Also in domestic style

(Jn 6:41-51)

Jesus wants to turn the page. He does not intend to shore up the muddled, no longer vital.

He is faithful to the law of change of full Life, which ceaselessly seeks new arrangements - instead of stagnating in the situation.

This (at all times) while the religious authorities and the habitués wish to cling to the past, to what they know, to the ordinary sense of 'justice', to the morality of reference around...

In short, when it is time for Christ, everyone leaves. But the disagreement is already written.

God does not attract with peremptory force or blackmail, but with invitation (v.44).

And sincere belief is activated by a first testimony in oneself (v.44).

Because of his social condition as a small artisan [a landless man], the "murmuring" (vv.41.43) was obvious, and referred back to the same opposition expressed by God's people wandering in the desert.

Not only is the divine claim to be authentic Manna, but the very origin of Jesus is incomprehensible to a devoutly quiet, normalised mentality - one that allows itself to be carried away without enigma.

The contestation is unrestrained and radical; it prefers and traces what gives immediate security - not the original. But the Lord does not slacken, otherwise He would leave us to become chronic.

Having to seem, having to be, having to do, give no room for listening, for perception, for the change that awaits us: they paralyse.

The Father acts within each one to reshape convictions, adhesions, projects.

Everything works in the direction of ourselves, not in an unnatural way or of others - not even of Him.

He acts present in each person in the most spontaneous way.

In this way and together, akin to individuating principles; more respectful of inclinations, real characteristics, energies even of the period.

This teaching (v.45) is interior: impersonated by Christ in the Word that does not distort anything - implicit in his Person and vicissitude.

Thus the gift of life is linked to assimilating and becoming One with that Food. Food that does not distort the person, but rather convinces, sustains, ferments, and orients - unrepeatably, by Name.

That manducato Bread captures the taste of an emptiness from the exteriority at the bottom of which there is no annihilation: we are introduced into redemption, immersed in new life.

In conformity, life does not kill extinction. It does not possess the virtue of reknitting the threads that distinguish the character of Person, nor the innate quality, the vocational essence, the propulsive capacity [Life of the Eternal].

It is the implicit 'cultural', ritual and banal, uninspired, ungenuine, which does not become living - and does not guarantee fullness but rather habituation.

As for us, if we have grown accustomed to it.

The bread of the earth preserves life but does not update, does not regenerate us ceaselessly, nor does it open a way through death.

The Bread that re-actualises for us the ultimate gift of the Son, nourishes existence with an indestructible quality that does not fade, because it is the divine Gold of our being.

The prophets had announced: in the last times one would not know God by hearsay but by personal experience.

After the failure of kings and the priestly class, men would be taught directly by the Lord.

The expression 'Bread come down from Heaven' designates Jesus himself in relationship with the Father and [precisely] in his mission to bring Wisdom and exuberant Life to men.

Divine Life, without limits, which is poured out immediately, to each one. Without uncertainties or interpretations veiled by the faults of the 'mediators', which on the contrary would lead to collapse.

Presence that in the time of complexity also kindles in us the desire to be instructed by God-in-Person, guided by the inner Friend. Led by regenerating insights, in his Spirit.

He inclines us to pay no heed to a nature that seeks and "murmurs" only for the corrupt "taste" of sustenance: "manna in the wilderness" (v.49); that is, interest, reputation, titles, trivialities of satisfaction.

Rather, we find authentic Life in the gift of good intuition and inner Vision.

In the grace that enables us to welcome the Call.

In the virtue that remains in listening - through active fidelity to the Vocation, through self-denial and righteousness of intentions that appropriate the virtues and merits of Christ.

"I am the Bread the Living, the one descended from heaven. If anyone eats from this Bread he will live the Life of the Eternal, and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the fullness of life in the world" (v.51).

The Spirit that internalises and actualises is the main subject of even the most summary, everyday history of salvation. Making himself ours.

By evangelising us and growing in Friendship ["instructed by God" (v.45)] the nourishing action of the Master introduces our fermented flesh into the new Life.

The Son beside us changes our 'taste' and familiarises of Himself the same 'Nature'.In this way, we too, assimilated and identified with the Bread-Person made intimate, reveal totality in action, living eternity, the original Source.

To internalise and live the message:

How do you enter into the gift of redemption through the Eucharist?

What 'contrary' morals around, the Bread of Life tries to transmit to you?

Have you ever felt 'cut off from the earth' because of your different Food from Heaven?

What were the opportunities to make the leap that you may have overlooked?

The Reading of the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel in the Liturgy of these Sundays has led us to reflect on the multiplication of the loaves, with which the Lord satisfied the hunger of a crowd of five thousand, and on the invitation Jesus addresses to all those whom he had feed to busy themselves seeking a food that endures to eternal life. Jesus wants to help them understand the profound meaning of the miracle he had worked: in miraculously satisfying their physical hunger; he prepares them to receive the news that he is the Bread which has come down from heaven (cf. Jn 6:41), which will satisfy hunger for ever. The Jewish people too, during their long journey through the desert, experienced bread which came down from heaven, manna, which kept them alive until they reached the Promised Land. Jesus now speaks of himself as the true Bread come down from heaven, which is capable of keeping people alive not for a moment or on a stretch of a journey but for ever. He is the food that gives eternal life, because he is the Only-Begotten Son of God who is in the Father’s heart, who came to give man life in fullness, to introduce man into the very life of God.

In Jewish thought it was clear that the true bread of heaven, which nourished Israel, was the Law, the word of God. The People of Israel clearly recognized that the Torah, which was Moses’ fundamental and lasting gift, was the basic element that distinguished them from other peoples and consisted in their knowledge of God’s will, thus the right way of life. Now Jesus, in manifesting himself as the bread of heaven, witnesses that he himself is the Word of God in Person, the Incarnate Word, through whom man can make the will of God his food (cf. Jn 4:34), which guides and sustains his existence.

Therefore to doubt in the divinity of Jesus, as do the Jews in today’s Gospel passage, means setting oneself against God’s work. Indeed, they say: he is the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know! (cf. Jn 6:42). They do not go beyond his earthly origins, and for this reason refuse to accept him as the Word of God made flesh. St Augustine, in his Commentary on John’s Gospel explains it in the following way: “These Jews were far from the bread of heaven, and knew not how to hunger after it. They had the jaws of their heart languid... This bread, indeed, requires the hunger of the inner man” (26, 1).

And we must ask ourselves if we really feel this hunger, the hunger for the Word of God, the hunger to know life’s true meaning. Only those who are drawn by God the Father, who listen to him and let themselves be instructed by him can believe in Jesus, meet him and nourish themselves with him and thereby find true life, the road of life, justice, truth and love. St Augustine adds: “the Lord.... said that he himself was the Bread that came down from heaven, exhorting us to believe in him. For to believe in him is to eat the living bread. He that believes eats; he is sated invisibly, because invisibly he is born again” to a deeper and truer life. He is reborn from within, from his intimate self he is made new (ibid.).

Invoking Mary Most Holy, let us ask her to guide us to the encounter with Jesus so that our friendship with him may be more and more intense; let us ask her to usher us into full communion of love with her Son, the living Bread come down from heaven, so as to be renewed by him in the depths of our being.

[Pope Benedict, Angelus 12 August 2012]

1. World Mission Sunday, in this year dedicated to the Eucharist, helps us to better understand the "eucharistic" sense of our life as we relive the emotion of the Upper Room when, on the eve of his passion, Jesus offered himself to the world: "on the night he was betrayed, he took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said: This is my body that is for you. Do this in memory of me". (1 Cor 11,23-24).

In my recent Apostolic Letter Mane nobiscum Domine I invited you to contemplate Jesus in the "breaking of the bread" offered for the whole of humanity. Following his example we too are called to offer our life for our brothers and sisters, especially those most in need. The Eucharist bears the "mark of universality" and prefigures in a sacramental way the time when "all who share one human nature, regenerated in Christ through the Holy Spirit and beholding the glory of God, will be able to say with one accord: «Our Father»" (Ad Gentes 7). In this way, while the Eucharist helps us to understand more fully the significance of mission, it leads every individual believer, the missionary in particular, to be "bread, broken for the life of the world".

Humanity has need of Christ "broken bread"

2. In our day human society appears to be shrouded in dark shadows while it is shaken by tragic events and shattered by catastrophic natural disasters. Nevertheless, as "on the night he was betrayed" (1 Cor 11,23), also today Jesus "breaks the bread" (cfr Mt 26,26) for us in our Eucharistic celebrations and offers himself under the sacramental sign of his love for all mankind. This is why I underlined that "the Eucharist is not merely an expression of communion in the Church's life; it is also a project of solidarity for all of humanity" (Mane nobiscum Domine, 27); it is "bread from heaven" which gives eternal life (cfr Jn 6,33) and opens the human heart to a great hope.

Present in the Eucharist, the same Redeemer who saw the needy crowds and was filled with compassion "because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd" (Mt 9,36), continues through the centuries to show compassion for humanity poor and suffering.
And it is in his name that pastoral workers and missionaries travel unexplored paths to carry the "bread" of salvation to all. They are spurred on by the knowledge that, united with Christ "centre not just of the history of the Church, but also the history of humanity (cfr Ef. 1,10; Col 1, 15-20)" (Mane nobiscum Domine, 6), it is possible to meet the deepest longings of the human heart. Jesus alone can satisfy humanity’s hunger for love and thirst for justice; He alone makes it possible for every human person to share in eternal life: "I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever" (Jn 6,51).

The Church, one with Christ, becomes "broken bread"

3. When the ecclesial Community celebrates the Eucharist, especially on Sunday the Day of the Lord, it experiences in the light of the faith the value of the encounter with the Risen Christ and is ever more aware that the Sacrifice of the Eucharist is "for all" (Mt 26,28). We who nourish ourselves with the Body and Blood of the crucified and risen Lord, cannot keep this "gift" to ourselves; on the contrary we must share it. Passionate love for Christ leads to courageous proclamation of Christ; proclamation which, with martyrdom, becomes a supreme offering of love for God and for mankind. The Eucharist leads us to be generous evangelisers, actively committed to building a more just and fraternal world.
I sincerely hope the Year of the Eucharist will inspire every Christian community to respond with "fraternal solicitude to some of the many forms of poverty present in our world" (Mane nobiscum Domine 28), because "by our mutual love and, in particular, by our concern for those in need we will be recognised as true followers of Christ (cf. Jn 13:35; Mt 25:31-46). This will be the criterion by which the authenticity of our Eucharistic celebrations is judged." (Mane nobiscum Domine 28).

Missionaries, "bread broken" for the life of the world

4. Still today Christ urges his disciples: "Give them something to eat yourselves" (Mt 14,16). In his name missionaries all over the world proclaim and witness to the Gospel. Through their efforts there resound once again the words of the Redeemer: "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst" (Jn 6,35); they too become "bread broken" for their brothers, some even to the point of sacrificing their life.

How many missionary martyrs in our day! May their example draw numerous young men and women to tread the path of heroic fidelity to Christ! The Church has need of men and women willing to consecrate themselves wholly to the great cause of the Gospel.

World Mission Sunday is an opportune occasion to increase our awareness of the urgent necessity to participate in the evangelising mission undertaken by the local Communities and many Church organizations, in particular the Pontifical Mission Societies and the Missionary Institutes. This mission requires the support not only of prayer and sacrifice, but also of concrete material offerings. I take this opportunity to recall once again the valuable service rendered by the Pontifical Mission Societies and I ask you all to support them generously with spiritual and material cooperation.

May the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, help us relive the experience of the Upper Room so that our ecclesial Communities may become authentically "Catholic"; that is Communities where "missionary spirituality" which is "intimate communion with Christ" (Redemptoris missio, 88), is closely related to "eucharistic spirituality" of which the model is Mary, the "woman of the Eucharist" (Ecclesia de Eucharistia 53); Communities always open to the voice of the Sprit and to the needs of humanity, Communities where believers, missionaries in particular, do not hesitate to offer themselves as "bread, broken for the life of the world".

[Pope John Paul II, Message for World Mission Day 2005]

This Sunday, we continue the Reading of Chapter Six of the Gospel according to John, in which Jesus, after performing the great miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, explains to the people the meaning of that “sign” (Jn 6:41-51).

As he had done earlier with the Samaritan woman, starting from the experience of thirst and the sign of water, here Jesus begins from the experience of hunger and the sign of bread, to reveal himself and to offer an invitation to believe in him.

The people seek him, the people listen to him, because they are still enthusiastic about the miracle; they want to make him king! However, when Jesus affirms that he is the true bread given by God, many are shocked, they do not understand, and begin murmuring among themselves, saying: “Do we not know his father and mother? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (cf. Jn 6:42). And they begin to murmur. Then Jesus says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him”, and he adds: “he who believes has eternal life” (vv. 44, 47).

This word of the Lord astonishes us, and makes us think. It introduces the dynamic of faith, which is a relationship: the relationship between the human person — all of us — and the Person of Jesus, where the Father plays a decisive role, and, of course, the Holy Spirit does too, which is implied here. To believe in Him, it is not enough to meet Jesus, it is not enough to read the Bible, the Gospel — this is important! But it is not enough. It is not even enough to witness a miracle, such as that of the multiplication of the loaves. So many people were in close contact with Jesus and they did not believe. In fact, they even despised and condemned him. And I ask myself: Why this? Were they not attracted by the Father? No, this happened because their hearts were closed to the action of God’s Spirit. If your heart is always closed, faith doesn’t enter! Instead God the Father draws us to Jesus: it is we who open or close our hearts. Instead, faith, which is like a seed deep in the heart, blossoms when we let the Father draw us to Jesus, and we “go to Him” with an open heart, without prejudices; then we recognize in his face the Face of God, and in his words the Word of God, because the Holy Spirit has made us enter into the relationship of love and of life between Jesus and God the Father. And there we receive a gift, the gift of the faith.

With this attitude of faith, we can also understand the meaning of the “Bread of Life” that Jesus gives us, and which he describes in this way: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh” (Jn 6:51). In Jesus, in his “flesh” — that is, in his concrete humanity — is all the love of God, which is the Holy Spirit. Those who let themselves be drawn by this love go to Jesus and go with faith, and receive from Him life, eternal life.

The one who lived this experience in such an exemplary way was Mary, the Virgin of Nazareth: the first human person who believed in God by accepting the flesh of Jesus. Let us learn from her, our Mother, joy and gratitude through the gift of faith. A gift that is not “private”, a gift that is not private property but is a gift to be shared: it is a gift “for the life of the world”!

[Pope Francis, Angelus 9 August 2015]

Jn 12:24-26 (20-26)

«If the grain of wheat fallen to the ground does not die, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit» [Jn 12:24].

We ask ourselves: how is it possible in any situation to sprout precious things? How to become fruitful?

And the pleasure of living? Can we experience at least brief moments of eternity?

In advancing the spiritual journey, we discover that it’s not enough to be far from idols: we desire to take successive steps.

We want fullness and joy; do not be suffocated in tasks without enchantment, in mechanisms without lyrical step.

Is Christ really capable of providing our existence with a wing stroke,  exploding life - managing commitments differently, and wincing with happiness?

Or does he definitively dig us the grave, with his Hiding … which seems an option of death?

We would like to deepen, and maybe from simple admirers become Apostles - involved in the lively and growing secret of Jesus.

The best way to «see» the Lord [v.21b - that is, to understand and experience his Life-generating Face] seems to approach a natural process. And the image is taken from the agricultural world.

In order for wheat to sprout in a field, it’s necessary that the grains disappear into the earth.

Only from a transmutation can the prodigy of a process of new genesis blossom, and that birth that extends to the ‘hundred for one’.

The stakes are staggering: life does not develop starting from some (artificial) purpose but from the very ‘nature’ of the Seed that has a whole particular vitality inside.

To achieve what characterizes us, success or the ability to become "directors" of oneself has nothing to do with it. Indeed, perhaps it’s better to learn to wait, and act slowly, harboring the Sap that ‘comes’.

Nor can we manage with a substitute religious observance, which often [trying to put things right, instantly, outside] is transformed into a reservoir of intimate discomfort and neurosis.

Vocational growth in fullness of person and being, contrasts every opinion far from the Roots of essence and its metamorphoses.

Based on his own experience, Jesus means:

Life partner of the prophet who corresponds to his "absurd" Calling is loneliness, being in the corner, not being sought - and feeling treated as inadequate, dishonourable or failed (precisely by experts and people of rank).

It’s not expected that we can take care of this type of frank practice with ourselves, with God and men, taking shortcuts of cotton candy: we must meet our own and others "low floors".

The path of fatuous relationships - facade, often suffered and of overweight - will never correspond to us.

That’s right: we will go straight to the goal only by entering a new normality, and remaining focused on our authentic plot, where the Call of God lurks.

Here bitter situations will prove to be transitory.

And if in the meantime we have not let go because of some lack of recognition or belonging, history will find us somewhere else.

But let us continually beware of unevangelical spiritual proposals - precisely, lacking in re-Births.

The wise dimension of the «dying Grain» is not about voluntarism and self-control, which will disconcert us within, diminishing the sacred Oneness of soul and Vocation.

Manners discipline that takes as its 'model' the already established [and “how we should be”] will only baffle us; it will make us sick!

Excessive control, in fact, in every concrete circumstance will diminish our exceptional inclination of varied being, will bleed the personal Mystery, and the growing flowering of new Life.

Instead, the Lord wants us to be ready to re-create ourselves and regenerate the world - even in times of global crisis.

[St Lawrence,  August 10, 2024]

(Jn 12:20-33)

"If the grain of wheat that falls to the ground does not die, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" [Jn 12:24].

We ask ourselves: how is it possible in any situation to make precious things sprout? What is the best way to take care of oneself? How can one become fruitful without shrinking one's living space?

What draws its own sap even from traumas, discomforts, failures, or what does not leave us calm? What about the pleasure of living? Can we experience at least brief moments of eternity?

Is Christ really able to give our existence a shot in the arm, make life explode - manage commitments differently, and revel in happiness?

Or does he definitively dig our grave, with his Hiding (which seems to be a death option)?

We are already widely introduced, but perhaps we do not feel aware enough: we would like to go deeper, and perhaps from being mere admirers become Apostles - involved in Jesus' spirited and growing secret.

In advancing on the spiritual journey, we discover that it is not enough to be far from idols and celebrate faith: we desire to take further steps (vv.20-22), to experience immense gifts.

We want fullness, expansion, joy; not to be suffocated in tasks without enchantment, in mechanisms without lyrical step.

And enter into the Faith that is already non-compulsive love - thus accessing integral salvation.

We desire to be in wholeness - and that of the grain of wheat that rots by becoming the vessel of perfect wholeness is not an invitation to accumulate labours, nor to (intimist or cathartic) dolorismo, but to total luxuriance.

In short, there is a crisis between attachment to the established and approved self, and discipleship without those anxieties within. Discipleship that leads to fulfilled joy: seeing oneself develop, expand, flourish - manifesting one's entire life-wave in a new form.

Jn presents the first contact of the already believers with foreigners by bringing in 'Greeks' who had arrived in Jerusalem to go up to the Temple for the great feast of Passover.

Perhaps they wished to "see Jesus" as the star of the moment - but in Him they encounter a gift proposal at the antipodes of the Hellenist conception. The contrast in the background of the episode is sharp.

In Greece, the term 'aristoi' was coined to indicate successful people, who stood out from the rest: the best. They were the outstanding, those who achieved prestige, fame, visibility, substantial honours.

The Master removes the veil of [even then ecclesiastical] insipient illusions. He considers this ideal of life insipid.

And he explains what Glory consists of: 'falling to the ground' - so that it is the latter and its hidden energies that regenerate our and others' destinies.

In short, in every person there are dormant forces waiting - even if one does not want to admit them.

They demand their own way; not models. As such, they are only released when we do not rush to fix things as they 'should be'.

We sometimes feel the unconscious wanting an evolution; but the unexpressed faces do not emerge... the primordial virtues remain stifled.

Perhaps even in the time of global crisis we pretend to continue like this, to float on procedures, disinterested in Life as source - undisguised, in the round and without sequins.

Those who still think conformistically remain in the enclosure... which has become the grave of the soul.

He retreats into fatuous glory, remains at a safe distance from other possibilities, and loses the self that gives rise to the future.

In fact, the Tao Tê Ching (xxviii) says: "He who knows himself to be glorious and keeps himself in ignominy, is the valley of the world; being the valley of the world, virtue always stops in him, and he returns to being crude. When that which is crude is cut off, then they make instruments of it; when the holy man uses it, then he makes himself the first among ministers".

The best way to "see" the Lord [v.21b - that is, to understand and experience his life-giving Face] seems to be to approach a natural process.

And the evangelical image is taken from the agricultural world.

For ears of grain to sprout in a field, it is necessary for the grains to disappear into the earth, slipping into oblivion.

Only from a transmutation (without resistance) can the prodigy blossom: a process of new genesis and development, and that birth that brings the hundredfold [genesis well expanded, e.g. by comparison with the petty hopes of a social role].

The stakes are staggering: it seems paradoxical, but life does not develop from some contrived purpose, but from the very nature of the seed, which has a special vitality within.

To realise what characterises us, success or the ability to make oneself 'director' has nothing to do with it.On the contrary, perhaps it is better to learn to wait, and to act slowly, accommodating the sap that comes - rather than hastily becoming people 'with' considerable social standing.

Nor can we get away with setting up a substitute religious observance that does not correspond to us and that we do not want, which often [trying to put things right, instantly, on the outside] turns into a reservoir of inner discomfort and neurosis.

Activated by the paradoxical Mystery, which calls by Name, step by step and wisely, we are invited to respect real processes and overall developments.

Missional growth in fullness of personality and being is all natural - and only in this way does it counteract oppositions, or rather seize them as opportunities that ignite the path, and appropriately divert it.

Our development is global growth.

It counteracts every false inner voice or outer power: heterodirected inclinations - aimed at appearance. [Rushing to be recognised at first sight... all cheap opinions; far from the roots of essence and metamorphosis].

Based on his own experience, Jesus means:

Life companion of the Prophet who corresponds to his own 'absurd' Calling is not the d'emblée (static, of self) affirmation that gives no room for the unexpressed dream.

Rather, it is the loneliness, the standing in the corner, the not being sought after - and feeling treated as inadequate, dishonourable or failed (by the very experts and people of rank).

This kind of frank practice with oneself, God and men is not to be done by taking candyfloss shortcuts: one has to meet our own and others' 'downsides'.

The path of fatuous relationships - of façade, often suffered and overweight - will never match us.

That's right: we will only go straight to the goal by entering into a new normal: to turn over a new leaf, remaining focused on our authentic character pattern, where God's unpredictable call to freedom instinct lurks.

Bitter situations will prove transient.

And if in the meantime we have not let go because of some lack of recognition or belonging, history will find us somewhere else.

But let us continually beware of spiritual proposals that are not very evangelical - indeed, lacking in re-birth.

The wise dimension of the 'Dying Grain' is not about voluntarism and self-control, which will baffle us inside, diminishing the sacred Oneness of soul and Vocation.

Discipline of manner that takes as its 'model' the already established [and "how we should be"] will only pass on lacerations; it will make us sick!

Excessive control in fact, in every concrete circumstance will dampen our exceptional inclination to be varied, will bleed the personal Mystery, and the growing flowering of New Life.

Instead, the Lord wants us ready to recreate ourselves and regenerate the world - even in times of global crisis.

In short, 'adequate' expectations are double-edged weapons, absurd alibis; clouded ideals - produced by artifice. Without any Mystery breathing within.

Those who hand over their reputations seem to rot, yet (like Jesus) will find immensity of harvest.

The Sign of the Bread helps us to be under no illusions: the disciples' ministry is not to shut itself away, not even to narrate external admiration and remain in the den - but to make it 'seen'.

Even in times of overall upheaval.

To internalise and live the message:

In what do you recognise the trammels of life, or to what do you accord the highest honour?

The Gospel, from the 12th chapter of John which I would like to try to explain, is also a Gospel of hope. At the same time, it is a Gospel of the Cross. These two dimensions always go together. Since the Gospel refers to the Cross it speaks of hope and, since it gives hope, it must speak of the Cross.

John tells us that Jesus was going up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and then he says: "Among those who went up to worship... were some Greeks". Without any doubt they were members of the group called phoboumenoi ton Theon, the "God-fearing", who, going beyond the polytheism of their world, were seeking the authentic God who is truly God, the one God to whom the whole world belongs and who is the God of all mankind. And they had found that God, whom they were seeking and asking for, and for whom every human being is silently yearning, in the Bible of Israel, recognizing him as that God who created the world. He is the God of all men and women and, at the same time, he chose a specific people and place in which to be present among us. They were searching for God and they came to Jerusalem to worship the one God, to know something of his mystery. Furthermore, the Evangelist tells us that these people, having heard talk of Jesus, approached Philip the Apostle who came from Bethsaida, in half of which Greek is spoken and said:  "We wish to see Jesus". Their desire to know God impels them to want to see Jesus and through him to become more closely acquainted with God. "We wish to see Jesus":  we are moved by these words since we all long ever more ardently to see and to know him. I think there are two reasons why these Greeks interest us:  on the one hand their situation is the same as ours; we too are pilgrims asking about God, in search of God. And we too would like to know Jesus better and truly to see him. Yet it is also true that, like Philip and Andrew, we should be Jesus' friends, friends who know him and can show others the way that leads to him. I therefore think that at this time we should pray like this:  Lord, help us to be people journeying towards you. Lord, grant that we may see you ever more clearly. Help us to be your friends, who open to others the door to you. Whether or not this effectively led to an encounter between Jesus and those Greeks, St John does not tell us. Jesus' answer, which he does report to us, goes far beyond that chance moment. It is a twofold response. He speaks of the glorification of Jesus that was then beginning:  "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified" (Jn 12: 23). The Lord explains this concept of glorification with the Parable of the Grain of Wheat:  "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (v. 24). Indeed the grain of wheat must die, it must sink in the ground in order to absorb energy from the earth and thus develop a stem and become an ear of wheat. With regard to the Lord, this is the parable of his own mystery. He himself is the grain of wheat which came from God, the divine grain that lets itself fall to the ground, that lets itself sink, be broken down in death and precisely by so doing germinates and can thus bear fruit in the immensity of the world. It is not merely a fleeting encounter with some person or another. Now, as the Risen One, he is "new" and goes beyond the limits of space and time. Now, he truly reaches the Greeks. Now, he shows himself to them and speaks to them and they speak to him; so it is that faith is born. The Church grows from all peoples, the community of the Risen Jesus Christ which will become his living Body, the ear of the grain of wheat. In this parable we also find a reference to the mystery of the Eucharist. He, who is the grain of wheat, falls to the ground and dies.

In this manner the holy multiplication of the "loaves" [bread] of the Eucharist comes about, in which he becomes Bread for the people of all times and places.

What the Lord says of himself here in this Christological parable is applied to us in two other verses:  "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (v. 25). I think that when we first hear this we do not like it. We would like to say to the Lord:  "But what are you telling us, Lord? Must we even hate our life? Isn't our life a gift of God? Haven't we been created in his image and likeness? Shouldn't we be grateful and glad that he has given us life?". However, Jesus' words have another meaning. Of course the Lord has given us life and we are grateful for this. Gratitude and joy are fundamental attitudes of Christian life. Yes, we can be happy because we know that each of our lives comes from God. It is not a chance without meaning. I am wanted and loved. When Jesus says we must hate our life he means quite the opposite. He is thinking here of two fundamental attitudes. One is the attitude of wanting to keep my life selfishly, which is why I consider my life as my own property; I consider myself as my own property, which is why I want to make the very most of this life so as to live a full life, living for myself. Whoever does this, whoever lives for himself and thinks of and desires only himself, does not find himself but is lost. What the Lord tells us is precisely the opposite:  not seizing life but giving it. And it is not that in seizing life for ourselves that we receive it, but in giving it, in going beyond ourselves not in looking at ourselves but rather in giving ourselves to the other in the humility of love, giving our life to him and to others. Thus we become rich, distancing ourselves from ourselves, freeing ourselves from ourselves. It is by giving, and not by seizing life that we truly receive life.

[Pope Benedict, visit to the Lutheran Church in Rome 14 March 2010]

1. These words were spoken by the Lord Jesus as he thought of his own death. He himself first of all is that “grain of wheat” which “falls on the ground and dies”. The Son of God, of the same substance as the Father, God from God and Light from Light, was made man. He entered into the life of ordinary men and women as the son of the Virgin Mary of Nazareth. And finally he accepted death on the Cross as the sacrifice for the sins of the world. Precisely in this way the grain of wheat dies and yields a rich harvest. It is the harvest of the Redemption of the world, the harvest of the salvation of souls, the power of truth and love as the beginning of eternal life in God.

In this way the parable of the grain of wheat helps us to understand the very mystery of Christ.

2. At the same time, the grain of wheat that “falls on the ground and dies” becomes the pledge of bread. A man harvests from his fields the heads of grain which have grown from the single grain and, transforming the collected grains into flour, he makes bread from it as food for his own body. In this way Christ’s parable about the grain of wheat helps us to understand the mystery of the Eucharist.

In fact, at the Last Supper, Christ took bread in his own hands, blessed it and said these words over it: “Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is my body which will be given up for you”. And the broken Bread which had become in a sacramental way his own Body he distributed to the Apostles.

In a similar way he brought about the transubstantiation of the wine into his own Blood, and distributing it to the Apostles, said: “Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all men so that sins may be forgiven”. And then he added: “Do this in memory of me”.

3. This is how the mystery of Christ remains among us through the Sacrament of the Eucharist. The mystery of the Redeemer of the world who gave himself up for us all, offering his Body and Blood in the Sacrifice of the Cross. Thanks to the Eucharist the words of our Redeemer are fulfilled: “I will not leave you orphans; I will come back to you” (Io. 14, 18).

In this Sacrament he is always coming to us. We are not orphans. He is with us!

In the Eucharist he also brings us his peace, and he helps us to overcome our weaknesses and fears. It is just as he had foretold: “Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” (Io. 14, 27).

And hence, from the beginning, the disciples and witnesses of our Crucified and Risen Lord “remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers” (Act. 2, 42).

They remained faithful “to the breaking of bread”. In other words, the Eucharist constituted the very centre of their life, the centre of the life of the Christian community, the centre of the life of the Church.

Thus it was at the beginning in Jerusalem. Thus it has been everywhere, wherever faith in the Gospel together with the teaching of the Apostles has been introduced. From generation to generation it has been so among different peoples and nations. Thus it has also been on the African continent since the Gospel first reached these lands through the missionaries, and since it produced its first fruits in a community assembled to celebrate the Eucharist […]

8. To feed and clothe and care for each child requires much sacrifice and hard work. In addition, parents have the duty of educating their children. As the Second Vatican Council says: “Their role as educators is so decisive that scarcely anything can compensate for their failure in it. For it devolves on parents to create a family atmosphere so animated with love and reverence for God and others that a well-rounded personal and social development will be fostered among the children. Hence, the family is the first school of those social virtues which every society needs” (Gravissimum Educationis, 3).

9. Prayer is essential to the life of every Christian, but family prayer has its own special character. Since it is a form of shared prayer, it has to be shaped and adapted according to the size and make-up of each family. Few activities influence a family more deeply than their prayer together. Prayer fosters reverence for God and respect for one another. It places joys and sorrows, hopes and disappointments, every event and circumstance, within the perspective of God’s mercy and providence. Family prayer opens the heart of each member to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and helps the family to be more united in itself, yet more ready to serve the Church and society.

[Pope John Paul II, from homily in Nairobi, 18 August 1985]

Today's Gospel [...] narrates an episode which took place in the last days of Jesus’ life. The scene takes place in Jerusalem where he finds himself for the feast of the Jewish Passover. Several Greeks had also arrived there for this celebration. These men were driven by religious sentiment, attracted by the faith of the Jewish People and, having heard of this great prophet, they approach Philip, one of the 12 Apostles, and say to him: “we wish to see Jesus” (v. 21). John highlights this sentence, that is centred on the verb to see, which in the evangelical lexicon means to go beyond appearances in order to comprehend the mystery of a person. The verb John uses, “to see”, means to reach the depths of the heart, to reach through sight, with understanding, the depths of a person’s soul, within the person.

Jesus’ reaction is surprising. He does not answer with a “yes” or with a “no” but says: “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified” (v. 23). These words which at first glance appear to ignore the question of those Greeks, in reality provide the true response because those who seek to know Jesus must look within the Cross where his glory is revealed; to look within the Cross. Today’s Gospel invites us to turn our gaze to the Crucifix which is not an ornamental object or a clothing accessory — abused at times! Rather, it is a religious symbol to contemplate and to understand. Within the image of Jesus crucified is revealed the mystery of the death of the Son as a supreme act of love, the source of life and salvation for humanity of all ages. We have been healed in his wounds.

I may think: “How do I look at the Crucifix? As a work of art, to see if it is beautiful or not? Or do I look within; do I penetrate Jesus’ wounds unto the depths of his heart? Do I look at the mystery of God who was humiliated unto death, like a slave, like a criminal?”. Do not forget this: look to the Crucifix, but look within it. There is a beautiful devotional way of praying one “Our Father” for each of the five wounds. When we pray that “Our Father”, we are trying to enter within, through the wounds of Jesus, inside his very heart. And there we will learn the great wisdom of the mystery of Christ, the great wisdom of the Cross.

And in order to explain the meaning of his death and Resurrection, Jesus uses an image and says: “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (v. 24). He wants to explain that his extreme fate — that is the Cross, death and Resurrection — is an act of fruitfulness — his wounds have healed us — a fruitfulness which will bear fruit for many. He thus compares himself to a grain of wheat which, rotting in the earth, generates new life. Jesus came to earth through the Incarnation, but this is not enough. He must also die to redeem man from the slavery of sin and to offer him a new life reconciled in love. I said “to redeem man”: but to redeem me, you, all of us, each of us. He paid that price. This is the mystery of Christ. Go towards his wounds, enter, contemplate, see Jesus — but from within.

And this dynamism of the grain of wheat which was accomplished in Jesus must also take place within us, his disciples. We are called to take on the Paschal law of losing life in order to receive it renewed and eternal. And what does losing life mean? That is, what does it mean to be the grain of wheat? It means to think less about oneself, about personal interests and to know how to “see” and to meet the needs of our neighbours, especially the least of them. To joyfully carry out works of charity towards those who suffer in body and spirit is the most authentic way of living the Gospel. It is the necessary foundation upon which our communities can grow in reciprocal fraternity and welcome. I want to see Jesus, but from within. Penetrate his wounds and contemplate that love in his heart for you, for you, for you, for me, for everyone.

May the Virgin Mary who, from the manger in Bethlehem to the Cross on Calvary, has always kept her heart’s gaze fixed on her Son, help us to meet and know him just as he desires so that we may live enlightened by Him and bring to the world fruits of justice and peace.

[Pope Francis, Angelus 18 March 2018]

Wise souls, or mad ones

(Mt 25:1-13)

The theme is not that of moral vigilance, but punctual: sooner or later all the baptized in Christ fall asleep (v.5).

And the environment doesn’t seem the best: the groom is late, the girls are sleepy, some without oil and others... sour.

But sometimes we are like madmen who go to build houses on the sand: at the first trickle is landslide, and everything collapses.

The enthusiasm was there, the harmony with the Lord and his desire to embrace and transmit fullness of being... maybe not.

It lacks a dimension of depth, or of living hope that animates motivations and lubricates energy, in the impulse to the mission.

It’s the outcome of those who seem to have welcomed the Beatitudes at all points, but don’t make them their own...

Not for the fact that they do not fulfill well the role - a task - but because they do not relate the listening to the practice (not distracted, exquisitely evangelical).

Powering the torch is promoting life!

And the Appeal, the opportune moment, comes suddenly; it does not set itself up through a general or formal choice that evolves without correlations, personal tracks, attention to events and wisdom to correspond.

Here the relationship of Faith is not oil that can be lent.

There are anxious or perfectionist souls who rush to intervene, but lack perception. There are fearful and paralyzed hearts: they must acquire flexibility.

Some stare at the "no" moments and do not know how to turn them into occasions of awakening, or they heal too late. Others depend on the season or live on adrenaline and lack awareness.

Someone has to slow down and recollect himself, rediscover himself and the instinctive vocational lightness, his own infinite part - but avoiding childish strategies.

Others who have already accepted the divine, would need to wake up from numbness, to set in motion the wise and innate light they possess in deep inclinations.

Some need to throw ballasts, become more subtle in hearing and in offering themselves, or less dirigist; others need to prepare for the Encounter in a more relational and visible dimension.

There are people who must complicate their stories and then simplify [without dispersing] eventually becoming sharper; others and perhaps more, learning to donate. And so on.

So... better some with light than all in the dark. The actions and risk for wisdom, love and completeness of being build the Person and his dialogue.

One often imagines having provided for own practice with God by enrolling in parish registers, without elaborating his commitment.

But the person who neither edifies nor communicates life has nothing to do with God himself (v.12).

In this way, even the crisis can have an evolutionary sense; in not feeling absolute, in the logic of options, in personalisation, in the unexpected and different encounter.

Threshold of every Exodus, to Freedom and the Feast.

When the Nazi police knocked on the door of the Carmelite Monastery in Echt, Edith was prepared. He had not lost the sense of invitation to Wedding.

[St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross,  August 9, 2024]