(Mt 11:2-11)

Matthew 11:2 Now John, who was in prison, heard about the works of Christ, and sent his disciples to ask him,

Matthew 11:3 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we wait for another?'.

Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered, 'Go and tell John what you hear and see:

Matthew 11:5 The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news preached to them.

Matthew 11:6 and blessed is anyone who does not take offence at me."

Matthew 11:7 As they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?

Jesus' answer to John the Baptist's question is not a theoretical answer, a simple explanation, or a classic retort. There is nothing to explain. It is not as if someone explains the truth of lunch to us at midday: it is better for them to feed us, otherwise it means they are leaving us hungry. The truth is the reality that nourishes us. Abstract truth and reflection are one thing; these are all good things, but we cannot live without reality. Truth is the reality we experience, and that is why Jesus' answer is not theoretical, but says: go and report what you hear and see.

Here, then, the works of Christ begin to take shape: 'The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news preached to them' (v. 5). No one can bear witness to himself. Not even Jesus Christ can bear witness and affirm the truth about himself. He can say it, but it must always be confirmed by other witnesses. In this case, Jesus does not ask for confirmation from men. He asks that Scripture itself bear witness to him.

His words are taken from the prophet Isaiah, to whom Jesus refers the disciples of John the Baptist, because in them lies the key to understanding his work. Only the Word, therefore, is able to reveal and make understood the mystery of Jesus Christ. In Jesus, the prophecies that Isaiah pronounced about the Messiah of God are fulfilled. Jesus is truly the one who was to come, the herchómenos.

The healing of the blind speaks of man's openness to the light of faith, it is enlightenment; man's problem is seeing reality. We do not see reality, we see our hypotheses about reality. And the reality is that we are children of God, created to be children, and to recover our sight and be enlightened is to have understood this. Then life has light, otherwise life is dull.

The healing of the deaf speaks of the ability to receive the Word; the lepers, a metaphor for a humanity degraded by sin, are healed by the proclamation they receive; the lame, with their limping and uncertain gait, are a metaphor for the doubtful, the uncertain, the weak in faith, who are restored to the firmness of their belief; just as the dead, a symbol of the pagan world and of sinners far from God, are also called to follow, and are also made participants in divine life. Finally, all the poor are given the gift of the good news: God has returned among men and reaches out to them, drawing them to Himself. The latter does not seem to be a miracle, and yet it is perhaps the most specific and decisive sign: that Jesus is God's envoy is proven by miracles, but it is his predilection for the poor that reveals the novelty of his messianic choice. A new creation is taking place; God is generating new men. This is the good news announced to all the poor, that is, to all situations of affliction, deprivation, need, and waiting.

"And blessed is he who is not scandalised by me" (v. 6). In the Beatitudes, Jesus declares blessed the poor, the afflicted, the meek, the merciful, the pure of heart, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the peacemakers, the persecuted, etc. Now Jesus says blessed is he who is not scandalised by me. Why? Because he is the poor, the afflicted, the pure of heart, the peacemaker, the meek, and for this reason he is persecuted, afflicted, rejected, insulted: he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and whoever does not take offence at me is blessed, has understood all the Beatitudes. So the crucial point is to understand who he is, through what he does and says. This is how he responds to the Baptist. Accepting Jesus means entering into a new way of understanding our relationship with God and our relationship with others - and for many this means scandal. Jesus says that for those who are not scandalised by the novelty of his message, he will be a source of blessedness, a way of feeling truly happy.

"What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?" Jesus' questions, while highlighting the figure of the Baptist, also constitute an indictment of the Jews' inability to grasp his true significance. Two basic attitudes towards the Baptist emerge, which mirror those towards Jesus; in this way, John is not only the precursor of Jesus in that he announces him, but also in that he anticipates him, becoming a sort of prefiguration of him: a) there are those who rush to see and listen to John, driven mainly by curiosity, but without grasping the greatness and meaning of his preaching and his mission; b) there are those who had a true understanding of him, but one that was limited and incomplete.

The first two questions asked about the Baptist are intended to disapprove of superficial behaviour and, precisely for this reason, incapable of grasping the Mystery hidden in that man, who is wholehearted and far removed from compromises and palace intrigues, shunning comforts and focusing entirely on the herchómenos. 

Jesus asks: What did you go out to the desert to see? The crowds went out to the desert. The Baptist is the man of the Exodus. Those who are not willing to make the exodus, to go out into the desert, to embark on a new journey, will never meet the Lord. The Baptist is the prototype of the man who meets the Lord because he is the first to go out into the desert. What did you go out to see? A reed swaying in the wind? Obviously, the answer is no. What is a reed swaying in the wind? It is the man who tries to please in order to be liked. The Baptist has something to teach us; he is not a reed swaying in the wind of opinions, but he is the one who is steadfast before God. The reed bends with every wind, small or large. John is not a reed swayed by the wind, bent by the thoughts of men. He does not follow the fashions of thought. He follows the thoughts of God. John is firmly rooted in the thoughts of God. This is his credibility. If his preaching is credible, it is compelling. Uncredible preaching can never compel a person.

A man who wants to preach and teach, if he accepts other thoughts, attests that God's thought is not everything to him. By accepting other thoughts, he relativises God's thought, making it imperfect, since it must be made perfect by the addition of human thoughts. This is the folly of those endless reeds blown by the wind that are Christians who allow themselves to be overwhelmed by the thoughts of the world. 

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Apocalypse – exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers – Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ, true God and true Man in the mystery of the Trinity

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants in comparison – In defence of the faith

 The Church and Israel according to St Paul – Romans 9-11

(Available on Amazon)

(Romans 15:4-9)

Romans 15:4 Now all that was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Romans 15:5 May the God of perseverance and consolation grant you to have the same feelings towards one another as Christ Jesus had,

Romans 15:6 so that with one heart and one voice you may glorify God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 15:7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ has accepted you, for the glory of God.

Paul wants Christians to know that what was written in the Old Testament serves as our instruction. When Christians learn what happened in the past, they find motivation to persevere, they are comforted in the present, and they look forward to the future with hope. The perseverance and comfort that come from Scripture are those that arise from the faith that every sacrifice we have lived, offered, and lifted up to God will not go unrewarded. This fruit ripens on our perseverance, which must be until the end.

All the sufferings of the present world are worthless in comparison to the glory that God will give us. For this reason, we must always keep alive our hope of the future glory with which we will be clothed. The strength to persevere comes from this hope, and it is necessary to keep it alive; if we lose sight of hope, then we easily fall away from faith and our soul is lost in the small and useless things of this world. Hope is kept alive by conforming our lives to Christ. Outside of this law, all that remains for the Christian is bewilderment, confusion, and abandonment of the path undertaken.

God is the God of perseverance and consolation (v. 5). He is the God of perseverance because he never tires of seeking man for his salvation. The entire Old Testament is sustained by this perseverance of God, who knows no rest. He is the God who perseveres eternally in his love for man and who gives him consolation. God's consolation is that strength that pours out upon us and urges us to persevere to the end. Without God's perseverance, man would have been without hope for a long time. Without God's consolation, no one would have the strength to persevere, to move forward. Without God's consolation, we would have a Christianity of sadness and despair.

Paul raises this prayer to God and asks him to pour out on the Romans and on every other believer, that they may have the same feelings towards one another, following the example of Christ Jesus. Christ is the model that Christians must always be inspired by. Christ is the example to imitate. Christ is the hermeneutical principle of the life of each of his disciples. If Christians are the fruit of God's persevering love, they too must persevere in love for their neighbour. Since Christians have the strength to move forward because the Lord pours out his consolation on their path, Christians too must become instruments of consolation for their brothers and sisters. They must exhort, help and encourage. True communion does not arise from the presumption of a justice due to us, but from the awareness of a guilt that includes everyone, and of a grace that is simply a gift. We think well of our brothers and sisters not because we believe in their goodness, but because we believe in the One who makes us good. It is the awareness of sin and the awareness of grace that gives foundation and stability to fraternal love.

As Christ has welcomed us, so we must welcome one another. Christ welcomed us all when we had nothing but our need for salvation. Christ welcomed us by taking on our flesh and blood, taking upon himself our infirmities, our illnesses, our sins. He welcomed us by loving us to the end. Christ still welcomes us by exercising his eternal priesthood, interceding for us so that we may always find grace with God and be saved and redeemed by him.

Christ did everything for the glory of God. Christians too must welcome their brothers and sisters for the glory of God. God wants each of us to love our brothers and sisters as Jesus Christ loved them. If Christians observe this commandment, great glory rises to God. Christians must be singers of God's glory. They must ensure that the whole world glorifies the heavenly Father for their love towards their brothers and sisters.

We know well that only Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Father's will. By meditating on Christ and examining his life, Christians too can prepare themselves to give glory to the Father, which is the purpose of their lives.  

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Apocalypse – exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers – Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ, true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants in comparison – In defence of the faith

 The Church and Israel according to St Paul – Romans 9-11

(Available on Amazon)

(Mt 24:37–44) 

Matthew 24:37 As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark,

Matthew 24:39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.

Matthew 24:41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and the other left.

Matthew 24:42 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

Matthew 24:43 For this, consider: if the homeowner knew at what time of night the thief was coming, he would stay awake and not let his house be broken into.

Matthew 24:44 Therefore, you also must be ready, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.

The theme of this passage is the uncertainty of the time of the "parousia" and the accompanying end of time. The return of Christ (= the Son of Man) is certain, but at the same time it is completely unexpected. Since the time of his coming is unknown, Christians are called to be in a state of constant readiness.

The theme of judgement is clear. Jesus compares those who live in the final phase of history (which can happen in any generation) to the generation of Noah's time, which was overwhelmed by the flood. No one expected it, so everyone was suddenly caught up in a cataclysm that left no escape. 

In v. 38, in Greek, we have a nice euphony, pleasing to the ear: 

                    trōgontes kai pinontes gamountes kai gamizontes, 

lit., "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage."

No special meaning should be read into these participles. They simply stand as indicators of living daily life (eating and drinking) and planning for the future (marriages). In Noah's day, people were unaware of anything other than their own life of pleasure; and they had no idea of the judgement that was coming upon them: "and they did not realise anything (i.e. the imminent danger) until the flood ("kataklysmòs") came and swallowed them all up". The parousia of the Son of Man, similarly, will come suddenly upon an unsuspecting generation, which is going about its ordinary activities. This triggers a comparison between the times of Noah and the last days.

The insistent emphasis on eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage gives the idea of a humanity entirely intent on organising its own time, rooted in its own affairs, without paying attention to the signs that are sent to it; there is no room for anything but its own interests. People, in the normality of life, in the routine of eating and marrying, lived as if the world would never end, unprepared for the disaster that was about to come, with no expectation that things could change. Men, unaware of the tragic fate that awaited them, neglected what was essential for their survival: instead of preparing means of salvation like Noah, they were absorbed in their daily affairs and intent on blissfully enjoying life.

In the same way that humanity ignored the impending judgement, so the people of Jesus' time rejected Him and His message, and were overwhelmed by the devastation that struck Jerusalem and the temple. The same scenario will also occur in the last days. The parousia and the end times will come suddenly, and the story of Noah is used as a warning about the suddenness of disaster for those who are unprepared. They are unprepared because they do not take the gospel message into consideration and consequently believe the lie and reject the truth.

On that day, there will be a division among humanity. This is described very vividly in the reference to two men working in a field and two women grinding at the mill. They are going about their normal activities, unaware of what is about to happen, when suddenly one of them is taken and the other is left, where 'being taken' means being saved, and 'being left' means perishing in the impending destruction. This taking has the meaning of safeguarding, of placing under one's protection and, therefore, of election; while being left has the meaning of being abandoned to one's fate.

The fact that there are always two people involved does not indicate a quantitative percentage, but rather two conditions, two states of life: those who are faithful and those who are not; while the use of two characters, male and female, indicates the generality of humanity. The fact that they are caught in the field and at the mill indicates how the coming of the Lord will surprise them as they go about their daily business, suddenly and unexpectedly, just as in Noah's time people were caught up in the cataclysm while engaged in the ordinary activities of life.

One lives superficially: he eats, marries, works, but everything slips away; another eats, marries, works and on Sundays, instead of going to the beach, goes to listen to the Gospel. Everyone works during the week, but there is a way of living life with a different awareness instead of thinking only about eating and having fun.

Christians must not allow themselves to be surprised by such an unexpected event. They know very well what awaits them and that the rapidity of the final events does not allow them to think about conversion at the last moment. The things of God happen suddenly. Everything is sudden when the Lord acts, hence the urgent need to be always vigilant. When the Lord comes, and he will come suddenly, he must find us ready. It is our duty to prepare for the parousia without calculating its date, but by living ready and attentive to God's warnings. Being prepared does not mean sitting back and waiting, it means being engaged in faithful service to the One who is coming.  

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Apocalypse – exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers – Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ, true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants in comparison – In defence of the faith

 The Church and Israel according to St Paul – Romans 9-11

(Available on Amazon)

Luke 23:35-43

34th Sunday in Ordinary Time (year C)

Luke 23:35 The people stood by and watched, but the leaders mocked him, saying, 'He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, his chosen one.'

Luke 23:36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up to him and offering him vinegar, and saying,

Luke 23:37 'If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.'

Luke 23:38 There was also an inscription above his head: 'This is the King of the Jews'.

Luke 23:39 One of the criminals hanging on the cross insulted him, saying, 'Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!

Luke 23:40 But the other rebuked him, saying, 'Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

Luke 23:41 We are indeed justly condemned, for we are receiving the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.'

Luke 23:42 And he added, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Luke 23:43 He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

First scene: Jesus, crucified and mocked, is proclaimed Christ and King of the Jews (vv. 33-38). 

These verses report the title that outlines Jesus' identity and that those present attest to from their own perspective. The leaders of the people, sensitive to messianic expectations, challenge Jesus to show himself for what he claimed to be, that is, the "Christ of God." This title qualifies Jesus as the Messiah "chosen" by God, thus linking him to a mission he had to accomplish. 

This suggests that, in some way, the challenge that the leaders of the people had thrown down to Jesus was not merely ironic or mocking, but that they intended to test Jesus in his presumed identity as Messiah. Such a request on the part of the Jews was in keeping with their mentality, which was to seek proof of divine or messianic claims. 

The second group of people are the soldiers, who, unlike the first, the evangelist points out, mocked Jesus. The soldiers also reveal a certain contempt for the Jews, pointing to the crucified man as their king. A kingship, however, which, beyond the irony of the soldiers and the resentment of the Jews, Pilate officially decreed on the cartouche placed on the cross, which indicated the reason for the condemnation and which the condemned man carried around his neck on his way to the place of execution or, sometimes, a servant carried in front of him, so that, along the way, everyone would be aware of the reason for the condemnation as a warning. It is precisely this official decree by Pilate that gives the title 'King of the Jews' a transhistorical significance.

This first scene thus takes on fundamental importance not only for the definition of Jesus' identity, but also for the meaning of his death. All this is so important to Luke that, from the outset, he places the entire people as witnesses to these events: "And the people stood by and watched." Which people are we talking about here? It is conceivable that it is the Jewish people. But it is also conceivable that Luke goes far beyond the narrow confines of Palestine and sees here the great people of believers, called to be witnesses of the cross of Christ.

Second scene: Jesus recognised as Messiah, King and Saviour (vv. 39-43).

If the previous scene attested to Jesus' identity as Messiah and King, this scene demonstrates what has been attested. In v. 39, the focus shifts from the Jewish and Roman mockers to the two criminals. There is a change of scene here, which in some way ties in with the previous scene. The criminal, in fact, takes up the attestation of v. 35, in which Jesus was recognised as the Saviour Christ, and tries to use it to his advantage.

Verses 40-41, which report the intervention of the second criminal against his companion, have the purpose of attesting to Jesus' innocence. Verses 42-43 constitute the climax of this scene. After defending Jesus, the second criminal now gives his full testimony of faith. A faith that speaks of openness and abandonment of himself to Jesus, implicitly recognised here in that 'your kingdom' as King.

Jesus' response is an attestation of his saving power, which is not separate from the cross, but is realised in the cross. A salvation that will not come at the end of time, but in the present day of man: 'today you will be with me'. Jesus' response to the evildoer, but perhaps it is better now to call him a disciple, is particularly significant: 'today you will be with me in paradise'. Salvation, therefore, consists in being 'with Jesus', and he is found 'in paradise', that is, in the very dimension of God, which is the very life of God. The reference to Genesis, and more precisely to Gen 2:8, where the term 'paradeison' (paradise) appears for the first time in the Septuagint Bible, is not accidental. There we read: 'Then the Lord God planted a garden (paradeison) in Eden, in the east, and placed there the man whom he had formed'. Paradise, therefore, is a place of delights where God placed man. Man's natural habitat is not, therefore, this space-time dimension, deeply marked by sin and subject to the degradation of death, but the very dimension of God. Salvation, then, consists in God's action to restore man to his original dimension, when man and with him the whole of creation shone with the light of God. In fact, when God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Gen 1:26-27), he created a being who, in that image and likeness, was part of His life. And that "today you will be with me in paradise" expresses the fulfilment of God's intention: to bring man back to Himself, from whence he had dramatically and tragically departed. And this has now been accomplished in the crucified Christ, who is "foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God" (1 Cor 1:18).

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Apocalypse – exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers – Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ, true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants in comparison – In defence of the faith

 The Church and Israel according to St Paul – Romans 9-11

(Available on Amazon)

(2 Thessalonians 3:7-12)

2 Thessalonians 3:7 For you know how you ought to imitate us, because we did not live idly among you,

2 Thessalonians 3:8 nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but we worked hard night and day, labouring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.

2 Thessalonians 3:9 Not that we had no right to this, but to give you an example to imitate.

Paul says: remember our behaviour, that during our work among you, instead of shirking our duty to earn a living, we took on hard work so as not to be supported by the community. Paul, even before being a teacher, practises what he preaches. Every preacher must be able to combine theory and practice.

Conscience is educated not only through teaching, but above all through life, through example. Others must not only hear what is good and true, but they must also see what is good and true, because faith is either visible or it is not faith. Paul is not only a teacher who preaches, admonishes and teaches the faith, he is first and foremost someone who shows all these things and shows them through his life. He is both a teacher of life and a teacher of words. The two must always go together. It would be a serious spiritual loss if the two were to be separated.

Here, therefore, it is not a question of remembering a teaching, but of the duty to imitate the preachers of the gospel, who were not idlers. In other words, the preachers of the gospel did not take advantage of the hospitality of some Christians. Let us be clear, Paul is not saying that he never ate for free in other people's homes, but that he never demanded his sustenance.

Paul subjected himself to the harsh law of work for the sake of the gospel; he did not want to be mistaken for one of those itinerant preachers who moved from place to place selling theories, often only illusions, in exchange for sustenance. By supporting himself with his own hands, the apostle freed his message from any suspicion, and to do so he had renounced his right to be supported. This is the fairness of the apostle.

But there is also another reason why Paul worked: 'so as not to be a burden to any of you', a reason of charity. He did not want to cause difficulties for anyone, even if that anyone would have gladly done so.

Three principles are at stake here: the principle of justice, that of charity and that of evangelisation. The principle of justice says that every worker is entitled to his wages. Paul offers them the life of the soul; the Thessalonians offer him what he needs for the life of his body. This is justice: one thing for one thing, a gift for a gift, a service for a service.

But Paul does not want his relationship with the Thessalonians to be based on justice. For reasons of the gospel, he wants it to be based on charity instead. Charity is a one-way gift. Paul wants to give and that's it. He has decided to make his life a service of love. By proclaiming the gospel and living it in its deepest essence, he leaves the Thessalonians with the true model of how to live the gospel, how to proclaim it and how to put it into practice.

Now, if they want, they know what the Gospel is, they know it because they have seen it in Paul. Having seen it, they too can proclaim it and put it into practice. Paul decides to preach the Gospel freely because the Gospel is the free gift of God's love in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.

In the painful decline of the Church today, there are those who hope for a rebirth from below. But the Church was born from the proclamation of the apostles. It is up to those in charge to shed light, bring clarity, and point out the paths to follow in accordance with the Gospel of Christ... but those in charge must also be supported and encouraged.

Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Apocalypse - Exegetical Commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers - Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ, true God and true Man in the mystery of the Trinity

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants in comparison – In defence of the faith

 The Church and Israel according to St Paul – Romans 9-11

(Available on Amazon)

(1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17)

1 Corinthians 3:9c You are God's building.

1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. But let each one take care how he builds upon it.

1 Corinthians 3:11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

1 Corinthians 3:17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Evangelising means laying the foundation, that is, Jesus Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer, the Messiah of God for the salvation of all who believe. But the foundation is not enough. Paul says that he worked like a skilled architect. He acknowledges that he always acted with wisdom, but he also acknowledges that he only laid the foundation of faith in Corinth. It is then up to those who come after him to build on that foundation.

There are those who lay the foundation and those who build on it; there are those who dig deep and those who raise the building up to the sky. Without this communion of work, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to work in the Lord's vineyard. However, Paul does not stop at enunciating the principles of communion, but warns: let everyone be careful how they build!

Anyone who should or would want to build God's building without the foundation that is Jesus Christ would work in vain, waste their time unnecessarily, and there would be no salvation. Christ is the cornerstone of God's house. Our faith confesses that He alone is the Redeemer of humanity, the Messiah of God, the Saviour of mankind. Our faith confesses that Jesus is the way to access God and for God to dwell and live in our hearts.

Placing Jesus Christ as the foundation of God's building has only one meaning: placing his cross as the only way of salvation and redemption. And just as there is one foundation, so too must there be one building, one community of believers in Christ. When we forget our calling, which is to attain perfect conformity to Christ and his cross, each of us may be tempted to make ourselves the foundation, the cornerstone. When this happens, it is the destruction of the one building. Small huts arise where each person becomes lord and god over his brothers and sisters. The community of believers itself dies, lacking the principle of unity, and in this way everyone goes their own way and follows winding paths that do not lead to salvation.

For this reason, Paul warns everyone to be careful how they build upon it. But also to be careful to build only on this one foundation, which is Jesus Christ.

Being God's temple means that God dwells in us. The temple is God's dwelling place on earth. Before, the temple was made of stone, a house in the middle of the city of men. In Israel, there was only one temple, only one house of God, just as there was only one people of the Lord. One God, one people, one temple, one presence of God among the people.

"If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is holy, and you are that temple," says Paul. The Christian, therefore, must be the one who brings the living presence of God into the world. Those who see the Christian must feel that God dwells in him. But all this cannot happen unless the Christian is transformed into holiness, truth and charity.

How is the temple of God destroyed? There are several ways to destroy it. Here are a few.

The first way is to live a life that is different from that of Christ, when the body of Christ is made a body of sin and evil. Consider that Jesus Christ, in obedience to God, allowed himself to be nailed to the cross, exposing his body, the true temple of God, to every kind of suffering and deprivation. How can such a holy body be transformed by Christians into a body of sin, vice, and every other kind of evil? Either we believe that with Christ we are one body and that there can be no difference in holiness with Him, and then we truly change our way of life, or else the body of Christ, the temple of God, will be ruined. Sin destroys holiness in us, and by destroying it in us, it also diminishes it in the body of Christ, which then becomes ineffective in its witness and gift of salvation in the world.

The second way is to create an infinity of bodies of Christ, of temples in which we would like the Lord to live. This happens when each person does not build his faith on Christ, but pursues his own thoughts. That is, if you destroy brotherhood, you destroy fatherhood, you destroy yourself as a son: it is perdition. So it is not that I can say: I try to be good, but I am not interested in the community and others. No, because without others you destroy yourself, because you do not realise your true dimension, which is to be a child, that is, a brother. Whenever the body of Christ is damaged, the one who damages it is also damaged. It is only in the body of Christ that we have salvation. Those who place themselves outside the body of Christ also place themselves outside salvation.

So many who say (Luther docet) God yes and the Church no, it is serious! It is true destruction theorised as good.

These images of the building and the temple express what the Church is, which is the way in which it expresses our life as children, that is, brotherhood, and where each person expresses it in full freedom and responsibility for the gift they have received. The Church is a differentiated organism. What is the difference? It is something very important that must be mutually accepted, but with responsibility it must be put at the service of union and not division. Otherwise, I destroy myself. 

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Apocalypse - exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers - Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ, True God and True Man in the Trinitarian Mystery

The Prophetic Discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All Generations Will Call Me Blessed

 Catholics and Protestants Compared – In Defence of the Faith

 The Church and Israel According to St Paul – Romans 9-11

(Available on Amazon)

(Rom 5:5-11)

Romans 5:5 And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Romans 5:6 For while we were still sinners, Christ died for the ungodly at the appointed time.
Romans 5:7 Now, it is rare to find anyone willing to die for a righteous person; perhaps there may be someone who has the courage to die for a good person.
Romans 5:8 But God proves his love for us in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through him.
Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Romans 5:11 Not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Romans 5:5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Hope does not disappoint, says St Paul. We know nothing about our tomorrow. Our relationship of grace with God does not take us out of life's problems, but far from being discouraged, if we go deeper we will realise that, within the struggles of life, what matters is our relationship with God. If I have a relationship based on hope, even if I experience daily struggles, suffering, and illness, I realise that despite everything, the weight of life is bearable; I have the capacity to endure. Thus, hope placed in God—a theological virtue—does not disappoint, because it has its roots in God's love, and God will never disappoint those who place their hope in Him.
What is disappointment? It is expecting something and then not receiving it. It is being convinced that there will be a better tomorrow, when in reality nothing comes but misery and pain. Disappointment is hope that is not fulfilled. It is hope that does not keep its promise. None of this happens in the hope placed in God through Jesus Christ. Why? "Because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." God has poured all His love into us. We may ask ourselves whether the genitive "love of God" is objective or subjective, that is, whether God is the object of man's love or whether God is the subject who loves. In other words, is the hope that does not disappoint because we love God, or because God loves us? It is more likely that it is God's love for us that makes our hope firm. As a pledge and seal of this love, God has given us his Holy Spirit.
However, the hope placed in God will always clash with a future that cannot be seen with the eyes of the flesh, because it is only visible with the eyes of faith. It should be noted that in this passage there is no explicit reference to faith, but faith is always to be assumed, since hope can only be established on the foundation of faith, and without faith there can be no Christian hope.
This must be said to avoid misunderstandings that often creep into the minds of many who would like a hope that does not disappoint but without possessing a firm faith in Christ. It is impossible to desire the fruits of faith without faith. Christians must grow in their understanding of the link between faith and hope, because too often they feel disappointed by God, when in truth it is Christians who have disappointed God because they have ceased to have faith in Him; or their faith is not true and therefore, in reality, theirs is non-faith.
"For while we were still sinners, Christ died for the ungodly at the appointed time" (v. 6). Literally, St Paul says that we were "asthenōn", without strength, in a state of spiritual infirmity. We were far from God, slaves to evil, and God offered us the death of His only Son for our redemption. Christ's death was not spent by the Father on good people, but on the "wicked," a term that expresses man's opposition to God. So the Father sacrifices his Son on behalf of people who are hostile to him. There is no greater demonstration of love than that given to us by God, and there never will be. This is why our hope in God can never disappoint us, since God did this while we were sinners, enemies, far away. So let us stop being afraid of God; let us stop being focused on ourselves and our miseries. Let us open ourselves to his love and live our lives with confidence and hope.
It is interesting that Paul uses the present tense, 'God demonstrates his love' (v. 8), even though the cross is in the past. The fact is that Christ's death is an ever-present proof of God's love; the historical event of the cross continues to be a present reality for the redemption of sinners and their reconciliation with God. Even though Christ died two thousand years ago, this fact continues to be the greatest manifestation of God's love for mankind.
We might also ask ourselves why it is the demonstration of God's love (v. 8) and not the demonstration of Christ's love, since it is Christ who died for us. The answer is that the Father and Christ are one, so that what Christ does can be credited to the Father, and vice versa. Thus, the pain and suffering that Christ endured in his atoning death were also the pain and suffering of the Father, and in Christ's death, the love of the Father is demonstrated as well as that of the Son.
Paul wants believers in Christ to be sure, certain. These verses of his become a hymn to hope and joy: if even now, while we are still fragile and sinful, we have overcome the fear of God, how much more should we be confident and joyful to meet him at the end of our lives.
Those who look at the cross must be filled with certainty, and this certainty is the love of God that triumphs over human sin. Once we live as reconciled people, reconciliation bears the fruit of salvation. All those who have lived as reconciled people will be saved. Salvation comes from living as truly reconciled people, living as true children of God.

Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books
- Apocalypse – exegetical commentary
- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers – Law or Gospel?
Jesus Christ, True God and True Man in the Trinitarian Mystery
The Prophetic Discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)
All Generations Will Call Me Blessed
Catholics and Protestants Compared – In Defence of the Faith
The Church and Israel According to St Paul – Romans 9-11

(Available on Amazon)

(Lk 18:9-14)

Luke 18:9 He also told this parable to some who were confident of their own righteousness and despised others:

Luke 18:10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank thee, that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this publican.

Luke 18:12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.

Luke 18:13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

Luke 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.

This parable is a catechesis on prayer, which must be humbly trusting, entrusting oneself to the Father. Two men are presented who go up to Jerusalem to pray and are immediately described as diametrically opposed: a Pharisee and a tax collector. Two paradigmatic figures, whose contrast is immediately highlighted: the darkness of the Pharisee's light and the light of the tax collector's darkness. Two figures placed there to challenge the conscience of those who are going up to Jerusalem with Jesus. Ultimately, we are faced with a judgement of condemnation on those who rely on themselves and of reward on those who, instead, rely on God.

Verse 9 provides the key to understanding the parable. Although we are faced with an evaluation of the behaviour of some towards others, this has to do with prayer, which, it should not be forgotten, is a relationship with God, in which one's relationship with others weighs heavily. This is a short story that strikes at an inner attitude that creates discrimination, rejection and closure towards others and is such as to make one's relationship with God himself precarious. It is no coincidence, in fact, that the parable, which began by highlighting one's relationships with others, ends by highlighting one's relationship with God and such as to involve one's own justification (v. 14).

The Pharisee is an emblematic figure, whom Paul masterfully describes in Romans 2:1: 'You are therefore inexcusable, whoever you are, O man who judges'. This judgement stems from a conviction of legal holiness. However, this legal holiness is not reflected in their daily lives. In short, they are a class of right-thinking people who like to present themselves as scrupulous observers of the Law, but whose way of life contradicts this.

Alongside this figure, an icon of ritual purity and legal holiness, is the despised tax collector, who in the Gospels is often associated with sinners or prostitutes, characters who were socially and religiously ghettoised and considered already destined for eternal damnation. People, therefore, to be avoided so as not to become contaminated and ritually impure. Furthermore, approaching them or lingering with them certainly damaged the dignity of this class of religious people. The comparison in the parable is jarring, but it serves to make the final judgement (v. 14) more disruptive, thus highlighting God's way of thinking, which often contrasts with that of men. The social figure of the tax collector, precisely because of his work as a tax collector on behalf of the Roman oppressor, was considered, from a religious point of view, to be in a constant state of ritual impurity, as he was in constant contact with the pagan world. He was socially unpopular and hated because he was part of the oppressive system of the invader and often added his own interests to the taxes. To all intents and purposes, he was considered a public sinner.

Verses 11-12 are dedicated to the Pharisee, who, in his relationship with God, displays all his arrogance, which contrasts sharply with the behaviour of the tax collector. The Pharisee stands before God 'standing upright'. Although this was the way the pious Jew prayed, the verb statheìs says much more than simply standing before God. He places himself in a sort of defiant attitude before God, almost provocatively urging him to find some shadow in him, the perfect observer of the Law. And here he displays all his skill in legal observance, which is flawless, but which reveals all his insolent arrogance towards God, placing himself, in fact, on a par with him. And to make it stand out even more, he invokes not only the general sinfulness of men, placing himself above humanity ("I am not like other men"), but also the loser and despised publican, present there with him, whom he feels he far surpasses. The Pharisee's entire prayer unfolds within a tense confrontation with others, defined as thieves, unjust, adulterers, and his scrupulous observance of the Law, which goes far beyond what it required in terms of fasting, which was only expected once a year on the Day of Atonement. At the centre of his prayer and his relationship with God is not God, but only his ego, which here imposes itself before God to the detriment of others.

In contrast to such pride, we have the figure of the tax collector, diametrically opposed to that of the Pharisee. The Pharisee's 'standing' is contrasted with the tax collector's 'standing at a distance', which indicates not only the distance between him and the Pharisee, but also that between him and God. He is and feels himself to be a sinner. All he can offer God is his fragility, which does not even allow him to raise his eyes to Him, so great is his awareness of his nothingness. Instead, he entrusts himself to divine mercy, without expecting anything, because he is aware of his sin. But his going up to the Temple, his entering it, associates him in some way with the figure of the Prodigal Son, who returned to his Father's house, who does not even listen to the words of his lost and found son, but welcomes him with an embrace, which is a promise of eternal life. 

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Apocalypse – exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers – Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ, true God and true Man in the mystery of the Trinity

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants in comparison – In defence of the faith

 The Church and Israel according to St Paul – Romans 9-11

(Available on Amazon)

(Ex 17:8-13)

Exodus 17:8 Then Amalek came to fight against Israel at Rephidim.

Exodus 17:9 Moses said to Joshua, 'Choose some men for us and go out to fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.

Exodus 17:10 Joshua did as Moses commanded him and fought against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

Exodus 17:11 When Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed, but when he let them down, Amalek prevailed.

Exodus 17:12 And Moses' hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. So his hands remained steady until the sun went down.

Exodus 17:13 Joshua defeated Amalek and his people and put them to the sword.

This story follows the murmuring of the people of Israel in the desert because of the lack of water. What were the consequences of giving in to temptation? The liberation of the forces of evil represented by Amalek. There is a struggle and an effort to remain in the faith given by the Lord, and there is the war that is waged by Satan when he sees that our faith in God is wavering. Amalek, king of a people who lived on the edge of the desert, south of the land of Canaan, who comes to fight against Israel at Rephidim, represents all this. 

The battle against the enemy is not fought by all men, but only by those who are chosen/elected by Joshua (a figure of Jesus) and place themselves under his command. It is a war that involves leaving ("go out to battle") daily life, abandoning all occupations, for total commitment. One does not fight against the evil one alone, but together with the whole Church, under the guidance of the one appointed by the Lord, under the protection of the 'staff of God' that gives victory: a staff that in the story is placed in Moses' hand.

Previously, Moses had to strike the rock with his staff to bring forth water; now he must do the same with his God and Lord: Moses must strike God with his staff so that God may bring forth victory for the Israelites. The rock was struck twice, and water flowed out of it in abundance. In order to be victorious over Amalek, God must be touched until complete victory is achieved. When the staff does not touch God, the victory belongs to Amalek. When the staff touches God, the victory belongs to Joshua and the Israelites. A momentary victory is of no use to Israel. What is needed is a definitive victory, the withdrawal of Amalek and peace in Israel.

'Joshua did as Moses commanded him and fought against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill' (v. 10). Joshua does as Moses commands him. He chooses his best troops and goes to fight against Amalek. Moses does not climb to the top of the hill alone. He takes Aaron and Hur with him. They do not go against the enemy, but draw close to God. Only closeness to the Lord is a guarantee of victory, but one must climb the mountain to touch the sky and reach Him.

What happens on the mountain is an image of what happens on the battlefield. When Moses raises his hands and touches God, victory is Israel's. When Moses lowers his hands and lets them fall, Amalek prevails and wins. When God is not touched, grace does not flow, victory does not come. When God is touched, grace and victory come.

But man tires of keeping his arms raised to touch the Lord. However, if the Lord is not touched, the battle will always turn towards evil for us, no longer towards good. This is where intelligence comes to man's aid. Aaron and Hur find a way to prevent Moses from tiring. Satan is not defeated by our strength, but by the incessant prayer that the servant of God raises to heaven. A prayer that stops halfway is worthless and ineffective: it must be an unceasing commitment and a continuous fullness.

Since Moses grows tired of keeping his arms raised towards Heaven, Aaron and Hur take a stone, place it under him, and he sits down. The two of them, one on one side and the other on the other, support his hands. In this way, Moses' hands remain raised until sunset. Here we see that intelligence and wisdom are put at the service of a greater good. Moses contributes the spiritual part, Aaron and Hur the material part. The material and spiritual parts must always become one.

Human hands cannot remain raised towards God continuously: we do not have the strength. We need support for our weariness, enabling us to remain present in the struggle even when we are at rest. All this is given to us by Christ, the rock of salvation.As long as the battle lasts, that is, until the end of this existence, we must not abandon a spirit of continuous prayer. It is a guarantee of certain victory against the enemy. The Lord fights for us, gives us strength and courage to resist the evil one, and ensures that we are not overwhelmed by the weariness of a struggle that seems to have no end.

'Joshua defeated Amalek and his people, putting them to the sword' (v. 13). Supported by the strength of God, invoked without interruption by Moses, and sustained by Aaron and Hur, Joshua defeated Amalek and his people, putting them to the sword. Victory is achieved. However, it is the fruit of a threefold communion: Moses, Aaron and Hur, Joshua. Moses touches God. Aaron and Hur help him materially, physically. Joshua achieves victory by fighting, risking his own life. This is true communion: God and man working together. Thus our enemies are put to flight. The evil one and his children are forced to desist from their evil intent.  

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Apocalypse – exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers – Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ, True God and True Man in the Trinitarian Mystery

The Prophetic Discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants in comparison – In defence of the faith

 The Church and Israel according to St Paul – Romans 9-11

(Available on Amazon)

(Lk 17:11-19)

Luke 17:11 On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Samaria and Galilee.

Luke 17:12 As he entered a village, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood at a distance

Luke 17:13 and raised their voices, saying, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!

Luke 17:14 When Jesus saw them, he said, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.

Luke 17:15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.

Luke 17:16 and he threw himself at Jesus' feet to thank him. He was a Samaritan.

Luke 17:17 But Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?

Luke 17:18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And he said to him,

Luke 17:19 'Get up and go; your faith has saved you.

The coming of Jesus, his life, his preaching, his movement among men have as their primary and sole purpose their salvation, which is accomplished in Jerusalem, where he is going.

The scene described in this passage involves a group of people afflicted with leprosy. Whether this is leprosy as we understand it today, as an infection caused by Hansen's bacillus, we cannot know. The term that recurs in the biblical texts is sāra'at, which the LXX translates as 'leprosy'. Both terms are very imprecise generics used to indicate spots and rough patches that could appear on the skin, but also on clothing and even on the walls of houses. The Law required that the diagnosis be made by a priest.

Once the priest declared the person undergoing his assessment to be unclean, the afflicted man had to live outside the city or village and live in segregation or together with other unfortunate people, crying out to everyone that he was unclean in order to prevent others from approaching him. But the cry of "unclean" is here replaced by a cry for help: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"This substitution recorded by Luke should not be overlooked, as it is an indication of how the new faith based on Jesus has in fact replaced the very prescriptions of the Mosaic Law, which allowed the afflicted man only a cry that revealed his state of condemnation and gave him no escape. It is as if to say that the Law condemns, but Jesus saves.

What appears here is a group of ten lepers. The number ten symbolises totality, fullness, completeness, and represents the Jewish world as a whole, evaluated in its relationship with Jesus. They are lepers who invoke the name of Jesus, they go to meet him, but they remain distant from him, they are still bound to the Mosaic Law, believing that true salvation can only be obtained through it. In fact, in going to the priests, that is, in continuing to submit to the Mosaic Law, the ten are not truly healed, but only purified. There was no contact with Jesus, there were no words of healing from Jesus, but only a command to continue under the Mosaic Law, which can guarantee purification but does not produce true salvation. Jesus, moreover, does not disown the Mosaic Law, but he does not attribute to it an intrinsic saving power, which only he can give. A Law, therefore, that saves only halfway, that is, it is capable of showing man the right way; of showing what is good and what is evil, but the true capacity for salvation, which transcends human capabilities, depends solely on faith in Jesus, on opening oneself existentially to him, welcoming him into one's life. And this is what the Samaritan will do.

The passage highlights a fundamental distinction between healing and salvation: the former concerns only the physical aspect, but says nothing more; while the latter gives new meaning to healing, it becomes a sign of inner regeneration. Healing only tells what the healed person can see, but for him it does not become a sign, it is only a stroke of luck for having found a cheap healer. Therefore, the healed person is only healed, but not saved. But this is not what happens to the Samaritan, who, returning on his steps, recognises in his healing the work of God's power, manifested in Jesus. For this reason, he is not only healed, but also saved (v. 19).

Significant for understanding the dynamics of salvation are verses 15-16, divided into three parts: a) the awareness on the part of the healed man: 'seeing that he was healed'. The verb here is in the theological or divine passive ("iathē" = he was healed), which in the language of the Gospels refers to God as the agent of healing. The healed man, therefore, recognises that what has happened to him is not the work of a simple healer, but the work of God himself. b) His praising God aloud, giving public testimony to what has happened to him. c) This praise is preceded and accompanied by two actions that reveal what has happened to this man: "he turned back" and "fell at Jesus' feet to thank him" (v. 16). That "turning back" describes the very act of conversion and rapprochement with Jesus. This man, like the others, stopped far from Jesus and, together with the others, had left him to submit to Mosaic ritualism. But the reading of faith that he developed about his healing ("since he was healed") prompts him to return to himself and retrace his steps: from Judaism to Christianity. A return that ends with him prostrating himself before Jesus, thanking him for the salvation he had given him.

Verse 16 ends with a polemical note, contrasting the pagan world with the Jewish world: "He was a Samaritan," considered by the Jews to be a heretic, a traitor to the faith of the Fathers and equated with the pagans. This polemic continues in verses 17-18, which aim to highlight the figure of the Samaritan, deliberately placed in a harsh and victorious confrontation with Judaism, and which sound like a condemnation of Judaism itself.

Verse 19 provides the key to understanding the healing, which for this Samaritan is transformed into true salvation, the nature of which is signified entirely in that "arise" (Anastàs), a technical term that in the language of the early church alluded to the resurrection of Jesus. The healing of this Samaritan, therefore, is in some way equated with the resurrection of Jesus and is linked to it - and flows from it into him. This healing, therefore, takes on the characteristics of a true regeneration to new life, which makes the Samaritan a new creature in Christ, while his physical healing becomes a sign of it. And what produces this salvation is the faith of this Samaritan: "your faith has saved you". Jesus is the source of salvation for all, but his salvation works effectively only in faith, that is, in those who open themselves existentially to him, recognising their need for healing ("have mercy on us") and seeing in Jesus their guide and their sure foundation ("Jesus, master").

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Apocalypse – exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers – Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ, True God and True Man in the Trinitarian Mystery

The Prophetic Discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

 Catholics and Protestants in comparison – In defence of the faith

 The Church and Israel according to St Paul – Romans 9-11

(Available on Amazon)