He calls to Himself and makes the Twelve: great emergency, by little Name

(Mk 3:13-19)

In Christ, the doctor of suffering humanity, things of the soul seem different, and so do relationships.

All this leads his group to a different view of themselves, history, the world, the multitudes (vv.7-9) and problems.

We have already noted that in the Community of Jesus, any winking at pious retreat is banished, despite the fatigue, the bewilderment and the anxieties.

Thus the theme of both the well-configured Person and the Community remains primary: there is no disregard for particular sensitivities or needs, nor for the ecclesial element - the conviviality of differences.

Here Jesus is placed at the centre of the ideals of the journey in the Spirit.

He is the fulcrum, motive and driving force of a humanity that everywhere calls for answers, neither doctrinal or moralistic, nor reduced or abstract, to the yearning for complete life that it feels pulsing within.

All this in the soul of every person as in the genius of any civilisation.

The axis is to be with Him (v.14), that is, to form the Church in Him.

It is essential to mature first, wherever we live. [There are not very noble motives for wanting to reach everywhere, to run everywhere to make proselytes, and to do so at once].

He who cultivates many lusts, projects them; he procures his own murky influences. We see this also in clamorous contemporary events, manipulating great realities - previously unsuspected.

This is why reflection is necessary; the critical one, which really digs in.

It conveys the sense of our coming into the field, and a right disposition.

Being with Jesus annihilates unfaithfulness that does not propose simplicity of life and values of the spirit, alienating, building other temples and shrines.

The charge of universality contained in the rootedness to values conveyed by dialogue with Him, questions us; in relationships as well as in self-knowledge.

We realise that... stimuli, inflections, virtuous principles, gaps, hidden sides, achievements and "no" moments are complementary energetic aspects.

Says the Tao Tê Ching (LXIII): 'Consider great the small, and much the little'.

Master Ho-shang Kung comments: 'If you want the great, turn to the small. If you want the much, turn to the little. It is the way of spontaneity'.

It sounds like a paradox, but openness to the needs of the multitudes is an exquisitely non-external issue.

It is from oneself and from the already diverse community that one looks at the world, knowing how to recover its opposite sides.

It is the Way of the Interior that interpenetrates the Way of the Exterior.

It is the inner way that can combat the power of evil that stifles the yearnings of life and annihilates personalities.

One must first heal that which is essential and near.

Certainly, he who does not accept the risk cannot be a missionary; he who is not placed among the poor, does not know their world.

But he who is not made free [v.14: "made Twelve"] cannot liberate (v.15). He who is not formed cannot educate; he cannot remake history from the beginning.

The only way then to peer far and wide is to stick to the reason of things.

Principle that is known in Christ Logos, and only if not misled by the superficiality of reductions.

Understanding in God the nature of creatures and conforming to it in an increasing way, all are inspired to transmute and complete themselves, enriching even cultural sclerosis, without alienating forcings.

Exercising a practice of goodness even with oneself.

The Tao Tê Ching (xvi) emphasises:

"To return the mandate is eternity [...] He who knows eternity embraces everything". A passage that invites one to turn to the Scaturigine even after the luxuriance.

And Master Ho-shang Kung comments:

"All creatures wither and fall, but each one, returning to its root, lives even more".

Only from the Source of the multifaceted being gushes forth a life to be saved; exuberant, well-rounded, without neurosis.

So let us ask ourselves: are we a sign of dedication and an outstretched person?

Certainly, but without being a cult, and only after encountering our limit states.

And in doing so, immersing ourselves in a good habit with the Lord, which also imparts wise tolerance to us - from within.

Not to distinguish the moment of Vocation from the moment of ministerial sending. But for the reason that the way to Heaven is intertwined with the way of the Person - or we will be busybodies.

To understand this and come closer to the sense of their missional uniqueness, the Son Himself must ascend "the Mount" (v.13), assimilating Himself into the Father's vision.

None of the apostles were per se worthy of the Calling.

Most of them had names typical of Judaism, even from the time of the patriarchs - indicating a cultural and spiritual background rooted more in common religion than personal faith; not easy to handle.

Yet all of them made intimate, by Name - a chain that united Heaven with the destiny of their healing mission, with no more fences. 

Peter was eager to come forward, although he often backtracked - backtracked - to the point of becoming a 'satan' for Jesus [(Mt 16:23; Mk 8:33): in the culture of the ancient East, an official of the great ruler, sent to act as a controller and delator - practically an accuser].

James of Zebedee and John were brothers, ardent fundamentalists, and in a wrathful manner wanted the Master for themselves alone, as well as the first places.

Philip [conditioned perhaps by a Hellenistic background, as his name indicates] at first sight did not seem a very practical fellow, nor quick to grasp the things of God.

Andrew, on the other hand, seemed to do well: an inclusive person.

According to well-known traditional identifications, Bartholomew was perhaps open but perplexed, because the Messiah did not correspond to him much.

Thomas always a little in and a little out.

Matthew - a collaborator, greedy accomplice of the oppressive system, and willingly extorting money from his people [the people ruthlessly condemned him].

Simon - the zealot, the Canaanite - a hothead.

Judas Iscariot a tormented, self-destructive for trusting old spiritual leaders - imbued with nationalist ideology, self-interest, opportunism, power.

Two others (James the younger son of Alphaeus, and Judas Thaddeus) perhaps mere disciples of no great prominence or capacity for initiative.

But the Kingdom is "local and universal" [Fratelli Tutti, nn.142-153], Near and by Name - as the Gospel passage from Mk.

This is the manifold, biting, incomparable, close and precisely personal power that overcomes any possibility of ideal sabotage (due to adverse circumstances).

Power drawn from prayer directed to the Father in Christ - in his Listening (v.13a) - as well as from works of love (v.10).

Power in an equally singular, sensitive, shared symbiosis.

Not for the excellent alone - or even in the time of global emergency there will be no healing work, but only external, accusatory and aimed at propaganda, proselytism.

Here: Announcement and Mission of new Light received in Gift; where precisely not a single form or colour appears.

And the Axis is "being" with Him.

For a contagion that is neither alarmist nor one-sided, monochromatic, but flourishing, multifaceted, sometimes "hidden" - and restless.

To internalise and live the message:

In your experience, what chain has united heaven and earth?

The (accusatory) list and effort of transgressions to be neurotically corrected?

Or a personal Calling, inclusive of your many faces in the soul - a Vocation supported by a Church that became an echo and a free Source of all-round understanding?

The Church was built on the foundation of the Apostles as a community of faith, hope and charity. Through the Apostles, we come to Jesus himself. The Church begins to establish herself when some fishermen of Galilee meet Jesus, allowing themselves to be won over by his gaze, his voice, his warm and strong invitation:  "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men" (Mk 1: 17; Mt 4: 19).

At the start of the third millennium, my beloved Predecessor John Paul II invited the Church to contemplate the Face of Christ (cf. Novo Millennio Ineunte, n. 16 ff.). Continuing in the same direction, I would like to show, in the Catechesis that I begin today, how it is precisely the light of that Face that is reflected on the face of the Church (cf. Lumen Gentium, n. 1), notwithstanding the limits and shadows of our fragile and sinful humanity.

After Mary, a pure reflection of the light of Christ, it is from the Apostles, through their word and witness, that we receive the truth of Christ. Their mission is not isolated, however, but is situated within a mystery of communion that involves the entire People of God and is carried out in stages from the Old to the New Covenant.

In this regard, it must be said that the message of Jesus is completely misunderstood if it is separated from the context of the faith and hope of the Chosen People:  like John the Baptist, his direct Precursor, Jesus above all addresses Israel (cf. Mt 15: 24) in order to "gather" it together in the eschatological time that arrived with him. And like that of John, the preaching of Jesus is at the same time a call of grace and a sign of contradiction and of justice for the entire People of God.

And so, from the first moment of his salvific activity, Jesus of Nazareth strives to gather together the People of God. Even if his preaching is always an appeal for personal conversion, in reality he continually aims to build the People of God whom he came to bring together, purify and save.

As a result, therefore, an individualistic interpretation of Christ's proclamation of the Kingdom, specific to liberal theology, is unilateral and without foundation, as a great liberal theologian Adolf von Harnack summed it up in the year 1900 in his lessons on The essence of Christianity:  "The Kingdom of God, insofar as it comes in single individuals, is able to enter their soul and is welcomed by them. The Kingdom of God is the dominion of God, certainly, but it is the dominion of the holy God in individual hearts" (cf. Third Lesson, 100 ff.).

In reality, this individualism of liberal theology is a typically modern accentuation:  in the perspective of biblical tradition and on the horizon of Judaism, where the work of Jesus is situated in all its novelty, it is clear that the entire mission of the Son-made-flesh has a communitarian finality. He truly came to unite dispersed humanity; he truly came to unite the People of God.

An evident sign of the intention of the Nazarene to gather together the community of the Covenant, to demonstrate in it the fulfilment of the promises made to the Fathers who always speak of convocation, unification, unity, is the institution of the Twelve. We heard about this institution of the Twelve in the Gospel reading. I shall read the central passage again:  "And he went up into the hills and called to him those whom he desired; and they came to him. And he appointed twelve to be with him, and to be sent out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. The names of the twelve Apostles are these..." (Mk 3: 13-16; cf. Mt 10: 1-4; Lk 6: 12-16).

On the site of the revelation, "the mount", taking initiative that demonstrates absolute awareness and determination, Jesus establishes the Twelve so that, together with him, they are witnesses and heralds of the coming of the Kingdom of God.

There are no doubts about the historicity of this call, not only because of the antiquity and multiplicity of witnesses, but also for the simple reason that there is also the name of Judas, the Apostle who betrayed him, notwithstanding the difficulties that this presence could have caused the new community.

The number 12, which evidently refers to the 12 tribes of Israel, already reveals the meaning of the prophetic-symbolic action implicit in the new initiative to re-establish the holy people. As the system of the 12 tribes had long since faded out, the hope of Israel awaited their restoration as a sign of the eschatological time (as referred to at the end of the Book of Ezekiel:  37: 15-19; 39: 23-29; 40-48).

In choosing the Twelve, introducing them into a communion of life with himself and involving them in his mission of proclaiming the Kingdom in words and works (cf. Mk 6: 7-13; Mt 10: 5-8; Lk 9: 1-6; 6: 13), Jesus wants to say that the definitive time has arrived in which to constitute the new People of God, the people of the 12 tribes, which now becomes a universal people, his Church.
Appeal for Israel

With their very own existence, the Twelve - called from different backgrounds - become an appeal for all of Israel to convert and allow herself to be gathered into the new covenant, complete and perfect fulfilment of the ancient one. The fact that he entrusted to his Apostles, during the Last Supper and before his Passion, the duty to celebrate his Pasch, demonstrates how Jesus wished to transfer to the entire community, in the person of its heads, the mandate to be a sign and instrument in history of the eschatological gathering begun by him. In a certain sense we can say that the Last Supper itself is the act of foundation of the Church, because he gives himself and thus creates a new community, a community united in communion with himself.

In this light, one understands how the Risen One confers upon them, with the effusion of the Spirit, the power to forgive sins (cf. Jn 20: 23). Thus, the Twelve Apostles are the most evident sign of Jesus' will regarding the existence and mission of his Church, the guarantee that between Christ and the Church there is no opposition:  despite the sins of the people who make up the Church, they are inseparable.

Therefore, a slogan that was popular some years back:  "Jesus yes, Church no", is totally inconceivable with the intention of Christ. This individualistically chosen Jesus is an imaginary Jesus.

We cannot have Jesus without the reality he created and in which he communicates himself. Between the Son of God-made-flesh and his Church there is a profound, unbreakable and mysterious continuity by which Christ is present today in his people. He is always contemporary with us, he is always contemporary with the Church, built on the foundation of the Apostles and alive in the succession of the Apostles. And his very presence in the community, in which he himself is always with us, is the reason for our joy. Yes, Christ is with us, the Kingdom of God is coming.

[Pope Benedict, General Audience 15 March 2006]

1. A priestly, sacramental, prophetic community, the Church was established by Jesus Christ as a structured, hierarchical and ministerial society, in function of the pastoral governance for the formation and continuous growth of the community. The first subjects of this ministerial and pastoral function are the twelve Apostles, chosen by Jesus Christ as the visible foundations of his Church. As the Second Vatican Council says, "Jesus Christ, the eternal Shepherd, built up the holy Church and sent the Apostles as He Himself was sent by the Father (cf. Jn 20:21), and He willed that their successors, that is, the bishops, should be shepherds in His Church until the end of time" (LG 18). This passage from the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church - Lumen Gentium - reminds us first of all of the original and unique position of the Apostles in the institutional framework of the Church. From the Gospel story we know that Jesus called disciples to follow him and from among them he chose twelve (cf. Lk 6:13).

The Gospel narrative lets us know that for Jesus it was a decisive choice, made after a night of prayer (cf. Lk 6:12); a choice made with a sovereign freedom: Mark tells us that Jesus, having ascended the mountain, called to himself "those whom he wanted" (Mk 3:13). The Gospel texts record the names of the individuals called (cf. Mk 3:16-19 et par.): a sign that their importance was perceived and recognised in the early Church.

2. By creating the group of the Twelve, Jesus created the Church, as a visible structured society at the service of the Gospel and the coming of the Kingdom of God. The number twelve referred to the twelve tribes of Israel, and Jesus' use of it reveals his intention to create a new Israel, the new people of God established as the Church. Jesus' creative intention transpires from the same verb used by Mark to describe the institution: 'He made twelve . . . He made the twelve'. "Make" recalls the verb used in the Genesis account about the creation of the world and in Deutero-Isaiah (Is 43:1; 44:2) about the creation of God's people, ancient Israel. The creative will is also expressed in the new names given to Simon (Peter) and James and John (Sons of Thunder), but also to the group or college as a whole. Indeed, Luke writes that Jesus "chose twelve, to whom he gave the name of apostles" (Lk 6:13). The Twelve Apostles thus became a characteristic, distinct and, in some respects, unrepeatable socio-ecclesial reality. In their group emerged the Apostle Peter, about whom Jesus manifested more explicitly his intention to found a new Israel, with the name given to Simon: "stone", on which Jesus wanted to build his Church (cf. Mt 16:18).

3. Jesus' purpose in establishing the Twelve is defined by Mark: "He made twelve of them to be with him, and also to send them out to preach, and that they might have power to cast out demons" (Mk 3:14-15). The first constitutive element of the group of the Twelve is therefore an absolute attachment to Christ: they are people called to "be with him", that is, to follow him, leaving everything behind. The second element is the missionary element, expressed on the model of the mission of Jesus himself, who preached and cast out demons. The mission of the Twelve is a participation in Christ's mission by men closely linked to him as disciples, friends, trustees.

4. In the mission of the Apostles, the evangelist Mark emphasises "the power to cast out demons". It is a power over the power of evil, which in a positive sense means the power to give men the salvation of Christ, the One who casts out the "prince of this world" (John 12, 31). Luke confirms the meaning of this power and the purpose of the institution of the Twelve by quoting the word of Jesus giving the Apostles authority in the Kingdom: "You are the ones who have persevered with me in my trials. And I lay down for you a kingdom as the Father has laid down for me" (Lk 22:28). Also in this statement, perseverance in union with Christ and the authority granted in the kingdom are intimately linked. It is a pastoral authority, as is evident from the text on the mission specifically entrusted to Peter: 'Shepherd my lambs . . . Shepherd my sheep" (John 21: 15-17). Peter personally receives supreme authority in the shepherding mission. This mission is exercised as participation in the authority of the one Shepherd and Master, Christ. The supreme authority entrusted to Peter does not cancel the authority given to the other Apostles in the kingdom. The pastoral mission is shared by the Twelve under the authority of the one universal Shepherd, mandatary and representative of the Good Shepherd, Christ.

5. The specific tasks inherent in the mission entrusted by Jesus Christ to the Twelve are the following: a) mission and power to evangelise all nations, as the three Synoptics clearly attest (cf. Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:16-18; Lk 24:45-48). Among them, Matthew highlights the relationship established by Jesus himself between his messianic power and the mandate he gave to the Apostles: "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Mt 28:18). The Apostles will be able and must carry out their mission by the power of Christ manifested in them. b) mission and power to baptise (Mt 28:19), as the fulfilment of Christ's mandate, with a baptism in the name of the Most Holy Trinity (Ibid), which will be the first baptism in the name of the Most Holy Trinity (Ibid). Trinity (Ibid), which, being linked to the paschal mystery of Christ, in the Acts of the Apostles is also considered as baptism in the name of Jesus (cf. Acts 2:38; 8:16). c) mission and power to celebrate the Eucharist: "Do this in memory of me" (Lk 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24-25). The commission to redo what Jesus accomplished at the Last Supper, with the consecration of the bread and wine, implies a power of the highest level; to say in the name of Christ: "This is my body", "this is my blood", is almost an identification with Christ in the sacramental act. d) mission and power to forgive sins (Jn 20:22-23). It is a participation of the Apostles in the power of the Son of Man to forgive sins on earth (cf. Mk 2:10): that power which in Jesus' public life had caused the astonishment of the crowd, of which the evangelist Matthew tells us that they "gave glory to God who had given such power to men" (Mt 9:8).

6. To fulfil this mission, the Apostles received, besides power, the special gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 20:21-22), which was manifested at Pentecost, according to Jesus' promise (cf. Acts 1:8). By virtue of this gift, from the moment of Pentecost they began to fulfil the mandate of evangelising all peoples. The Second Vatican Council tells us this in the Constitution Lumen Gentium: "The Apostles . . . preaching everywhere the Gospel, accepted by the hearers through the motion of the Holy Spirit, gather the universal Church, which the Lord founded on the Apostles and built on blessed Peter, their head, while Jesus Christ himself is its cornerstone (cf. Rev 21:14; Mt 16:18; Eph 2:20)" (LG 19).

7. The mission of the Twelve comprised a fundamental role reserved for them, which would not be inherited by others: to be eyewitnesses of the life, death and resurrection of Christ (cf. Lk 24:48), to transmit his message to the primitive community, as a hinge between divine revelation and the Church, and for this very reason to initiate the Church in the name and by virtue of Christ, under the action of the Holy Spirit. For this function of theirs, the Twelve Apostles constitute a group of unique importance in the Church, which since the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Symbol is defined as apostolic (Credo una sanctam, catholicam et 'apostolicam' Ecclesiam) because of this indissoluble link to the Twelve. This explains why also in the liturgy the Church has included and reserved special solemn celebrations in honour of the Apostles.

8. However, Jesus conferred on the Apostles a mission of evangelisation of all nations, which takes a very long time, and indeed lasts "until the end of the world" (Mt 28:20). The Apostles understood that it was Christ's will that they should provide successors, who, as their heirs and legates, would carry on their mission. They therefore established "episcopes and deacons" in the various communities "and arranged that after their death other approved men should receive their succession in the ministry" (Clement of Rome, Ep. Ad Cor., 44, 2; cf. 42, 1. 4). In this way Christ established a hierarchical and ministerial structure of the Church, formed by the Apostles and their successors; a structure that did not derive from a previously established community, but was created directly by him. The Apostles were, at one and the same time, the seeds of the new Israel and the origin of the sacred hierarchy, as stated in the Council's Constitution Ad Gentes (AG 5). This structure therefore belongs to the very nature of the Church, according to the divine plan realised by Jesus. According to this same plan, it has an essential role in the entire development of the Christian community, from the day of Pentecost to the end of time, when in the heavenly Jerusalem all the elect will fully participate in the 'New Life' for eternity.

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience 1 July 1992]

"Prayer and witness" are the "two tasks of the bishops" who are "pillars of the Church". But if they weaken, the whole people of God suffers. That is why, Pope Francis asked during the mass celebrated on Friday morning 22 January in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, we must pray insistently for the successors of the twelve apostles.

The Pontiff's reflection on the figure and mission of the bishop started from the passage from the evangelist Mark (3:13-19) proclaimed during today's liturgy. "There is a word in this Gospel passage that attracts attention: Jesus 'constituted'". And this word "appears twice". In fact, Mark writes: "'He constituted twelve, whom he called apostles'". And then he resumes: 'He therefore constituted the twelve', and names them, one after the other'. Therefore, the Pontiff explained, 'Jesus, among so many people who followed him - the Gospel tells us - "called to himself those he wanted"'. In short, 'there is a choice: Jesus chose those whom He wanted'. And, indeed, "he constituted twelve. Whom he called apostles'. In fact, Francis continued, "there were others: there were the disciples" and "the Gospel speaks of seventy-two, on one occasion". But 'these were something else'.

The "twelve are constituted so that they might be with Him and to send them out to preach with the power to cast out demons," the Pope explained. "This is the most important group that Jesus chose, 'so that they might be with Him', closer, 'and to send them out to preach' the Gospel." And "with the power to cast out demons," Mark further added. Precisely those 'twelve are the first bishops, the first group of bishops'.

These twelve 'chosen ones,' Francis noted, 'were aware of the importance of this election, so much so that after Jesus had been taken up into heaven, Peter spoke to the others and explained to them that, given Judas' betrayal, it was necessary to do something'. And so from among those who had been with Jesus, from John's baptism until his ascension, they chose "a witness 'with us' - says Peter - of the resurrection". Here, continued the Pope, that "Judas' place is taken, is taken by Matthias: Matthias has been elected".

Then "the liturgy of the Church, referring to "some expressions of Paul", calls the twelve "the pillars of the Church". Yes, said the Pontiff, 'the apostles are the pillars of the Church. And the bishops are the columns of the Church. That election of Matthias was the first episcopal ordination of the Church'.

"I would like to say a few words today about bishops," Francis confided. "We bishops have this responsibility to be witnesses: witnesses that the Lord Jesus is alive, that the Lord Jesus is risen, that the Lord Jesus walks with us, that the Lord Jesus saves us, that the Lord Jesus gave his life for us, that the Lord Jesus is our hope, that the Lord Jesus always welcomes us and forgives us." Here is 'the testimony'. Consequently, he continued, 'our life must be this: a testimony, a true testimony to the resurrection of Christ'.

And when Jesus, as Mark recounts, makes "this choice" of the twelve, he has two reasons. Firstly, "so that they might be with Him". Therefore "the bishop has the obligation to be with Jesus". Yes, "it is the bishop's first obligation: to be with Jesus". And it is true "to such an extent that when the problem arose, in the early days, that orphans and widows were not well cared for, the bishops - these twelve - got together and thought about what to do". And "they introduced the figure of the deacons, saying: 'Let the deacons take care of the orphans, of the widows'". While the twelve, "says Peter", are assigned "two tasks: prayer and the proclamation of the Gospel".

Therefore, Francis reiterated, "the first task of the bishop is to be with Jesus in prayer". In fact, "the bishop's first task is not to make pastoral plans... no, no!". It is "to pray: this is the first task". While 'the second task is to be a witness, that is to preach: to preach the salvation that the Lord Jesus brought us'.

They are 'two tasks that are not easy,' the Pontiff acknowledged, 'but it is precisely these two tasks that make the columns of the Church strong'. In fact, "if these columns weaken, because the bishop does not pray or prays little, he forgets to pray; or because the bishop does not proclaim the Gospel, he occupies himself with other things, the Church also weakens; it suffers. The people of God suffer". Precisely 'because the pillars are weak'.

For this reason, Francis said, 'I would like to invite you today to pray for us bishops: because we too are sinners, we too have weaknesses, we too have the danger of Judas: he too was elected as a pillar'. Yes, he continued, 'we too run the danger of not praying, of doing something other than proclaiming the Gospel and casting out demons'. Hence, the Pope reiterated, the invitation to "pray that the bishops be what Jesus wanted and that we all bear witness to Jesus' resurrection".

Moreover, he added, "the people of God pray for the bishops, in every mass we pray for the bishops: we pray for Peter, the head of the episcopal college, and we pray for the local bishop". But 'this may not be enough: one says the name out of habit and moves on'. It is important "to pray for the bishop with the heart, to ask the Lord: 'Lord, take care of my bishop; take care of all the bishops, and send us bishops who are true witnesses, bishops who pray and bishops who help us, with their preaching, to understand the Gospel, to be sure that You, Lord, are alive, are among us'".

Before resuming the celebration, the Pope suggested, again, to pray "therefore for our bishops: it is a task of the faithful". In fact, 'the Church without a bishop cannot go on'. Here, then, that "the prayer of all of us for our bishops is an obligation, but an obligation of love, an obligation of children towards the Father, an obligation of brothers, so that the family may remain united in the confession of Jesus Christ, living and risen."

[Pope Francis, St. Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano 23/01/2016]

(Mk 3:7-12)

The Kingdom of the Father announced by Jesus wasn’t at all tied to a creed any: God had not only a Face different from the ‘Empire system’ and the great Sovereign of religions, but even opposite.

This is the meaning of the happy news that his living Body pressed from everywhere and tossed by the waves [his fraternities, besieged] is always called to proclaim with the recovery works of people in difficulty, excluded from the circle of the strong.

In this very concrete sense, Mk’s Gospel insists on the expulsion of demons - starting from a kind of neutralization that is rooted in a quality of interior gaze and eminent relationships, devoid of instinct to competition. Even where it may seem impossible.

In Christ, the physician of suffering humanity, the things of the soul appear different, and so do relationships. All this leads his group to a different view of itself, history, world, multitudes (vv.7-9) and problems.

And with Him in the middle, his intimates are configured as the core of a society with simple ways, but with solid discernment, and divine relations.

At Mk’s time, in a moment of awareness of the crumbling of the golden age promised by the regime, here is the popular fear and belief in the dominance of unclean spirits over good.

On the other hand, instead of freeing people, all the authorities of the various religious expressions sucked their energies - just spreading fantasies and fears that ended up fueling widespread anguish.

On the basis of the alternative teaching and work of the Lord, the Church intended to free the subjugated people from heart-pounding and nightmare of scruples - through a life proposal that no longer relied on unworthiness and the phobias of the punishment of the gods.

The concrete example of the living Christ [in the «little Boat» here in v.9: the tiny Assembly of the sons] had to not let itself be crushed by epochal anxieties and feelings of guilt.

The false spiritual leaders of time inculcated in the people in need of everything an accentuation of the inadequacy feeling.

Thanks to their miseducation, simple people were not restored to themselves, but made radically insufficient.

For the intimates of the Lord, everyone must instead have ‘access’ - and new life.

And the troubled mob can become coexistence of new harmonies, of other alliances; but starting from its integrated, conciliated weakness - no longer because by way of ignorance and subtraction, or psychosis.

By adhering to Christ, we too have a precious experience: quality of support, vocation, naturalness, personal character, and concreteness, are combined.

So the Lord doesn’t want a “delirious” and empty institution - that can create a stir, or pyramids, and put awe. Not even magniloquent, but reduced to «small boat» [v.9 Greek text].

For this reason, Jesus never endured the quest for fame or exhibitionism (v.12), inconclusive ones.

His non-paternalistic Friendship accompanies us, understands, helps, recovers, and is also a step back.

Here is the Communion able to amalgamate people; with an intimate configuration which brings together and joins. The only convincing and lovable condition.

[Thursday 2nd wk. in O.T.  January 23, 2025]

(Mk 3:7-12)

The Kingdom of the Father announced by Jesus was by no means bound to just any creed: God did not just have a Face different from the empire system and the great Ruler of religions, but actually opposite.

This is the sense of the glad tidings that his living Body pressed from all sides and tossed about by the waves [his fraternities, then besieged] is always called upon to proclaim with the works of recovery of people in difficulty, excluded from the circle of the strong.

In this very concrete sense, the Gospel of Mk insists on the expulsion of demons - starting with a kind of neutralisation that is rooted in a quality of inner gaze and eminent relationships, devoid of the instinct to compete. Even where it may seem impossible.

In Christ, the physician of suffering humanity, things of the soul appear different, and so do relationships. All this leads his group to a different view of themselves, of history, of the world, of the multitudes (vv.7-9) and of problems.

Incredibly, the Gospel suggests starting again from the masses abandoned by their guides, their 'shepherds'!

In this way - according to the ideal of the Prophets - the Lord himself gathers and forms the authentic remnant of Israel. He does not accept the political and confessional fabric at hand.

And with Him in the midst, His intimates are configured as the nucleus of a society of simple ways, but finally of solid discernment, and divine relations.

At the time of Mc, with the multiplication of palace conspiracies and civil war, everyone in Rome was broadly aware that the Pax Romana was now only an ancient memory, a crude illusion.

In a moment of awareness of the crumbling of the golden age promised by the regime, popular fear and belief in the dominance of unclean spirits over goodness increased.

On the other hand, instead of liberating the people, all the authorities of the various religious expressions of the time sucked their energies - spreading fantasies and fears that ended up feeding widespread anxieties, especially the (pious but tormenting) anxieties of the unconscious.

Based on the alternative teaching and work of its Master, the Church felt invested with the task of liberating the subjugated people.

The heart-rending tortures and pious nightmares had to be placed in the background anyway, so that they would fade away spontaneously.

If of authentic origin, the new proposal of life will no longer appeal to feelings of unworthiness and phobias of the punishment of the gods.

The concrete example of the living Christ is the little boat, here in v.9 [Greek text]: the tiny assembly of sons, in which He abides.

It was not to be crushed by the epochal anxieties and obsessions of guilt, of inadequacy, that the false spiritual guides of the time inculcated in the needy people of the time - and thanks to their diseducation, made even more radically inadequate.

In addition to slaves, other wretched people at that time were the submissive in the ruthless world of the Empire, as well as subservient to the punctilious, pedantic doctrines of the various religious 'authorities'.

Because intimidated, the crowds could see no possibility of emancipation from a slavish, frightened, overwhelmed existence - made up of superstitious fears taken to excess.

Untethered from their ancient imprisonments and able to take on the anxieties and hopes of any crowd, believers relied on trust.

Their healing power did not rest on the manipulative or covert persuasion skills of barkers.

In the crowd of the simple, they instilled endless scruples.

Conversely, the lowly acquired a clear vision of history and life. This was thanks to convivial relations and the new Faith that disintegrated the obtuseness of common thinking.

Thus they could find latent personal and communitarian energies, help each other, and support others to rise up from all affairs.

In this way, stealing from the power of evil all humanity captive to paralysing or falsely consoling idols.

Even today, the true believers never claim to replenish their adherence to their conviviality as sisters and brothers, aligning themselves with the climate of fear on which - still, at full stretch - some beliefs in the field and other leaders rely.

"The" awaited Son of God - with the determinative article [v.11 Greek text: "that one"] was to be a kind of King of the princes of the earth (precisely according to the imposition formula of the tiaras - finally musealised).

"The" awaited Messiah was imagined as an exceptional character, who was to impose himself in a peremptory manner.

The Lord's Anointed One would definitively sweep away the problems, guaranteeing the chosen people extraordinary prosperity at the expense of others.

Instead, the logic of Incarnation is not identified with guile, opportunist calculations, popular traditions, or elite conventions. 

The Lord simply made himself present in a profound way - in the higher self of each one and in his People.

Each must have access and new life.

Thus the afflicted crowd can become a church of new harmonies, of other covenants - but from its integrated, reconciled weakness - no longer through ignorance and subtraction, or psychosis.

By adhering to Christ, coexistence, fellowship, supportive qualities, vocation, naturalness, personal character and concreteness are combined.

The Lord would not have wanted an institution that was servile and flattering, nor spirited and empty - that could create scalpings or pyramids, and awe.

Nor magniloquent, strong, capable of dictating conditions, ideology and norms - but reduced to a "little boat" [v.9 Greek text].

For this reason, Jesus never endured the pursuit of fame or inconclusive exhibitionism (v.12).

His non-paternalistic Friendship accompanies us, understands, recovers, and even stands a step back.

Here is the particular Fraternity and Church itself that is able to amalgamate; its intimate configuration, which brings together and unites all. The only convincing and amiable condition.

Says the Tao Tê Ching (xxxviii):

"The authentic man abides in that which is solid and does not dwell in that which is fickle, abides in the fruit and does not dwell in the flower".

And Master Ho-shang Kung comments: 'The sage who practises the Way abides in that which in the Tao [Way] is solid: he abides in simplicity'.

To internalise and live the message:

What frees you from obsessions? Is there a need for a reassuring, or fluid, support configuration?

In your opinion, how can the crowds converge around Jesus so that free personalities are formed, and an apostolate and an ecclesiology of communion grow, while respecting differences?

1. The “door of faith” (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime. It begins with baptism (cf. Rom 6:4), through which we can address God as Father, and it ends with the passage through death to eternal life, fruit of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, whose will it was, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, to draw those who believe in him into his own glory (cf. Jn 17:22). To profess faith in the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is to believe in one God who is Love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8): the Father, who in the fullness of time sent his Son for our salvation; Jesus Christ, who in the mystery of his death and resurrection redeemed the world; the Holy Spirit, who leads the Church across the centuries as we await the Lord’s glorious return.

10 [...] "Man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved” (Rom 10:10). The heart indicates that the first act by which one comes to faith is God’s gift and the action of grace which acts and transforms the person deep within.

The example of Lydia is particularly eloquent in this regard. Saint Luke recounts that, while he was at Philippi, Paul went on the Sabbath to proclaim the Gospel to some women; among them was Lydia and “the Lord opened her heart to give heed to what was said by Paul” (Acts 16:14). There is an important meaning contained within this expression. Saint Luke teaches that knowing the content to be believed is not sufficient unless the heart, the authentic sacred space within the person, is opened by grace that allows the eyes to see below the surface and to understand that what has been proclaimed is the word of God.

Confessing with the lips indicates in turn that faith implies public testimony and commitment. A Christian may never think of belief as a private act. Faith is choosing to stand with the Lord so as to live with him. This “standing with him” points towards an understanding of the reasons for believing. Faith, precisely because it is a free act, also demands social responsibility for what one believes. The Church on the day of Pentecost demonstrates with utter clarity this public dimension of believing and proclaiming one’s faith fearlessly to every person. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit that makes us fit for mission and strengthens our witness, making it frank and courageous.

Profession of faith is an act both personal and communitarian. It is the Church that is the primary subject of faith.

[Pope Benedict, motu proprio Porta Fidei]

1. Continuing the topic of the previous catecheses dedicated to the article of faith concerning angels, God's creatures, today we delve into exploring the mystery of the freedom that some of them have directed against God and His plan of salvation towards mankind.

As the evangelist Luke testifies, at the moment when the disciples were returning to the Master full of joy for the fruits they had gathered in their missionary apprenticeship, Jesus uttered a thought-provoking phrase: "I saw Satan falling from heaven like the thunderbolt" (Lk 10:18). With these words, the Lord affirms that the proclamation of the kingdom of God is always a victory over the devil, but at the same time he also reveals that the building of the kingdom is continually exposed to the snares of the spirit of evil. To concern oneself with this, as we intend to do with today's catechesis, is to prepare oneself for the condition of struggle that is proper to the life of the Church in this final time of salvation history (as Revelation states). (cf. Rev 12:7) On the other hand, this allows us to clarify the correct faith of the Church in the face of those who distort it by exaggerating the importance of the devil, or those who deny or minimise its evil power.

The previous catecheses on angels have prepared us to understand the truth that Sacred Scripture has revealed and that the Tradition of the Church has transmitted on Satan, that is, on the fallen angel, the evil spirit, also known as the devil or demon.

2. This "fall", which presents the character of the rejection of God with the consequent state of "damnation", consists in the free choice of those created spirits who have radically and irrevocably rejected God and His kingdom, usurping His sovereign rights and attempting to subvert the economy of salvation and the very ordering of the whole of creation. A reflection of this attitude is found in the words of the tempter to the progenitors: "you shall become like God" or "like gods" (cf. Gen 3:5). Thus the evil spirit attempts to transplant into man the attitude of rivalry, insubordination and opposition to God, which has become almost the motivation of his entire existence.

3. In the Old Testament, the narration of the fall of man, recorded in the book of Genesis, contains a reference to the attitude of antagonism that Satan wants to communicate to man in order to lead him to transgression. (cf. Gen 3:5) Also in the book of Job (cf. Job 1:11; 2:5. 7) we read that Satan seeks to bring about rebellion in the suffering man. In the book of Wisdom (cf. Wis 2: 24) Satan is presented as the author of death, which entered human history together with sin.

4. The Church, in the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), teaches that the devil (or Satan) and other demons "were created good by God but have become evil by their own will". Indeed, we read in the Epistle of St Jude: ". . the angels who did not keep their dignity but left their abode, the Lord keeps them in eternal chains, in darkness, for the judgment of the great day" (Jd 6). Similarly, the Second Epistle of St Peter speaks of "angels who had sinned" and whom God "did not spare, but . . . plunged into the dark abysses of hell, holding them for judgment" (2 Pet 2:4). It is clear that if God "does not forgive" the sin of the angels, he does so because they remain in their sin, because they are eternally "in the chains" of that choice they made at the beginning, rejecting God, against the truth of the supreme and definitive Good that is God himself. In this sense, St John writes that "the devil is a sinner from the beginning . . ." (1 Jn 3:8). And "from the beginning" he has been murderous and "has not persevered in the truth, because there is no truth in him" (Jn 8:4)

5. These texts help us to understand the nature and dimension of Satan's sin, consisting in the rejection of the truth about God, known in the light of intelligence and revelation as infinite Good, Love and subsistent Holiness. The greater the spiritual perfection and cognitive perspicacity of the angelic intellect, the greater its freedom and closeness to God. By rejecting the known truth about God by an act of his own free will, Satan becomes a cosmic "liar" and "the father of lies" (Jn 8:4). He therefore lives in radical and irreversible denial of God and seeks to impose his tragic "lie about the Good" that is God on creation, on other beings created in God's image, and particularly on mankind. In the Book of Genesis we find a precise description of this lie and falsification of the truth about God, which Satan (in the form of a serpent) attempts to pass on to the first representatives of the human race: God would be jealous of his prerogatives and would therefore impose limitations on man (cf. Gen 3:5). Satan invites man to free himself from the imposition of this yoke, making himself 'like God'.

6. In this condition of existential lie Satan becomes - according to St John - also a "murderer", that is, a destroyer of the supernatural life that God from the beginning had grafted into him and into creatures, made in the "image of God": other pure spirits and men; Satan wants to destroy life according to truth, life in the fullness of goodness, the supernatural life of grace and love. The author of the Book of Wisdom writes: ". . death has entered the world through the devil's envy, and those who belong to him experience it" (Wis 2:24). And in the Gospel, Jesus Christ admonishes: "Fear rather him who has the power to cause both soul and body to perish in hell" (Mt 10:28).

7. As the effect of the sin of the progenitors, this fallen angel gained dominion over man to a certain extent. This is the doctrine constantly confessed and proclaimed by the Church, and which the Council of Trent confirmed in its treatise on original sin (cf. DS 1511): it finds dramatic expression in the liturgy of Baptism, when the catechumen is asked to renounce the devil and his seductions.

Of this influence on man and the disposition of his spirit (and body), we find various indications in Holy Scripture, where Satan is called "the prince of this world" (cf. Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), and even the God "of this world" (2 Cor 4:4). We find many other names describing his nefarious dealings with man: "Beelzebul" or "Beelzebul", "unclean spirit", "tempter", "evil one" and finally "antichrist" (1 Jn 4:3). He is compared to a "lion" (1 Pet 5:8), a "dragon" (in Revelation) and a "serpent" (Gen 3). Very frequently the name 'devil' is used to designate him, from the Greek 'diaballein' (hence 'diabolos'), which means: to cause destruction, to divide, to slander, to deceive. And to tell the truth, all this takes place from the very beginning through the work of the evil spirit, who is presented in Holy Scripture as a person, even though he asserts that he is not alone: "there are many of us", the devils cry out to Jesus in the region of the Gerasenes (Mk 5:9); "the devil and his angels", says Jesus in the description of the coming judgement (cf. Mt 25:41).

8. According to Holy Scripture, and especially the New Testament, the dominion and influence of Satan and other evil spirits encompasses the whole world. Let us think of Christ's parable about the field (which is the world), about the good seed and the bad seed that the devil sows in the midst of the wheat trying to snatch from hearts that good which has been "sown" in them (cf. Mt 13:38-39). Let us think of the numerous exhortations to vigilance (cf. Mt 26:41; 1 Pet 5:8), prayer and fasting (cf. Mt 17:21). Let us think of that strong affirmation of the Lord: "This kind of demons can in no other way be driven out except by prayer" (Mk 9, 29). Satan's action consists first of all in tempting men to evil, influencing their imagination and higher faculties to turn them in a direction contrary to God's law. Satan even puts Jesus to the test (cf. Lk 4:3-13), in an extreme attempt to thwart the demands of the economy of salvation as God has preordained it.

It is not excluded that in certain cases the evil spirit also goes so far as to exert its influence not only on material things, but also on man's body, for which one speaks of "diabolic possessions" (cf. Mk 5:2-9). It is not always easy to discern what is preternatural in these cases, nor does the Church readily acquiesce in or go along with the tendency to attribute many facts to direct intervention by the devil; but in principle it cannot be denied that in his desire to harm and lead to evil, Satan can reach this extreme manifestation of his superiority.

9. Finally, we must add that the striking words of Apostle John: "The whole world lies under the power of the evil one" (1 John 5:19), also allude to the presence of Satan in the history of mankind, a presence that grows more acute as man and society move away from God. The influence of the evil spirit can 'hide' itself in a deeper and more effective way: to be ignored corresponds to its 'interests'. Satan's ability in the world is to induce men to deny his existence in the name of rationalism and every other system of thought that seeks every loophole in order not to admit his work. However, this does not mean the elimination of man's free will and responsibility, nor does it mean the frustration of Christ's saving action. It is rather a conflict between the dark forces of evil and those of redemption. The words that Jesus addressed to Peter at the beginning of his passion are eloquent in this regard: ". . Simon, behold Satan has sought you out to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail" (Lk 22:31).

This is why we understand how Jesus, in the prayer he taught us, the "Our Father", which is the prayer of the kingdom of God, ends almost abruptly, unlike many other prayers of his time, by calling us back to our condition of being exposed to the snares of the Evil One. The Christian, appealing to the Father with the spirit of Jesus and invoking his kingdom, cries out with the power of faith: grant that we may not succumb to temptation, deliver us from Evil, from the Evil One. Grant, O Lord, that we may not fall into the unfaithfulness to which he who was unfaithful from the beginning seduces us.

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience 13 August 1986]

The heart of every Christian is the theatre of a "struggle". Every time the Father "draws us" towards Jesus, there is "someone else who wages war against us". This was emphasised by Pope Francis in the homily of the Mass celebrated at Santa Marta on Thursday 19 January, during which, commenting on the Gospel of the day (Mark, 3, 7-12), he dwelt on the reasons that drive people to follow Jesus. And to analyse how this following is never without difficulties, indeed if one did not fight every day with a series of "temptations", one would risk a formal and ideological religiosity.

In the Gospel passage, the Pontiff noted, three times "the word 'crowd' is said: a great crowd followed him on all sides; a great crowd; and the crowd threw themselves upon him, to touch him". A crowd "hot with enthusiasm, following Jesus warmly and coming from all parts: from Tyre and Sidon, from Idumea and Transjordan". So many 'were making this journey on foot to find the Lord'. And faced with such insistence one wonders: "Why did this crowd come? Why this enthusiasm? What did they need?". The motivations suggested by Francis can be many. "The Gospel itself tells us that there were sick people who were seeking healing" but there were also many who had come "to listen to him". After all, "these people liked to hear Jesus, because he spoke not like their doctors, but spoke with authority. This touched the heart". Certainly, the Pope underlined, "it was a crowd of people who came spontaneously: they did not take them in the buses, as we have seen so many times when events are organised and so many have to go there to 'verify' attendance, so as not to lose their jobs afterwards".

So these people "went because they felt something". And they were so numerous "that Jesus had to ask for a boat and go a little far from the shore, so that these people would not crush him". But the real reason, the profound one, what was it? According to the Pontiff, "Jesus himself in the Gospel explains" this sort of "social phenomenon" and says: "No one can come to me unless the Father draws him". In fact, Francis clarified, if it is true that this crowd came to Jesus because "they were in need" or because "some were curious" the real reason is found in the fact that "this crowd was attracted by the Father: it was the Father who attracted people to Jesus". And Christ "did not remain indifferent, like a static teacher who said his words and then washed his hands. No! This crowd touched the heart of Jesus". In the very Gospel we read that 'Jesus was moved, because he saw these people as sheep without a shepherd'.

Therefore, the Pontiff explained, 'the Father, through the Holy Spirit, draws people to Jesus'. It is useless to go looking for 'all the arguments'. Every reason may be "necessary" but "it is not enough to move a finger. You cannot move" take "a step with apologetic arguments alone". What is really necessary and decisive instead is "for the Father to pull you to Jesus".

The decisive cue for the Pontiff's reflection came when he examined the last lines of the brief Gospel excerpt proposed by the liturgy: "It is curious", he noted, "that in this passage while "Jesus is spoken of, the crowd is spoken of, the enthusiasm, even the love with which Jesus received them and healed them" there is a somewhat unusual ending. For it is written: 'When the unclean spirits saw him they fell at his feet and cried out, "You are the Son of God!"'.

But this - said the Pope - "is the truth; this is the reality that each one of us feels when Jesus approaches" and that is that "the unclean spirits try to prevent him, they make war on us".

Someone might object: 'But, Father, I am very Catholic; I always go to Mass.... But never, never do I have these temptations. Thank God!" But no. The answer is: "No! Pray, because you are on the wrong path!" because "a Christian life without temptations is not Christian: it is ideological, it is Gnostic, but it is not Christian". In fact, what happens is that "when the Father attracts people to Jesus, there is another who attracts in the opposite way and wages war against you inside!" It is not by chance that St Paul "speaks of the Christian life as a struggle: an everyday struggle. To win, to destroy Satan's empire, the empire of evil'. And precisely for this reason, the Pope added, that "Jesus came, to destroy Satan! To destroy his influence on our hearts'.

This final notation in the Gospel passage underlines the essential point: "it seems that, in this scene", "both Jesus and the crowd disappear and only the Father and the unclean spirits, that is, the spirit of evil, remain. The Father who draws people to Jesus and the spirit of evil that seeks to destroy, always!". 

We thus understand," the Pontiff concluded, "that 'the Christian life is a struggle' in which 'either you allow yourself to be drawn by Jesus, through the Father, or you can say "I remain quiet, in peace"... But in the hands of these people, these impure spirits". But "if you want to go on, you must fight! Feel your heart struggling, so that Jesus may win'.

Therefore, is the conclusion, every Christian must make this examination of conscience and ask himself: "Do I feel this struggle in my heart?". This conflict "between comfort or service to others, between having a little fun or praying and worshipping the Father, between one thing and another?" Do I feel "the desire to do good" or is there "something that stops me, that makes me ascetic?" And again: "Do I believe that my life moves the heart of Jesus? If I do not believe this,' the Pope admonished, 'I must pray hard to believe it, so that I may be given this grace'.

[Pope Francis, St. Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano 20/01/2017]

God bless us and may the Virgin protect us! 

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) [19 January 2025].

*First Reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah (62,1-5)

How much tenderness God shows to the people of Israel who could truly feel abandoned, especially in the context of their return from exile! In fact, although they returned from Babylon in 538 B.C., the Temple was not rebuilt until 521, and a sense of abandonment crept in during this waiting period. To counter this despair, Isaiah, inspired by God, writes this splendid text to proclaim that God has not forgotten his people nor his beloved city. And soon all will know! "Yes, as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your children marry you; as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you". The prophet Isaiah certainly does not lack audacity! Twice in these few verses, loving desire appears as an expression of God's feelings towards his people. Divine love emerges in these courageous expressions: "They will no longer call you 'forsaken', nor will your land be called 'ravaged', but they will call you 'my desired' (literally: my desire is in you), and your land will be called 'married i.e. my bride', for the Lord finds in you his delight (rather his desire for love) and your land will have a bridegroom." Here is a real declaration of love! Not even a bridegroom would say more to his beloved: you shall be my bride... You shall be as beautiful as a crown, as a golden diadem in my hands... you shall be my delight. How can we not be struck by the beauty of the vocabulary and the poetry that transpires from this text? We find in it the parallelism of phrases, so characteristic of the Psalms: 'For Zion's sake I will not be silent, / for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest... You shall be a shining crown in the hand of the Lord / a royal diadem in the fingers of your God... You shall be called 'My Favourite', and your land shall be called 'Married'. For the Lord has chosen you,/ and your land shall have a bridegroom'.

This text could be called God's 'love poem' and the prophet Isaiah exercised prophetic ministry between 740 BC and 701 BC during the reign of various kings of Judah including Ozias, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah at a time of great political changes and threats mainly due to the expansion of the 'empire of the Assyrians. Isaiah was the first to have the audacity to use such language. Although God loves mankind with such great love, this was true from the beginning, yet mankind was not ready to understand him. The revelation of God as bridegroom, as well as that of God-the-Father, was only possible after several centuries of biblical history. At the beginning of the Covenant between God and his people, this notion would have been ambiguous. Other peoples too easily conceived their gods in the image of men and their family affairs. Rather, at an early stage of revelation, it was necessary to discover the One God who was totally Other than man and to accept his Covenant. It was therefore the prophet Hosea, the first to compare the people of Israel to a bride. He defined as "adulteries" the infidelities of the people, that is, their relapses into idolatry. After him, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Second Isaiah and the Third Isaiah (author of the text we are reading today) developed the theme of the wedding between God and his people; in their writings we find the whole vocabulary of the nuptial: the affectionate names, the wedding garment, the bride's crown, fidelity, but also jealousy, adultery.

Here are a few examples: Hosea writes: "You shall call me 'my husband'... I will make you my bride forever... in righteousness and in law, in faithfulness and in tenderness" (2:18.21). In the second Isaiah we read: 'Your bridegroom is the one who created you... Can you reject the woman of your youth? In my eternal fidelity I show you my tenderness." (Is 54:5...8). The most impressive text on this theme is surely the Song of Songs: it is presented as a long love dialogue, composed of seven poems. Actually, at no point are the two lovers identified, but Jewish tradition interprets it as a parable of God's love for humanity. The proof is that this text is proclaimed during the celebration of Passover, the great feast of God's covenant with his people and, through them, with all humanity. In today's passage, one of the bridegroom's favourite pastimes seems to be giving new names to his beloved. You know how important naming is in human relationships: what I cannot or do not know how to name does not exist for me.  Naming someone means already knowing them; and when the relationship with a person deepens, it is not uncommon to feel the need to give them a nickname. In couple or family life, diminutives and nicknames play an important role. Even the Bible reflects this fundamental experience of human life; the name has enormous importance, because it reveals the mystery of the person, his or her profound essence, vocation and mission. The meaning of the name of the main characters is often explained: for instance, the angel announces that Jesus' name means 'God saves', indicating that this child will save humanity in the name of God. Sometimes God changes someone's name when he entrusts him with a new mission: Abram becomes Abraham, Sarai becomes Sarah, Jacob becomes Israel and Simon becomes Peter. In today's text, therefore, it is God who gives new names to Jerusalem: from "forsaken" it becomes "my joy", from "ravaged land" it becomes "married". 

*Responsorial Psalm (from Ps 95/96, 1-2a, 2b-3. 7-8a, 9a-10)

This psalm invites us to contemplate the glory of God: his salvation, his wonders, his power. 'Sing to the Lord a new song... sing to the Lord, bless his name'". There is nothing surprising about this: in Israel, in fact, it is a constant habit to recall God's work throughout the centuries to deliver his people from all that hinders their happiness. From day to day Israel proclaims its salvation... from day to day Israel remembers God's works, his wonders, that is, his ceaseless work of deliverance... from day to day Israel testifies that God has delivered it first from Egypt and then from all forms of slavery. And the most terrible of all slaveries is to mistake who God is, to put one's trust in false values, in false gods that can only disappoint, in idols. Israel has the immense privilege, the extraordinary honour, the joy of knowing and proclaiming that "the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" (as stated in the Jewish profession of faith, the Shema Israel). And faith in Him is man's only way to happiness. This is the message Israel conveys to the world: "Say among the nations: The Lord reigns!" 

Let us take up the expression: "Say among the nations". In biblical language, the nations or the Gentiles indicate all peoples other than Israel, the so-called goyîm, i.e. the rest of humanity, the uncircumcised, as St Paul says. In the biblical texts, the term goyîm takes on different, sometimes even contradictory meanings. Sometimes it has a decidedly negative meaning: for example, the book of Deuteronomy speaks of the "abominations of the Gentiles" and this condemnation refers to their polytheism, their religious practices in general and, in particular, human sacrifices. The chosen people must remain faithful to God without compromise, discovering the true face of the one God. For this reason, in the first phase of revelation, it is necessary to avoid any contact with the nations or peoples, perceived as a risk of idolatrous contagion. The history of Israel shows how real this risk was several times! Moreover, in the mentality of the time, where deities were seen as allies in conflicts, it was inconceivable to imagine a God who sided with all peoples at once. In this psalm, however, note that the term 'peoples' is no longer negative: the 'peoples' are all those who do not belong to the people of Israel, but who are nevertheless recipients of God's salvation, just like the chosen people. This psalm, therefore, was composed relatively late, probably after the exile in Babylon, when Israel was beginning to realise that the one God is the God of the whole universe and of all mankind, and that his salvation is not reserved for Israel.

"Announce ... to all peoples tell of his wonders". To arrive at this understanding, God led the chosen people through a long and patient pedagogical journey. Israel gradually opened its heart, accepting that its God was also the God of all people, committed to seeking the happiness of all, not just its own. The chosen people has understood that it is the elder brother, not the only son: its vocation is to pave the way for other peoples in the long march of humanity towards God. And the day will come when all peoples, without exception, will recognise God as the one God. Then, all mankind will place its trust in Him alone. The psalm expresses this universal hope: "Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, give to the Lord glory and power, give to the Lord the glory of his name". 

The last verses of the psalm, which we do not read this Sunday, offer a kind of anticipation of the end of time because the day will come when all creation will celebrate the glory of God: "Let heaven rejoice! Let the earth rejoice! Let the waves of the sea quiver, / let the fields be rejoicing, and the trees of the forest dance for joy before the Lord". On that day we shall see even the trees dance! The present, however, is not easy. One must persevere in faith and testify to one's faith before the peoples/ nations, and the fight against idolatry, against false gods, is never completely won. How timely is this psalm! 

*Second Reading from the First Letter of St Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (1Cor 12:4-1)

This letter to the Corinthians is twenty centuries old but surprisingly relevant today. How to remain a Christian in a world that has completely different values? How to discern, among the ideas circulating, those that are compatible with the Christian faith? How to coexist with non-Christians without failing in charity, but also without losing our identity? The world around us talks about sex and money... How can we evangelise it? These were the questions of the Christians of Corinth, newly converted in a predominantly pagan world. They are in truth the same questions we ask ourselves today, we Christians in a society that no longer emphasises the values of the gospel, and Paul's answers concern us all. He addresses divisions in the community, the problems of married life especially when spouses do not share the same faith, as well as the urgency of remaining steadfast in the face of the proliferation of new ideas and emerging new religious cults. Within each of these topics, Paul puts things in their proper place. However, as always, when dealing with concrete topics, Paul reminds us first of all where to lay the foundation, namely in Baptism. John the Baptist had already well predicted this when he spoke of the Baptism inaugurated by Christ by which we are immersed in the fire of the Spirit (Matt 3:11), and it is the Spirit who now acts in us according to our differences. Paul reiterates it: 'all these things the one and the same Spirit works, distributing them to each one as he wills'.  In Corinth, as in the rest of the Hellenistic world, people idolised intelligence and aspired to wisdom often through philosophy. To those who sought to attain wisdom through rigorous reasoning, Paul replies that true wisdom, which is the only knowledge that counts, is not attained through discourse, but is a gift of God given through the Spirit. There is therefore no reason to boast about it: everything is a gift. The word 'gift' (or the verb 'to give') appears no less than seven times in this text! Although such a concept exists in the Bible, Paul however takes up what Israel had already understood - namely that only God knows and reveals true wisdom - and his novelty consists in speaking of the Spirit as a Person. He thus totally detaches himself from the philosophical speculations of the time: he does not propose a new school of philosophy, but announces Someone, and the gifts distributed to the members of the Christian community are not about power or knowledge, but a new inner existence. In this passage, where the name of the Spirit recurs seven times, although addressed to the Corinthians, he does not speak of them, but exclusively of the Spirit at work in the Christian community, who with patience and constancy orients everyone towards the Father (he inspires us to say 'Abba' - Father) and towards our brothers. Paul makes it clear that everyone is given a particular manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. The Corinthians, attracted by extraordinary spiritual phenomena, are thus brought back to the essential: the goal is the good of all, because the Spirit is Love in person. There are diversities of charisms, but only one is the Spirit; there are diversities of ministries, but only one is the Lord; there are diversities of operations, but only one is God, who works all things in all. And so our diversity makes us capable, each in our own way, of manifesting the one Love of God. One of the lessons of this text of Paul is to learn to rejoice in the differences that represent the many facets of what Love enables us to achieve, while respecting the uniqueness of each one. So consider the variety of races, languages, gifts, arts, inventions... such diversity is the richness of the Church and the world, provided it is lived in love. God wants humanity to be like an orchestra: one and the same inspiration, different and complementary expressions, different instruments that create a symphony as long as they all play in the same key; otherwise, you have a cacophony! The symphony Paul speaks of is the song of love that the Church is called upon to intone to the world. We could call it a 'hymn to love', just as there is the hymn to joy or the hymn to life by famous musicians. Complementarity in the Church is therefore not a matter of roles or functions to structure it with a well-defined organisation chart. It is something much more important and sublime: the mission entrusted to the Church to reveal Love. How timely is this text from St Paul in this week of prayer for Christian unity!

*From the Gospel according to John (Jn 2:1-11)

St John uses a different language from the other evangelists and one must learn to discover that important things are often said between the lines. For him, this first "sign" (as he calls it) of Jesus at Cana is of enormous relevance: it alone evokes the great mystery of God's plan for humanity, the mystery of the new creation, the mystery of the Covenant and Wedding between God and his people. The Prologue, that is, the beginning of the first chapter of his gospel, is a great meditation on this mystery, and the account of the miracle at Cana is basically the same meditation expressed, however, in the form of a narrative. These two texts, placed at the beginning of the gospel and reread in symmetrical contemplation, help us to introduce ourselves to the understanding of all that will follow. We shall therefore try to read the Wedding at Cana narrative with the Prologue in mind and in our hearts. These two texts "embrace" the "inaugural week" of Jesus' public life. A week that begins with John the Baptist on the banks of the Jordan being questioned by the Pharisees about his mission while already announcing the coming of Jesus. The next day, he sees him approaching and recognises him as "the Son of God, the one who baptises in the Holy Spirit" (Jn 1:33-34). The next day (note John's precision that seems to recall the first chapter of Genesis where the sacred author each time notes: "it was evening and it was morning"), two other disciples of John the Baptist leave his group to follow Jesus, who invites them to spend the evening with him. The following day, Jesus leaves for Galilee with some disciples. In Galilee, three days later, the miracle of Cana takes place and the evangelist begins the account by saying: "On the third day there was a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. If we count the days from the beginning we have arrived at the "seventh day" and the reference to a week or a "seventh day" cannot be accidental because the "seventh day" always recalls the fulfilment of creation. "This was the beginning of the signs performed by Jesus": we are at the end of the passage and John notes that it was the beginning; also in the Prologue he states: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. Everything was made through him and without him nothing was made of what exists'. We are here in the context of the seven days of creation, while in the wedding feast of Cana the hour of the wedding between God and humanity is noted, showing that this event takes place on the seventh day of the new creation. At Cana Jesus does not merely multiply the wine, but creates it. Just as at the beginning of all things, the Word, facing God, had created the world, now he inaugurates a new creation. And it is a wedding! The parallelism then continues: on the sixth day of Creation, God had completed his work by creating the human couple in his image; on the seventh day of the new creation, Jesus participates in a wedding feast and is a way of saying that God's creative project is ultimately a covenant project, a wedding project. (Most probably the first reading - Isaiah 62, which speaks of Israel as the "joy of God" and of God as the bridegroom of his people - was placed precisely in relation to this Gospel page).  The Church Fathers saw in the miracle of Cana the fulfilment of the divine promise: here God's wedding with humanity begins.  But what does the term 'the hour' mean?  For John it is a symbolic term of crucial value because it refers to the Hour in which God's plan is fulfilled in Christ. When Jesus says to Mary: "Woman, what do you want of me? My hour has not yet come' he is thinking of his greatest mission: to bring about the wedding between God and humanity. The phrase (Woman, what do you want of me?) is surprising and has generated much discussion. In Greek, the phrase means "What is between you and me?", i.e. "you cannot understand". Here Jesus is confronted with the mystery of his mission: should he perform a miracle, create wine, and thus reveal his divine nature? In this scene one might catch an echo of the temptations in the synoptic Gospels: in the desert, Jesus had refused to turn stones into bread, because that would have been a miracle for himself. At Cana, however, he creates wine for the joy of others. The Son of God performs miracles only for the good of humanity. Then there is the reference to the "third day" which is certainly not accidental. It refers to the resurrection and links Cana to Easter. It is there, in the death and resurrection of Christ, that the Covenant will be definitively sealed. When John says: "And he manifested his glory", he alludes to the definitive glory of the Resurrection. In this perspective, Cana becomes the first visible sign of Christ's glory, a prelude to the full glory of the Risen One. 

A few final notes on a text that would merit much longer reflection

1 - "On the third day": by itself, this precision is certainly a message; again, it is not a simple anecdotal entry to fill a diary, but a theological meditation: the memory of the disciples is forever marked by a certain third day, that of the Resurrection. It thus refers us to the other end, so to speak, of Jesus' public life: to the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ. It is a way for John to tell us that there, and only there, God's Covenant with humanity will be definitively sealed and his wedding with humanity will be celebrated. Moreover, the last phrase, "He manifested his glory", is also an allusion to the Resurrection. In the Prologue John said: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory"... . It was precisely at Cana that the disciples first saw the glory of Jesus, in anticipation of the final manifestation of the glory of God in the face of the Christ, dead and risen.

2. The evangelist John specifies that Cana is in Galilee, which broadens the perspective considerably: Galilee, traditionally, is considered the land of the pagans, a crossroads of peoples; Isaiah called it "the land of the shadow, the Galilee of the Gentiles". God therefore marries the whole of humanity, not just a privileged few.

3. "Woman, what do you want of me?"  Let us not try to minimise the obvious vividness of this reaction of the Son towards his mother. In Hebrew, this phrase generally expresses a difference of opinion, sometimes even hostility (Jdc 11:12; Mk 1:24; 2 Sam 16:10; 2 Sam 19:23); however, let us recognise that these are extreme cases. Jesus' reflection might be more like that of the widow of Sarepta towards Elijah at the time of her son's death (1 Kings 17:18): she considers the prophet's presence as an inappropriate intervention. Nevertheless, the difficulty remains: does Jesus, meek and humble of heart, lack respect for his mother? Indeed, perhaps there is here an implicit admission of a genuine inner conflict on the part of the Son concerning his mission. He who did not allow himself to perform miracles for his own benefit (such as turning stones into bread) should here turn water into wine? Here we touch upon the depths of Christ's mystery, a mystery that he himself gradually discovered: being fully human, he had to grow little by little, like each of us, in the understanding of his mission.

4. The water jars at Cana are made of stone, and John intentionally emphasises this: the earthenware jugs were used for drinking water, while the stone jars were intended for water for ritual ablutions. It is precisely this water, symbol of the covenant, that was transformed into the wedding wine.

5. The disciples will only discover the miracle later, because the only ones who are really aware of the fact, as St John points out, are the servants (verse 9): they knew it, so to speak, "in their flesh", because it was they who drew the water, who carried it, and all this in blind obedience, without perhaps understanding what the water would be used for. Of course, it should not surprise us too much that the poor, in this case the last - the servants - are the first to be aware of God's plan!

+Giovanni D’Ercole