GEBED IEDERE DAG

Prayer of Easter
Woord van god elke dag

Prayer of Easter

Memorial of Saint Adalbert, bishop of Prague. He suffered martyrdom in eastern Prussia where he had gone to preach the Gospel (†997). He spent time in Rome, where his memory is venerated in the basilica of Saint Bartholomew on the Tiberine Island. Lees meer

Libretto DEL GIORNO
Prayer of Easter
Tuesday, April 23

Memorial of Saint Adalbert, bishop of Prague. He suffered martyrdom in eastern Prussia where he had gone to preach the Gospel (†997). He spent time in Rome, where his memory is venerated in the basilica of Saint Bartholomew on the Tiberine Island.


Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Christ is risen from the dead
and will die no more.
He awaits us in Galilee!

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Acts 2,36-41

'For this reason the whole House of Israel can be certain that the Lord and Christ whom God has made is this Jesus whom you crucified.' Hearing this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'What are we to do, brothers?' 'You must repent,' Peter answered, 'and every one of you must be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise that was made is for you and your children, and for all those who are far away, for all those whom the Lord our God is calling to himself.' He spoke to them for a long time using many other arguments, and he urged them, 'Save yourselves from this perverse generation.' They accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand were added to their number.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Christ is risen from the dead
and will die no more.
He awaits us in Galilee!

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The words of this first preaching of the apostle Peter struck the hearts of those who heard him. The Book of Acts reports that: "They were cut to the heart." This should be the goal of all those who preach. They need to reach their listeners' hearts and cut them, that is, question them. The Later to the Hebrews will say that the Word of God is like a double-edged sword that cuts to the depths of the heart. Those who listened to Peter and were cut to the heart immediately asked him a simple but fundamental question: "What should we do?" It is the question every sermon should rise. Peter proposes the Gospel as the leaven of a new society, is the energy that leads to a new way of thinking about and of living out human relationships. In fact, the Gospel does not claim to be a program for constructing a socially perfect program. The Gospel asks for a conversion of one's heart. It is from changing the heart that the world can start changing. They are men and women with a heart that is not of stone anymore, but full of the love that urges them to give their lives for others. Those who welcome the Gospel are not slaves anymore of loneliness and selfishness, but they participate in the victory of love over hatred, of life over death. Luke notes that: "Those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added" (v. 41). The Gospel generated the Community and the characteristics of this new community are clearly stated: listening to the teaching of the apostle, fraternal unity, breaking of the bread and prayer, communion of goods. It is the description of every Christian community of yesterday and today. Each Christian generation, even ours, is called to question itself on this page of the Acts. And when people speak of reform of the Church what is intended is to take back that "form" of the first Church. It is the prophecy that Acts continue to tell us so that we may put it into practice.

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