Feast of Saint Catherine of Siena (+1380); she worked for peace, for the unity of Christians, and for the poor. Read more
Feast of Saint Catherine of Siena (+1380); she worked for peace, for the unity of Christians, and for the poor.
Reading of the Word of God
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The Spirit of the Lord is upon you.
The child you shall bear will be holy.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Acts 4,32-37
The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, as everything they owned was held in common. The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all accorded great respect. None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from the sale of them, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any who might be in need. There was a Levite of Cypriot origin called Joseph whom the apostles surnamed Barnabas (which means 'son of encouragement'). He owned a piece of land and he sold it and brought the money and presented it to the apostles.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Look down, O Lord, on your servants.
Be it unto us according to your word.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
The effects of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the disciples can be seen immediately. The author of Acts once again narrates in a concise but clear manner the life of the community: all who had accepted the Gospel were of one heart and one soul. The Gospel provokes this new climate of communion among those who welcome it. And it is a profound communion that also manifests itself in life, to the point that "no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common." The spirit of communion does not remain confined to some particular sphere, but pervades the whole life of the community and expresses itself precisely also in the pooling of goods. This image of community, which may seem utopian, shows the disciples of all times the way forward: communion and sharing. This transformation of relationships between believers is not the fruit of a merely human choice, that is, it does not arise from simple human attitudes, it is rather the fruit of the action of the Spirit that urges one not only to love oneself, but also others, especially the weakest. The Spirit is the true protagonist that ferments the community of believers in solidarity. And the emphasis on the communion of goods that avoided all inequality and abandonment signifies the power of communion that flows from evangelical love. The author of Acts underlines that "there was not a needy person among them," because they were sharing in the goods of those who were wealthier. In this way he shows a pastoral path: the Gospel quality of the Christian community is visible in its capacity to care for its weakest members. Barnabas' generosity is exemplary: Gospel love unites and makes the fraternity of disciples and makes it steady.
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!
For the sick, in memory of the dead, for peace
