Memory of the Poor
Memorial of Saint Jerome, doctor of the Church, who died in Bethlehem in 420. He translated the Bible into the Latin language. Prayer that the voice of the Scripture may be heard in every language.
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 9,46-50
An argument started between them about which of them was the greatest. Jesus knew what thoughts were going through their minds, and he took a little child whom he set by his side and then he said to them, 'Anyone who welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. The least among you all is the one who is the greatest.' John spoke up. 'Master,' he said, 'we saw someone driving out devils in your name, and because he is not with us we tried to stop him.' But Jesus said to him, 'You must not stop him: anyone who is not against you is for you.'
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
In this Gospel passage the evangelist Luke reveals which the real worries of the disciples were: who among them had first place. We could say that the disciples-certainly them, but also us-were fully children of this world and of the competitive mentality which rules relationships between people. It is a habit which solidly accompanies all generations. We could say that is the legacy of the first sin, Adam's and Eve's disobedience to God. From disobedience to God continues to spring division among people and mutual accusations. Jesus came to turn disobedience upside down, "making himself obedient unto death and a death on the cross," writes the apostle Paul (Phil 2:8). He came to establish relationships of brotherhood and service, not competition among men and women. And so that the disciples would understand well his thinking, Jesus took a child at his side as if to identify the child with himself and said to them: "Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest." In the kingdom of heaven, and therefore also in the community of Jesus' disciples, great are those who make themselves small, that is children of the Gospel, those who recognize their weakness and entrust everything to the Lord. Whoever lives with the faith of a child, whoever feels they are son or daughter of God, knows how to listen to his Word and has the same thought of God and recognizes the things which come from God.