Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On the Lord's Day, in the middle of my Visit to Brindisi, we are celebrating the mystery which is the source and summit of the Church's whole life. We are celebrating Christ in the Eucharist, the greatest gift that flowed from his divine and human Heart, the Bread of Life, broken and shared to enable us to become one with him and with one another. I greet with affection all of you who have gathered at the port, this deeply symbolic place which calls to mind the missionary journeys of Peter and Paul. I rejoice to see the many young people who enlivened last night's vigil in preparation for the Eucharistic celebration. And I also greet you, who are taking part in spirit by means of radio and television. I address a special greeting to Archbishop Rocco Talucci, the Pastor of this beloved Church, and thank him for his words at the beginning of Holy Mass. I also greet the other Bishops of Apulia who have desired to be here with us with sentiments of fraternal communion. The presence of Metropolitan Gennadios gives me special pleasure and I offer him my cordial greeting, which I extend to all the Orthodox brethren and those of the other Denominations, from this Church of Brindisi which, because of her ecumenical vocation, invites us to pray and to work for the full unity of all Christians. With gratitude I greet the Civil and Military Authorities who are taking part in this liturgy, and wish them every good for their service. My affectionate thoughts then go to the priests and deacons, to the women and men religious and to all the faithful. I address a special greeting to the sick in hospital and to the prisoners in jail, to whom I assure my remembrance in prayer. Grace and peace on the part of the Lord to everyone and to the entire city of Brindisi!

The biblical texts we have heard on this 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time help us to understand the reality of the Church: the First Reading (cf. Ex 19: 2-6a) recalled the Covenant made on Mount Sinai, during the Exodus from Egypt; the Gospel (cf. Mt 9: 36-10: 8) consisted of the account of the call and mission of the Twelve Apostles. We find the "constitution" of the Church presented here: how can we fail to perceive the implicit invitation addressed to every Community to renew its own vocation and missionary drive? In the First Reading the sacred author tells of God's Covenant with Moses and with Israel on Sinai. This is one of the great milestones in salvation history, one of those moments that transcend history itself in which the boundary between the Old and New Testaments disappears and the eternal plan of the God of the Covenant is manifest: the plan for the salvation of all men and women through the sanctification of a people to which God proposes to become "my own possession among all peoples" (Ex 19: 5). In this perspective, the people is called to become a "holy nation", not only in the moral sense, but first and above all in its own ontological reality, in its being as a people. Already in the Old Testament, how the identity of this people is to be understood is gradually made clear in the course of the salvific events; then it was fully revealed with the coming of Jesus Christ. Today's Gospel presents us with a decisive moment for this revelation. In fact, when Jesus called the Twelve he desired to refer symbolically to the 12 tribes of Israel, going back to the 12 sons of Jacob. Thus, by placing the Twelve at the centre of his new community, he makes it understood that he came to bring the heavenly Father's design to completion, even if the new face of the Church was to appear only at Pentecost when the Twelve, "filled with the Holy Spirit" proclaimed the Gospel, and spoke in all the languages (Acts 2: 3-4). It was then that the universal Church was to be made manifest, gathered in a single Body of which the Risen Christ is Head yet, at the same time, sent by him to all the nations, even to the very ends of the earth (cf. Mt 28: 19).

Jesus' style is unmistakeable: it is the characteristic style of God who likes to do great things in a poor and humble manner. The solemnity of the accounts of the Covenant in the Book of Exodus leaves room in the Gospels for humble and discreet gestures which nevertheless contain an enormous potential for renewal. It is the logic of the Kingdom of God, not by chance represented by the tiny seed that becomes a great tree (cf. Mt 13: 31-32). The Covenant of Sinai was accompanied by cosmic signs that terrified the Israelites; the beginnings of the Church in Galilee, on the contrary, were exempt from such manifestations and reflect the docility and compassion of Christ's Heart although they foretold another battle, another upheaval, inspired by the forces of evil. Christ gave to the Twelve, we heard, "authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity" (Mt 10: 1). The Twelve must cooperate with Jesus in establishing the Kingdom of God, that is, his beneficial, life-giving lordship, and life in abundance for the whole of humanity. The Church in essence, like Christ and together with him, is called and sent out to establish the Kingdom of life and to drive out the dominion of death so that the life of God may triumph in the world; so that God who is Love may triumph. Christ's work is always silent, it is not spectacular; the great tree of true life grows even in the humility of being Church, of living the Gospel every day. Precisely with these humble beginnings the Lord encourages us so that in the humility of the Church today too, in the poverty of our Christian lives, we may see his presence and thus have the courage to go to meet him and make his love, this force of peace and of true life, present on our earth. So this was God's plan: to spread over humanity and throughout the cosmos his love that generates life. It was not a spectacular process; it was a humble process, yet it brought with it the true power of the future and of history.

Thus it is a plan that the Lord desires to implement with respect for our freedom, for love, by its nature, cannot be imposed. The Church in Christ then is the place in which to accept and mediate God's love. In this perspective it is clear that the Church's holiness and missionary character are two sides of the same coin: only because she is holy, that is, filled with divine love, can the Church carry out her mission, and it is precisely in terms of this task that God chose her and sanctified her as his property. Our first duty, therefore, precisely in order to heal this world, is to be holy, configured to God; in this way we emanate a healing and transforming power that also acts on others, on history. Your Ecclesial Community, dear brothers and sisters, involved as it is in the Diocesan Synod in this period, is measuring itself at this moment against the double term, "holiness-mission" - holiness is always a force that transforms others. In this regard, it is useful to reflect that the Twelve Apostles were not perfect men, chosen for their moral and religious irreproachability. They were indeed believers, full of enthusiasm and zeal but at the same time marked by their human limitations, which were sometimes even serious. Therefore Jesus did not call them because they were already holy, complete, perfect, but so that they might become so, so that they might thereby also transform history, as it is for us, as it is for all Christians. In the Second Reading we heard the Apostle Paul's synthesis: "God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us" (Rm 5: 8). The Church is the community of sinners who believe in God's love, letting themselves be transformed by him and thus become holy, sanctifying the world.

In the light of God's providential words, today I have the joy of strengthening your Church on her way. It is a way of holiness and mission on which your Archbishop has invited you to reflect in his recent Pastoral Letter; it is a way he has thoroughly examined in the course of his Pastoral Visit and which he now intends to promote through the Diocesan Synod. Today's Gospel suggests to us the style of the mission, in other words the interior attitude that is expressed in life lived. It can only be Jesus' style: that of "compassion". The Evangelist highlights this by focusing attention on Christ looking at the crowd. He wrote: "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Mt 9: 36). And after the call of the Twelve, this attitude is once again apparent in the order he gives them to go "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Mt 10: 6). Christ's love for his people, especially the lowly and the poor, can be felt in these words. Christian compassion has nothing to do with pietism or the culture of dependency. Rather, it is synonymous with solidarity and sharing and is enlivened by hope. Were not Jesus' words to the Apostles born from hope: "Preach as you go, saying, "the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand'" (Mt 10: 7)? This is hope founded on Christ's coming and ultimately coincides with his Person and his mystery of salvation - where Christ is, there is the Kingdom of God, there is the newness of the world - as the theme of the Fourth Ecclesial Convention of Italy celebrated in Verona clearly recalled: the Risen Christ is the "hope of the world".

Enlivened by the hope in which you have been saved, may you too, brothers and sisters of this ancient Church of Brindisi, be signs and instruments of the compassion and mercy of Christ. To the Archbishop and priests I fervently repeat the words of the divine Teacher: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without pay, give without pay" (Mt 10: 8). This mandate is once again addressed in the first place to you today. The Spirit who acted in Christ and in the Twelve, is the same as the One who works in you and enables you to perform among your people, in this territory, signs of the Kingdom of love, justice and peace that is coming, indeed, that is already in the world. Yet, through the grace of Baptism and Confirmation, all the members of the People of God participate in Jesus' mission if in different ways. I am thinking of consecrated people who profess the vows of poverty, virginity and obedience; I am thinking of Christian married couples and of you, lay faithful committed to the Ecclesial Community and to society, both personally and as a group. Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus' desire to increase the number of workers in the Lord's harvest (cf. Mt 9: 38) is addressed to you all. This desire, which is asking to be made a prayer, reminds us in the first place of seminarians and of the new Seminary in this Archdiocese; it makes us realize that in a broad sense the Church is one great "seminary", beginning with the family and extending to the parish communities, the associations and movements of apostolic commitment. We are all, with the variety of our charisms and ministries, called to work in the Lord's vineyard.

Dear brothers and sisters of Brindisi, continue in this spirit on the way on which you have set out. May your Patrons, St Leucius and St Oronzo, both of whom arrived from the East in the second century to water this land with the living water of the Word of God, watch over you. May the relics of St Theodore of Amasea, venerated in the Cathedral of Brindisi, remind you that giving one's life for Christ is the most effective preaching. May St Lawrence, a son of this City who, in Francis of Assisi's footsteps, became an apostle of peace in a Europe torn apart by wars and disputes, obtain for you the gift of authentic brotherhood. I entrust you all to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope and Star of Evangelization. May the Blessed Virgin help you to remain in the love of Christ, so that you may bear abundant fruit for the glory of God the Father and the salvation of the world. Amen.

[Pope Benedict, homily port of Brindisi 15 June 2008]

Dear sisters,

1. During my apostolic journeys, I experience a profound and ever new happiness when I meet women religious, whose consecrated existence through the three evangelical vows "belongs inseparably to the life and holiness of the Church" (Lumen Gentium, 44). Let us together bless the Lord who has made this meeting possible! Let us bless him for the fruits that will follow in your personal lives, in your congregations, in the People of God! Thank you for coming in such great numbers from all parts of Paris and the Paris region, and even from the provinces! I am happy to express to you who are here, as to all the religious of France, my esteem, my affection, my encouragement.

This gathering, almost rural, makes me think of those moments of pause and respite that Jesus Christ reserved for his first disciples on their return from certain apostolic journeys. You too, my dear sisters, come from your places and tasks of evangelisation: dispensaries or hospitals, schools or colleges, catechetical or youth care centres, parish services or insertion in poor environments. I am happy to repeat to you the words of the Lord: "Come away ... and rest a while" (cf. Mk 6:31). Together we shall meditate on the mystery and the Gospel treasure of your vocation.

2. Religious life is not your property, just as it is not the property of an institute. It is the "divine gift which the Church has received from her Lord and by his grace always faithfully preserves" (Lumen Gentium, 43). In short, religious life is an inheritance, a reality lived in the Church for centuries, by a multitude of men and women. And the profound experience that they have had of it transcends the socio-cultural differences that may exist from one country to another, transcends even the descriptions that they have left behind, and is beyond the diversity of the achievements and research of our time. It is important to respect and love this rich spiritual heritage. It is important to listen to and imitate those who have best embodied the ideal of evangelical perfection and who so numerous have sanctified and ennobled the land of France.

Until the end of your lives, remain in awe and gratitude for the mysterious call that resounded one day in the depths of your hearts: "Follow me" (cf. Mt 9:9; Jn 1:43), "Sell what you possess, give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come and follow me" (Mt 19:21). You first carried this appeal as a secret, then submitted it to the discernment of the Church. It is indeed a great risk to leave everything to follow Christ. But you already felt - and then you experienced - that he was able to fill your heart. Religious life is a friendship, an intimacy of a mystical order with Christ. Your personal journey must be almost a re-enactment of the famous poem of the Song of Songs. Dear sisters, in the "heart to heart" of prayer, which is absolutely vital for each of you, as well as on the occasion of your various apostolic appointments, listen to the Lord murmuring to you the same invitation: "Follow me". The ardour of your response will keep you in the freshness of your first oblation. You will thus walk from faithfulness to faithfulness!

3. To follow Christ is more than the mere admiration of a model, even if you have a good knowledge of holy scripture and theology. To follow Christ is something existential. It is wanting to imitate him to the point of allowing oneself to be configured to him, assimilated into him, to the point of being - in the words of Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity - 'an additional humanity'. And this in their own mystery of chastity, poverty and obedience. Such an ideal surpasses understanding, surpasses human strength!

It can only be realised through strong times of silent and ardent contemplation of the Lord Jesus. So-called 'active' religious must at certain times be 'contemplatives', following the example of the nuns I will address in Lisieux.

Religious chastity, my sisters, is truly a desire to be like Christ; all other reasons that can be advanced vanish before this essential reason: Jesus was chaste. This state of Christ was not only the overcoming of human sexuality, such as to prefigure the future world, but also a manifestation, an "epiphany" of the universality of his redemptive oblation. The Gospel never ceases to show how Jesus lived chastity. In his human relationships, singularly broad in relation to the traditions of his environment and age, he perfectly reaches the profound personality of the other. His simplicity, his respect, his goodness, his art of arousing the best in the hearts of the people he met, shocked the Samaritan woman, the adulterous woman and so many others. May your vow of consecrated virginity - deepened and lived out in the mystery of Christ's chastity - and which already transfigures your persons, drive you to truly reach out to your brothers and sisters in their humanity, in the concrete situations proper to each one! So many people in our world are as if led astray, crushed, in despair! In fidelity to the rules of prudence, make them feel that you love them in the manner of Christ, drawing from his heart the human and divine tenderness that he reserves for them.

You have also promised Christ to be poor with him and like him. Certainly the productive and consumerist society poses complex problems for the practice of evangelical poverty. This is not the place or the time to talk about it. It seems to me that every congregation must see in this economic phenomenon a providential invitation to give a response, at once traditional and entirely new, to the poor Christ. By contemplating him often and at length in his radically poor life, by assiduously frequenting the humble and the poor who are also his face, you will be able to give all that you are and all that you have. The Church needs to be as affected by your witness. Measure your responsibility.

As for the obedience of Jesus, it occupies a central place in his redemptive work. You have often meditated on the pages in which St Paul speaks of the initial disobedience, which was like the gateway to sin and death in the world, and speaks of the mystery of Christ's obedience that triggers humanity's ascent to God. Self-denial, humility, are more difficult for our generation tickled by autonomy and even fantasy. However, one cannot imagine a religious life without obedience to superiors who are guardians of fidelity to the ideal of the institute. St Paul emphasises the link of cause and effect between Christ's obedience to the death of the cross (cf. Phil 2:6-11) and his glory as risen Lord of the universe. In the same way, the obedience of every religious - which is always a sacrifice of the will made out of love - bears abundant fruits of salvation for the whole world.

4. You have therefore accepted to follow Christ and to imitate him closely, to manifest his true face to those who already know him as well as to those who do not. And this through all the apostolic activities to which I alluded at the beginning of this meeting. On the level of commitments to be undertaken, without prejudice to the particular spirituality of your institute, I strongly urge you to integrate yourselves into the immense network of pastoral tasks of the universal Church and dioceses (cf. Perfectae Caritatis, 20). I know that some congregations, for lack of subjects, cannot respond to all the appeals that come to them from Bishops and priests. However, do what you can to ensure the vital services of parishes and dioceses. How many duly trained women religious collaborate in the pastoral care of the new realities that are numerous! In a word, invest your natural and supernatural talents to the utmost in contemporary evangelisation. Be always and everywhere present to the world without being of the world (cf. Jn 17:15-16). Never be afraid to let your identity as women consecrated to the Lord be clearly recognised. Christians and those who are not have a right to know who you are. Christ, the master of us all, made his life a courageous manifestation of his identity (cf. Lk 9:26).

Courage and confidence my dear sisters! I know that for years you have been reflecting a great deal on religious life, on your constitutions. The time has come to live in fidelity to the Lord and to your apostolic tasks. I pray wholeheartedly that the witness of your consecrated life and the face of your religious congregations will awaken in the hearts of many young people the plan to follow Christ as you do. I bless you and all the women religious of France who work on the soil of your homeland or on other continents. And I also bless all those you carry in your hearts and in your prayers.

[Pope John Paul II, to the Religious, Rue de Bac 31 May 1980]

Jesus’s attitude that we observe in the Gospel of today’s liturgy (Mk 6:30-34) helps us to grasp two important aspects of life. The first is rest. To the Apostles returning from the labours of the mission who enthusiastically begin to relate everything they had done, Jesus tenderly directs this invitation to the Apostles: “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while” (v. 31). An invitation to rest.

In so doing, Jesus gives us a valuable teaching. Even though he rejoices on seeing his disciples’ happiness due to the wonders of their preaching, he does not spend time giving them compliments or asking questions. Rather, he is concerned about their physical and interior tiredness. And why does he do this? Because he wants to make them aware of a danger that is always lurking there for us too: the danger to be caught up in the frenzy of doing things, to fall into the trap of activism where what is most important are the results that we obtain and the feeling of being absolute protagonists. How many times this happens in the Church: we are busy, we run around, we think that everything depends on us and, in the end, we risk neglecting Jesus and we always make ourselves the centre. This is why He invites His disciples to rest a bit with Him on their own. It is not only physical rest, but also rest for the heart. For it is not enough to “unplug” ourselves, we need to truly rest. And how do we do this? To do so, we must return to the heart of things: to stop, to remain in silence, to pray so as not to go from the frenzy of work to the frenzy of times of relaxation. Jesus did not neglect the needs of the crowd, but each day, before anything else, he would withdraw in prayer, in silence, in intimacy with the Father. His tender invitation – rest a while – should accompany us. Let us beware, brothers and sisters, of efficiency, let us put a halt to the frantic running around dictated by our agendas. Let us learn how to take a break, to turn off the mobile phone, to contemplate nature, to regenerate ourselves in dialogue with God.

Nonetheless, the Gospel tells us that Jesus and his disciples could not rest as they had wished. The people find them and flock to them from all sides. At which point, he is moved with compassion. This is the second aspect: compassion, which is God’s style. God’s style is to draw near, compassion and tenderness. How many times we find this phrase in the Gospel, in the Bible: “He had compassion on them”. Touched, Jesus dedicates himself to the people and begins to teach again (cf. vv. 33-34). This seems to be a contradiction, but in reality, it is not. In fact, only a heart that does not allow itself to be taken over by hastiness is capable of being moved; that is, of not allowing itself to be caught up in itself and by things to do, and is aware of others, of their wounds, their needs. Compassion is born from contemplation. If we learn to truly rest, we become capable of true compassion; if we cultivate a contemplative outlook, we will carry out our activities without that rapacious attitude of those who want to possess and consume everything; if we stay in touch with the Lord and do not anesthetise the deepest part of ourselves, the things to do will not have the power to cause us to get winded or devour us. We need – listen to this – we need an “ecology of the heart”, that is made up of rest, contemplation and compassion. Let us take advantage of the summer time for this! It will help us quite a bit.

And now, let us pray to the Madonna, who cultivated silence, prayer and contemplation and who is always moved with tender compassion for us, her children.

[Pope Francis, Angelus 18 July 2021]

(Mk 6:14-29)

The question «Jesus, Who is he?» grows throughout the Mk’s Gospel, up to the answer of the centurion under the Cross (Mk 15:39).

The assessment of the opinions of the people (vv. 14-16) suggests that even around the first assemblies of believers someone tried to understand Christ starting from what was already known.

Not a few wished to understand his Person on the basis of criteria drawn from the Scriptures or from the Oral Tradition of the Chosen People; from ancient beliefs and suggestions - even superstitious (as in the case of Herod).

But the Herald of God was not a purifier of the Temple, nor was He a simple healer of dated religiosity, of domesticated cultural ideas. Not even one of the many "reformers"... all in all conformists.

He overturns the hopes of the people, thus disturbing any school of thought; in particular, those who hold the exclusivity.

When feel a danger, those who are shrouded in luster and power become brazen and willing to do any violence, even for a false point of honor.

Tyrants always scoff at the isolated, uncomfortable and defenseless.

But leaders and powerful are also cowards: they do not intend to lose face in front of the allies of their immoderate and uncontrolled environment, cloaked in exemptions.

Josephus Flavius reports that John was in prison for fear of a popular uprising - evaluating that it was good for him to act early.

The assassination plot was occasional.

The brave one who denounces abuses is cut off, but the Voice of his martyrdom is no longer silent.

For this reason the episode does not lead Jesus to greater prudence.  Once an Envoy is killed, another greater and more incisive takes over: the last of the Prophets, the Son of God.

It seemed absurd that someone in that society dared to break the conspiratorial wall that guaranteed the troublemakers to consider themselves untouchable.

Faced with the unceremonious blackmail of the privileged who had control of every social and cultural class, it seemed impossible to start a new path, or to say and do anything that was not aligned.

John and Jesus challenge the status quo and attract upon themselves the vengeance of those who try to perpetuate the prerogatives of the ancient hierarchical cosmos, and the anger of those who are exposed in their hypocrisy.

This is the real difficulty encountered in the proclamation of the new Kingdom in the world. His contemptuous refusal and every attempted murder will be a litmus test of our noble critical frankness, the ‘revelation’ of which will run parallel the Two.

The Master stood up in defense of conscience and of the divine law itself, against the opportunist authorities, which he challenged openly.

Even today he asks for courage not to surrender in the face of corruption, evil, the current mentality; to be different in the way of thinking, speaking, choosing and acting.

Not listened to, derided, opposed by many courtiers, the children of God bear witness to the Truth, paying in person: perfect Joy.

Authentic Fullness.

To internalize and live the message:

Who is Jesus according to you and the others?

[Friday 4th wk. in O.T.  February 6, 2026]

(Mk 6:14-29)

The question "Who is Jesus?" grows throughout the Gospel of Mark, up to the answer of the centurion under the cross (Mk 15:39).

The account of people's opinions (vv.14-16) suggests that even around the first assemblies of believers some were trying to understand Christ from what was already known.

Not a few wished to understand his Person on the basis of criteria drawn from the Scriptures or from the even oral Tradition of the chosen people; from ancient beliefs and suggestions - even superstitious ones [as in the case of Herod].

But the Herald of God was not a purifier of the Temple, nor a mere patcher of dated religiosity, of domesticated cultural ideas. Not even one of the many 'reformers'... all in all conformists.

He overturns the hopes of the people, thus disturbing any school of thought; in particular, those who hold the exclusive.

When he senses danger, those shrouded in lustre and power become brazen and willing to any violence, even for a false point of honour.

Tyrants always mock the isolated, inconvenient and defenceless.

But leaders and the powerful are also cowards: they do not intend to lose face in front of the allies of their inordinate and unchecked environment, cloaked in exemptions.

During more than 40 years of his reign, Herod Antipas had created a class of officials and a system of privileged people who had the government, the treasury, the economy, justice, every aspect of civic and police life in their hands.

His command covered the territory extensively.

In every village, the ruler could count on the support of all the cliques and various local leaders, interested in controlling consciences - together with compromised scribes and Pharisees, linked to his politics.

Besides being a puppet of Rome - to which he guaranteed control of the territory and the flow of taxes - Herod was depraved and (indeed) superstitious. He thought that even a light oath to a dancer should be kept.

Josephus Flavius, on the other hand, reports that John was in prison for fear of the ruler of a popular uprising - and was considering that it was good for him to act in advance.

The assassination plot was probably casual.

The brave man who denounces abuse is crushed, but the Voice of his martyrdom is no longer silent.

This is why the episode does not induce Jesus to greater caution. Once an envoy is killed, another greater and more incisive one takes his place: the last of the Prophets, the Son of God.

The delinquents must not delude themselves that Providence does not know how to equip even the most spineless high places with the counterbalance of coherent and valid people.

Generic and confusing religiosity can adapt to any season and be embraced even by those who think others' lives are worthless - but a Prophet does not stop at the whim of the corrupt system.

Both John and the Lord never visited the new Herodian capital, Tiberias, the city of courtly palaces. Built - after Sefforis, where Jesus also worked - in diplomatic homage to the Roman emperor.

In the Palestinian villages, the life of the people was harassed with taxes and abuses by landowners, who did not even reside there; controlled by the perfect combination of interests between civil and religious power.

Complicity that the leaders slyly tried to impose, according to their way of life. Also by conveying many calibrated narratives to the crowds, and inculcating (useless) knowledge.

The leaders of the popular, orthodox and compliant faith - as is often the case - were on the leash of the authorities on the ground, who considered themselves definitive and found strength in the coalition.

It seemed absurd that anyone in that society would dare to break the wall of silence that ensured that troublemakers, 'spiritual' authorities and even low-level bullies could consider themselves untouchable.

Faced with the (unceremonious) blackmail of the privileged who were in control of every social and cultural stratum, it seemed impossible to start a new path, or to say and do anything unaligned.

John and Jesus challenge the status quo and attract the vengeance of those who seek to perpetuate the prerogatives of the ancient hierarchical cosmos, and the anger of those who are exposed in their hypocrisies.

This is the real difficulty that the proclamation of the new kingdom encounters in the world. Its contemptuous rejection and every attempt at murder will be a litmus test of our noble critical frankness, the revelation of which will run parallel to the Two.

The Baptiser was an intrepid denouncer of vice, superficiality, malpractice and the perversions of the powerful.Of these, Pope Francis would have spoken of good manners [in the pursuit of cordial alliances] and bad habits [in the irresponsible and insulting private life, and in the violence with which dominion over the little ones is perpetuated].

Jesus, too, put his foot down, instead of making an internal career. In spite of John's foreboding, he rejected the path of weighed-up malice, pretense, diplomacy, and pirouettes of circumstance.

The Master stood in defence of conscience and divine law itself, against opportunistic religious and political authorities, whom he challenged head-on.

Today too, the Lord asks for courage not to bow down in the face of corruption, evil, the current mentality; to be different in the way of thinking, of speaking [mellifluous].

He asks to choose and act.

Unheard, mocked, opposed by many lords, luminaries and courtiers, the children of God bear witness to the Truth, paying for it in person: perfect Lethitude.

Authentic Fullness.

To internalise and live the message:

Do you know victims of authoritarianism, corruption, domination of the powerful, excess and extravagance of power? Even in the Church?

How is it that this still happens - and everything is silenced sooner or later?

Who is Jesus according to you and others? And what would you say?

As an authentic prophet, John bore witness to the truth without compromise. He denounced transgressions of God's commandments, even when it was the powerful who were responsible for them. Thus, when he accused Herod and Herodias of adultery, he paid with his life, sealing with martyrdom his service to Christ who is Truth in person. 

Let us invoke his intercession, together with that of Mary Most Holy, so that also in our day the Church will remain ever faithful to Christ and courageously witness to his truth and his love for all.

[Pope Benedict, Angelus 24 June 2007]

1. [...] Christian tradition commemorates the martyrdom of St John the Baptist; the Messiah himself says in praise of him: "none born of woman is greater" (cf. Lk 7: 28). He gave to God the supreme witness of his blood, sacrificing his life for truth and justice; indeed, his head was cut off at the orders of Herod, whom he had dared to tell that it was not lawful to take his brother's wife (cf. Mc 6: 17-29). 

2. In the Encyclical Veritatis Splendor, recalling the sacrifice of John the Baptist (cf. n. 91), I observed that martyrdom is "an outstanding sign of the holiness of the Church" (n. 93). Indeed, it "represents the high point of the witness to moral truth" (ibid.). 

Although relatively few are called to make this supreme sacrifice, it is nonetheless "a consistent witness which all Christians must daily be ready to make, even at the cost of suffering and grave sacrifice" (ibid.). At times, a truly heroic effort is also needed in daily life, in order not to give in to the difficulties that are an incentive to compromise and to live the Gospel "sine glossa". 

3. The heroic example of John the Baptist reminds us of the martyrs for the faith who down the centuries followed courageously in his footsteps. I recall in particular the multitude of Christians in the last century who were also victims of religious hatred in various European nations. Today too, in some parts of the world, believers are still subjected to harsh trials for adhering to Christ and his Church. 

May these brothers and sisters of ours feel the full solidarity of the entire Ecclesial Community! Let us entrust them to the Blessed Virgin, Queen of Martyrs, whom we call on together at this moment.

[Pope John Paul II, Angelus 29 August 2004]

A man, John, and a road, which is that of Jesus, indicated by the Baptist, but is also ours, in which we are all called at the moment of trial.

It starts from the figure of John, "the great John: in the words of Jesus "the greatest man born of a woman"" the reflection of Pope Francis in the Mass celebrated at Santa Marta on Friday 6 February. The Gospel of Mark (6:14-29) recounts the imprisonment and martyrdom of this "man faithful to his mission; the man who suffered many temptations" and who "never, never betrayed his vocation". A man 'faithful' and 'of great authority, respected by all: the great of that time'.

Pope Francis paused to analyse his figure: 'What came out of his mouth was right. His heart was just'. He was so great that "Jesus will also say of him that 'it is Elijah who has returned, to clean the house, to prepare the way'". And John "was conscious that his duty was only to proclaim: to announce the proximity of the Messiah. He was conscious, as St Augustine makes us reflect, that he was the voice only, the Word was another'. Even when 'he was tempted to "rob" this truth, he remained righteous: "I am not, behind me comes, but I am not: I am the servant; I am the servant; I am the one who opens the doors, so that he may come".

At this point the Pontiff introduced the concept of the way, because, he recalled, 'John is the forerunner: forerunner not only of the Lord's entry into public life, but of the Lord's entire life'. The Baptist 'goes forward in the Lord's way; he bears witness to the Lord not only by showing him - "This is it!" - but also by bringing life to the end as the Lord has brought it'. And by ending his life "with martyrdom" he was "a forerunner of the life and death of Jesus Christ".

The Pope went on to reflect on these parallel paths along which "the great" suffers "many trials and becomes small, small, small to the point of contempt". John, like Jesus, "annihilates himself, he knows the road of annihilation. John with all that authority, thinking about his life, comparing it with that of Jesus, tells people who he is, what his life will be like: 'It is better for him to grow, I instead must diminish'". This, the Pope stressed, is "the life of John: to diminish before Christ, so that Christ may grow". It is "the life of the servant who makes room, makes way for the Lord to come".

John's life "was not easy": in fact, "when Jesus began his public life", he was "close to the Essenes, that is, to the observants of the law, but also of prayers, of penances". Thus, at a certain point, during the time he was in prison, 'he suffered the ordeal of darkness, of the night in his soul'. And that scene, Francis commented, "moved: the great, the greatest sent two disciples to Jesus to ask him: 'But John asks you: is it you or have I made a mistake and must we wait for someone else?'" Along John's path therefore came 'the darkness of error, the darkness of a life burnt in error. And this was a cross for him".

To John's question "Jesus answers with the words of Isaiah": the Baptist "understands, but his heart remains in darkness". Nevertheless he lends himself to the demands of the king, 'who liked to hear him, who liked to lead an adulterous life', and 'almost became a court preacher, of this perplexed king'. But "he humbled himself" because "he thought he was converting this man".

Finally, the Pope said, 'after this purification, after this continual descent into annihilation, making way for the annihilation of Jesus, his life ends'. That king from being perplexed 'becomes capable of a decision, but not because his heart has been converted'; rather 'because the wine gives him courage'.

And so John ends his life 'under the authority of a mediocre, drunken and corrupt king, at the whim of a dancer and the vengeful hatred of an adulteress'. Thus 'ends the great, the greatest man born of woman', commented Francis, who confessed: 'When I read this passage, I am moved'. And he added a useful consideration for the spiritual life of every Christian: "I think of two things: first, I think of our martyrs, the martyrs of our day, those men, women, children who are persecuted, hated, driven from their homes, tortured, massacred". And this, he stressed, 'is not a thing of the past: this happens today. Our martyrs, who end their lives under the corrupt authority of people who hate Jesus Christ'. Therefore, "it is good for us to think about our martyrs. Today we think of Paul Miki, but that was in the 1600s. Let us think of those of today, of 2015".

The Pontiff went on to add that this passage also prompts him to reflect on himself: 'I too will end. All of us will end. No one's life is 'bought'. We too, willingly or unwillingly, go down the road of the existential annihilation of life'. And this, he said, prompts him "to pray that this annihilation resembles Jesus Christ, his annihilation, as much as possible".

This closes the circle of Francis' meditation: 'John, the great, who continually diminishes to nothingness; the martyrs, who diminish today, in our Church of today, to nothingness; and we, who are on this road and going towards the earth, where we will all end'. In this sense the Pope's final prayer: "May the Lord enlighten us, make us understand this road of John, the forerunner of the road of Jesus; and the road of Jesus, who teaches us how ours should be."

[Pope Francis, St. Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano 07.02.2015]

Sober, but in sandals

(Mk 6:7-13)

The passage of Nazareth - painful for Jesus himself - and the description of the disciples sending, was intended to be a support and light for believers.

The Son of God is rejected by his own people, and what was his country before is no longer.

We must not therefore be discouraged: conflicts force us to be face to face with new ways of being (and opportunities for Communion).

In the relationship with the Father and the circumstances, no one get by on his own, perhaps centering existence on goals and only on himself - or changing residence (v. 10) and then looking for excessive instruments to establish himself [under the pretext of ‘effectiveness’].

The witness of Christ is profound and relational to the point of coexistence; non-individualistic: to be faced by showing reciprocity, capacity for non-alienating exchange; at least between two (v.7).

Furthermore, the goal cannot be pursued if life is disintegrated by the opinions around it, and devoid of any principle of relationships transformation - an expression of the Covenant that arouses spirit of fraternity.

As well as a propulsive “model”, a “principle” of analysis and prognosis for problem-solving, and for a future of coexistence; through a completion of self-recognised 'opposing sides' [through micro-relationships].

In all religions, the ideal of perfection is the achievement of one's own purification, advancement, balance.

But this is not enough for we to proclaim that the Kingdom has come!  It’s the result of an artisanal process, carried out in stages and attempts;  of Love, in the Exodus.

In this way, the Risen One has invested us with a quiet but irresistible and evident strength: his effective Word.

Logos that in us becomes lucidity, charge, impulse, ability to listen [which puts us back on our feet; together, in a position to manage things]: a compassionate power never seen before.

The proposal of the Gospels presupposes a spirit of sobriety, risk, royal fraternity: in this way environments are evangelized, transmitting passion for life and annihilating the forces of death that distance us from our neighbor.

Trusting in hospitality and sharing, the new missionaries finally disregard legalistic purity standards (v.8) and show a different access to purity itself, to relationships, to intimacy with the Father.

Therefore, essential ingredients for building the community elsewhere are: being satisfied and renouncing ambition, sharing also in culture [giving space to all intuitions]; familiarity in normal jobs and wages; welcoming the excluded.

As in the Semitic community, the new ‘envoys’ must become close brothers, defenders and redeemers (Go’el) of the marginalized. In this sense, we too personify the figure of Christ in history and contexts.

Protecting the poor and needy (v.13) unfolds the teaching and work of Jesus, who had done so much to stem the disintegration of community life - then affected by political, economic and religious servility.

Therefore, avoiding the ambiguity of riches, the children of God would not have nourished the instinct to dominate others.

Unfortunately, whoever is a friend of triumphalism and possesses in excess, will easily miss the main thing, characteristic of credibility: trust in Providence - the only spirit that doesn’t invalidate the situation.

Jesus warns us, so that we do not deny him with our grabbing behavior, lover of luxury, ready both to deferences and to indulge in power games;  performing at all costs, always anxious for the role and economic levels.

Of course, the Son of God dreams a poor Church [not only ‘of the poor’] - but he grants an element of opulence for us, indeed he wants it: that we wear sandals (v. 9); at that time in Rome a sign of freedom and dignity not beggar).

Yes, because we have to rediscover the human - and walk a lot.

[Thursday 4th wk.  in O.T.  February 5, 2026]

Sober, but with sandals

(Mk 6:7-13)

And I and You

Truth is not at all what I have. It is not at all what you have. It is what unites us in suffering, in joy. It is what unites us in our union, in the pain and pleasure we give birth to. Neither I nor You. And me and You. Our common work, permanent amazement. Its name is Wisdom.

(Irénée Guilane Dioh)

Mk wrote his Gospel for the Roman communities, at a time when they seemed to have no future. Yet, they lived through this trying situation without shouting.

Nero began persecuting the small fraternities in 64. The following year, the Jewish revolt broke out. In the short period of the four Caesars, civil war reached its peak in Rome. In 70 Jerusalem was razed to the ground.

The passage from Nazareth - painful for Jesus himself - and the description of the sending of the disciples, was intended to be a support and light for the believers.

The Son of God [and in him anyone who authentically witnesses to him] is rejected by his own people, and what used to be his country is now no more.

This is not to be discouraged: conflicts force one to come face to face with new ways of being.

Despite the difficulties that in themselves would only create emotional traps, any situation is not without an orientation and precious horizons of new lightness, of the possibility of surrender that brings one back to life; above all, of true Communion.

In the relationship with the Father and circumstances, no one gets by on his own, perhaps by centring existence on goals and only on himself - or by changing residence (v.10) and then seeking excessive means to establish himself [under the pretext of effectiveness].

The witness of Christ is profound, and relational to the point of coexistence (even more than day-by-day); not individualistic: to be approached by showing reciprocity, a capacity for non-alienating exchange - at least between two (v.7).

It is in the face of a travelling companion that opposites are recognised [the same poles that inhabit each soul, in secret...].

The goal, then, cannot be pursued if the head remains disintegrated by the opinions around it, and the desire devoid of any principle of transforming relations - an expression of the Covenant that still arouses collaboration, a spirit of fraternity, a path.

Therefore 'model', 'principle' of analysis and prognosis for the solution of problems, and for a future of coexistence; through a completion of 'opposite sides' recognised in themselves [through micro-relationships].

In all religions, the ideal of perfection is the attainment of one's own purification, advancement, balance.

But this is not enough for us to proclaim that the Kingdom has come! It is the fruit of craftsmanship, of a journey carried out as in stages and attempts; of Love, in the Exodus.

In this way, the Risen One has invested us with a quiet but irresistible and evident force: his efficacious Word.

Word that in us becomes lucidity, charge, impetus, the ability to listen [which puts us back on our feet; at the same time, it enables us to handle things]: a compassionate power never seen before.

The proposal of the Gospels presupposes a spirit of sobriety, risk, royal empathy: this is how we evangelise environments, transmitting passion for life and annihilating the forces of death that alienate our neighbour.

By trusting in hospitality and sharing, the new missionaries finally disregard the norms of religious purity (v.8) and show a different access to the same purity, to relationships, to intimacy with the Father.

Thus, essential ingredients for building community elsewhere [and everywhere] are: contentment and renouncing ambition, sharing even in culture [giving space to all insights], familiarity in normal work and compensation; welcoming the excluded.

As in the Semitic community mentality, the new 'envoys' must make themselves the next brothers, defenders and redeemers (Go'el) of the marginalised. In this sense, we too personify the Christ figure in history and contexts.

By protecting the wretched and needy (v.13), we unfold the teaching and work of Jesus, who had done so much to stem the disintegration of community life - at that time marred by political, economic and religious servility.

The witnesses have eyes unclouded by habitual thinking: they see the divine in the soul of the seemingly summary human.

Thus - avoiding the ambiguity of riches - God's children would not have nurtured the instinct of domination over others.

Not everyone feels the call to voluntary renunciation, but each must ask himself whether material goods generate the false security and [in fact] slavery that then blocks the inclination to service.

Unfortunately, those who are friends of triumphalism and possess in excess, easily lack the main thing, which is characteristic of credibility: trust in Providence - the only spirit that does not vitiate the situation. 

All the Founders had the same concern as the Lord: not to contradict what was being proclaimed, and to have a free heart.

The Kingdom of God is made present in sobriety more than in abundance, and in the spirit of friendship more than in distinction: this is the new teaching of the Faith, compared to widespread beliefs.

In a situation almost three centuries later, which was rapidly beginning to deteriorate, Hilary of Poitiers thus denounced the seductions of power towards church leaders - already established - to whom the ancient order willingly began to grant lavish privileges (in order to instrumentalise them):

"We do not have an anti-Christian emperor [Constantius II, son of Constantine I]; we used to be persecuted, but now we have to fight against an even more insidious persecutor, against an enemy who does not beat us but flatters us, does not scourge our backs but caresses our bellies; does not confiscate our goods, for then he would give us life, but enriches us, to give us death, to make us become evangelical counter-witnesses. He does not push us towards freedom by putting us in prison, but enslaves us, inviting us to the palace and filling us with honours. He does not strike our bodies, but takes possession of our hearts; he does not cut off our heads with the sword, but kills our souls with money'.

So much for the spirit of dispossession, preached outwardly or to subordinates only!

Commenting on the Tao Tê Ching (xx), Master Wang Pi acknowledges:

"The Tao, the nurturing mother, is the foundation of life. But all men put on one side the foundation that makes people live, and cherish the flourishes of the accessory and the tinsel'.

Jesus warns, lest we disprove him with our grasping, luxury-loving behaviour, ready both for deference and pandering to power games; performing at all costs, always scrambling for role and economic levels.

"I dream of a free and credible Church, a Church that is poor and for the poor!" - stressed Pope Francis immediately after his election as pontiff.

Of course, the Son of God dreams of a poor Church [not just 'of the poor'] - but an element of opulence for us he concedes, indeed he wants it: that we wear sandals (v.9); at that time in Rome a sign of freedom and dignity not begging).

Yes, because we must rediscover the human - and walk a lot.

To internalise and live the message:

How do you participate in the Mission of Jesus and the disciples? How can you avoid cultural, doctrinal or charismatic closures (already all designed-regulated), and live the universality of the new humanisation?