Dialogo e Solstizio

Jan 8, 2026 Written by don Giuseppe Nespeca

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print

Angolo dell'apripista

Step forward: no one 'deserves' faith

Faith is "a gift" that one does not buy or acquire on one's own merits. Inspired by the liturgy of the day, Pope Francis, in the Mass celebrated on Friday 15 January at Santa Marta, continued to speak about the characteristics of faith.

Recalling how the previous day's Gospel had presented the episode of the leper who says to Jesus: "If you want, you can heal me", the Pontiff dwelt on the figures of others who are "resolute", others who are "courageous" driven by faith. In taking up the passage from Mark (2:1-12), Francis retraced the episode of the paralytic brought by his friends before Jesus. Who, "as usual, is among people, many people". In order to bring the sick man to him, the friends dared everything, 'but they did not think of the risks' involved in 'putting the stretcher on the terrace' or even the risk 'that the owner of the house would call the police and send them to jail'. They, in fact, 'thought only of approaching Jesus. They had faith'.

This is, the Pope said, the "same faith as that lady who also, in the midst of the crowd, when Jesus went to Jairus's house, reached out to touch the flap of Jesus's robe, of Jesus's mantle, to be healed". The same faith as the 'centurion who said: "No, no, master, do not trouble yourself: only one word from you, and my servant will be healed". A faith that is 'strong, courageous, that goes forward', with an 'open heart'.

At this point, however, Francis stressed, "Jesus takes a step forward". To explain what he said, the Pontiff recalled another Gospel episode, the one in which Jesus "in Nazareth, at the beginning of his ministry, had gone to the synagogue and said that he had been sent to free the oppressed, the imprisoned, give sight to the blind... inaugurate a year of grace, that is, a year - one can understand well - of forgiveness, of drawing closer to the Lord". He was pointing, that is, to a new road, 'a road to God'. The same thing happens with the paralytic to whom he does not simply say: 'Be healed', but: 'Your sins are forgiven'.

With this novelty, the Pope pointed out, Jesus triggered the reaction of "those whose hearts were closed". They 'already accepted - up to a certain point - that Jesus was a healer'; but that he also forgave sins was 'too much' for them. They thought: 'You have no right to say that, because only God can forgive sins'.

Then Jesus retorts: "Why do you think these things? So that you may know that the Son of Man has the power - and here, Francis explained, is "the breakthrough" - to forgive sins. Arise, take and heal". Jesus begins to speak the language 'that at a certain point will discourage people', a harsh language, with which he 'speaks of eating his body as the way to salvation'. He begins, that is, to "reveal himself as God", which he will later do clearly before the high priest by saying: "I am the Son of God".

A step forward that is also proposed to the faith of Christians. Each one of us, in fact, can have faith in "Christ the Son of God, sent by the Father to save us: yes, save us from sickness, so many good things that the Lord has done and helps us to do"; but above all we must have faith that he came to "save us from our sins, save us and bring us to the Father". This, Pope Francis said, is "the most difficult point to understand". And not only for the scribes "who said: 'But, this blasphemes! Only God can forgive sins!"". Some disciples, in fact, "doubt and leave" when Jesus shows himself "with a mission greater than that of a man, to give that forgiveness, to give life, to recreate humanity". So much so that Jesus himself "must ask his small group: 'Do you also want to leave?'".

From Jesus' question, the Pontiff took the cue to invite everyone to ask themselves: "What is my faith in Jesus Christ like? Do I believe that Jesus Christ is God, is the Son of God? And does this faith change my life? May it be renewed in my heart in this year of grace, this year of forgiveness, this year of drawing near to the Lord?"

It is an invitation to discover the quality of faith, aware that it "is a gift. No one 'deserves' faith. No one can buy it". For Francis, it is necessary to ask: "Does "my" faith in Jesus Christ, lead me to humiliation? I do not say to humility: to humiliation, to repentance, to prayer that asks: 'Forgive me, Lord' and that is able to testify: 'You are God. You 'can' forgive my sins'".

Hence the concluding prayer: "May the Lord make us grow in faith" so that we may do as those who, having heard Jesus and seen his works, "marvelled and praised God". Indeed, "praise is the proof that I believe that Jesus Christ is God in my life, that he was sent to me to 'forgive me'". And praise, the Pontiff added, "is free. It is a feeling that gives the Holy Spirit and leads you to say: 'You are the only God'".

[Pope Francis, s. Marta, in L'Osservatore Romano 16/01/2016]

73 Last modified on Thursday, 08 January 2026 05:23

Rate this item

1
2
3
4
5

(0 votes)

don Giuseppe Nespeca

Giuseppe Nespeca è architetto e sacerdote. Cultore della Sacra scrittura è autore della raccolta "Due Fuochi due Vie - Religione e Fede, Vangeli e Tao"; coautore del libro "Dialogo e Solstizio".

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Latest from don Giuseppe Nespeca

Previous
« Compassion: "suffering-with-another"

Next
Does Jesus not have the common sense to choose? »

back to top

In the crucified Jesus, a kind of transformation and concentration of the signs occurs: he himself is the “sign of God” (John Paul II)

In Gesù crocifisso avviene come una trasformazione e concentrazione dei segni: è Lui stesso il "segno di Dio" (Giovanni Paolo II)

Only through Christ can we converse with God the Father as children, otherwise it is not possible, but in communion with the Son we can also say, as he did, “Abba”. In communion with Christ we can know God as our true Father. For this reason Christian prayer consists in looking constantly at Christ and in an ever new way, speaking to him, being with him in silence, listening to him, acting and suffering with him (Pope Benedict)

Solo in Cristo possiamo dialogare con Dio Padre come figli, altrimenti non è possibile, ma in comunione col Figlio possiamo anche dire noi come ha detto Lui: «Abbà». In comunione con Cristo possiamo conoscere Dio come Padre vero. Per questo la preghiera cristiana consiste nel guardare costantemente e in maniera sempre nuova a Cristo, parlare con Lui, stare in silenzio con Lui, ascoltarlo, agire e soffrire con Lui (Papa Benedetto)

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus identifies himself not only with the king-shepherd, but also with the lost sheep, we can speak of a “double identity”: the king-shepherd, Jesus identifies also with the sheep: that is, with the least and most needy of his brothers and sisters […] And let us return home only with this phrase: “I was present there. Thank you!”. Or: “You forgot about me” (Pope Francis)

Nella pagina evangelica di oggi, Gesù si identifica non solo col re-pastore, ma anche con le pecore perdute. Potremmo parlare come di una “doppia identità”: il re-pastore, Gesù, si identifica anche con le pecore, cioè con i fratelli più piccoli e bisognosi […] E torniamo a casa soltanto con questa frase: “Io ero presente lì. Grazie!” oppure: “Ti sei scordato di me” (Papa Francesco)

Thus, in the figure of Matthew, the Gospels present to us a true and proper paradox: those who seem to be the farthest from holiness can even become a model of the acceptance of God's mercy and offer a glimpse of its marvellous effects in their own lives (Pope Benedict))

Nella figura di Matteo, dunque, i Vangeli ci propongono un vero e proprio paradosso: chi è apparentemente più lontano dalla santità può diventare persino un modello di accoglienza della misericordia di Dio e lasciarne intravedere i meravigliosi effetti nella propria esistenza (Papa Benedetto)

Man is involved in penance in his totality of body and spirit: the man who has a body in need of food and rest and the man who thinks, plans and prays; the man who appropriates and feeds on things and the man who makes a gift of them; the man who tends to the possession and enjoyment of goods and the man who feels the need for solidarity that binds him to all other men [CEI pastoral note]

Nella penitenza è coinvolto l'uomo nella sua totalità di corpo e di spirito: l'uomo che ha un corpo bisognoso di cibo e di riposo e l'uomo che pensa, progetta e prega; l'uomo che si appropria e si nutre delle cose e l'uomo che fa dono di esse; l'uomo che tende al possesso e al godimento dei beni e l'uomo che avverte l'esigenza di solidarietà che lo lega a tutti gli altri uomini [nota pastorale CEI]

St John Chrysostom urged: “Embellish your house with modesty and humility with the practice of prayer. Make your dwelling place shine with the light of justice; adorn its walls with good works, like a lustre of pure gold, and replace walls and precious stones with faith and supernatural magnanimity, putting prayer above all other things, high up in the gables, to give the whole complex decorum. You will thus prepare a worthy dwelling place for the Lord, you will welcome him in a splendid palace. He will grant you to transform your soul into a temple of his presence” (Pope Benedict)

duevie.art

don Giuseppe Nespeca

Tel. 333-1329741

Disclaimer

Questo blog non rappresenta una testata giornalistica in quanto viene aggiornato senza alcuna periodicità. Non può pertanto considerarsi un prodotto editoriale ai sensi della legge N°62 del 07/03/2001.
Le immagini sono tratte da internet, ma se il loro uso violasse diritti d'autore, lo si comunichi all'autore del blog che provvederà alla loro pronta rimozione.
L'autore dichiara di non essere responsabile dei commenti lasciati nei post. Eventuali commenti dei lettori, lesivi dell'immagine o dell'onorabilità di persone terze, il cui contenuto fosse ritenuto non idoneo alla pubblicazione verranno insindacabilmente rimossi.