Prayer for the sick
The prayer for the sick is held in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere
Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
This is the Gospel of the poor,
liberation for the imprisoned,
sight for the blind,
freedom for the oppressed.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Hebrews 1,1-6
At many moments in the past and by many means, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our time, the final days, he has spoken to us in the person of his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the ages. He is the reflection of God's glory and bears the impress of God's own being, sustaining all things by his powerful command; and now that he has purged sins away, he has taken his seat at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high. So he is now as far above the angels as the title which he has inherited is higher than their own name. To which of the angels, then, has God ever said: You are my Son, today I have fathered you, or: I shall be a father to him and he a son to me? Again, when he brings the First-born into the world, he says: Let all the angels of God pay him homage.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Letter to the Hebrews, a sermon addressed to the Christians of the first generation who were affected by very harsh opposition, opens with a general gaze on the history of salvation. It appears immediately that its protagonist is God himself. It is he who has chosen to enter into dialogue with human beings since ancient times and in various ways especially through the prophets. The God of the Bible does not remain in the heavens, but speaks to humankind. The Holy Scriptures are nothing but the narration of this dialogue, which continues with all those who open them. That is why the spirituality of the believer consists in listening to the Word that God addresses to us. The believer is first of all a person who listens. It is no coincidence that the author of the letter laments the laziness of Christians in listening to the Scriptures. And he warns that by dint of not listening one becomes "dull in understanding" (5:11). For Israel, listening to God was central. And if there were difficult and burdensome moments in the history of the chosen people, they arose when the people became deaf to God's words. This is the revealed mystery that we are invited to welcome: God in these last times has chosen to speak to us directly, without intermediaries, through his own Son. The Word that stood at the origin of creation has become flesh. And we, through it - it is Jesus himself - can enter into direct dialogue with the Father in heaven. This direct relationship with God saves us from loneliness and death. Listening to him, obeying him, speaking to him, acting according to his will is the mystery of our salvation and that of the world.