1. At the source of your deepest aspirations

In every period of history, including our own, many young people experience a deep desire for personal relationships marked by truth and solidarity. Many of them yearn to build authentic friendships, to know true love, to start a family that will remain united, to achieve personal fulfilment and real security, all of which are the guarantee of a serene and happy future. In thinking of my own youth, I realize that stability and security are not the questions that most occupy the minds of young people. True enough, it is important to have a job and thus to have firm ground beneath our feet, yet the years of our youth are also a time when we are seeking to get the most out of life. When I think back on that time, I remember above all that we were not willing to settle for a conventional middle-class life. We wanted something great, something new. We wanted to discover life itself, in all its grandeur and beauty. Naturally, part of that was due to the times we lived in. During the Nazi dictatorship and the war, we were, so to speak, “hemmed in” by the dominant power structure. So we wanted to break out into the open, to experience the whole range of human possibilities. I think that, to some extent, this urge to break out of the ordinary is present in every generation. Part of being young is desiring something beyond everyday life and a secure job, a yearning for something really truly greater. Is this simply an empty dream that fades away as we become older? No! Men and women were created for something great, for infinity. Nothing else will ever be enough. Saint Augustine was right when he said “our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you”. The desire for a more meaningful life is a sign that God created us and that we bear his “imprint”. God is life, and that is why every creature reaches out towards life. Because human beings are made in the image of God, we do this in a unique and special way. We reach out for love, joy and peace. So we can see how absurd it is to think that we can truly live by removing God from the picture! God is the source of life. To set God aside is to separate ourselves from that source and, inevitably, to deprive ourselves of fulfilment and joy: “without the Creator, the creature fades into nothingness” (Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes, 36). In some parts of the world, particularly in the West, today’s culture tends to exclude God, and to consider faith a purely private issue with no relevance for the life of society. Even though the set of values underpinning society comes from the Gospel – values like the sense of the dignity of the person, of solidarity, of work and of the family –, we see a certain “eclipse of God” taking place, a kind of amnesia which, albeit not an outright rejection of Christianity, is nonetheless a denial of the treasure of our faith, a denial that could lead to the loss of our deepest identity.

For this reason, dear friends, I encourage you to strengthen your faith in God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are the future of society and of the Church! As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians of Colossae, it is vital to have roots, a solid foundation! This is particularly true today. Many people have no stable points of reference on which to build their lives, and so they end up deeply insecure. There is a growing mentality of relativism, which holds that everything is equally valid, that truth and absolute points of reference do not exist. But this way of thinking does not lead to true freedom, but rather to instability, confusion and blind conformity to the fads of the moment. As young people, you are entitled to receive from previous generations solid points of reference to help you to make choices and on which to build your lives: like a young plant which needs solid support until it can sink deep roots and become a sturdy tree capable of bearing fruit.

2. Planted and built up in Jesus Christ

In order to highlight the importance of faith in the lives of believers, I would like to reflect with you on each of the three terms used by Saint Paul in the expression: “Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith” (cf. Col 2:7). We can distinguish three images: “planted” calls to mind a tree and the roots that feed it; “built up” refers to the construction of a house; “firm” indicates growth in physical or moral strength. These images are very eloquent. Before commenting on them, I would like to point out that grammatically all three terms in the original text are in the passive voice. This means that it is Christ himself who takes the initiative to plant, build up and confirm the faithful.

The first image is that of a tree which is firmly planted thanks to its roots, which keep it upright and give it nourishment. Without those roots, it would be blown away by the wind and would die. What are our roots? Naturally our parents, our families and the culture of our country are very important elements of our personal identity. But the Bible reveals a further element. The prophet Jeremiah wrote: “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit” (Jer 17:7-8). For the prophet, to send out roots means to put one’s trust in God. From him we draw our life. Without him, we cannot truly live. “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son” (1 Jn 5:11). Jesus himself tells us that he is our life (cf. Jn 14:6). Consequently, Christian faith is not only a matter of believing that certain things are true, but above all a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is an encounter with the Son of God that gives new energy to the whole of our existence. When we enter into a personal relationship with him, Christ reveals our true identity and, in friendship with him, our life grows towards complete fulfilment. There is a moment, when we are young, when each of us wonders: what meaning does my life have? What purpose and direction should I give to it? This is a very important moment, and it can worry us, perhaps for some time. We start wondering about the kind of work we should take up, the kind of relationships we should establish, the friendships we should cultivate... Here, once more, I think of my own youth. I was somehow aware quite early on that the Lord wanted me to be a priest. Then later, after the war, when I was in the seminary and at university on the way towards that goal, I had to recapture that certainty. I had to ask myself: is this really the path I was meant to take? Is this really God’s will for me? Will I be able to remain faithful to him and completely at his service? A decision like this demands a certain struggle. It cannot be otherwise. But then came the certainty: this is the right thing! Yes, the Lord wants me, and he will give me strength. If I listen to him and walk with him, I become truly myself. What counts is not the fulfilment of my desires, but of his will. In this way life becomes authentic.

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

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

3. Firm in the faith 

You are “planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith” (cf. Col 2:7). The Letter from which these words are taken was written by Saint Paul in order to respond to a specific need of the Christians in the city of Colossae. That community was threatened by the influence of certain cultural trends that were turning the faithful away from the Gospel. Our own cultural context, dear young people, is not unlike that of the ancient Colossians. Indeed, there is a strong current of secularist thought that aims to make God marginal in the lives of people and society by proposing and attempting to create a “paradise” without him. Yet experience tells us that a world without God becomes a “hell”: filled with selfishness, broken families, hatred between individuals and nations, and a great deficit of love, joy and hope. On the other hand, wherever individuals and nations accept God’s presence, worship him in truth and listen to his voice, then the civilization of love is being built, a civilization in which the dignity of all is respected, and communion increases, with all its benefits. Yet some Christians allow themselves to be seduced by secularism or attracted by religious currents that draw them away from faith in Jesus Christ. There are others who, while not yielding to these enticements, have simply allowed their faith to grow cold, with inevitable negative effects on their moral lives.

To those Christians influenced by ideas alien to the Gospel the Apostle Paul spoke of the power of Christ’s death and resurrection. This mystery is the foundation of our lives and the centre of Christian faith. All philosophies that disregard it and consider it “foolishness” (1 Cor 1:23) reveal their limitations with respect to the great questions deep in the hearts of human beings. As the Successor of the Apostle Peter, I too want to confirm you in the faith (cf. Lk 22:32). We firmly believe that Jesus Christ offered himself on the Cross in order to give us his love. In his passion, he bore our sufferings, took upon himself our sins, obtained forgiveness for us and reconciled us with God the Father, opening for us the way to eternal life. Thus we were freed from the thing that most encumbers our lives: the slavery of sin. We can love everyone, even our enemies, and we can share this love with the poorest of our brothers and sisters and all those in difficulty.

Dear friends, the Cross often frightens us because it seems to be a denial of life. In fact, the opposite is true! It is God’s “yes” to mankind, the supreme expression of his love and the source from which eternal life flows. Indeed, it is from Jesus’ heart, pierced on the Cross, that this divine life streamed forth, ever accessible to those who raise their eyes towards the Crucified One. I can only urge you, then, to embrace the Cross of Jesus, the sign of God’s love, as the source of new life. Apart from Jesus Christ risen from the dead, there can be no salvation! He alone can free the world from evil and bring about the growth of the Kingdom of justice, peace and love to which we all aspire.

4. Believing in Jesus Christ without having seen him

In the Gospel we find a description of the Apostle Thomas’s experience of faith when he accepted the mystery of the Cross and resurrection of Christ. Thomas was one of the twelve Apostles. He followed Jesus and was an eyewitness of his healings and miracles. He listened to his words, and he experienced dismay at Jesus’ death. That Easter evening when the Lord appeared to the disciples, Thomas was not present. When he was told that Jesus was alive and had shown himself, Thomas stated: “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe” (Jn 20:25).

We too want to be able to see Jesus, to speak with him and to feel his presence even more powerfully. For many people today, it has become difficult to approach Jesus. There are so many images of Jesus in circulation which, while claiming to be scientific, detract from his greatness and the uniqueness of his person. That is why, after many years of study and reflection, I thought of sharing something of my own personal encounter with Jesus by writing a book. It was a way to help others see, hear and touch the Lord in whom God came to us in order to make himself known. Jesus himself, when he appeared again to his disciples a week later, said to Thomas: “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe” (Jn 20:27). We too can have tangible contact with Jesus and put our hand, so to speak, upon the signs of his Passion, the signs of his love. It is in the sacraments that he draws particularly near to us and gives himself to us. Dear young people, learn to “see” and to “meet” Jesus in the Eucharist, where he is present and close to us, and even becomes food for our journey. In the sacrament of Penance the Lord reveals his mercy and always grants us his forgiveness. Recognize and serve Jesus in the poor, the sick, and in our brothers and sisters who are in difficulty and in need of help.

Enter into a personal dialogue with Jesus Christ and cultivate it in faith. Get to know him better by reading the Gospels and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Converse with him in prayer, and place your trust in him. He will never betray that trust! “Faith is first of all a personal adherence of man to God. At the same time, and inseparably, it is a free assent to the whole truth that God has revealed” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 150). Thus you will acquire a mature and solid faith, one which will not be based simply on religious sentiment or on a vague memory of the catechism you studied as a child. You will come to know God and to live authentically in union with him, like the Apostle Thomas who showed his firm faith in Jesus in the words: “My Lord and my God!”.

5. Sustained by the faith of the Church, in order to be witnesses

Jesus said to Thomas: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe” (Jn 20:29). He was thinking of the path the Church was to follow, based on the faith of eyewitnesses: the Apostles. Thus we come to see that our personal faith in Christ, which comes into being through dialogue with him, is bound to the faith of the Church. We do not believe as isolated individuals, but rather, through Baptism, we are members of this great family; it is the faith professed by the Church which reinforces our personal faith. The Creed that we proclaim at Sunday Mass protects us from the danger of believing in a God other than the one revealed by Christ: “Each believer is thus a link in the great chain of believers. I cannot believe without being carried by the faith of others, and by my faith I help support others in the faith” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 166). Let us always thank the Lord for the gift of the Church, for the Church helps us to advance securely in the faith that gives us true life (cf. Jn 20:31).

In the history of the Church, the saints and the martyrs have always drawn from the glorious Cross of Christ the strength to be faithful to God even to the point of offering their own lives. In faith they found the strength to overcome their weaknesses and to prevail over every adversity. Indeed, as the Apostle John says, “Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 Jn 5:5). The victory born of faith is that of love. There have been, and still are, many Christians who are living witnesses of the power of faith that is expressed in charity. They have been peacemakers, promoters of justice and workers for a more humane world, a world in accordance with God’s plan. With competence and professionalism, they have been committed in different sectors of the life of society, contributing effectively to the welfare of all. The charity that comes from faith led them to offer concrete witness by their actions and words. Christ is not a treasure meant for us alone; he is the most precious treasure we have, one that is meant to be shared with others. In our age of globalization, be witnesses of Christian hope all over the world. How many people long to receive this hope! Standing before the tomb of his friend Lazarus, who had died four days earlier, as he was about to call the dead man back to life, Jesus said to Lazarus’ sister Martha: “If you believe, you will see the glory of God” (cf. Jn 11:40). In the same way, if you believe, and if you are able to live out your faith and bear witness to it every day, you will become a means of helping other young people like yourselves to find the meaning and joy of life, which is born of an encounter with Christ!

[Pope Benedict, Message for the 26th World Youth Day, 2011]

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

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

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

Base your life 'on the rock of God' and on the 'concreteness' of action and self-giving, rather than 'on appearances or vanity' or on the corrupt culture of 'recommendations'. This is the advice that Pope Francis suggested — during Mass celebrated at Santa Marta on Thursday 6 December — in order to live the Advent season consistently.

These are simple yet demanding guidelines that the Pontiff drew from the readings of the day, in which three significant groups of contrasting words are found: 'saying and doing', 'sand and rock', 'high and low'.

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

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

This is the contrast between doing and saying. It is necessary to highlight this because "so often we slip, not only personally but socially, into the culture of saying". In this regard, Francis pointed to a practice that is unfortunately widespread, that linked to the "culture of recommendations". It happens, for example, that for a university competition, "someone who has almost no merits" is chosen over many talented professors; "and if you ask, 'But why this one? What about the others who are talented...?' - 'Because this one was recommended by a cardinal, you know... the big fish...'". The Pope commented: 'I don't want to think badly, but under the table of a recommendation there is always an envelope'. This is just one example of the prevalence of 'saying': 'it's not merit, it's not doing what gets you ahead, no: it's saying. Faking your life." And this is precisely "one of the contradictions that today's liturgy teaches us: do, don't say." In fact, the Pope explained, concluding this first part of his reflection, "Jesus advises" us to "do without saying: when you give alms, when you pray... in secret, without saying so. Do, don't say."

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

This is a contrast closely linked to that between saying and doing, because "so often, those who trust in the Lord do not appear, are not successful, are hidden... but they are steadfast. They do not place their hope in words, in vanity, in pride, in the ephemeral powers of life," but entrust themselves to the Lord, "the rock." Francis explained: "The concreteness of Christian life makes us move forward and build on that rock that is God, that is Jesus; on the solidity of divinity. Not on appearances or vanity, pride, recommendations... No. The truth."

Finally, the "third group," where the concepts of "high and low" are confronted. Once again, the passage from Isaiah guides our meditation: "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is an eternal rock, for he has brought down those who dwelt on high, he has overturned the lofty city, he has overturned it to the ground, he has levelled it to the ground. Feet trample it down: the feet of the oppressed, the steps of the poor." It is a passage, the Pontiff pointed out, that recalls the "song of Our Lady, the Magnificat: the Lord lifts up the humble, those who are in the reality of everyday life, and brings down the proud, those who have built their lives on vanity, pride... these do not last." And the expression, Francis emphasised, "is very strong, even in the Magnificat the word 'overthrown' is used, and even stronger: that great beautiful city is trampled underfoot. By whom? By the feet of the oppressed and the steps of the poor." That is, the Lord "exalts the poor, exalts the humble."

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

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

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

(Lk 6:39-42)

«How much our human family needs to learn to live together in harmony and peace, without all of us having to be the same!» (Pope Francis FT n.100).

In the assemblies of the first centuries the baptized were called «enlightened», people capable of orienting themselves, choosing and making autonomous.

The Lord did not allow his followers to take on the role of "guides" in the life of others (v.39).

The apostles of all times must only announce and remain disciples, that is, pupils of the Spirit - not experts.

God's Way is Christ himself. Person that can’t be communicated by teachers.

Global Truth: it is not an “information” that fills empty heads and useless events redundant with exteriority.

The context of today's passage abolishes judgment, in the ideal of a ‘personal’ existence transformed into wealth and gift - which ridicules any tendency of domination.

No one is master of the fate and personality of those who do not orient themselves, otherwise everyone goes astray (v. 39) - even with the best of intentions.

Jesus himself neither commanded nor directed, but educated and helped.

The rabbis got paid: He offered everything, living with his disciples [for mutual identification, but with a wide mesh].

Transparent and creative attitude: this is the true and only norm of conduct for the apostles of all times, often unable to grasp their own blindness - because they are still one-sided.

Again, of a plant it’s not the size and appearance that count, but the Fruit (vv. 43-45).

All the more reason to re-emphasize that church animators are not superior to others, nor are they the repositories of absolute truths.

In fact, Jesus is incomparable: Master sui generis (v.40).

He does not have a classroom furnished with a Chair and desks. And he still teaches along the way: there introduces us to meet ourselves, our brothers and the surrounding reality; in a process, on a journey.

He doesn’t hold quiet glossary, compilation or moralistic lessons: He amazes.

He does not reinterpret the quagmire of archaic knowledge, customs and dispositions - or fashions - authentic «beams» (vv.41-42) poked into the free eye of the soul, which deform its gaze.

He proposes his Person and his Life. As well as his reproaches - but precisely those and not other [obvious] volatile as «motes» (vv.41-42).

This while the false teachers considered themselves friends of God and recipients of obvious recognition.

From how they behaved, they seemed to feel distinctly superior not only to the people, but to the Master himself (v.40).

So He dubbed them for what they are: «hypocrites» (v.42). In the Greek language it means actors, people who act.

Jesus warns his followers [who in words gladly call him Lord: v.46] against presuming to be captains of the troop.

There is only one Master who directs and knows where to go; and each person is ‘unique’ - perhaps inexperienced and believed to be blind, but who ‘sees’ better than the big names.

These, from their bad treasure, will bring out - just around the corner - the «ugly and corrupt» for others too (vv. 43-45; Greek text).

Instead, the man of Faith still experiences a new Beauty inside, which wants to express itself and remain at first hand - not be satisfied with tearing a "mediocre draw".

Worst of ditches (v.39) in which we fall together.

«We are absolutely lost if we lack this particular Individuality, the only thing we can truly say ours and whose loss also constitutes a loss for the whole world. It’s very precious, precisely because it is not universal» (Tagore).

[Friday 23th wk. in O.T.  September 12, 2025]

Jesus and the mania for ruling

Lk 6:39-42 (39-45)

"How much our human family needs to learn to live together in harmony and peace without all being equal!" (Pope Francis FT no.100).

To live fraternally and wisely, it is not enough to be together in twos, threes, tens or more: we could be like so many blind people who do not know how to dwell with themselves.

In such a case, relationship life becomes outward and can become empty - just full of judgement: taxing, obstinate and pedestrian.

Then resentment arises within, at being forced into a manic space that does not correspond to us.

The inevitable malaise begins to decline if and when the very person who co-ordinates the group or the company lives its being close with extreme modesty, with a sense of its own boundaries.

The Way of the Spirit is in fact a vocational initiative-response to the need for authentic guidance.

Authentic pastors only help when they question themselves before others, when they do not remain entangled in an exercise of vacuous indoctrination and moralism that exacerbates souls and irritates.

Thus, the inner Friend who infallibly leads souls is indeed meant to be reflected in the 'teachers' - but to the extent that they introduce us to encounter ourselves and the wisdom of Scripture (more willingly than to indulge in our own megalomaniac pursuits).

Commenting on the Tao xxix, Master Ho-shang Kung points out (of those who want to be rulers of the world):

"He wants to rule creatures by action. In my opinion he will not succeed, for the Way of Heaven and the hearts of men are clear.

The Way of Heaven [Perfection of Harmony] detests confusion [concerning one's own nature, spontaneously expressed] and impurity [artifice], the human heart detests too many lusts.

The ancient chosen people found themselves hard of heart, lost and without a horizon, because they were misguided by fiscal and earthy religious leaders.

Their obtrusive and contrived blindness was the concrete downfall of the destiny and quality of life of the entire nation.

Jesus appeals to the apostles so that his assemblies of the naive, humble and bewildered would not come to the same end - because of a lack of righteousness on the part of community leaders.

The latter - if inebriated with self-satisfaction - sometimes instead of humanising, promoting and cheering up the existence of the common people, willingly suffocate it with minutiae and deviate towards nothingness.

The Lord absolutely does not want the animators of his fraternities to allow themselves the luxury of making themselves superior to others and masters of the truth. Gospel truth is not something one has, but something one does.

The Master is not one who gives lessons: he accompanies his students and lives with them; he does not limit himself to manners.

He does not teach various subjects, etiquette, mannerisms, good manners: rather, he transmits the living and global Person of Christ - even that without etiquette - not depersonalising the disciple.

In short, the Risen One is not just an example to be imitated, a model that makes one take on commitments and minutiae, a founder of an institute, of a targeted ideology, or of religion (grammar, doctrine, style and discipline).

In Jesus we are called to identify ourselves - not 'by ear', nor by copying. Faith itself is a multifaceted relationship.

It impels us to reinterpret Christ in a new way; each of us in correlation with the history of life, new situations, events, cultural emergencies, sensitivities, the genius of the time.

It is the direct and personal experience of the Father as advocated by the Son. Conquest that upsets puerile, worldly or customary measures.

Scarcity and appropriation that allows us to recklessly grasp ourselves already redeemed, to pass from darkness to light without conditions or hammering.

That of the Lord is Light, fruit of the unprecedented and strong Action of the Spirit.

Intuition of the signs and Virtue that overcomes the disorientation of every misguided, if captive of opinions, petty things, solitary selfishness and otherwise.

Unexpected energy that nevertheless comes into play even through the swampy situations it feels to react to; and becomes regenerating power, unexpected life (of the saved already here and now).

Christ also calls for an inventive attitude in presenting oneself to one's brother - without preconceived, asphyxiating, morbid or cerebral schemes and codicils; without perhaps, just to welcome. 

An openness that is almost impossible if community ministers remain distracted or are already calibrated - thus unnecessarily rigid towards others.

They would then remain punctilious, more impatient than the pagan God they still have in their bodies and heads.

All of us, freely restored, have indeed been called by Name: in a special way - and to guide our brothers and sisters on fundamental options. As expert guides of the soul and intensity of relationship.

Not commanders and rulers without the possibility of reciprocation: but bread, support, nourishment, a shining sign of the Lord, a prod in favour of the lives of others.Church leaders must be very special points of reference and hinges of whimsical, regenerating communion - from which the persistence and tolerance of a superior power of reciprocity shines through.

The eye of the believer in Christ remains limpid and luminous because he finds ingenious Friends who introduce him to confront and reflect himself not with external and induced models (by opinions or intentions), but with the Word.

Conditioned by the bombardment of the 'external society' or by trivial vested interests, the same spiritual guide can on the contrary lose creative discernment.

Thus the old man reattaches himself, bound by short-lived hopes; so many petty and negligible trifles - finally he becomes "blind" again.

The kingdom of darkness unfortunately includes not only myopic, farsighted or astigmatic people, but above all those who see 'far' (as they say) but not the people before their eyes.

More quick-witted and organised than others, they take matters into their own hands.

For a long time, things in their company seem pleasant, but as they have no deep roots, they ultimately ruin the fate of the unwell.

They organise events or festivals, instead of upgrading from within, and sing the authentic song of a full, happy life for all.

Beyond the faults of sight, beware also of the 'measure': we are not called upon to become good-natured and impeccable gentlemen, nor are we called upon to become slightly more circumspect and 'concrete' renunciates.

All these are already old failures, which do not look the present in the face and do not open up the future.

We have received as a Gift the Mission to build the world in the Risen One, who unleashes power and divine sparkle: radically new heavens and a radically new earth, even in our searches.

Let alone dwell on the "straws".

In short, by grace, guidance, propulsive orientation and action, the genuine Action of vital Providence moves us away from the lordship of ancient superstructures ["beams" in the eye].

With such personal baggage, one can also become a companion to a humanity that is no longer alienated, but enabled to breathe beyond the usual fervoursome... that incite trifles.

Despite our shortcomings, guided and blessed by the great Master and his Word in the Spirit, it will be our desire for the fullness of life, broad and complete, that will not make us lose sight of our sacred Oneness in the world.

Beams and Straw, Mole and Fruit

The encyclical Fratelli Tutti invites us to a prospective gaze, which provokes decision and action: a new eye, filled with Hope.

It "speaks to us of a reality that is rooted in the depths of the human being, regardless of the concrete circumstances and historical conditioning in which he lives. It speaks to us of a thirst, of an aspiration, of a yearning for fullness, for a fulfilled life, of a measuring oneself against what is great, against what fills the heart and lifts the spirit towards great things, such as truth, goodness and beauty, justice and love. [...] Hope is bold, it knows how to look beyond personal comfort, the small securities and compensations that narrow the horizon, to open up to great ideals that make life more beautiful and dignified" (n.55; from a greeting to young people in Havana, September 2015).

In the assemblies of the first centuries, the baptised were said to be enlightened, people able to orient themselves, choose and become autonomous.

The Lord did not allow his own to boast of their role as guides in the lives of others, which they could easily undermine (v.39).

He therefore did not empower anyone to teach (cf. Greek text of the Gospels, passim) in or outside the community.

Apostles of all times are only to proclaim and remain disciples, i.e. pupils of the Spirit - not to be dictators and experts.

The way of God is Christ himself. It cannot be communicated by teachers: it is not something to be filled with empty heads and useless events, to be filled with plateful externals.

The context of today's passage abolishes judgement, in the ideal of a personal existence transformed into wealth and gift - which ridicules every tendency towards domination.

No one is master of the fate and personality of those who do not direct themselves, otherwise - even with the best of intentions - they all go astray (v.39).

Jesus himself did not command or direct, but educated and helped. The rabbis charged: He offered everything, living with His own (for a reciprocal identification, but with a wide net).

A transparent and creative attitude: this was the true and only rule of conduct for the apostles of all times - often unable to grasp their own great blindness (because they were still one-sided).

Then, of a plant it is not the size and appearance that counts, but the fruit (vv.43-45). All the more reason to re-emphasise that church leaders are not superior to others, nor are they repositories of absolute truths.

In fact, Jesus is incomparable: Master sui generis (v.40).

He does not have a classroom furnished with a desk and pews. And he still teaches along the way: there he introduces us to meet ourselves, our brothers and sisters, and the surrounding reality (in a process, on a journey).

He does not give quiet, compilatory or moralistic lectures: he amazes.

He does not reinterpret the quagmire of knowledge, customs and archaic dispositions - authentic beams (vv.41-42) poked into the free eye of the soul, which distort its gaze.

He proposes his Person and his Life. As well as his reproaches - but precisely those and not others (discounted) volatile as straws (vv.41-42).

For the Lord, good character is not a matter of character (submissive, as it has been understood for centuries): it is only in openness to the mission, which gradually expands everyone's life, and prospects.

In this way, Jesus did not give saccharine or pill-box lessons, nor did he propose models to follow; however, some have claimed to do so in his name. The result today is a fine mess.

The Lord's authentic teaching makes room, upsets the cathedrats, overturns normal expectations.

So it is precisely his 'experts' who risk acting as stragglers and blind guides. Unfortunately, they risk ruining the lives of others.

We see in these times how dangerous it is to lose the light of the Gospel.

After a first choice, it is precisely those who consider themselves elected who degrade the ecclesial atmosphere.

The sense of supremacy and haughtiness, as well as the "dollar and bullion" entourage, bring with them every vice.

This is while false teachers consider themselves friends of God and recipients of obvious recognition.

From the way they posture, they still seem to feel clearly superior not only to the people, but to the Master himself (v.40).

In order not to question themselves, they project their own unexpressed imbalances and condemn others - all those who do not want to silence the great questions of meaning - as 'enemies'.

They try by any means, even illicit ones, to impose their own convictions: ideas and ways of living that they first contest and do not even believe. A right that not even Jesus ever claimed.

Let us imagine the slavish "little monsters" (as Pope Francis says) who derive from these vain ones, evidently dreaming of inheriting their popularity, their wellbeing; comforts, servitude, trinkets, gold and palaces.

Even today, the Risen One brands them for what they are: "hypocrites" (v.42). In the Greek language it means thespians, people who act - of fine manners and bad habits.

Comedians deeply offended at having to fit in with others - and even feeling that 'they' are sent to call everyone to the wedding (Mt 22:8-9).

The constant demanding of the pretentious, fictional exclusivists has serious spiritual and pastoral implications.

Presumption, arrogance, and a sense of superiority shut out the perception of the inclinations and resources of believers and families - the engine of life's enthusiasm and the principle of incisiveness, exuberance, and pastoral turnover.

Jesus warns his own (who in words gladly call him 'Lord': v.46) against the boastfulness of acting as captains of the troop.

With the danger that while God puts forth gifts, his leaders will crush them one by one.

There is only one Master who guides and knows where to go; and only one person - perhaps inexperienced and thought to be blind, but who sees better than the super-achievers and the big names (super-Apostles with all the tail).

The calculating man calibrated by religion [doctrine-discipline customs] can easily sit still in his seats, with the fine screens behind which he imagines he is protecting himself, feeding himself and making judgments.

But from his recycled bad treasure he will pull out - just around the corner - the 'ugly and corrupt' for others too (vv.43-45; Greek text).

Instead, the man of Faith still feels a new Beauty within, who wants to express himself and remain first-hand - so he will never be an actor of others' parts, nor a director or protagonist of every turn.

Neither is he someone who - without self-respect or the Calling by Name - is content to submit his soul to fashionable or plagiarising agency actors, to whom he can snatch handouts or a 'mediocre draw'.

Worse than the ditches (v.39) into which one falls together.

Parallel to Mt:

Beams and straws: eliminating preconceptions

For a transparent coexistence

(Mt 7:1-5)

The Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7) lists catechesis on salient issues of life in the communities of Galilee and Syria - composed of Jews converted to Christ.

There was no shortage of episodes of contempt (even mutual) turned on especially by veterans accustomed to put newcomers on the threshold of the churches - for their model of life far from the recognised norm, or even for trifles.

But we are not judges, we are family men. And of course, in the final analysis it is precisely malice that sharpens the eye for the slightest faults of others: generally, external straws and shortcomings.This is while the same cunningness glosses over our own enormities - the very heavy plank that separates us not only from God and everyone, but even from ourselves, approaching the selfish and arrogant self.

"Theatrics" (v.5) are those who think big of themselves and always have the mania to look around in order to convince themselves that they can excel - without taking an attitude of regard towards the enigma of life, where instead burdens can turn into progress.

Looking objectively at ourselves and our personal growth - often triggered precisely by deviations from stereotypes or nomenclature - can make us benevolent. It can convince us of respect and even due deference to the more that surrounds us and calls to us.

Indeed, the legalism of plastered details leads to the neglect of the essential, in mutual love (cf. vv.3-5).

We know how hard it is to question ourselves, or to educate the very religious perfectionists to successive detachments from their accidental convictions, which have become as sclerotic as totems out of habit.

In short, by the 1870s, the awareness of the different family and serene relationship with God - and the new way of living his Law - was questioning believers and affecting their relationships with their brothers and sisters in the community.

After introducing both the new criteria of Greater Justice and the recovery of the principles of Creation, the evangelist suggests some essential hints for the internal quality of life of the fraternities.

The cultural background of the senior church members was fiercely legalistic. This background was not conducive to the freedom of mutual evaluations: living together needed to be more transparent.

Devout preconceptions seemed an insuperable boulder for the personalising life and mutual sharing according to the new logic of the Beatitudes [Mt 5:1-12: Self-portrait of Christ as an "open book" (with a spear)].

The cultural baggage linked to fulfilments, sense of duty and hierarchy, addictive lifestyle and old beliefs (which were struggling to be laid to rest) multiplied harsh judgements between generations and between varied cultural approaches.

To encourage communion, Mt wants to present a free and quiet Jesus - not a superman, nor an idol or model: on the contrary, a genuine Person; a Master not one-sided.

Indeed, he knew how to recover and wanted to enhance all individual sensitivities, to allow the expression of friendship and enrichment in every human reality.

Only his strong root in the relationship with the Father was to be a sacred example for each one, and an inviolable paragon for all, always.

This for a rich and global transparency, to be proposed to the disciples as well.

In this way, there was to be no adherence to particular beliefs, nor the repetition of the usual disciplines of perfection.

Nor were pious mass observances to be preferred, sometimes the first impediment to dialogue and the Exodus - in its various opulences.

Then life itself would providentially guide each one towards a specific testimony, which could itself create another opening (relevant to one's own character and vocation of soul).

In Palestine, the Lord had not shown Himself obsessive and one-sided, nor reduced to normal, verisimilar patterns - based on cultural codes, evaluative prudences, or moral and religious paradigms.

Trust in the Father and in the life to come gave the Master Jesus the certainty of being able to be totally open to situations and to each person - in whatever reality they found themselves disentangled.

A convivial openness to differences, so as not to block the gaps and the outcome of the Newness in the Spirit of the Beatitudes.

The unconditionality of Love always applies first and foremost to the disciple, the members of the same community, and the neighbour.

This is because we have been called to make our and everyone's existence exponential, not to dull it with preconceived notions and relative convictions.

We were created to love the exceptional truth of woman and man, not to extinguish uniqueness and make judgments about nonentities.

Let us accept Providence, ourselves and the other as we are: aware that there is a precious secret, a destiny of newness and a Mystery that surpasses us... behind every event, in each of our own intimate faces (sustained by the Father), or in the eccentric brother.

The ways of following that resonate deep in the heart are as varied as the people, the events, the rhythms commensurate with the soul, the ages.

They embrace the same Proposal - without losing the enduring Mystery or any connection in such multifacetedness.

Only here... Real World, Person, Nature and Eternity are allied.

"When the weaver raises one foot, the other lowers. When the movement ceases and one of the feet stops, the weaving stops. His hands throw the bobbin that passes from one to the other; but no hand can hope to hold it. Like the weaver's gestures, it is the union of opposites that weaves our lives' (Peul African Oral Tradition).

"We are absolutely lost if we lack this particular Individuality, the only thing we can truly call our own and whose loss is also a loss for the whole world. It is most precious, precisely because it is not universal' (Tagore).

"We must learn to abandon our defences and our need to control, and trust totally in the guidance of the spirit" (Sobonfu Somé).

"True morality consists not in following the beaten path, but in finding the true path for ourselves and following it without fear" (Gandhi).

Beams and straws: a paradoxical situation, where sometimes there is an excess of 'belief' - yet Faith is missing.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Lenten season offers us once again an opportunity to reflect upon the very heart of Christian life: charity. This is a favourable time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community, with the help of the word of God and the sacraments. This journey is one marked by prayer and sharing, silence and fasting, in anticipation of the joy of Easter.

This year I would like to propose a few thoughts in the light of a brief biblical passage drawn from the Letter to the Hebrews:“ Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works”. These words are part of a passage in which the sacred author exhorts us to trust in Jesus Christ as the High Priest who has won us forgiveness and opened up a pathway to God. Embracing Christ bears fruit in a life structured by the three theological virtues: it means approaching the Lord “sincere in heart and filled with faith” (v. 22), keeping firm “in the hope we profess” (v. 23) and ever mindful of living a life of “love and good works” (v. 24) together with our brothers and sisters. The author states that to sustain this life shaped by the Gospel it is important to participate in the liturgy and community prayer, mindful of the eschatological goal of full communion in God (v. 25). Here I would like to reflect on verse 24, which offers a succinct, valuable and ever timely teaching on the three aspects of Christian life: concern for others, reciprocity and personal holiness.

1. “Let us be concerned for each other”: responsibility towards our brothers and sisters.

This first aspect is an invitation to be “concerned”: the Greek verb used here is katanoein, which means to scrutinize, to be attentive, to observe carefully and take stock of something. We come across this word in the Gospel when Jesus invites the disciples to “think of” the ravens that, without striving, are at the centre of the solicitous and caring Divine Providence (cf. Lk 12:24), and to “observe” the plank in our own eye before looking at the splinter in that of our brother (cf. Lk 6:41). In another verse of the Letter to the Hebrews, we find the encouragement to “turn your minds to Jesus” (3:1), the Apostle and High Priest of our faith. So the verb which introduces our exhortation tells us to look at others, first of all at Jesus, to be concerned for one another, and not to remain isolated and indifferent to the fate of our brothers and sisters. All too often, however, our attitude is just the opposite: an indifference and disinterest born of selfishness and masked as a respect for “privacy”. Today too, the Lord’s voice summons all of us to be concerned for one another. Even today God asks us to be “guardians” of our brothers and sisters (Gen 4:9), to establish relationships based on mutual consideration and attentiveness to the well-being, the integral well-being of others. The great commandment of love for one another demands that we acknowledge our responsibility towards those who, like ourselves, are creatures and children of God. Being brothers and sisters in humanity and, in many cases, also in the faith, should help us to recognize in others a true alter ego, infinitely loved by the Lord. If we cultivate this way of seeing others as our brothers and sisters, solidarity, justice, mercy and compassion will naturally well up in our hearts. The Servant of God Pope Paul VI stated that the world today is suffering above all from a lack of brotherhood: “Human society is sorely ill. The cause is not so much the depletion of natural resources, nor their monopolistic control by a privileged few; it is rather the weakening of brotherly ties between individuals and nations” (Populorum Progressio, 66).

Concern for others entails desiring what is good for them from every point of view: physical, moral and spiritual. Contemporary culture seems to have lost the sense of good and evil, yet there is a real need to reaffirm that good does exist and will prevail, because God is “generous and acts generously” (Ps 119:68). The good is whatever gives, protects and promotes life, brotherhood and communion. Responsibility towards others thus means desiring and working for the good of others, in the hope that they too will become receptive to goodness and its demands. Concern for others means being aware of their needs. Sacred Scripture warns us of the danger that our hearts can become hardened by a sort of “spiritual anesthesia” which numbs us to the suffering of others. The Evangelist Luke relates two of Jesus’ parables by way of example. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite “pass by”, indifferent to the presence of the man stripped and beaten by the robbers (cf. Lk 10:30-32). In that of Dives and Lazarus, the rich man is heedless of the poverty of Lazarus, who is starving to death at his very door (cf. Lk 16:19). Both parables show examples of the opposite of “being concerned”, of looking upon others with love and compassion. What hinders this humane and loving gaze towards our brothers and sisters? Often it is the possession of material riches and a sense of sufficiency, but it can also be the tendency to put our own interests and problems above all else. We should never be incapable of “showing mercy” towards those who suffer. Our hearts should never be so wrapped up in our affairs and problems that they fail to hear the cry of the poor. Humbleness of heart and the personal experience of suffering can awaken within us a sense of compassion and empathy. “The upright understands the cause of the weak, the wicked has not the wit to understand it” (Prov 29:7). We can then understand the beatitude of “those who mourn” (Mt 5:5), those who in effect are capable of looking beyond themselves and feeling compassion for the suffering of others. Reaching out to others and opening our hearts to their needs can become an opportunity for salvation and blessedness.

“Being concerned for each other” also entails being concerned for their spiritual well-being. Here I would like to mention an aspect of the Christian life, which I believe has been quite forgotten: fraternal correction in view of eternal salvation. Today, in general, we are very sensitive to the idea of charity and caring about the physical and material well-being of others, but almost completely silent about our spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters. This was not the case in the early Church or in those communities that are truly mature in faith, those which are concerned not only for the physical health of their brothers and sisters, but also for their spiritual health and ultimate destiny. The Scriptures tell us: “Rebuke the wise and he will love you for it. Be open with the wise, he grows wiser still, teach the upright, he will gain yet more” (Prov 9:8ff). Christ himself commands us to admonish a brother who is committing a sin (cf. Mt 18:15). The verb used to express fraternal correction - elenchein – is the same used to indicate the prophetic mission of Christians to speak out against a generation indulging in evil (cf. Eph 5:11). The Church’s tradition has included “admonishing sinners” among the spiritual works of mercy. It is important to recover this dimension of Christian charity. We must not remain silent before evil. I am thinking of all those Christians who, out of human regard or purely personal convenience, adapt to the prevailing mentality, rather than warning their brothers and sisters against ways of thinking and acting that are contrary to the truth and that do not follow the path of goodness. Christian admonishment, for its part, is never motivated by a spirit of accusation or recrimination. It is always moved by love and mercy, and springs from genuine concern for the good of the other. As the Apostle Paul says: “If one of you is caught doing something wrong, those of you who are spiritual should set that person right in a spirit of gentleness; and watch yourselves that you are not put to the test in the same way” (Gal 6:1). In a world pervaded by individualism, it is essential to rediscover the importance of fraternal correction, so that together we may journey towards holiness. Scripture tells us that even “the upright falls seven times” (Prov 24:16); all of us are weak and imperfect (cf. 1 Jn 1:8). It is a great service, then, to help others and allow them to help us, so that we can be open to the whole truth about ourselves, improve our lives and walk more uprightly in the Lord’s ways. There will always be a need for a gaze which loves and admonishes, which knows and understands, which discerns and forgives (cf. Lk 22:61), as God has done and continues to do with each of us.

2. “Being concerned for each other”: the gift of reciprocity.

This “custody” of others is in contrast to a mentality that, by reducing life exclusively to its earthly dimension, fails to see it in an eschatological perspective and accepts any moral choice in the name of personal freedom. A society like ours can become blind to physical sufferings and to the spiritual and moral demands of life. This must not be the case in the Christian community! The Apostle Paul encourages us to seek “the ways which lead to peace and the ways in which we can support one another” (Rom 14:19) for our neighbour’s good, “so that we support one another” (15:2), seeking not personal gain but rather “the advantage of everybody else, so that they may be saved” (1 Cor 10:33). This mutual correction and encouragement in a spirit of humility and charity must be part of the life of the Christian community.

The Lord’s disciples, united with him through the Eucharist, live in a fellowship that binds them one to another as members of a single body. This means that the other is part of me, and that his or her life, his or her salvation, concern my own life and salvation. Here we touch upon a profound aspect of communion: our existence is related to that of others, for better or for worse. Both our sins and our acts of love have a social dimension. This reciprocity is seen in the Church, the mystical body of Christ: the community constantly does penance and asks for the forgiveness of the sins of its members, but also unfailingly rejoices in the examples of virtue and charity present in her midst. As Saint Paul says: “Each part should be equally concerned for all the others” (1 Cor 12:25), for we all form one body. Acts of charity towards our brothers and sisters – as expressed by almsgiving, a practice which, together with prayer and fasting, is typical of Lent – is rooted in this common belonging. Christians can also express their membership in the one body which is the Church through concrete concern for the poorest of the poor. Concern for one another likewise means acknowledging the good that the Lord is doing in others and giving thanks for the wonders of grace that Almighty God in his goodness continuously accomplishes in his children. When Christians perceive the Holy Spirit at work in others, they cannot but rejoice and give glory to the heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:16).

3. “To stir a response in love and good works”: walking together in holiness.

These words of the Letter to the Hebrews (10:24) urge us to reflect on the universal call to holiness, the continuing journey of the spiritual life as we aspire to the greater spiritual gifts and to an ever more sublime and fruitful charity (cf. 1 Cor 12:31-13:13). Being concerned for one another should spur us to an increasingly effective love which, “like the light of dawn, its brightness growing to the fullness of day” (Prov 4:18), makes us live each day as an anticipation of the eternal day awaiting us in God. The time granted us in this life is precious for discerning and performing good works in the love of God. In this way the Church herself continuously grows towards the full maturity of Christ (cf. Eph 4:13). Our exhortation to encourage one another to attain the fullness of love and good works is situated in this dynamic prospect of growth.

Sadly, there is always the temptation to become lukewarm, to quench the Spirit, to refuse to invest the talents we have received, for our own good and for the good of others (cf. Mt 25:25ff.). All of us have received spiritual or material riches meant to be used for the fulfilment of God’s plan, for the good of the Church and for our personal salvation (cf. Lk 12:21b; 1 Tim 6:18). The spiritual masters remind us that in the life of faith those who do not advance inevitably regress. Dear brothers and sisters, let us accept the invitation, today as timely as ever, to aim for the “high standard of ordinary Christian living” (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 31). The wisdom of the Church in recognizing and proclaiming certain outstanding Christians as Blessed and as Saints is also meant to inspire others to imitate their virtues. Saint Paul exhorts us to “anticipate one another in showing honour” (Rom 12:10).

In a world which demands of Christians a renewed witness of love and fidelity to the Lord, may all of us feel the urgent need to anticipate one another in charity, service and good works (cf. Heb 6:10). This appeal is particularly pressing in this holy season of preparation for Easter. As I offer my prayerful good wishes for a blessed and fruitful Lenten period, I entrust all of you to the intercession of Mary Ever Virgin and cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 3 November 2011

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

[Pope Benedict, Message for Lent 2012]

"O inconceivable and unfathomable Mercy of God,

Who can worthily adore you and sing your praises?
O greatest attribute of God Almighty,
You are the sweet hope of sinners"
(Diary, 951).

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

1. Today I repeat these simple and straightforward words of Saint Faustina, in order to join her and all of you in adoring the inconceivable and unfathomable mystery of God’s mercy. Like Saint Faustina, we wish to proclaim that apart from the mercy of God there is no other source of hope for mankind. We desire to repeat with faith: Jesus, I trust in you!

This proclamation, this confession of trust in the all-powerful love of God, is especially needed in our own time, when mankind is experiencing bewilderment in the face of many manifestations of evil. The invocation of God’s mercy needs to rise up from the depth of hearts filled with suffering, apprehension and uncertainty, and at the same time yearning for an infallible source of hope. That is why we have come here today, to this Shrine of Łagiewniki, in order to glimpse once more in Christ the face of the Father: "the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation" (2 Cor 1:3). With the eyes of our soul, we long to look into the eyes of the merciful Jesus, in order to find deep within his gaze the reflection of his inner life, as well as the light of grace which we have already received so often, and which God holds out to us anew each day and on the last day.

[Pope John Paul II, Kraków-Łagiewniki, 17 August 2002]

Here, said the Pope, they "come to a heap of prescriptions and for them this is salvation: they have lost the key to intelligence which, in this case, is the gratuitousness of salvation". In reality, "the law is a response to God's gratuitous love: it is He who has taken the initiative to save us, and because you have loved me so much, I try to go your way, the way you have shown me", in a word "I fulfil the law". But 'it is a response' because 'the law, always, is a response and when one forgets the gratuitousness of salvation one falls, one loses the key to the intelligence of salvation history'.

And, again, the Pontiff relaunched, those people "have lost the key to intelligence because they have lost the sense of God's closeness: for them God is the one who made the law" but "this is not the God of revelation". In reality "the God of revelation is God who began to walk with us from Abraham to Jesus Christ: God who walks with his people". Therefore, "when we lose this close relationship with the Lord, we fall into this obtuse mentality that believes in the self-sufficiency of salvation through the fulfilment of the law".

Here, then, is "the closeness of God", remarked Francis, referring to "such a beautiful passage, almost at the end of Deuteronomy, in chapter 31; when Moses finishes writing the law, he hands it over to the Levites, those who guarded the ark, and tells them 'take this book of the law and put it beside the ark, close to God, because I know your rebellion - he is speaking to the people - and the hardness of your neck'".

"Instead close to the Lord," the Pope pointed out, "the law is a revelation of the Lord but it becomes detached, the law becomes autonomous and becomes dictatorial, when God's closeness is missing.

[Pope Francis, St. Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano 19 October 2017]

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (year C)  [7 September 2025]

May God bless us and may the Virgin Mary protect us! In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus develops the 'precautionary principle', which is also enshrined in Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). This proves that the Word of God is divine wisdom which, as we understand in the first reading and in the responsorial psalm, illuminates every human choice and decision.  Wisdom that is always the secret of true happiness.

*First Reading from the Book of Wisdom (9:13-18)

Wisdom, in the biblical sense, is in some ways the art of living. Israel, like all neighbouring peoples, developed extensive reflection on this theme beginning with the reign of Solomon, and its contribution in this field is entirely original. It can be summarised in two points: first of all, according to the Bible, only God knows the secrets of happiness, and if man claims to discover them on his own, he follows false paths, as is clear from the lesson of the Garden of Eden. Secondly, God alone reveals the secret of happiness to his people and to all humanity: this is the message of this text, which is above all a lesson in humility. Isaiah had already stated that God's thoughts and ways are different from ours (cf. Is 55:8), and the book of Wisdom, written much later in a very different style, repeats: 'Who can discover the will of God? Who can imagine what the Lord wants?" (v. 13). We cannot have the slightest idea of what God thinks, and we know only what He has communicated through His prophets. Job had asked where to seek wisdom, because it does not exist on the earth of the living, and only God knows where it is (cf. Job 28:12-13, 23); shortly afterwards, God reminds Job of his limitations (chapters 38–41) and, at the end of the demonstration, Job bows down and admits that he spoke without understanding  the wonders that "are beyond me and that I did not know" (Job 42:3). In the Book of Wisdom, the discussion on human knowledge develops among the most intellectual minds that existed in Alexandria, when scientific and philosophical disciplines were highly developed and the Library of Alexandria was famous. The author reminds these scholars of the limits of human knowledge: 'The reasoning of mortals is timid, and our reflections are uncertain' (v. 14). And again: 'We can scarcely imagine the things of the earth, we discover with difficulty those within our reach; but who has investigated the things of heaven? (v. 16). The author does not mean that if we can discover the earth, we will be able to understand heavenly things, but he affirms that it is not only a question of the level of knowledge, as if man could discover the mysteries of God through reasoning and research, but it is a question of nature: we are only human, and there is an abyss between God and us, God being the Totally Other and his thoughts being beyond our reach. Herein lies the second lesson of the text: if we recognise our powerlessness, God himself reveals to us what we cannot discover on our own, giving us the gift of his Spirit (cf. 1:9). The other readings for this Sunday indicate the new behaviours inspired by the Spirit who dwells in us. One more observation: in verse 14, 'a corruptible body weighs down the soul, and the clay tent oppresses a mind full of worries', we see a conception of man that is unusual in the Bible, which usually insists on the unity of the human being, whereas here he is described as a being composed of an immaterial spirit and a material shell that contains it. The Book of Wisdom, written in a Greek context, uses this vocabulary so as not to scandalise its Greek readers, but it certainly does not want to describe a dualism of the human being: rather, it presents the inner struggle that takes place in each of us and which St Paul describes as follows: 'I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want' (Rom 7:19). Ultimately, this text makes an original contribution to a great dual biblical discovery: God is both Totally Other and Totally Near. God is Totally Other: 'Who can know the will of God? Who can imagine what the Lord wants?' (v. 13). At the same time, He makes Himself Totally Near by giving man wisdom and His Holy Spirit (v. 17). And so men were instructed in what is pleasing to God and were saved through wisdom (cf. v. 18).

*Responsorial Psalm (89/90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17)

The first reading, taken from the book of Wisdom, is echoed in this psalm, which offers a magnificent definition of wisdom: 'Teach us to count our days, and we will gain a wise heart' (v. 12). These verses give an idea of the general atmosphere, and one expression sounds quite unusual: 'Return, Lord, how long? Have mercy on your servants' (v. 13). It is as if to say: 'We are unhappy at this moment, we are being punished for our sins; forgive us and take away the punishment', a typical formula of a penitential liturgy in the context of a penitential ceremony in the temple of Jerusalem. Why does Israel ask for forgiveness? The first verses suggest the answer: 'You turn man back to dust, when you say: Return, children of man' (v. 3).  The problem is that our condition as sinners is linked to Adam, and the entire psalm meditates on the account of Adam's sin in the book of Genesis. In the beginning, God and man stood face to face: God, the creator, and man, his creature made from dust. The second verse (absent here) of the psalm says precisely: 'Before the mountains were born and the earth and the world were created, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God'. Before Him, we are but a handful of dust in His hands. Yet man dared to challenge God and can only meditate on his true condition: "The years of our life are seventy, eighty for the strongest, and their bustling is toil and disappointment; they pass quickly and we fly away" (v. 10).  And we are truly small: "A thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, like a watch in the night" (v. 4), as St Peter comments: "Do not ignore this one fact, beloved: with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day" (2 Pet 3:8). After this realisation comes the plea: “Teach us to count our days, that we may gain a wise heart. Return, Lord, how long? Have mercy on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days” (vv. 12-14). True wisdom is to remain small before God, and the psalm compares human life to grass that “in the morning it flourishes and sprouts, in the evening it is mown and withers” (v. 6). How often, when faced with sudden death, do we say that we are nothing! It is not a matter of humbling ourselves, but of being realistic and remaining serene in God’s hands. 'Satisfy us in the morning with your love: we will exult and rejoice all our days' (v. 14): this is the experience of the believer, aware of his own smallness and trusting in the hands of God, to whom we can ask that 'you make known to your servants your work and your splendour to their children. May the goodness of the Lord our God be upon us" (vv. 16-17a). Even more daring is the last verse of the psalm, which repeats twice, "Make firm the work of our hands" (v. 17). Perhaps the psalmist was referring to the reconstruction of the temple in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile, amid all kinds of opposition. More generally, however, it expresses the common work of God and man in the fulfilment of creation: man works in creation, but it is God who gives human work stability and effectiveness. 

*Second Reading from the letter of St Paul the Apostle to Philemon (9b-10.12-17)

On previous Sundays, we read passages from Paul's letter to the Colossians; today, however, Paul, while in prison, writes to Philemon, a Christian from Colossae (in Turkey), and it is a personal letter, full of diplomacy, on a very delicate subject. Philemon probably had several slaves, although history does not specify this, and one of them was called Onesimus. One fine day, Onesimus ran away, which was totally forbidden and severely punished by Roman law because slaves belonged to their masters as objects and were not free to dispose of themselves. During his escape, Onesimus met Paul, converted and entered the apostle's service. It was a complicated situation: if Paul kept Onesimus, he would be complicit in his abandonment of his post, and Philemon would not like that. If, on the other hand, Paul sent him back, the slave would be at serious risk, as Paul acknowledges later in the letter that Onesimus was indebted to his master. However, he decided to send Onesimus back with a request for forgiveness, in which he used all his powers of persuasion to convince Philemon: 'I, Paul, as I am, an old man and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus, appeal to you for my child Onesimus' (vv. 9-10). He points out that he would like to keep him, but he knows that the final decision rests with Philemon (vv. 12-14), so he does not intend to force Philemon's hand. However, he knows exactly what he wants to achieve and reveals it gradually. First of all, he asks Philemon to forgive Onesimus for running away, and more than simple forgiveness, Paul suggests a true conversion: Onesimus is baptised and is now a brother to Philemon, a Christian and his former master: "For this reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but much more than a slave, as a beloved brother" (vv. 15-16). Paul goes even further: "If you consider me a friend, welcome him as you would welcome me" (v. 17).

*From the Gospel according to Luke (14:25-33)

The ending illuminates the whole discourse: emphasising totality (the renunciation of all his possessions, v. 33), Luke re-proposes his theology of poverty as radical discipleship of Christ. Let us begin with the phrase concerning family ties (v. 26): Jesus does not say to consider them as nothing, because that would be contrary to all his teaching on love and to the commandment "Honour your father and your mother". Rather, he means that these ties are good, but they must not become obstacles that prevent us from following Christ because the bond that unites us to Christ through Baptism is stronger than any other earthly bond. The difficulty of this Gospel lies elsewhere: at first glance, the connection between the different parts is not clear. Jesus says: "If anyone comes to me and does not love me (in Eastern Semitic language, 'to hate' also means 'to love less') more than his father, his mother... he cannot be my disciple" (v. 26), a phrase that we find echoed (included) in the last one: "Anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple". Between these two statements there are two short parables: that of the man who wants to build a tower and that of the king who goes to war. Their lesson is similar: whoever wants to build a tower must first calculate the cost so as not to embark on a senseless undertaking; in the same way, the king who plans to go to war must first assess his forces. Wisdom consists in adapting one's ambitions to one's possibilities: a truth that applies in every area. How many projects fail because they are started too hastily without reflection, foresight and calculation of the risks? This is elementary wisdom, the secret of success. In fact, to govern is to foresee, and perhaps one becomes an adult on the day one finally learns to calculate the consequences of one's actions. But does this not seem to contradict the message of the phrases that open and close Jesus' discourse? These seem to speak a language that is anything but prudent and measured: first of all, to be a disciple of Christ, one must prefer him to anyone else and follow him with all one's heart, yet wisdom and even justice require respect for natural ties with family and environment. The second requirement is to carry one's cross decisively, accepting the risk of persecution, and the third condition is to renounce all one's possessions. In short, to leave behind all emotional and material security for Christ. But is all this prudent? Does it not seem far removed from the arithmetic calculations of the two short parables? Yet it is clear that Jesus does not enjoy cultivating paradoxes and does not contradict himself. It is therefore up to us to understand his message and how the two short parables shed light on the choices we must make in order to follow him. On closer inspection, Jesus always says the same thing: before embarking on an undertaking, whether it be following him, building a tower or going to war, he invites us to do our sums carefully and not to make mistakes. Those who build a tower calculate the cost; those who go to war assess the number of men and weapons; and those who follow Christ must also do their calculations, but of a different kind: they must renounce anything that might hinder them and thus place all their riches, both emotional and material, at the service of the Kingdom. Above all, they must rely on the power of the Spirit who 'continues his work in the world and brings every sanctification to completion', as the fourth Eucharistic prayer says. Here too, it is a calculated risk: in order to follow Jesus, he points out the risks to us — knowing how to leave everything behind, accepting misunderstanding and sometimes persecution, renouncing immediate gratification. To be Christians, the true calculation, the true wisdom, is not to rely on any of our earthly securities; it is as if he were saying to us: Accept that you have no securities: my grace is enough for you! Already the first reading, taken from the book of Wisdom, clearly stated this: the wisdom of God is not that of men; what appears to be folly in the eyes of men is the only true wisdom before God. With him, we are always in the logic of the grain of wheat: accept to die underground, but only in this way can it sprout and bear fruit. Blessed are those who know how to free themselves from false precautions in order to prepare themselves to pass through the narrow gate mentioned in the Gospel of the twenty-first Sunday (Lk 13:24). 

NOTE Jesus develops here the 'precautionary principle' which is also enshrined in Article 191 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). In the two parables, it is clear that we must sit down to calculate risks and costs, taking preventive measures - even in the absence of complete scientific evidence. In the case of the disciple, the data for the calculation are completely different: Jesus wants us to evaluate well that our only wealth is in him and our only strength is his grace. And even the assessment of risks and objectives eludes us: as the Book of Wisdom says in the first reading: 'Who can know the will of God? Who can imagine what the Lord wants? The reasoning of mortals is timid and our reflections uncertain'.

+ Giovanni D'Ercole

Get ahead and Forgive forward

(Lk 6:27-38)

The adventure of extreme Faith is for a wounding Beauty and an abnormal, prominent Happiness. But only those who know to wait will find their way.

Not opposing the wicked allows one to experience the Beatitudes (Lk 6:20-26) - antidote to one-sided relationships; however, tolerating becomes impossible if we do not allow an innate Energy to develop.

Greek text of Lk does not speak of ‘merits’ [cf. Italian translation 1974] or even of ‘gratitude’ [It. translation 2008] but rather of «Gratuity» (vv. 31.33-34)!

Of course, it is not easy to understand the meaning of the Gift, of the Free.

Yet here the flowering will be without forcing, because in the infinitely repeated repaying there is no wisdom that reads inside; in the overthrow, yes.

New experience of God is that of a genuine creative Love, which ceaselessly throws away, introduces new powers, and incredibly turns everything upside down.

It will not be the effort that will make us stay where the perfect Vocation wants us to dwell, but a correspondence - even in the swings.

Outside and within us there is another territory, where the affinity of waiting meets God's plan.

The spiral of returning the offense can occupy all of our space. Thus it dulls the ability to match the new ringing of the Call.

It takes away our perception, all the listening to the News of God which is in its infancy.

Generating all our confusions, the Salvation pales. History which vice versa is creating an unprecedented one: it’s cut at the root.

To grasp the very rhythm of God (which wisely creates), souls must wait the step of things, which mature in linear terms until they overturn or multiply - in an exclusive and unprecedented way.

The events themselves regenerate spontaneously, outside and even within us; useless to force. The growth and destination continues also thanks to the spring of mockery and external constraints.

Then, firmness in acceptance becomes the source of a new child - of an unexpected Genesis that is just intertwining its first roots with that swampy soil.

Suspension experienced in the Mystery opens our destiny of foolishness already decreed to trust in a new, unrepeatable Act of Being.

It opens up the unexpected Sense, in a climate of inventiveness that flies over the action-reaction instinct. This is so that the chain of normality doesn’t take over the prodigy.

Non-violence is therefore not a norm of mere delicacy, but rather a higher Arrow, which indicates a non-mechanical direction of Research, which advances from discovery to discovery.

Allowing everyone to pass on, creates the right detachment so that when we are ready, the time will come to realize: our mortification was a crossroads. It opened destiny to a less short hope, expanding life.

If others are not as we have dreamed of, it’s fortunate: the doors slammed in the face and their goad put us in contact with profound virtues, and with the resources that we have not yet given space to.

Betrayals, harassment, spite, revenge, outrage, mortification suffered... which would like to make us restless and dishearten... are preparing our development, and many other joys.

"Win-or-lose" alternative is false: we have to get out of it.

[Thursday 23rd wk. in O.T.  September 11, 2025]