Homiletics of the Fathers of The Island of Patmos

WHEN YOU ARE OLD SOMEONE ELSE WILL TAKE YOU WHERE YOU DON'T WANT

In the Synoptic Gospels Peter, After being scolded and accused of being like Satan, receives a second call, Similar to that of Abraham in Gen 22, After that of Gen 12: “If someone wants to come behind me deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.

Author
Hermit Monk

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Towards the end of the first century someone integrates the Gospel of John with his current chapter 21, even if the work seemed already finished in the previous one, that of the apparitions of the Risen One.

This is explained by the fact that times were rapidly changing for the church, with the signs of the first differentiations within it and the formation of a primitive, specifically Christian literature. More, allows the writing to be glimpsed, the death of two great apostles had occurred: Peter and the beloved disciple, the inspiring source of that Gospel. Today we read only a section of the chapter 21, but to understand its scope it is advisable to read it all. Here's the song.

"During that time, Jesus manifested himself again to the disciples on the Sea of ​​Tiberias. And it manifested itself like this: they were together Simon Pietro, Thomas known as Didymus, Nathanael of Cana of Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples. Simon Peter told them: “I'm going fishing”. They told him: «We're coming with you too». Then they went out and got into the boat; but that night they took nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them,: “children, you have nothing to eat?”. They answered: “No”. Then he told them: “Throw the net on the right side of the boat and you will find”. They threw it away and could no longer lift it due to the large quantity of fish. Then that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter: “It is the Lord!”. Simon Pietro, as soon as he heard that it was the Lord, she tightened her dress around her waist, because he was undressed, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples instead came by boat, dragging the net full of fish: in fact they were not far from the ground except a hundred meters. As soon as I got off the ground, they saw a fire of embers with fish on them, and some bread. Jesus told them: “Bring some of the fish you caught now”. Then Simon Peter got into the boat and brought the net full of one hundred and fifty-three large fish to land. And although there were many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them,: «Come and eat». And none of the disciples dared to ask him: “Who are you?”, because they knew well that it was the Lord. Jesus approached, he took bread and gave it to them, and so is the fish. It was the third time that Jesus revealed himself to the disciples, after rising from the dead. When they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter: “Simone, son of John, you love me more than these?”. She answered him: “Of course, man, you know that I love you”. He told him: “Feed my lambs”. She told him again, for the second time: “Simone, son of John, what is?”. She answered him: “Of course, man, you know that I love you”. He told him: “Graze my sheep”. He said to him the third time: “Simone, son of John, you love Me?”. Peter was saddened that he asked him for the third time: "You love Me?», he said: “man, you know everything; you know that I love you” Jesus answered him: “Feed my sheep. In truth, truly I tell you: when you were younger you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and take you where you don't want”. This he said to indicate by what death he would glorify God. E, said this, he added: “Follow me”» (GV 21,1-19).

The first thing that catches your eye approaching the chapter 21 of the fourth Gospel are the many clues that recall the first three Gospels, as if the Johannine tradition wanted to interact with the other, majority, contained in the Synoptic Gospels. May, indeed, in the fourth Gospel, it is said that the apostles were fishermen or the profession of fishing is insisted on there, which instead is greatly underlined by the synoptic gospels. An activity that these Gospels concentrate in Galilee, while John prefers the preaching and activity of Jesus in Judea. And now this scene is placed near the lake, where according to the synoptics the disciples fished, but called of «Tiberias» as in San Giovanni (GV 6, 1): a clear reference to the place where Jesus had fed the people with loaves and fish. We also note the identification of James and John as "sons of Zebedee", of clear synoptic derivation. Conversely, the passage does not forget the "beloved disciple" behind whom tradition has always seen the apostle John, the one who bowed his head on Jesus' chest at the last supper, who preceded Peter to the tomb and now here in recognition of the Risen One. And finally Pietro who appears as the main protagonist, except for the Risen One, but not with the nickname of Cephas as he is called in the Johannine Gospel and in the Pauline letters (cf.. GV 1,42; 1Color 1,12;3,22), but of Simone, according to the use that we find very frequently in the synoptics (Mt 4,18; MC 1,16; LC 4,38).

All these peculiarities allow us to affirm without a shadow of a doubt that this addition to the Gospel is seeking a dialogue that results in a request from tradition dating back to the beloved disciple, alias Giovanni, to have the same rank, to be placed at the same level as the synoptic one, which traditionally can be traced back to the preaching of the other apostles which Simon Peter summarizes here with his mere presence. In passing I remember that an ancient piece of news dating back to Papias of Gerapolis (+130 d.C.) links Peter to the Gospel of St. Mark, as the First Letter of that apostle also points out: «The community that was chosen like you and dwells in Babylon greets you [Rome, ndr.]; and also Marco, my son" (1 PT 5,13). The other tradition, instead, is here represented by the presence of Thomas who connects the readers to the previous chapter where he was the protagonist with his beautiful profession of faith, by the disciple Nathanael who appears at the beginning of the Fourth Gospel and here it is specified that he was from Cana where Jesus performed the first of the signs and by James and John themselves, however called "sons of Zebedee" as in the synoptics and remembered there as fishermen and partners of Simon.

We are in the early days of the life of the Church and the otherness is already taking shape, that is, the diversity of points of view on the Christian mystery, who wish to harmonize and not exclude each other. The synoptics are recalled with their insistence on sequela, the «You follow me» of GV 21,22, without neglecting to remain, which marks the profound life of the Son of God and of the disciple in the Johannine Gospel: «If I want him to stay until I come, what does it matter to you?» (GV 21,23). A lesson that comes to the contemporary Church from the ancient one and which is particularly good for it, especially today which needs to rediscover communion and brotherhood within itself and not division. There are four Gospels, different from each other and although they narrate the same object, they depend on the originality of the authors who dialogue with each other and refer to each other, sometimes they depend, so much to train, according to a fortunate expression of Irenaeus of Lyon, «The fourfold gospel».

In the Gospel story some topics dear to Saint John return such as the fact that the group of disciples does not recognize the Risen Lord or His presence remains in the night, so much so that fishing, in this case a symbol of apostolic activity and the attraction of people in the Church, it is fruitless or even nothing: «Then they went out and got into the boat; but that night they took nothing" (GV 21,3). But in the light of day an as yet unidentified Jesus invites them to cast the net on the right side of the boat. Here we see the reference to the prophecy of Ezekiel who saw water coming out from the right side of the temple which gradually increased, so much so that it became a huge torrent: «That water went down under the right side of the temple, from the southern part of the altar... On its banks there will be fishermen: from Engàddi to En-Eglàim there will be an expanse of nets. The fish, according to their species, they will be as abundant as the fish of the Great Sea" (This 47, 1-10).

The same prophecy that John sees it come true under the cross: Jesus dead, hit by the spear, it becomes the eschatological temple from which the water of the Spirit flows onto the nascent Church, represented there by the Mother of Jesus and the beloved disciple. Who, instead, it is the now Easter church that casts the net to attract people to Christ in the Church. Very briefly and quickly we need to mention the difference in our passage between the term stroke, fish, used by Giovanni for that catch, symbol of the new believers being pulled into the boat and the term opsarion, of fish, which is instead the fish of the meal, to which Jesus invites the disciples who have come ashore. I also remember the spring of Eglàim which was mentioned in Ezekiel's prophecy mentioned above. It is located near the salty waters of the Dead Sea, which are healed by those that the prophet sees coming out of the temple and growing. Now the numerical value of Eglàim according to the calculation of Gematria — the system used in Judaism to assign numerical values ​​to letters and, Consequently, to words and sentences — it's really about 153, as many as the big fish that Peter and the others catch, that is, at this point we can say it, they save. And the net was not broken says Saint John using the verb schizo, sliver, hence the term schism, the same verb he used for Jesus' useless tunic under the cross, which for the Greek fathers was immediately an image of the unity of the Church.

And finally the apostle Peter. He learns what it means to truly follow Jesus. In the Synoptic Gospels Peter, After being scolded and accused of being like Satan, receives a second call, similar to that of Abraham in Genesis 22, After that of Gen 12: “If someone wants to come behind me deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. Because who will want to save their life, will lose it; but whoever will lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, will save her » (MC 8,34-35). Thus in the Gospel of John Peter receives an invitation to follow, after what had happened on the night of the passion. Thanks to the essential testimony - «It is the Lord!» — of the beloved disciple and therefore also of the evangelical tradition that refers to him, Pietro, right away, he throws himself from the boat to meet him and the Gospel tells us of yet another conversion of this extraordinary Apostle, through a very significant play on verbs. In Greek the verb fillet expresses the love of friendship, tender but not all-encompassing, while the verb agapáo designates unreserved love, total and unconditional. Jesus asks Peter the first time: «Simone, you love Me (agapâs me)», that is, according to this total and unconditional love (GV 21,15)? Before the experience of betrayal the impulsive Apostle would certainly have said: "I love you (agapô I know) unconditionally". Now that he has known the bitter sadness of infidelity and his own weakness, he says humbly: "Man, I love you (filo)», or "I love you with my poor human love". Christ insists: «Simone, you love me with this total love?». And Peter repeats the response of his humble human love: «Kyrie, filo», "Man, I love you as much as I know". But the third time Jesus only says to Simon: «Fileîs me?», «you love me?». Simon understands that his poor love is enough for Jesus, the only one he is capable of, and yet he is saddened that the Lord had to tell him this. So he answers him: "Man, you know everything, you know that I love you (filo)». One might say that Jesus conformed to Peter, instead of Peter to Jesus.

It is precisely this divine adjustment to give hope to the disciple Peter, but also to us when we have known the suffering of infidelity. From here comes the trust that will make Peter capable of following him to the end: «This he said to indicate with what death he would glorify God. And having said this he added: «Follow me» (GV 21,19). From that day Peter "followed" the Master as a true disciple with the precise awareness of his own fragility; but this awareness did not discourage him. In fact, he knew he could count on the presence of the Risen One next to him. From the naive enthusiasm of initial membership, passing through the painful experience of denial and the tears of conversion, Peter came to entrust himself to that Jesus who adapted to his poor capacity for love. And it is precisely love that defines and will distinguish his task and service in the Church from then on.

From the Hermitage, 4 May 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

«THEY TOOK THE LORD FROM THE TOMB AND WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY PLACED HIM»

Every Christian hope is founded on the Resurrection of Christ, on which our resurrection with him is "anchored". However, Since we now we have risen with him: the whole fabric of our Christian life is woven with this unshakable certainty and this hidden reality, with the joy and dynamism that derive from it.

Author
Hermit Monk

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The evangelical passage for Easter day does not present an ad, similar to a proclamation, of the resurrection of Jesus. This is the most surprising aspect of it, certainly diluted by the other liturgical readings and prayers that distinguish this solemnity.

The secret and reason for this absence lies in the quality of John's text which by not making it explicit reveals and in its movement, while describing what was true and physical of the disciple Magdalene together with Peter and another, it also drags readers along, almost as if they too were taking part in that race to the tomb, involved in what to all intents and purposes is the genesis of the Easter faith. Let's read the text.

«The first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb in the morning, when it was still dark, and he saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. He then ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, what Jesus loved, and told them: “They took the Lord away from the tomb and we don't know where they placed him”. Peter then went out together with the other disciple and they went to the tomb. They both ran together, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down, he saw the sheets laid there, but he did not enter. Meanwhile, Simon Pietro also arrived, who followed him, and he entered the tomb and observed the cloths laid there, and the shroud - which had been on his head - not placed there with the cloths, but wrapped in a place apart. Then the other disciple also entered, who had reached the tomb first, and he saw and believed. In fact they had not yet understood the Scripture, that is, he had to rise from the dead" (GV 20,1-9).

On that first day of the week which will later become a holiday for Christians, «day of the sun» (Saint Justin) and of the Lord, the event of the Resurrection of Christ is a fact that is revealed in the guise of testimony. In John's story we grasp the inchoative moment, the release of the spark that will set the world on fire. but yet, what Mary Magdalene first communicates is an observation far from faith in the Resurrection of the Lord, whom he will meet shortly thereafter, as soon as she is left alone. She reports the most obvious thing: "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we know not where they have laid!». In that plural we see the initial bewilderment of the disciples, underlined by an annotation, symbol of a faith that is not yet profound and convinced: "it was still dark". In the Fourth Gospel the darkness refers to the darkness that opposes the light of the Word that arrives (GV 1,5; 3,19); designates the problematic situation of the disciples in the absence of Jesus (GV 6,19), and it is the condition of uncertainty and confusion in which those who do not follow Jesus find themselves wandering (GV 8,12). Above all it is the condition of those who do not believe in him: «I came into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness" (GV 12,46). Maria is in that situation there, he peered into the empty tomb, but he has not yet understood because he has not seen with the eyes of faith and so he involves two important witnesses: Peter and another anonymous disciple. Only later will Mary of Magdala say with conviction: «I saw the Lord!». In this way the internal itinerary that will lead to the ecclesial announcement: «He is risen», passes through the evidence of death, consisting of the bandages and shroud that wrapped the body and the empty tomb in which it had been placed. According to the author of the Fourth Gospel, to arrive at a clear and certain profession of faith on the part of the believer - like that of St. Thomas: "My Lord and my God" - it must mature little by little in the consciousness of the disciples and he outlines its onset through the various degrees of seeing. It is worth highlighting how in the chapter 20 of San Giovanni the verb to see occurs well 13 times. Everywhere in the Gospel, but above all in this chapter the development of "seeing" is outlined, and it is Jesus himself who teaches his followers to look: it is his pedagogical method. Initially there is a sensitive seeing which subsequently leads to contemplation, so that the mystery is touched in the depth of the visible (cf.. GV 19,35: «He who has seen bears witness... so that you too may believe»).

At the Last Supper Jesus had stated: "Whoever has seen me has seen the father" (GV 14,9) and this is the central verse of the fourth Gospel. But physically seeing Jesus is not enough because, obviously, even his enemies see him, but consider him simply a man from Nazareth, indeed an impostor. Physically seeing and hearing Jesus, a man with a face, a flesh, it was indispensable to progressively come to contemplate in him, with the eye of faith, the Son of God, that is, to discover in him the Word made flesh. It is Jesus, with words and signs, with all his presence, which opens the door to the mystery and leads from "seeing" a man of flesh to recognition, in that flesh, the Word of God; so physical "seeing"., throughout the Gospel, it is the access route to this mystery that is revealed. The pedagogy of seeing becomes explicit, in fact, Jesus himself will explain it to Thomas, in our chapter 20. The starting point that becomes a pace, it is what we see with these fleshly eyes of ours; we start with the signs, like the empty tomb or the gardener, a real man whom Mary Magdalene encounters, in which he then recognizes the Risen Jesus. It's a progression, found in John's use of the verb to see. We go from Greek Bleppo with the meaning of seeing, notice something, like the cloths in the tomb, a theorein when the apostles and Magdalene look and observe more carefully. Finally the verb horan, to the perfect Greek, used by Saint John to express the fullness of Easter faith: «I saw the Lord» (heôraka ton Kyrion). Although we can't say much more here, what catches the eye, noting the concentric structure of the entire chapter 20 is that it describes the birth of faith in the risen Christ which however is based on the testimony of those who "saw" the empty tomb and the living Lord. This aspect is so important that the Risen Jesus will rebuke Thomas for his lack of trust in the testimony of the other disciples: «Because you saw me, you believed; Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed!» (GV 20,29).

The Resurrection of Christ is therefore done, but also an event inextricably linked to faith and testimony. So the Lord, once again and especially on this occasion of the Resurrection from the dead, he does not deviate from his pedagogy and from the way in which he wanted to meet and save men, that is, by incarnating himself.

The Gospel describes the dynamics of Easter faith very well and how the testimony on it is consolidated. Of the other disciple, who ran with Peter to the tomb, arriving first, it is said that "he began to believe" (in Greek: the epistemic, ingressive aorist) and he will say to Thomas the Risen One: «And don't be incredulous, but become a believer!» (GV 20,27). This aspect of progress and becoming is often not well underlined, since even the translations are sometimes not always happy, yet it makes us understand that the Christian faith is not something static and acquired, but a virtue that grows with experience, the intelligence of the Scriptures and the encounter with the testimony that becomes the living tradition of the Christian community. Initially it is dark: «In fact they had not yet understood the Scripture, that is, he had to rise from the dead. The disciples, therefore, they went home again.". But slowly, also thanks to the presence of the Risen One, faith becomes increasingly sure and clear until: «My Lord and my God!» by Thomas, which are the last words of the disciples in the Johannine Gospel in its first draft (GV 20,28). How important it is today for our communities to rediscover this link between events, faith and testimony, judge it for yourself. Many still follow the latest private revelation, yet another alleged Marian message, when in fact it's all there, in the Gospel. Even today Christ is risen, respecting as then our humanity that He himself assumed, asks for our testimony and our sincere faith in Him risen from the dead so that the world, our concrete situations and personal and collective stories are reborn.

I would like to conclude by reporting the words that Paul VI addressed the participants in the Symposium on the mystery of the Resurrection of Christ in the distant past 1970:

"Yup, every Christian hope is founded on the Resurrection of Christ, on which it is “anchored” our resurrection with Him. However, Since we now we have risen with him (cf.. With the 3,1): the whole fabric of our Christian life is woven with this unshakable certainty and this hidden reality, with the joy and dynamism that derive from it. It is therefore not surprising that such a mystery, so fundamental to our faith, so prodigious for our intelligence, has always aroused, with the passionate interest of the exegetes, a multifaceted contestation throughout history. This phenomenon was already evident when the evangelist Saint John was still alive, who deemed it necessary to point out that the unbelieving Thomas had been invited to touch with his hands the mark of the nails and the wounded side of the risen Word of life (cf.. GV 20, 24-29). How not to mention, since, the attempts at a gnosis, always reborn in multiple forms, to penetrate this mystery with all the resources of the human spirit, and also to strive to reduce it to the dimensions of entirely human categories? A temptation that is certainly understandable and undoubtedly inevitable, but which has a formidable tendency to insensibly empty all the riches and scope of what is first of all a fact: the Resurrection of the Savior. Even today - and we certainly don't need to remind you of this - we see this trend manifesting its extreme dramatic consequences, going so far as to deny it, among the faithful who call themselves Christians, the historical value of inspired testimonies or, more recently, to interpret in a purely mythical way, spiritual or moral, the physical resurrection of Jesus. How could we not deeply feel the disintegrating effect of these harmful discussions on many faithful? But We proclaim with strength: we consider all this without fear, Why, today as yesterday, the testimony "of the Eleven and their companions" is capable, with the grace of the Holy Spirit, to arouse true faith: “It's really true! The Lord was resurrected and appeared to Peter” (LC 24,34-35) (full text: WHO, my translation).

From the Hermitage, 20 April 2025

Easter of resurrection

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Sant'Angelo Cave in Ripe (Civitella del Tronto)

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(English text after the Italian)

Homiletics of the Fathers of The Island of Patmos

If you don't convert you you will all perish in the same way

It is a permanent duty of the Church to scrutinize the signs of the times and interpret them in the light of the Gospel, so that, suitable for each generation, can answer the perennial questions of men on the meaning of present and future life and their mutual relationships.

Author
Hermit Monk

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The philosopher Filone of Alessandria (Alexandria of Egypt, 20 a.C. circa – 45 D.C.. circa) He reports in one of his writings that Ponzio Pilato was a tyrannical and hard governor, "Inflexible by nature and cruel for its obstinacy", and that during his mandate were not counted in Judea «Corruption, violence, theft, assaults, unbridled abuse, continuous executions without process and boundless, wild cruelty " (Delegation to Gaius).

We also have a memory of these actions in the New Testament, outside the stories of the passion where Pilate is more mentioned. The verse that opens the Gospel of this third Sunday of Lent brings us to news that only the third Gospel knows (LC 13,1). According to some commentators, the fact that Jesus was Galileo could have influenced why. That tragic event was reported to him. Let's read the passage:

«In that same time some showed up to report to Jesus the fact of those Galilei, whose pilate blood had brought together with that of their sacrifices. Taking the floor, Jesus said to them,: "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, for they suffered such things? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all perish equally. Or those eighteen people, on which the Torre di Sìloe collapsed and killed them, You believe that they were worse offenders than all the inhabitants of Jerusalem? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, all perish in the same way ». This parable also said: “A man had planted a fig tree in his vineyard and came to look there, but he found it. Then he said to the winemaker: "There, I have been looking for fruits on this tree for three years, I find none. Therefore it! Why should it exhaust the soil?». But that replied that: "Master, Leave it again this year, As long as I have honeys around him and have put the fertilizer. We will see if it will bear fruit for the future; If no, you will cut it " (LC 13,1-9).

Not just a trend, But also the historian Giuseppe Flavio, in its Jewish antiquities, He writes that Pilate used to act with a firm wrist, especially if they were riots, Until being ready to kill the rioters without merciless. When the news reported in the Gospel could have happened? Due to the mention of the sacrifices it could have happened or while those Jews went to the temple, or during the actual sacrifice of animals; In this case it would be a sacrilegious act perpetuated during a religious ceremony. However it is for Jesus is an opportunity to invite the conversion:

"Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, for having suffered such a lot? No, I tell you, But if you don't convert you you will all perish in the same way ".

At the same conclusion it comes by commenting on another fact, The death of eighteen men caused by the collapse of a tower. The evangelical text opens with the annotation "in that same time" (LC 13,1), that binds the liturgical pericope to what precedes it. Or to Jesus' speech on the discernment of time and the ability to judge today and what is right (LC 12,54-57). It is precisely at that moment that some approach him to bring him the violent episode to him. They are made of history that question consciousness, then like today, And Jesus does not escape discernment and a judgment issued however with a perspective of faith. And the judgment of Jesus is first of all free, free from the belief still widespread at its time of a link between sin and misfortune.

Leaving this ancient theological scheme Jesus not only demonstrates his inner freedom, But also the ability to see men and non -sinners, victims and not only guilty, therefore proposing a reading of the events moved by faith and not by conformism, even it theological or spiritual. The spur therefore to the conversion, repeated twice, "But if you don't convert ...", It is an invitation to take life seriously, but also the needs of God. Not that God send misfortunes in order to convert us, But precisely because these inevitably happen, The person of faith does not escape discernment and interpretation, with the consequent risk of taking position. In this regard, the Second Vatican Council is expressed:

«It is the permanent duty of the Church to scrutinize the signs of the times and interpret them in the light of the Gospel, so that, suitable for each generation, can answer the perennial questions of men on the meaning of present and future life and their mutual relationships. In fact, we must know and understand the world in which we live, his expectations, his aspirations and his often dramatic character " (The joy and hope n. 4).

It is the ability to discover the hand of God, His providence was once said, Behind the events, also those of each life. So for Jesus hearing about some seditious killed by Pilate or other deaths under a collapse is not an opportunity to see in those facts a divine punishment for sinners. In fact the same will repeat to those who, in the Gospel of John, will ask him about a blind birth, On who he had sinned because he finds himself in that condition: "Nor did he sin, nor his parents, but so might be made manifest in him the works of God " (GV 9,3).

So Jesus, leaving the easiest road, warns that you can learn from events. The fact of the death of some becomes a warning for others: "If you don't convert, all perish in the same way ». After all, the improductive fig parable also poses a similar problem. This fig tree seems alive, But in reality he died, since it does not produce anything. In the Lucanian Gospel we find several examples of people who, metaphorically, they are in the same condition as the cotton priest; they seem dead, nevertheless they arouse the interest of the Lord who is looking for who is lost. This is the case of Zaccheo: "The son of man in fact came to look for and save what was lost" (LC 19,10); of the prodigal son of the parable: "It was dead, And he came back to life " (LC 15,32); of the same crucified malfactor with him to whom Jesus promises: "Today you will be with me in Heaven" (LC 23,43).

In Jesus the divine patience and mercy is revealed who does not want the death of the sinner, but that converts and alive (cf.. This 18, 23). To perform this, the Lord respects the singer's times, as the farmer does with his call to care and waiting: "But that replied that: “Master, Leave it again this year, As long as I have honeys around him and have put the fertilizer. We will see if it will bear fruit for the future; If no, you can cut it”. While Giovanni Battista, at the beginning of the Gospel, he had preached an eschatological judgment without appeal, whereby: «The dark is placed at the root of the trees; Therefore every tree that does not give good fruit is cut and thrown into the fire " (LC 3, 9); Jesus, instead, It is the vineyard that not only knows how to wait, but it shows that he believes in the change and conversion of the sinner who at the moment not from good fruits or does not give at all. In front of the net: "Cut it!»; Jesus opposes his: "Leave it" (Aphes, as you, in Greek). A verb that among its main meanings has to leave free, put back a fault, season a debt. So this miniature parable becomes an important teaching for the time of Lent or for the jubilee year that is celebrating itself. We need a conversion time to reach healing and liberation. Perhaps it is no coincidence that immediately after the Fico parable for three years in the unsuccessful, Luca tells of a healing: that of a woman infirm for eighteen years (LC 13,10-13).

Happy Sunday everyone!

from the Hermitage, 23 March 2025

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Homiletics the Fathers of The Isle of Patmos

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IF YOU DO NOT CONVERT YOU WILL ALL PERISH IN THE SAME WAY

It is the Church’s permanent duty to scrutinize the signs of the times and interpret them in the light of the Gospel, so that, in a way suited to each generation, it can respond to men’s perennial questions about the meaning of present and future life and their mutual relationships.

Author
Hermit Monk

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The philosopher Philo of Alexandria (Alexandria of Egypt, around 20 BC – around 45 SUCH) reports in one of his writings that Pontius Pilate was a tyrannical and harsh governor «inflexible by nature and cruel due to his obstinacy», and that during his mandate there was no shortage of «corruption, violence, theft, assaults, unbridled abuses, continuous executions without trial, savage cruelty” (Delegation to Gaius).

We also have a memory of these actions in the New Testament, outside of the passion stories where Pilate is mostly mentioned. The verse that opens the Gospel of this third Sunday of Lent tells us of news that only the third Gospel knows (Page 13,1). According to some commentators, the fact that Jesus was a Galilean may have influenced why. That tragic event was reported to him. Let’s read the passage:

«At that time some people who were present there told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them, do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”. And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, “For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. [So] cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?” He said to him in reply, “Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down”» (Page 13, 1-9)

Not only Philo, but also the historian Josephus Flavius, in his Jewish Antiquities, writes that Pilate used to act with a firm hand, especially when it came to riots, to the point of being ready to mercilessly kill the rioters. When could the news event reported in the Gospel have happened? Due to the mention of sacrifices it could have happened either while those Jews were going to the Temple, or during the actual sacrifice of the animals; in this case it would be a sacrilegious act perpetuated during a religious ceremony. In any case, for Jesus it is an opportunity to invite conversion:

«Do you believe that those Galileans were more sinners than all the Galileans, for having suffered such a fate? No, I tell you, but if you do not convert you will all perish in the same way».

He reaches the same conclusion when commenting on another fact, the death of eighteen men caused by the collapse of a tower. The Gospel text opens with the annotation “at that same time” (Page 13:1), which links the liturgical pericope to what precedes it. That is, Jesus speech on discernment of time and the ability to judge today and what is right (Page 12,54-57). It is precisely at that moment that some approach Him to report the violent episode. They are facts of history that challenge the conscience, then as today, and Jesus does not shy away from discernment and a judgment issued, however, with a perspective of faith. And Jesus judgment is first and foremost free, free from the widespread belief still in his time of a link between sin and misfortune.

By moving away from this ancient theological scheme, Jesus not only demonstrates his inner freedom, but also the ability to see men and not sinners, victims and not just culprits, therefore proposing a reading of events driven by faith and not by conformism, be it theological or spiritual. The urge to conversion, therefore, repeated twice, “but if you do not convert…”, is an invitation to take life seriously, but also the needs of God. Not that God sends misfortunes in order to convert us, but precisely because these happen inevitably, the person of faith does not shy away from discernment and interpretation, with the consequent risk of taking a position. The Second Vatican Council expresses itself in this regard:

«It is the Church’s permanent duty to scrutinize the signs of the times and interpret them in the light of the Gospel, so that, in a way suited to each generation, it can respond to men’s perennial questions about the meaning of present and future life and their mutual relationships. Indeed, we need to know and understand the world in which we live, its expectations, its aspirations and its often dramatic character” (The joy and hope n. 4).

It is the ability to discover the hand of God, his Providence was once said, behind the events, even those of each one’s life. So for Jesus hearing about some seditious people killed by Pilate or others who died under a collapse is not an opportunity to see in those facts a divine punishment for sinners. In fact, he will repeat the same thing to those who, in the Gospel of John, ask him about a man born blind, about who had sinned for him to find himself in that condition:

«Neither did he sin, nor did his parents, but it was so that the works of God might be manifested in him» (Jh 9,3).

Jesus therefore, leaving aside the easier path, warns that we can learn from events. The fact of the death of some becomes a warning for others: «If you do not convert, you will all perish in the same way». After all, the parable of the unproductive fig tree also poses a similar problem. This fig tree appears alive, but in reality it is dead, as it produces nothing. In the Luke Gospel we find several examples of people who, metaphorically, are in the same condition as the fig tree in the parable; they seem dead, nevertheless they arouse the interest of the Lord who goes in search of the lost. This is the case of Zacchaeus: «For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost» (Page 19,10); of the prodigal son of the parable: «he was dead, and is alive again» (Page 15,32); of the same criminal crucified with Him to whom Jesus promises: «Today you will be with me in paradise» (Page 23,43).

In Jesus, divine patience and mercy are revealed which does not want the sinner to die, but rather for him to convert and live (This 18, 23). To accomplish this, the Lord respects the times of the sinner, as the farmer does with his call to care and wait: «But he answered him: “Master, leave him again this year, until I have hoed around him and put the fertilizer. We’ll see if it bears fruit in the future; if not, you will cut it off”». While John the Baptist, at the beginning of the Gospel, had preached an eschatological judgment without appeal, for which: «The ax is placed at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire» (Page 3,9).

Jesus, on the other hand, is the vinedresser who not only knows how to wait, but shows that he believes in the change and conversion of the sinner who at the moment does not produce good fruit or none at all. In front of the net: «Cut it!»; Jesus replies: «Leave him» (Aphes, as you, in Greek). A verb which among its main meanings has those of setting one free, remitting a fault, forgiving a debt. Thus this miniature parable becomes an important teaching for the season of Lent or for the Jubilee year that is being celebrated. We need a time of conversion to reach healing and liberation. Perhaps it is no coincidence that immediately after the parable of the fig tree which was fruitless for three years, Luke tells of a healing: that of a woman who had been ill for eighteen years (Page 13,10-13).

Happy Sunday to everyone!

from the Hermitage, March 23, 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

From Beatitudes in the mountains to love for enemies in the plains

«Who uses the word of Jesus otherwise by acting, gives wrong to Jesus, denies the sermon on the mountain, does not implement his word. From a human point of view there are infinite possibilities of understanding and interpreting the sermon on the mountain. Jesus knows only one possibility: go and obey "

Author
Hermit Monk

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After the beatitudes proclaimed in the Gospel last Sunday, The reading of the sermon in the plain of Jesus edited by Luca continues, In the part in which the heart of his speech is accessed where the ethics of love aimed at enemies predominates, expressed in donating for free, exempt from judging, proactive when he invites you to offer another cheek. In the text, al v. 31, The famous "golden rule" is preserved: “How do you want men to do to you, So you do them too ".

The entire speech of Jesus, with his commands, It is held on the verb agapao, amare. And the sayings are expressed according to a sapiential style with verbs above all to the imperative. What emerges in the end is the desire of Jesus to unhinge the logic of reciprocity. We read the evangelical pericope.

"During that time, Jesus told his disciples: “To you who listen, I say: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who cursed you, Pray for those who treat you badly. To those who strike you on the cheek, offer the other too; to those who tear your cloak to you, Do not reject even the tunic. Give it to anyone who asks you, and to those who take your things, Don't ask her back. And how do you want men to do to you, So you do them too. If you love those who love you, what gratitude is due to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what gratitude is due to you? Sinters also do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what gratitude is due to you? Even sinners grant loans to sinners to receive the same. Instead love your enemies, do good and lend without hoping anything, And your reward will be great and you will be children of the very high, because he is benevolent to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, as your Father is merciful. Don't judge and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven. Dates and it will be given to you: a good size, pressing, Full and overflowing will be paid to the womb, because with the measure you measure with, will be measured to you in return”» (LC 6,27-38).

After the "trouble" (LC 6, 26), specular of the last bliss, The words of Jesus continue with a powerful adversive, "But to you who listen to I say" (v. 27), which opens the door to understanding the substantial difference in the Christian vocation in the world. At the heart of it is the love for the enemy who forms the inclusion of the entire passage of Luca 6, 27-35: "Love your enemies". Who is the enemy in the words of Jesus? It is the one who hates, cursed, ill -treatment and expresses its enmity with physical violence, with theft, with the request and the claim. Whatever the way of expressing itself of the inhabitation, the extraordinary proposal of Jesus who defines the main Christian difference rests in the non -violent response. Not any non -violence, but a proactive and active, since it, subtracting from specularity, puts in place a positive action of opposite sign. Not repeating the violent gesture suffered the disciple of Jesus comes out of the mimicry and passiveness. It is a question of doing something active after a time when violence has passed passively; not placing yourself, But, in front of the other how to do in a dispute or in a boxing meeting. I don't do what the violent does, I don't touch him where he touches me and I don't allow him to touch me in the same place. Yet I act starting from his first act, I come to his ground and there I present to him alterity. This text is telling us what to do if the goal is to make a relationship of otherness possible with someone who suffers and that makes it suffer. This is emblematically represented by the words of Jesus on the slap which is perhaps the passage of the best and iconic song: “To those who strike you on the cheek, offer the other too ". In the Greek Evangelical text, the word used to say "other cheek" is not what we would expect, If we were faced with simple symmetry: I am hit on a part of the face, I also present the other. The Greek word "is not used hereetheric»Used in the sense of" now one now the other ". Here the Gospel uses the term "garlic" what does it mean: another, different. It is not, so, the second cheek, It is another cheek. There is no sum, first the right and then the left, But a different cheek must be presented. The great novelty of these words of Jesus reveal that, If on the one hand in an adverse form at the same time mild and powerful, they contrast the feeling and the way of acting worldly, on the other hand they say it is possible to do the good of the enemy, making it feel a better person, offering him the opportunity to amend himself from violence. I tell him that he can love himself, because basically both the offender and the offended are recipients of a love whose greatness did not suspect.

And here the Christian theology on love helps us which helps us understand why it can even be commanded, as in the words of Jesus. Because the command also expresses an unsuspected possibility that Christ first has experienced, not in the mere form of feeling a feeling, but in the concreteness of the actions, Showing to love those who are not a lovable, like his enemies, thus revealing the unique source of that love up to the impossible which is God the Father: «In fact, God loved the world as to give His Son Unigenito ... Jesus, knowing that his time had come to pass from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them until the end" (GV 3, 16; 13, 1). Thus they also express themselves several first Christian authors. God showed his love for us why, while we were enemies and sinners, Christ died for us (cfr Rm 5,6-11). Christ on the cross has demolished the logic of the absence (cf.. Ef 2,14), He responded to the so on in over and violence by invoking forgiveness on his torturers (1PT 2,23; LC 23,34). In this sense, love can be commanded, because it must be understood in its height and depth: “Be merciful, like your Father is merciful " (v. 36); even before in its extension, even if we find that we all return to this, We like the next and even the enemy: "You will love your neighbor as yourself" (MC 12,31). It is also significant and innovative that Jesus has reworked, According to Luca, The gold rule in a positive and non -negative form as is found in other ancient texts and authors: “How do you want men to do to you, So you do them too ".

Luca to define strength or ability which allows you to go beyond the human measure of reciprocity uses the term "χάρις", curry (cf.. LC 6,32.33.34; to the bibbia translates: «What gratitude is due to you?»). Really the love that the Christian manages to even have towards his enemy is a grace, that is, it is a gift that comes from God.

To conclude it is necessary to mention how the words of Jesus, so demanding, have been variously interpreted. We narrow the two -point field of view. The Catholic position opts for the two ways, that of the majority that is invited to follow the precepts of Jesus and the other, more radical and demanding, For those few who together with the precepts also pursue the advice that are left to the free option and require a state of perfection. Then there is the position of Lutheran Orthodoxy who considers the speech of the mountain or the plain "impaired", since difficult to put into practice faithfully. In the same way as the impracticability of the mosaic law it highlights the sinful condition and therefore the necessary opening of the faith to the grace that saves. Rightly to this position, But at this point I would also say to Cattolica, Dietrich Bonheffer reacts in his most famous theological book:

«Who uses the word of Jesus otherwise by acting, gives wrong to Jesus, denies the sermon on the mountain, does not implement his word. From a human point of view there are infinite possibilities of understanding and interpreting the sermon on the mountain. Jesus knows only one possibility: go and obey " (Sequence).

The words of the Protestant theologian They still question our consistency today and challenge us. The speech of the plain of Luca can be put into practice, not thanks to our skills, but with the help of God. Christian ethics is practicable, as long as he keeps the grace in the center that comes from God.

From the hermitage, 23 February 2025

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Sant'Angelo Cave in Ripe (Civitella del Tronto)

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The Fathers of the Island of Patmos

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Homiletics of the Fathers of The Island of Patmos

PIETRO, Expert fisherman son of fishermen, CAST THE NETS ON THE WORD OF A CARPENTER'S SON

Jesus, who was a carpenter, He was not a fishing expert, Yet Simone the fisherman trust this Rabbi, that does not give him answers but calls him to rely. His reaction to the miraculous catch is that of amazement and trepidation: "Man, depart from me, I am a sinner"

Author
Hermit Monk

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Peter was a believing and observant Jew, confident in the active presence of God in the history of his people, and saddened by not seeing his powerful action in the events he was involved in, to the present, witness. At this juncture his first encounter with Jesus takes place.

The Synoptic Gospels inform us that Peter he is among the first four disciples of the Nazarene (LC 5,1-11), to which a fifth is added, according to the custom of each Rabbi to have five disciples (LC 5,27: Levi's call). When Jesus goes from five to twelve disciples (LC 9,1-6), finally the novelty of his mission will be clear. He is not one of many rabbis, but he came to gather eschatological Israel, symbolized by the number twelve, how many were the tribes of Israel. The Gospels allow us to follow Peter's spiritual journey step by step. The starting point is the call from Jesus. It happens on any given day, while Pietro is busy with his work as a fisherman. Jesus is at the lake of Gennesaret and the crowd crowds around him to listen to him. The number of listeners creates a certain discomfort. The Master sees two boats moored to the shore; the fishermen have come down and are washing their nets. He then asks to get on the boat, that of Simone, and begs him to move away from the ground. Sitting on that improvised desk, he begins to teach the crowds from the boat. And so Peter's boat becomes Jesus' chair. When he finished speaking, dice a Simone:

«”Take to the sea and lower the fishing nets! Simone replies: “Maestro, we toiled all night and caught nothing; but at your word I will let down the nets”».

Jesus, who was a carpenter, He was not a fishing expert, Yet Simone the fisherman trust this Rabbi, that does not give him answers but calls him to rely. His reaction to the miraculous catch is that of amazement and trepidation: "Man, depart from me, I am a sinner" (LC 5,8). Jesus responds by inviting him to trust and to open up to a project that goes beyond all his prospects: "Do not fear; from now on you will be a fisher of men". Let's reread this exciting story:

"During that time, while the crowd crowded around him to hear the word of God, Jesus, standing near the lake of Gennèsaret, he saw two boats pulled up to the shore. The fishermen had gone down and were washing their nets. He got into a boat, which was Simone's, and asked him to move away from the ground a little. He sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he finished speaking, said Simone: «Put out into the deep and cast your nets for a catch». Simone replied: «Maestro, we toiled all night and caught nothing; but at your word I will cast the nets ". They did so and caught a huge quantity of fish and their nets almost broke. Then they signaled to their companions on the other boat, to come and help them. They came and filled both boats until they almost sank. Upon seeing this, Simon Peter fell at Jesus' knees, saying: "Man, get away from me, because I am a sinner". In fact, amazement had invaded him and all those who were with him, for the fishing they had done; so also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were Simone's partners. Jesus said to Simon: "Do not fear; from now on you will be a fisher of men". E, pull the boats ashore, they left everything and followed him" (LC 5,1-11).

Luke's story follows the outline of MC 1,16-20 to which it refers, but with its own insertions and the addition of a scene that closely resembles that of GV 21, where there is a now resurrected Jesus who dialogues with Peter for a definitive call to follow him. While two Sundays ago we left Jesus in Nazareth not understood and even rejected; here instead people are looking for Him and Peter, in particular, leaves everything to follow the Master. From this initial moment we grasp the particular attention and esteem that the evangelist Luke directs towards this disciple; something he had evidently learned and inherited from the primitive community. We note in fact that, while in Matthew and Mark the formula of vocation is in the plural, «Come after me, I will make you fishers of men " (MC 1, 17; Mt 4,19), in the Lucanian story it is in the second person, that of Peter. And in the background, in unsuccessful fishing, we can already metaphorically glimpse the apostolic labors of the first Christian communities.

The narrative of the miraculous catch, indeed, presents the features of a catechesis on faith through which the Lord overturns closed and hopeless human situations. Peter becomes its paradigm. In his words, "We struggled all night and didn't catch anything", there is not only bitterness and disappointment for the inane peach, but there is also a stronger meaning that designates exhaustion and physical tiredness (cf.. the verb I'm working hard (kopiao). An experience that we frequently find in the Bible, especially in the Psalms: «I am exhausted by my complaints» (Shall 6, 7; cf.. also Shall 69, 4; Shall 127, 1); and that ancient Israel had experienced several times during its events. There is therefore a space of disappointment and limitation in which God acts. For that relationship between the present text and the chapter 21 of the Gospel of John, mentioned above, we understand that without the presence of the Lord the disciples tire themselves out in vain to the point of exhaustion. But He is present, which invites us to cast our nets again, everything changes. The first transformation occurs in the trust of the disciple and here it is Peter who explains it: «on your word I will lower the nets" (LC 5,4).

But faced with the miraculous catch it seems the amazement recorded is not enough (v. 9) from Luca, since Peter feels he must say: «get away from me, because I am a sinner". For some, once again the parallel passage from John where the dialogue between the Risen One and Peter should help us, centered on love, it serves the apostle to heal the wound of denial on the night of passion. But maybe, simply, given that here the Apostle appears as the protagonist for the first time in the Gospel, the request for forgiveness is to be understood as the recognition of one's own fragility in the face of the manifestation of God's greatness and the fulfillment of "his word". But what is even more striking is Jesus' attitude towards the disciple from whom he heard the confession of guilt.. He doesn't underline it, he doesn't insist on it, since it does not say everything about Peter's life, who will have to go through multiple confessions. Jesus, rather than underlining the sinfulness of the future apostle, he prefers to invite him to trust and follow: "Do not fear; from now on you will be a fisher of men". Here it is worth underlining the verb used by Luke to designate this fishing of men and not of fish, since in Greek «zogreo» contains within itself both the word ζῷον (zoos vivo) that the verb ἀγορεύω (agreuo, take hunting or fishing). It is therefore a matter of taking alive, of a capture leaving alive (cf.. vocabulary Rocks). In this way the pastoral work of Peter and his associates (v.10), metaphorically expressed through fishing which was their original profession - and here the abundant fishing of GV 21, 11: 153 big fish hauled into the boat, without the network dividing – it will be a service to life. Those who, through their ministry, they will be reached by the Gospel, they will be drawn to Christ, the living bringer of life: "I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance" (GV 10, 10).

From the Hermitage, 8 February 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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Dear Readers,
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The Fathers of the Island of Patmos

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