Today’s Liturgy offers us the encounter between Jesus and a man who “had great possessions” (Mk 10:22), and who went down in history as “the rich young man” (cf. Mt 19:20-22). We do not know his name. The Gospel of Mark actually speaks of him as “a man”, without mentioning his age or name, suggesting that we can all see ourselves in this man, as though in a mirror. His encounter with Jesus, in fact, allows us to test our faith. Reading this, I test myself on my faith.

The man begins with a question : “What must I do, to have eternal life?” (v. 17). Notice the verbs he uses: “must do ” — “to have ”. Here is his religiosity: a duty, a doing so as to obtain; “I do something to get what I need”. But this is a commercial relationship with God, a quid pro quo. Faith, on the other hand, is not a cold, mechanical ritual, a “must-do-obtain”. It is a question of freedom and love. Faith is a question of freedom, it is a question of love. Here is a first test: what is faith for me? If it is mainly a duty or a bargaining chip, we are off track, because salvation is a gift  and not a duty, it is free and cannot be bought. The first thing to do is to free ourselves of a commercial and mechanical faith, which insinuates the false image of an accountant God, a controlling God, not a father. And very often in life we experience this “commercial” relationship of faith: I do this, so that God will give me that.

Jesus, in the second step, helps this man by offering him the true face of God. Indeed, the text says, “Jesus looking upon him loved him” (v. 21): this is God! This is where faith is born and reborn: not from a duty, not from something that is to be done or paid, but from a gaze  of love to be welcomed. In this way Christian life becomes beautiful, if it  is not based on our abilities and our plans, but rather based  on God’s gaze. Is your faith, is my faith tired? Do you want to reinvigorate it? Look for God’s gaze: sit in adoration, allow yourself to be forgiven in Confession, stand before the Crucified One. In short, let yourself be loved by him. This is the starting point of faith: letting oneself be loved by him, by he who is father.

After the question and the gaze there is — the third and final step  — an invitation  from Jesus, who says: “You lack one thing”. What was that rich man lacking? Giving, gratuitousness. “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor” (v. 21). It is perhaps what we are missing too. We often do the bare minimum, whereas Jesus invites us to do the maximum possible. How many times  are we satisfied with doing our duties — the precepts, a few prayers, and many things like that — whereas God, who gives us life, asks us for leaps of life! In today’s Gospel we can see this passage from duty to giving, clearly; Jesus begins by recalling the Commandments: “Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal….”, and so on (v. 19) and arrives at a positive proposal: “Go, sell, give, follow me!” (cf. v. 21). Faith cannot be limited to [a series of] “no”, because Christian life is a “yes” a “yes” of love.

Dear brothers and sisters, a faith without giving, a faith without gratuitousness is an incomplete faith. It is a weak faith, a faith that is ill. We could compare it to rich and nourishing food that nonetheless lacks flavour, or a more or less well-played game, but without a goal: no, it isn’t good, it lacks “salt”. A faith without giving, without gratuitousness, without works of charity, makes us sad in the end: just like that man who returned home “sorrowful” with a fallen countenance, even though he had been looked upon with love by Jesus in person. Today we can ask ourselves: “At what point is my faith? Do I experience it as something mechanical, like a relationship of duty or interest with God? Do I remember to nourish it by letting myself be looked at and loved by Jesus”? Letting oneself be gazed at and loved by Jesus; letting Jesus look at us, love us. “And, attracted by him, do I respond freely, with generosity, with all my heart?”.

May the Virgin Mary, who said a total “yes” to God, a “yes” without “but” — it is not easy to say “yes” without “but”: Our Lady did just that, a “yes” without a “but” — let us savour the beauty of making life a gift.

[Pope Francis, Angelus 10 October 2021]

(Lk 6:39-45)

«How much our human family needs to learn to live together in harmony and peace, without all of us having to be the same!» (Pope Francis FT n.100).

In the assemblies of the first centuries the baptized were called «enlightened», people capable of orienting themselves, choosing and making autonomous.

The Lord didn’t allow his followers to take on the role of "guides" in the life of others (v.39).

The apostles of all times must only announce and remain disciples, that is, pupils of the Spirit - not experts.

God's Way is Christ himself. Person that can’t be communicated by teachers.

Global Truth: it’s not an “information” that fills empty heads and useless events redundant with exteriority.

The context of today's passage abolishes judgment, in the ideal of a personal existence transformed into wealth and gift - which ridicules any tendency of domination.

No one is master of the fate and personality of those who do not orient themselves, otherwise everyone goes astray (v. 39) - even with the best of intentions.

Jesus himself neither commanded nor directed, but educated and helped.

The rabbis got paid: He offered everything, living with his disciples [for mutual identification, but with a wide mesh].

Transparent and creative attitude: this is the true and only norm of conduct for the apostles of all times, often unable to grasp their own blindness - because they are still one-sided.

Again, of a plant it’s not the size and appearance that count, but the Fruit (vv. 43-45).

All the more reason to re-emphasize that church animators are not superior to others, nor are they the repositories of absolute truths.

In fact, Jesus is incomparable: Master sui generis (v.40).

He does not have a classroom furnished with a Chair and desks. And he still teaches along the way: there introduces us to meet ourselves, our brothers and the surrounding reality; in a process, on a journey.

He doesn’t hold quiet glossary, compilation or moralistic lessons: He amazes.

He does not reinterpret the quagmire of archaic knowledge, customs and dispositions - or fashions - authentic «beams» (vv.41-42) poked into the free eye of the soul, which deform its gaze.

He proposes his Person and his Life. As well as his reproaches - but precisely those and not other (obvious) volatile as «motes» (vv.41-42).

This while the false teachers considered themselves friends of God and recipients of obvious recognition.

From how they behaved, they seemed to feel distinctly superior not only to the people, but to the Master himself (v.40).

So He dubbed them for what they are: «hypocrites» (v.42). In the Greek language it means actors, people who act.

Jesus warns his followers [who in words gladly call him Lord: v.46] against presuming to be captains of the troop.

There is only one Master who directs and knows where to go; and each person is ‘unique’ - perhaps inexperienced and believed to be blind, but who ‘sees’ better than the big names.

These, from their bad treasure, will bring out - just around the corner - the «ugly and corrupt» for others too (vv. 43-45; Greek text).

Instead, the man of Faith still experiences a new Beauty inside, which wants to express itself and remain at first hand - not be satisfied with tearing a "mediocre draw".

Worst of ditches (v.39) in which we fall together.

«We are absolutely lost if we lack this particular Individuality, the only thing we can truly say ours and whose loss also constitutes a loss for the whole world. It’s very precious, precisely because it is not universal» (Tagore).

[8th Sunday in O.T. (year C)  March 2, 2025]

Jesus and the mania for ruling

Lk 6:39-42 (39-45)

"How much our human family needs to learn to live together in harmony and peace without all being equal!" (Pope Francis FT no.100).

To live fraternally and wisely, it is not enough to be together in twos, threes, tens or more: we could be like so many blind people who do not know how to dwell with themselves.

In such a case, relationship life becomes outward and can become empty - just full of judgement: taxing, obstinate and pedestrian.

Then resentment arises within, at being forced into a manic space that does not correspond to us.

The inevitable malaise begins to decline if and when the very person who co-ordinates the group or the company lives its being close with extreme modesty, with a sense of its own boundaries.

The Way of the Spirit is in fact a vocational initiative-response to the need for authentic guidance.

Authentic pastors only help when they question themselves before others, when they do not remain entangled in an exercise of vacuous indoctrination and moralism that exacerbates souls and irritates.

Thus, the inner Friend who infallibly leads souls is indeed meant to be reflected in the 'teachers' - but to the extent that they introduce us to encounter ourselves and the wisdom of Scripture (more willingly than to indulge in our own megalomaniac pursuits).

Commenting on the Tao xxix, Master Ho-shang Kung points out (of those who want to be rulers of the world):

"He wants to rule creatures by action. In my opinion he will not succeed, for the Way of Heaven and the hearts of men are clear.

The Way of Heaven [Perfection of harmony] detests confusion [regarding one's own nature, spontaneously expressed] and impurity [artifice], the human heart detests too many lusts.

The ancient chosen people found themselves hard of heart, lost and without a horizon, because they were misguided by fiscal and earthy religious leaders.

Their obtrusive and contrived blindness was the concrete downfall of the destiny and quality of life of the entire nation.

Jesus appeals to the apostles so that his assemblies of the naive, humble and bewildered would not come to the same end - because of a lack of righteousness on the part of community leaders.

The latter - if inebriated with self-satisfaction - sometimes instead of humanising, promoting and cheering up the existence of the common people, willingly suffocate it with minutiae and deviate towards nothingness.

The Lord absolutely does not want the animators of his fraternities to allow themselves the luxury of making themselves superior to others and masters of the truth. Gospel truth is not something one has, but something one does.

The Master is not one who gives lessons: he accompanies his students and lives with them; he does not limit himself to manners.

He does not teach various subjects, etiquette, mannerisms, good manners: rather, he transmits the living and global Person of Christ - even that without etiquette - not depersonalising the disciple.

In short, the Risen One is not just an example to be imitated, a model that makes one take on commitments and minutiae, a founder of an institute, of a targeted ideology, or of religion (grammar, doctrine, style and discipline).

In Jesus we are called to identify ourselves - not 'by ear', nor by copying. Faith itself is a multifaceted relationship.

It impels us to reinterpret Christ in an unprecedented way; each of us in correlation with life history, new situations, events, cultural emergencies, sensibilities, the genius of the time.

It is the direct and personal experience of the Father as advocated by the Son. Conquest that upsets puerile, worldly or customary measures.

Scarcity and appropriation that allows us to recklessly grasp ourselves already redeemed, to pass from darkness to light without conditions or hammering.

That of the Lord is Light, fruit of the unprecedented and strong Action of the Spirit.

Intuition of the signs and Virtue that overcomes the disorientation of every misguided, if captive of opinions, petty things, solitary selfishness and otherwise.

Unexpected energy that nevertheless comes into play even through the swampy situations it feels to react to; and becomes regenerating power, unexpected life (of the saved already here and now).

Christ also calls for an inventive attitude in presenting oneself to one's brother - without preconceived, asphyxiating, morbid or cerebral schemes and codicils; without perhaps, just to welcome. 

Openness almost impossible if community ministers remain distracted or are already calibrated - thus unnecessarily rigid towards others.

They would then remain punctilious, more impatient than the pagan God they still have in their bodies and heads.

All of us, freely restored, have indeed been called by Name: in a special way - and to guide our brothers and sisters on fundamental options. As expert guides of the soul and intensity of relationship.

Not commanders and rulers without the possibility of reciprocation: but bread, support, nourishment, a shining sign of the Lord, a prod in favour of the lives of others.Church leaders must be very special points of reference and hinges of whimsical, regenerating communion - from which the persistence and tolerance of a superior power of reciprocity shines through.

The eye of the believer in Christ remains limpid and luminous because he finds ingenious Friends who introduce him to compare and mirror himself not with external and induced models (by opinions or intentions), but with the Word.

Conditioned by the bombardment of the 'external society' or by trivial vested interests, the same spiritual guide can on the contrary lose creative discernment.

Thus the old man reattaches himself, bound by short-lived hopes; so many petty and negligible trifles - finally he becomes "blind" again.

The kingdom of darkness unfortunately includes not only myopic, farsighted or astigmatic people, but especially those who see 'far' (as they say) but not the people before their eyes.

More quick-witted and organised than others, they take matters into their own hands.

For a long time, things in their company seem pleasant, but as they have no deep roots, they ultimately ruin the fate of the unwell.

They organise events or festivals, instead of upgrading from within, and sing the authentic song of a full, happy life for all.

Beyond the faults of sight, beware also of the 'measure': we are not called upon to become good-natured and impeccable gentlemen, nor are we called upon to become slightly more circumspect and 'concrete' renunciates.

All these are already old failures, which do not look the present in the face and do not open up the future.

We have received as a Gift the Mission to build the world in the Risen One, who unleashes power and divine sparkle: radically new heavens and a radically new earth, even in our searches.

Let alone dwell on the "straws".

In short, by grace, guidance, propulsive orientation and action, the genuine Action of vital Providence moves us away from the lordship of ancient superstructures ["beams" in the eye].

With such personal baggage, one can also become the companion of a humanity that is no longer alienated, but enabled to breathe beyond the usual fervoursome... that incite trifles.

In spite of our faults, guided and blessed by the great Master and his Word in the Spirit, it will be our desire for the fullness of life, broad and complete, that will not make us lose sight of our sacred Oneness in the world.

Beams and Straw, Mole and Fruit

The encyclical Fratelli Tutti invites us to a prospective gaze, which provokes decision and action: a new eye, filled with Hope.

It "speaks to us of a reality that is rooted in the depths of the human being, regardless of the concrete circumstances and historical conditioning in which he lives. It speaks to us of a thirst, of an aspiration, of a yearning for fullness, for a fulfilled life, of a measuring oneself against what is great, against what fills the heart and lifts the spirit towards great things, such as truth, goodness and beauty, justice and love. [...] Hope is bold, it knows how to look beyond personal comfort, the small securities and compensations that narrow the horizon, to open up to great ideals that make life more beautiful and dignified" (n.55; from a greeting to young people in Havana, September 2015).

In the assemblies of the first centuries, the baptised were said to be enlightened, people able to orient themselves, choose and become autonomous.

The Lord did not allow his own to boast of their role as guides in the lives of others, which they could easily undermine (v.39).

He therefore did not empower anyone to teach (cf. Greek text of the Gospels, passim) in or outside the community.

Apostles of all times are only to proclaim and remain disciples, i.e. pupils of the Spirit - not to be dictators and experts.

The way of God is Christ himself. It cannot be communicated by teachers: it is not something to be filled with empty heads and useless events, to be filled with plateful externals.

The context of today's passage abolishes judgement, in the ideal of a personal existence transformed into wealth and gift - which ridicules every tendency towards domination.

No one is master of the fate and personality of those who do not direct themselves, otherwise - even with the best of intentions - they all go astray (v.39).

Jesus himself did not command or direct, but educated and helped. The rabbis charged: He offered everything, living with His own (for a reciprocal identification, but with a wide net).

A transparent and creative attitude: this was the true and only rule of conduct for the apostles of all times - often unable to grasp their own great blindness (because they were still one-sided).

Then, of a plant it is not the size and appearance that counts, but the fruit (vv.43-45). All the more reason to re-emphasise that church leaders are not superior to others, nor are they repositories of absolute truths.

In fact, Jesus is incomparable: Master sui generis (v.40).

He does not have a classroom furnished with a desk and pews. And he still teaches on the road: there he introduces us to meet ourselves, our brothers and sisters, and the surrounding reality (in a process, on a journey).

He does not give quiet, compilatory or moralistic lectures: he amazes.

He does not reinterpret the quagmire of knowledge, customs and archaic dispositions - authentic beams (vv.41-42) poked into the free eye of the soul, which distort its gaze.

He proposes his Person and his Life. As well as his reproaches - but precisely those and not other (discounted) volatile as straws (vv.41-42).

For the Lord, good character is not a matter of character (submissive, as it has been understood for centuries): it is only in openness to the mission, which gradually expands everyone's life, and prospects.

In this way, Jesus did not give saccharine or pill-box lessons, nor did he propose models to follow; however, some have claimed to do so in his name. The result today is a fine mess.

The Lord's authentic teaching makes room, upsets the cathedrats, overturns normal expectations.

So it is precisely his 'experts' who risk acting as stragglers and blind guides. Unfortunately, they risk ruining the lives of others.

We see in these times how dangerous it is to lose the light of the Gospel.

After a first choice, it is precisely those who consider themselves elected who degrade the ecclesial atmosphere.

The sense of supremacy and haughtiness, as well as the "dollar and bullion" entourage, bring with them every vice.

This is while false teachers consider themselves friends of God and recipients of obvious recognition.

From the way they posture, they still seem to feel clearly superior not only to the people, but to the Master himself (v.40).

In order not to question themselves, they project their own unexpressed imbalances and condemn others - all those who do not want to silence the great questions of meaning - as 'enemies'.

They try by any means, even illicit ones, to impose their own convictions: ideas and ways of living that they first contest and do not even believe. A right that not even Jesus ever claimed.

Let us imagine the slavish "little monsters" (as Pope Francis says) who derive from these vain ones, evidently dreaming of inheriting their popularity, their wellbeing; comforts, servitude, trinkets, gold and palaces.

Even today, the Risen One brands them for what they are: "hypocrites" (v.42). In the Greek language it means thespians, people who act - of fine manners and bad habits.

Comedians deeply offended at having to fit in with others - and even feeling that 'they' are sent to call everyone to the wedding (Mt 22:8-9).

The constant demanding of the pretentious, fictional exclusivists has serious spiritual and pastoral implications.

Presumption, arrogance, and a sense of superiority shut out the perception of the inclinations and resources of believers and families - the engine of life's enthusiasm and the principle of incisiveness, exuberance, and pastoral turnover.

Jesus warns his own (who in words gladly call him 'Lord': v.46) against the boastfulness of acting as captains of the troop.

With the danger that while God puts forth gifts, his leaders will crush them one by one.

There is only one Master who guides and knows where to go; and only one person - perhaps inexperienced and thought to be blind, but who sees better than the super-achievers and the big names (super-Apostles with all the tail).

The calculating man calibrated by religion [doctrine-discipline customs] can easily sit still in his seats, with the fine screens behind which he imagines he is protecting himself, feeding himself and making judgments.

But from his bad recycled treasure he will pull out - just around the corner - the 'ugly and corrupt' for others too (vv.43-45; Greek text).

Instead, the man of Faith still feels a new Beauty within, who wants to express himself and remain first-hand - so he will never be an actor of others' parts, nor a director or protagonist of every turn.

Neither is he someone who - without self-respect or the Calling by Name - is content to submit his soul to fashionable or plagiarising agency actors, to whom he can snatch handouts or a 'mediocre draw'.

Worse than the ditches (v.39) into which one falls together.

Parallel to Mt:

Beams and straws: eliminating preconceptions

For a transparent coexistence

(Mt 7:1-5)

The Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7) lists catechesis on salient issues of life in the communities of Galilee and Syria - composed of Jewish converts to Christ.

There was no shortage of episodes of contempt (even mutual) turned on especially by veterans accustomed to put newcomers who presented themselves at the threshold of the churches under investigation - for their model of life far from the recognised norm, or even for trifles.

But we are not judges, we are family men. And of course, in the final analysis it is precisely malice that sharpens the eye for the slightest faults of others: generally, external straws and shortcomings.This is while the same cunningness glosses over our own enormities - the very heavy plank that separates us not only from God and everyone, but even from ourselves, approaching the selfish and arrogant self.

"Theatrics" (v.5) are those who think big of themselves and always have the mania to look around in order to convince themselves that they can excel - without taking an attitude of regard towards the enigma of life, where instead burdens can turn into progress.

Looking objectively at ourselves and our personal growth - often triggered precisely by deviations from stereotypes or nomenclature - can make us benevolent. It can convince us of respect and even due deference to the more that surrounds us and calls us.

Indeed, the legalism of plastered details leads to the neglect of the essential, in mutual love (cf. vv.3-5).

We know how hard it is to question ourselves, or to educate the very religious perfectionists to successive detachments from their accidental convictions, which have become as sclerotic as totems out of habit.

In short, by the 1870s, the awareness of the different family and serene relationship with God - and the new way of living his Law - was questioning believers and affecting their relationships with their brothers and sisters in the community.

After introducing both the new criteria of Greater Justice and the recovery of the principles of Creation, the evangelist suggests some essential hints for the internal quality of life of the fraternities.

The cultural background of the senior church members was fiercely legalistic. This background was not conducive to the freedom of mutual evaluations: living together needed to be more transparent.

Devout preconceptions seemed an insuperable boulder for the personalising life and mutual sharing according to the new logic of the Beatitudes [Mt 5:1-12: Self-portrait of Christ as an "open book" (with a spear)].

Cultural baggage tied to fulfilments, a sense of duty and hierarchy, an addictive lifestyle, and old beliefs (which struggled to be laid to rest) multiplied harsh judgements between generations and between varied cultural approaches.

To encourage communion, Mt wants to present a free and quiet Jesus - not a superman, nor an idol or model: on the contrary, a genuine Person; a Master not one-sided.

Indeed, he knew how to recover and wanted to enhance all individual sensitivities, to allow the expression of friendship and enrichment in every human reality.

Only his strong root in the relationship with the Father was to be a sacred example for each one, and an inviolable paragon for all, always.

This for a rich and global transparency, to be proposed to the disciples as well.

In this way, there was to be no adherence to particular beliefs, nor the repetition of the usual disciplines of perfection.

Nor were pious mass observances to be preferred, sometimes the first impediment to dialogue and the Exodus - in its various opulences.

Then life itself would providentially guide each one towards a specific testimony, which could itself create another opening (relevant to one's own character and vocation of soul).

In Palestine, the Lord had not shown Himself obsessive and one-sided, nor reduced to normal and verisimilar patterns - based on cultural codes, evaluative prudences, or moral and religious paradigms.

Trust in the Father and in the life to come gave the Master Jesus the certainty of being able to be totally open to situations and to each person - in whatever reality they found themselves disentangled.

A convivial openness to differences, so as not to block the gaps and the outcome of the Newness in the Spirit of the Beatitudes.

The unconditionality of Love always applies first and foremost to the disciple, the members of the same community, and the neighbour.

This is because we have been called to make our and everyone's existence exponential, not to dull it with preconceived notions and relative convictions.

We were created to love the exceptional truth of woman and man, not to extinguish uniqueness and make judgments on nonentities.

Let us accept Providence, ourselves and the other as we are: aware that there is a precious secret, a destiny of newness and a Mystery that surpasses us... behind every event, in each of our own intimate faces (sustained by the Father), or in the eccentric brother.

The ways of following that resonate deep in the heart are as varied as the people, the events, the rhythms commensurate with the soul, the ages.

They embrace the same Proposal - without losing the enduring Mystery or any connection in such multifacetedness.

Only here... Real World, Person, Nature and Eternity are allied.

"When the weaver raises one foot, the other lowers. When the movement ceases and one of the feet stops, the weaving stops. His hands throw the bobbin that passes from one to the other; but no hand can hope to hold it. Like the weaver's gestures, it is the union of opposites that weaves our lives' (Peul African Oral Tradition).

"We are absolutely lost if we lack this particular Individuality, the only thing we can truly call our own and whose loss is also a loss for the whole world. It is most precious, precisely because it is not universal' (Tagore).

"We must learn to abandon our defences and our need to control, and trust totally in the guidance of the spirit" (Sobonfu Somé).

"True morality consists not in following the beaten path, but in finding the true path for ourselves and following it without fear" (Gandhi).

Beams and straws: a paradoxical situation, where sometimes there is an excess of 'belief' - and yet Faith is lacking.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

The Lenten season offers us once again an opportunity to reflect upon the very heart of Christian life: charity. This is a favourable time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community, with the help of the word of God and the sacraments. This journey is one marked by prayer and sharing, silence and fasting, in anticipation of the joy of Easter.

This year I would like to propose a few thoughts in the light of a brief biblical passage drawn from the Letter to the Hebrews:“ Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works”. These words are part of a passage in which the sacred author exhorts us to trust in Jesus Christ as the High Priest who has won us forgiveness and opened up a pathway to God. Embracing Christ bears fruit in a life structured by the three theological virtues: it means approaching the Lord “sincere in heart and filled with faith” (v. 22), keeping firm “in the hope we profess” (v. 23) and ever mindful of living a life of “love and good works” (v. 24) together with our brothers and sisters. The author states that to sustain this life shaped by the Gospel it is important to participate in the liturgy and community prayer, mindful of the eschatological goal of full communion in God (v. 25). Here I would like to reflect on verse 24, which offers a succinct, valuable and ever timely teaching on the three aspects of Christian life: concern for others, reciprocity and personal holiness.

1. “Let us be concerned for each other”: responsibility towards our brothers and sisters.

This first aspect is an invitation to be “concerned”: the Greek verb used here is katanoein, which means to scrutinize, to be attentive, to observe carefully and take stock of something. We come across this word in the Gospel when Jesus invites the disciples to “think of” the ravens that, without striving, are at the centre of the solicitous and caring Divine Providence (cf. Lk 12:24), and to “observe” the plank in our own eye before looking at the splinter in that of our brother (cf. Lk 6:41). In another verse of the Letter to the Hebrews, we find the encouragement to “turn your minds to Jesus” (3:1), the Apostle and High Priest of our faith. So the verb which introduces our exhortation tells us to look at others, first of all at Jesus, to be concerned for one another, and not to remain isolated and indifferent to the fate of our brothers and sisters. All too often, however, our attitude is just the opposite: an indifference and disinterest born of selfishness and masked as a respect for “privacy”. Today too, the Lord’s voice summons all of us to be concerned for one another. Even today God asks us to be “guardians” of our brothers and sisters (Gen 4:9), to establish relationships based on mutual consideration and attentiveness to the well-being, the integral well-being of others. The great commandment of love for one another demands that we acknowledge our responsibility towards those who, like ourselves, are creatures and children of God. Being brothers and sisters in humanity and, in many cases, also in the faith, should help us to recognize in others a true alter ego, infinitely loved by the Lord. If we cultivate this way of seeing others as our brothers and sisters, solidarity, justice, mercy and compassion will naturally well up in our hearts. The Servant of God Pope Paul VI stated that the world today is suffering above all from a lack of brotherhood: “Human society is sorely ill. The cause is not so much the depletion of natural resources, nor their monopolistic control by a privileged few; it is rather the weakening of brotherly ties between individuals and nations” (Populorum Progressio, 66).

Concern for others entails desiring what is good for them from every point of view: physical, moral and spiritual. Contemporary culture seems to have lost the sense of good and evil, yet there is a real need to reaffirm that good does exist and will prevail, because God is “generous and acts generously” (Ps 119:68). The good is whatever gives, protects and promotes life, brotherhood and communion. Responsibility towards others thus means desiring and working for the good of others, in the hope that they too will become receptive to goodness and its demands. Concern for others means being aware of their needs. Sacred Scripture warns us of the danger that our hearts can become hardened by a sort of “spiritual anesthesia” which numbs us to the suffering of others. The Evangelist Luke relates two of Jesus’ parables by way of example. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the priest and the Levite “pass by”, indifferent to the presence of the man stripped and beaten by the robbers (cf. Lk 10:30-32). In that of Dives and Lazarus, the rich man is heedless of the poverty of Lazarus, who is starving to death at his very door (cf. Lk 16:19). Both parables show examples of the opposite of “being concerned”, of looking upon others with love and compassion. What hinders this humane and loving gaze towards our brothers and sisters? Often it is the possession of material riches and a sense of sufficiency, but it can also be the tendency to put our own interests and problems above all else. We should never be incapable of “showing mercy” towards those who suffer. Our hearts should never be so wrapped up in our affairs and problems that they fail to hear the cry of the poor. Humbleness of heart and the personal experience of suffering can awaken within us a sense of compassion and empathy. “The upright understands the cause of the weak, the wicked has not the wit to understand it” (Prov 29:7). We can then understand the beatitude of “those who mourn” (Mt 5:5), those who in effect are capable of looking beyond themselves and feeling compassion for the suffering of others. Reaching out to others and opening our hearts to their needs can become an opportunity for salvation and blessedness. 

“Being concerned for each other” also entails being concerned for their spiritual well-being. Here I would like to mention an aspect of the Christian life, which I believe has been quite forgotten: fraternal correction in view of eternal salvation. Today, in general, we are very sensitive to the idea of charity and caring about the physical and material well-being of others, but almost completely silent about our spiritual responsibility towards our brothers and sisters. This was not the case in the early Church or in those communities that are truly mature in faith, those which are concerned not only for the physical health of their brothers and sisters, but also for their spiritual health and ultimate destiny. The Scriptures tell us: “Rebuke the wise and he will love you for it. Be open with the wise, he grows wiser still, teach the upright, he will gain yet more” (Prov 9:8ff). Christ himself commands us to admonish a brother who is committing a sin (cf. Mt 18:15). The verb used to express fraternal correction - elenchein – is the same used to indicate the prophetic mission of Christians to speak out against a generation indulging in evil (cf. Eph 5:11). The Church’s tradition has included “admonishing sinners” among the spiritual works of mercy. It is important to recover this dimension of Christian charity. We must not remain silent before evil. I am thinking of all those Christians who, out of human regard or purely personal convenience, adapt to the prevailing mentality, rather than warning their brothers and sisters against ways of thinking and acting that are contrary to the truth and that do not follow the path of goodness. Christian admonishment, for its part, is never motivated by a spirit of accusation or recrimination. It is always moved by love and mercy, and springs from genuine concern for the good of the other. As the Apostle Paul says: “If one of you is caught doing something wrong, those of you who are spiritual should set that person right in a spirit of gentleness; and watch yourselves that you are not put to the test in the same way” (Gal 6:1). In a world pervaded by individualism, it is essential to rediscover the importance of fraternal correction, so that together we may journey towards holiness. Scripture tells us that even “the upright falls seven times” (Prov 24:16); all of us are weak and imperfect (cf. 1 Jn 1:8). It is a great service, then, to help others and allow them to help us, so that we can be open to the whole truth about ourselves, improve our lives and walk more uprightly in the Lord’s ways. There will always be a need for a gaze which loves and admonishes, which knows and understands, which discerns and forgives (cf. Lk 22:61), as God has done and continues to do with each of us. 

2. “Being concerned for each other”: the gift of reciprocity.

This “custody” of others is in contrast to a mentality that, by reducing life exclusively to its earthly dimension, fails to see it in an eschatological perspective and accepts any moral choice in the name of personal freedom. A society like ours can become blind to physical sufferings and to the spiritual and moral demands of life. This must not be the case in the Christian community! The Apostle Paul encourages us to seek “the ways which lead to peace and the ways in which we can support one another” (Rom 14:19) for our neighbour’s good, “so that we support one another” (15:2), seeking not personal gain but rather “the advantage of everybody else, so that they may be saved” (1 Cor 10:33). This mutual correction and encouragement in a spirit of humility and charity must be part of the life of the Christian community. 

The Lord’s disciples, united with him through the Eucharist, live in a fellowship that binds them one to another as members of a single body. This means that the other is part of me, and that his or her life, his or her salvation, concern my own life and salvation. Here we touch upon a profound aspect of communion: our existence is related to that of others, for better or for worse. Both our sins and our acts of love have a social dimension. This reciprocity is seen in the Church, the mystical body of Christ: the community constantly does penance and asks for the forgiveness of the sins of its members, but also unfailingly rejoices in the examples of virtue and charity present in her midst. As Saint Paul says: “Each part should be equally concerned for all the others” (1 Cor 12:25), for we all form one body. Acts of charity towards our brothers and sisters – as expressed by almsgiving, a practice which, together with prayer and fasting, is typical of Lent – is rooted in this common belonging. Christians can also express their membership in the one body which is the Church through concrete concern for the poorest of the poor. Concern for one another likewise means acknowledging the good that the Lord is doing in others and giving thanks for the wonders of grace that Almighty God in his goodness continuously accomplishes in his children. When Christians perceive the Holy Spirit at work in others, they cannot but rejoice and give glory to the heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:16). 

3. “To stir a response in love and good works”: walking together in holiness.

These words of the Letter to the Hebrews (10:24) urge us to reflect on the universal call to holiness, the continuing journey of the spiritual life as we aspire to the greater spiritual gifts and to an ever more sublime and fruitful charity (cf. 1 Cor 12:31-13:13). Being concerned for one another should spur us to an increasingly effective love which, “like the light of dawn, its brightness growing to the fullness of day” (Prov 4:18), makes us live each day as an anticipation of the eternal day awaiting us in God. The time granted us in this life is precious for discerning and performing good works in the love of God. In this way the Church herself continuously grows towards the full maturity of Christ (cf. Eph 4:13). Our exhortation to encourage one another to attain the fullness of love and good works is situated in this dynamic prospect of growth. 

Sadly, there is always the temptation to become lukewarm, to quench the Spirit, to refuse to invest the talents we have received, for our own good and for the good of others (cf. Mt 25:25ff.). All of us have received spiritual or material riches meant to be used for the fulfilment of God’s plan, for the good of the Church and for our personal salvation (cf. Lk 12:21b; 1 Tim 6:18). The spiritual masters remind us that in the life of faith those who do not advance inevitably regress. Dear brothers and sisters, let us accept the invitation, today as timely as ever, to aim for the “high standard of ordinary Christian living” (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 31). The wisdom of the Church in recognizing and proclaiming certain outstanding Christians as Blessed and as Saints is also meant to inspire others to imitate their virtues. Saint Paul exhorts us to “anticipate one another in showing honour” (Rom 12:10).

In a world which demands of Christians a renewed witness of love and fidelity to the Lord, may all of us feel the urgent need to anticipate one another in charity, service and good works (cf. Heb 6:10). This appeal is particularly pressing in this holy season of preparation for Easter. As I offer my prayerful good wishes for a blessed and fruitful Lenten period, I entrust all of you to the intercession of Mary Ever Virgin and cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing. 

From the Vatican, 3 November 2011

[Pope Benedict, Message for Lent 2012]

"O inconceivable and unfathomable Mercy of God,
Who can worthily adore you and sing your praises?
O greatest attribute of God Almighty,
You are the sweet hope of sinners"
(Diary, 951).

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

1. Today I repeat these simple and straightforward words of Saint Faustina, in order to join her and all of you in adoring the inconceivable and unfathomable mystery of God’s mercy. Like Saint Faustina, we wish to proclaim that apart from the mercy of God there is no other source of hope for mankind. We desire to repeat with faith: Jesus, I trust in you!

This proclamation, this confession of trust in the all-powerful love of God, is especially needed in our own time, when mankind is experiencing bewilderment in the face of many manifestations of evil. The invocation of God’s mercy needs to rise up from the depth of hearts filled with suffering, apprehension and uncertainty, and at the same time yearning for an infallible source of hope. That is why we have come here today, to this Shrine of Łagiewniki, in order to glimpse once more in Christ the face of the Father: "the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation" (2 Cor 1:3). With the eyes of our soul, we long to look into the eyes of the merciful Jesus, in order to find deep within his gaze the reflection of his inner life, as well as the light of grace which we have already received so often, and which God holds out to us anew each day and on the last day.

[Pope John Paul II, Kraków-Łagiewniki, 17 August 2002]

Here, said the Pope, they "come to a heap of prescriptions and for them this is salvation: they have lost the key to intelligence which, in this case, is the gratuitousness of salvation". In reality, "the law is a response to God's gratuitous love: it is He who has taken the initiative to save us, and because you have loved me so much, I try to go your way, the way you have shown me", in a word "I fulfil the law". But 'it is a response' because 'the law, always, is a response and when one forgets the gratuitousness of salvation one falls, one loses the key to the intelligence of salvation history'.

And, again, the Pontiff relaunched, those people "have lost the key to intelligence because they have lost the sense of God's closeness: for them God is the one who made the law" but "this is not the God of revelation". In reality "the God of revelation is God who began to walk with us from Abraham to Jesus Christ: God who walks with his people". Therefore, "when we lose this close relationship with the Lord, we fall into this obtuse mentality that believes in the self-sufficiency of salvation through the fulfilment of the law".

Here, then, is "the closeness of God", remarked Francis, referring to "such a beautiful passage, almost at the end of Deuteronomy, in chapter 31; when Moses finishes writing the law, he hands it over to the Levites, those who guarded the ark, and tells them 'take this book of the law and put it beside the ark, close to God, because I know your rebellion - he is speaking to the people - and the hardness of your neck'".

"Instead, close to the Lord," the Pope pointed out, "the law is a revelation of the Lord but it becomes detached, the law becomes autonomous and becomes dictatorial, when God's closeness is lacking.

[Pope Francis, St. Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano 19 October 2017]

The renunciation of pride - and the ‘nose’ without citizenship

(Mk 10:13-16)

«Because in the synodal process, 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 for that reason. The Holy Spirit in his freedom knows no boundaries or tests of admission. If the parish is to be a home to everyone in the neighbourhood, and not a kind of exclusive club, please, let’s keep the doors and windows open […] Don’t be disheartened; be prepared for surprises» (Pope Francis).

Jesus identifies with the weak (v.16). And in certain terms He even intends to propose them to veteran followers!

This is precisely to indicate the type of believer he dreams they will become (v.15): persons who recognize the desires of others as legitimate, and doesn’t make too many fuss if see themself diminished in social consideration.

Not infrequently church leaders felt expert and self-sufficient from the very beginning...

Conversely, they must be ready in Christ Jesus to be ‘born’ again and again, otherwise their eye will remain in a caricatured and blocked vision of the Kingdom.

The "little one", on the other hand, has not mental reserves - as well as fewer ballast: he throws himself in a genuine and enthusiastic way toward the exploits of the Faith’s adventure.

The Lord doesn’t refuse to «touch» directly (v.13) those who are considered impure, women, little ones or their mothers: a disgrace according to the ritual norms of the time.

Women and children - together with pagans - were considered unreliable and impure by nature, indeed contaminants.

The Master has no fear of transgressing the religious law, or of being assessed as infected himself!

Christ embraces, blesses, lays his hand on the small servants - as if to recognise and truly consecrate them: He mirrors himself in them as if were one of them.

It means that the disciples' concern must not be the 're-education' common to all the various more or less mystery 'creeds' of the time.

Indeed, the most eloquent sign of the Kingdom of God on earth is precisely the welcoming spirit of the marginalized: those who do not even know what it means to claim rights only for themselves.

Quality of Life in the Spirit is measured by the ability to recover the opposite sides in each believer who has the desire to walk towards his own completeness.

Thus, in the Community this dynamic of recovery increases and overtakes thanks to the ‘integration’ that becomes a fruitful conviviality of differences.

Welcoming, hosting the weak, distant, small and excluded is personal and common enrichment - an eloquent sign of the same life and divine character in us and in the Church.

Not a winning institution, but servant of humanity in need of everything.

And it’s precisely the ‘little’ ones in Christ who become teachers of adults.

This the angelic modesty and evangelical ‘littleness’ that makes us emancipated and immediately up to par; but above all Blessed, happy to be «minors» even ill-considered.

[Saturday 7th wk. in O.T.  March 1st, 2025]

The renunciation of pride - and the ‘nose’ without citizenship

(Mk 10:13-16)

After the astonishing advice on equality in the relationship between man and woman, Jesus ups the ante by proclaiming not only the dignity of relationships between adults and children, but also between community veterans and incipients.

For the first of the class, the Kingdom of God was their thing and their work. It did not come to mankind as a Gift - first to be received - but (according to the pattern) it was necessary to attain it by corresponding observances and merits.

In the Gospel passage Christ does not speak of irresponsible childishness - a criterion unfortunately abused in asceticism (and one that makes one devoid of pride)...

No one can occupy the Lord's role on earth, simply because He remains Present and Coming; not manipulative.

If we become simple and children we are only so before God: no institution can be a substitute for Jesus.

In the past, a humanly evasive Christology has unfortunately matched a triumphalist ecclesiology.

Before it - especially in provincial or mission territories - the people considered puerile could sometimes fulfil it with uncritical fideism. At most, he utters some babble (mystical or formulaic).

At the time of Jesus, failure to observe the rules of purity excluded from worship and social life both infidels and those considered unfaithful or adulterous, despite the fact that they bore clear witness to solid charity.

The Greek term used - paidìon-paidìa diminutive of pàis - indicated an age between 8-12 years, typical of shop boys and servants who in the home had to take orders from others (even strangers).

The Master took these children as an example of helpfulness, primarily for his zealous Apostles.

The latter in fact did not immediately and spontaneously enter into the way of God's familiar... as an authentic believer would into that of the Father.

Only those who have the openness of children can welcome salvation, because they feel small, remain receptive, humbly know how to start again and even from below.

Jesus identifies himself with the infirm (v.16). And in no uncertain terms he even intends to propose them to veteran followers!

This is precisely to indicate the kind of believer he dreams of them becoming (v.15): the person who recognises the legitimate desires of others, and does not make too much fuss if he sees himself diminished in social consideration.

Church leaders not infrequently already from the earliest times felt themselves to be experts and self-sufficient ...

Conversely, they must be ready in Christ Jesus to be born again and again, otherwise their eye will remain sick with a caricatured and blocked vision of the Kingdom.

Those who do not trust the Father's plan will not proceed with spontaneity and generosity: they will only move forward if reassured upstream, playing a stagnant character, or a well-reciprocated task.

On the other hand, the small and inadequate person has far fewer mental reservations - as well as fewer practical ballasts: he throws himself genuinely and enthusiastically into the enterprises of the Faith adventure.

All this while for the 'elect' (even of the official Church) the 'uncertain' do not count or represent anything - if not a frame sometimes useful to make numbers, but often also annoying.

Before the distant ones could approach actual inward acceptance (or mere consideration), the Judaizers wanted to subject those who approached the threshold of the churches to a lengthy, artificial examination.

It was a kind of discipline of the arcane (typical of the various devotions) and a nerve-wracking rigmarole of code and casuistry corrections - all to be verified over time.

Jesus, on the other hand, is not averse to 'touching' directly (v.13) those considered unclean, women, little boys or their mothers: an obscenity according to the ritual norms of the time.

Women and children - along with heathens - were considered untrustworthy and impure beings by nature, indeed defiling.

The Master has no fear of transgressing the religious law, or of being assessed as infected Himself!

The Kingdom does not belong to the sterilised who haunt the lives of others with precepts of legal impurity; futile, external, hypocritical, senseless minutiae.

Christ embraces, blesses, lays his hand on the servants - as if to recognise them and truly consecrate them - taking into himself the unpromoted of the 'synagogues' of the time: he mirrors himself in them as if he were one of them.

It means that the disciples' concern must not be that of traditional re-education, common to all the various more or less mysterious creeds of the time.

Indeed, the most eloquent sign of the Kingdom of God on earth is precisely the welcoming spirit of the marginalised: those who do not even know what it means to claim rights only for themselves.Incidentally - as we well experience simply by observing our own realities - the discarded are not infrequently better introduced into the practice of even summary charity than those who hold roles of disembodied prestige.

Pretensions and mere sophistry degrade the concreteness of discipleship. They exclude the specific value of the new Kingdom, to the point of transforming and corrupting it - turning it upside down into caricature.

The quality of Life in the Spirit is measured by the ability to recover the opposite sides in each believer who has the desire to walk towards his or her own completeness.

Thus, in Community this dynamic of recovery increases and recovers thanks to the integration that becomes a fruitful conviviality of differences.

Welcoming, accommodating the weak, the distant, the small and the excluded is personal and communal enrichment - an eloquent sign of the same life and divine character in us and in the Church. Not a winning institution, but a servant of humanity in need of everything.

And it is precisely the little ones - totally deprived of the spirit of selfhood - who become in Christ professors of the adults, that is to say, of life-long leaders, chiefs, veterans and super-Apostles.

This is the angelic modesty and evangelical littleness that makes us emancipated and immediately equal; but above all happy, content to be lesser (even misunderstood).

In short, the Kingdom is not an environment for self-sufficient adults.

To internalise and live the message:

What have you learned from the distant ones and their call? And is your community ready for welcome, for hospitality?

Or does it consider itself self-sufficient, and only poses as the great protagonist of alms-giving - turning others into objects of paternalism?

The Follower without citizenship

In the synodal journey, listening must take into account the sensus fidei, but it must not neglect all those "presentiments" embodied where we would not expect it: there may be a "sniff without citizenship", but it is no less effective. The Holy Spirit in his freedom knows no boundaries, nor does he allow himself to be limited by affiliations. If the parish is the home of everyone in the neighbourhood, not an exclusive club, I would recommend: leave doors and windows open, do not limit yourself to considering only those who attend or think like you - that will be 3, 4 or 5 per cent, no more. Allow everyone to enter... Allow yourself to go out and let yourself be questioned, let their questions be your questions, allow yourself to walk together: the Spirit will lead you, trust the Spirit. Don't be afraid to enter into dialogue and allow yourselves to be shocked by it: it is the dialogue of salvation.

Do not be disenchanted, be prepared for surprises. There is an episode in the book of Numbers (ch. 22) that tells of a donkey who will become a prophetess of God. The Jews are concluding the long journey that will lead them to the promised land. Their passage frightens King Balak of Moab, who relies on the powers of the magician Balaam to stop these people, hoping to avoid a war. The magician, in his believing way, asks God what to do. God tells him not to go along with the king, but he insists, so he gives in and mounts a donkey to fulfil the command he has received. But the donkey changes her path because she sees an angel with an unsheathed sword standing there to represent God's opposition. Balaam pulls her, beating her, without succeeding in getting her back on the path. Until the donkey starts talking, initiating a dialogue that will open the magician's eyes, turning his mission of curse and death into a mission of blessing and life.

This story teaches us to trust that the Spirit will always make his voice heard. Even a donkey can become the voice of God, opening our eyes and converting our wrong directions. If a donkey can do it, how much more so can a baptised person, a priest, a bishop, a pope. It is enough to rely on the Holy Spirit who uses all creatures to speak to us: he only asks us to clean our ears to hear well.

(Pope Francis, Speech 18 September 2021)

68. Christ Jesus always manifested his preferential love for the little ones (cf. Mk 10:13-16). The Gospel itself is deeply permeated by the truth about children. What, indeed, is meant by these words: “unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3)? Does not Jesus make the child a model, even for adults? The child has something which must never be lacking in those who would enter the kingdom of heaven. Heaven is promised to all who are simple, like children, to all who, like them, are filled with a spirit of trusting abandonment, pure and rich in goodness. They alone can find in God a Father and become, through Jesus, children of God. Sons and daughters of our parents, God wants us all to become his adopted children by grace!

[Pope Benedict, Africae munus]

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In a spirit of joy and hope, I wish through this Lenten Message to exhort you to do penance, such as will bring you the abundant spiritual fruits of a more dynamic Christian life and a truly effective charity.

Lent is a period which profoundly affects the life of every Christian community; it fosters a spirit of recollection, prayer and attentiveness to the Word of God; it encourages us to respond generously to the Lord’s call as expressed in the words of the Prophet: “Is not this the fast that I choose… to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house? … Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say: ‘Here I am’” (Is 58:6,7,9).

Lent 1988 occurs during the Marian Year, on the eve of the Third Millennium of the birth of Jesus, our Saviour. Contemplating the divine motherhood of Mary, the woman who bore the Son of God within her womb and surrounded the child Jesus with special care and love, I am reminded of the painful drama of so many mothers, whose hope and joy has been shattered by the early deaths of their children.

Yes, my Brothers and Sisters, I ask you to think of this scandal of infant mortality, which claims tens of thousands of victims every day. Children are dying before their birth; others have only a brief and painful existence which is cut short by diseases that could easily be prevented.

It has been clearly demonstrated that in the most severely poverty-stricken countries of the world it is the children who have the highest death rate due to acute dehydration, parasites, polluted water, hunger, lack of vaccination against epidemics, and even the lack of love. Under conditions of such poverty, a great many children die in their infancy, while the physical and psychological development of others is so seriously affected that their very survival is threatened, and they are at a disadvantage in finding a place for themselves in society.

The victims of this tragedy are the children, who are born in a state of poverty which too often stems from social injustices, as well as their families, who do not have the resources they need and who are wounded forever by the early deaths of their children.

Recall with what determination our Lord Jesus demonstrated his solidarity with children: he called a small child to himself, set him in their midst and declared: “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me”, and he commanded: “Let the children come to me” (Mt 18:2, 5; 19:4).

I strongly urge you, in this liturgical period of Lent, to allow the Spirit of God to take hold of you, to break the chains of selfishness and sin. In a spirit of solidarity, share with those who have fewer resources than yourselves. Give, not only the things you can spare, but the things you may perhaps need, in order to lend your generous support to the actions and projects of your local Church, especially to ensure a just future for children who are least protected.

By so doing, dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, your charity will shine forth, and people will “see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Mt 5:16).

During Lent, following the example of Mary who faithfully accompanied her Son to the Cross, may our faithfulness to our Lord and our generous deeds bear witness to our obedience to his commandment!

With all my heart, I bless you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

9 February 1988

[Pope John Paul II, Message for Lent 1988]