Third Sunday in Advent (year A)  [14 December 2025]

May God bless us and may the Virgin protect us! "Rejoice always in the Lord... the Lord is near." The message of this third Sunday of Advent is the announcement of the joy of Christmas approaching. Advent teaches us to wait with patient hope for Jesus, who will surely come. 

*First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (35:1...10)

This passage comes from Isaiah's Little Apocalypse, known as the "Minor Apocalypse" (cc34-35), probably written by an anonymous author, and  tells of the joyful return of Israel from exile in Babylon. We are in the period when the people suffered the sack of Jerusalem and spent over fifty years away from their land, experiencing humiliation and suffering that would discourage even the strongest. Isaiah, who lived in the 6th century BC during the exile in Babylon, reassures the frightened people: 'Behold your God: vengeance is coming, divine reward. He is coming to save you'. The result will be the liberation of the suffering: the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap for joy, the mute will shout for joy. The people have suffered years of domination, deportation with humiliation and many trials, including religious ones: a time that discourages and makes them fear for the future. The author uses the expression 'God's vengeance', which may surprise us today. But here, vengeance is not punishment on men: it is the defeat of the evil that oppresses them and the liberation that God gives. God intervenes personally to save, redeem and restore dignity: the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap and the mute will shout for joy. The return from exile is described as a triumphal march through the desert: the arid landscape is transformed into fertile and lush land, as beautiful as the mountains of Lebanon, the hills of Carmel and the plain of Sharon, symbols of abundance and beauty in the land of Israel. This journey shows that even the hardest trials can become a path of joy and hope when God intervenes. The desert, a symbol of hardship and trial, is thus transformed into a path of joy and hope thanks to God's intervention. The liberated people are called 'redeemed' and liberation is compared to 'redemption' in Jewish law: just as a close relative would release a debt or redeem a slave, God himself is our 'Go'el', the Relative who frees those who are oppressed or prisoners of evil. In this sense, redemption means liberation: physical, moral and spiritual. Singing 'Alleluia' means recognising that God leads us from servitude to freedom, transforming despair into joy and the desert into blossoming. This text reminds us that God never abandons us: even in the most difficult moments, his mercy and love free us and give us hope again. It shows how the language of the Bible can transform words that seem threatening into promises of salvation and hope, reminding us that God always intervenes to free us and restore our dignity.

Main elements +Context: Babylonian exile, Israel far from the land, anonymous author. +Isaiah's Little Apocalypse: prophecy of hope and return to the promised land. +God's vengeance: defeat of evil, not punishment of men. +Concrete liberation: the blind, deaf, lame, mute and prisoners redeemed. +The desert will blossom: difficulties transformed into joy and beauty. +Redemption: God as Go'el, liberator of the oppressed. +Alleluia: song of praise for the liberation received. +Spiritual message: God intervenes to free us and give us hope even in the hardest moments.

*Responsorial Psalm (145/146, 7-8, 9-10

This psalm, a 'psalm of Alleluia', is a song full of joy and gratitude, written after the return of the people of Israel from exile in Babylon, probably for the dedication of the rebuilt Temple. The Temple had been destroyed in 587 BC by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. In 538 BC, after the conquest of Babylon by the Persian king Cyrus, the Jews were allowed to return to their land and rebuild the Temple. The reconstruction was not easy due to tensions between those returning from Babylon and those who had remained in Israel, but thanks to the strength of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the work was completed in 515 BC, under King Darius. The dedication of the new Temple was celebrated with great joy (Ezra 6:16). The psalm reflects this joy: Israel recognises that God has remained faithful to the Covenant, as he did during the Exodus. God is the one who frees the oppressed, breaks the chains, gives bread to the hungry, gives sight to the blind and lifts up the weak. This image of God, a God who takes the side of the poor and feels compassion ('mercy' indicates as if the bowels were trembling), was not taken for granted in ancient times. It is Israel's great contribution to the faith of humanity: to reveal a God of love and mercy. The psalm expresses this by saying that the Lord supports the widow and the orphan. The people are invited to imitate God in the same mercy, and the Law of Israel contains many rules for the protection of the weak (widows, orphans, foreigners). The prophets judged Israel's fidelity to the Covenant on the basis of this behaviour. At a deeper level, the psalm shows that God frees us not only from external oppression, but also from internal oppression: spiritual hunger finds its food in the Word; inner blindness is illuminated; the chains of hatred, pride and jealousy are broken. Although we do not see it here, this psalm is actually framed by the word 'Alleluia', which according to Jewish tradition means to sing the praise of God because He leads from slavery to freedom, from darkness to light, from sadness to joy. We Christians read this psalm in the light of Jesus Christ: He gave bread to his contemporaries and continues to give the "bread of life" in the Eucharist; He is the light of the world (Jn 8:12); in his resurrection, he definitively freed humanity from the chains of death. Finally, since man is created in the image of God, every time he helps a poor person, a sick person, a prisoner, a stranger, he manifests the very image of God. And every gesture made "to the least" contributes to the growth of the Kingdom of God. A catechumen, reading about the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, asked, "Why doesn't Jesus do this today for all the hungry?" And after a moment she replied, "Perhaps he is counting on us to do it."

Important elements to remember +Historical context: psalm written after the return from exile and the reconstruction of the Temple (587–515 BC). +Central theme: the joy of the people for God's faithfulness and their liberation. +Revelation of God: God is merciful and defends the oppressed, the poor, the weak. +Commitment of the people: to imitate God in works of mercy towards all the oppressed. +Spiritual reading: God frees us from inner chains (hatred, pride, spiritual blindness). +Alleluia: symbol of the passage from slavery to freedom and from sadness to joy. +Christian reading: fulfilment in Christ, who gives true bread, enlightens, liberates, saves. +Image of God in man: every gesture of love towards the most fragile makes the image of God visible. +Christian responsibility: God also counts on our commitment to nourish, liberate and support those who suffer.

*Second Reading from the Letter of St James the Apostle (5:7-10)

Christian tradition recognises three figures named James who were close to Jesus: James the Greater, son of Zebedee and brother of John, with an impetuous character, present at the Transfiguration and in Gethsemane; James, son of Alphaeus, one of the Twelve; James, 'brother/cousin' of the Lord, leader of the Church of Jerusalem and probable author of the Letter of James. The text highlights a fundamental theme for the early Christians: the expectation of the coming of the Lord. Like Paul, James always looks to the horizon of the final fulfilment of God's plan. It is significant that at the very beginning of Christian preaching, the end of the world was most ardently desired, perhaps because the Resurrection had given a taste of future glory. In this expectation, James repeats a crucial invitation: patience, a word which in the original Greek (makrothyméo) means 'to have long breath, to have a long spirit'. Waiting for the coming of the Lord is a long-distance race, not a sprint: faith must learn to endure over time. When the early Christians realised that the parousia was not coming immediately, waiting became a true test of fidelity.

To live this endurance, James offers two models: the farmer, who knows the rhythm of the seasons, trusting in God who sends rain 'in its season' (Deut 11:14), and the other model: the prophets, who endured hostility and persecution to remain faithful to their mission. James asks Christians to have stamina (perseverance/patience) and a steadfast heart ("Strengthen your hearts"). In verse 11, which follows this text, James also quotes Job, the only case in the New Testament, as the supreme example of perseverance: those who remain steadfast like him will experience the Lord's mercy. Patience is not only personal: it is lived out in community relationships. James takes up Jesus' teaching: do not complain about one another, do not judge one another, do not murmur. 'The Judge is at hand': only God truly judges, because he sees the heart. Man easily risks confusing wheat and weeds. The lesson is also for us: we often lack the breath of hope, and at the same time we give in to the temptation to judge. Yet Jesus' words about the speck and the log remain relevant today.

Important points to remember: + Of the three James, it is James the Greater, the son of Alphaeus, the 'brother' of the Lord, who is the probable author of this Letter, which reflects the central theme of waiting for the coming of the Lord. + Patience is repeated several times and is understood as 'long breath', an endurance race. + The initial Christian expectation was very intense: it was thought that Christ's return was imminent. + Two models of perseverance: the farmer (trust in God's timing) and the prophets (courage in mission). + v.11 not in this text but immediately after John

cites Job as an example of endurance: the only citation in the New Testament, a symbol of perseverance in trials. +Community mission: do not judge, do not murmur, do not complain because 'the Judge is at the door'. He invites us to live knowing that only God judges rightly. +The danger today is also a lack of spiritual breath and the risk of judging others.

*From the Gospel according to Matthew (11:2-11)

Last Sunday we saw John the Baptist baptising along the Jordan and announcing: 'After me comes one'. When Jesus asked to be baptised, John recognised him as the expected Messiah, but the months passed and John was put in prison by Herod around the year 28, at which time Jesus began his public preaching in Galilee. Jesus began his public life with famous discourses, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes, and with many healings. However, his behaviour was strange in the eyes of the people: he surrounded himself with "unreliable" disciples (publicans, people of different origins and characters); he was not an ascetic like John, he ate and drank like everyone else, and he showed himself among the common people; he never claimed the title of Messiah, nor did he seek power. From prison, John received news from those who kept him informed and began to doubt: 'Have I been deceived? Are you the Messiah?' This question is crucial because it concerns both John and Jesus, who was forced to confront the expectations of those who awaited him. Jesus does not answer with a yes or no, but quotes the prophecies about the works of the Messiah: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor receive the good news (Isaiah 35:5-6; 61:1). With these words, Jesus invites John to see for himself whether he is doing the works of the Messiah, confirming that yes, he is the Messiah, even if his manners seem strange. The true face of God is revealed in his service to humanity, not in accordance with expectations of power or glory. Finally, Jesus praises John, saying that he is blessed because he "does not find cause for scandal in me." John sets an example of faith: even in doubt, he does not lose confidence and seeks the truth directly from Jesus himself. Jesus concludes by explaining that John is the greatest of the prophets because he paves the way for the Messiah, but with the coming of Jesus, even the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than John, emphasising that the content of Christ's message exceeds all human expectations: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us".

Important elements to remember +John the Baptist announces the Messiah and baptises along the Jordan. +Jesus begins his public life after John's arrest, in Galilee, with speeches and miracles. +Jesus' "strange" behaviour: he associates with everyone, even the most marginalised, does not claim titles or power, eats and presents himself like ordinary people.+John's doubts: he sends his disciples to ask if Jesus is truly the Messiah. + Jesus' response: he cites the prophetic works of the Messiah (healings, liberations, proclamation to the poor).+ John's active faith: he does not remain in doubt, but asks Jesus directly for clarification. + Joy and surprise: the face of God is revealed in the service of man, not according to traditional expectations. + John as precursor: the greatest of the prophets, but with Jesus, the smallest in the Kingdom is the greatest. + Final message: Christ is the Word incarnate, the fulfilment of God's promises.

*Here is a quote from St Gregory the Great in Homily 6 on the Gospels, commenting on the episode: "John does not ignore who Jesus is: he points to him as the Lamb of God. But, sent to prison, he sends his disciples not to know him, but so that they may learn from Christ what he already knew. John does not seek to be taught, but to teach. And Christ does not respond with words, but with deeds: he makes it clear that he is the Messiah not by saying so, but by showing the works announced by the prophets." He adds: "The Lord proclaims blessed those who are not scandalised by him, because in him there is greatness hidden beneath a humble appearance: those who are not scandalised by his humility recognise his divinity." This commentary perfectly illuminates the heart of the Gospel: John does not doubt for himself, but to help his disciples recognise that Jesus is the expected Messiah, even though he presents himself in a surprising and humble way.

+Giovanni D'Ercole

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary [8 December]

Biblical texts: Gn 3:9–20; Ep 1:3–12; Lk 1:26–38 May God bless us and may the Virgin protect us! Instead of commenting on the readings, I propose a theological and spiritual meditation on the Immaculate Conception, starting with St Paul and referring to the tradition of the Church and the liturgy.

1. Saint Paul and Mary: a hidden but real bond Although Paul speaks almost nothing directly about the Virgin Mary, his teaching on the election, holiness and predestination of Christians (Eph 1:4-11) deeply illuminates the mystery of Mary. Saint Paul affirms that all the baptised are chosen, holy and immaculate. Applying this to Mary, we understand that what is true for the whole Church is realised in her in a perfect and anticipated way.

2. The mystery of the Church sheds light on the mystery of Mary In the development of theology, especially in the early centuries, Mary was understood in relation to the Church: Mary is what the Church is called to become. What is partial in us is perfect in her. She is 'the first on the journey': first in time, first in perfection. Mary is 'first' in two senses: chronologically first to welcome Christ, first to share in his Passion, first to enter into glory with body and soul. Qualitatively: no one welcomed Christ with greater purity, love and freedom. Her unique grace does not separate her from us, but manifests what God wants to accomplish in the whole Church. The Immaculate Conception is not an isolated privilege, but the full realisation of the vocation of every Christian: Mary is preserved from sin in view of Christ's merits. We are saved from sin through Christ's merits (baptism, sacraments, conversion). The trajectories are the same; in Mary they are only anticipated and brought to perfection thanks to her total obedience and total abandonment to God's will: Mary did not do the divine will but lived entirely in God's will. Herein lies the key to her life: tempted like everyone else, including Jesus, she defeated Satan by choosing to live always and completely in the Father's will, and for this reason she is now a sign of sure hope for us all.

3. Why is Mary Immaculate? The reason is profoundly simple: to be truly the Mother of God. To love Jesus for what he really is — true God and true man — Mary had to be totally free from sin, totally open to love, capable of welcoming God without hindrance. The Immaculate Conception is a gift of love: God formed her this way out of love for his Son and for us, so that Mary might become the Mother of the Saviour and the Mother of the Church. St John Damascene writes: "As Eve cooperated in the fall, Mary cooperated in the redemption: immaculate, she brought life to the one who was to give life to the world." And St Bartholomew Longo, recently canonised, observes: "The Immaculate Conception is not just a title, but a living mystery: God created her entirely pure to make her the Mother of the Redeemer."

4. Mary precedes us to show us our destiny. Mary does not crush, humiliate or distance us: she shows us what we will be in glory; she is a foretaste of what the Church will become; her holiness is a promise of ours. In her we see the goal of Christian life. Mary freely receives the angel's announcement and her "fiat" opens the door to salvation. Today, too, the Church, like Mary, is called to proclaim Christ, to bring his love into the world, to say her "yes" in history. God needs our hands, our eyes, our arms, our hearts: like Mary, we are called to be bearers of light, and we can be so to the extent that God's will lives in us as the protagonist of our entire existence.

5. What does it mean to be “immaculate” today? For us, it does not mean being without sin, but welcoming God’s action in our lives. It means living open to grace, saying our daily “yes”, allowing ourselves to be purified and transformed by the Spirit, becoming transparent in order to show Christ in the world. The Immaculate Conception thus becomes a vocation and a journey. "The truth about the Immaculate Conception seemed the most difficult for me to accept... when I finally accepted it, everything became clear: my faith found meaning." (Testimony reported on the website CatholicConvert.com in the story of Delores, a woman who recounts her conversion to Catholicism).

Important points to remember: +Mary is understood starting from the Church: what is true for all the baptised is perfect in her. +Immaculate because she is the Mother of God: in order to love her Son fully, she had to be totally free from sin. +"First on the journey": first in time and in the quality of love and holiness. +Her grace is promised to us: what she already lives, the Church and Christians will live fully in glory. +Shared predestination: Mary is preserved from sin; we are saved from sin. +Mary's "fiat" as a model: God calls, but waits for our freedom; the yes opens the way to mission. +Being immaculate today: it means welcoming God, allowing ourselves to be purified, becoming transparent to his light. +Mary takes nothing away from God: she is the "echo of God"; to venerate her is to honour God's work in her. +Mary points to our destiny: in her we see what God wants to accomplish in each of us. +The Immaculate Conception is a gift of love: from God to Mary and from Mary to the world.

*Here is a very brief historical summary of the main medieval defenders of the Immaculate Conception: St. Albert the Great (1200-1280) – Dominican theologian; open to the idea of Mary's preservation from original sin, but without defining it definitively. St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) – Dominican theologian; he argued that Mary was redeemed 'after original sin', therefore not immaculate from conception. Duns Scotus (1266-1308) – Franciscan theologian; main defender of the Immaculate Conception. Mary was preserved from original sin from the first moment, thanks to the merits of Christ anticipated by God. William of Ockham (1287-1347) – Franciscan; supporter of Scotus' position, albeit with some philosophical nuances. Scotus' central idea: Mary immaculate from the moment of conception, preserved by God's grace thanks to the future merits of Christ, anticipating the official dogma defined in 1854.

+ Giovanni D'Ercole

Curved trajectory, and the model that is not the "sphere"

(Mt 17:10-13)

At the time of Jesus, in the Palestinian area, economic difficulties and Roman domination had forced people to fall back on an individual life model.

The problems of subsistence and social order had resulted in a breakdown of relationship (and ties) of both clans and families themselves. Uniting groups, which had always ensured assistance, support and concrete defense to the weakest and distressed members.

Everyone expected that the coming of Elijah and the Messiah could have a positive outcome in the reconstruction of fraternal life, affected.

As it was said: «to lead the heart of the fathers to the sons and the heart of the sons to the fathers» [Mal 3:22-24 announced the sending of Elijah] to rebuild the disintegrated coexistence.

Obviously the recovery of the people’s inner sense of identity was frowned upon by the system of domination. Let alone the [Jesus’ typical] figure of the Call by Name, which would have opened the life of popular piety and of communion to a thousand possibilities.

John had forcefully preached a rethinking of the idea of conquered freedom (Jordan’s passage), the rearrangement of established religious ideas (conversion and forgiveness of sins in real life, outside the Temple) and social justice.

Having an evolved project of reform in solidarity (Lk 3:7-14), in practice he was the Baptizer himself who had already carried out the mission of the expected Elijah [Mt 17:10-12; Mk 9:11-13].

For this reason he had been taken out of the way: he could reassemble a whole people of ousters - marginalized from both the power and the verticist religiousness, accommodating, servile, and collaborationist.

A compartmentalized devotion, which absolutely did not allow either the ‘memory’ of themselves, or the ancient social community structure, inclined to sharing.

In short, the system of things, interests, hierarchies, forced persons to take root in that unsatisfactory configuration.

But here is Jesus, who does not bend.

He is presented by Mt to his communities as the One who wanted to continue the work of building up the Kingdom, both in terms of vocational quality and in terms of coexistence‘s reconstruction.

With a fundamental difference: compared to the scope of ethnic-religious conceptions, the Master does not propose to everyone a kind of amalgamating ideology that ends up depersonalizing the eccentric Gifts of the weak - those unpredictable for an established mentality, but that trace future.

The Lord proposes a fraternal and assembly life of character, yet not stubborn or marked.

Christ wants a more flourishing collaboration that makes good use of resources (internal and not) and differences.

Here even crises become important, indeed fundamental in order to evolve the quality of ‘being close’ to one another - in the richness of the «polyhedron, which reflects the convergence of all its parts, each of which preserves its distinctiveness» [Evangelii Gaudium 236].

Attempting to manipulate characters and personalities to guide them to the "as they should be", one is not comfortable with oneself or even side by side. Nor is the perception of esteem and adequacy transmitted to the ‘many different’ ones, nor the sense of benevolence - much less the joy of living.

‘Curved or attempt-and-error trajectories fit the Father’s Perspective, and our unrepeatable growth.

Difference between religiosity and Faith.

[Saturday 2nd wk. in Advent, December 13, 2025]

Curved trajectory, and the model that is not the "sphere"

(Mt 17:10-13)

The experience of "the Mount" - the so-called Transfiguration - is followed by the episode of Elijah and John [cf. Mt 17:10-13 and parallel Mk 9:2-13].

Jesus introduced the disciples in view but more stubborn than the others to the perception of the Metamorphosis (Mt 17:2 Greek text) of the divine Face and to an inverted idea of the expected Messiah (vv.4-7).

The experts of the sacred Scriptures believed that the return of Elijah was to anticipate and prepare for the coming of the Kingdom of God.

Since the Lord was present, the early disciples wondered about the value of that teaching.

Even in the communities of Mt and Mk, the question arose among many from Judaism about the weight of ancient doctrines in relation to Christ.

The Gospel passage is endowed with a powerful personal, Christological specificity [the redeeming, closest brother: Go'El of blood].

To this is added a precise communitarian significance, because Jesus identifies the figure of the prophet Elijah with the Baptist.

At the time, in the Palestinian area, economic difficulties and Roman domination forced people to retreat to an individual model of life.

The problems of subsistence and social order had resulted in a crumbling of relationship life (and bonds) both in clans and in families themselves.

Clan nuclei, which had always provided assistance, support and concrete defence for the weakest and most distressed members.

Everyone expected that the coming of Elijah and the Messiah would have a positive outcome in the reconstruction of fraternal life, which had been eroded at the time.

As it was said: "to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the sons and the hearts of the sons back to the fathers" [Mal 3:22-24 announced precisely the sending of Elijah] in order to rebuild the disintegrated coexistence.

Obviously the recovery of the people's internal sense of identity was frowned upon by the ruling system. Let alone the Jesuit figure of the Calling by Name, which would have opened the people's pious life wide to a thousand possibilities.

John had forcefully preached a rethinking of the idea of conquered freedom (the crossing of the Jordan), the rearrangement of established religious ideas (conversion and forgiveness of sins in real life, outside the Temple) and social justice.

Having an evolved project of reform in solidarity (Lk 3:7-14), in practice it was the Baptizer himself who had already fulfilled the mission of the awaited Elijah [Mt 17:10-12; Mk 9:11-13].

For this reason he had been taken out of the way: he could reassemble a whole people of outcasts - outcasts both from the circle of power and of the verticist, accommodating, servile, and collaborationist religiosity.

A watertight compartmentalised devotion, which allowed absolutely no 'remembrance' of themselves, nor of the old communitarian social order, prone to sharing.

In short, the system of things, interests, hierarchies, forced to take root in that unsatisfactory configuration. But here is Jesus, who does not bend.

Whoever has the courage to embark on a journey of biblical spirituality and Exodus learns that everyone has a different way of going out and being in the world.

So, is there a wise balance between respect for self, context, and others?

Jesus is presented by Mt to his communities as the One who wanted to continue the work of Kingdom building.

With one fundamental difference: with respect to the bearing of ethno-religious conceptions, the Master does not propose to all a kind of ideology of body, which ends up depersonalising the eccentric gifts of the weak - those unpredictable for an established mentality, but which trace a future.

In the climate of the clan that has been strengthened, it is not infrequently those without weight and those who know only abysses (and not summits) who come as if driven to the assent of a reassuring conformation of ideas - instead of dynamic - and a forge of wider acceptance.

Those who know no summits but only poverty, precisely in moments of crisis are the first invited by adverse circumstances to obscure their view of the future.

The miserable remain the ones who are unable to look in another direction and move, charting a different destiny - precisely because of tares external to them: cultural, of tradition, of income, or 'spiritual'.

All recognisable boxes, perhaps not alarming at times, but far removed from our nature.

And right away: with the condemnation at hand [for lack of homologation].

Sentence that wants to clip the wings, annihilate the hidden and secret atmosphere that truly belongs to personal uniqueness, and lead us all - even exasperatedly.

The Lord proposes an assembly life of character, but not obstinate nor targetted - not careless... as to the extent to which it is forced to go in the same ancient route as always. Or in the same direction as the captains.

Christ wants a more luxuriant collaboration that makes good use of resources (internal and otherwise) and differences.

Arrangement for the unprecedented: so that, for example, falls or inexorable tensions are not camouflaged - on the contrary, they become opportunities, unknown and unthinkable but very fruitful for life.

Here even crises become important, indeed fundamental, in order to evolve the quality of being together - in the richness of the "polyhedron" that as Pope Francis writes "reflects the confluence of all the partialities that in it maintain their originality" [Evangelii Gaudium no. 236].

Without regenerating oneself, only by repeating and tracing collective modalities - from the sphere model (ibid.) - or from others, that is, from nomenclature, not personally re-elaborated or valorised, one does not grow; one does not move towards one's own unrepeatable mission.

One does not fill the lacerating sense of emptiness.

By attempting to manipulate characters and personalities to guide them to 'how they should be', one is not at ease with oneself or even side by side. The perception of esteem and adequacy is not conveyed to the many different ones, nor is the sense of benevolence - let alone joie de vivre.

Curved or trial-and-error trajectories suit the Father's perspective, and our unrepeatable growth.

Difference between religiosity and Faith.

To internalise and live the message:

When in your life has your sense of community grown in a sincere way and not constrained by circumstances?

How do you contribute in a convinced way to concrete fraternity - sometimes prophetic and critical (like John and Jesus)? Or have you remained with the fundamentalist zeal of Elijah and the uniting but purist zeal of the precursors of the Lord Jesus?

By telling his disciples that he must suffer and be put to death, and then rise again, Jesus wants to make them understand his true identity. He is a Messiah who suffers, a Messiah who serves, and not some triumphant political saviour. He is the Servant who obeys his Father’s will, even to giving up his life. This had already been foretold by the prophet Isaiah in today’s first reading. Jesus thus contradicts the expectations of many. What he says is shocking and disturbing. We can understand the reaction of Peter who rebukes him, refusing to accept that his Master should suffer and die! Jesus is stern with Peter; he makes him realize that anyone who would be his disciple must become a servant, just as he became Servant.

Following Jesus means taking up one’s cross and walking in his footsteps, along a difficult path which leads not to earthly power or glory but, if necessary, to self-abandonment, to losing one’s life for Christ and the Gospel in order to save it. We are assured that this is the way to the resurrection, to true and definitive life with God. Choosing to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, who made himself the Servant of all, requires drawing ever closer to him, attentively listening to his word and drawing from it the inspiration for all that we do.

[Pope Benedict, homily in Beirut 16 September 2012]

This is yet another direction of the road on which Advent sets us on. Man not only walks towards God through what is in him: through his incompleteness, his threat, and at the same time the transcendental character of his personality, directed towards truth, the good, the beautiful; through culture and science; through the desire and nostalgia for a more human world, more worthy of man.

Man not only walks towards God (moreover, often without knowing it or even denying it) through his own advent: through the cry of his humanity. Man walks towards God, walking, in the history of salvation, before God: before the Lord, as we hear in the Gospel with regard to John the Baptist, who had to walk before the Lord in spirit and strength.

This new direction of man's path of advent is connected in a special way with the Advent of Christ. However, man walks "before the Lord" from the beginning and will walk before Him to the end, because he is simply the image of God. Therefore, walking through the streets of the world, he tells the world and bears witness to himself of Whom he is the image.

He walks before the Lord, subduing the earth, for in fact the earth itself, as well as all creation, are subject to the Lord and the Lord has given them into the dominion of man.

He walks before the Lord, filling his humanity and earthly history with the content of his work, with the content of culture and science, with the content of the unceasing quest for truth, goodness, beauty, justice, love, peace. And he walks before the Lord, often enveloping himself in everything that is a negation of truth, goodness and beauty, a negation of justice, love, peace. Sometimes he feels that he is very much enveloped in these negations. Almost by contrast he then feels the full weight of the disfigured image of God in his soul and in his history.

The advent of man meets the advent of Christ.

"O Radix Iesse, qui stas in signum populorum,.... quem gentes deprecabuntur, veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardare!"

The Advent of Christ is indispensable, so that man may find in it the certainty that, walking through the world, living from day to day and from year to year, loving and suffering..., he walks before the Lord, whose image he is in the world; that he bears witness to Him before the whole of creation.

[Pope John Paul II, homily to university students 19 December 1980, no. 4]

Before entrusting us with a mission, the Lord prepares us, testing us with a process of purification and discernment. It is the story of the prophet Elijah that prompted the Pope, during the Mass celebrated on Friday morning 13 June in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, to reflect on this fundamental rule of Christian life.

"In the first reading," said the Pontiff, referring to the passage from the first book of Kings (19:9, 11-16), "we heard the story of Elijah: how the Lord prepares a prophet, how he works in his heart so that this man may be faithful to his word and do what he wants".

The prophet Elijah 'was a strong person of great faith. He rebuked the people for worshipping God and worshiping idols: but if he worshipped idols, he worshipped God badly! And if they worshipped God, they worshipped idols badly!". This is why Elijah said that the people limped "with both feet", had no stability and was not firm in the faith. In his mission "he was courageous" and, in the end, he issued a challenge to the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel and defeated them. "And to finish the story he killed them all", thus putting an end to idolatry "in that part of the people of Israel". So Elijah "was happy because the strength of the Lord was with him".

However, the Pope continued, "the next day, Queen Jezebel - she was the king's wife but she was the one who ruled - threatened him and told him that she would kill him". Faced with this threat Elijah 'was so afraid that he became depressed: he left and wanted to die'. Precisely that prophet who on the previous day "had been so brave and had won" against the priests of Baal, "today is down, does not want to eat and wants to die, such was the depression he had". And all this, the Pontiff explained, "because of the threat of a woman". Therefore 'the four hundred priests of the idol Baal had not frightened him, but this woman did'.

It is a story that 'shows us how the Lord prepares' for the mission. In fact Elijah "with that depression went into the desert to die and lay down awaiting death. But the Lord calls him" and invites him to eat some bread and drink because, he tells him, "you still have a long way to go". And so Elijah "eats, drinks, but then lies down again to die. And the Lord one more time calls to him: go on, go on!".

The point is that Elijah "did not know what to do, but he felt he had to go up the mountain to find God. He was courageous and went up there, with the humility of obedience. For he was obedient". Although in a state of despondency and "with much fear", Elijah "went up the mountain to await God's message, God's revelation: he prayed, because he was good, but he did not know what would happen. He did not know, he was there and waited for the Lord'.

We read in the Old Testament: "And behold, the Lord passed by. There was a mighty, rushing wind to break the mountains and break the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind'. Elijah, the Pope commented, "realised that the Lord was not there". Scripture continues: 'After the wind, an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake'. Therefore, the Pontiff continued, Elijah "discerned that the Lord was not in the earthquake and was not in the wind". And again, the first Book of Kings recounts: 'After the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, the whisper of a gentle breeze'. And "as he heard it, Elijah realised" that "it was the Lord passing by, he covered his face with his cloak and worshipped the Lord".

In fact, said the bishop of Rome, 'the Lord was not in the wind, the earthquake or the fire, but was in that whisper of a gentle breeze: in peace'. Or 'as the original says, a beautiful expression: the Lord was in a thread of sonorous silence'.

Elijah, therefore, 'knows how to discern where the Lord is, and the Lord prepares him with the gift of discernment'. Then he entrusts him with his mission: "You have been put to the test, you have been put to the test of depression", of being downcast, "of hunger; you have been put to the test of discernment", but now - we read in the Scripture - "return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, until you come there, you shall anoint Cazael as king over Aram. Then thou shalt anoint Ieu the son of Nimsi as king over Israel, and thou shalt anoint Ezekiel".

This is precisely the mission that awaits Elijah, the Pope explained. And the Lord sent him on that long journey to prepare him for the mission. Perhaps, one could object, it would have been "much easier to say: you were brave enough to kill those four hundred, now go and anoint this one!". Instead, 'the Lord prepares the soul, prepares the heart and prepares it in trial, prepares it in obedience, prepares it in perseverance'.

And "this is how the Christian life is," the Pontiff pointed out. In fact "when the Lord wants to give us a mission, wants to give us a job, he prepares us to do it well", just "as he prepared Elijah". What is important "is not that he met the Lord" but "all the way to the mission that the Lord entrusts". And precisely "this is the difference between the apostolic mission that the Lord gives us and a human, honest, good task". So 'when the Lord gives a mission, he always makes us enter into a process of purification, a process of discernment, a process of obedience, a process of prayer'. Thus, he reiterated, 'it is the Christian life', that is, 'fidelity to this process, to letting ourselves be led by the Lord'.

A great lesson flows from the Elijah story. The prophet 'was afraid, and this is so human', because Jezebel 'was an evil queen who killed her enemies'. Elijah "is afraid, but the Lord is more powerful" and makes him realise that he "needs the Lord's help in preparing for the mission". So Elijah "walks, obeys, suffers, discerns, prays and finds the Lord". Pope Francis concluded with a prayer: "May the Lord give us the grace to allow ourselves to be prepared every day in the journey of our lives, so that we may bear witness to the salvation of Jesus."

[Pope Francis, St. Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano 14/06/2014]

single "character", or the Son of man

(Mt 11:16-19)

The Gospels break through, advance and liberate, making us realise the enormous difference between common religious belief, and Faith.

They emancipate us by overturning positions: those who used to feel defended and secure - or on the crest of the wave [fashionable] - now seem to understand nothing of God's action in us.

While in Christ the providence of new structures makes its way, those who are bound to banal forms stubbornly try to re-relate to them.

Whimsical children always complain, when they don’t get a prominent place in the games, or when others do not do what they say.

The Baptist was a prestigious herald, called to the realization of God’s plan [known by reason of his particular figure, perhaps more inclined to renounce].

But the prejudice of mortification was not appreciated: therefore, John was a nuisance to be rejected.

The ‘Son of man’ was more sympathetic, expressive and welcoming; He made no problem of purity [so He too was an exaggeration]: therefore to be insulted and condemned.

The austere and penitent was judged like a demon possessed; the young Rabbi who invited to joy, a lax.

John seemed too demanding, Jesus exaggeratedly wide of ideas and behaviors.

Spoiled kids do not even agree on the game, and they obstinately stand firm on their positions.

Unsatisfied infants reject every proposal: they always have to argue.

But the Revelation goes beyond every Expectation.

Of course, the austere way of the desert seemed unreasonable.

The Lord instead lived among people, accepting invitations and not trying to look different from others - but his affable and simple style was considered too ordinary and accessible for an Envoy by God.

«Yet Wisdom has been recognized as right by her works» (v.19) ie the little ones read the sign of the times.

The sons recognize the divine Wisdom, they see its design.

They understand the plan of Salvation in the preaching of the Baptist and of Christ.

They don’t have too much ‘control’ over things; they are friends with them.

They are aware of limitations and strengths; they even learn from subordinate positions and from the dark sides, acquire and gain from the same fears.

They overcome the spiritual immobility of the great experts, critics of every breeze of change, or too abstract and sophisticated.

Both of which install themselves and dominate - generating a radically impoverished humanity.

These are like childish and insatiable figures, but who neither rise nor move: «seated» (v.16).

They trample, violate, jam everything.

Everywhere, the "elected" remain indifferent or misplaced, because they are one-sided, catch and understand only "one thing".

They never close their ‘character’ to open another one, or to explore different sides of themselves and the world.

They have a starched soul.

Instead, those who do not feel a closed heart are anticipating the Coming of a new Kingdom, by seizing their ‘eternal face’.

[Friday 2nd wk. in Advent, December 12, 2025]