Two realities of the faithful: Listeners or distracted wanderers

(Lk 10:38-42)

Bethany is only a few kilometres from the holy city of Jerusalem: an ideal community of only brothers and sisters, coordinated by a woman [Martha: 'lady'].

Right in the midst of the hostile environment of the learned and pure, the Lord does not allow himself to be sequestered by sacred precincts.

Trait of a Father who does not sit enthroned - but stands at the door and knocks.

He does not take pleasure in scheming: his loving Face leaks out in contexts that may share difficult choices.

Surprisingly, the Son of God is the only one to enter the 'village', though surrounded by his own (v.38).

Intimate, yet unable to teach and discern, because dependent.

Unlike the Apostles, only He is able to liberate - and emancipate again - because free and enfranchised.

In that culture it was highly improper to accept the hospitality of women [only John speaks of Lazarus].

But where Jesus comes, the legacies that discriminate against people are glossed over.

However, even in the homes where the Messiah is understood, there are two different ways of welcoming the Lord.

Some lack something, "absorbed in great service" (v.40); others make the "good" choice.

The "good part" (v.42 Greek text) is personal Freedom, which no intimidation or haste of others will be able to take away and oppress.

In fact, Mary "even" (v.39 Greek text) sat at Jesus' feet and listened.

The position is significant because it was that of the disciple towards the master.

Mary does not have an intimate, abstruse and devout attitude, but a surprising and seriously transgressive one (appropriate with God).

In fact, the guest was only welcomed by men; women were to stay apart and not to appear.

No spiritual leader would ever accept a woman among his disciples.

But here we are talking about the reception of Jesus and his Word: that reception that qualifies things at the bottom of the list, instead of at the top.

"Martha was distracted about much service..." (v.40).

Serving is not the same as taking Communion.

She remains in distress, in turmoil; divided in heart (v.41 Greek text), drawn between opposing choices, almost thrown up in the air.

A profile that we also recognise today: of titled people with a busy schedule; who as soon as they wake up begin to fidget and prick.

It seems important to them not to make themselves and others feel already rich, 'perfect' for their mission; full of resources.

Always restless and scattered about material things - which then overwhelm them - they make themselves "over" Jesus (v.40 Greek text).

And they arrive at the end of the day without ever having found an ideal hinge that gives meaning, nourishes the spirit, soothes the soul, unites their efforts with personal dialogue with God - at least in terms of ideals.

Every day agitated and unsatisfied, these tormented doomsayers will not listen to the shaky and insignificant: never get distracted by the 'big one' and procrastinate.

Thus unfortunately no wall or any of the labours will fade away.

Nor will they allow anyone to notice other ways of personal exodus, and opportunities that on the spur of the moment cannot be seen.

Caught up in the tension, like Martha, they do not understand that every authentic relationship is born of Listening.

They do not grasp the essential: the unimportant little that makes one feel good is not to be overlooked - indeed it is the foundation of our being and joy in life.

The ever restless and practising ones unfortunately remain on the outside, sometimes as opportunists. And they keep (everyone) trapped.

So one must submit to laboured goals or stay out of the way, to avoid getting in the way of agitated and indigestible agendas - which obviously overpower the Gospel, so meagre and inapparent.

Recall and attunement that conversely should precede and accompany the idea and the action.

What they do not know and what does not concern them becomes trivial.

Conversely, it is attention, prayer, desire (or place and time) that could really contribute to understanding, falling in love, balance, and the very effective incisiveness of the works.

Instead of the "many things" (v.41) we need "One only" (v.42 Greek text): to be in one's centre and to host the Voice of the resigned character that becomes the full Kingdom within.

Thus, as overflowing with fullness poured out in simplicity, then each has great capacity for growth and transformation.

Those at the top of their class never have the will, nor the head - and by now not even the time - to care for their beginnings and not immediately their terms.

So they do not listen to the Word in the Newness of the Spirit. (Who knows if the global crisis will be an eloquent reminder).

The all-inclusive leaders are precisely eager to establish as many appearances, ties, ropes and alliances as possible, too many of them: none of them really important - and perhaps only to impress.

The unease about formation, life and pastoral care is enormous, because attachment to roles cuts off the contribution of stupors. Happy moments, nestled in the possibilities of replacement, and - as we see - leaving a sense of emptiness everywhere.

Then comes a further, jangling Call ("Martha, Martha...": v.41).

Call of the deep being, which ceaselessly recovers from the neglect of the essential.

The Vocation in the Name allows us to pause to encounter ourselves and others, our deepest states and motivations; in order to understand and enjoy what has already been done or is being done, without dehumanising beforehand.

All this is so that we regain the breath of the soul, its character - and do not lose our heads, always putting up a big fuss that upsets everyone.

Even a better performance will come as a surprise:

"Two lumberjacks were working in the same forest felling trees. The logs were imposing, solid and tenacious. The two lumberjacks used their axes with identical skill, but with a different technique: the first one struck his tree with incredible constancy, one blow after another, without stopping except to catch his breath a few seconds. The second logger made a discreet stop every hour he worked. By sunset, the first woodcutter was halfway up his tree. He had sweated blood and tears and would not have lasted five minutes longer. The second was incredibly at the end of his trunk. They had started together and the two trees were the same! The first logger could not believe his eyes. 'I don't understand a thing! How did you manage to go so fast if you were stopping every hour?' The other smiled: 'You saw that I was stopping every hour. But what you did not see is that I was taking advantage of the stop to sharpen my axe'. Our spirit is like the axe, we must not let it rust: every day it must be sharpened a little'. (B. FERRERO, The Secret of the Goldfish, p.64).

Listening will supplant grievances, disaffection, opportunistic and external calculations; reasoning, regrets, and the opinion around - even about us - all enemies of Rebirth, the one that does not block intimate energies.

We recognise ourselves.

Things "our own", from the realm of man, settle in and are immediately recognised, because they are all foreign - and take our breath away.

Only a different Perception will convey patience, steady nerves, lucidity to wait for the ripe times, determination even in afflictions; the possibility of finding innate abilities.

The Message of the Lord will convey the Judgement of the Crucified One, and an appropriate rhythm.

His Teaching will bestow equilibrium, good disposition, the ability to overcome the oppositions of an ambiguous world that agitates to perpetuate itself (and does not let go of the bone of its mouth).

The instinct of the Word within and the providential reality will build a track of our own even through losses and scars.

Indeed, when our busy minutes become empty and the slow hours become enchantment, we will even improve our resilience and performance.

Made wise and incisive according to our Seed, we will not accuse Jesus of being "left alone to serve" (v.40).

We will no longer go in circles, and our gestures will become valuable: sharp.

Absorbed, or Surprised

"Also on this Sunday, the reading from the tenth chapter of the evangelist Luke continues. Today's passage is that of Martha and Mary. Who are these two women? Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus, are relatives and faithful disciples of the Lord, who lived in Bethany. St Luke describes them in this way: Mary, at Jesus' feet, "listened to his word", while Martha was engaged in many services (cf. Lk 10:39-40). Both offer welcome to the passing Lord, but do so in different ways. Mary is at Jesus' feet, listening, while Martha is absorbed in the things to be prepared, and is so busy that she turns to Jesus and says: "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me alone to serve? So tell her to help me" (v. 40). And Jesus responds by gently rebuking her: "Martha, Martha, you fret and fret about many things, but only one ... is needed" (v. 41).

What does Jesus mean by this? What is this one thing we need? First of all, it is important to understand that it is not a matter of the opposition between two attitudes: listening to the word of the Lord, contemplation, and concrete service to one's neighbour. They are not two opposing attitudes, but, on the contrary, they are two aspects that are both essential to our Christian life; aspects that should never be separated, but lived in profound unity and harmony. But why then did Martha receive the rebuke, even if it was done gently? Because she considered only what she was doing to be essential, that is, she was too absorbed and preoccupied with things to 'do'. In a Christian, works of service and charity are never detached from the main source of all our action: that is, listening to the Word of the Lord, standing - like Mary - at the feet of Jesus, in the attitude of a disciple. And for this Martha is rebuked.In our Christian life too, let prayer and action always be profoundly united. A prayer that does not lead to concrete action towards the poor, sick, needy brother, the brother in difficulty, is a sterile and incomplete prayer. But in the same way, when in Church service one is only attentive to doing, one gives more weight to things, functions, structures, and forgets the centrality of Christ, one does not set aside time for dialogue with Him in prayer, one risks serving oneself and not God present in the brother in need. St Benedict summed up the lifestyle he indicated to his monks in two words: 'ora et labora', pray and work. It is from contemplation, from a strong relationship of friendship with the Lord that is born in us the capacity to live and bring God's love, his mercy, his tenderness towards others. And our work with our needy brother, our charity work in works of mercy, also leads us to the Lord, because we see the Lord in our needy brother and sister.

Let us ask the Virgin Mary, Mother of listening and service, to teach us to meditate in our hearts on the Word of her Son, to pray with fidelity, to be ever more concretely attentive to the needs of our brothers and sisters".

[Pope Francis, Angelus 21 July 2013].

"In this Sunday's passage, the evangelist Luke recounts Jesus' visit to the home of Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus (cf. Lk 10:38-42). They welcome him, and Mary sits at his feet to listen to him; she leaves what she was doing to be close to Jesus: she does not want to miss any of his words. Everything must be put aside because, when He comes to visit us in our lives, His presence and His word come before everything else. The Lord always surprises us: when we truly listen to him, clouds vanish, doubts give way to truth, fears to serenity, and the different situations of life find their rightful place. The Lord always, when he comes, sets things right, even for us.

In this scene of Mary of Bethany at the feet of Jesus, St Luke shows the prayerful attitude of the believer, who knows how to stand in the presence of the Master to listen to him and to put himself in tune with him. It is a question of pausing during the day, of recollecting oneself in silence, a few minutes, to make room for the Lord who 'passes by' and to find the courage to remain a little 'aloof' with Him, to then return to everyday things with serenity and effectiveness. Praising the behaviour of Mary, who "chose the better part" (v. 42), Jesus seems to repeat to each one of us: "Do not let yourself be overwhelmed by the things to be done, but listen first to the voice of the Lord, in order to carry out well the tasks that life assigns you".

Then there is the other sister, Martha. St Luke says that it was she who sheltered Jesus (cf. v. 38). Perhaps Martha was the older of the two sisters, we do not know, but certainly this woman had the charisma of hospitality. In fact, while Mary is listening to Jesus, she is busy with her many services. That is why Jesus says to her: "Martha, Martha, you toil and fret over many things" (v. 41). With these words He certainly does not mean to condemn the attitude of service, but rather the busyness with which one sometimes lives it. We too share St Martha's concern and, following her example, we propose to ensure that, in our families and communities, we live the sense of welcome, of fraternity, so that everyone can feel "at home", especially the little ones and the poor when they knock on the door.

Therefore, today's Gospel reminds us that the wisdom of the heart lies precisely in knowing how to combine these two elements: contemplation and action. Martha and Mary show us the way. If we want to savour life with joy, we must combine these two attitudes: on the one hand, "standing at the feet" of Jesus, to listen to Him as He reveals to us the secret of everything; on the other, being considerate and ready in hospitality, when He passes by and knocks on our door, with the face of a friend in need of a moment of refreshment and fraternity. We need this hospitality.

May Mary Most Holy, Mother of the Church, give us the grace to love and serve God and our brothers and sisters with the hands of Martha and the heart of Mary, so that by always listening to Christ we may be artisans of peace and hope. And this is interesting: with these two attitudes we will be artisans of peace and hope".

[Pope Francis, Angelus 21 July 2019]

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

We are now in the heart of summer, at least in the northern hemisphere. This is the period in which schools are closed and the greater part of the holidays are concentrated. Even the pastoral activities in parishes are reduced and I myself have suspended the Audiences for a while. It is therefore a favourable time to give priority to what is effectively most important in life, that is to say, listening to the word of the Lord. We are also reminded of this by this Sunday's Gospel passage with the well known episode of Jesus' visit to the house of Martha and Mary, recounted by St Luke (10: 38-42).

Martha and Mary are two sisters; they also have a brother, Lazarus, but he does not appear on this occasion. Jesus is passing through their village and, the text says, Martha received him at her home (cf. 10: 38). This detail enables us to understand that Martha is the elder of the two, the one in charge of the house. Indeed, when Jesus has been made comfortable, Mary sits at his feet and listens to him while Martha is totally absorbed by her many tasks, certainly due to the special Guest.
We seem to see the scene: one sister bustling about busily and the other, as it were, enraptured by the presence of the Teacher and by his words. A little later Martha, who is evidently resentful, can no longer resist and complains, even feeling that she has a right to criticize Jesus: "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me". Martha would even like to teach the Teacher! Jesus on the other hand answers her very calmly: "Martha, Martha", and the repetition of her name expresses his affection, "you are anxious and troubled about many things; only one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her" (10: 41-42). Christ's words are quite clear: there is no contempt for active life, nor even less for generous hospitality; rather, a distinct reminder of the fact that the only really necessary thing is something else: listening to the word of the Lord; and the Lord is there at that moment, present in the Person of Jesus! All the rest will pass away and will be taken from us but the word of God is eternal and gives meaning to our daily actions. 

Dear friends, as I said, this Gospel passage is more than ever in tune with the vacation period, because it recalls the fact that the human person must indeed work and be involved in domestic and professional occupations, but first and foremost needs God, who is the inner light of Love and Truth. Without love, even the most important activities lose their value and give no joy. Without a profound meaning, all our activities are reduced to sterile and unorganised activism. And who, if not Jesus Christ, gives us Love and Truth? Therefore, brothers and sisters, let us learn to help each other, to collaborate, but first of all to choose together the better part which is and always will be our greatest good.

[Pope Benedict, Angelus, 18 July 2010]

We have just read in Luke's Gospel the episode of the hospitality shown to Jesus by Martha and Mary. These two sisters, in the history of Christian spirituality, have been understood as emblematic figures referring, respectively, to action and contemplation: Martha is busy with housework, while Mary sits at Jesus' feet to listen to his words. We can draw two lessons from this Gospel text.

First of all, we should note Jesus' final sentence: "Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her." He thus strongly emphasises the fundamental and irreplaceable value that listening to the Word of God has for our existence: it must be our constant point of reference, our light and our strength. But we must listen to it.

We need to know how to be silent, to create spaces of solitude or, better still, of encounter reserved for intimacy with the Lord. We need to know how to contemplate. People today feel a great need not to limit themselves to purely material concerns, but to integrate their technical culture with higher and detoxifying contributions from the world of the spirit. Unfortunately, our daily life risks or even experiences cases, more or less widespread, of inner pollution. But contact with the word of the Lord through faith purifies us, elevates us and gives us new energy.

Therefore, we must always keep before the eyes of our hearts the mystery of love with which God came to meet us in his Son, Jesus Christ: the object of our contemplation is all here, and from here comes our salvation, our redemption from every form of alienation and above all from that of sin. In essence, we are invited to do as the other Mary, the Mother of Jesus, did, who 'treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart' (Lk 2:19). It is on this condition that we will not be one-dimensional human beings, but rich in the same greatness as God.

But there is a second lesson to be learned, and that is that we must never see a contrast between action and contemplation. In fact, we read in the Gospel that it was "Martha" (and not Mary) who welcomed Jesus "into her home." Moreover, today's first reading suggests the harmony between the two: the episode of Abraham's hospitality towards the three mysterious figures sent by the Lord, who, according to an ancient interpretation, are even an image of the Holy Trinity, teaches us that even in our smallest daily tasks we can serve the Lord and be in contact with him. And, since this year marks the 1,500th anniversary of the birth of St. Benedict, let us remember his famous motto: "Pray and work," Ora et labora! These words contain an entire programme: not one of opposition but of synthesis, not of contrast but of fusion between two equally important elements.

This gives us a very concrete lesson, which can be expressed in the form of a question: to what extent are we able to see in contemplation and prayer a moment of authentic energy for our daily commitments? And, on the other hand, to what extent are we able to imbue our work with a leavening communion with the Lord? These questions can serve as an examination of conscience and become a stimulus for a renewal of our daily life, which is both more contemplative and more active.

[Pope John Paul II, homily, 20 July 1980]

In today’s Gospel the Evangelist Luke writes about Jesus who, on the way to Jerusalem, enters a village and is welcomed into the home of two sisters: Martha and Mary (cf. Lk 10:38-42). Both welcome the Lord, but they do so in different ways. Mary sits at Jesus’ feet and listens to his words (cf. v. 39), whereas Martha is completely caught up in preparing things; at a certain point she says to Jesus: “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me” (v. 40). Jesus responds to her: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her” (vv. 41-42). 

In bustling about and busying herself, Martha risks forgetting — and this is the problem — the most important thing, which is the presence of the guest, Jesus in this case. She forgets about the presence of the guest. A guest is not merely to be served, fed, looked after in every way. Most importantly he ought to be listened to. Remember this word: Listen! A guest should be welcomed as a person, with a story, his heart rich with feelings and thoughts, so that he may truly feel like he is among family. If you welcome a guest into your home but continue doing other things, letting him just sit there, both of you in silence, it is as if he were of stone: a guest of stone. No. A guest is to be listened to. Of course, Jesus’ response to Martha — when he tells her that there is only one thing that needs to be done — finds its full significance in reference to listening to the very word of Jesus, that word which illuminates and supports all that we are and what we do. If we go to pray, for example, before the Crucifix, and we talk, talk, talk, and then we leave, we do not listen to Jesus. We do not allow him to speak to our heart. Listen: this is the key word. Do not forget! And we must not forget that in the house of Martha and Mary, Jesus, before being Lord and Master, is a pilgrim and guest. Thus, his response has this significance first and foremost: “Martha, Martha why do you busy yourself doing so much for this guest even to the point of forgetting about his presence? — A guest of stone! — Not much is necessary to welcome him; indeed, only one thing is needed: listen to him — this is the word: listen to him — be brotherly to him, let him realize he is among family and not in a temporary shelter. 

Understood in this light, hospitality, which is one of the works of mercy, is revealed as a truly human and Christian virtue, a virtue which in today’s world is at risk of being overlooked. In fact, nursing homes and hospices are multiplying, but true hospitality is not always practised in these environments. Various institutions are opened to care for many types of disease, of loneliness, of marginalization, but opportunities are decreasing for those who are foreign, marginalized, excluded, from finding someone ready to listen to them: because they are foreigners, refugees, migrants. Listen to that painful story. Even in one’s own home, among one’s own family members, it might be easier to find services and care of various kinds rather than listening and welcome. Today we are so taken, by excitement, by countless problems — some of which are not important — that we lack the capacity to listen. We are constantly busy and thus we have no time to listen. I would like to ask you, to pose a question to you, each one answer in your own heart: do you, husband, take time to listen to your wife? And do you, woman, take time to listen to your husband? Do you, parents, take time, time to “waste”, to listen to your children? or your grandparents, the elderly? — “But grandparents always say the same things, they are boring...” — But they need to be listened to! Listen. I ask that you learn to listen and to devote more of your time. The root of peace lies in the capacity to listen.

May the Virgin Mary, Mother of listening and of service and of attentive care, teach us to be welcoming and hospitable to our brothers and our sisters.

[Pope Francis, Angelus, 17 July 2016]

For a lightness without masks

(Mt 12:14-21)

The authorities condemn Jesus to death. The insignificant people await him, as their only hope.

They feel that there is still much to find, and that only He can inspire their action, thus opening them to Rebirth.

Persons sense harmony with the young Master who has chosen their social class, that of the shaky, considered wrong and disconcerting.

The hard and stifled existence of the little ones has taught them to be always ready for surprises, for new actions; even for destabilizing crises:

Best way to stay hooked to life and to the very possibility of achieving it, by activating it from the Hiding.

In the clamor and social approval, which denies the problems, their Mission would remain distorted.

While the externality of the leaders does not give in to dedication, to breaking themselves - even from their innermost.

So it doesn’t become new consciousness.

Sick of grandeur and longing for tranquillity, the ancient political and religious leaders project into the idea of the Messiah their being double, corrupt and artificial, only showy.

Unable to cope with everyday life - and make themselves available.

They do not understand the discreet Power of the Lord, his wise energy [and modest style] with lasting advantages.

They are willing to stun the despondent people, and they gladly do so with models, comparisons, evaluations, empty formulas, and incitements overflowing with reserves.

But they remain at a safe distance as far as living together, sharing, and cheering up others’ lives.

They continue to pass judgement but without giving anything, let alone offering themselves – and converting to the poor, except to manipulate them.

Their aversion to Christ - who came for the redemption of the «multitudes» [vv.15.18.21] - clashed precisely with the incessant need of the persons.

People know their own (all real) mud fabric, and they want emancipation.

Without subterfuge, they present themselves unmasks.

Today, as then, the Silence of the Lord's Anointed One [unmanipulated] is re-proposed in His authentic witnesses - overcoming the temptation of spectacle.

By surpassing the craze for the extraordinary; for propaganda and advertising aimed at proselytism and personal self-interest.

God knows that Shadow side is prophecy and the future germ: best part of His People, and of us.

To internalize and live the message:

Are there ambiguous individuals inclined to value normalised interventions, who consider your Mission distorted by Silence?

Do you think your realization is stifled by the Hiding? Or vice versa activated?

[Saturday 15th wk. in O.T.  July 19, 2025]

For lightness without masks

(Mt 12:14-21)

"He will not quarrel or scold, nor will anyone hear his voice in the squares. A cracked reed he will not break and a smoking lamp he will not extinguish, until he has brought judgment to victory. And in his name shall the nations hope" (Mt 12:19-20).

The authorities condemn Jesus to death because He dared to expose the malignity of their mercenary expedients (an art in which they are masters).

Instead of becoming educators, the leaders of official religiosity remain the protagonists of a pyramidal, oppressive structure.

The ostracised and rejected, on the other hand, alienated and outcast from society and from the circle of the 'greats', present themselves to the Lord without masks, with many insecurities and ailments.

They realise that the humanising and divine being remains exactly opposite to that of those who represent them. According to what the people hoped for in their hearts, without subterfuge; at their disposal.

Not an all-powerful master, who would make the path of the elect more comfortable and prestigious.

On the contrary, because there are many daily and inner problems that deserve greater Presence.

The 'best' of the world (even the pious) mock the Father's Face. The little people wait for Him, await Him as their only hope.

They sense that there is still much to be found, and that only He can inspire their actions, thus opening them to Rebirth.

They feel in tune with the young Master who has chosen their social class, that of the unfortunate, considered wrong and disconcerting, but who every day brings up the same problem of God in a forthright manner.

Feeling like a person and letting oneself be set free is the motif of the whole sacred story: the fruit of Exodus that breaks bounded bonds.

It shatters them, because it even favours the itinerant coming and going of the inexperienced person who seeks and allows himself to be questioned - the opposite of the false 'staying put'.

That which is not made of affective tonality and deep emotional weight, yet constantly asks to be taken in charge and in consciousness.

The hard and stifled life of the Little Ones has taught them to always be ready for surprises, for new actions; even for destabilising crises.

This is the best way to stay hooked on life and the very possibility of realising it, activating it from the hiding place.

In the clamour and social approval, which denies the problems, their Mission would remain distorted.

While the outwardness of the leaders does not yield to dedication, to breaking - even from within.

Thus it does not become a new consciousness.

Sick of grandeur and craving for tranquillity, the ancient political and religious leaders project into the idea of the Messiah their own double, corrupt and contrived being, only conspicuous.

Unable to measure themselves against the summary.

They do not understand the discreet power of the Lord, his wise energy (and dim style), with lasting benefits.

They are willing to stun disheartened people, and they do so gladly with models, comparisons, budgets, empty formulas, and overflowing incitements.

But they remain at a safe distance when it comes to living together, sharing, and cheering up.

They continue to judge, but without giving anything, let alone giving themselves - and converting to the poor, without manipulating them.

Their aversion to Christ - who came for the redemption of the 'multitudes' (vv.15.18.21) - clashes precisely with the people's incessant need.

The people know their own fabric of all-too-real mud, and they long for emancipation.

Today, as then, the Silence of the Lord's true Anointed [who re-proposes himself in his authentic witnesses] overcomes the temptation of the spectacular.

It overcomes the mania of the extraordinary; of that which is propaganda and publicity for the sake of proselytism and currency.

We too preserve the characteristics of the Master's Work, whose universally beneficial Action we continue.

We wish to correspond, in the discretion and small simplicity of an unknown, but forward-looking life.

God knows that the Shadow side is sometimes the best part of His people, and of us.

To internalise and live the message:

Are there ambiguous people inclined to value normalised - i.e. prodigious - interventions who consider your Mission distorted by Silence?

Do you yourself feel that your realisation is stifled by the Silence? Or vice versa activated?

At this point, I would also like to thank most heartily all those people throughout the world who in these recent weeks have sent me moving expressions of concern, friendship and prayer. Yes, the Pope is never alone; now I once again experience this so overwhelmingly that my heart is touched. The Pope belongs to everyone and so many persons feel very close to him. It is true that I receive letters from world leaders – from heads of state, from religious leaders, from representatives of the world of culture, and so on. But I also receive many many letters from ordinary people who write to me simply and from the heart, and who show me their affection, an affection born of our being together with Christ Jesus, in the Church. These people do not write to me in the way one writes, for example, to a prince or some important person whom they do not know. They write to me as brothers and sisters, as sons and daughters, with a sense of a very affectionate family bond. Here one can sense palpably what the Church is – not an organization, an association for religious or humanitarian ends, but a living body, a communion of brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ, which makes us all one. To experience the Church in this way and to be able as it were to put one’s finger on the strength of her truth and her love, is a cause for joy at a time when so many people are speaking of her decline. But we see how the Church is alive today! […]

I also thank each and every one of you for the respect and understanding with which you have accepted this important decision. I will continue to accompany the Church’s journey with prayer and reflection, with that devotion to the Lord and his Bride which I have hitherto sought to practise daily and which I would like to practise always.

[Pope Benedict, General Audience 27 February 2013]

He is Son, and he has made himself 'servant'!

Today's liturgy speaks explicitly of this in the words of the book of Isaiah: "Behold my servant whom I uphold, / my chosen one in whom I am well pleased, / I have set my spirit upon him; / he shall bring forth the right to the nations" (Is 42:1).

Jesus Christ: Son who became a servant. The Baptism in the Jordan fully reconfirms this: Jesus presents himself to John to be baptised; but the latter tries to prevent him by saying: "I need to be baptised by you and you come to me?" (Mt 3:14).

As if he wanted to say: "You who are the bearer of saving Grace and Lord of our salvation". Jesus, however, replies: "Let it be for now, for thus we fulfil all righteousness" (Mt 3:15).

Jesus receives Baptism from John: the Baptism of Penance. In this way he manifests himself as the servant of our redemption. He comes as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (cf. Jn 1:29, 36). He bears within himself the will of obedience to the Father even unto death.

He comes as the one who "will not break a cracked reed, / will not quench a wick with a dull flame" (Is 42:3).

[Pope John Paul II, Angelus 13 January 1985]

When we allow the convenience of habit and the dictatorship of prejudice to have the upper hand, it is difficult to open ourselves to what is new and allow ourselves to be amazed. We control: through attitudes, through prejudices… It often happens in life that we seek from our experiences and even from people only what conforms to our own ideas and ways of thinking so as never to have to make an effort to change. And this can even happen with God, and even to us believers, to us who think we know Jesus, that we already know so much about Him and that it is enough to repeat the same things as always. And this is not enough with God. But without openness to what is new and, above all – listen well – openness to God’s surprises, without amazement, faith becomes a tiring litany that slowly dies out and becomes a habit, a social habit.

I said a word: amazement. What is amazement? Amazement happens when we meet God: “I met the Lord”. But we read in the Gospel: many times the people who encountered Jesus and recognised him felt amazed. And we, by encountering God, must follow this path: to feel amazement. It is like the guarantee certificate that the encounter is true and not habitual.

In the end, why didn’t Jesus’s fellow villagers recognise and believe in Him? But why? What is the reason? In a few words, we can say that they did not accept the scandal of the Incarnation. They did not know this mystery of the Incarnation, but they did not accept the mystery: they did not know it. They did not know the reason and they thought it was scandalous that the immensity of God should be revealed in the smallness of our flesh, that the Son of God should be the son of a carpenter, that the divine should be hidden in the human, that God should inhabit a face, the words, the gestures of a simple man. This is the scandal: the incarnation of God, his concreteness, his ‘daily life’. And God became concrete in a man, Jesus of Nazareth, he became a companion on the way, he made himself one of us. “You are one of us”, we can say to Jesus. What a beautiful prayer! It is because one of us understands us, accompanies us, forgives us, loves us so much. In reality, an abstract, distant god is more comfortable, one that doesn’t get himself involved in situations and who accepts a faith that is far from life, from problems, from society. Or we would even like to believe in a ‘special effects’ god who does only exceptional things and always provokes strong emotions.

[Pope Francis, Angelus 4 July 2021]

Incarnation, or emptiness of humanity

(Mt 12:1-8)

On the conversion’s journey, conflicts of conscience are not parentheses or accidents of the path, but crucial knots.

The genuineness of believing then generates implicative strenght and new expressive abilities.

The alternative is between Intimacy and practice of Faith, or religion that condemns people without fault (v.7):

According to ordinary religious assessments, the legislation was worth more than hunger... but God’s experience in the life overturns ideas elaborated by experts.

To be honest, observance of the Sabbath had become a central law not because of theological subtleties, very well because in the period of the Exile the weekly rest had allowed believers to gather, share hopes, encourage each other, maintain the identity of the people.

But legalism ended up stifling the spirit of the day of worship, once a sign of a freedom in the service of people’s faith and happiness.

Thus where Jesus arrives, every spiritual module empty of humanity crumbles, and the Incarnation takes hold: the place where God and man  seriously ‘rest’ [other than the saturday!].

Therefore the Lord quotes the prophet Hosea, a man with a raw experience, but who clearly defines the summit of intimacy with God: an authentic Rite is to realize the needs of our neighbour and to have the heart in the others’ hopes.

The archaic «sacrifice» [‘sacrum-facere’, making sacred] reflected an idea of cutting, separation and distance between the perfect world of "heaven" and the profane existence of people.

But after the coming of the «Son of Man» (v.8) the new consecrated persons will not live far from the day-to-day existence.

Rather, they will be the first to welcome and relieve those in need.

Sign of the Covenant with God, and Encounter [authentic sanctification] is an ‘adherence’ that continues in the plot of days.

After the Messianic Hymn of Jubilation and the «Gladness of the Simple» that supplants the «yoke» of the ancient religion (Mt 11:25-30), the Master presents himself to the Pharisees in the (stand-in) regal guise of David, who sets out to conquer the alternative Kingdom, even with a small handful of followers.

To the slavery of customs, Christ opposes a looseness that makes the encounter between God and his people more agile, more spontaneous, richer and more personal.

A trail of light - even for us - in the face of the current pastoral collapse (despite the plethora of structures on the ground!).

In the time of the global crisis that seems to mortgage the future [and there is still an attempt to calculate it by directing it a priori, according to selective interests] the challenge is more open than ever.

To internalize and live the message:

How did you perceive that you were reliving Christ in the fluency of the norms?

[Friday 15th wk. in O.T.  July 18, 2025]