The prayer for peace is held in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
Remembrance of the dedication of the Roman basilicas of Saint Peter's in the Vatican and Saint Paul's outside the walls.
Többet
The prayer for peace is held in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
Remembrance of the dedication of the Roman basilicas of Saint Peter's in the Vatican and Saint Paul's outside the walls.
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
Luke 18,35-43
Now it happened that as he drew near to Jericho there was a blind man sitting at the side of the road begging. When he heard the crowd going past he asked what it was all about, and they told him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by. So he called out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me.' The people in front scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, 'Son of David, have pity on me.' Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him, and when he came up, asked him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' 'Sir,' he replied, 'let me see again.' Jesus said to him, 'Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.' And instantly his sight returned and he followed him praising God, and all the people who saw it gave praise to God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Jesus is about to reach the end of his journey. He is now close to Jericho, the last city before Jerusalem. And the evangelist seems to want to anticipate the entry into Jerusalem. At the gates of the city there is a blind man begging for alms (Mark's Gospel mentions the name, Bartimaeus). Hearing much noise, the man asks what is happening. They "tell" him that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. The man needs someone to tell him about Jesus; alone he cannot see. Actually, we all need someone to talk to us about Jesus because we, naturally focused on ourselves and our own things, are like blind. Not only because we struggle to lift our eyes from ourselves, but in this case, without the Church speaking to us about Jesus, we cannot see him. Well, that blind man, hearing the "proclamation" of Jesus' nearness, understands that the one who can save him is approaching, as no one else could. How many people had he heard pass him by, perhaps even leave an offering, and then continue on their way! That day he realised that Jesus would not pass by and that he could heal him. It is in this direct encounter between us and Jesus that the healing takes place. Jesus, as if to acknowledge his initiative, says to the blind man: "Receive your sight; your faith has saved you." The man begins to see and first - what grace he had! - he sees Jesus, that face full of tenderness and love. It is an encounter that touches his heart. He also sees with the eyes of his heart: he sets out to follow him. He does not remain alone with himself to enjoy the healing. No, he understands that he must participate in the healing of the world so that men and women may see God's mercy and be converted to him. This blind man becomes the image of the believer, of the one who recognises one's own blindness, prays in faith to the Lord and allows himself to be healed to the point of following the Master. He is an example for us all.
Prayer is the heart of the life of the Community of Sant'Egidio and is its absolute priority. At the end of the day, every the Community of Sant'Egidio, large or small, gathers around the Lord to listen to his Word. The Word of God and the prayer are, in fact, the very basis of the whole life of the Community. The disciples cannot do other than remain at the feet of Jesus, as did Mary of Bethany, to receive his love and learn his ways (Phil. 2:5).
So every evening, when the Community returns to the feet of the Lord, it repeats the words of the anonymous disciple: " Lord, teach us how to pray". Jesus, Master of prayer, continues to answer: "When you pray, say: Abba, Father". It is not a simple exhortation, it is much more. With these words Jesus lets the disciples participate in his own relationship with the Father. Therefore in prayer, the fact of being children of the Father who is in heaven, comes before the words we may say. So praying is above all a way of being! That is to say we are children who turn with faith to the Father, certain that they will be heard.
Jesus teaches us to call God "Our Father". And not simply "Father" or "My Father". Disciples, even when they pray on their own, are never isolated nor they are orphans; they are always members of the Lord's family.
In praying together, beside the mystery of being children of God, there is also the mystery of brotherhood, as the Father of the Church said: "You cannot have God as father without having the church as mother". When praying together, the Holy Spirit assembles the disciples in the upper room together with Mary, the Lord's mother, so that they may direct their gaze towards the Lord's face and learn from Him the secret of his Heart.
The Communities of Sant'Egidio all over the world gather in the various places of prayer and lay before the Lord the hopes and the sufferings of the tired, exhausted crowds of which the Gospel speaks ( Mat. 9: 3-7 ), In these ancient crowds we can see the huge masses of the modern cities, the millions of refugees who continue to flee their countries, the poor, relegated to the very fringe of life and all those who are waiting for someone to take care of them. Praying together includes the cry, the invocation, the aspiration, the desire for peace, the healing and salvation of the men and women of this world. Prayer is never in vain; it rises ceaselessly to the Lord so that anguish is turned into hope, tears into joy, despair into happiness, and solitude into communion. May the Kingdom of God come soon among people!
