Feast of the apostles Simon the Canaanite, called the Zealot, and Judas surnamed Thaddeus. Lees meer
Feast of the apostles Simon the Canaanite, called the Zealot, and Judas surnamed Thaddeus.
Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
If we die with him, we shall live with him,
if with him we endure, with him we shall reign.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Luke 6,12-16
Now it happened in those days that he went onto the mountain to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them 'apostles': Simon whom he called Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
If we die with him, we shall live with him,
if with him we endure, with him we shall reign.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Today the Church remembers the apostles Simon and Jude. Simon is nicknamed the "zealot" perhaps because he belonged to the group of anti-Roman zealots who even practiced violence. Tradition has it that he preached the Gospel in Samaria and in Mesopotamia and died in Persia. Jude, also called Thaddeus, which means "magnanimous", is the apostle who at the last supper asked Jesus if he would reveal himself only to the disciples and not to the world. His name appears last in the list of the apostles. Tradition points to him as the author of the letter of the same name, addressed to converts from Judaism. Almost nothing is known of their lives, but they are no less important for that. In the Church it is not fame which counts, but communion with the Lord and with our brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, we often argue about who is first in the community, just as the disciples did. In the Church the only primacy, which should be sought, is the primacy of love and, by extension, the primacy of generous, freely given service. Jesus called these apostles by name, too, as if to underline the fact that it is his love that gives his disciples dignity. And the love that should prevail among the disciples, the fraternal love that gives other people a reason to recognize us as Jesus' disciples and witnesses to the Gospel of love, has its origin in the love Jesus shows for us. In the Bible, a name is not just a tool for identifying people, it is much more: it signifies the story, the heart, and the life of each individual. The Lord's call often includes a change of name, that is, a change of heart and a new vocation. For example, Simon becomes Peter, meaning "rock" or "foundation." Receiving a name first of all means to be loved by God, that is, to be called by name. And then it also means receiving a new task from God. Knowing one another by name is one of the most precious treasures in life, even mere human life. The Lord exalts it even more: to know each other and to call each other by name is the sign of a love sealed by God. From this perspective, we can clearly see the level of familiarity that should characterize the lives of the disciples and extend to all, beginning with the poor. It is more than a little shocking, then, to get used to calling the poor themselves by name. It is difficult for this to happen. But there is a bond between the name of the disciples and the name of the poor. It is the gift of knowing that we are all children, loved by God, each with his or her own name.
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.
