Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Spirit of the Lord is upon you.
The child you shall bear will be holy.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Sirach 35,1-15
One who keeps the Law multiplies offerings; one who follows the commandments offers communion sacrifices. Proof of gratitude is an offering of fine flour, almsgiving a sacrifice of praise. To abandon wickedness is what pleases the Lord, to give up wrong-doing is an expiatory sacrifice. Do not appear empty-handed in the Lord's presence; for all these things are due under the commandment. The offering of the upright graces the altar, and its savour rises before the Most High. The sacrifice of the upright is acceptable, its memorial will not be forgotten. Honour the Lord with generosity, do not stint the first-fruits you bring. Add a smiling face to all your gifts, and be cheerful as you dedicate your tithes. Give to the Most High as he has given to you, as generously as your means can afford; for the Lord is a good rewarder, he will reward you seven times over. Do not try to bribe him with presents, he will not accept them, do not put your faith in wrongly motivated sacrifices; for the Lord is a judge who is utterly impartial. He never shows partiality to the detriment of the poor, he listens to the plea of the injured party. He does not ignore the orphan's supplication, nor the widow's as she pours out her complaint. Do the widow's tears not run down her cheeks, as she accuses the man who is the cause of them?
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Look down, O Lord, on your servants.
Be it unto us according to your word.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The sacred author urges his readers to combine their worship with the observance of the Law: "One who keeps the law makes many offerings; one who heeds the commandments makes an offering of well-being." ?Sirach certainly appreciates worship. Indeed, he urges his readers, "Do not appear before the Lord empty-handed...The offering of the righteous enriches the altar, and its pleasing odour rises before the Most High." ?Believers are urged to make their sacrifices with joy. But the sacred author affirms, "one who gives alms sacrifices a thank-offering" and again, "to forsake unrighteousness is an atonement." This dual focus on worship and the observance of the law and the practice of love are present in all Scriptures. Their fulfilment will come with Jesus, who will make love of God and neighbour the fulfilment of the law. Observing the Lord's commands, living our religion in an unblemished manner, and coming to the aid of the poor and the weak are the true worship that we must offer the Lord. The words of Sirach recall those of Hosea (6:6), taken up by Matthew, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice" (12:7). True religion is clearly defined: believers who do what the Word of God demands do not "appear before the Lord empty-handed," because they bring to God what He had commanded them. Jesus places mercy at the centre of the preaching of the Kingdom: worshiping God will consist of doing good to those in need. Our offering is measured by the generosity we show towards the poor, by our hand reaching out to those who suffer from hunger and nakedness, and by our closeness to all those who need help and consolation. For Jesus, mercy is God's very way of being. Even though the Lord does not show partiality and gives his love to all, he will first, "listen to the prayer of one who is wronged," the orphan, and the widow. Also, disciples, if they wish to stand in God's presence, must practice this same mercy. ?
Doa merupakan jantung kehidupan Komunitas Sant'Egidio dan merupakan prioritas yang paling penting. Di penghujung hari, setiap Komunitas Sant'Egidio, besar maupun kecil, akan berkumpul di sekeliling Tuhan untuk mendengarkan sabda-Nya. Sesungguhnya Sabda Allah dan doa merupakan landasan seluruh kehidupan Komunitas. Para rasul tidak bisa tidak selain tetap di sekitar kaki Yesus, seperti yang dilakukan oleh Maria dari Bethani, untuk menerima kasih dan belajar cara-Nya (Fil. 2:5).
Sehingga setiap malam, ketika Komunitas kembali ke kaki Tuhan, Komunitas mengulangi kata-kata dari rasul tak bernama: "Tuhan ajarkanlah kami cara berdoa" Yesus, Sang Guru, terus menjawab: "Ketika kamu berdoa, katakanlah: Abba, Bapa". Hal itu bukanlah satu seruan sederhana. Dengan kata-kata ini, Yesus membiarkan para murid untuk berperan serta dalam hubungan mereka sendiri dengan Bapa. Oleh sebab itu, fakta bahwa sebagai anak-anak Bapa yang bertahta di surga, muncul sebelum kata-kata yang mungkin kita ucapkan. Jadi doa di atas segalanya merupakan cara untuk menjadi manusia. Ini untuk mengatakan bahwa kita anak-anak yang berpaling kepada Bapa dengan iman, dan yakin bahwa hal itu akan didengar.
Yesus mengajar kita memanggil Allah dengan sebutan "Bapa Kami" Tidak hanya "Bapa" atau "Bapaku" Para murid, meskipun mereka berdoa dengan cara mereka, tidak pernah terisolasi tidak juga menjadi yatim; mereka selalu menjadi anggota keluarga Tuhan.
Dalam doa bersama, di samping misteri anak Allah, ada juga misteri persaudaraan, seperti Bapa Gereja mengatakan: "Kamu tidak bisa memiliki Allah sebagai Bapa tanpa memiliki gereja sebagai ibu". Ketika berdoa bersama, Roh Kudus menyatukan para rasul di ruangan atas bersama dengan Maria, Bunda Allah, sehingga mereka dapat memusatkan pandangan mereka kepada wajah Tuhan dan belajar dari Dia rahasia hati-Nya.
Komunitas Sant'Egidio di seluruh dunia berkumpul bersama di berbagai tempat doa dan menghamparkan di hadapan Tuhan harapan dan penderitaan manusia yang lelah dan letih seperti yang di katakan oleh Injil (Mat. 9:37). Dalam kumpulan di masa lalu ini kita bisa melihat jumlah massa yang sangat besar di kota-kota modern ini, jutaan pengungsi yang terus melarikan diri dari negeri mereka, orang miskin yang terpinggirkan ke tepi kehidupan dan mereka yang menantikan seseorang yang akan merawat mereka. Berdoa bersama termasuk di dalamnya tangisan, seruan, permohonan, keinginan bagi damai, penyembuhan dan penebusan manusia di dunia ini. Doa tidak pernah sia-sia, doa terus menerus kepada Tuhan sehingga mengubah kecemasan menjadi harapan, air mata menjadi kegembiraan, putus asa menjadi kebahagiaan, dan kesepian menjadi persatuan. Semoga Kerajaan Allah hadir segera di antara manusia.
