Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran [9 November 2025]

May God bless us and may the Virgin protect us! Let us be moved by Jesus' zeal for his Church, which he loves and wants to remain whole and faithful.

First Reading from the Book of Ezekiel (47:1-12)

Before rereading Ezekiel's vision, it is useful to recall the plan of the Temple that he knew, that of Solomon. Unlike our churches, the Temple was a large esplanade divided into courtyards: those of the pagans, of women and of men. The Temple itself had three parts: the open air with the altar of burnt offerings, the Vestibule, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. For Israel, the Temple was the centre of religious life: the only place of pilgrimage and sacrifice. Its destruction in 587 BC represented a total collapse, not only physical but also spiritual. The question was: would faith collapse with it? How could they survive after the destruction? Ezekiel, deported to Babylon in 597 BC, found himself on the banks of the Kebar River in Tel Aviv. During the twenty years of exile (ten before and ten after the destruction), he devoted all his energies to keeping the people's hope alive. He had to act on two fronts: to survive and to keep alive the hope of return. As a priest, he spoke mainly in terms of worship and visions, many of which concerned the Temple. Surviving meant understanding that the Temple was not the place of God's presence, but its sign. God was not among the ruins, but with his people on the Kebar. As Solomon said: 'The heavens themselves and the heavens of heavens cannot contain you! How much less this House that I have built!' (1 Kings 8:27). God is always in the midst of his people and does not abandon Israel: before, during and after the Temple, he is always in the midst of his people. Even in misfortune, faith deepens. The hope of return is firm because God is faithful and his promises remain valid. Ezekiel imagines the Temple of the future and describes abundant water flowing from the Temple towards the east, bringing life everywhere: the Dead Sea will no longer be dead, like the Paradise of Genesis (Genesis 1). This message tells his contemporaries: paradise is not behind us, but ahead of us; dreams of abundance and harmony will be realised. The reconstruction of the Temple, a few decades later, was perhaps the result of Ezekiel's stubborn hope. Perhaps in memory of Ezekiel and the hope he embodied, the capital of Israel is now called Tel Aviv, 'hill of spring'.

Responsorial Psalm 45/46

The liturgy of the Feast of Dedication offers only a division of Psalm 45/46, but it is useful to read it in its entirety. It is presented as a canticle of three stanzas separated by two refrains (vv. 8 and 12): 'The Lord of hosts is with us; our bulwark is the God of Jacob'. God, king of the world. First stanza: God's dominion over the cosmic elements (earth, sea, mountains). Second stanza: Jerusalem, "the city of God, the most holy dwelling place of the Most High" (v. 5). Third stanza: God's dominion over the nations and over the whole earth: "I rule the nations, I rule the earth". The refrain has a tone of victory and war: the Lord of the universe is with us.... The name 'Sabaoth' means 'Lord of hosts', a warrior title that at the beginning of biblical history referred to God as the head of the Israelite armies. Today it is interpreted as God of the universe, referring to the heavenly armies. The second verse is about the River. The evocation of a river in Jerusalem, which in reality does not exist, is surprising. The water supply was guaranteed by springs such as Gihon and Ain Roghel. The river is not real, but symbolic: it anticipates Ezekiel's prophecy of a miraculous river that will irrigate the entire region as far as the Dead Sea. Similarities can be found in Joel and Zechariah, where living waters flow from Jerusalem and bring life everywhere, showing God as king of all the earth. All the hyperbole in the Psalm anticipates the Day of God, the final victory over all the forces of evil. The warlike tone in the refrains and in the last verse ("Exalted among the nations, exalted on earth") means that God fights against war itself. The Kingdom of God will be established over the whole earth, over all peoples, and all wars will end. Jerusalem, the "City of Peace," symbolises this dream of harmony and prosperity. For some commentators, the River also represents the crowds that pass through Jerusalem during the great processions.

Second Reading from the First Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (3:9...17)

The deepest desire of the Old Testament was that God would be forever present among his people, establishing a kingdom of peace and justice. Ezekiel expresses this with the prophetic name of Jerusalem: 'The Lord is there'. However, the fulfilment of this promise exceeds all expectations: God himself becomes man in Jesus of Nazareth, 'the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us'. St Paul, rereading the Old Testament, recognises that the whole history of salvation converges towards Christ, the eternal centre of God's plan. When the time is fulfilled, God manifests his presence no longer in a place (the Temple of Jerusalem), but in a person: Jesus Christ, and in those who, through Baptism, are united to him. The Gospels show this mystery of God's new presence in various ways: the Presentation in the Temple, the tearing of the veil at the moment of Jesus' death, the water flowing from his side (the new Temple from which life flows), and the purification of the Temple. All these signs indicate that in Christ, God dwells definitively among men. After the Resurrection, God's presence continues in his people: the Holy Spirit dwells in believers. Paul affirms this forcefully: "You are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you." This reality has a twofold dimension: Ecclesial: the community of believers is the new temple of God, built on Christ, the cornerstone. Everything must be done for the common good and to be a living sign of God's presence in the world. Personal: every baptised person is a "temple of the Holy Spirit." The human body is a holy place where God dwells, and for this reason it must be respected and cared for. The new Temple is not a material building, but a living reality, constantly growing, 'a temple that expands without end', as Cardinal Daniélou said: humanity transformed by the Spirit. Finally, Paul warns: 'If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him'. The dignity of the believer as the dwelling place of God is sacred and inviolable. Christ's promise to Peter is the guarantee: 'The powers of evil will not prevail against my Church'. In summary: God, who in the Old Testament dwelt in a temple of stone, in the New Testament dwells in Christ and, through the Spirit, in the hearts and community of believers. The Church and every Christian are today the living sign of God's presence in the world.

From the Gospel according to John (2:13-22)

Trade on the Temple esplanade. In the Gospel of John (chapter 2), Jesus performs one of his most powerful and symbolic acts: he drives the merchants out of the Temple in Jerusalem. The episode takes place at the beginning of his public mission and reveals the profound meaning of his presence in the world: Jesus is the new Temple of God. In Jesus' time, the presence of animal sellers and money changers around the Temple was a normal and necessary practice: pilgrims had to buy animals for sacrifices and exchange Roman money, which bore the emperor's image, for Jewish coins. The problem was not the activity itself, but the fact that the merchants had invaded the Temple esplanade, transforming the first courtyard – intended for prayer and reading the Word – into a place of commerce. Jesus reacted with prophetic force: 'Do not make the house of the Father a market'. He thus denounced the transformation of worship into economic interest and reaffirmed that one cannot serve two masters, God and money. His words echo those of the prophets: Jeremiah had denounced the Temple as a 'den of thieves' (Jer 7:11), and Zechariah had announced that, on the day of the Lord, 'there shall be no more merchants in the house of the Lord' (Zech 14:21). Jesus follows in this prophetic line and brings their words to fulfilment. Two attitudes emerge in response to Jesus' gesture: the disciples, who know him and have already seen his signs (as at Cana), understand the prophetic meaning of the gesture and recall Psalm 68(69): "Zeal for your house consumes me." John changes the tense of the verb ("will consume me") to announce Jesus' future passion, a sign of his total love for God and for humanity. His opponents ("the Jews" in John) react with mistrust and irony: they ask Jesus to justify his authority and refuse to be admonished by him. To their request for a sign, Jesus responds with mysterious words: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." They think of the stone Temple, restored by Herod in forty-six years, a symbol of God's presence among the people. But Jesus is speaking of another temple: his body. Only after the resurrection do the disciples understand the meaning of his words: the true Temple, the sign of God's presence, is no longer a building, but the person of the risen Jesus himself, 'the stone rejected by the builders, which has become the cornerstone'. This episode, placed by John at the beginning of his Gospel, already announces the whole Christian mystery: Jesus is the new place of encounter with God, the living Temple where man finds salvation. The ancient cult is outdated: it is no longer a matter of offering material sacrifices, but of welcoming and following Christ, who offers himself for humanity. Faith divides: some (the disciples) welcome this newness and become children of God; others (the opponents) reject it and close themselves off to revelation. Jesus, by driving the merchants out of the Temple, reveals that the true house of God is not made of stones but of people united with Him. His risen body is the new Temple, the definitive sign of God's presence among men. The episode thus becomes a prophecy of Easter and an invitation to purify the heart, so that God's dwelling place may never become a place of interest, but remain a space of faith, communion and love.

+ Giovanni D'Ercole

The Coming of the Kingdom neither above nor in front

(Lk 17:20-25)

The theme of the Son of Man coming is pre-Christian, and all the data of the text already appear in the Jewish apocalyptic literature. But in it the Eternal «will come» and "will show up" at the end of time.

However, the Father doesn’t govern the sons by issuing provisions as a sovereign would, but by transmitting his own Life of indestructible quality.

Therefore He doesn’t ask for obedience - like a king. He desires ‘similarity’.

It’s the Gift, and the know-how to read inside things, then our quality and relational commitment, that realize or decelerate the establishment of a new world, continually strengthened.

Nothing to do with predictions (v.20): it’s in the field the unexpected wisdom of the Gift, and the opposite "power" of God. Not of strength, not aggressive.

He himself stands not in front or above, but «in the middle». Nothing peremptory, overflowing, gigantic. Family Style.

«In the midst»: to enlighten all circumstances. To cohabit, to prepare, to take root in the hearts in a lovable, intimate, convincing way.

The coming of his Kingdom we won’t be able to admire it as a show.

The Presence of Fraternities in the world is woven with real life, not roles or vague narratives, sophisticated representations, or illusions.

Thus the Church will not be an anonymous and hostile society that astutely draws the maximum of "render".

The coming Community should not be part of the mundane situation, but should escape all predictability and limitation. 

The alternative Kingdom is of human condition, yet... ‘form’ that does not accept finitude as the only fate, nor is it adapted to our small measure of determinations and reassurances.

The Kingdom «in Persona Christi» shines a lucid and dreamy Energy, close and projective, which does not impose itself: animates the entire afflatus of creatures that put themselves in play.

Outside his ordinary circuits, the Lord does not ask for any glorious manifestation.

«The Kingdom of God does not come in such a way that it can be observed, nor will it be said: Here or there» [vv.20b-21a].

It’s not a question of the end of the world, but of the end of a certain model’s type of successful humanity - now intimate to the «Son of Man» (vv.22.24).

And the opportunity to overturn the concatenations [ancient or fashionable] presents itself at any moment; it flickers immediately (v.24).

All this brings the faithful into contact with the inner nature of the Kingdom. And in this way they know its wisdom, the hidden action that extracts fruitfulness from the chaotic sides.

Different veins, flowing of Spirit.

Otherwise it may even seem that God loses control of history.

And we, discouraged, put ourselves on one side of the road, watching intimidated, perhaps surrendered; hoping for the arrival of other things, external.

Instead, step by step his humanization project is realized - here - in all those who welcome the proposal to accentuate their lives, giving themselves.

No Domain.

To internalize and live the message:

How do you embody the prophecy of the ‘coming’ Messiah without ceasing? Do you personally respond or do you run after striking events?

[Thursday 32nd wk. in O.T.  November 13, 2025]

The Coming of the Kingdom not above nor in front

(Lk 17:20-25)

The theme of the coming of the Son of Man is pre-Christian, and all the data of the text already appear in the Jewish apocalyptic. But in it the Eternal One will come and will be seen at the end of time.

Then as now, according to the leaders of popular religiosity, the Kingdom would be established after all the people had come to perfect observance of the Law and traditions.

As a reward for our obedience, God would have granted the coming of the Messiah, and his people would have welcomed him [descended from the pinnacles or clouds] in a solemn manner, as one does a prince.

But in the Gospels the term Kingdom of God designates the sphere in which the Father 'reigns', i.e. the community of believers - where the future of the Lord on earth already breaks through in the logic and active power of Easter.

In it, a creative and regenerating Providence tirelessly intervenes, in the Persons and in the qualitative virtue of its People.

Through the authentic Church semper conformanda, life opens up to its Action - and our lives are radically transformed.

This is accomplished, both through Friendship in us and by casting Hope. Divinising lymph and Dream, which activates new configurations.

For the Father does not govern his children by issuing provisions as a sovereign would, but by transmitting his own Life of indestructible quality. 

Therefore, he does not ask for obedience - like a king - but for likeness.

It is the Gift, and knowing how to read into things, then our relational quality and commitment, that realise or decelerate the establishment of a new, continually replenished world.

Nothing to do with predictions (v.20): it is the unexpected wisdom of the Gift, and God's 'power' in reverse. Not forceful, not aggressive.

He himself places himself not in front of or above, but "in the midst". Nothing peremptory, overflowing, gigantic.

Thus his own who genuinely represent him.

The Father is not a leader; let alone one who can afford to legitimise exclusivist attitudes.

The latter can unfortunately be found in pyramid situations; in insulting choices made by some leaders, who, in order to feel like 'someone', always assign others to be behind or below [especially those who do not revere them].

On the contrary, God is equidistant from everyone, this is the criterion of evaluation - the only overriding attribute, the imperative of true leaders, the most forthright and transparent.

Family style.

In short, 'Heaven' does not dispose that some elected ones be allowed to place themselves near and above - others destined for the rear, discarded because they are less useful to the objectives.

There is no one who says he represents him and can make himself 'big', always in a dominant position. However high - and you small, always below.

On the contrary. "In the middle": to illuminate all circumstances.

To cohabit with women and men, like a bride; to prepare and take root in hearts in an amiable, intimate, convincing way.

The coming of his Kingdom we will not be able to admire as if it were a professional show - a spectacle of old or new elected officials in power, supported by office-bearers (and as many papier-mâché dummies, also scaling).

The Fraternities' presence in the world is woven of real life, not of roles or vague narratives, sophisticated representations or illusions.

Thus the Church will not be an anonymous and hostile society [more or less invoked] of sacred self-celebrations. Nor of meritorious works, or of strength - perhaps for some, of profit.

Nor, turbo-efficient agency, cunningly drawing the greatest 'return'.

The Community that Comes should not belong to the mundane, but escape all predictability and limitation. 

The alternative Kingdom is of the human condition, yet... a form that does not accept finitude as its sole destiny, nor does it adapt to our petty measure of determinacy and reassurance.

The Kingdom in Persona Christi shimmers a lucid and dreamy Energy, close and projective, which does not impose itself: it animates the entire afflatus of creatures who put themselves at stake.

Outside of its ordinary circuits, the Lord does not ask for any glorious manifestation of rich screens, archaic horizons or conversely disembodied; nor intolerance, disparity, detachment.

"The Kingdom of God does not come in such a way that it can be observed, nor will it be said, 'Here or there'" [vv.20b-21a, Greek text].

It is not about the end of the world, but the end of a certain type of successful model of humanity.

And the opportunity to overthrow the [ancient or fashionable] concatenations presents itself at any moment; it flickers immediately (v.24).

"For as the thunderbolt, shining from one end of the sky shines to the other end of the sky, so shall the Son of man be [in his day]".

Jesus is the authentic, sudden Dream of Jacob, which foreshadowed a vast descent; further unfolded (Gen 28:10-22) and become reality.

But no one would have expected the Messiah to be identified with the "Son of Man" (vv.22.24), the One who creates abundance where there is none - and previously it did not seem permissible to expand.

The new bond between God and human beings is in the Brother who becomes the "next of kin", who creates an atmosphere of humanisation with broad contours - not at all discriminating.

"Son of Man" is the one who, having reached the highest human fullness, comes to reflect the divine condition and radiates it widely - not selectively as expected.

"Succeeded Son": the Person with the definitive step, who in us aspires to the most dilated fullness in events and relationships, to an indestructible carat within each one who approaches [and encounters divine marks].

It is growth and humanisation of the people: the quiet, true and full development of the divine plan on humanity.

"Son of man" is therefore not a religious, guarded, controlled and reserved title, but an opportunity for all those who adhere to the Lord's proposal, and reinterpret life in a personal creative way.

They overcome the firm and proper summary boundaries, making room for the Gift; welcoming from Grace fullness of being and character, in its new unrepeatable tracks.

And we particularly precarious ones, feeling totally and undeservedly loved, discover other facets... we change the way we are with ourselves, and the way we read history.

Therefore, we can grow, realise ourselves, flourish, radiate the wholeness we have received - with no more closures.

With no more one-sided supremacy.

Here we are in Christ: from Son of David [the absolutely victorious military leader, who would impose the Law and subjugate the other nations] to 'Son of Man'.

As Card. Bassetti in commenting on the encyclical Fratelli Tutti, the Magisterium's most recent appeal is also a call to "shorten distances and not erect walls".

This brings the faithful into contact with the inner nature of the Kingdom. And in this way they come to know its wisdom, its hidden action - which extracts fruitfulness from the chaotic sides.

From other veins, even dissident ones, yet flowing with Spirit.

Otherwise, it can also appear that God loses control of history.

And we, discouraged, stand on one side of the road, watching intimidated, perhaps surrendered; hoping for the arrival of other, external things.

Instead, step by step his project of humanisation is realised - here - in all those who accept the proposal to accentuate their lives, giving of themselves.

No Dominion.

To internalise and live the message:

How do you incarnate the prophecy of the Messiah who comes without ceasing? Do you personally respond or do you run after striking events?

What do you consider to be the wrong paths or end-of-the-world fantasies that deaden the life of the Kingdom?

Speaking of God, we are touching precisely on the subject which, in Jesus' earthly preaching, was his main focus. The fundamental subject of this preaching is God's realm, the "Kingdom of God". This does not mean something that will come to pass at one time or another in an indeterminate future. Nor does it mean that better world which we seek to create, step by step, with our own strength. In the term "Kingdom of God", the word "God" is a subjective genitive. This means: God is not something added to the "Kingdom" which one might even perhaps drop. 

God is the subject. Kingdom of God actually means: God reigns. He himself is present and crucial to human beings in the world. He is the subject, and wherever this subject is absent, nothing remains of Jesus' message. 

Therefore, Jesus tells us: the Kingdom of God does not come in such a way that one may, so to speak, line the wayside to watch its arrival. "The Kingdom of God is in the midst of you!" (cf. Lk 17: 20ff.). 

It develops wherever God's will is done. It is present wherever there are people who are open to his arrival and so let God enter the world. Thus, Jesus is the Kingdom of God in person: the man in whom God is among us and through whom we can touch God, draw close to God. Wherever this happens, the world is saved.

[Pope Benedict, to the Roman Curia 22 December 2006]

Be the heart of Christ to love and pray, be the hands of Christ to work and serve

4. “EurHope”: Europe and Hope. You wanted to give this title to today's evocative vigil. In the term "EurHope" the words Europe and Hope are inseparably intertwined. It is a beautiful intuition, but also a singularly demanding one. It demands that you be men and women of hope: people who believe in the God of life and love, and proclaim with firm confidence that there is a future for mankind.

You are the young face of Europe. The future of the Continent, as of the whole world, belongs to you, if you know how to follow the path that Christ shows you. The secret is the same as always: it is Christ who died and rose again for the salvation of the world; it is the Cross of Christ. The Pope this evening entrusts you with this ancient and ever new secret: dear young people, follow him who "came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mk 10:45). Be his hands and his heart, for your brothers and sisters: the heart to love and pray, the hands to work, build and serve. 

[Pope John Paul II, Meeting with young people at Loreto 9 September 1995]

There is a recurring question in Pope Francis' meditations during the masses he celebrated at Santa Marta, and it is the invitation to an examination of conscience: "How is my relationship with the Holy Spirit?". Also in his homily on Thursday 16 November, the Pontiff posed the question again with a particular declension: "Do I really believe that the Spirit makes the kingdom of God grow in me?".

In fact, the kingdom of God was the theme of the reflection that started from the passage in Luke's Gospel (17:20-25) in which the doctors of the law ask Jesus: "You preach the kingdom of God, but when will the kingdom of God come?". It is a question, the Pontiff explained, that also came from the "curiosity of many people", a "simple question that comes from a good heart, a disciple's heart". It is not by chance that it is a recurring request in the Gospel: for example, the Pope suggested, at that "very ugly, dark" moment when John the Baptist - who was in the dark in prison and "did not understand anything, distressed" - sends his disciples to say to the Lord: "But say: is it you or must we wait for someone else? Has the kingdom of God arrived or is it another?".

Doubt about 'when' often returns, as in the thief's 'impudent, haughty, wicked question': 'If it is you, come down from the cross', which expresses the 'curiosity' of 'when the kingdom of God comes'.

Jesus' answer is: "But the kingdom of God is in your midst". Thus for example, Francis recalled, "the kingdom of God was announced in the synagogue in Nazareth, that joyful announcement when Jesus reads that passage from Isaiah and ends by saying: 'Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your midst'". A happy and, above all, "simple" announcement. In fact, "the kingdom of God grows from within", so much so that Jesus himself explains it with the parable of the seed: "no one knows how", but God makes it grow. It is a kingdom that "grows from within, in secret or hidden like the gem or the treasure, but always in humility".

Here the Pontiff inserted the key passage of his meditation: "Who gives growth to that seed, who makes it sprout? God, the Holy Spirit who is in us'. A consideration that explains the coming of the kingdom with the Paraclete's way of working, which "is a spirit of meekness, of humility, of obedience, of simplicity". And it is the Spirit, the Pope added, "that makes the kingdom of God grow within, not pastoral plans, great things...".

It is, Francis said, a hidden action. The Spirit 'makes it grow and the time comes and the fruit appears'. An action that eludes full comprehension: 'Who was it, or was it,' the Pope asked himself, 'that sowed the seed of the kingdom of God in the heart of the good thief? Perhaps his mother when she taught him to pray? Perhaps a rabbi when he explained the law to him...'. What is certain is that although in life he forgot it, that seed, hidden, was made to grow at some point. All this happens because 'the kingdom of God is always a surprise, a surprise that comes' in that 'it is a gift given by the Lord'.

In his conversation with the doctors of the law, Jesus dwells on the characteristics of this silent action: "The kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to attract attention and no one will say: 'Here it is or there it is'". In fact, the Pontiff added, "the kingdom of God is not a show" or even "a carnival". It does not show itself 'with pride, with pride, it does not like publicity', but 'is humble, hidden and thus grows'.

A striking example comes from Mary. When people looked at her following Jesus, they hardly recognised her ('Ah, that's Mummy...'). She was 'the holiest woman', but because she was 'in secret', no one understood 'the mystery of the kingdom of God, the holiness of the kingdom of God'. And so, "when she was near her son's cross, people said, 'But poor woman with this criminal as a son, poor woman...'". No one understood, "no one knew".

The characteristic of hiddenness, the Pope explained, comes precisely from the Holy Spirit who is 'within us': it is he 'who makes the seed grow, makes it germinate until it bears fruit'. And we are all called to walk this path: 'it is a vocation, it is a grace, it is a gift, it is free, it cannot be bought, it is a grace that God gives us'.

This is why, the Pontiff concluded, it is good that "all of us baptised" who "have the Holy Spirit within us", ask ourselves: "How is my relationship with the Holy Spirit, the one who makes the kingdom of God grow in me?" We need to understand: "Do I really believe that the kingdom of God is in our midst, is it hidden, or do I like the show better?" It is necessary, he added, to pray to "the Spirit within us" to ask for the grace "to make the seed of the kingdom of God sprout in us and in the Church, with strength, so that it may become great, give shelter to so many people and bear fruits of holiness."

[Pope Francis, St. Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano 17/11/2017]

Foreign glory, or religiosity giving birth to models and slaves

(LK 17:11-19)

According to the encyclical Brothers All, the custody of differences is the criterion of true fraternity, which does not annihilate the extrovert peaks.

In fact, even in a relationship of deep love and coexistence «we need to free ourselves from feeling that we all have to be alike» [Amoris Laetitia, n.139].

It will be surprising, but the meaning of the Gospel does not concern the thanks to do!

Jesus is not saddened by a lack of gratitude and good manners, but by the fact that only a stranger gives «glory to God» (v.15).

That is: he recognizes Him as his personal Lord - in a relationship, in fact, without mediation.

That personal «make-Eucharist» [...] «and fell on his face at his feet» (v.16 Greek text) has a strong, spousal meaning, of perfect reciprocity in the Way.

All within the horizon of a crucial - decisive - choice between exclusive quality life, or death.

Although marginalized by the "sacred precincts" of the Temple in the Holy City - the distant and rejected (considered bastards and enemies) immediately understand what does not disfigure the face of their humanity.

On closer inspection, in the third Gospel the models of the Faith are all "foreign": centurion, prostitute, hemorrhoid, blind; and so on.

They immediately perceive the signs of Life, signs of God!

Others more settled or attracted by normalities are content to be reintegrated into ancient and common religious practice, returning to the usual impersonal things, and to mass worship.

But those who allow themselves to be enslaved, lose track of themselves and of Christ (v.17). They become again a slave of the aligned, conventionalist mentality, not examined - and subject to ‘permanence’.

Instead, if recognized [as in the case of the Samaritan] a Presence in our favor makes us find, discover, and understand.

It proceeds unparalleled through all our moods - without remorse for duties that do not belong to us.

This Friendship makes us recover the fixed points of truly intimate human codes, strengthening - out of the line - both the system of self-recognition and the authentic and unrepeatable way of honoring God in our brothers and sisters.

In short, as we walk our very own Way with optimism and hope, we come to meet the living Christ; not to the hubbub of the [ancient or fashionable] Temple.

It no longer sends precious messages; it only notes down. It beats in the head, but does not touch us inside.

It will trap each one in a web of predictable thoughts, of enemy surveillance, induced customs; so on.

Regarding the essential divine readiness to grasp differences as wealth, we recall the teaching of the Sufi master Ibn Ata Allah, who upheld the unparalleled immediacy of the personal Colloquium - where wisdom of analysis and experience of mystical vertigo unite:

«He makes the enlightenment come upon you so that through it you may come to Him; He makes it come upon you to remove you from the hand of others; He makes it come upon you to free you from the slavery of creatures; He makes it come on you to bring you out of the prison of your existence towards the Heaven of the contemplation of Him».

New, full, and definitive Life.

People of Faith detach themselves from external religious identity: they dream, love and invent roads; they deviate and do not follow an already traced path.

[Wednesday 32nd wk. in O.T.  November 12, 2025]

Foreign Glory, or religiosity that gives birth to models and slaves

(Lk 17:11-19)

The impure had to stay out of the way: everything that was different from the dominant thought was shunned.

According to the ancient religious scheme, the places of the 'infected' were regarded as cemeteries.

Diseases were imagined as punishments for defaults.

But leprosy - a disease that corrodes within - was the very symbol of sin [yet here the observant seem to be the walking image of death].

The eventual healing was valued on a par with a miraculous resurrection.

And all (supposed) sins had to be atoned for before being readmitted to society.

Jesus replaces the nerve-wracking globality of these arcane-superstitious rigmarole with a very simple outward path.

Thus he destroys archaic, superstitious idolatrous devotion, supplanting it with a real-life proposal.

The passage is exclusive to Lk but in all the Gospels the term "village" has strongly negative connotations.

"Villages" are the places where the Lord is not welcomed. There is no place for the new there, and if it takes root it becomes an obligatory tradition.

They are territories and swamps of reduction, of stubborn confirmation, of wanting to reproduce established thoughts and impose more or less seraphic customs on anyone. We know them.

In the Church, the 'village' mentality is that of certainty at all costs.

A hypical conviction of those who consider themselves sacredly correct and empowered to marginalise, cast out, reject, keep away, disregard.

The passage has several levels of reading.

The Master walks with the Apostles and addresses them (Lk 17:1-11) but suddenly seems to find himself alone (v.12). As if the 'lepers of the village' were none other than his own [at that time no one afflicted with the disease could dwell in residential places].

The uncleanness contracted by the confirmed disciples, and also by us today, depends precisely on the spoiled, decaying and corrupt condition of the reduced and infected environment.

The latter makes regeneration impossible - because in it the followers themselves (who appear to be intimates) sometimes shut themselves away, all huddled together.

The ten lepers represent us.

The number itself indicates a totality (like fingers).

But right here, if we are at least made aware of the separation from the realisation of our face, here is the first step to a personal involvement with the Lord.

We all have signs of non-life.

Those who think they have arrived and are unharmed by pathologies put up fences to protect themselves and their world, but they remain there, clumsy.

When, on the other hand, they see that development has not yet blossomed, a sense of tolerance towards others is triggered, and the personal spring that overcomes empty, intimist, or coarse adhesions.

Even in the first assemblies of those called to be sons and brothers, there was sometimes a self-congratulatory and isolationist mentality towards the pagans who appeared at the threshold of the communities.

The new ones - x-rayed by the veterans who could not stand different specificities - cried out by appealing directly to Christ himself.

The question was triggered - all topical:

"You who stand at the head [v.13 Greek text], You who lead the church, what do you think of your own? What do you say about this village mentality?"

"The first ones who think they have the right to shun others, do they really have the right to do so?"

"Has the Father you proclaim become exactly like the sullen God of religions again?"

In fact, the 'lepers' do not ask for healing, but for compassion.

In short, the Call is 'internal'.

This means that it is precisely the phenomena of the acquired - perhaps colonialist - role or ministry that should be healed.

Conditioned by false guides, we also not infrequently approach Christ in an abstruse, wrong way: asking him for 'mercy'.

A Friend or a Father is not asked for 'Mercy'.

That is why Jesus is clear. Those who consider themselves unclean or want to be pitied must go elsewhere, turn to the official religion.

Everyone is complete, and this is seen in the choice of the stranger who alone understands and returns to Christ.

No one needs to chastise himself by submitting to conformist protocols.

But back then it was the Temple priests who checked and decided whether the already healed (!) could be readmitted to society.

In short, all of us sinners are made pure not by miracles that descend like lightning, but in the Exodus.

It is the journey that moves us out of the putrid, diseased environment - well before anyone checks, makes trivial recommendations, and dictates the pace of posthumous practices.

It is only the 'village' that makes us - and considers us - unclean... because we do not look like it!

We need only step out of ghettoising thoughts and customs to gain serenity and motivation: we will no longer feel rejected and pointed at.

We will discover ourselves and the God-with.

He made us this way for a special Mission; not modelled on prototypes to be copied as if we were idiots: but supremely lovable children.

The Father sees us as perfect, and in his time he will raise astounding pearls precisely from our supposed or intruded unworthinesses.

Inadequacies to the "village", which make up and complete the baggage of our precious personality, and unrepeatable Vocation.

As it happens, we only fulfil ourselves spiritually by crossing local 'cultural' fences.

Even not by obeying orders, but by transgressing them (vv.14ff.)!

In this way, Jesus does not contemplate inquisitors.

We must allow ourselves to be controlled solely by the Spirit, who already animates us.

This is a decisive question. In fact: the meaning of the text is not about thanksgiving!

Jesus is not saddened by a lack of thankfulness and good manners, but by the fact that only a stranger gives "glory to God" (v.15).

That is: he recognises him as his personal Lord - in a relationship, indeed, without mediation.

That personal "making-Eucharist" [...] "and fell on his face at his feet" (v.16 Greek text) has a strong, spousal meaning, of perfect reciprocity in the Way.

All in the horizon of a crucial choice - not peaceful, nor calm and good-natured, but diriment - between life of exclusive quality, or death.

Although marginalised by the 'holy precincts' of the Temple in the Holy City - precisely the distant and rejected (considered bastards and enemies) immediately understand what does not disfigure the face of their humanity.

Here Lk quotes the term alloghenès (v.18) carved in large letters in the tablets affixed to the first of the inner parapets of the Jerusalem Sanctuary [the one that under penalty of death prevented pagans from participating in the Jewish cultic sacrifice].

But on closer inspection, in the Third Gospel the models of Faith are all 'outsiders': centurion, prostitute, hemorrhoid, blind man, and so on.

They immediately perceive the signs of Life, signs of God!

Others who are more settled or attracted to normality are content to be reintegrated into old-fashioned and common religious practice, returning to the usual impersonal things, and mass worship.

And yet, those who re-adapt to the way of all, become enslaved; they lose track of themselves and of Christ (v.17).

He who becomes a slave again to the aligned, conventionalist mentality; unexamined - and subservient to 'permanence'.

According to the encyclical Fratelli Tutti, the custody of differences is the criterion of true fraternity, which does not annihilate extrovert peaks.

Indeed, even in a relationship of deep love and coexistence "there is a need to free oneself from the obligation to be equal" [Amoris Laetitia, no.139].

Pope Francis again:

"While Solidarity is the social planning principle that allows unequals to become equals, Fraternity is what allows equals to be different people" [Message to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, 24/04/2017].

In short, by optimistically and hopefully walking our very own Way, we come to meet the living Christ; not the hubbub of the Temple [ancient or fashionable].

It no longer sends precious messages; it only notes. It knocks on the head, but does not touch inside.

It traps us in a web of predictable thoughts, enemy surveillance, induced customs; so on.

Domestics devoid of affinity with events of specific weight - without the allied step of people of a particular culture and sensitivity.

Those who are healing the world.

Despite the exhibited belonging, behind sacred official scenes, relationships often loosen; they do not regenerate.

Models and prototypes, codes and patents, the obtuseness of petty primitives - figurines of narrowness - are often birthed there.

Instead, when recognised [as e.g. in the case of the Samaritan] a Presence in our favour makes us find, discover, and understand.

It proceeds unparalleled through all our states of mind - with no more remorse towards duties that do not belong to us.

Such Friendship makes us recover the fixed points of truly intimate human codes, enhancing - outside the lines - both the system of recognising ourselves and the authentic and unrepeatable way of honouring God in our brothers and sisters.

No longer the exclusive privilege of the elect and the best ... all non-decisive.

Regarding the essential divine readiness to embrace differences as richness, let us recall the teaching of the Sufi master Ibn Ata Allah, who advocated the unparalleled immediacy of the Personal Colloquy - where wisdom of analysis and experience of intoxication come together:

"He brings enlightenment upon you in order that through it you may come to Him; He brings it upon you to remove you from the hand of others; He brings it upon you to free you from the bondage of creatures; He brings it upon you to bring you out of the prison of your existence to the heaven of contemplation of Him."

New, full, definitive life.

People of Faith break away from external religious identity: they dream, love and invent paths; they deviate and do not follow a path already mapped out.

The Gospel [...] presents Jesus healing 10 lepers, of whom only one, a Samaritan and therefore a foreigner, returned to thank him (cf. Lk 17: 11-19). The Lord said to him: "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well" (Lk 17: 19). This Gospel passage invites us to a twofold reflection. It first evokes two levels of healing: one, more superficial, concerns the body. The other deeper level touches the innermost depths of the person, what the Bible calls "the heart", and from there spreads to the whole of a person's life. Complete and radical healing is "salvation". By making a distinction between "health" and "salvation", even ordinary language helps us to understand that salvation is far more than health: indeed, it is new, full and definitive life. Furthermore, Jesus here, as in other circumstances, says the words: "Your faith has made you whole". It is faith that saves human beings, re-establishing them in their profound relationship with God, themselves and others; and faith is expressed in gratitude. Those who, like the healed Samaritan, know how to say "thank you", show that they do not consider everything as their due but as a gift that comes ultimately from God, even when it arrives through men and women or through nature. Faith thus entails the opening of the person to the Lord's grace; it means recognizing that everything is a gift, everything is grace. What a treasure is hidden in two small words: "thank you"!

Jesus healed 10 people sick with leprosy, a disease in those times considered a "contagious impurity" that required ritual cleansing (cf. Lv 14: 1-37). Indeed, the "leprosy" that truly disfigures the human being and society is sin; it is pride and selfishness that spawn indifference, hatred and violence in the human soul. No one, save God who is Love, can heal this leprosy of the spirit which scars the face of humanity. By opening his heart to God, the person who converts is inwardly healed from evil. 

"Repent, and believe in the Gospel" (Mk 1: 15). Jesus began his public life with this invitation that continues to resonate in the Church. [...]

Let us ask Our Lady for the gift of true conversion for all Christians, so that they may proclaim and witness consistently and faithfully to the perennial message of the Gospel, which points out to humanity the path of authentic peace.

[Pope Benedict, Angelus 14 October 2007]