GEBED IEDERE DAG

Memory of Jesus crucified
Woord van god elke dag
Libretto DEL GIORNO
Memory of Jesus crucified
Friday, June 12


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

1 Kings 19,9.11-16

There he went into a cave and spent the night there. Then the word of Yahweh came to him saying, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' Then he was told, 'Go out and stand on the mountain before Yahweh.' For at that moment Yahweh was going by. A mighty hurricane split the mountains and shattered the rocks before Yahweh. But Yahweh was not in the hurricane. And after the hurricane, an earthquake. But Yahweh was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, fire. But Yahweh was not in the fire. And after the fire, a light murmuring sound. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then a voice came to him, which said, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' He replied, 'I am full of jealous zeal for Yahweh, God Sabaoth, because the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, have torn down your altars and put your prophets to the sword. I am the only one left and now they want to kill me.' 'Go,' Yahweh said, 'go back by the same way to the desert of Damascus. You must go and anoint Hazael as king of Aram. You must anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat, of Abel-Meholah, as prophet to succeed you.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Elijah ascends Horeb and enters a cave to spend the night. And while he is there he hears the voice of the Lord: "What are you doing here Elijah?" It is a clear and direct question, like the one posed to Adam after the sin, or to Cain after he killed his brother. Elijah feels questioned by the Lord and responds complaining about what happened to him: "I have been very zealous for the Lord!.. says the prophet - I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away." Elijah is still a prisoner of himself and his history, of his--perhaps--heroic exploits, but exploits always centred on oneself. It is true that he is full of passion for the Lord but he has run away from his people. God pursues the prophet and asks him to come out, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And then the Lord passes: "There was a great wind...so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but God was not in the wind." And we too, certainly not because close to Elijah, but because we are still tied to an old language; we think that God is present in storms and natural calamities, or at least in prodigious events. Certainly, the Lord is not in earthquakes; and he certainly is not in the wars and conflicts that hit the lives of millions of people. But there comes a light wind that caresses Elijah. Immediately the prophet covers his face with his coat and leaves the cave. The soft wind, the breath of the Spirit had dismantles the armour of Elijah's defences and opened wide the heart of the prophet to the horizons of the world. The soft wind is the weak strength of love. It is with love, with this weak strength, that we can rebuild the torn fabric of the fraternity among people. The love of the Lord is like the soft wind that reweaves, consoles and gets us closer. The prophet is asked again the question of the beginning: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" The prophet responds with the same words. But at this point it is God himself who orders him to take up the journey. Elijah must fulfil his mission in order to not leave the people of God without the light of God's word.

WOORD VAN GOD ELKE DAG: DE KALENDER

Het gebed is het hart van het leven van de Gemeenschap van Sant’Egidio. Het is haar eerste “werk”. Aan het einde van de dag komt elke Gemeenschap, of die nu klein of groot is, samen bij de Heer om het Woord te beluisteren en zich tot Hem te richten in het gebed. De leerlingen kunnen niet anders dan aan de voeten van Jezus zitten, zoals Maria van Bethanië, om het “betere deel” te kiezen (Lc 10, 42) en van Hem zijn gezindheid te leren (vgl. Fil 2, 5).

Elke keer dat de Gemeenschap zich tot de Heer richt, maakt ze zich die vraag eigen van de anonieme leerling: “Heer, leer ons bidden!” (Lc 11, 1). En Jezus, meester in het gebed, antwoordt: “Wanneer jullie bidden, zeg dan: Abba, Vader”.

Wanneer we bidden, ook in de geslotenheid van ons eigen hart, zijn we nooit alleen of verweesd. Integendeel, we zijn leden van de familie van de Heer. In het gemeenschappelijk gebed wordt naast het mysterie van het kindschap, ook dat van de broederschap en zusterschap duidelijk.

De Gemeenschappen van Sant’Egidio, verspreid over de wereld, verzamelen zich op de verschillende plaatsen die gekozen zijn voor het gebed en brengen de hoop en het verdriet van de “uitgeputte en hulpeloze mensenmenigte” waarover het Evangelie spreekt (Mt 9, 37) bij de Heer. Deze oude menigte omvat de inwoners van onze hedendaagse steden, de armen die zich bevinden in de marge van het leven, en iedereen die wacht om als dagloner te worden aangenomen (vgl. Mt 20).

Het gemeenschappelijk gebed verzamelt de schreeuw, de hoop, het verlangen naar vrede, genezing, zin en redding, die beleefd worden door de mannen en vrouwen van deze wereld. Het gebed is nooit leeg. Het stijgt onophoudelijk op naar de Heer opdat verdriet verandert in vreugde, wanhoop in blijheid, angst in hoop, eenzaamheid in gemeenschap. En het rijk Gods zal spoedig temidden van de mensen komen.

WOORD VAN GOD ELKE DAG: DE KALENDER