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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

+ Giovanni D'Ercole

Second Sunday of Advent (year A) [7 December 2025]

May God bless us and may the Virgin protect us! From this Sunday onwards, in addition to the summary of the most important elements of each reading, I will add a brief commentary on the Gospel by a Father of the Church.

*First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (11:1-10)

Isaiah speaks of the root of Jesse and refers to the descendants of King David. Jesse had eight sons, but God chose Samuel not to choose the strongest or the eldest, but the youngest: David, the shepherd, who became the greatest king of Israel. From that moment on, Jesse became the progenitor of a dynasty often represented as a tree destined for a great future, which would never die. The prophet Nathan promised David that his descendants would reign forever and bring unity and peace to the people. But in history, the kings of his lineage did not fully keep these promises. However, it is precisely from disappointments that a stronger hope arises: if God has promised, then it will come to pass. How did the idea of the Messiah come about? The term 'messiah' (in Hebrew mashiach = 'anointed') originally referred to any king, because he was 'anointed' with oil on the day of his coronation. Over time, however, the word 'messiah' took on the meaning of 'ideal king', the one who brings justice, peace and happiness. When Isaiah says, 'A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse', it means that even if David's dynasty seems like a dead tree, God can bring forth a new shoot, an ideal king: the Messiah, who will be guided by the Spirit of the Lord. The seven gifts of the Spirit, symbols of fullness, will rest upon him: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord, which is not fear but trust and respect as a son. The Messiah will rule as God wills: with justice and faithfulness, and his task will be to wage war on injustice: He will judge the poor with justice... not according to appearances... he will put an end to wickedness with the breath of his lips. 'The wicked' does not refer to a person, but to wickedness itself, like saying 'waging war on war'. Isaiah describes a world where the wolf lives with the lamb, the child plays without fear, there is no more violence or conflict. It is not a return to paradise on earth, but the final fulfilment of God's plan, when the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth. The root of Jesse will be a sign for all peoples, and the Messiah concerns not only Israel but all nations. Jesus himself will take up this idea: "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself" (Jn 12:32). Isaiah preaches in the eighth century BC, at a time of political pressure and threats from neighbouring empires. The tree of David seems to be dead, but Isaiah urges us not to lose hope. The "animal fable" uses symbols to speak of human beings, as La Fontaine would do many centuries later, and constitutes a promise of peace, brotherhood and universal reconciliation. Martin Luther King, in his "I have a dream" speech, drew direct inspiration from these images used by Isaiah (cf. 11:2): a world where justice and brotherhood overcome violence.

The central theme can be summed up in one sentence: From the seemingly dead trunk of David's dynasty, God is so faithful that, when all seems lost, he revives his promise from a fragment, from a stump: hope is born precisely where man can no longer see anything. God will raise up a Messiah guided by the Spirit, who will fight injustice and bring universal peace to all peoples. God is faithful, and even from a dead trunk he can bring forth new life. It is messianic peace, the final reconciliation of creation. There are times when we too feel like a cut tree: failures, disappointments, repeated sins, broken relationships, projects that do not come to fruition, communities that seem to be losing strength. Isaiah announces: God is not finished with you either, and even where you see no future, He sees a sprout. Continue to hope, because God sees sprouts where we see only dry wood.

*Responsorial Psalm (71/72, 1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17)

Psalm 71/72 is a prayer that arose after the Babylonian exile, at a time when there was no longer a king in Israel. This means that the psalm no longer speaks of an earthly ruler, but of the king promised by God: the Messiah. Since it is God who promises him, his fulfilment is certain. The entire Bible is permeated with an indestructible hope: history has meaning and direction, and God has a plan of happiness for humanity. This plan takes on different names (the Day of the Lord, the Kingdom of Heaven, the benevolent plan), but it is always the same: like a lover who repeats words of love, God tirelessly proposes his plan of salvation.

This plan is announced from the beginning, in the vocation of Abraham (Gen 12:3): 'All the families of the earth shall be blessed in you'. The revelation is therefore universal from the outset. Israel is chosen not to manage a privilege, but to be a service and a sign for all peoples. The psalm takes up this promise: in the Messiah, all nations will be blessed and will call him blessed. It also takes up the other promise made to Abraham (Gen 15:18), namely the gift of the land "from the river of Egypt to the great river". Echoing this, the psalm says: "He shall rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth." The book of Sirach (Sir 44:21) confirms this reading, linking together universal blessing, multiplication of descendants and extended inheritance. Although today the idea of a universal ruler may seem far removed from democratic sensibilities, and indeed there is fear of the imposition of a hidden world authority that would dominate the whole of humanity, the Bible reminds us that every ruler is only an instrument in the hands of God, and what matters is the people, considering the whole of humanity as one vast people, and the psalm announces a pacified humanity: In those days, justice will flourish, great peace until the end of time, poverty and oppression defeated. The dream of justice and peace runs through the entire Scripture: Jerusalem means 'city of peace'; Deuteronomy 15 states that there will be no more poor people. The psalm fits into this line: the Messiah will help the poor who cry out, the weak without help, the miserable who have no defence. The prayer of the psalm does not serve to remind God of his promises, because God does not forget. Instead, it serves to help man learn to look at the world through God's eyes, remember his plan and find the strength to work towards its realisation. Justice, peace and the liberation of the poor will not come about magically: God invites believers to cooperate, allowing themselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit with light, strength and grace.

Important points to remember: +Psalm 72 is messianic: written when there were no more kings, it announces the Messiah promised by God.+History has meaning: God has a plan of happiness for all humanity.+The promises to Abraham are the foundation: universal blessing and inheritance without borders.+The Messiah will be God's instrument, serving the people and not power.+The world to come will be marked by justice, peace and an end to poverty. +Prayer is not meant to convince God, but to educate us: it opens our eyes to God's plan. Peace and justice will also come through human commitment guided by the Spirit.

Second Reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (15:4-9)

Saint Paul writes to the Romans: 'Everything that was written before us was written for our instruction... so that we may keep hope alive'. This sentence is the key to reading the entire Bible: Scripture exists to enlighten, liberate and give hope. If a text seems obscure or difficult, it simply means that we have not yet fully understood it: the Good News is always present and we must dig to find it, as if it were a hidden treasure. Scripture nourishes hope because it proclaims on every page a single plan of God: that "merciful design" which is the great love story of God with humanity. The entire Bible, from the Old to the New Testament, has only one subject: the plan of salvation and communion that God wants to realise in the Messiah. Paul then moves on to a concrete theme: the Christians in Rome were divided. There were two groups: Christians who came from Judaism and were still attached to Jewish religious and dietary practices, and Christians who came from paganism and considered such observances outdated. This diversity gave rise to discord, mutual judgement and suspicion. Liturgical and cultural differences became real conflicts. This situation is very similar to the tensions that exist even today in the Church between different sensibilities. Paul does not propose dividing the community into two separate groups. Instead, he proposes the path of cohabitation, the building of peace, patience and mutual tolerance, inviting everyone to seek what promotes peace and what builds up the community. Let each one seek the good of the other, and may 'the God of perseverance and consolation' grant you to live in harmony according to Christ. The fundamental principle is: 'Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you'. Paul recalls that Christ took upon himself the mission of the Servant of God announced by Isaiah: chosen and elected by God, formed every morning by the Word, giver of his own life, bringer of salvation to all nations. Christ, by dying and rising again, united the Jews, saved in continuity with their Covenant, and the pagans, saved by God's gratuitous mercy. For this reason, no one can claim superiority; rather, everything is grace, everything is a gift from Christ, and true worship is this: to overcome the past, to recognise the gift received, to welcome one another without distinction, to sing together of God's faithfulness and mercy.

Important elements to remember: +Scripture exists to give hope. Every page of the Bible is Good News. If we do not find liberation, we have not yet understood the text. + The Bible proclaims a single plan. God's "providential plan" is to bring humanity to communion and salvation through the Messiah. +Paul corrects a divided community: In Rome, there were tensions between Christians of Jewish and pagan origin. Practical and cultural differences created judgements and conflicts. The Christian solution is not to separate. Paul proposes cohabitation, patience, and mutual edification. The community is a 'building' that must be constructed with peace and tolerance. +The model is Christ the Servant who united everyone: Jews and pagans. No one can boast: everything is grace. +The watchword: welcome: Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you. The Church is alive when it overcomes divisions and lives mercy.

*From the Gospel according to Matthew (3:1-12)

When John the Baptist begins his preaching, Judea has been under Roman rule for 90 years, Herod is in power but deeply hated; religious currents are divided and confused; there are collaborators, resisters, false prophets, messianic agitators. The people are tired and disoriented, and it is in this climate that the preaching of John, who lives in the desert of Judea (between Jerusalem and the Jordan), begins. Matthew insists on the spiritual meaning of the desert: he recalls the Exodus, the Covenant, purification, the loving relationship between God and Israel (Hosea) and sees the desert as the place of return to truth and decision. In John, everything recalls the great prophets: he wears camel's hair, eats locusts and honey, and lives an ascetic lifestyle. Many consider him the possible return of Elijah, awaited to prepare for the coming of God (Malachi 3:23). His preaching has a double prophetic tone: sweet and comforting for the humble; harsh and provocative for the proud. The expression "brood of vipers" is not a personal insult, but a way of saying, "you are following the logic of the tempting serpent," and is therefore an invitation to change one's attitude. John invites everyone to make a righteous discernment in their lives: what is healthy remains, what is corrupt is eliminated. And to be incisive, he uses strong images: fire burning straw (a reference to the prophet Malachi), a sieve separating wheat from chaff, a threshing floor where the choice is made - and this is the meaning: everything in us that is death will be purified; everything that is authentic will be saved and preserved. It is a liberating judgement, not a destructive one. John announces Jesus: 'I baptise you with water, but the one who comes after me... will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire'. Only God can give the Spirit, and so John implicitly affirms the divinity of Jesus. The images used: 'Stronger than me' is a typical attribute of God. "I am not worthy to carry his sandals or untie his sandals": with this he recognises Jesus' divine dignity. Although he is a teacher followed by disciples, John puts himself in the second row; he recognises Jesus' superiority and paves the way for the Messiah. His greatness consists precisely in making room. Matthew shows him as a "voice in the desert" with reference to Isaiah 40:3, also linked to Elijah (2 Kings 1:8; Malachi 3:23), in the line of prophets to introduce Jesus as God present and judge. Chapters 3-4 of Matthew are a hinge: here begins the preaching of the Kingdom.

Important elements to remember: +John appears in a context of oppression and moral confusion: his word brings light and discernment. +The desert is a place of new covenant, truth and conversion. +John presents himself with prophetic signs (clothing, food, style) reminiscent of Elijah. +His preaching is twofold: consolation for the little ones, provocation for those who are sure of themselves. +Judgement is internal, not against categories of people: it purifies the evil in each person. Fire does not destroy man, but what is dead in him: it is a fire of love and truth. +Jesus accomplishes purification by baptising in the Holy Spirit, something that only God can do, and John recognises the divinity of Jesus with gestures of great humility. +The greatness of the Precursor lies in stepping aside to make room for the Messiah, and Matthew places him as a bridge between the Old and New Covenants, inaugurating the preaching of the Kingdom.

St John Chrysostom – Commentary on Matthew 3:1-12

'John appears in the desert not by chance, but to recall the ancient path of Israel.

Israel was educated in the desert, and now conversion begins again in the desert. His rough clothing and simple food show that he is free from all vanity, like Elijah. For this reason, the people, tired of the leaders of the time, flock to him: they see in John a truthful man who does not seek glory but leads to the truth." Chrysostom then explains the prophetic and moral content of John's preaching: By calling them a 'brood of vipers', he is not insulting them, but shaking them up so that they realise the poison that corrupts them. He does not attack people, but the evil that possesses them.

The judgement he announces is not against men, but against their evil deeds: fire burns guilt, not human nature." And regarding the announcement of the Messiah: "By saying, 'One more powerful than I is coming after me,' John does not compare himself to another man, but to God. For only God is said to be the Strong One. And when he adds, 'He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit', he openly confesses that the One who is coming has divine power. For this reason, he declares that he is not even worthy to untie his sandals: not because he despises himself, but because he recognises the greatness of Christ." Finally, Chrysostom interprets the mission of the Precursor:

"His greatness consists in diminishing so that Christ may grow. He is the voice that prepares the Word; he is the bridge that connects the Old Covenant to the New. He shows that all that the prophets awaited is now fulfilled: the King is near, and the Kingdom begins."

+Giovanni D'Ercole

alue of imperfect uniqueness

(Mt 18:12-14)

Jesus is careful not to propose a dictated or planned universalism, as if His were an ideal model, «to make everyone uniform» [FT n.100].

The kind of Communion that the Lord proposes to us doesn’t aim at «one-dimensional uniformity that seeks to eliminate all differences and traditions in a superficial quest for unity».

Because «the future is not monochrome; if we are courageous, we can contemplate it in all the variety and diversity of what each individual person has to offer. How much our human family needs to learn to live together in harmony and peace, without all of us having to be the same!».

In the Son, God is revealed no longer as exclusive property, but the Power of a Love that forgives the marginalized and lost: Force that saves and creates, liberating.

It seems an impossible utopia to realize concretely (today of the global crisis) but it’s the meaning of the handover to the Church, called to become an incessant goad of Infinity and leaven of an alternative world, for integral human development.

As the encyclical Fratelli Tutti [Brothers All] emphasizes: Jesus - our Engine and Motive - «had an open heart, sensitive to the difficulties of others» [n.84].

In this way, through an absurd question (rhetorically formulated), Jesus wants to arouse the conscience of the "righteous": there is a side of us that supposes of ourselves, very dangerous because it leads to exclusion and abandonment.

Instead, inexhaustible Love seeks. And finds the imperfect and restless.

The swamp of stagnant energy that is generated by accentuating borders does not make anyone grow: it freezes us in the usual positions and lets everyone arrange or get lost. For an interested disinterest - that impoverishes everyone.

All this brings the creative virtues fall into despair.

Instead, God is in search of the one who wanders unsteadily, easily disoriented, loses his way. 

Sinner and yet true, therefore more disposed to genuine Love. For this reason the Father is looking for the insufficient.

The person so clear and spontaneous - albeit weak - hides his best part and vocation richness right behind the apparently detestable sides. Maybe those he himself does not appreciate.

This is the principle of Redemption that astounds and makes interesting our paths often distracted, led with a snuff, as "to attempt and error" - in the Faith generating however self-esteem, credit, fullness and joy.

Jesus, in short, does not come to point the finger at the 'bad moments', but to make up for those very 'moments not', by leveraging intimate involvement.

This is the style of a Church with a Heart sacred, amiable, elevated and blessed.

[Tuesday 2nd wk. in Advent, December 9, 2025]

Value of imperfect uniqueness

(Mt 18:12-14)

The change of course and destiny of the Kingdom. A God in search of the lost and unequal, to expand our life. Christology of the Pallium, power of caresses, joyful energy (in dissociation).

Says the Tao Tê Ching (x): "Preserve the One by dwelling in the two souls: are you able to keep them apart?"

Even in the spiritual journey, Jesus is careful not to propose a dictated or planned universalism, as if his were an ideal model, "for the purpose of homogenisation" [Fratelli Tutti n.100].

The type of Communion that the Lord proposes to us does not aim at "a one-dimensional uniformity that seeks to eliminate all differences and traditions in a superficial search for unity".

Because "the future is not 'monochromatic' but if we have the courage it is possible to look at it in the variety and diversity of the contributions that each one can make. How much our human family needs to learn to live together in harmony and peace without us all being equal!" [from an Address to Young People in Tokyo, November 2019].

Although the piety and hope of the representatives of official religiosity was founded on a structure of human, ethnic, cultural securities and a vision of the Mystery consolidated by a great tradition, Jesus crumbles all predictability.

In the Son, God is revealed no longer as exclusive property, but as the Power of Love that forgives the marginalised and lost: saving and creating, liberating. And through the disciples, he unfolds his Face that recovers, breaks down the usual barriers, calls out to miserable multitudes.

It seems an impossible utopia to realise in the concrete (today of the health and global crisis) but it is the sense of the handover to the Church, called to become an incessant prod of the Infinite and ferment of an alternative world, for integral human development:

"Let us dream as one humanity, as wayfarers made of the same human flesh, as children of this same earth that hosts us all, each with the richness of his faith or convictions, each with his own voice, all brothers!" [FT No.8].

Through an absurd question (rhetorically formulated) Jesus wants to awaken the conscience of the 'just': there is a counterpart of us that supposes of itself, very dangerous, because it leads to exclusion, to abandonment.

Instead, inexhaustible Love seeks. And it finds the imperfect and restless.

The swamp of stagnant energy that is generated by accentuating boundaries does not make anyone grow: it locks in the usual positions and leaves everyone to make do or lose themselves. Out of self-interested disinterest - that impoverishes everyone.

This causes the creative virtues to fall into despair.

It plunges those outside the circle of the elect - those who had nothing superior - into despair. Indeed, the evangelists portray them as utterly incapable of beaming with human joy at the progress of others.

Calculating, acting and conforming - the fundamentalist or overly sophisticated and disembodied leaders use religion as a weapon.

Instead, God is at the antipodes of the fake sterilised - or disembodied thinking - and seeking one who wanders shakily, easily becomes disoriented, loses his way. 

Sinful yet true, therefore more disposed to genuine Love. This is why the Father is searching for the insufficient.

The person who is so limpid and spontaneous - even if weak - hides his best side and vocational richness precisely behind the apparently detestable sides. Perhaps that he himself does not appreciate.

This is the principle of Redemption that astounds and makes interesting our often distracted paths, conducted by trial and error - in Faith, however, generating self-esteem, credit, fullness and joy.

The commitment of the purifier and the impetus of the reformer are 'trades' that seemingly oppose each other, but are easy... and typical of those who think that the things to be challenged and changed are always outside themselves.

For example, in mechanisms, in general rules, in the legal framework, in worldviews, in formal (or histrionic) aspects instead of the craft of the concrete particular good; and so on.

They seem to be excuses not to look inside oneself and get involved, not to meet one's deepest states in all aspects and not only in the guidelines. And to recover or cheer up individuals who are concretely lost, sad, in all dark and difficult sides.

But God is at the antipodes of sterilised mannerists or fake idealists, and in search of the insufficient: the one who wanders and loses his way. Sinful yet true, therefore more disposed to genuine Love.

The transparent and spontaneous person - even if weak - hides his or her best side and vocational richness precisely behind the apparently detestable aspects (perhaps which he or she does not appreciate).So let us ask for solutions to the mysterious, unpredictable interpersonal energies that come into play; from within things.

Without interfering with or opposing ideas of the past or future that we do not see. Rather by possessing its soul, its spontaneous drug.

This is the principle of Salvation that astounds and makes interesting our paths [often distracted, led by trial and error] - ultimately generating self-esteem, credit and joy.

The idea that the Most High is a notary or prince of a forum, and makes a clear distinction between righteous and transgressors, is caricature.

After all, a life of the saved is not one's own making, nor is it exclusive possession or private ownership - which turns into duplicity.

It is not the squeamish attitude, nor the cerebral attitude, that unites one to Him. The Father does not blandish suppliant friendships, nor does He have outside interests.

He rejoices with everyone, and it is need that draws Him to us. So let us not be afraid to let Him find us and bring us back (cf. Lk 15:5) to His house, which is our house.

If there is a loss, there will be a finding, and this is not a loss for anyone - except for the envious enemies of freedom (v.10).

For the LORD is not pleased with marginalisation, nor does he intend to extinguish the smoking lamp.

Jesus does not come to point the finger at the bad times, but to make up for them, by leveraging intimate involvement. Invincible force of faithfulness.

This is the style of a Church with a Sacred Heart, lovable, elevated and blessed.

[What attracts one to participate and express oneself is to feel understood, restored to full dignity - not condemned].

Carlo Carretto said: 'It is by feeling loved, not criticised, that man begins his journey of transformation'.

As the encyclical Fratelli Tutti emphasises again:

Jesus - our Engine and Motive - "had an open heart, which made the dramas of others its own" (n.84).

And he adds as an example of our great Tradition:

"People can develop certain attitudes that they present as moral values: fortitude, sobriety, industriousness and other virtues. But in order to properly direct the acts [...] we must also consider to what extent they realise a dynamism of openness and union [...] Otherwise we will only have appearances'.

"St Bonaventure explained that the other virtues, without charity, strictly speaking do not fulfil the commandments as God intends them" (n.91).

In sects or one-sidedly inspired groups, human and spiritual riches are deposited in a secluded place, so they grow old and debased.

In the assemblies of the sons, on the other hand, they are shared: they grow and communicate; by multiplying, they green up, for universal benefit.

To internalise and live the message:

What attracts you to the Church? In comparisons with the top of the class, do you feel judged or adequate?

Do you feel the Love that saves, even if you remain uncertain?

Christology of the Pallio: we are all carried by Christ

Humanity - all of us - is the lost sheep who, in the wilderness, can no longer find the way. The Son of God does not tolerate this; He cannot abandon humanity in such a miserable condition. He leaps up, abandons the glory of heaven, to find the sheep and chase it to the cross. He carries it on his shoulders, he carries our humanity, he carries ourselves - he is the good shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep. The pallium first of all says that we are all carried by Christ. But at the same time it invites us to carry one another. Thus the pallium becomes the symbol of the shepherd's mission, of which the second reading and the Gospel speak. The holy restlessness of Christ must animate the pastor: for him it is not indifferent that so many people live in the desert. And there are many forms of desert. There is the desert of poverty, the desert of hunger and thirst, there is the desert of abandonment, of loneliness, of destroyed love. There is the desert of the obscurity of God, of the emptying of souls with no more consciousness of man's dignity and journey. The outer deserts are multiplying in the world because the inner deserts have become so vast. Therefore the treasures of the earth are no longer at the service of building God's garden, in which all can live, but are enslaved to the powers of exploitation and destruction. The Church as a whole, and the Pastors in it, like Christ must set out, to lead men out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, towards the One who gives us life, life in its fullness.

[Pope Benedict, homily at the beginning of the Petrine ministry 24 April 2005].

Power of caresses. One is unique

The "joyful announcement of Christmas" is that "the Lord comes with his power", but above all that that power "is his caresses", his "tenderness". A tenderness that, like the good shepherd with the sheep, is for each one of us: God never forgets any one of us, not even if we were tragically 'lost' as happened to Judas who, lost in his 'inner darkness', is in some way the prototype, the 'icon' of the sheep in the Gospel parable.

In the homily of the Mass celebrated at Santa Marta on Tuesday, 6 December, Pope Francis went to the heart of this "joyful announcement" before which, the liturgy of the day reads, we are called to "sincere exultation". And "before Christmas," the Pontiff said, "let us ask for this grace of receiving this glad tidings with sincere exultation and of rejoicing," but also "of allowing the Lord to console us". Why, he asked, does the liturgy also speak of consolation? Because, was his answer, 'the Lord comes and when the Lord comes he touches the soul with these feelings'. For 'he comes as a judge, yes, but a judge who caresses, a judge who is full of tenderness' and 'does everything to save us'. God, he continued, 'judges with love, so much so that he sent his son, and John emphasises: not to judge but to save, not to condemn but to save'. Therefore "always God's judgement leads us to this hope of being saved".

Going deeper into his meditation, the Pope took as a reference the gospel of the day, in which Matthew (18:12-14) speaks of the good shepherd. This judge "who caresses" and who comes "to save", Francis said, has "the attitude of the shepherd: 'What do you think? If one of his sheep goes astray, will he not leave the 99 on the mountains and go and look for the one that has gone astray?"'. Even the Lord, when he comes, "does not say, 'But, I do the math and I lose one, 99.... Is reasonable...'. No, no. One is unique'. For the shepherd does not simply possess 99 sheep, but 'has one, one, one, one...': that is, 'each one is different'. And he "loves each one personally. He does not love the indistinct mass. No! He loves us by name, he loves us as we are'.

Following the thread of the analogy, the Pontiff explained that that lost sheep the shepherd "knew her well", she was not lost, she "knew the way well": she was lost "because her heart was lost, her heart was sick. She was blinded by something inside and, moved by that inner dissociation, she fled into the dark to let off steam'. But 'it was not a girlish act that she did.... She ran away: an escape precisely to get away from the Lord, to satiate that inner darkness that led her to the double life', to 'being in the flock and running away from the dark, in the dark'. And here is the consoling message: 'The Lord knows these things and he goes to look for her'.

It was at this point that Pope Francis introduced another element into his meditation: 'For me, the figure that most makes me understand the Lord's attitude with the lost sheep is the Lord's attitude with Judas. The most perfect lost sheep in the Gospel is Judas'. In fact, the Pontiff recalled, he is 'a man who always, always had something bitter in his heart, something to criticise about others, always in detachment': a man who did not know 'the sweetness of gratuitousness of living with all others'. And since this 'sheep' 'was not satisfied', he 'ran away'.

Judas, said the Pope, 'ran away because he was a thief', others 'are lustful' and likewise 'run away because there is that darkness in the heart that separates them from the flock'. We are faced with "that double life" that is "of so many Christians" and also - he added "with pain" - of "priests" and "bishops". After all, even 'Judas was a bishop, he was one of the first bishops...'.

So even Judas is a "lost sheep", Francis concluded, adding: "Poor guy! Poor this brother Judas as Don Mazzolari called him, in that very beautiful sermon: "Brother Judas, what is going on in your heart?"".

This is a reality to which even today's Christians are no strangers. Therefore 'we too must understand the lost sheep'. Indeed, the Pope emphasised, 'we too always have something, little or not so little, of the lost sheep'. We must therefore understand that 'it is not a mistake that the lost sheep has made: it is a sickness, it is a sickness that he had in his heart' and of which the devil takes advantage. Resuming the comparison used earlier, the Pontiff retraced the last moments of Judas' life: "when he went to the temple to lead a double life", when he gave "the kiss to the Lord in the garden", and then "the coins he received from the priests...". And he commented: 'it's not a mistake. He did it... He was in the dark! His heart was divided, dissociated. "Judas, Judas...". Therefore it can be said that he 'is the icon of the lost sheep'.

Jesus, "the shepherd, goes to find him: 'Do what you have to do, man', and kisses him". But Judas "does not understand". And in the end, when he realises "what his own double life has done in the community, the evil he has sown, with his inner darkness, which led him to always run away, looking for lights that were not the light of the Lord" but "artificial lights", like those of the "Christmas decorations", when he understands all this, in the end "he became desperate". And this is what happens 'if the lost sheep do not accept the Lord's caresses'.

But there is yet another level of depth to which the Pope's reflection descended. Pointing out that 'the Lord is good, even for these sheep' and 'never stops looking for them', he highlighted a word that we find in the Bible, 'a word that says that Judas hanged himself, hanged himself and "repented"'. And he commented: 'I believe that the Lord will take that word and bring it with him, I don't know, maybe, but that word makes us doubt'. Above all, he emphasised: "But what does that word mean? That until the end God's love was working in that soul, until the moment of despair'. And it is precisely this, he said, closing the circle of his reflection, 'the attitude of the good shepherd with the lost sheep'.

Here then is 'the proclamation' spoken of at the beginning of the homily, 'the happy proclamation that Christmas brings us and that asks us for this sincere rejoicing that changes the heart, that leads us to allow ourselves to be consoled by the Lord and not by the consolations that we go in search of to let off steam, to escape from reality, to escape from inner torture, from inner division'. The "glad tidings", the "sincere rejoicing", the "consolation", the "rejoicing in the Lord" spring from the fact that "the Lord comes with his power. And what is the power of the Lord? The caresses of the Lord!" It is like the good shepherd who "when he found the lost sheep, he did not insult it, no", on the contrary, he must have said to it: "But have you done so much wrong? Come, come...'. And similarly, "in the garden of olives" what did he say to the "lost sheep", Judas? He called him "friend. Always the caresses'.

Faced with all this, the Pope said at this point: 'Whoever does not know the caresses of the Lord does not know Christian doctrine. Whoever does not allow himself to be caressed by the Lord is lost'. And it is precisely "this is the glad tidings, this is the sincere exultation that we want today. This is the joy, this is the consolation we seek: that the Lord comes with his power, which are caresses, to find us, to save us, like the lost sheep, and to bring us into the flock of his Church'.

The conclusion was, as usual, a prayer: "May the Lord give us this grace, to wait for Christmas with our wounds, with our sins, sincerely acknowledged, to wait for the power of this God who comes to console us, who comes with power, but his power is tenderness, the caresses that are born from his heart, his heart so good that he gave his life for us."

[Pope Francis, St. Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano 07/12/2016]

The human race – every one of us – is the sheep lost in the desert which no longer knows the way. The Son of God will not let this happen; he cannot abandon humanity in so wretched a condition. He leaps to his feet and abandons the glory of heaven, in order to go in search of the sheep and pursue it, all the way to the Cross. He takes it upon his shoulders and carries our humanity; he carries us all – he is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. What the Pallium indicates first and foremost is that we are all carried by Christ. But at the same time it invites us to carry one another. Hence the Pallium becomes a symbol of the shepherd’s mission, of which the Second Reading and the Gospel speak. The pastor must be inspired by Christ’s holy zeal: for him it is not a matter of indifference that so many people are living in the desert. And there are so many kinds of desert. There is the desert of poverty, the desert of hunger and thirst, the desert of abandonment, of loneliness, of destroyed love. There is the desert of God’s darkness, the emptiness of souls no longer aware of their dignity or the goal of human life. The external deserts in the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast. Therefore the earth’s treasures no longer serve to build God’s garden for all to live in, but they have been made to serve the powers of exploitation and destruction. The Church as a whole and all her Pastors, like Christ, must set out to lead people out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, towards the One who gives us life, and life in abundance.

[Pope Benedict, homily at the beginning of the Petrine ministry 24 April 2005]

The Old Testament already usually speaks of God as the Shepherd of Israel, the people of the covenant, chosen by him to carry out the plan of salvation. Psalm 22 is a marvellous hymn to the Lord, the Shepherd of our soul:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; / he makes me lie down in green pastures, / he leads me beside still waters, / he restores my soul. / He leads me in paths of righteousness... / Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, / I fear no evil; / for thou art with me..." (Ps 22:1-3).

The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel often return to the subject of the people as "the Lord's flock": "Behold your God!... He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms..." (Is 40:11). Above all, they announce the Messiah as a Shepherd who will really feed his sheep and not let them go astray any more: "I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd..." (Ez 34: 23).

This sweet and moving figure of the shepherd is a familiar one in the Gospel. Even if times have changed owing to industrialization and urbanism, it always keeps its fascination and effectiveness; and we all remember the touching and poetic parable of the Good Shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep (Lk 15:3-7).

In the early times of the Church, Christian iconography used a great deal and developed this subject of the Good Shepherd, whose image often appears, painted or sculpted, in the catacombs, sarcophagi and baptismal fonts. This iconography, so interesting and reverent, testifies to us that, right from the early times of the Church, Jesus "the Good Shepherd" struck and moved the hearts of believers and non-believers, and was a cause of conversion, spiritual commitment and comfort. Well, Jesus "the Good Shepherd" is still alive and true today in our midst, in the midst of the whole of mankind, and he wants to let each of us hear his voice and feel his love.

1) What does it mean to be the Good Shepherd?

Jesus explains it to us with convincing clearness.

— The shepherd knows his sheep and the sheep know him. How wonderful and consoling it is to know that Jesus knows us one by one; that for him we are not anonymous persons; that our name—that name which is agreed upon by loving parents and friends—is known to him! For Jesus we are not a "mass", a "multitude"! We are individual "persons" with an eternal value, both as creatures and as re-deemed persons! He knows us! He knows me, and loves me and gave himself for me! (Gal 2:20).

[...]

(Pope John Paul II, homily 6 May 1979)

We are all familiar with the image of the Good Shepherd with the little lost lamb on his shoulders. This icon has always been an expression of Jesus’ care for sinners and of the mercy of God who never resigns himself to the loss of anyone. The parable is told by Jesus to make us understand that his closeness to sinners should not scandalize us, but on the contrary it should call us all to serious reflection on how we live our faith. The narrative sees, on the one hand, the sinners who approach Jesus in order to listen to him and, on the other, the suspicious doctors of the law and scribes who move away from him because of his behaviour. They move away because Jesus approaches the sinners. These men were proud, arrogant, believed themselves to be just. 

Our parable unfolds around three characters: the shepherd, the lost sheep and the rest of the flock. The one who acts, however, is only the shepherd not the sheep. The Shepherd, then, is the only real protagonist and everything depends on him. The parable opens with a question: “"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it?” (Lk 15:4). It is a paradox that arouses doubt about the action of the Shepherd: is it wise to abandon the ninety-nine for one single sheep? And what’s more, not in the safety of a pen but in the desert? According to biblical tradition, the desert is a place of death where it is hard to find food and water, shelterless and where one is at the mercy of wild beasts and thieves. What are the ninety-nine defenseless sheep supposed to do? The paradox continues, in any case, saying that the shepherd, having found the sheep, “lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me’” (15:5-6). It seems then that the shepherd didn’t go back to the desert to recover the rest of the flock! Reaching out to that single sheep he seems to forget the other ninety-nine. But it’s not like that really. The lesson that Jesus wants us to learn is, rather, that not a single one of us can be lost. The Lord cannot accept the fact that a single person can be lost. God’s action is that of one who goes out seeking his lost children and then rejoices and celebrates with everyone at their recovery. It is a burning desire: not even ninety-nine sheep could stop the shepherd and keep him enclosed in the fold. He might reason like this: “Let me do the sum: If I have ninety-nine of them, I have lost one, but that’s no great loss”. Nevertheless, he goes looking for that one, because every one is very important to him and that one is in the most need, is the most abandoned, most discarded; and he goes to look for it. We are all warned: mercy to sinners is the style with which God acts and to this mercy he is absolutely faithful: nothing and no one can distract him from his saving will. God does not share our current throw-away culture; it doesn’t count to God. God throws no one away; God loves everyone, looks for everyone: one by one! He doesn’t know what “throwing people away” means, because he is entirely love, entirely mercy. 

The Lord’s flock is always on the move: it does not possess the Lord, it cannot hope to imprison him in its structures and strategies. The Shepherd will be found wherever the lost sheep is. The Lord, then, should be sought precisely where he wants to find us, not where we presume to find him! There is no other way to reassemble the flock except by following the path outlined by the mercy of the shepherd. While he is looking for the lost sheep, he challenges the ninety-nine to participate in the reunification of the flock. Then, not only the lamb on his shoulders, but the whole flock will follow the shepherd to his home to celebrate with “friends and neighbours”.

We should reflect on this parable often, for in the Christian community there is always someone who is missing and if that person is gone, a place is left empty. Sometimes this is daunting and leads us to believe that a loss is inevitable, like an incurable disease. That is how we run the risk of shutting ourselves in the pen, where there won’t be the odour of the sheep but the stench of enclosure! And Christians? We must not be closed in or we will smell like stale things. Never! We need to go forth, not close in on ourselves, in our little communities, in the parish, holding ourselves to be “righteous”. This happens when there is a lack of the missionary zeal that leads us to encounter others. In Jesus’ vision there are no sheep that are definitively lost, but only sheep that must be found again. We need to understand this well: to God no one is definitively lost. Never! To the last moment, God is searching for us. Think of the good thief; only in the eyes of Jesus no one is definitively lost. For his perspective if entirely dynamic, open, challenging and creative. It urges us to go forth in search of a path to brotherhood. No distance can keep the shepherd away; and no flock can renounce a brother. To find the one who is lost is the joy of the shepherd and of God, but it is also the joy of the flock as a whole! We are all sheep who have been retrieved and brought back by the mercy of the Lord, and we are called to gather the whole flock to the Lord! 

[Pope Francis, General Audience 4 May 2016]

In the Annunciation

(Gen 3:9-15.20; Lk 1:26-38)

A great theologian of the Mystical Body wrote: «At dawn there is a wonderful moment: the one that immediately precedes the sunrise [...] the light has been growing, slowly at the beginning, then faster» (É. Mersch).

The ecclesial Faith announces and transmits in Mary ‘Most Holy’ a specific style, a Faith and Hope well denoted in Scripture.

She prorupting and freed, not alienated; independent of “night”, not embarrassed.

Capable of passing from the God of fathers to the Father. Son’s God.

Dawn after dawn, story after story, genesis after genesis, moving house after moving, she lived decisively a kind of ‘spirituality of the rising dawn’. And confidence over time.

When a question mark was coming, she realized it was time to ask herself and give answers.

She sensed the Opportunity to rise again: all Fruitful and without losing motivation, thanks to a paradoxical Alliance, with the limits and emotional burdens.

When a labor broke in, she understood that those waves invaded life not to destroy, but to move a sea of reflows, perhaps still too calm.

She didn’t dream of stemting or blocking that tide. She internalized the restlessness of doubts as a great moment of life.

A Happiness that came from innovation. Like a Presence.

Instead of feeling constrained, she paused on every case, to ask herself: «What do I still have to learn, from this?».

Perhaps she understood that inside her usual figure there was a woman capable of transgression - in the sense of feeling called to overturn all the ancient and artificial that didn’t correspond to her.

This is how she began, by accepting the Invitation: by housing in herself and give space to an unnameable Eternal, believed to be absolutely transcendent and never to be mixed with the flesh!

Not just a sacrilege, but heresy. Yet in the Mother of God the paradoxical heterodoxy comes as it were swept beyond.

His spirituality was cleared of the real great "stain": the inability to correspond to the personal Announcement.

«Too bad! Such a pity» «Sin! What a shame!» - it is precisely said of a lost opportunity: it’s the decrease of Uniqueness that we are in.

Pearl that every day could yield its uniqueness to the normalizing and sliced outline of common opinion, narrowing the space, the vital wave.

The divine call of every moment directed elsewhere Mary’s dreams and her innate knowledge - antechamber of trust.

In the Covenant of Root and Seed, decisions were not and did not remain poor: without brain burdens the Mother of God went directly to new possibilities, and to the end.

In this form she lived and weaved a sort of «spirituality of the rising sun». Recall of every moment, in the joy of changing herself and things; or in the happiness of living them like this - even by leaving everything.

While growing up, she did not age of uncertainties, because she tuned her destiny forward - saying Yes to what it faced - and instinctively even today we consider her Young.

She knew how to be with the contradictions of the environment subject to the ancient devotion, and with the unexpected waves, as with the eccentricity of the Son.

Mary cared for Him by being ‘present’, in simple everyday gestures. She relied only on the happy energy that surfaced all moments, and inhabited her.

She immersed herself in the minimal expressions of gestures with her gaze on the now, for a clear action.

Inadequate to the miracle but herself, while working thoroughly, she did not squeeze to the bone, like a torn-up person on her last legs - because she was able to get back into play. This is why she knew the dialogue with the most feared and suffered feeling: loneliness.

But even in the dark she regenerated, welcoming and coming out of it by strengthening the germs of change - feeding in the soul a sort of magical garden.

Always off track, the Immaculate has overcome all prejudices.

[Immaculate Conception, December 8]

In the Annunciation

(Gen 3:9-15.20; Lk 1:26-38)

A great theologian of the Mystical Body wrote: "At dawn there is a stupendous moment: that which immediately precedes the rising of the sun [...] the light has been growing, slowly at first, then more quickly" (É. Mersch, vol.I).

The ecclesial Faith announces and transmits in the all holy Mary a specific style, Faith and Hope, well denoted in Scripture.

Prorompent and enfranchised, not alienated; independent of 'night', not embarrassed.

Able to move from the God of the fathers to the Father. God of the Son.

The reassuring tradition of the feeble, almost dreamy Mother has its own considerable strength - it must be admitted: the intention to represent the nobility of a creature in balance.

Yet in the Gospels she is characterised by a surprising emancipation.

Even so, Mary remains an icon of the praying and authentic People, of the soul bride, of the friendly Church.

Relational, generous person and community, qualified by a dignity in the Spirit that is not exclusive, but at hand, personalising.

Dawn after dawn, affair after affair, genesis after genesis, move after move, he lived decisively - instant by instant - a kind of 'spirituality of the dawning dawn'. And trust in time.

This was his veracious and reflective (rather than withdrawn and pensive) foothold.

Despite the alarms, toils and dangers, strangely for us, she did not develop a sense of emptiness, nor did she allow herself to be conditioned or appalled by the perception of being watched and judged.

When a question mark came, she understood that it was time to ask and give answers.

She sensed the Opportunity to rise again: all Blind and without losing motivation, thanks to a paradoxical Alliance with emotional limits and burdens.

When labour broke through, she understood that those waves invaded life not to destroy, but to stir up a sea of ebbs that was perhaps still too calm.

In this way, she overlooked both the issues and the stasis: they would anchor her to the usual form of being and thinking - to the rushed, identified world, without imagination (and therefore more insecure).

She did not dream of stemming or blocking the tide, the Newness, the vital energy of Providence, even though the Calling by Name burst forth in a violent manner. To raise it to a new Easter.

She internalised the restlessness of doubts as a great moment of life, an incarnated Call that reminded her that there is Other.

She read her anxieties, welcoming and interpreting them, in order to overcome them.

In such an approach to events, the Virgin regenerated - and within her a subtle joy arose; that of the all beautiful dawn that rises.

First glow of a rising sun.

A Happiness hers that came from innovation. Like a Presence.

Secret side that makes creatures' lives take off, and fly over the issues that bridle the soul.

Instead of feeling constrained, she paused over each case, to ask herself: "What more do I have to learn, from this?".

In this way she was able to focus her days not on projects, but on the qualities and predispositions, even of family members - spending them well.

Perhaps she understood that within her usual figure was a woman capable of religious transgression - in the sense of feeling called to overturn all the old and artificial that did not correspond to her.

So she began, accepting the Invitation: to house within herself and give space to an Eternal then imagined unnameable, believed to be absolutely transcendent and that would never mix with the flesh!

Not just a sacrilege, but total heresy. But in the Mother of God the paradoxical heterodoxy [all our own and horizontal] is as if swept aside.

Her spirituality was cleared of the truly great 'stain': the inability to correspond to the personal Annunciation.

"Sin" - it is said of a missed opportunity: it is the flexing of the Oneness that we are within.

A pearl that every day can surrender its exceptionality to the normalising and slicing contour of common opinion, shrinking the space, the vital wave.

The divine call of each moment directed Mary's dreams and her innate knowledge elsewhere - the antechamber of trust.

In the Covenant of Root and Seed, decisions were not and did not remain poor: without cerebral burdens, the Mother of God went directly to new possibilities, and to the end.

In this Form she lived and wove a kind of "spirituality of the rising sun". She called for every moment, in the joy of changing herself and things; that is, in the happiness of living them that way - even of leaving everything behind.

Even as she grew up, she did not grow old with uncertainties, because she tuned her destiny forward - saying Yes to whatever came her way - and instinctively, even today, we consider her Young.

She knew how to be with the contradictions of the environment subject to the ancient devotion, and with the unexpected storms, as with the eccentricity of her Son. 

He cared for it by being 'present', in simple everyday gestures. He relied only on the happy energy that surfaced every moment, and inhabited it.

She immersed herself in the minimal expressions of gestures with her gaze on the now, for clear action.

Inadequate to the miracle but herself, occupying herself did not exhaust - because she was capable of putting herself back into play. That is why she knew the dialogue with the most feared and suffered feeling: loneliness.

But even in the darkness she regenerated, welcoming it and coming out of it reinforcing the germs of change - nurturing a kind of magic garden in the soul.

Always off the rails, Immaculata overcame all prejudices.

Annunciation: how to enter the realm of the soul

From Religion to Faith, from barren to Beloved

The solemnity of the moment that restores the soul to the Mystery invites a wave upon wave: from the religion of the Temple to the domestic and personal Faith.

From the outside to within ourselves. From the models to the prophecy of the innate. Unique promise, more subtle condition.

Faith-faith - that of Mother - which shows the freedom and beauty of the new orientations, in the progression of the inner image-guides.

Covenant no longer for what is already known.

Her Covenant is all in the Openness to the Inexplicable that inhabits us. Intimate Eternal, which can now concretise the hope and journey of peoples. A turning point of authenticity, growing.

If the virgins of the heart make no demands, the Calling by Name (from our own fibres) uncovers the incapable and barren soul.

Ad coeli Reginam: Silent Echo... such an invisible nucleus-Vocation makes one wince. And with spontaneous virtue introduces the spirit into the fruitful synergy of God himself.

Spousal trust that reknots the threads of Salvation history: and contrasts with the broad road of alliances with people 'who matter'.

In the interweaving of the fruitful Initiative and our welcoming into our bosom, the Handmaid is an icon of each one's waiting and journey - where what remains decisive is not the usual, predictable desire.

A vibrant call that is prolonged in history, in a kind of unfolded and continuous Incarnation, thanks to the collaboration of distant, shaky and insignificant servants, like Mary.

Also ours, despite still being filled with normal expectations.

To internalise and live the message:

Which Words open us up to life in the Spirit and challenge the expected path?

What is our still in-between, unencountered zone?

How to realise the invisible Seed

Says the Tao Tê Ching (LXI): "The great realm that is held below, is the confluence of the world; it is the female of the world. The female always conquers the male with stillness, for she cheerfully submits to it. Therefore, the great realm that is below the little realm, attracts the little realm; the little realm that is below the great realm, attracts the great realm: the one lowers to attract, the other attracts because it is low. Let not the great kingdom exceed, lusting to feed and to unite others; let not the small kingdom exceed, lusting to be accepted and to serve others. That each one may obtain what he covets, the great should keep low.