Obsession and Compulsion

A gentleman confides in me that for some time now he has felt the need to check whether he has locked the front door of his house. A lady, on the other hand, needs to be sure that she has turned off the gas in the kitchen.

After checking, both the gas and the front door were fine and in order.

Another middle-aged man feels the need to see if his car is okay, then he has to go and check it, walk around it, touch it in different places, and only after completing these behavioural sequences can he return home peacefully. Sometimes he feels the need to do this several times a day.

In the Treccani dictionary, the term 'obsession' is defined as: 'a mental representation that the will cannot eliminate, accompanied by anxiety'. 

The term 'compulsion' is defined as: 'compulsion, being driven by necessity to do something'.

Many people have thoughts that they have no interest in; these are often ideas that make no sense, but which require considerable mental effort.

Without wanting to, these ideas invade our minds and make our brains 'rack' as if they were fundamental issues.

These may be thoughts or images that cause concern, and are usually followed by compulsions that the person must perform to calm their anxiety. 

Between the 'fixed' idea and the need to perform some act or gesture to ensure that nothing bad happens, doubt often arises, undermining our most certain convictions.

This leads to increasing indecision, which limits our freedom of action: even simple choices take a long time to make.  

Sometimes it leads us to be unable to make a decision. The doubt may concern a thought, a memory, an action, etc., and may spill over from one content to another.

A person with these problems, when leaving the house, sometimes feels compelled to return to  make sure they have not left the light on, and to be sure, they sometimes have to do this several times.

In literature, there are examples of people who, after sending a letter, felt the need to reopen it to check what they had written.

In psychological contexts such as this, we also talk about 'rumination', which is always associated with doubt.

In biology, it refers to the digestive process of certain animals, such as cattle. Food that has been swallowed is brought back into the mouth to be chewed again, more thoroughly, and then swallowed again to complete digestion.

In psychology, 'rumination' describes repetitive and persistent thinking focused on past events, as opposed to 'brooding', which is more concerned with future events.

Ceremonials are also described. In these, the individual must perform a sequence of acts such as washing their hands frequently or cleaning everyday objects many times.

This is where an aspect of the psychological picture described comes into play: 'rupophobia' and contamination. Rupophobia is a morbid fear of dirt and of being infected. It can affect any aspect of our lives: objects, people or public places. It is an aspect that can also harm intimacy.

The Covid period has increased the fear of contagion, but this was a real event. Many years ago, around 1986, there was the Chernobyl phenomenon, and there we really had to be careful about what we ate because food, especially vegetables, could have been contaminated.

Anyone who has these ideas may count the cars in the car park while walking, or touch lampposts, or try to avoid cracks in the pavement, etc.

In severe cases, these people may feel that they are harming someone, so these thoughts make them 'back away'. They need to give themselves a 'shake' to try to dispel these terrifying ideas.

People with these characteristics are generally strict, concerned with details, and meticulous about rules and formalities. 

However, by focusing on details, they often overlook the essentials.      

How many people in their work environment feel the need to line up their objects in excessive order?      

Order and control are closely interlinked, because external order can be a way of achieving internal order, which can reduce stress. 

However, we are talking about excessive order. A minimum of order is necessary to avoid confusion and to be able to find our things.

Stuttering is also a speech disorder linked to this psychological condition.

The person who stutters struggles at the beginning, with the first letter or syllable, and repeats it until the word is finished. 

As we know, their speech is fluent when they are alone or when they recite or sing.

Otherwise, mortified by their defect, they will tend to isolate themselves and speak as little as possible. Or they will stubbornly insist on speaking with intense physical effort.

Stuttering 'is a conflict between the erotic urethral tendency to expel and the erotic-anal tendency to retain, shifted to the mouth' (Manual of Psychiatry, Arieti, vol. I, p. 353).

Dr Francesco Giovannozzi, Psychologist-Psychotherapist.

First Sunday of Advent (year A)  [30 November 2025]

May God bless us and may the Virgin Mary protect us! Advent marks the beginning of a new liturgical year (Year A), accompanied by the evangelist Matthew, who invites us to become collaborators in the plan of salvation that God has ordained for the Church and the world. A small change: from now on, I will also offer a summary of the main elements of each text.

First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (2:1-5) 

 We know that biblical authors love images! Here are two beautiful ones in Isaiah's preaching: first, that of a huge crowd on the move, then that of all the armies of the world deciding to turn their weapons into agricultural tools. Let us look at these images one after the other. The crowd on the move climbs a mountain: at the end of the journey is Jerusalem and the Temple. Isaiah, on the other hand, is already in Jerusalem and sees this crowd arriving, a veritable human tide. It is, of course, an image, an anticipation, probably inspired by the great pilgrimages of the Israelites to Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). On this occasion, for eight days, people live in huts, even in the city, remembering their stay in the desert during the Exodus. All the Jewish communities flock there, and Deuteronomy invites them to participate with joy, even with their children, servants, foreigners, orphans, and widows (Dt 16:14-15). The prophet Isaiah, observing this extraordinary annual gathering, foresaw a future one and, inspired by the Holy Spirit, announced that one day not only Israel but all nations would participate in this pilgrimage and the Temple would become the gathering place for all peoples, because the whole of humanity would know the love of God. The text intertwines Israel and the nations: "The mountain of the Lord's temple will be raised above the hills... and all nations will flock to it." This influx symbolises the entry of other nations into the Covenant. The law will come forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem: Israel is chosen by God, but it also has a responsibility to collaborate in the inclusion of the nations in the divine plan. Thus, the Covenant has a dual dimension: particular (Israel chosen) and universal (all nations). The entry of the nations into the Temple does not concern sacrifice, but listening to the Word of God and living according to His Law: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord ... that He may teach us His ways and we may walk in His paths." The second image shows the fruit of this obedience: the nations will live in peace, God will be judge and arbiter, and weapons will be transformed into tools of labour: They will forge their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. They will no longer raise the sword against a people. Finally, Isaiah invites Israel to walk in the light of the Lord, to fulfil its vocation and to lead everyone towards the Light: going up to the Temple means celebrating the Covenant, walking in the light means living according to the Law.

In summary, here are all the main elements of the text: 

+Two symbolic images from Isaiah: the crowd on pilgrimage and the transformation of weapons into instruments of peace.

+Jerusalem and the Temple: destination of the pilgrimage, symbol of God's presence and centre of the Covenant.

+Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot): historical reference to the annual pilgrimage of the Israelites.

+Universality of salvation: Israel, the chosen people, guides all nations, which will be included in the Covenant.

+Dimension of the Covenant: particular (Israel) and universal (all nations).

+Listening to the Word and living according to the Law: participation is not only ritual, but a concrete commitment to life.

+Peace and transformation of weapons: symbol of the realisation of God's plan of justice and harmony.

+Final invitation: Israel must walk in the light of the Lord and lead humanity to God.

+Prophecy as promise, not prediction: prophets speak of God's will, not of the future in a divinatory sense.

Responsorial Psalm (121/122, 1-9)

Here we have the best possible translation of the Hebrew word "Shalom": "Peace to those who love you! May peace reign within your walls, happiness in your palaces...". When you greet someone with this term, you wish them all this. Here this wish is addressed to Jerusalem: 'Pray for the peace of Jerusalem... For my brothers and my friends, I will say: Peace be upon you! For the house of the Lord our God, I will pray for your good'. The very name Jerusalem contains the word shalom; it is, should be, and will be the city of peace. However, this wish for peace and happiness is still far from being realised. The history of Jerusalem is turbulent: around 1000 BC, it was a small village called Jebus, inhabited by the Jebusites. David chose this place as the capital of his kingdom: initially, the capital was Hebron, and David was king only of the tribe of Judah; then, with the accession of the other tribes, Jebus was chosen, which became Jerusalem, 'the city of David'. Here David transferred the Ark of the Covenant and purchased Araunah's field for the Temple, following God's will. The definition of Jerusalem as a 'holy city' means that it belongs to God: it is the place where one must live according to God. With David and Solomon, the city reached its cultural and spiritual splendour and became the centre of religious life with the Temple, a destination for pilgrimages three times a year, particularly for the Feast of Tabernacles. The prophet Nathan reminds David that God is more interested in the people than in the Temple: "You want to build a house for God, but it is God who will build a house for you (descendants)". Thus God promises to preserve David's descendants forever, from whom the Messiah will come. In the end, it was Solomon who built the Temple, making Jerusalem the centre of worship. The city then underwent destruction and reconstruction: the conquest by Nebuchadnezzar in 587 BC, the Exile to Babylon, the return authorised by Cyrus in 538 BC and the reconstruction of Solomon's Temple. Even after the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes and the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, Jerusalem remained the holy city, symbol of God's presence, and the hope of its full restoration remained alive. Believers, wherever they were, continued to turn to Jerusalem in their daily prayers, remembering God's faithfulness to the promises made to David. Psalm 121/122, a pilgrimage song, celebrated this centrality of Jerusalem, inviting the faithful to ascend to the house of the Lord and walk in God's light.

Summary of main points

+Shalom and Jerusalem: Shalom means peace and happiness; Jerusalem is the city of peace.

+History of the city: from Jebus to David's capital, transfer of the Ark, construction of the Temple.

+Holy city: belongs to God; living in Jerusalem means living according to God.

+Nathan and the descendants of David: God more interested in the people than in the Temple; promise of the Messiah.

+Pilgrimages and religious life: Jerusalem as a centre of worship with pilgrimages three times a year.

+Destruction and reconstruction: Nebuchadnezzar, Exile, Cyrus, persecutions by Antiochus, destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.

+Hope and faith: Jerusalem remains a symbol of God's faithfulness; the faithful pray facing towards it.

+Psalm 121/122: a song of pilgrimage, inviting us to ascend to the house of the Lord and walk in divine light.

Second Reading from the Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Romans (13:11-14)

In this text, Saint Paul develops the classic contrast between 'light and darkness'.  'Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed'. This sentence remains true! One of the articles of the Catholic faith is that history is not a continuous repetition, but on the contrary, God's plan advances inexorably. Every day we can say that God's providential plan is further ahead than yesterday: it is being fulfilled, it is progressing... slowly but surely. To forget to proclaim this is to forget an essential point of the Christian faith. Christians have no right to be sad, because every day 'salvation is nearer', as Paul says. This providential and merciful plan of God needs us: this is no time to sleep. Those who know God's plan cannot risk delaying it. As the Second Letter of Peter says: "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise... but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Pet 3:9). Our inactivity, our "sleep" has consequences for the fulfilment of God's plan; leaving our abilities dormant means compromising it or at least delaying it. That is why sins of omission are serious. Paul says, 'The night is far gone, the day is at hand'; and elsewhere he speaks of a short time, using a nautical term: the ship has set sail and is approaching the port (1 Cor 7:26, 29). It may seem presumptuous to think that our conduct affects God's plan, but this is precisely the value and seriousness of our life. Paul reminds us: 'Let us behave honourably, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in quarrelling and jealousy'. There are behaviours of light and darkness when the baptised person does not live according to the Gospel. Paul does not only tell us to choose the works of light, but to reject those of darkness, always fighting for the light. This means two things: every day we must choose the light, a real struggle, especially in the face of anthropological and social challenges, forgiveness, and the rejection of compromises and privileges (cf. Phil 2:12). Elsewhere, St Paul also speaks of the armour of righteousness, the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of the hope of salvation (cf. 2 Cor 6:7; 1 Thess 5:8). Here, the garment of light is Jesus Christ himself, whose light envelops us like a cloak. In baptism, immersion symbolises death to sin and being clothed in Christ (Gal 3:27). The Christian struggle is not ours alone, but it is Christ who fights in us and promises us that when we are persecuted, we must not prepare ourselves because it is he who speaks to us and gives us wisdom that no one can oppose.

Summary of the main points

+Salvation is ever closer: history is not a cycle, but a progression of God's plan.

+Believers cannot be passive: our inactivity delays the fulfilment of God's plan, and sins of omission are serious because we must carry out God's plan every day.

+There are activities of light and darkness: Christian and non-Christian behaviours that do not always coincide with faith or baptism.

+The Christian struggle is daily: choosing light, forgiveness, rejecting compromise and immorality.

+The image of the robe of light represents Jesus Christ who envelops us and guides our lives. Baptism symbolises being clothed in Christ and the beginning of the struggle of light.

+The Christian's strength is not only his own: Christ fights in us, guaranteeing wisdom and words against persecution.

From the Gospel according to Matthew (24:37-44)

One thing is certain: this text was not written to frighten us, but to enlighten us. Texts like this are called apocalyptic, which literally means 'lifting a corner of the veil': they reveal reality. And the reality, the only one that matters, is the coming of Christ. Notice the language: coming, advent, always referring to Jesus: Jesus spoke to his disciples about his coming, which will be like in the days of Noah. You also do not know the day when the Lord will come, because it will be at the hour when you do not expect it. The heart of the message is therefore the announcement that Jesus Christ will come. Curiously, Jesus speaks in the future tense: 'Your Lord will come'. It would be more logical to speak in the past tense because Jesus had already come... This shows us that the 'coming' is not the birth, but something that concerns the fulfilment of God's plan. Very often we are disturbed by images of judgement, such as the comparison with the flood: "Two men will be in the field, one will be taken away and the other left." This is not divine arbitrariness, but an invitation to trust: just as Noah was found righteous and saved, so everything that is righteous will be saved. Judgement distinguishes the good from the bad, the wheat from the chaff, and this takes place in the heart of each person. Jesus uses the title Son of Man to speak of himself, but not only of himself as an individual: he takes up the vision of the prophet Daniel, in which the 'Son of Man' also represents the people of the saints, a collective being. Thus, the coming of Christ concerns the whole of humanity. As St Paul says, Christ is the head and we are the members; St Augustine speaks of the total Christ: head in heaven, members on earth. When we say in prayer that we await the good that God promises us, that is, the coming of Jesus Christ, we are referring to the total Christ: the man Jesus has already come, but the total Christ is in continuous growth and fulfilment. St Paul and, more recently, Teilhard de Chardin emphasise that the whole of creation groans in expectation of the fulfilment of Christ, which is progressively completed in history and in each one of us. When Jesus invites us to watch, it is an invitation to safeguard God's great plan, dedicating our lives to advancing it. Finally, this discourse takes place shortly before the Passion: Jesus warns of the destruction of the Temple, the symbol of his presence and of the Covenant, but does not answer specific questions about the end of the world; instead, he invites vigilance, reassuring his disciples in the face of trials.

Summary of the main points

+Purpose of the text: not to frighten, but to enlighten; to reveal the reality of Christ's coming.

+Christ's coming: Jesus speaks in the future tense because the complete coming concerns Christ as a whole, not just the historical birth of Jesus.

+Judgement and justice: distinguishing good from evil takes place in the heart of each person; the righteous will be saved.

+Title Son of Man: refers not only to Jesus, but to the people of the saints, that is, saved humanity. Christ in his entirety: Christ as the head and believers as members; fulfilment is progressive throughout history.

+Watchfulness and vigilance: the disciples are called to guard God's plan and dedicate their lives to its fulfilment.

+Temple and passion: the discourse precedes the Passion, announces the destruction of the Temple and invites the disciples to trust despite the trials they will have to endure.

Be careful not to burden, keep watch out «by praying at all times»

(Lk 21:34-36)

The new world comes upon us in an alternative way, and it imposes itself from moment to moment, without concatenated or too polite forewarning. 

Such a impetuous Wind seems to be crumbling everything, instead it acts to gather us.

Beyond discouragement, in the face of shocking flash-events there is the danger of loss of critical consciousness, and flight (even from ourselves).

Conversely, woman and man of Faith discover the Coming of Christ among the people and the many "joints" of the soul, all authentic companions ‘travelers’.

Believers exercise perception, they notice the first stirrings of new life; they are not discouraged.

They do not seek palliatives or brain ideas à la page, which disperse our energies and confuse us, or even more make us our guard down.

On the other hand, here is the danger of settling down in an institutional time - and the emergence of obscure compensations: bogus solutions that make us insensitive; good just to distract us.

And that produce breathlessness (vv.34-35). Escapes or loopholes that anesthetize the soul. Idols-trap [«snare» of v.35].

They are to be kept at a distance: they do not allow to grasp the Lord who’s Coming.

Prayer is done here therapy, Presence, Motive and Engine; source and culmination. Medicine and Bread for the journey of those who wish to stay awake, advance, activate future.

By assimilating the sacred point of view on the upheavals of the world, in prayer we will obtain good disposition, we will move the eye towards horizons in which not a single shape and one colour appears.

We will understand that Providence is right, that the Spirit works well: He’s bringing us closer to the full project of the Father.

Approaching us in this way also to the desire for life of the brothers, we will stand «upright on our feet» (v.36) that is, we’ll wait and welcome without fear the advent of the «Son of Man».

Authentic Presence of God - true and full development of the divine plan on humanity.

Such a deep side was expected to be absolute, performing, and selective. Featured.

The Incarnation surprises. It even revalues our skeletal and deficient being.

It turns uniqueness into a precious Pearl, «because our listening must take into account the sensus fidei, but it must not neglect all those ‘intuitions’ found where we would least expect them, ‘freewheeling’, but no less important» [Audience, Rome, 18.9.21].

Events - even those that are opposite (and inseparable) - speak within us; they develop through inner energy.

They are the treasure chests of engaging facts; they contain a secret amazement, a surprising destination.

Vigilance and Prayer prepare us for this unexpected Encounter, which is the growth and humanization of the people: the peaceful, true and full overflowing of the Eternal project, transferred to wide meshes.

This without resigning... even in the daily - as well as for the vision and action of prophets who do not blame their own finitude. In fact, they consider it a turning point.

So let us not divide the view hysterically, between good and bad emotions: for the 'new' of where we are and will be, even perils or bitterness, stops or detours, will have made sense.

[Saturday 34th wk. in O.T.  November 29, 2025]

Be careful not to weigh yourselves down, watch and pray at all times

(Lk 21:34-36)

The new world descends upon us in an unexpected way, imposing itself from one moment to the next, without warning or excessive politeness. 

But this is precisely the work of the Spirit, who spurs on unilateralism and overturns categorical connections (even in pious life).

This impetuous wind seems to be crumbling everything, but instead it acts to gather us together.

As the Pontiff says, changes in the Church are not made 'as if it were a company, by majority or minority'.

Beyond discouragement, in the face of shocking flash events, there is the danger of losing the pluralistic critical consciousness that would truly bring us home, and of fleeing (even from ourselves).

Conversely, women and men of faith discover the coming of Christ among the people and the many 'relatives' of the soul, all authentic companions on the 'journey'.

He always challenges our freedom with a broad and inclusive hope that brings together inner movements - even the most disparate ones; a sort of new 'synodality'.

True disciples sense the new Kingdom that bursts in suddenly - not according to a 'party' procedure [continuing to quote Pope Francis in his General Audience: see below].

Women and men of faith exercise their perception, they notice the stirrings of new life; they do not lose heart.

They do not seek palliatives or trendy ideas, which disperse our energies and confuse us, or even more so, cause us to let our guard down.

On the other hand, there is the danger of settling into an institutional time - and the emergence of obscure compensations: fake solutions that make us insensitive; good only for distracting us, and even breathless (vv. 34-35).

Escapism and half-measures anaesthetise the soul.

Ultimately, compromises remain an expression of the sense of powerlessness and failure that sometimes grips life - even spiritual life - partisan [today with its small disembodied orientations; or of recovering lost ground, or of excessive sophistication].

And tragic debauchery is nothing more than a sign of an attempt to escape, or to return to the past – to irresolvable attachments.

Idols-traps [‘snares’ in v. 35] to be kept at a distance: they prevent us from noticing the Lord who is coming.

They limit the wealth that wants to come. Wealth that we already possess in truth: in the sides to which we have not yet given space. In them dwells an eminent, authentic and hidden Self.

There - in the Mystery - new life teems. Unexplored veins that await. Sides of the unconscious that want to express themselves. In contact with our Call by Name and deep essence.

Intimate resources to be valued and triggered for wise expansion; even with bitter fruit - from events that appear threatening, yet activate an excavation, a discovery, an Exodus.

So let us not hysterically divide the landscape into good and bad emotions: for the 'new' of where we are and will be, even dangers or bitterness, stops or detours will have made sense.

In short, let us not allow ourselves to be reduced or gripped by the lacerating struggle between black and white... but let us not renounce the virtue of throwing off ballast, overcoming fears, in order to broaden our gaze.

Prayer becomes therapy, Presence, Motive and Motor; source and culmination. Medicine and Bread for the journey of those who do not want to be put to sleep, but wish to remain awake, indeed to move forward and activate the future.

By assimilating the sacred point of view on the upheavals of the world, in prayer we will obtain a good disposition, we will shift our gaze towards horizons where not a single shape or colour appears.

We will understand that Providence is right, that the Spirit works well: it is bringing us closer to the Father's full plan.

Approaching in this way also the desire for life of our brothers and sisters, we will stand 'upright' (v. 36), that is, we will wait and welcome without fear the coming of the 'Son of Man'.

The authentic Presence of God - the true and full development of the divine plan for humanity.

Perhaps even today we find it difficult to believe that the Messiah can be identified with the One who creates abundance where there is none and where it did not seem possible for it to expand.

The 'Son of Man', on the other hand, is the One who, having reached the height of human perfection, reflects the divine condition and radiates it in a widespread manner.

It was expected that this profound aspect would be absolute, effective, and selective. In the foreground.

The Incarnation surprises us. It even re-evaluates our skeletal and deficient being.

It transforms it into a precious pearl, a "sense without citizenship":

"In the synodal journey, listening must take into account the sensus fidei, but it must not neglect all those 'premonitions' incarnated where we would not expect them: there may be a 'sense without citizenship', but it is no less effective. The Holy Spirit in his freedom knows no boundaries, and does not even allow himself to be limited by affiliations. If the parish is the home of everyone in the neighbourhood, not an exclusive club, I urge you: leave your doors and windows open, do not limit yourselves to considering only those who attend or think like you – who will be 3, 4 or 5%, no more. Allow everyone to enter... Allow yourselves to go out and let yourselves be questioned, let their questions be your questions, allow yourselves to walk together: the Spirit will lead you, trust in the Spirit. Do not be afraid to enter into dialogue and let yourselves be shaken by dialogue: it is the dialogue of salvation.

Its depth is rooted not in the most icy 'perfection', but in everything that is not static - and it goes beyond the categories of ancient, unilateral, respectable religiosity' [Pope Francis, Address to the Diocese of Rome, 18 September 2021].

Events - even those that are opposite (and inseparable) - speak within us; they develop through inner energy.

They are treasure chests of engaging realities; they contain a secret of wonder, a surprising destination.

Vigilance and Prayer prepare us for this unexpected Encounter, which is the growth and humanisation of the people: the quiet, true and full overflowing of the Eternal plan, transferred to wide meshes.

This without resignation... even in the summary of daily life - as well as for the vision and action of prophets who do not blame their own finitude. On the contrary, they consider it a turning point.

This makes the incarnate Son present and coming, animating 'everything' even in an age of uncertainty - sustained by prayer, 'the living fire of the Spirit, which gives strength to witness and mission'.

All this opens up a healthy and undivided ecclesiality:

Coordinates of Ecclesiality

The first steps of the Church in the world were marked by prayer. The apostolic writings and the great narrative of the Acts of the Apostles give us the image of a Church on the move, a hard-working Church, which, however, finds in prayer meetings the basis and impetus for missionary action. The image of the early community in Jerusalem is a point of reference for every other Christian experience. Luke writes in the Book of Acts: 'They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers' (2:42). The community perseveres in prayer.

Here we find four essential characteristics of ecclesial life: first, listening to the teaching of the apostles; second, the preservation of mutual communion; third, the breaking of bread; and fourth, prayer. These remind us that the Church's existence has meaning if it remains firmly united to Christ, that is, in community, in his Word, in the Eucharist and in prayer. This is how we unite ourselves to Christ. Preaching and catechesis bear witness to the words and deeds of the Master; the constant search for fraternal communion preserves us from selfishness and particularism; the breaking of bread realises the sacrament of Jesus' presence among us: He will never be absent; in the Eucharist, it is He Himself. He lives and walks with us. And finally, prayer, which is the space for dialogue with the Father, through Christ in the Holy Spirit.

Everything in the Church that grows outside these "coordinates" is without foundation. To discern a situation, we must ask ourselves how these four coordinates are present in it: preaching, the constant search for fraternal communion – charity –, the breaking of bread – that is, Eucharistic life – and prayer. Any situation must be evaluated in the light of these four coordinates. Anything that does not fit into these coordinates lacks ecclesiality; it is not ecclesial. It is God who makes the Church, not the clamour of works. The Church is not a market; the Church is not a group of entrepreneurs going ahead with this new venture. The Church is the work of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sent us to gather us together. The Church is precisely the work of the Spirit in the Christian community, in community life, in the Eucharist, in prayer, always. And everything that grows outside these coordinates is without foundation, it is like a house built on sand (cf. Mt 7:24-27). It is God who makes the Church, not the clamour of works. It is the word of Jesus that fills our efforts with meaning. It is in humility that the future of the world is built.

Sometimes, I feel great sadness when I see some communities that, with good will, go astray because they think they are building the Church in gatherings, as if it were a political party: the majority, the minority, what this one thinks, that one, the other... "This is like a Synod, a synodal path that we must follow." I ask myself: where is the Holy Spirit there? Where is prayer? Where is community love? Where is the Eucharist? Without these four coordinates, the Church becomes a human society, a political party — majority, minority — changes are made as if it were a company, by majority or minority... But there is no Holy Spirit. And the presence of the Holy Spirit is precisely guaranteed by these four coordinates. To assess a situation, whether it is ecclesial or not, let us ask ourselves if these four coordinates are present: community life, prayer, the Eucharist... [preaching], how life develops in these four coordinates. If this is missing, the Spirit is missing, and if the Spirit is missing, we will be a nice humanitarian association, a charity, fine, fine, even a party, so to speak, ecclesial, but there is no Church. And that is why the Church cannot grow through these things: it does not grow through proselytism, like any company, it grows through attraction. And who moves the attraction? The Holy Spirit. Let us never forget these words of Benedict XVI: "The Church does not grow through proselytism, it grows through attraction." If the Holy Spirit, who is the one who attracts us to Jesus, is missing, then there is no Church. There is a nice club of friends, fine, with good intentions, but there is no Church, there is no synodality.

Reading the Acts of the Apostles, we discover that the powerful engine of evangelisation is prayer meetings, where those who participate experience the presence of Jesus live and are touched by the Spirit. The members of the first community – but this is always true, even for us today – perceive that the story of their encounter with Jesus did not end at the moment of the Ascension, but continues in their lives. By recounting what the Lord said and did – listening to the Word – and praying to enter into communion with Him, everything comes alive. Prayer infuses light and warmth: the gift of the Spirit gives rise to fervour in them.

In this regard, the Catechism has a very profound expression. It says: “The Holy Spirit […] reminds Christ’s praying Church of him, leads her to the whole Truth, and inspires new expressions that will express the unfathomable Mystery of Christ, who works in the life, sacraments and mission of his Church” (n. 2625). This is the work of the Spirit in the Church: to remember Jesus. Jesus himself said it: He will teach you and remind you. The mission is to remember Jesus, but not as a mnemonic exercise. Christians, walking on the paths of mission, remember Jesus as they make him present again; and from him, from his Spirit, they receive the "push" to go, to proclaim, to serve. In prayer, Christians immerse themselves in the mystery of God, who loves every person, the God who desires that the Gospel be preached to all. God is God for all, and in Jesus every wall of separation has been definitively broken down: as St Paul says, He is our peace, that is, 'the one who has made the two into one' (Eph 2:14). Jesus has brought about unity.

Thus, the life of the early Church is marked by a continuous succession of celebrations, gatherings, and times of both communal and personal prayer. And it is the Spirit who gives strength to the preachers who set out on their journey and who, for the love of Jesus, cross seas, face dangers, and submit to humiliation.

God gives love, God asks for love. This is the mystical root of all the life of faith. The early Christians in prayer, but also we who come several centuries later, all live the same experience. The Spirit animates everything. And every Christian who is not afraid to devote time to prayer can make the words of the Apostle Paul their own: "The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal 2:20). Prayer makes you aware of this. Only in the silence of adoration can you experience the full truth of these words. We must rediscover the meaning of adoration. Adore, adore God, adore Jesus, adore the Spirit. The Father, the Son and the Spirit: worship. In silence. The prayer of adoration is the prayer that makes us recognise God as the beginning and end of all history. And this prayer is the living fire of the Spirit that gives strength to witness and mission.

[Pope Francis, General Audience, 25 November 2020]

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus says to the disciples: “take heed... lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life... at at all times, praying” (Lk 21:34, 36). Therefore, moderation and prayer. And the Apostle Paul adds the invitation to “increase and abound in love” among ourselves and for everyone, to make our hearts blameless in holiness (cf. 1 Thess 3:12-13). 

In the midst of the upheavals of the world or in the deserts of indifference and materialism, may Christians accept salvation from God and bear witness to it with a different way of life, like a city set upon a hill. “In those days”, the Prophet Jeremiah announced, “Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: The Lord is our righteousness” (33:16). The community of believers is a sign of God’s love, of his justice which is already present and active in history but is not yet completely fulfilled and must therefore always be awaited, invoked and sought with patience and courage.

[Pope Benedict, Angelus, 2 December 2012]

1. “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near” (Lk 21:28).

The word Advent, dear to the hearts of Christians for the meaningful reality it expresses in view of the expectation of Jesus' birth, is also an announcement of the Lord's return: the return of the Redeemer at the end of time; the continuous return of the Son of God and Saviour in our history in the days that concern us. The Lord has already come, the Lord is coming, the Lord will come again, "with power and great glory" (Lk 21:27), and we await him with joyful hope, for we trust that he will "call us to himself in glory, to possess the kingdom of heaven," as today's Collect prayer expresses.

2. Today, the word of God on the mystery of Advent resounds among us. We listen to them comforted by the example of faith and willingness to serve of Joseph and Mary, supported also by the model of humility and dedication of Christ.

From the desolate and devastated city of Jerusalem, the prophet Jeremiah assures the exiles in Babylon of the fulfilment of God's promises: the redeeming Messiah will come, "he will exercise judgement and justice . Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in peace" (Jer 33:15-16). It is a promise of consolation, but one that will not be fulfilled without trials. At the end of time, the coming of the Lord will be accompanied by upheavals in the heavens and anguish among the anxious peoples on earth.

The Evangelist, in the style and formulas of ancient prophetic and apocalyptic descriptions, summarises in the image of catastrophe the message of necessary purification and judgement on the world. At the same time, he announces God's victory over all forces of evil, with the appearance of new heavens and a new earth. The upheaval of the cosmos and the turmoil of hearts are indeed remembered as a prelude to the appearance of the Son of Man.

"Stand up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near": trust and vigilance are the virtues required of Advent. Vigilance above all in prayer, which makes us worthy to appear before the Saviour and Judge of all, who wants our hearts to be "steadfast and blameless in holiness" (1 Thessalonians 3:13).

3. With our faith in the Lord who is coming confirmed, and the certainty of his perennial presence in history and his coming at the end of time reaffirmed, we are ready to welcome the words of the Apostle that we have just heard.

Paul asks the Lord not only to make us grow, but to abound in love. He asks that this love be mutual, within the community and towards all, that is, towards believers and non-believers.

Let us ensure, dear brothers and sisters, that our hearts are not weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life (cf. Lk 21:34)! May the Advent of Christ not find us far from the faith and inattentive to the message of his word! May the enemies of our salvation not triumph over us, for only those who hope in God will not be disappointed (cf. Ant. of the Introit).

[Pope John Paul II, homily, 1 December 1991]

Today Advent begins, the liturgical time which prepares us for Christmas, inviting us to lift our gaze and open our hearts to welcome Jesus. During Advent we do not just live in anticipation of Christmas; we are also called to rekindle the anticipation of the glorious return of Christ — when he will return at the end of time — preparing ourselves, with consistent and courageous choices, for the final encounter with him. We remember Christmas, we await the glorious return of Christ, and also our personal encounter: the day in which the Lord will call. 

During these four weeks we are called to leave behind a resigned and routine way of life and to go forth, nourishing hope, nourishing dreams for a new future. This Sunday’s Gospel (cf. Lk 21:25-28, 34-36) goes in this very direction and puts us on guard against allowing ourselves to be oppressed by an egocentric lifestyle or by the phrenetic pace of our days. Jesus’ words resonate in a particularly incisive way: “take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly ... But watch at all times, praying” (vv. 34, 36). 

To be mindful and to pray: this is how to live the time between now and Christmas. To be mindful and to pray. Inner listlessness comes from always turning around ourselves and being blocked by our own life, with its problems, its joy, and suffering, but always turning around ourselves. And this is wearying; this is dull, this closes us off to hope. Here lies the root of the lethargy and laziness that the Gospel speaks about. Advent invites us to a commitment to vigilance, looking beyond ourselves, expanding our mind and heart in order to open ourselves up to the needs of people, of brothers and sisters, and to the desire for a new world. It is the desire of many people tormented by hunger, by injustice and by war. It is the desire of the poor, the weak, the abandoned. This is a favourable time to open our hearts, to ask ourselves concrete questions about how and for whom we expend our lives.

The second attitude to best experience the time of awaiting the Lord is that of prayer. Arise, “look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (v. 28), the Gospel of Luke cautions. It is about standing up and praying, turning our thoughts and our hearts to Jesus who is about to come. One stands when awaiting something or someone. We await Jesus and we wish to await him in prayer which is closely linked to vigilance. Praying, awaiting Jesus, opening oneself to others, being mindful, not withdrawn in ourselves. But if we think of Christmas in the light of consumerism, of seeing what I can buy in order to do this and that, of a worldly celebration, Jesus will pass by and we will not find him. We await Jesus and we wish to await him in prayer which is closely linked to vigilance.

But what is the horizon of our prayerful anticipation? In the Bible the voices of the prophets are especially revealing to us. Today it is that of Jeremiah who speaks to the people who had been harshly tried by exile and who risked losing their very identity. We Christians too, who are also the People of God, run the risk of becoming worldly and of losing our identity, indeed of ‘paganizing’ the Christian way. Therefore, we need the Word of God through which the prophet proclaims: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfil the promise I made ... I will cause a righteous Branch to spring forth for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land” (Jer 33:14-15). And that righteous branch is Jesus. It is Jesus who comes and whom we await. May the Virgin Mary, who leads us to Jesus, a woman of expectation and prayer, help us to strengthen our hope in the promises of her Son Jesus, in order to enable us to understand that through the travail of history, God always remains steadfast and uses human errors, too, to manifest his mercy.

[Pope Francis, Angelus, 2 December 2018]

Sources of Hope

(Lk 21:29-33)

Lk ends his Apocalyptic Discourse with recommendations on the attention and penetrating gaze to be placed at the ‘sign of the times’.

And - rooted in the Word of God that becomes event and directs us to the future, Hope inaugurates a new phase in history.

Its depth surpasses all current possibilities, which conversely fluctuate between signs of catastrophe.

Jesus reassures the disciples about the fears of the world’s end, and requires them not to look at coded messages, but Nature.

Only in this way will they be able to read and interpret the events.

Wise discernment, which serves not to close us in the immediate present: it pushes us on a path of uniformity or defense.

Indeed, because of the upheavals, a hasty assessment could lead us to fear reversals, blocking growth and testimony.

The world and things are moving towards a Spring, and above all in this regard we have a sentinel role.

On the ruins of a collapsing century, the Father makes us understand what’s happening - and continues to build what we hope [not according to immediate tastes].

Here and there we can catch the first stirrings of it, like the shoots on the ‘fig tree’.

It’s a tree that alludes to the fruit of love that God awaits from his people, called to be tender and sweet: signs of the new season - that of healthy relationships.

In this way, the spirit of dedication manifested by the sons will be the prefiguration of the imminent advent of a completely different empire - able to replace in consciences all others of a competitive character.

The fig tree is precisely the image of the ideal people of blessings; Israel of the exodus towards freedom, and trace of the Father [in the desert’s reflective sobriety and sharing].

It remains long time stripped and bare; suddenly its buds sprout, open and in a few days it’s covered with luxuriant leaves.

Such will be the passage from chaos to the sensitive and fraternal order produced by the proclamation and assimilation of the Word: not equal thought; divine step in history.

Through suggestions that belong to processes of nature, we are introduced into discernment of the Mystery - expressed throughout the wilde of transformations.

Its riches are contained in the codes of the Word and in the ordinary concrete events, which have a symptomatic weight. Chests of treasure, of invisible realities, which do not pass.

Such a wealth will even develop (and in particular) from confusion and collapses, as per intrinsic strength and essence, day by day.

Not for an abstract exemplarity, but for the fullness of life that finds its roots - rediscovering them in error and in the small.

A paradoxical seed of hope, and harbinger of better conditions.

Because without imperfection and limit there is no growth or flowering, nor nearby Kingdom (vv.30-31) which always takes contact with the wounds [Fratelli Tutti n.261].

Word of God and rhythms of Nature are codes that pass time. Authentic reliefs, created, donated, and revealed.

Sources of discernment, of the penetrating gaze, of the signs of time, of free thought, of Hope that does not queue.

[Friday 34th wk. in O.T.  November 28, 2025]

The Sources of Hope

(Lk 21:29-33)

The Sadducees thought that their exaggerated prosperity was the most expressive sign of the Messianic times.

The Essenes believed that the Kingdom of God [of which they wished to be a foretaste] could only be manifested when the chosen people had completely cleansed themselves of all obscurity and sacred market.

The Pharisees believed that the Messiah would be established when everyone had returned to the sacred traditions, written and oral.

Even among the early Christians, there was a variety of opinions on the matter.

Fortunately (then as now) some considered the Risen One already fully Present, never departed.

His living Spirit is manifested within each believer and in our midst - especially perceptible where there is a struggle for justice, emancipation, the fullness of life for all.

Luke ends his Apocalyptic Discourse with recommendations on the attention and penetrating gaze to be paid to the 'sign of the times'.

And - rooted in the Word of God that becomes an event and directs to the future, Hope ushers in a new phase of history.

Its depth surpasses all current possibilities, which on the contrary oscillate restlessly between signs of catastrophe.

(In old Europe, after several decades of an accommodating and soporific spiritual trend, we experience this by direct observation).

"When they have already sprouted, behold, by yourselves you know that summer is already near" (Lk 21:31).

Jesus reassures the disciples about their fears of the end of the world, and commands them not to look at coded messages, but at Nature.

Only in this way will they be able to read and interpret events.

Wise discernment, which serves not to close us off in the immediate present.

In fact, due to upheavals, a hasty evaluation could lead us to fear reversals, blocking growth and witness.

The world and things walk towards a Spring, and first and foremost in this sense we have a sentinel role.

On the ruins of a collapsing century, the Father makes clear what is happening - and continues to build what we hope [not according to immediate tastes].

Here and there we can catch its wisps, like the shoots on the 'fig tree'.

It is a tree that alludes to the fruit of love that God expects from his people, called to be tender and sweet: signs of the new season - that of healthy relationships.

In this way, the spirit of dedication manifested by the sons will be a prefiguration of the coming advent of a completely different empire - capable of replacing all others of a competitive nature in the consciousness.

The fig tree is precisely the image of the ideal people of blessings; Israel of the exodus to freedom, and a trace of the Father [in the reflective sobriety and sharing of the desert].

It remains for a long time bare and skeletal; suddenly its buds sprout, open up and in a few days it is clothed with luxuriant leaves.

Such will be the transition from chaos to the sensitive and fraternal order produced by the proclamation and assimilation of the Word: thought not equal; divine step into history.

Through suggestions that belong to the processes of nature, we are introduced to the discernment of the Mystery - expressed in the torrent of transformations.

Its riches are contained in the codes of the Word and in concrete ordinary events. Caskets of invisible realities, which do not pass away.

Such richness will even (and especially) develop out of confusion and collapse, as if by intrinsic strength and essence, day by day.

Not out of abstract exemplariness, but out of the fullness of life rediscovering its roots - rediscovering them in error and in the small.

A paradoxical seed of hope, and omen of better conditions.

For without imperfection and limitation there is no growth or blossoming, no neighbouring kingdom (vv.30-31) which always "makes contact with wounds" [Fratelli Tutti n.261].

The Tao Tê Ching (LII) says: "The world had a beginning, which was the mother of the world; whoever has come to the mother, from the mother knows the son; whoever knows the son and returns to preserve the mother, until death runs no danger [...] Enlightenment is to see the small; strength is to stick to softness [...] This is called practising the eternal".

The Word of God and the rhythms of Nature are codes that pass time. Authentic, created, given, and revealed.

Sources of discernment, of the penetrating gaze, of the signs of the times, of free thought, of the Hope that does not settle.

To internalise and live the message:

What have you learnt by contemplating nature? A different Wisdom? 

How is it that you consider it so far removed from the usual doctrine and its dirigiste or cerebral codes, which over time prove shoddy?

The world becomes a book. Art of vigilance

One of the characteristic attitudes of the Church after the Council is that of a particular attention over human reality, considered historically; that is, over the facts, events, phenomena of our time. A word of the Council has entered our habits: that of scrutinising 'the signs of the times'. Here is an expression, which has a distant evangelical reminiscence: "Do you not know how to discern - Jesus once asked his hostile and malicious listeners - the signs of the times?" (Matth. 16:4). At that time the Lord was alluding to the wonders He was performing, which were to indicate the coming of the Messianic hour. But the expression has today, along the same lines, if you like, a new meaning of great importance: in fact, Pope John XXIII took it up again in the Apostolic Constitution, with which he called the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, when, after observing the sad spiritual conditions of the contemporary world, he wanted to revive the hope of the Church, writing: "We like to place a firm trust in the divine Saviour ... who exhorts us to recognise the signs of the times", so that "we see amid dark darkness numerous signs, which seem to announce better times for the Church and for mankind" (A.A.S. 1962, p. 6). The signs of the times are, in this sense, portents of better times.

JOHN XXIII AND THE COUNCIL

The expression passed into the conciliar documents (especially in the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, n. 4; we glimpse it in the admirable page of n. 10: then in n. 11; so in nos. 42, 44; so in the Decree on the Activity of the Laity, n. 14; in the Constitution on the Holy Liturgy, n. 43; etc.). This locution "the signs of the times" has therefore acquired a current use and a profound, very broad and very interesting meaning; namely that of the theological interpretation of contemporary history. That history, considered in its broad outlines, has offered Christian thought the opportunity, indeed the invitation, to discover a divine plan in it, has always been well known: what is 'sacred history' if not the identification of a divine thought, of a transcendent 'economy', in the unfolding of the events that lead to Christ, and from Christ they derive? But this discovery is posthumous; it is a synthesis, sometimes questionable in its formulations, that the scholar makes when the events are already complete, and can be considered in an overall perspective, and sometimes placed deductively in an ideological framework derived from other doctrinal sources, rather than from the inductive analysis of the events themselves. Now, instead, modern thought is offered the invitation to decipher in historical reality, in the present one especially, the "signs", that is, the indications of a meaning beyond that recorded by the passive observer.

This presence of the 'sign' in the realities perceived by our immediate knowledge deserves lengthy reflection. In the religious field, the "sign" holds a very important place: the divine realm is not ordinarily accessible to our knowledge by direct, experimental, intuitive means, but by way of signs (thus knowledge of God is possible for us through introspection of things, which take on the value of a sign [cf. Rom. 1:20]; thus the supernatural order is communicated to us by the sacraments, which are sensible signs of an invisible reality, etc.); human language, too, comes to us through conventional phonetic or scriptural signs, by which thought is transmitted; and so on. In the entire created universe we can find signs of an order, of a thought, of a truth, which can act as a metaphysical bridge (i.e. beyond the framework of physical reality) to the ineffable, yet surreal world of the 'unknown God' (cf. Act. 17, 23 ff.; Rom. 8, 22; Lumen gentium, no. 16). In the perspective that we are now considering, it is a question of identifying "in the times", that is, in the course of events, in history, those aspects, those "signs" that can give us some news of an immanent Providence (a thought that is usual for religious spirits); or there may be clues (and this is what interests us now) of some relationship with the "kingdom of God", with its secret action, or - even better for our study and our duty - with the possibility, with the availability, with the need for apostolic action. These clues seem to us to be precisely 'the signs of the times'.

THE WORLD BECOMES A BOOK

Hence a series of important and interesting conclusions. The world becomes a book for us. Our life today is very much engaged in the continuous viewing of the external world. The media are so overgrown, so aggressive, that they engage us, distract us, take us away from ourselves, empty us of our personal consciousness. Here: let us be careful. We can move from the position of mere observers to that of critics, of thinkers, of judges. This attitude of reflected knowledge is of the utmost importance for the modern soul, if it wants to remain a living soul, and not a mere screen of the thousand impressions to which it is subject. And for us Christians, this reflexive act is necessary, if we want to discover "the signs of the times"; because as the Council teaches (Gaudium et spes, no. 4), the interpretation of "the times", that is, of the empirical and historical reality, which surrounds and impresses us, must be done "in the light of the Gospel". The discovery of the "signs of the times" is a fact of the Christian conscience; it results from a confrontation of faith with life; not to artificially and superficially superimpose a pious thought on the cases of our experience, but rather to see where these cases postulate, due to their intrinsic dynamism, their very obscurity, and sometimes their very immorality, a ray of faith, an evangelical word, that classifies them, that redeems them; that is to say, the discovery of the "signs of the times" takes place in order to point out to us where they come of themselves to meet higher designs, which we know to be Christian and divine (such as the search for unity, peace, justice), and where a possible action of our charity or apostolate comes to match a maturing of favourable circumstances, indicating that the hour has come for a simultaneous progress of the kingdom of God in the human kingdom.

THE METHOD TO BE FOLLOWED

This method seems indispensable to us in order to avoid certain dangers, to which the attractive search for the "signs of the times" could expose us. First danger, that of a charismatic prophetism, often degenerating into bigoted fantasy, which gives fortuitous and often insignificant coincidences miraculous interpretations. The greed to easily discover "the signs of the times" can make us forget the often possible ambiguity of the evaluation of the facts observed; and this all the more so if we must recognise to the "People of God", that is, to every believer, an eventual capacity to discern "the signs of God's presence or design" (Gaudium et spes, no. 11): "the sensus fidei" can confer this gift of wise discernment, but the assistance of the hierarchical magisterium will always be providential and decisive, when the ambiguity of interpretation deserves to be resolved either in the certainty of the truth, or in the utility of the common good.

The second danger would be constituted by the purely phenomenal observation of the facts from which one wishes to extract the indication of the 'signs of the times'; and this is what can happen when these facts are detected and classified in purely technical and sociological schemes. That sociology is a science of great merit in itself and for the purpose that interests us here, that is, for the search for a superior and indicative meaning of the facts themselves, we gladly admit. But sociology cannot be a moral criterion in its own right, nor can it replace theology. This new scientific humanism could mortify the authenticity and originality of our Christianity and its supernatural values.

THE ART OF CHRISTIAN VIGILANCE

Another danger could arise from considering the historical aspect of this problem as prevalent. It is true that the study here is concerned with history, it is concerned with time, and it seeks to derive from it signs proper to the religious field, which for us is all gathered in the central event of the historical presence of Christ in time and in the world, from which the Gospel, the Church and its mission of salvation derive. In other words, the immutable element of revealed truth should not be subject to the mutability of the times, in which it spreads and sometimes makes its appearance with "signs" that do not alter it, but allow it to be glimpsed and realised in pilgrim humanity (cf. CHENU, Les signes des temps, in Nouv. Revue Théol. 1-1-65, pp. 29-39). But all this only calls us to attention, to the study of the "signs of the times", which must make our Christian judgement and our apostolate shrewd and modern in the midst of the torrent of transformations in the contemporary world. It is the ancient, ever living word of the Lord that resounds to our spirits: "Watch out" (Luc. 21:36). May Christian vigilance be the art for us in discerning the "signs of the times".

[Pope Paul VI, General Audience 16 April 1969].

Word and diversity

All human things, all things that we can invent, create, are finite. All human religious experiences are also finite, they show one aspect of reality, because our being is finite and only ever understands a part, some elements: "latum praeceptum tuum nimis". Only God is infinite. And therefore his Word is also universal and knows no boundaries. By entering therefore into the Word of God, we truly enter the divine universe. We leave the narrowness of our experiences and enter into reality, which is truly universal. By entering into communion with the Word of God, we enter into the communion of the Church that lives the Word of God. We do not enter into a small group, into the rule of a small group, but we step out of our limitations. We step out into the wide, into the true breadth of the one truth, the great truth of God. We are truly in the universal. And so we go out into the communion of all brothers and sisters, of all humanity, because in our heart is hidden the desire for the Word of God that is one. Therefore, evangelisation, the proclamation of the Gospel, the mission are not a kind of ecclesial colonialism, with which we want to include others in our group. It is getting out of the limits of individual cultures into the universality that connects all, unites all, makes us all brothers.Let us pray again that the Lord will help us to truly enter into the 'breadth' of his Word and thus open ourselves to the universal horizon of humanity, that which unites us with all diversity.

[Pope Benedict, Meditation to the 12th General Assembly of the Synod, 6 October 2008].