Do not fall prey to the temptation to follow Jesus out of self-interest. In the customary morning Mass in the Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Martahe, Pope Francis highlights the temptation to follow Jesus out of self-interest, and that then from the temptation of power to hypocrisy the step is very short. He concludes: "May the Lord give us this grace of the wonder of encounter and also help us not to fall into the spirit of worldliness, that spirit that behind or under a veneer of Christianity will lead us to live like pagans."

The Gospel passage of the day speaks of the crowd that follows Jesus after he has multiplied the loaves and fishes, and "not out of religious amazement that leads you to worship God," but out of "material interest," and that this is an attitude repeated in the Gospels, where there are "many who follow Jesus out of interest."

The Pope recalls that even among his apostles there were the "sons of Zebedee who wanted to be prime minister and the other minister of economy, to have power. That anointing of bringing glad tidings to the poor, deliverance to the captives, sight to the blind, freedom to the oppressed, and proclaiming a year of grace, as it becomes dark, is lost and transformed into something of power".

It is about the temptation, always present, to "pass from the religious amazement that Jesus gives us in his encounter with us, to profiting from it," the same temptation proposed in the devil's temptations to Jesus in the desert. "One on bread, precisely," the Pope recalls, "the other on the spectacle: 'But let us make a good show so that all the people will believe in you'. And the third, apostasy: that is, the worship of idols."

It is the temptation of worldly power, which is not the temptation of power itself, it is something that makes you fall into that "religious warmth to which worldliness leads you, that warmth that ends, when it grows, grows, in that attitude that Jesus calls hypocrisy."

There is, in short, the risk of becoming "a Christian in name, in outward attitude, but the heart is in interest", as Jesus says: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me, not because ye have seen signs, but because ye have eaten of the loaves, and were filled. It is a temptation that weakens "faith and mission," and in a word, weakens the Church.

The witness of the saints and martyrs helps us not to fall into that temptation, that "every day they announce to us that to go on the way of Jesus is the way of his mission: to announce the year of grace. The people understood Jesus' rebuke and said to him: 'But what must we do to do the works of God?' Jesus answered them: 'This is the work of God: that you believe in him whom he has sent', that is, faith in him, in him alone, trust in him and not in other things that will ultimately lead us away from him. This is the work of God: that you believe in Him whom He has sent, in Him'.

Hence the Pope's plea not to fall into the spirit of worldliness that "behind or under a veneer of Christianity will lead us to live like pagans."

[From acistampa.com. https://www.acistampa.com/story/papa-francesco-non-usate-lincontro-con-gesu-per-il-potere-0305]

God bless us and may the Virgin protect us!

Here is a brief commentary on the readings for next Sunday [1 December 2024].

First Reading: Jeremiah 33, 14 - 16. 

*The language of hope 

"Behold, the days will come when I will fulfil the promise of happiness that I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah". We find these words in the first reading from the book of Jeremiah (33:14-16); however, they are considered later than the time of the prophet and believed to be an addition to the Septuagint version dating from around 250 BC; the author would probably be a disciple, a spiritual son of Jeremiah. The speaker is therefore not Jeremiah, but this spiritual son of his who, at a time when despair reigns for the future of God's people, recalls the words of the prophet Jeremiah, who lived several centuries earlier. Jeremiah had then prophesied thus: "I will bring forth for David a shoot of righteousness" (23:5; 33:15). In this prophecy there are two symbols: the sprout and the name of the new king linked to "righteousness". The sprout is a symbol that suggests a completely free beginning on God's part and refers to the birth of a new king, a descendant of David in Jerusalem. At that time it was difficult to believe this promise announced by Jeremiah because, after David's death, his dynasty had practically died out. Then there had been the Babylonian deportation, Jerusalem occupied, the Temple destroyed, the country devastated and the population decimated. Among the survivors almost all were taken prisoner and exiled to Babylon, so that the small Jewish colony seemed destined to die far from its own land. Many anxieties arose: would Israel disappear from the map and where would the promises of the prophets end? Had not the prophet Nathan announced to David and his descendants an eternal kingdom with a king who would establish security, peace and justice for all? Many were the problems associated with the destruction of the Davidic monarchy, and divisions and quarrels arose whereby few people remained faithful to the Torah. In the face of so much anguish, there was a need to instil hope and this is the reason why there was an insistence on emphasising God's faithfulness to his promises, which is the foundation of hope. To the many discouraged people who feared that Israel would not advance towards the Kingdom of God, the prophet replied: Have faith, believe, for it is precisely in times of darkness that faith must stand firm. And so it is in our lives. Never give in to discouragement because when God promises, he always fulfils his plans of salvation. We know neither when nor how, but God always intervenes. The language of hope is a challenge to reason and an act of faith, a great lesson in trust and a fine example of a prophetic word, proclaiming light even and especially in the darkest days. We are all at risk when we allow ourselves to be dominated by the anxiety of discouragement in the face of difficulties, and in these situations we allow ourselves to be assailed by thoughts such as: if God exists, why does he not intervene to bring peace, harmony and fraternity to the world? Why is the Kingdom of God taking so long to come about? Then, as in all times, we must continue to hope and base the language of hope on two invincible truths: firstly, the certainty that God never fails in his promises, and secondly, that God always brings his plans to fruition despite all obstacles. The other symbol is the name that is in the closing sentence of the passage: 'The Lord is our righteousness' (Sedeq Yah), which is the name of King Sedekiah 'the righteousness of God'. This last king of Judah was deported to Babylon, they killed his sons and blinded him with cruelty and it was thought that all this happened because he had not honoured his mission and had not listened to the prophet Jeremiah. The prophetic text here reverses the meaning of the name Sedekiah which means Justice of God expressed in the phrase "The Lord is our righteousness", to indicate that instead the true King will arise who will embody the biblical justice concerning the integral salvation of man and humanity and offer it to the disappointed, suffering and weary people: it will be faithful, great and lasting.

Responsorial Psalm 24 (25), 4-5, 8-9, 10. 14  

*Finding one's way

"The Lord shows sinners the right way" (v.8).  This verse introduces us into the context of Psalm 24/25: we are in a penitential celebration at the Temple in Jerusalem, and the language of the path is typical of penitential psalms, because sin is a wrong way and conversion requires a genuine turning back. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses called for walking in all things in the way the Lord has prescribed (5:32-33). Those who repent recognise that they have taken wrong paths and beg God to lead them back to the right path. But what is the right path? It is the observance of God's Law, and to emphasise this, this psalm was composed in a very particular way. It is in fact an alphabetical psalm, intentionally structured as an acrostic and, controlling the column of letters, forming the entire Hebrew alphabet from top to bottom. This way of composing psalms, called alphabetical, is in practice a profession of faith and always revolves around the same theme: Israel's love for the Torah, the love of and for God is the only way to happiness: love for the Torah is "the alphabet of happiness". For the believing Jew, the Law is not a command but a gift from God, a sign of his tenderness towards all humanity. In fact, the term Law (Torah) is not derived from a root meaning "to prescribe" but from the verb "to teach" and the theme "teach me your ways" is very present in this psalm. If God has given us the Law, it is for our happiness. The Law is the instruction manual of our freedom to be happy, the code of the way that leads us to happiness: "All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness for those who keep his covenant and his precepts" (v.10).  "Lord teach me your paths" (v.4). The alphabetical method is a way of confirming attachment to the Law and a true desire to follow it; a profession of faith and at the same time a resolution. Especially after the return from Babylon, in the penitential celebration the people acknowledged their unfaithfulness to the Covenant; they were aware that the misfortunes that had occurred were the consequence and asked for forgiveness. At the same time, they were certain that faithfulness is only possible in the future with God's help, and they were almost anxious about not being able to do so, asking for help for this, as we read in the last verse of the psalm: "O God, deliver Israel from all its anguish" (v.22). Let it not be forgotten that for the Jews the greatest sin is idolatry and the first conversion consists in denying idols to return to the one living God. Prompted by Psalm 24/25, we too, at the beginning of Advent, decide to walk a penitential path that is preparatory to true joy; joy that the celebration of Christmas will give us a foretaste of.

Second Reading: from the First Letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians 3,12-4,2 

* Advent is an opportunity to put our lives into perspective 

When about twenty years after Christ's resurrection, Paul arrived in Thessalonica, a trading port and capital of the province of Macedonia under Roman rule, there were many foreigners and a large Jewish community. His preaching was successful as we read in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 17:3-4) with Jews and pagans whom he invited to reject idols. This latter success, however, aroused the wrath of the Jews hostile to Jesus, to the point of forcing Paul to flee. Anticipating that persecution by the Jews would ensue, some time later Paul sent Timothy to the fledgling Christian community in Thessalonica to sustain their faith so that none would waver, and Timothy returned with the 'good news' of their perseverance in faith and love.  The verses of today's passage of the letter speak of Paul's emotion when he learned the news, after which he invites the Thessalonians to continue on the right path until the day of Christ's return and specifies: "You know what rules of life we have given you from the Lord Jesus" (3:12-4:2,) as if to say: you know how to walk and so walk like this.  Yesterday as today, the Christian challenge is to orientate one's entire existence in the perspective of waiting for the return of Christ, the day when the Lord Jesus will come with all his saints. This exhortation of Paul is topical in a society like ours, which seems to have lost the direction of its march.  The Christian, according to the apostle's teaching, does not remain staring at the past, but looks to the One who is our future and who gives meaning to the present: "May the Lord make you grow in love to make your hearts firm and blameless in holiness before God our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints" (3:13). And this is because to know God means in truth to love. As St John writes, God is love and he alone is able to make us holy in love (1 John 4:8).

Gospel according to Luke ( 21, 25-28, 34-36)

 *The apocalyptic style 

The liturgical year B ended last Sunday with the apocalyptic literary genre and the new year C opens with the same style. Apocalyptic discourse is frightening and the term 'apocalypse' has a bad reputation being synonymous with horror, whereas in truth, in the biblical context, it expresses the opposite. It is therefore necessary to bear this observation in mind beforehand, remembering that the story should never be taken literally. The Greek verb apocaluptô means "to lift the veil" and in Latin is translated as "revelare" that is, to reveal. It may be useful to reflect briefly on this literary genre, of which we highlight at least four particular characteristics: 

1.The apocalyptic genre deals with writings of distress, wars, occupation by foreigners, persecution as in the book of Daniel (2nd century BC). It presents enemies and persecutors as terrible monsters and it is natural that, for this reason, 'apocalypse' becomes synonymous with frightening events. 

2.Revelation also presents words and writings of consolation to strengthen the faithfulness of believers and encourage them to hope and endure in the face of martyrdom since we are in times of harsh persecution. 

3.Revelation also takes on a different meaning in biblical texts because they reveal the hidden side of history by announcing God's final victory and in this light invite us to look to the future with confidence. The descriptions of cosmic changes are in fact symbolic images of the reversal of situations with a single message: in every situation God always has the last word. 

4.Finally, the apocalyptic style in each text is an invitation to active vigilance, rejecting passive and inert waiting, so that one must live each day in the light of hope.

 These four types are all present in today's gospel. 

1. We see times of distress described with frightening signs to indicate that the present world is passing away (vv. 25-26); 

2. a word of consolation emerges, inviting endurance: "Your deliverance is at hand (v.28)

 3. The word of Christ reveals the hidden meaning of history by announcing the coming of the Son of Man (v.27).  The expression "Son of Man" indicates what Daniel calls "the people of the saints of God" (Dan 7:12). After the resurrection, the disciples realised that the title Son of Man that Jesus gives himself is because he is both man and God, the first-born of the new humanity, the Head that makes us one Body. At the end of history, we will all be as "one man, grafted into him and thus "the people of the saints of the Most High". 

4. Finally, Revelation also means that active vigilance is indispensable: "Rise up and lift up your heads ... watch yourselves ... keep watch at all times by praying" (v.36).  

In the Gospel two ways of living are highlighted: those who do not believe resign themselves to an inevitable destiny and unfortunately some live practically like this; the believer/faithful instead do not let themselves be surprised because they know the ultimate meaning of history, and they are certain that liberation is at hand and evil will be defeated forever. And this is the Christian challenge, testimony/martyrdom required of those who want to be disciples of the crucified and risen Christ. At the beginning of Advent, these biblical texts spur us on to begin a new liturgical year with watchful expectation, and accompanying us will be St Luke, the evangelist of mercy, joy, the universality of salvation, with a special focus on the figure of Mary, prayer and the action of the Holy Spirit.

Happy Advent!

+Giovanni D'Ercole

House on the Rock or practitioners of vain things

(Mt 7:21.24-27)

Pope Francis said: «In order to give Himself to us, God often chooses unthinkable paths, perhaps those of our limits, our tears, our defeats».

Hasty builders are content to build directly on the ground; paying attention only to what is seen and experienced (on the spot). They do not dig the house to the core - deep down, in the gold of themselves.

In the inner world everything is reversed: the primacy is of Grace, which displaces, because it takes into account only the essential, inexplicable reality - and our dignified autonomy.

«Too pure water has no fish» [Ts'ai Ken T'an]. Accepting ourselves will complete us: it will make us recover the co-present sides, opposite and shadowed. It’s the leap of the deep Faith.

With the entire Sermon on the Mount - which is coming to an end - Jesus aims to arouse in people a critical conscience about banal and external solutions, something common among the leaders of ancient religiosity.

To build a new Kingdom, the public liturgies abounding in beautiful signs and resounding social greetings are not enough - not even the most striking gifts.

False security is what makes you feel quiet. There is no sick or inmate worse than the one who thinks he’s healthy, arrived and not infected: only here there is no therapy, nor revival.

It will be seen in the moment of the storm, when it will be evident the need to translate the personal relationship with the Lord into life, starting from the ability to welcome gambling.

Merits not grounded in intimately firm beliefs will not hold the whirlwind of trial.

«Practitioner of vain things» that is inconsistent [it’s the meaning of the Greek text that introduces the Gospel passage (v.23)].

They are the standard-bearers of an empty spirituality, who despite the paint - with even spectacular sides - have nothing to do with God.

Are there foundations behind a front of butterflies? You understand it in the storm, and if you become «rock» even for the invisible - not tourists of the "spirit" who praise praise and do not risk.

Security doesn’t come from adapting to customs and obligations, nor from being admired (at least) like others, which makes the Common House unhealthy.

Our specific and hallmark of the Faith is not an identity drawn from protocols or manners - it plays on appearances and not on the only strong point: the attitude of pilgrims in Christ.

We are only firm in the prophetic royal priestly dignity, which is given to us in an unrepeatable Gift and will never be the fruit of deriving from consent.

We live to follow a deep Vocation: Root, Spring and Engine of our most intimate fibers; related to the dreams and naturalness of each one.

Only relying on the soul is an authentic platform, true salvation and medicine.

The Mission will reach the existential peripheries, starting from the Core.

It seems senseless, paradoxical, incredible, but for every Called the Rock on which he can and must build his way of taking the field... is Freedom.

[Thursday 1st wk. Advent, December 5, 2024]

House on the Rock or practitioners of vain things

(Mt 7:21.24-27)

Pope Francis said: "In order to give himself to us, God often chooses unthinkable paths, perhaps those of our limitations, our tears, our defeats.

The Lord's call is not Manichean, but profound.

Our behaviour has fascinating roots. Lights and shadows of our being remain in dynamic relationship.

At times, however, our discomforts or distortions are the result of an excess of 'light' - detached from its opposite. 

Such excess is willingly associated with the claim to exorcise the dark aspect in us, which we would like to conceal for social reasons.

It seems to us that the business card should only reflect our bright, loose, serious, and performing appearance.

Perhaps, a moral style all of a piece - at least at first glance.

However, those who become attached to their bright side and even try to promote it for reasons of look (also ecclesiastical), established culture, habit (also religious), run the risk of enhancing the other side.

Beware: in every man there is always a side that misfires, that fails; and not one-sidedly.

Perhaps it is precisely in those who preach the good that there is the most pronounced danger of neglecting its co-present opposite - which sooner or later will break through, will find its place.

Blowing up the whole house of cards. But to achieve something alternative and absolutely not contrived.

For those who embark on a path of 'perfection', their own counterpart only seems a danger.

And conditioned by the models, we continue to play [our] already identified 'part'.

Yet in the dark side are hidden resources that the light-only side does not have.

In the dark side we read our character seed.

Here is the therapy and healing of the discomforts that we rush to conceal (in the family, with friends, in the community, at work).

The dark aspects [selfishness, coldness, closure, introversion, sadness] lurk within; no point in denying it.

It is rather worth considering them as a source of characterising primordial energies.

It is indeed concealment - sometimes depression itself - that makes us fish for unimaginable solutions.

As if we were a grain planted in the earth, which wants its existence. And it finally wants natural life, which develops its capacities.

It is precisely the emotions that we dislike and ourselves detest - like the muddy, dark earth - that reconnect us with our deepest essence.

In short, disliked emotional states will be the well from which other ideas, other guiding 'images', new insights; different sap, come to us. And change.

Light does not possess all possibilities, all dynamism. On the contrary, it not infrequently seems to be declined [by the traditions themselves] in a fictitious, reductive way.

In chiaroscuro, conversely, we no longer pretend. For it is the foundation of the house of the soul.

All this we consider, for a solid harmony, which arises from within.

Paradoxes of the Personal Vocation: if we did not follow it to the full, we would continue to follow misconceptions, or the styles of others.

And we would become sick. Evil will take over.

If structured on an abstract, local, or bogus identity, this is where the storm could destroy everything.

In our trial and error, we must keep all aspects - which we have come to know over time, and realised are part of us - beside us.

This will change the solidity of our relationship with ourselves, others, nature, history, and the world.

Conformity between conduct and intention of the heart overcomes hypocrisy, but conformity between Word and life is not set up by practising automatisms, nor by surrendering to others' convictions.

In the post-lockdown we are realising this sharply.

There was a time when it was thought that formation (especially of the young) also chiselled the soul, and everything flowed naturally into choices; into means, results, external works, and even dreams: "Tell me what you do and I will tell you who you are".

Instead, qualitative attunement with the Mystery and the Word of Christ is not achieved by setting it up, but is found within (each of us) enigmatically, and from the depths - as a pure secret Gift, for creative independence.

Haste, fear of failure, the culture of concatenation and stability, intentions (even 'spiritual' ones) or, conversely, flattery of tranquillity; ambitions, cravings to be recognised, lack of detachment, ambition, fear of being excluded, difficulty in shifting one's gaze... all lead to ignorance of the Mystery.

Deprived of depth, we will be condemned not to dig deep even within ourselves; perpetually at the mercy of particular roles, of spheres and their events; of occasional or local relationships.

Hasty builders are content to build directly on the ground; looking only at what they see and experience (on the spur of the moment). They do not dig the house down to the ground - into the depths, into the gold of self.In the inner world and its hidden power, everything is overturned: the primacy is of Grace, which displaces, because it only takes into account the essential, inexplicable reality - and our dignified autonomy.

The rest will unfortunately be destined to collapse ruinously, because it does not remain founded on the Word, on character [although magmatic, but with great potential]... nor on the vocational relationship with God and things, or on the most genuine communion [conviviality and shared richness of differences].

We experience a laceration, even in times of emergency: the inner world is stronger and more convincing, yet the outer world does not want to give way to the immediate goals. Indeed, we are still drawn to them.

But the latter we know well that they do not reactivate any stages of specific weight, as our young inner being does spontaneously - almost like a baby we carry in gestation.

Generally speaking, even on the spiritual path we immediately fall into the coveted character we would like to be: here we do not grow, we are only turned on by futilities, nor do we realise that they are not our 'owners'.

Of course, the immediate external goal does not suffer the wait of the long necessary evolution of having to give birth to oneself (even in anguish and loneliness) stage after stage; which is activated and reactivated without comfort and security.

Yet we are born to take flight, not to tracing and becoming photocopies in the soul.

Thus all that is valuable will be in the oscillation, because a path of personal specific weight is configured according to the gift of our uniqueness.

And uniqueness can be achieved in the process of every side of us, of every side of the personality - even apparently petty or sketchy. Even unflattering from the point of view of religious tranquillity; which will also have had its value.

Jesus does not intend to distinguish the good from the bad [cf. vv.15-20 and the parallel passage in Lk 6:43-45] in a trivial way: he wants us to live fully, in integral oneness, and perceive well.

The Lord does not propose an imprisoned destiny; rather, a reversal of meaning.

His is an admonition to sharpen our gaze, and set it within - not leave it outside, to observe ephemeral results, those of obviousness and hype; and then stop, don't experience too many jolts... as if we were in a relaxation zone.

The Unit of measurement in Christ is not the immediately perceptible to the eye, nor is it 'progress' per se, but rather: 'the value of every part'.

It is precisely the awareness of limitation that becomes a transformative principle in us. And every imperfection calls to Exodus.

To deny one's boundaries is to allow oneself to be hijacked by common views, devoid of Mystery - with horizons reduced to a single 'word'.

It is e.g. the severe crisis that stimulates the upheaval of a system that is also economic in appearance but competitive and dehumanising, with corrupt inner principles - even though they once appeared to us as absolutes.

Why not be content, if we can roughly manage it? Because forced identification has taken away freedom, even the freedom to admit that we are made of light and shadow.

It is not disturbance that deprives women and men of eloquent vocational emancipation.

Even each one who beats his chest, does so in a particular way; and recognises himself in symbiosis with his own Name.

Then to each age of life - as to each era - touches its 'sin', which is not a monster but a symptom that speaks precisely of the personal, moral, cultural, social Calling.

Even if one does not like it, the oscillation must be understood, not criticised and accused.

I would even say welcomed and re-elaborated - not simplistically rejected, with attitudes of artificial distance or gestures of ambiguous virtue, which make one external and return to the starting point.

Today, the lack of complete life and beautiful relationships, the general upheaval, the restlessness of the soul - the nervousness, the dissatisfaction - force us to abandon both the ancient and fascinating devotional securities and the disembodied 'à la page' sophistications.

All in favour of concrete and personal situations, within the horizon of the unrepeatable vocation and the leap of Faith that opens up to coexistence.

"Too pure water has no fish" [Ts'ai Ken T'an].

Accepting ourselves without reservations will introduce us into a dizzying, awe-inspiring experience: with the amazement produced by the recovery of co-present, opposite and shadowed sides. As many as brothers and sisters.

Perhaps we will find that they are the most activating and fruitful.

Not the ethics of perfection and homologated distinctions, but the vituperated chaos and our inner demons will paradoxically become the best companions along the way, and the only true ones; coryphaeans of an astonishing Mission.

After all, the works themselves are the fruit of our thoughts and desires. The latter certainly also spring from a good, varied training, but not in a mechanical sense.

It is also crucial here not to be foiled. Bad discernment destroys the authentic Rock, which coincides with one's spontaneous Guidance to completeness.

The stable foundation of our itinerary is the Freedom to accept and the Freedom to correspond to the unrepeatable character - our own - of the instinct to fulfil ourselves.

In fact, Jesus detaches himself not only from ancient religion, but even from the - rather crude - messianic strands of early times (e.g. Jas 3:11-12).

This is not why the Master denies the profound spirit of the ancient Holy Scriptures, indeed he captures their heart: Qo 3:14; 7:13-18; Sir 37:13-15 [and many other passages (unbelievable for the mentality in which we have been educated)].

So it is not enough to say: 'Lord, Lord' (vv.21-22). It is not enough to formally recognise the Son of God.

One must sift through his call in being, make it one's own and understand it fully, so that it is not corrupted and disfigured into inessential forms of puerile external conformity.

In insecurity, many people demand expressions of power, seek overt strength; they settle for moral paradigms, look for forms of immediate assurance, or crave renowned guides [who perpetuate and comfort their defensive path].

Paralysing illusions... even in the path of Faith.

On this path one does not build expected happiness, nor any solidity at all, but day after day one's own sadness - as is evident from too many events, finally from the most occult forms of compensation (now unmasked).

There is no guru who can put things right at the root.

Our Seed is what it is: it is necessary to discover its virtues, even and especially the unexpected ones - which derive from the essence and magmatic and plastic forms of even opposing energies.

It is useless to 'cure' oneself according to a conformist homologation that does not belong to the personal Core.

The soul has an autonomous life, suspending contexts, distances; it exists within and also outside the passing of time - like Love. 

Everyone is a multiplicity of co-existing faces - to be given space for greater wholeness.

This matters, and allying oneself with one's limits: embracing what the surrounding environment or the conventionalist cultural paradigm - which defends its territory - deems perhaps inconclusive (so on).

We preside over other boundaries.

What we do not like is perhaps our best part.

In any case, giving voice to tensions means finally being able to name them, to accommodate them worthily - so that they have fuller joys.

And let them cross the threshold of the joy of living, hence of authentic reliability.

By sweeping away the anxiety of imperfection, we will find a more harmonious, energetic steadiness.

By embracing frailties along with rebelliousness, we will not live half-heartedly; on the contrary, we will experience fullness of being (vital and snappy).

By not feeling trapped all the time, we will be able to fly away.

But that certain tranquil situations are counterfeit narrowness and cut-offs of the soul, we can realise at once: in the radical discomforts that surface.

Many continue in vain to seek futile confirmations: in the search for extraordinary gifts or in the meticulousness of observances, or in fashions of thought. All external realities.

However, this is not the pedagogy that educates and launches life in the Spirit out of precisely extrinsic mechanisms.

Nor is it enough to truly conquer the storms by 'doing God's will' in a disciplined manner, but without friendly self-consciousness.

No form of inculcated exteriority can convince us.

Let alone make us become a 'rock' - or small bulwark - to persuade, capacitate, strengthen others.

The difference between common religiosity and personal faith?

Life in the humanising and divine condition of preciousness opens up varied paths - of abysses even, but full of inner experiences; of unimaginable quests and discoveries, where we can be ourselves.

In the sphere of Faith, there are no longer sacred times, places, knowledge, models - all epidermal, if plastered - that are not also unprecedented and personal.

Union with the Lord, the Rock from which we have been as if cut and extracted, is neither binary nor groove, but a fundamental option.

It leaves free rein on the particular inclination and colour of each one.

With the entire Sermon on the Mount - here at the end of the day - Jesus aims at arousing in people a critical consciousness about trivial and external solutions. This is common among the leaders of ancient popular and official religiosity.

To build a new kingdom, public liturgies overflowing with beautiful signs with the right creed, and resounding social obsequies - not even the most conspicuous gifts - are not enough.

False security is that of those who profess ... but perform only conformist acts and reflect aligned ideas - so they feel OK.

There is no sick person or recluse worse than the one who considers himself healthy, arrived and uninfected: only here there is no therapy, no revival.This will be seen at the time of the storm, when the need to translate the personal relationship with the Lord into life, starting with oneself and the ability to accept the gamble of Love, will become evident.

Merits not rooted in intimately firm convictions - gestures produced by intrigue, calculation and contrived attitudes - will not withstand the whirlwind of the test.

"Practitioners of vain things", that is, inconsistent [this is the meaning of the Greek text that introduces the Gospel passage (v.23)] are the standard-bearers of an empty spirituality, which despite its varnish, with even spectacular sides, has nothing to do with God.

Conveniently, the 'masters' who stand in the way of the personal implications seem to be willing to go back on any adherence, plotting the reverse of their own proclamations - because they are prisoners in merit [instead of as they appear: leaders].

They do not yet reveal the divine Face, but rather a calculating, qualunquistic opposite.

They live to get by - along with the club to which they belong - and obtain only immediate recognition, obsequiousness, and handouts of consensus around them.

And this despite the great disciplines of censorship that they advocate:

They do not correct the separation between teaching and personal commitment: they may preach the true God and (always) great things every day - but as if by trade.

The intriguers multiply high-sounding or symbolic formulas and gestures, like soporific or exciting drugs... but they are the first not to believe what they say and repeatedly impose on others.

Full of obtuse claims on people, they do not understand the Father, God of the desperate, exiled and mocked, who resurrects the non-elect - the deprived of a future; not the insured for life, commanded by self-interest and appearance.

Are there foundations behind a façade of butterflies? One understands this in the storm, and if one becomes a 'rock' even for the unseen - not tourists of the 'spirit' who praise praise (v.21) and do not risk.

Therefore, security does not come from conforming to customs and fulfilments, nor from being admired (at least) on a par with others. Fiction that makes the common house unhealthy.

Our specific and figure of Faith is not a 'cultural' identity drawn from protocols or mainstream manners - a plot that plays on appearances and not on the one strong point: the attitude of pilgrims in Christ.

We are steadfast only in the priestly prophetic royal dignity, which is given in unrepeatable Gift and will never be the fruit of deriving from consensus.

Nor of appearing, of saying and not saying, of building up; of adapting to the forces in the field, of struggling to float.

We live to follow a profound Vocation: Root, Spring and Motor of our intimate fibres; related to the dreams and naturalness of each one.

Only trusting the soul is an authentic platform, true salvation and medicine.

The Mission will reach the existential peripheries, starting from the Core.

It seems senseless, paradoxical, unbelievable, but for every Called One, the Rock on which he can and must build his way into the field... is Freedom.

To internalise and live the message:

When the storm hits your house, do you imagine a great fall? What is the rock on which your community is built? Is it interested in your naturalness or does it want to conform to you?

Do you know people with strong prophetic, apostolic or thaumaturgical activity, who give the feeling of a familiarity with God that is only extraordinary or circumstantial, perhaps apparent?

What is the reason, in your opinion? Do you think they have ever really surrendered to themselves and the quintessence of their Calling by Name?

The desire for a Home

Dear young friends,

I bid you a hearty welcome! Your presence rejoices me. I am grateful to the Lord for this meeting with the warmth of your friendliness. We know that "where two or three are united in the name of Jesus, he is in their midst" (cf. Mt 18:20). But you are here today in far greater numbers! I thank each and every one of you for this. Jesus is therefore here with us. He is present among the young people of the Polish land, to speak to them of a house, which will never collapse, because it is built on rock. This is the Gospel word we have just heard (cf. Mt 7:24-27).

In the heart of every man there is, my friends, the desire for a home. All the more so in a young heart there is the great yearning for a home of one's own, one that is solid, to which one can not only return with joy, but also with joy welcome every guest who comes. It is the longing for a home in which love, forgiveness, the need for understanding are the daily bread, in which truth is the source from which peace of heart flows. It is the longing for a home of which one can be proud, of which one should not be ashamed and of which one should never mourn the collapse. This longing is but the desire for a full, happy, successful life. Do not be afraid of this longing! Do not evade it! Do not be discouraged at the sight of collapsed houses, thwarted desires, vanished longings. God the Creator, who instils in a young heart the immense desire for happiness, does not then abandon it in the laborious construction of that house that is called life.

My friends, a question imposes itself: "How to build this house?". It is a question that has surely already appeared many times before your heart and that will return many more times. It is a question that you must ask yourself not just once. Every day it must be before the eyes of your heart: how do we build that house called life? Jesus, whose words we have heard in the wording of the evangelist Matthew, exhorts us to build on rock. For only then will the house not collapse. But what does it mean to build the house on the rock? Building on the rock means first of all: building on Christ and with Christ. Jesus says: "Therefore whoever hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who has built his house on the rock" (Matthew 7: 24). We are not dealing here with empty words spoken by just anyone, but with the words of Jesus. It is not a question of listening to just anyone, but of listening to Jesus. It is not a question of doing just anything, but of fulfilling the words of Jesus.

Building on Christ and with Christ means building on a foundation called crucified love. It means building with Someone who, knowing us better than ourselves, says to us: "You are precious in my eyes, ...you are worthy of my esteem and I love you" (Is 43:4). It means to build with Someone who is always faithful, even if we lack faithfulness, because he cannot deny himself (cf. 2 Tim 2:13). It means to build with Someone who constantly stoops to man's wounded heart and says: "I do not condemn you; go, and henceforth sin no more" (cf. Jn 8:11). It means building with Someone, who from the height of the cross stretches out His arms, to repeat for all eternity: "I lay down my life for you, man, because I love you". To build on Christ means finally to base all one's desires, expectations, dreams, ambitions and all one's projects on his will. It means saying to oneself, one's family, one's friends and the whole world, and above all to Christ: "Lord, in life I do not want to do anything against You, because You know what is best for me. You alone have the words of eternal life" (cf. Jn 6:68). My friends, do not be afraid to focus on Christ! Long for Christ as the foundation of life! Ignite in yourselves the desire to build your life with Him and for Him! For he cannot lose who stakes everything on the crucified love of the incarnate Word.

Building on the rock means building on Christ and with Christ, who is the rock. In the First Letter to the Corinthians, St Paul, speaking of the chosen people's journey through the desert, explains that they all "drank ... from a spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ" (1 Cor 10:4). The fathers of the chosen people certainly did not know that that rock was Christ. They were not aware that they were accompanied by the One who, when the fullness of time would come, would become incarnate, taking on a human body. They did not need to understand that their thirst would be quenched by the very Source of life, capable of offering living water to quench every heart. They drank, however, from this spiritual rock that is Christ, because they longed for the water of life, they needed it. On the road of life, we are perhaps sometimes unaware of the presence of Jesus. But this very presence, alive and faithful, the presence in the work of creation, the presence in the Word of God and the Eucharist, in the community of believers and in every man redeemed by the precious Blood of Christ, this presence is the inexhaustible source of human strength. Jesus of Nazareth, God who became Man, stands beside us in good times and bad and thirsts for this bond, which is in fact the foundation of authentic humanity. We read in Revelation these significant words: "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come to him, I will dine with him, and he with me" (Rev 3:20).

My friends, what does it mean to build on rock? To build on the rock also means to build on Someone who has been rejected. St Peter speaks to his faithful of Christ as a "living stone rejected by men, but chosen and precious in the sight of God" (1 Pet 2:4). The undeniable fact of Jesus' election by God does not conceal the mystery of evil, because of which man is capable of rejecting the One who loved him to the end. This rejection of Jesus by men, mentioned by St Peter, continues throughout human history and even reaches our own times. It does not require great acuity of mind to discern the multiple manifestations of Jesus' rejection, even where God has allowed us to grow. Time and again, Jesus is ignored, he is mocked, he is proclaimed king of the past, but not of today, let alone tomorrow, he is shelved in the closet of issues and people that should not be spoken of aloud and in public. If in building the house of your life you encounter those who despise the foundation upon which you are building, do not be discouraged! A strong faith must go through trials. A living faith must always grow. Our faith in Jesus Christ, to remain so, must often be confronted with the lack of faith of others.

Dear friends, what does it mean to build on rock? Building on the rock means being aware that you will have setbacks. Christ says: "The rain fell, and the rivers overflowed, and the winds blew, and they came upon the house...". (Matthew 7: 25). These natural phenomena are not only a picture of the manifold contrarieties of human fate, but also indicate its normal predictability. Christ does not promise that a downpour will never fall on a house under construction, he does not promise that a ruinous wave will not sweep away what is most dear to us, he does not promise that raging winds will not carry away what we have built sometimes at the cost of enormous sacrifices. Christ understands not only man's aspiration for a lasting home, but is fully aware also of all that can reduce man's happiness to ruin. Marvel not, therefore, at the contrarieties, whatever they may be! Do not be discouraged because of them! A building built on rock is not a building removed from the play of natural forces, inscribed in the mystery of man. To have built on rock is to be able to count on the knowledge that in difficult times there is a sure force to be relied upon.

My friends, allow me to insist: what does it mean to build on rock? It means building with wisdom. Not without reason does Jesus compare those who hear his words and put them into practice to a wise man who has built his house upon the rock. For it is foolishness to build on sand, when one can do so on rock, thus having a house that can withstand every storm. It is foolishness to build your house on ground that does not offer the guarantees of holding up in the most difficult times. Who knows, perhaps it is even easier to base one's life on the quicksand of one's own worldview, to build one's future far from the word of Jesus, and sometimes even against it. It remains, however, that he who builds in this way is not wise, because he wants to persuade himself and others that no storm will break in his life, that no wave will hit his house. To be wise is to know that the solidity of the house depends on the choice of the foundation. Do not be afraid to be wise, that is, do not be afraid to build on rock!

My friends, once again: what does it mean to build on the rock? To build on the rock also means to build on Peter and with Peter. For to him the Lord said: "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Mt 16:16). If Christ, the Rock, the living and precious stone, calls his Apostle a stone, it means that he wants Peter, and together with him the whole Church, to be a visible sign of the one Saviour and Lord. Here, in Krakow, the favourite city of my Predecessor John Paul II, the words about building with Peter and about Peter certainly do not surprise anyone. Therefore I say to you: do not be afraid to build your life in the Church and with the Church! Be proud of your love for Peter and for the Church entrusted to him. Do not be deceived by those who want to set Christ against the Church! There is only one rock on which it is worth building a house. This rock is Christ. There is only one rock on which it is worth resting. This rock is the one to whom Christ said: "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church" (Matthew 16: 18). You young people have come to know well the Peter of our time. Therefore do not forget that neither that Peter who is watching our meeting from the window of God the Father, nor this Peter who now stands before you, nor any subsequent Peter will ever be against you, nor against the building of a lasting house on the rock. On the contrary, he will commit his heart and both hands to helping you build life on Christ and with Christ.

Dear friends, meditating on Christ's words about the rock as a suitable foundation for the house, we cannot fail to note that the last word is a word of hope. Jesus says that despite the raging of the elements, the house did not collapse, because it was founded on the rock. In this word of his there is an extraordinary confidence in the strength of the foundation, the faith that fears no denial because it is confirmed by the death and resurrection of Christ. This is the faith that, years later, will be confessed by St Peter in his letter: "Behold, I lay in Zion a cornerstone, choice, precious, and he who believes in it will not be confounded" (1 Pet 2:6). Certainly "He shall not be confounded...". Dear young friends, fear of failure can sometimes hold back even the most beautiful dreams. It can paralyse the will and make one unable to believe that there can be a house built on rock. It can persuade us that longing for home is only a youthful desire and not a plan for life. Together with Jesus say to this fear: "A house built on rock cannot fall"! Together with St Peter say to the temptation of doubt: "He who believes in Christ will not remain confused!". Be witnesses of hope, of that hope that is not afraid to build the house of its life, because it knows that it can count on the foundation that will never collapse: Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Pope Benedict, Address to young people Krakow 27 May 2006)

Just as the roots of a tree keep it firmly planted in the soil, so the foundations of a house give it long-lasting stability. Through faith, we have been built up in Jesus Christ (cfr Col 2:7), even as a house is built on its foundations. Sacred history provides many examples of saints who built their lives on the word of God. The first is Abraham, our father in faith, who obeyed God when he was asked to leave his ancestral home and to set out for an unknown land. “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God” (Jas 2:23). Being built up in Jesus Christ means responding positively to God’s call, trusting in him and putting his word into practice. Jesus himself reprimanded his disciples: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’, and do not do what I tell you?” (Lk 6:46). He went on to use the image of building a house: “I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built” (Lk 6:47-48).

Dear friends, build your own house on rock, just like the person who “dug deeply”. Try each day to follow Christ’s word. Listen to him as a true friend with whom you can share your path in life. With him at your side, you will find courage and hope to face difficulties and problems, and even to overcome disappointments and set-backs. You are constantly being offered easier choices, but you yourselves know that these are ultimately deceptive and cannot bring you serenity and joy. Only the word of God can show us the authentic way, and only the faith we have received is the light which shines on our path. Gratefully accept this spiritual gift which you have received from your families; strive to respond responsibly to God’s call, and to grow in your faith. Do not believe those who tell you that you don’t need others to build up your life! Find support in the faith of those who are dear to you, in the faith of the Church, and thank the Lord that you have received it and have made it your own!

[Pope Benedict, 2011 WYD Message]

3. What does Christ say in this regard in the Gospel we have heard today? At the end of the Sermon on the Mount he said: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded upon the rock” (Mt 7:24-25). The opposite of the man who built on the rock is the man who built upon sand. The house he built could not stand. Faced with trials and difficulties, it fell. This is what Christ teaches us.

A house built upon rock. The building that is one’s life. How should it be built so that it does not collapse under the pressure of this world’s events? How should this building be built so that from being an “earthly dwelling” it may become “a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor 5:1)? Today we hear the reply to these fundamental questions of faith: at the basis of the Christian building there is the hearing and keeping of the word of Christ. And in speaking of “the word of Christ” we have in mind not only his teaching, the parables and promises, but also his works, the signs, the miracles. And above all his Death, the Resurrection and the Descent of the Holy Spirit. Further still: we have in mind the Son of God himself, the eternal Word of the Father, in the mystery of the Incarnation: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14).

[Pope John Paul II, Biskupia Góra (Pelplin), 6 June 1999]

To base one's life "on the rock of God" and on the "concreteness" of acting and giving oneself, rather than "on appearances or vanity" or on the corrupt culture of "recommendations". This is the indication that Pope Francis suggested - during the Mass celebrated at Santa Marta on Thursday, 6 December - for living the Advent journey coherently.

Simple and challenging guidelines at the same time, which the Pontiff drew from the readings of the day, in which there are three significant groups of opposing words: "saying and doing", "sand and rock", "high and low".

Regarding the first group - "saying and doing" - the Pontiff immediately recalled the words of Matthew's Gospel (7:21): "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of the Father". And he explained: 'One enters the kingdom of heaven, one matures spiritually, one goes forward in the Christian life by doing, not by saying'. In fact, 'saying is a way of believing, but sometimes very superficial, half-way': as when 'I say I am a Christian but I do not do the things of a Christian'. It is a sort of 'making up', because 'just saying, is a trick', it is 'saying without doing'.

Instead, "the proposal of Jesus is concreteness". And so, "when someone approached and asked for advice", he proposed "always concrete things". Moreover, the Pope added, "the works of mercy are concrete". And again: "Jesus did not say: 'But go to your home and think of the poor, think of the prisoners, think of the sick': no. Go: visit them'.

Here is the contrast between doing and saying. Necessary to highlight because 'many times we slip, not only personally but socially, into the culture of saying'. In this regard, Francis pointed to an unfortunately widespread practice, that of the 'culture of recommendations'. It happens, for example, that for a competition at university "one who has almost no merit" is chosen over many good professors; "and if you ask: 'But why this one? And these other good ones?" - 'Because this one was recommended by a cardinal, you know... the big fish...'". This is the Pope's comment: 'I don't want to think bad, but under the table of a recommendation there is always an envelope'. This is just one example of the prevalence of 'saying': 'it's not the merits, it's not the doing that gets you ahead, no: it's the saying. Making up your life'. And it is precisely 'one of the contradictions that today's liturgy teaches us: to do, not to say'. Even, the Pope explained in closing this first part of the reflection, "Jesus advises" to "do without saying: when you give alms, when you pray... secretly, without saying it. Do, not say".

The second comparison refers to an image used by Jesus in the Gospel: 'a wise man builds his house on rock, not on sand'. The parable has its own evidence: 'The sand is not solid. And a storm, winds, rivers, many things, rain bring down a house built on sand. Sand is a weak concreteness'. The Pontiff explained: "Sand is the consequence of saying: I make myself up, as a Christian, I build a life but without foundations. Vanity, vanity is saying many things, or making myself appear without foundation, on sand'. Instead, one must 'build on rock'. In this regard, the Pope invited us to grasp the beauty of the first reading of the day, taken from Isaiah (26:1-6), where we read: "Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord is an eternal rock".

It is a closely related juxtaposition between saying and doing, because "many times, he who trusts in the Lord does not appear, is not successful, is hidden... but is steadfast. He does not have his hope in saying, in vanity, in pride, in the ephemeral powers of life", but he trusts in the Lord, "the rock". Francis explained: 'The concreteness of the Christian life makes us go forward and build on that rock which is God, which is Jesus; on the solidity of divinity. Not on appearances or vanity, pride, recommendations.... No. Truth."

Finally the "third group", where the concepts of "high and low" are confronted. It is again the passage from Isaiah that guides the meditation: "Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord is an everlasting rock, for he has brought down those who dwell on high, he has overthrown the lofty city, he has razed it to the ground. The feet trample it down: they are the feet of the oppressed, the footsteps of the poor'. It is a passage, the Pontiff noted, that recalls the 'song of Our Lady, of the Magnificat: the Lord raises up the humble, those who are in the concreteness of every day, and brings down the proud, those who have built their lives on vanity, pride... these do not last'. And the expression, Francis emphasised, "is very strong, even in the Magnificat we use 'has overthrown', and even stronger: that great beautiful city is trampled underfoot. By whom? By the feet of the oppressed and the steps of the poor". That is, the Lord 'exalts the poor, exalts the lowly'.

The category of 'high and low', the Pope added in comment, is also used by Jesus, for example, when he 'speaks of Satan: "I have seen Satan fall from heaven". And it is the expression of a "definitive judgement on the proud, on the vain, on those who boast of being something but are pure air".

Concluding his homily, Francis invited us to accompany the Advent season with reflection on "these three groups of words that contrast one with the other. Say or do? Am I a Christian of saying or doing? Sand and rock: do I build my life on the rock of God or on the sand of worldliness, of vanity? High and low: am I humble, do I always try to go from the bottom, without pride, and thus serve the Lord?". It will help to answer such questions; and, he added, also to take the Gospel of Luke and pray "with Our Lady's song, with the Magnificat, which is a summary of this message today."

[Pope Francis, St. Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano 6 December 2018]

Multiplication by Division, in itinerancy

(Mt 15:29-37)

«Man is a limited being who is himself limitless» (Fratelli Tutti n.150).

The Son reflects God's plan in compassion for the needy crowds (v.32).

However, His solution does not fly over us simply drying tears or erasing humiliations.

He invites us to use what we have, although it may seem ridiculous. But teaches that shifting energies creates prodigious results.

This is how we respond in Christ to the world's great problems: by recovering the condition of the 'viator' man - a being of passage, his essential mark - and sharing goods.

Our real nakedness, the vicissitudes and experiences of our many brothers and sisters, who are different, are resources not to be evaluated with distrust, «as competitors or dangerous enemies» of our realisation (FT n.151).

Not only will the little we take with us be enough to satiate us, but it will advance for others and with identical fullness of truth, human, epochal (vv.34.37).

In Mt Jesus is the new Moses who ascends 'the Mount', but to inaugurate an alternative Time, which marks true history; of authentic relationships.

People no longer stay at the bottom of the valley waiting: they gather around Him, coming as they are, with the burden of so many different needs.

The new people of God are not a settled crowd, of the elect, of chosen, and pure.

Everyone brings with them their own path, their own troubles and problems, which the Lord cures - healing not with a solution from above or from without.

In short: another world is possible, but only through breaking one's own [even miserable] 'bread'.

Wise, unbroken, effective solution... if one brings it out from 'within', and on the way - and standing «in the midst» - not in front, not at the head, not “above” (v.36).

The place of God's revelation was to be that of lightning, on a 'mountain' steaming like a furnace (Ex 19:18)... but finally even Elijah's violent zeal had to change mind (1 Kings 19:12).

Even to the pagans, the Son reveals a Father who does not simply erase infirmities, but makes them understood as a place that is preparing personal development, and that of the Community.

It was imagined that in the time of the Messiah, the lame, the deaf and the blind would disappear (Is 35:5ff.). «Golden age»: everything at the top, no abyss.

In Jesus - distributed Bread - an unusual fullness of time is manifested, seemingly nebulous and fragile, but concrete and able to reboot people and relationships.

The Incarnation reweaves our hearts, in dignity and promotion; and it truly unfolds, because it not only drags obstacles away, but builds on them.

And it doesn't erase them at all: it surpasses them, but transmutes them - bringing new life.

Lymph that draws juice and sprouts Flowers from the one muddy, fertile soil, and communicates them.

Solidarity to whom everyone is invited, not only those considered in a condition of perfection and compactness.

Our shortcomings make us attentive, and unique. They are not to be despised, but assumed; they are to be placed in the Son's hands and energised (v.36).

Falls themselves can be a valuable sign: in Christ, they are no longer reductive humiliations, but path markers.

Perhaps we are not utilising and investing our resources in the best possible way.

So slumps can quickly turn into [different, unpackaged] upturns.

[Wednesday 1st wk. Advent, December 4, 2024]

The simple Mystery (Eucharistic)

(Mt 15:29-37)

"Man is the limit-being who has no limit" (Fratelli Tutti n.150).

In our hearts we have a great desire for fulfilment and Happiness. The Father has put it there, He Himself satisfies it - but He wants us associated with His work - inside and outside of us.

The Son reflects God's plan in his compassion for the crowds in need of everything (vv.30.32) and - despite the plethora of teachers and experts - lacking any authentic teaching [cf. Mt 9:36. 14:14].

His solution is very different from that of all "spiritual" guides, because he does not overlook us with an indirect paternalism [cf. Mt 14:16] that would dry tears, heal wounds, erase humiliations.

It invites us to make use of what we are and have, even though it may seem ridiculous. But it teaches in an absolutely clear way that by shifting energies, prodigious results are achieved.

This is how we respond in Christ to the world's great problems: by recovering the condition of the 'viator' man - a being of passage, his essential mark - and by sharing goods; not letting everyone make do [cf. Mt 14:15].

Our real nakedness, the vicissitudes and experience of our many brothers and sisters, who are different, are resources not to be evaluated with distrust, "as dangerous competitors or enemies" of our fulfilment (FT no.152).

Not only will the little we bring be enough to satiate us: it will advance for others and with identical fullness of truth, human, epochal [vv.34.37: the passage insists on the Semitic symbolism of the number 'seven'].

In Mt Jesus is the new Moses who ascends 'the mountain' of authentic relationships - to inaugurate an alternative Time, which marks true history.

People no longer stay at the bottom of the mountain waiting: they gather around Him, coming as they are, with the burden of so many different needs.

The new people of God are not a settled crowd, of the elect, chosen and pure.

Each one brings with him his own path, his own troubles and problems, which the Lord heals - healing not with a solution from above or from without.

In short: another world is possible, but through breaking one's own [even miserable] 'bread'.

A wise, unbroken, effective solution, if one brings it forth from 'within', on the way, and standing in the middle - not in front, not at the top (v.36).

The place of God's revelation was supposed to be the place of lightning, on a 'mountain' smoking like a furnace (Ex 19:18)... but finally even Elijah's violent zeal had to recant (1 Kings 19:12).

Even to the pagans, the Son reveals a Father who does not simply erase infirmities: he makes them understood as a place that is preparing a personal development, and that of the Community.

He imagined that in the time of the Messiah, the lame, the deaf and the blind would disappear (Is 35:5ff.). "Golden age": everything at the top, no abyss.

In Jesus - distributed Bread - an unusual fullness of times is manifested, apparently nebulous and fragile, but real and capable of restarting people and relationships.

The Spirit of God acts not by descending like a thunderbolt from above, but by activating in us capacities that appear intangible, yet are capable of regrouping our dispersed being, classified as insubstantial - involving the everyday summary - and re-evaluating it.

The Incarnation reweaves our hearts, in dignity and promotion; it truly unfolds, because it not only drags obstacles away, but rests on them.

And it does not erase them at all: thus it overpowers them, but transmutes - posing new life.

Lymph that draws juice and sprouts Flowers from the one muddy, fertile soil, and communicates them.

Solidarity to which all are invited, not just those deemed to be in a state of perfection and compactness.

Our shortcomings make us attentive, and unique. They are not to be despised, but taken up, placed in the Son's hands and energised (v.36).

Falls themselves can be a valuable sign: in Christ, they are no longer reductive humiliations, but rather path markers.

Perhaps we are not making the best use and investment of our resources.

Thus, collapses can quickly turn into rises - different, not packaged - and a search for total completion in Communion.

Therefore, in the ideal of realising the Vocation and sensing the type of contribution to be made, nothing is better than a living environment that does not clip the wings: a lively fraternity in exchange and coexistence.

Not so much to dampen our jolts, but so that we are enabled to build stores of wisdom not calibrated by nomenclature - which everyone can draw on, even those who are different and far from us.

If a shortcoming is found here too, it will be to teach us to be present in the world in perhaps other and further directions, or to bring out mission and creative maturity - not to remain fixated on partiality and minutiae.The allusion to the seven loaves multiplied because they are divided supports the quotations on the malleable magma of biblical icons.

Here Moses and Elijah on "the Mount": figures from the 'five Books' of the Pentateuch [the First Foods], plus the 'two' sections of Prophets and Writings.

All together 'seven loaves': fullness of food and wisdom for the soul, called to proceed beyond the surrounding hedgerows, breaking the banks of the subjugated mentality.

It is the nourishment-basis of the human-divine spirit, to which, however, is added a young and fresh 'companion' food that precisely involves us (v.34).

[As St Augustine said: "The Word of God that is daily explained to you and in a certain sense 'broken' is also daily Bread" (Sermo 58, IV: PL 38, 395)].

Complete food: basic food and indeed companion food - historical and ideal, in code and in deed.

Here we become in Christ as an actualised and propulsive corpus of sensitive witnesses (and Scriptures!).

Certainly reduced, not yet affirmed - and lacking in heroic phenomena, but emphatically sapiential and practical.

Announcers and sharers, without resounding proclamations of self-sufficiency.

Never enclosed within archaic fences: always in fieri - therefore able to perceive unknown tracks.

And to 'break the Bread'... that is to say, to be active, to go further, to share the little - to nourish, to overflow [multiplying God's listening and action] and to make even the desperate regain esteem.

We are children: like few and little fish (v.34), but not wallowing in competitions that make life toxic.

On the contrary: called in the first person to write a singular, empathetic and sacred 'Word-event'.

'Infants' in the Lord, we swim in this different Water. Sometimes perhaps outwardly veiled or muddy and murky....

Finally made transparent if only because it is yielding, compassionate (v.32) and benevolent.

The old exclusive puddle of religion that does not dare the risk of Faith (v.33) would not have helped us to assimilate the proposal of Jesus the Messiah, Son of God, Saviour - acrostic of the Greek word 'Ichtys' [fish].

He is the Father's Initiative-Response, support in the unethereal Journey in search of the Hope of the poor - of all of us 'destitute waiting'.

The working Faith thus has as its emblem the Eucharist, Revolution of sacredness. It seems strange, for those of us who have grown accustomed to it.

In fact, the purpose of evangelisation is to participate in and emancipate the complete being from all that threatens it, not only in its extreme limitation: also in its everyday actions - to the point of seeking the 'communion' of goods.

In Mk (7:31-37) the prodigy is placed after the opening of the "senses". Here after the healings by the Lake of Galilee (vv.29-31).

The Source and Summit Sign of the community of sons is a 'creative' gesture that imposes a shift of vision, an absolutely new eye.

Faced with the destitution of the many - caused by the greed of the few - the attitude of the authentic Church does not take pleasure in emblems and fervour, nor in partial calls to distinguish itself in almsgiving.

The breaking of the Bread takes over from the Manna dropped from above in the desert (Mt 15:33) and involves its distribution - not only in special situations.

There is no settling, in multiplying life for all.

This is the attitude of the living Body of the thaumaturgic Christ [not the miracle-worker] who feels called to be active in all circumstances.

In this way, if Eucharistic participation does not only provoke punctual almsgiving, external pietism and mannerist welfarism, here is the Result:

Women and men will eat, remain full, and there will be food left over for others (not all of God's intended guests are still present...).

We note that it had not even occurred to the disciples that the solution might come from the people themselves and their spirit.

Not just from the paternalism of the leaders, or from some individual benefactor.

Unexpected solution. To reiterate: the issue of food is solved not from above, but from within the people and with the few loaves of bread they bring.

There is no solution with the verb 'multiply' - i.e. 'increase'... relationships that count, increase property, pile up wiles.

The only therapy is 'to break', 'to give', 'to offer' (v.36). And everyone is involved, no one privileged.

At that time, competitiveness and class mentality characterised the society of the empire - and began to infiltrate even the small community, just starting out.

As if the Lord and the God of retribution could live side by side, yet.

It is the communion of the needy that conversely rises to the top, in the non-artisanal Church.

Real sharing acts as the professor of the ubiquitous directors and princes, who are sanctimonious and pretentious, the only ones yet to be converted.

The germ of their 'durability' should be not the position in the quota and the role, but love.

Such is the only meaning of sacred gestures; not other projects tinged with prevarication, or appearance.

The 'belonging' astound.

For the Lord, the distant - though still poised in their choices - are full participants in the messianic banquet; without preclusions, nor disciplines of the arcane with nerve-racking expectations.

Conversely, that Canteen presses in favour of others who have yet to be called. For a kind of re-establishment of the original Unity.

In short, the Redemption does not belong to elites concerned about the stability of their rule - which it is even the weak who must sustain.

In short, the saved life comes to us by Incorporation.

To internalise and live the message:

Have you ever broken your bread, conveyed happiness and made recoveries that renew relationships, putting people who do not even have self-esteem back on their feet? Or have you favoured disinterest, chains, and elite attitudes?

Jesus’ gaze seems to extend to this day, to our world. Today, too, it rests on so many people oppressed by difficult living conditions and lacking valid reference points to find a meaning and a purpose for their existence. Exhausted multitudes are found in the poorest countries, harshly tried by poverty; and even in the richer countries there are numerous dissatisfied men and women who are even ill with depression. Let us think of the many evacuees and refugees, of all those who emigrate, putting their own lives at risk. Christ's gaze then rests his gaze upon all these people, indeed upon each one of these children of the Father who is in Heaven and repeats: “Come to me, all...” of you.

Jesus promised he would give everyone “rest”, but on one condition: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart”. What is this “yoke” which lightens instead of burdening, which instead of oppressing, uplifts? The “yoke” of Christ is the law of love, it is his commandment which he bequeathed to his disciples (cf. Jn 13:34; 15:12). The true remedy for humanity's wounds, both material — such as hunger and injustice in all its forms — and psychological and moral, caused by a false well-being, is a rule of life based on fraternal love, whose source is in the love of God. For this reason it is necessary to abandon the way of arrogance, of violence used to obtain ever more powerful positions, to assure oneself of success at any price. 

It is also necessary to give up the aggressive attitude with regard to the environment which has prevailed in recent centuries and to adopt a reasonable “gentleness”. However, in human, interpersonal and social relations above all, the rule of respect and of non-violence, namely, the power of the truth against every kind of abuse is what can assure a future worthy of the human being.

[Pope Benedict, Angelus 3 July 2011]