Isaiah 44: 1-8
1 Hear then, O Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.
2 Thus says the LORD who made you, your help, who formed you from the womb: Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, the darling whom I have chosen.
3 I will pour out water upon the thirsty ground, and streams upon the dry land; I will pour out my spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing upon your descendants.
4 They shall spring up amid the verdure like poplars beside the flowing waters.
5 One shall say, "I am the LORD'S," another shall be named after Jacob, And this one shall write on his hand, "The LORD'S," and Israel shall be his surname.
6 Thus says the LORD, Israel's King and redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; there is no God but me.
7 Who is like me? Let him stand up and speak, make it evident, and confront me with it. Who of old announced future events? Let them foretell to us the things to come.
8 Fear not, be not troubled: did I not announce and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses! Is there a God or any Rock besides me?
Dear sisters and brothers,
there are many of us here this evening, gathered in this basilica to give thanks for the life of the Community of Sant'Egidio. 57 years serving the poor, the Gospel and peace, from our city of Rome to many countries in the world.
The Word of God, ever present in our history, guides us on this anniversary, using the words of the prophet Isaiah. As we have heard, these words are a blessing from God on the people he has chosen, on the people he has elected. The people of whom the prophet speaks were formed by the Lord: "who made you, your help, who formed you from the womb". In other words, they are his children.
So the Lord also presents himself to us, his people, as mother, father, friend, protector. We are his children. And today, in this solemn and intimate moment, we recognise his blessing and his protection for us and for our history, and we thank him, with all our hearts.
We belong to the Lord, the Community belongs to God. It does not belong to any power, any ideology, any force other than that of the Lord and his Holy Spirit. ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing upon your descendants’. The Community lives by the spirit and the blessing that the Lord gives it, and over the years we have lived and experienced this as if it were a continuous Pentecost. Freed from anxiety and fear, we have been called to go out every day into the city of men and women, to take on our responsibilities and communicate the Gospel in many languages. Yes, we are responsible for our brothers and sisters, and for everyone!
Today we need to recognise that the Spirit is the guide of the Community. And we need it in these complex and difficult times, in a season of strength, amidst proliferating wars, widening divisions and growing individualism. These are uncertain and troubling times in many ways, making people's lives unstable and fragile, especially the lives of the weak and the marginalised.
The Lord clearly tells us that we are freed from anxiety and fear when we recognise him as our Father and guide: Fear not, be not troubled: did I not announce and foretell it long ago? What has the Lord announced us and foretold flong ago? The Lord is the rock we can build our personal lives on, and the Word of God is the rock we can build the house of the Community on every day.
Let us not be anxious or fear, brothers and sisters, let us trust in the Lord, let us lean on him as the rock of our salvation! Let us recognise the progress we have made, with gratitude for having been freed from all fear and urged to step out of ourselves every day, to be happy and make others happy.
(7 Febr. 2025 - translation from speech by editorial staff)
