Jesus as a sheep himself (cf.. GV 10,4), receives the revelation that following the Lamb and pastoral ministry find their outcome in giving one's life for the sheep, in glorifying God with martyrdom. This will be Peter's testimony: in death on the cross the apostle will find himself where his Lord was: «If anyone wants to serve me, follow me and where I am, My servant will also be there." (GV 12,26).

From the Hermitage, 13 January 2024

 

NOTE

[1] GULLIEM OF SAINT-THIERRY, Contemplation of God. The oration of Dom Guillaume, Paris, Ed. Deer, 1959 (Coll. Christian Sources, n.61), 124-125.

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OUR LORD JESUS ​​CHRIST KING OF THE UNIVERSE: A ROYALITY BUILT ON CHARITY

This page of the Gospel proclaimed today in our churches is so splendid, that every comment seems to spoil it a little. Better to leave it as it is, simply, to indicate to people that human life is never conceivable without the other. Tragedy then the conflict will not be, otherness, the difference but rather the two extremes that deny this relationship: confusion and separation

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In a short but famous apologue by title Martin's Christmas the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy¹ told of man, a cobbler named Martin, who had mysteriously met the Lord in the needy people who had passed by his shop during the day and expressly cited the page of Gospel for this Sunday.

The literature it was not the only art that this wonderful page of Matteo inspired, just think of Buonarroti's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. Let's read it:

"During that time, Jesus told his disciples: “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the peoples will be gathered before him. He will separate one from another, how the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right hand: “Come on, blessed of my Father, receive as an inheritance the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world, because I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me drink:, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and dressed me, sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to visit me". Then the righteous will answer him: "Man, when we saw you hungry and fed you, you are thirsty and we gave you something to drink? When have we ever seen you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and clothe you? When have we ever seen you sick or in prison and come to visit you?”. And the king will answer them: “Truly I tell you: everything you have done to just one of these least brothers of mine, you did it to me ". Then he will also say to those on the left: “Via, away from me, cursed, the eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, because I was hungry and you didn't give me anything to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you visited me ". Then it will: "Man, when we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and we did not serve you?”. Then he will answer them: “Truly I tell you: everything that you have not done to even one of the least of these, you didn't do it to me. And they will go: to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life".

With today's song it ends not only, regarding the liturgy, the current liturgical year, which gives way to Advent, but also the teaching of Jesus in the Gospel according to Matthew. In fact, immediately after our pericope the evangelist begins the story of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, with these words: «Once all this talk is over, Jesus said to his disciples" (Mt 26,1). Jesus will teach in another way from now on, especially with gestures and obedience to the Father in the supreme test of the cross. For this reason today's pericope is of particular importance, the last speech given by Jesus in Matthew, without counting, the invitation of the Risen One to make disciples and baptize in 28,18-19, and the few but important words said during the passion, starting from the last supper.

Solo by the way it must also be said that despite a consolidated interpretative practice that begins with the Fathers of the Church and which leads to defining the scene as the "universal" judgment, starting from the 18th century, the many good clues in the text are underlined, not just lexical, to believe that instead of a judgment for the whole humanity, the text implies, on the contrary, a judgment only for pagans, but it is not possible in this context to make this interpretation explicit as it would require too much space.

The judgment scene is exclusively Matthean, and it is masterfully built, with the use of various expedients such as repetition, useful for memorization. There are many comparisons that we can make with the apocalyptic language and symbolism current at the time of Jesus which appear from time to time in the canonical literature - Daniel and Apocalypse - but also in the apocryphal literature. The original data, revolutionary, instead, the novelty that Jesus' speech brings is that the same judge, the king, consider himself the object of such actions: «I was hungry and I you fed", or, «not me you fed". This creates an effect of surprise both in those who showed him mercy and in those who denied it. While in the Old Testament the day of the Lord is decreed by God himself and therefore He is the only one who judges, in the logic of the New Testament it is Jesus, the Messiah, who can intervene in this judgment. Consequently God will carry out judgment, but this in nuce it already happens in the way we have related to his Son in this world, to Jesus present in the poor who were hungry and thirsty and who were or were not assisted by us. That's why at the end of time, it will be Christ, the Lamb, to take up the book of our life, what not even we are capable of reading and fully understanding, and to open its seals (cf.. AP 5).

What is then striking is the grandiose vision which embraces the whole of humanity is accompanied by the gaze placed on each one and, in particular, on those people who are normally the most invisible: poor, sick people, prisoners, hungry, thirsty, foreigners, naked. It is no coincidence that our text calls them "minimal" (vv. 40.45). Charity towards the needy, the gesture of sharing that is so simple, Human, daily, for everyone, believers and non-believers, it becomes that on which the final judgment is exercised. The example of Martin of Tours, according to the hagiographic narration of Sulpicius Severus², it is emblematic. After having divided his cloak with the sword to cover the nakedness of a poor beggar at the gates of Amiens, in a harsh winter, Martin had a vision in a dream of Christ saying to him: «Martino, you have covered me with your cloak". Christ is identified with the poor, as in our evangelical page.

This page of the Gospel is so splendid proclaimed today in our churches, that every comment seems to spoil it a little. Better to leave it as it is, simply, to indicate to people that human life is never conceivable without the other. Tragedy then the conflict will not be, otherness, the difference but rather the two extremes that deny this relationship: confusion and separation³. The others, especially if in need, they will not be hell for me but a blessing: «You are blessed because…». Two famous ones pieces theatrical, one by Sartre⁴ with the famous expression inside: "Hell is other people"; the other by Pirandello, Dressing the naked⁵, which in the title makes direct reference to our evangelical passage, they dramatically tell us that by not excluding the Other from one's world the problem would be easily solvable and hell would cease to exist. Those authors understood, on the contrary, note the impossibility of an existence that excludes the Other. In other words, hell, it's the others, because you cannot escape from otherness, one realizes that the Other holds the secret of one's being and, while, that without the Other this being would not be possible.

So does the Lord Jesus, even in his last speech, surprised us once again by giving a new meaning to the 'works of mercy', already known in contemporary Judaism, where they were, But, understood as a sort of imitation of God, in the sense of doing for others what God himself has done for man. However, they did not foresee that the eternal judge was hidden behind very humble existences, disadvantaged and defeated. In the other, in his brother, there is Jesus who had said to his disciples: «Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me... Whoever gives even a single glass of cold water to drink to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, verily I tell you: he will not lose his reward ". While now he extends this vision to all of humanity – panta ta ethne, all nations del v.22: «Everything you have done to just one of these youngest brothers of mine, you did it to me". Because as an ancient hymn used in the liturgy of Holy Thursday says: «Where charity and love, God is there».

Happy Sunday everyone!

From the Hermitage, 25 November 2023

 

NOTE

^[1] Tolstoy's reworking first appeared anonymously in the magazine “Russkij rabocij” (The Russian worker), no. 1 the 1884, with the title “Djadja Martyn” (Uncle Martyn). In 1886 the story, with the title “Where there is love there is God”, it was included in a volume published in Moscow by Posrednik together with eight others, all with the signature of Leo Tolstoy

^[2] Severo Sulpicio,Life of Martin, EDB, 2003

^[3] Michel de Certeaux, Never without the other. Journey into the difference, 1983

^[4] J.P. Sartre, Closed door, Bompiani, Milan 2013

^[5] Pirandello L., Naked masks. Vol. 5: Henry IV – Mrs. Morli, one and two – Dressing the naked, Mondadori, 2010

 

 

 

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THE LOVE THAT BORN FROM CHARITY IS THE FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIANITY

Jesus teaches us that there is no love for God that is very great, devoted and authentic, and that it does not become love towards our neighbor. A love of charity which therefore means acting according to concrete and real works, to help others also grow in holiness. Therefore as the Provencals said, in love you either grow or diminish.

 

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Dear readers of The island of Patmos,

«It's obvious: l'Love waxes or wanes and never stays the same'. We find this beautiful phrase in an ancient one Provençal Love Code. This maxim contains one of the fundamental laws of love which is continuous growth in the donation of oneself to others and to God. Love is a common experience that we have all experienced at least once in our lives. The foundation, therefore, of our human love, what love of charity and tenderness is always the love of God which being eternal, He asks us to love with an eternal love too.

This cornerstone is enclosed In the Gospel of this XXX Sunday of Ordinary Time, where the fundamental law of Christianity is stated. A true Copernican revolution within Judaism and the Greek world- romano. An absolute novelty where the center of everything is the relationship of love between God and man.

Once again we find the Pharisees all united to hold a council against Jesus Christ. Last week went badly for him, when they had sent the Herodians to try to turn him against the Romans. This time they send a doctor of the law, an expert who asks him a trap question. Which 613 Jewish precepts (take it easy) you think is more important, according to the Jewish hierarchy? This is also a trick question, according to the fallacy of false dichotomy. From i 613 There was in fact a hierarchy and importance to the precepts. Regardless of whether or not we remember this hierarchical scale - which for Jesus was simple - the trap consisted in listening to Jesus' response, whatever the answer would have been, reply that the precept cited was instead the least important one. In tal modo, they wanted to discredit and show Jesus' lack of connection with Jewish tradition and with God. Jesus once again frees himself from this argumentative trap. And he exploits the situation to offer the center and core of the teaching of Christianity. Jesus responds:

«”You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind”. This is the great and first commandment. The second one is similar to that one: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets ".

The news it consists first of all in the formulation of these two precepts. The first is taken from Deuteronomy 6,5 and it is linked together with the law of Holiness that we find in Leviticus 19,18. Here then is the inseparable link between love for God and neighbor already present and prefigured in the Old Testament and is then made explicit and announced by Jesus. This answer breaks any counter-answer. And it is an answer that is still valid for us today.

Jesus teaches us that there is no such thing as love towards God who is very great, devoted and authentic, and that it does not become love towards our neighbor. A love of charity which therefore means acting according to concrete and real works, to help others also grow in holiness. Therefore as the Provencals said, in love you either grow or diminish. We grow in love towards God because the works of mercy continually fuel our choice of faith which is a relationship with the eternal You of God, perennially in love with his creation and therefore with humanity. At the same time, to love with charity is to choose to engage responsibly in the Church, so that all other believers can encounter Christ through us. If you stop loving, also our life and our joy, little by little they fade. Thus our person also becomes more and more closed in on himself. Jesus asks us to put our authentic and tender love into circulation.

We ask the Lord the strength and courage of generous and merciful action, to all grow united on the path of holiness that leads to eternal life.

Amen.

Santa Maria Novella in Florence, 29 October 2023

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