Bless you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have kept these things hidden from the wise and the learned and revealed them to the little ones...". (Mt 11:25).

This phrase from the Gospel of today's Sunday in July comes to mind, dear brothers and sisters, as we have gathered for the recitation of the Angelus.

Mary is the one to whom the most was revealed, at the moment when the Angel of the Lord appeared before her, announcing: "Behold, you will conceive a son, you will give birth to him and you will call his name Jesus" (Lk 1:31).

She was the first to receive this Truth that transforms the world..., a Truth so often hidden "from the wise and intelligent" of this world... And She, Mary of Nazareth, accepts it with the greatest simplicity of spirit and, therefore, in the most authentic fullness.

As we gather for the Angelus prayer, let us continually open our hearts to the same Divine Truth with such simplicity! May it come to us again and again, in the different places and circumstances of life, whether at work or at rest, as now at holiday time.

May this Divine Truth allow us to build everywhere and daily the life to which we have been called in Christ...: may we repeat with Christ: "I bless you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth". Such fruit of the Angelus prayer I invoke both for you, dear brothers and sisters, and for me.

2. Then I pray for you, for each one of you, and for me, that the words that Jesus addresses in today's liturgy to all those who are "weary and oppressed", let us say: suffering, may be fulfilled upon us.

Behold, he says: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, who am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is soft and my burden light" (Mt 11:29-30).

For the fulfilment of these sacred words upon myself, particularly in the present period of my life, and also upon many, many of my brothers and sisters who are perhaps feeling their "sweet yoke" even more, I pray to Mary, Health of the Sick, / Mary, Refuge of Sinners / Comfort of the Afflicted, / Mary, Help of Christians / and I pray to all the saints.

[Pope John Paul II, Angelus 5 July 1981]

Learn from me (cf Mt 11:28-30)

During this Jubilee we have reflected many times on the fact that Jesus expresses himself with unique tenderness, a sign of God’s presence and goodness. Today we shall pause on a moving Gospel passage (cf. Mt 11:28-30), in which Jesus says: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest ... learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (vv. 28-29). The Lord’s invitation is surprising: He calls to follow Him people who are lowly and burdened by a difficult life; He calls to follow Him people who have many needs, and He promises them that in Him they will find rest and relief. The invitation is extended in the imperative form: “Come to me”, “take my yoke” and “learn from me”. If only all the world’s leaders could say this! Let us try to understand the meaning of these expressions.

The first imperative is “Come to me”. Addressing those who are weary and oppressed, Jesus presents himself as the Servant of the Lord described in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. The passage of Isaiah states: “The Lord has given me a disciple’s tongue, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word” (cf. 50:4). Among those who are weary of life, the Gospel also often includes the poor (cf. Mt 11:5) and the little ones (cf. Mt 18:6). This means those who cannot rely on their own means, nor on important friendships. They can only trust in God. Conscious of their humble and wretched condition, they know that they depend on the Lord’s mercy, awaiting from Him the only help possible. At last, in Jesus’ invitation they find the response they have been waiting for. Becoming his disciples they receive the promise of finding rest for all their life. It is a promise that at the end of the Gospel is extended to all peoples: “Go therefore”, Jesus says to the Apostles, “and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19). Accepting the invitation to celebrate this year of grace of the Jubilee, throughout the world pilgrims are passing through the Door of Mercy open in cathedrals and shrines, in so many churches of the world, in hospitals, in prisons. Why do they pass through this Door of Mercy? To find Jesus, to find Jesus’ friendship, to find the rest that Jesus alone gives.

This journey expresses the conversion of each disciple who follows Jesus. Conversion always consists in discovering the Lord’s mercy. It is infinite and inexhaustible: the Lord’s mercy is immense! Thus, passing through the Holy Door, we profess “that love is present in the world and that this love is more powerful than any kind of evil in which individuals, humanity, or the world are involved” (John Paul II, Encyclical Dives in Misericordia, n. 7). 

The second imperative states: “Take my yoke”. In the context of the Covenant, biblical tradition uses the image of the yoke to indicate the close bond that links the people to God and, as a result, the submission to his will expressed in the Law. Debating with the scribes and the doctors of the Law, Jesus places upon his disciples his yoke, in which the Law is fulfilled. He wants to teach them that they will discover God’s will through Him personally: through Jesus, not through the cold laws and prescriptions that Jesus himself condemns. Just read Chapter 23 of Matthew! He is at the centre of their relationship with God, He is at the heart of the relations among the disciples and sets himself as the fulcrum of each one’s life. Thus, receiving “Jesus’ yoke”, each disciple enters into communion with Him and participates in the mystery of his Cross and in his destiny of salvation.

The third imperative follows: “Learn from me”. Jesus proposes to his disciples a journey of knowledge and of imitation. Jesus is not a severe master who imposes upon others burdens which He does not bear: this was the accusation He directed at the doctors of the Law. He addresses the humble, the little ones, the poor, the needy, for He made himself little and humble. He understands the poor and the suffering because He himself is poor and tried by pain. In order to save humanity Jesus did not undertake an easy path; on the contrary, his journey was painful and difficult. As the Letter to the Philippians recalls: “he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (2:8). The yoke which the poor and the oppressed bear is the same yoke that He bore before them: for this reason the yoke is light. He took upon his shoulders the pain and the sins of the whole of humanity. For a disciple, therefore, receiving Jesus’ yoke means receiving his revelation and accepting it: in Him God’s mercy takes on mankind’s poverty, thus giving the possibility of salvation to everyone. Why is Jesus able to say these things? Because He became all things to everyone, close to all, to the poorest! He was a shepherd among the people, among the poor. He worked every day with them. Jesus was not a prince. It is bad for the Church when pastors become princes, separated from the people, far from the poorest: that is not the spirit of Jesus. Jesus rebuked these pastors, and Jesus spoke about them to the people: “do as they say, not as they do”.

Dear brothers and sisters, for us too there are moments of weariness and disillusion. Thus let us remember these words of the Lord, which give us so much consolation and allow us to understand whether we are placing our energy at the service of the good. Indeed, at times our weariness is caused by placing trust in things that are not essential, because we have distanced ourselves from what really matters in life. The Lord teaches us not to be afraid to follow Him, because the hope that we place in Him will never disappoint. Thus, we are called to learn from Him what it means to live on mercy so as to be instruments of mercy. Live on mercy so as to be instruments of mercy: live on mercy and feel needful of Jesus’ mercy, and when we feel in need of forgiveness, of consolation, let us learn to be merciful to others. Keeping our gaze fixed on the Son of God allows us to understand how far we still have to go; but at the same time it instills us with the joy of knowing that we are walking with Him and we are never alone. Have courage, therefore, have courage! Let us not be robbed of the joy of being the Lord’s disciples. “But, Father, I am a sinner, what can I do?” — “Let yourself be gazed upon by the Lord, open your heart, feel his gaze upon you, his mercy, and your heart will be filled with joy, with the joy of forgiveness, if you draw near to ask for forgiveness”. Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the hope of living this life together with Him and with the strength of his consolation. Thank you.

[Pope Francis, General Audience 14 September 2016]

Value of imperfect uniqueness

(Mt 18:12-14)

Jesus is careful not to propose a dictated or planned universalism, as if His were an ideal model, «to make everyone uniform» [FT n.100].

The kind of Communion that the Lord proposes to us doesn’t aim at «one-dimensional uniformity that seeks to eliminate all differences and traditions in a superficial quest for unity».

Because «the future is not monochrome; if we are courageous, we can contemplate it in all the variety and diversity of what each individual person has to offer. How much our human family needs to learn to live together in harmony and peace, without all of us having to be the same!».

In the Son, God is revealed no longer as exclusive property, but the Power of a Love that forgives the marginalized and lost: Force that saves and creates, liberating.

It seems an impossible utopia to realize concretely (today of the global crisis) but it’s the meaning of the handover to the Church, called to become an incessant goad of Infinity and leaven of an alternative world, for integral human development.

As the encyclical Fratelli Tutti [Brothers All] emphasizes: Jesus - our Engine and Motive - «had an open heart, sensitive to the difficulties of others» [n.84].

In this way, through an absurd question (rhetorically formulated), Jesus wants to arouse the conscience of the "righteous": there is a side of us that supposes of ourselves, very dangerous because it leads to exclusion and abandonment.

Instead, inexhaustible Love seeks. And finds the imperfect and restless.

The swamp of stagnant energy that is generated by accentuating borders does not make anyone grow: it freezes us in the usual positions and lets everyone arrange or get lost. For an interested disinterest - that impoverishes everyone.

All this brings the creative virtues fall into despair.

Instead, God is in search of the one who wanders unsteadily, easily disoriented, loses his way. 

Sinner and yet true, therefore more disposed to genuine Love. For this reason the Father is looking for the insufficient.

The person so clear and spontaneous - albeit weak - hides his best part and vocation richness right behind the apparently detestable sides. Maybe those he himself does not appreciate.

This is the principle of Redemption that astounds and makes interesting our paths often distracted, led with a snuff, as "to attempt and error" - in the Faith generating however self-esteem, credit, fullness and joy.

Jesus, in short, does not come to point the finger at the 'bad moments', but to make up for those very 'moments not', by leveraging intimate involvement.

This is the style of a Church with a Heart sacred, amiable, elevated and blessed.

[Tuesday 2nd wk. in Advent, December 10, 2024]

Value of imperfect uniqueness

(Mt 18:12-14)

The change of course and destiny of the Kingdom. A God in search of the lost and unequal, to expand our life. Christology of the Pallium, power of caresses, joyful energy (in dissociation).

Says the Tao Tê Ching (x): "Preserve the One by dwelling in the two souls: are you able to keep them apart?"

Even in the spiritual journey, Jesus is careful not to propose a dictated or planned universalism, as if his were an ideal model, "for the purpose of homogenisation" [Fratelli Tutti n.100].

The type of Communion that the Lord proposes to us does not aim at "a one-dimensional uniformity that seeks to eliminate all differences and traditions in a superficial search for unity".

Because "the future is not 'monochromatic' but if we have the courage it is possible to look at it in the variety and diversity of the contributions that each one can make. How much our human family needs to learn to live together in harmony and peace without us all being equal!" [from an Address to Young People in Tokyo, November 2019].

Although the piety and hope of the representatives of official religiosity was founded on a structure of human, ethnic, cultural securities and a vision of the Mystery consolidated by a great tradition, Jesus crumbles all predictability.

In the Son, God is revealed no longer as exclusive property, but as the Power of Love that forgives the marginalised and lost: saving and creating, liberating. And through the disciples, he unfolds his Face that recovers, breaks down the usual barriers, calls out to miserable multitudes.

It seems an impossible utopia to realise in the concrete (today of the health and global crisis) but it is the sense of the handover to the Church, called to become an incessant prod of the Infinite and ferment of an alternative world, for integral human development:

"Let us dream as one humanity, as wayfarers made of the same human flesh, as children of this same earth that hosts us all, each with the richness of his faith or convictions, each with his own voice, all brothers!" [FT No.8].

Through an absurd question (rhetorically formulated) Jesus wants to awaken the conscience of the 'just': there is a counterpart of us that supposes of itself, very dangerous, because it leads to exclusion, to abandonment.

Instead, inexhaustible Love seeks. And it finds the imperfect and restless.

The swamp of stagnant energy that is generated by accentuating boundaries does not make anyone grow: it locks in the usual positions and leaves everyone to make do or lose themselves. Out of self-interested disinterest - that impoverishes everyone.

This causes the creative virtues to fall into despair.

It plunges those outside the circle of the elect - those who had nothing superior - into despair. Indeed, the evangelists portray them as utterly incapable of beaming with human joy at the progress of others.

Calculating, acting and conforming - the fundamentalist or overly sophisticated and disembodied leaders use religion as a weapon.

Instead, God is at the antipodes of the fake sterilised - or disembodied thinking - and seeking one who wanders shakily, easily becomes disoriented, loses his way. 

Sinful yet true, therefore more disposed to genuine Love. This is why the Father is searching for the insufficient.

The person who is so limpid and spontaneous - even if weak - hides his best side and vocational richness precisely behind the apparently detestable sides. Perhaps that he himself does not appreciate.

This is the principle of Redemption that astounds and makes interesting our often distracted paths, conducted by trial and error - in Faith, however, generating self-esteem, credit, fullness and joy.

The commitment of the purifier and the impetus of the reformer are 'trades' that seemingly oppose each other, but are easy... and typical of those who think that the things to be challenged and changed are always outside themselves.

For example, in mechanisms, in general rules, in the legal framework, in worldviews, in formal (or histrionic) aspects instead of the craft of the concrete particular good; and so on.

They seem to be excuses not to look inside oneself and get involved, not to meet one's deepest states in all aspects and not only in the guidelines. And to recover or cheer up individuals who are concretely lost, sad, in all dark and difficult sides.

But God is at the antipodes of sterilised mannerists or fake idealists, and in search of the insufficient: the one who wanders and loses his way. Sinful yet true, therefore more disposed to genuine Love.

The transparent and spontaneous person - even if weak - hides his or her best side and vocational richness precisely behind the apparently detestable aspects (perhaps which he or she does not appreciate).So let us ask for solutions to the mysterious, unpredictable interpersonal energies that come into play; from within things.

Without interfering with or opposing ideas of the past or future that we do not see. Rather by possessing its soul, its spontaneous drug.

This is the principle of Salvation that astounds and makes interesting our paths [often distracted, led by trial and error] - ultimately generating self-esteem, credit and joy.

The idea that the Most High is a notary or prince of a forum, and makes a clear distinction between righteous and transgressors, is caricature.

After all, a life of the saved is not one's own making, nor is it exclusive possession or private ownership - which turns into duplicity.

It is not the squeamish attitude, nor the cerebral attitude, that unites one to Him. The Father does not blandish suppliant friendships, nor does He have outside interests.

He rejoices with everyone, and it is need that draws Him to us. So let us not be afraid to let Him find us and bring us back (cf. Lk 15:5) to His house, which is our house.

If there is a loss, there will be a finding, and this is not a loss for anyone - except for the envious enemies of freedom (v.10).

For the LORD is not pleased with marginalisation, nor does he intend to extinguish the smoking lamp.

Jesus does not come to point the finger at the bad times, but to make up for them, by leveraging intimate involvement. Invincible force of faithfulness.

This is the style of a Church with a Sacred Heart, lovable, elevated and blessed.

[What attracts one to participate and express oneself is to feel understood, restored to full dignity - not condemned].

Carlo Carretto said: 'It is by feeling loved, not criticised, that man begins his journey of transformation'.

As the encyclical Fratelli Tutti emphasises again:

Jesus - our Engine and Motive - "had an open heart, which made the dramas of others its own" (n.84).

And he adds as an example of our great Tradition:

"People can develop certain attitudes that they present as moral values: fortitude, sobriety, industriousness and other virtues. But in order to properly direct the acts [...] we must also consider to what extent they realise a dynamism of openness and union [...] Otherwise we will only have appearances'.

"St Bonaventure explained that the other virtues, without charity, strictly speaking do not fulfil the commandments as God intends them" (n.91).

In sects or one-sidedly inspired groups, human and spiritual riches are deposited in a secluded place, so they grow old and debased.

In the assemblies of the sons, on the other hand, they are shared: they grow and communicate; by multiplying, they green up, for universal benefit.

To internalise and live the message:

What attracts you to the Church? In comparisons with the top of the class, do you feel judged or adequate?

Do you feel the Love that saves, even if you remain uncertain?

Christology of the Pallio: we are all carried by Christ

Humanity - all of us - is the lost sheep who, in the wilderness, can no longer find the way. The Son of God does not tolerate this; He cannot abandon humanity in such a miserable condition. He leaps up, abandons the glory of heaven, to find the sheep and chase it to the cross. He carries it on his shoulders, he carries our humanity, he carries ourselves - he is the good shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep. The pallium first of all says that we are all carried by Christ. But at the same time it invites us to carry one another. Thus the pallium becomes the symbol of the shepherd's mission, of which the second reading and the Gospel speak. The holy restlessness of Christ must animate the pastor: for him it is not indifferent that so many people live in the desert. And there are many forms of desert. There is the desert of poverty, the desert of hunger and thirst, there is the desert of abandonment, of loneliness, of destroyed love. There is the desert of the obscurity of God, of the emptying of souls with no more consciousness of man's dignity and journey. The outer deserts are multiplying in the world because the inner deserts have become so vast. Therefore the treasures of the earth are no longer at the service of building God's garden, in which all can live, but are enslaved to the powers of exploitation and destruction. The Church as a whole, and the Pastors in it, like Christ must set out, to lead men out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, towards the One who gives us life, life in its fullness.

[Pope Benedict, homily at the beginning of the Petrine ministry 24 April 2005].

Power of caresses. One is unique

The "joyful announcement of Christmas" is that "the Lord comes with his power", but above all that that power "is his caresses", his "tenderness". A tenderness that, like the good shepherd with the sheep, is for each one of us: God never forgets any one of us, not even if we were tragically 'lost' as happened to Judas who, lost in his 'inner darkness', is in some way the prototype, the 'icon' of the sheep in the Gospel parable.

In the homily of the Mass celebrated at Santa Marta on Tuesday, 6 December, Pope Francis went to the heart of this "joyful announcement" before which, the liturgy of the day reads, we are called to "sincere exultation". And "before Christmas," the Pontiff said, "let us ask for this grace of receiving this glad tidings with sincere exultation and of rejoicing," but also "of allowing the Lord to console us". Why, he asked, does the liturgy also speak of consolation? Because, was his answer, 'the Lord comes and when the Lord comes he touches the soul with these feelings'. For 'he comes as a judge, yes, but a judge who caresses, a judge who is full of tenderness' and 'does everything to save us'. God, he continued, 'judges with love, so much so that he sent his son, and John emphasises: not to judge but to save, not to condemn but to save'. Therefore "always God's judgement leads us to this hope of being saved".

Going deeper into his meditation, the Pope took as a reference the gospel of the day, in which Matthew (18:12-14) speaks of the good shepherd. This judge "who caresses" and who comes "to save", Francis said, has "the attitude of the shepherd: 'What do you think? If one of his sheep goes astray, will he not leave the 99 on the mountains and go and look for the one that has gone astray?"'. Even the Lord, when he comes, "does not say, 'But, I do the math and I lose one, 99.... Is reasonable...'. No, no. One is unique'. For the shepherd does not simply possess 99 sheep, but 'has one, one, one, one...': that is, 'each one is different'. And he "loves each one personally. He does not love the indistinct mass. No! He loves us by name, he loves us as we are'.

Following the thread of the analogy, the Pontiff explained that that lost sheep the shepherd "knew her well", she was not lost, she "knew the way well": she was lost "because her heart was lost, her heart was sick. She was blinded by something inside and, moved by that inner dissociation, she fled into the dark to let off steam'. But 'it was not a girlish act that she did.... She ran away: an escape precisely to get away from the Lord, to satiate that inner darkness that led her to the double life', to 'being in the flock and running away from the dark, in the dark'. And here is the consoling message: 'The Lord knows these things and he goes to look for her'.

It was at this point that Pope Francis introduced another element into his meditation: 'For me, the figure that most makes me understand the Lord's attitude with the lost sheep is the Lord's attitude with Judas. The most perfect lost sheep in the Gospel is Judas'. In fact, the Pontiff recalled, he is 'a man who always, always had something bitter in his heart, something to criticise about others, always in detachment': a man who did not know 'the sweetness of gratuitousness of living with all others'. And since this 'sheep' 'was not satisfied', he 'ran away'.

Judas, said the Pope, 'ran away because he was a thief', others 'are lustful' and likewise 'run away because there is that darkness in the heart that separates them from the flock'. We are faced with "that double life" that is "of so many Christians" and also - he added "with pain" - of "priests" and "bishops". After all, even 'Judas was a bishop, he was one of the first bishops...'.

So even Judas is a "lost sheep", Francis concluded, adding: "Poor guy! Poor this brother Judas as Don Mazzolari called him, in that very beautiful sermon: "Brother Judas, what is going on in your heart?"".

This is a reality to which even today's Christians are no strangers. Therefore 'we too must understand the lost sheep'. Indeed, the Pope emphasised, 'we too always have something, little or not so little, of the lost sheep'. We must therefore understand that 'it is not a mistake that the lost sheep has made: it is a sickness, it is a sickness that he had in his heart' and of which the devil takes advantage. Resuming the comparison used earlier, the Pontiff retraced the last moments of Judas' life: "when he went to the temple to lead a double life", when he gave "the kiss to the Lord in the garden", and then "the coins he received from the priests...". And he commented: 'it's not a mistake. He did it... He was in the dark! His heart was divided, dissociated. "Judas, Judas...". Therefore it can be said that he 'is the icon of the lost sheep'.

Jesus, "the shepherd, goes to find him: 'Do what you have to do, man', and kisses him". But Judas "does not understand". And in the end, when he realises "what his own double life has done in the community, the evil he has sown, with his inner darkness, which led him to always run away, looking for lights that were not the light of the Lord" but "artificial lights", like those of the "Christmas decorations", when he understands all this, in the end "he became desperate". And this is what happens 'if the lost sheep do not accept the Lord's caresses'.

But there is yet another level of depth to which the Pope's reflection descended. Pointing out that 'the Lord is good, even for these sheep' and 'never stops looking for them', he highlighted a word that we find in the Bible, 'a word that says that Judas hanged himself, hanged himself and "repented"'. And he commented: 'I believe that the Lord will take that word and bring it with him, I don't know, maybe, but that word makes us doubt'. Above all, he emphasised: "But what does that word mean? That until the end God's love was working in that soul, until the moment of despair'. And it is precisely this, he said, closing the circle of his reflection, 'the attitude of the good shepherd with the lost sheep'.

Here then is 'the proclamation' spoken of at the beginning of the homily, 'the happy proclamation that Christmas brings us and that asks us for this sincere rejoicing that changes the heart, that leads us to allow ourselves to be consoled by the Lord and not by the consolations that we go in search of to let off steam, to escape from reality, to escape from inner torture, from inner division'. The "glad tidings", the "sincere rejoicing", the "consolation", the "rejoicing in the Lord" spring from the fact that "the Lord comes with his power. And what is the power of the Lord? The caresses of the Lord!" It is like the good shepherd who "when he found the lost sheep, he did not insult it, no", on the contrary, he must have said to it: "But have you done so much wrong? Come, come...'. And similarly, "in the garden of olives" what did he say to the "lost sheep", Judas? He called him "friend. Always the caresses'.

Faced with all this, the Pope said at this point: 'Whoever does not know the caresses of the Lord does not know Christian doctrine. Whoever does not allow himself to be caressed by the Lord is lost'. And it is precisely "this is the glad tidings, this is the sincere exultation that we want today. This is the joy, this is the consolation we seek: that the Lord comes with his power, which are caresses, to find us, to save us, like the lost sheep, and to bring us into the flock of his Church'.

The conclusion was, as usual, a prayer: "May the Lord give us this grace, to wait for Christmas with our wounds, with our sins, sincerely acknowledged, to wait for the power of this God who comes to console us, who comes with power, but his power is tenderness, the caresses that are born from his heart, his heart so good that he gave his life for us."

[Pope Francis, St. Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano 07/12/2016]

The human race – every one of us – is the sheep lost in the desert which no longer knows the way. The Son of God will not let this happen; he cannot abandon humanity in so wretched a condition. He leaps to his feet and abandons the glory of heaven, in order to go in search of the sheep and pursue it, all the way to the Cross. He takes it upon his shoulders and carries our humanity; he carries us all – he is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. What the Pallium indicates first and foremost is that we are all carried by Christ. But at the same time it invites us to carry one another. Hence the Pallium becomes a symbol of the shepherd’s mission, of which the Second Reading and the Gospel speak. The pastor must be inspired by Christ’s holy zeal: for him it is not a matter of indifference that so many people are living in the desert. And there are so many kinds of desert. There is the desert of poverty, the desert of hunger and thirst, the desert of abandonment, of loneliness, of destroyed love. There is the desert of God’s darkness, the emptiness of souls no longer aware of their dignity or the goal of human life. The external deserts in the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast. Therefore the earth’s treasures no longer serve to build God’s garden for all to live in, but they have been made to serve the powers of exploitation and destruction. The Church as a whole and all her Pastors, like Christ, must set out to lead people out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, towards the One who gives us life, and life in abundance.

[Pope Benedict, homily at the beginning of the Petrine ministry 24 April 2005]

The Old Testament already usually speaks of God as the Shepherd of Israel, the people of the covenant, chosen by him to carry out the plan of salvation. Psalm 22 is a marvellous hymn to the Lord, the Shepherd of our soul:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; / he makes me lie down in green pastures, / he leads me beside still waters, / he restores my soul. / He leads me in paths of righteousness... / Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, / I fear no evil; / for thou art with me..." (Ps 22:1-3).

The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel often return to the subject of the people as "the Lord's flock": "Behold your God!... He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms..." (Is 40:11). Above all, they announce the Messiah as a Shepherd who will really feed his sheep and not let them go astray any more: "I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd..." (Ez 34: 23).

This sweet and moving figure of the shepherd is a familiar one in the Gospel. Even if times have changed owing to industrialization and urbanism, it always keeps its fascination and effectiveness; and we all remember the touching and poetic parable of the Good Shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep (Lk 15:3-7).

In the early times of the Church, Christian iconography used a great deal and developed this subject of the Good Shepherd, whose image often appears, painted or sculpted, in the catacombs, sarcophagi and baptismal fonts. This iconography, so interesting and reverent, testifies to us that, right from the early times of the Church, Jesus "the Good Shepherd" struck and moved the hearts of believers and non-believers, and was a cause of conversion, spiritual commitment and comfort. Well, Jesus "the Good Shepherd" is still alive and true today in our midst, in the midst of the whole of mankind, and he wants to let each of us hear his voice and feel his love.

1) What does it mean to be the Good Shepherd?

Jesus explains it to us with convincing clearness.

— The shepherd knows his sheep and the sheep know him. How wonderful and consoling it is to know that Jesus knows us one by one; that for him we are not anonymous persons; that our name—that name which is agreed upon by loving parents and friends—is known to him! For Jesus we are not a "mass", a "multitude"! We are individual "persons" with an eternal value, both as creatures and as re-deemed persons! He knows us! He knows me, and loves me and gave himself for me! (Gal 2:20).

[...]

(Pope John Paul II, homily 6 May 1979)

We are all familiar with the image of the Good Shepherd with the little lost lamb on his shoulders. This icon has always been an expression of Jesus’ care for sinners and of the mercy of God who never resigns himself to the loss of anyone. The parable is told by Jesus to make us understand that his closeness to sinners should not scandalize us, but on the contrary it should call us all to serious reflection on how we live our faith. The narrative sees, on the one hand, the sinners who approach Jesus in order to listen to him and, on the other, the suspicious doctors of the law and scribes who move away from him because of his behaviour. They move away because Jesus approaches the sinners. These men were proud, arrogant, believed themselves to be just. 

Our parable unfolds around three characters: the shepherd, the lost sheep and the rest of the flock. The one who acts, however, is only the shepherd not the sheep. The Shepherd, then, is the only real protagonist and everything depends on him. The parable opens with a question: “"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it?” (Lk 15:4). It is a paradox that arouses doubt about the action of the Shepherd: is it wise to abandon the ninety-nine for one single sheep? And what’s more, not in the safety of a pen but in the desert? According to biblical tradition, the desert is a place of death where it is hard to find food and water, shelterless and where one is at the mercy of wild beasts and thieves. What are the ninety-nine defenseless sheep supposed to do? The paradox continues, in any case, saying that the shepherd, having found the sheep, “lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me’” (15:5-6). It seems then that the shepherd didn’t go back to the desert to recover the rest of the flock! Reaching out to that single sheep he seems to forget the other ninety-nine. But it’s not like that really. The lesson that Jesus wants us to learn is, rather, that not a single one of us can be lost. The Lord cannot accept the fact that a single person can be lost. God’s action is that of one who goes out seeking his lost children and then rejoices and celebrates with everyone at their recovery. It is a burning desire: not even ninety-nine sheep could stop the shepherd and keep him enclosed in the fold. He might reason like this: “Let me do the sum: If I have ninety-nine of them, I have lost one, but that’s no great loss”. Nevertheless, he goes looking for that one, because every one is very important to him and that one is in the most need, is the most abandoned, most discarded; and he goes to look for it. We are all warned: mercy to sinners is the style with which God acts and to this mercy he is absolutely faithful: nothing and no one can distract him from his saving will. God does not share our current throw-away culture; it doesn’t count to God. God throws no one away; God loves everyone, looks for everyone: one by one! He doesn’t know what “throwing people away” means, because he is entirely love, entirely mercy. 

The Lord’s flock is always on the move: it does not possess the Lord, it cannot hope to imprison him in its structures and strategies. The Shepherd will be found wherever the lost sheep is. The Lord, then, should be sought precisely where he wants to find us, not where we presume to find him! There is no other way to reassemble the flock except by following the path outlined by the mercy of the shepherd. While he is looking for the lost sheep, he challenges the ninety-nine to participate in the reunification of the flock. Then, not only the lamb on his shoulders, but the whole flock will follow the shepherd to his home to celebrate with “friends and neighbours”.

We should reflect on this parable often, for in the Christian community there is always someone who is missing and if that person is gone, a place is left empty. Sometimes this is daunting and leads us to believe that a loss is inevitable, like an incurable disease. That is how we run the risk of shutting ourselves in the pen, where there won’t be the odour of the sheep but the stench of enclosure! And Christians? We must not be closed in or we will smell like stale things. Never! We need to go forth, not close in on ourselves, in our little communities, in the parish, holding ourselves to be “righteous”. This happens when there is a lack of the missionary zeal that leads us to encounter others. In Jesus’ vision there are no sheep that are definitively lost, but only sheep that must be found again. We need to understand this well: to God no one is definitively lost. Never! To the last moment, God is searching for us. Think of the good thief; only in the eyes of Jesus no one is definitively lost. For his perspective if entirely dynamic, open, challenging and creative. It urges us to go forth in search of a path to brotherhood. No distance can keep the shepherd away; and no flock can renounce a brother. To find the one who is lost is the joy of the shepherd and of God, but it is also the joy of the flock as a whole! We are all sheep who have been retrieved and brought back by the mercy of the Lord, and we are called to gather the whole flock to the Lord! 

[Pope Francis, General Audience 4 May 2016]

The Immaculate Conception. God bless us and may the Virgin protect us!  

Next Sunday we will celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Today I am only posting some testimonies on the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, while the day after tomorrow I will post, as usual, the commentary on the biblical texts of the liturgy of the Solemnity. You will find here today some testimonies on the dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Latin Catholic theologians, Eastern Catholic theologians, Orthodox theologians and also converts. I add at the end, simply for information, the testimony of a Muslim Sufi theologian to understand what role Mary plays for Islam. I will add in conclusion how many dogmas the Catholic Church has on Mary and what they are. 

1. Testimonies of theologians, saints and converts.

*St. Bonaventure, one of the most important Franciscan theologians, wrote that Mary was preserved from sin to be the 'worthy dwelling place' of Christ. Although he did not live when the dogma was formalised (1854), his view anticipates the logic of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. He says that since Mary was chosen to be Mother of God, God preserved her from original sin from the first moment of her existence.

* Blessed John Duns Scotus, another 13th century Franciscan theologian, is one of the best known defenders of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, which would later be proclaimed dogma by Pius IX in 1854. Scotus introduced the concept of 'preventive redemption'. According to Duns Scotus, Mary was preserved from original sin in anticipation of Christ's merits on the cross. In other words, although Mary was saved like all other human beings, she was saved before she fell into sin, precisely because of the unique role she would play as the Mother of God. This is often summed up in the phrase: 'Potuit, decuit, ergo fecit' ('God could do it, it was convenient to do it, therefore he did it').

*St. Maximilian Kolbe is one of the saints who made the dogma of the Immaculate Conception accessible and understandable through his deep Marian devotion. He linked Mary to the Holy Spirit, calling her: "The Immaculate Conception is the Bride of the Holy Spirit."

Kolbe saw Mary as the perfect reflection of God's purity and love. Her immaculacy was necessary so that she could receive Christ without any shadow of sin. According to Kolbe, Mary, in her absolute purity, is the model of holiness for the entire Church.

*St. John Paul II explained the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in a pastoral and accessible way, relating Mary to redeemed humanity. During a homily for the Immaculate Conception (8 December 1982), he said, "In Mary Immaculate we see the fulfilment of Christ's redemption, who not only freed humanity from sin, but also preserved Mary from sin from the beginning." For John Paul II, the dogma is not only a theological mystery, but also a message of hope: Mary is proof that God's grace can completely transform human life.

In conclusion: Among theologians, Blessed Duns Scotus provided one of the most elegant and fundamental explanations of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception with the theory of preventive redemption. However, for a more spiritual and pastoral vision, St Maximilian Kolbe and St John Paul II offer understandable and devotionally rich reflections, making the profound meaning of Mary as 'the Immaculate' accessible to all.

*Of the Eastern theologians, the one who has written particularly beautifully and profoundly on the Immaculate Conception of Mary is St John Damascene (675-749), one of the greatest Fathers of the Eastern Church. Although the dogma of the Immaculate Conception would not be officially defined by the Catholic Church until 1854, St. John Damascene anticipated with his thought many elements that would be fundamental to the understanding of this mystery. St. John Damascene, in his 'Discourse on the Nativity of Mary', celebrates Mary's unique purity and holiness from the moment of her conception. He describes Mary as the 'All Holy' (Panagia), the living temple of God, the pristine tabernacle chosen to house the Incarnate Word. According to Damascene, Mary was preserved from all stain of sin in order to be worthy Mother of God (Theotókos). Here is a particularly significant passage of his thought: 'Today human nature receives the first fruits of its glorification. The Virgin, the pure and immaculate dwelling place of the God of all purity, is brought into the light." Although he does not therefore explicitly develop the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception as it would later be defined, John Damascene emphasises Mary's original and extraordinary holiness, which is central to Eastern reflection on the Mother of God.*The Orthodox Church does not accept the doctrine of Mary's Immaculate Conception as it is understood and formulated by the Catholic Church (i.e. that Mary was preserved from original sin from the first moment of her conception), but it is worth knowing how many Orthodox theologians have reflected deeply on Mary's holiness and her unique purity, albeit with a different emphasis than Catholic theology. There is certainly a difference in perspective between Catholics and Orthodox because for the Catholic Church, the Immaculate Conception is about preservation from original sin, whereas 

for the Orthodox Church, Mary is venerated as Panagia (All Holy), but without the need to postulate a preservation from original sin as defined in the West. Rather, the Orthodox emphasise Mary's progressive divinisation (theosis) through her free cooperation with God's grace.

Here are some Orthodox texts on Mary's purity. One of the most profound Orthodox theologians who have written on Mary's holiness and purity is St Nicholas Cabasilas (14th century). In his commentary on the life of the Virgin Mary, he states, "The Virgin, from the first moment of her existence, began to participate in a unique way in the holiness of God, growing more and more in it until she became the living Temple of the Word."

St Gregory Palamas (1296-1359), a great hesychast theologian, also wrote significantly on Mary's purity. He emphasises her progressive sanctification and the special action of the Holy Spirit upon her: "The Mother of God was purified and sanctified more than any other creature, not only before her birth, but also in the course of her existence, until she became the living throne of God."In conclusion, even if the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is not accepted in Orthodox theology, many Orthodox Fathers and theologians have written profound texts on purity, holiness, and Mary's unique role in the plan of salvation. The difference is not in denying Mary's purity, but rather in the different understanding of original sin and sanctification.

*I also present some writers and theologians converted to Catholicism who have written profound and inspired pages on Mary's Immaculate Conception, capturing the theological and spiritual beauty of this dogma. Prominent among them are names of great significance for their literary and theological contributions. First, John Henry Newman (1801-1890), a convert from Anglicanism who later became a cardinal and was canonised by Pope Francis in 2019. He devoted intense reflections to Mary, even though he initially found it difficult to accept the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. In time, Newman realised that this truth was perfectly consistent with the doctrine of incarnation and redemption and wrote: "Mary was preserved from original sin not for herself, but for Christ, that she might be a pure and worthy tabernacle for the Son of God." In his famous essay 'Letter to Pusey', Newman clearly defends Marian devotion and the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) an English writer and apologist, converted to Catholicism from Anglicanism, did not directly write treatises on the Immaculate Conception, but a deep love and respect for the figure of Mary shines through in his works. In particular, Chesterton describes her as the model of humility and purity that is essential for understanding the Incarnation. In 'The Eternal Man', he writes: "Christianity has made the universe smaller to make a heart larger, and the world has found a Queen in the humility of the Virgin." Edith Stein (St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, 1891-1942), born Jewish, later a philosopher and disciple of Husserl, converted to Catholicism and became a Carmelite nun. In her spiritual and philosophical writings, she treated the figure of Mary as an example of purity, humility and total openness to God's will. Referring to the Immaculate Conception, she wrote: "Mary is the image of the perfectly redeemed creature: not only did she never sin, but she was preserved from the beginning, to be totally God's and the Mother of his Son." In his book 'Woman and her Vocation', he extols Mary's spiritual motherhood as the fruit of her immaculate purity. Louis Bouyer (1913-2004), a Lutheran pastor and later a Catholic theologian, Bouyer deepened Marian doctrine in his theological studies. In his book 'The Throne of Wisdom', he explores Mary's role in God's salvific plan, emphasising how the Immaculate Conception is the first step in the new creation: 'Mary was conceived by God as the fulfilment of ancient Israel and the dawn of the new humanity, without blemish, to welcome the Word who became flesh."

Jacques Maritain (1882-1973), a French philosopher who converted from agnosticism to Catholicism, wrote about the Immaculate Conception emphasising its metaphysical and spiritual significance. In his book 'La Vie de la Grâce', Maritain defines Mary as the masterpiece of God's prevenient grace: "Mary is the woman redeemed in advance, the perfect image of man as God had conceived him before the fall."

*Mary is also venerated and loved in the Islamic religion with all the differences of a theological nature that must never be forgotten. It is worth knowing, however, although not related to the dogma of the Immaculate Conception but nevertheless concerning Mary, a particularly significant text on the figure of Mary (Maryam) in Islamic mysticism (tasawwuf), that of Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240), one of the greatest Sufis in Islamic history. In his masterpiece Futuhat al-Makkiyya (The Revelations of Mecca), Ibn 'Arabi dedicates profound reflections to Mary, recognised in Islam as a model of purity, obedience and closeness to God. Ibn 'Arabi describes Mary as one of the highest manifestations of female wilaya (holiness) and sees her as a symbol of the perfectly purified soul that welcomes the divine Word. He compares her to the prophets, attributing to her a unique spiritual role: 'Mary is the symbol of the Virgin of the Soul who, purified of all worldly contamination, becomes the place where the divine Word becomes incarnate. Just as Jesus (ʿĪsā) was born of Mary for the world, so divine knowledge is born in the soul that has been made pure." According to Ibn 'Arabi, Mary's motherhood is not only physical, but also spiritual. In her, the mystery of the union between heaven and earth, between the divine and the human, is fulfilled: "Mary represents the human being who, while remaining a creature, becomes the receptacle of the Word of God (Kalimatullah), welcoming in her heart the breath of the Holy Spirit (Ruh al-Qudus)."  Ibn 'Arabi emphasises that Mary's virginity is not just a physical fact, but a symbol of the inner purity required to receive the knowledge of God. Mary thus becomes the prototype of the human being who achieves spiritual perfection through complete submission to the divine will: "When the human soul is free from all attachment, it becomes like Mary: ready to conceive, in her virginal heart, the Word that comes from God."

For Sufis, Mary is the manifestation of one of the fundamental divine qualities: taharah (purity). She is worshipped not only for her physical motherhood, but for her spiritual role as an example of a perfect servant of God (abd Allah), who surrenders herself completely to the divine will: 'God chose Mary, purified her, and elected her above all the women of the world' (Qur'an 3:42). In this sense, Mary is not only the mother of Jesus, but also a guide for Sufi mystics who seek union with God through purity, humility and divine love. Ultimately, for Ibn 'Arabi and other Sufi mystics, Mary is not only a historical figure, but an eternal symbol of the possibility of each soul to become the place where God manifests Himself. Her life represents the inner journey towards knowledge, purity and union with the divine.

2. Finally, for the sake of completeness, I summarise the four dogmas of the Catholic Church concerning Mary 

1.Dogma of the Divine Maternity (Theotókos), Mary is Mother of God. It was proclaimed at the Council of Ephesus in 431 and this is the central sentence of the Council of Ephesus: "If anyone does not confess that Emmanuel is God and that therefore the Blessed Virgin is the Mother of God (Theotókos), let him be anathema; 

2.Dogma of Mary's perpetual virginity. Mary is always a virgin: before, during and after the birth of Jesus and the dogma was proclaimed and officially defined by the Lateran Council of 649, but believed from the earliest centuries. The central phrase of the dogma: "Mary conceived virginally, gave birth without corruption, and remained a perpetual virgin."

3.Dogma of the Immaculate Conception (Mary is without original sin). The dogma of the Immaculate Conception was defined on 8 December 1854 by Blessed Pope Pius IX with the papal bull 'Ineffabilis Deus'. The dogma proclaims that Mary, from the first instant of her conception, was preserved free from original sin, thanks to the merits of Jesus Christ. The dogmatic definition is found in the final part of the bull, and reads, "We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most blessed Virgin Mary, at the first instant of her conception, by the singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in anticipation of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original guilt, has been revealed by God and, therefore, must be firmly and constantly believed by all the faithful." 

*"First instant of her conception": Indicates that Mary was preserved from original sin from the moment she was conceived in the womb of her mother, St. Anne.

*"By singular grace and privilege": This special state of Mary is not by her own merit, but a free gift from God.

*'In anticipation of the merits of Jesus Christ': Mary was saved from sin not independently of Christ, but through the redemption wrought by her Son. It is a preventive redemption, unique in its kind.

*'Revealed by God': The dogma is based on a revealed truth, which has been believed by the Church throughout the centuries, although only formalised in 1854. Faith in the Immaculate Conception of Mary was already rooted in the tradition of the Church, especially in medieval theology and popular devotion. In 1854, Pope Pius IX wanted to officially proclaim this doctrine to strengthen the Catholic faith in an era marked by increasing challenges to Christianity. The dogma was admirably confirmed a few years later, in 1858, when the Virgin appeared to St Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, presenting herself with the words: "I am the Immaculate Conception." This event further strengthened the devotion and understanding of the dogma by the faithful.

4 Dogma of the Assumption of Mary. Mary was assumed in body and soul to the glory of heaven. It was proclaimed by Pope Pius XII in the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus on 1 November 1950. This is the central sentence of the dogma: "The Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed into heavenly glory in body and soul." At the end of her earthly life, Mary did not suffer corruption of the body, but was glorified in heaven. It is not specified whether she died or was directly assumed into eternal life.

+Giovanni D’Ercole

Religiosity and Faith: unusual crossroads of Tenderness

(Lk 5:17-26)

Jesus teaches and heals. He does not announce the Sovereign of religions, but a Father - attractive figure, who neither threatens nor punishes, but welcomes, dialogues, forgives and makes us grow.

The opposite of what the official guides conveyed, linked to the idea of an archaic, suspicious and prejudiced deity, which discriminated between friends and enemies.

God expresses himself not in oppressive forms, but in the way of the family and interhuman Covenant: He doesn’t enjoy the perfect, sterilized and pure, but offers to all his Love without requirements.

In fact, imperfection is not an expression of sin, and in any case sin is not an absolute force (v.21).

The Lord’s co-workers bring to Him all the paralytics, that is, those who are stuck and continue to stay in their stretchers - where perhaps those of the common opinion have laid them down.

They are people who in life do not seem to proceed either in the direction of the Eternal, nor go to others. They cannot even meet themselves.

Only personal contact with Christ can untie these vegetating corpses from their depressing pond.

God’s friends do everything to lead the needy to the Master, but sometimes they find themselves in front of a waterproof crowd, which does not allow a direct personal relationship (vv.18-19).

What to do? A dismantling action. Work pleasing to the Father - and which the Son evaluates as an expression of Faith (v.20)!

Faith that thinks and believes «an open world that makes room for everyone» [FT n.155].

The "synagogues" unbearable, on the contrary, promote a “binary division” (FT n.156) that attempts to ‘classify’.

In short, there are refractory clubs that claim to appropriate poor Jesus. Therefore their "headquarters" must be ‘uncovered and opened’ wide (v.19) - with extreme decision, in order not to make life pale.

We note that not the right stages, but only the unusual initiative overcomes the pond of the structures taken hostage - where you should just line up, wait for the turn, settle satisfied... and doze off.

The impetus for the demands of full, insightful life can and must overcome every sense of false collective compactness.

No sign of joy from the authorities (v.21) who only draw negative diagnoses - instead people are enthusiastic (v.26).

Lk’s passage makes us understand that the problem of the ‘paralytic’ is not his discomfort, the sense of oppression, the apparent misfortune.

These are not the ruptures in the relationship with life and with God.

On the contrary, the impediment becomes a paradoxical reason for seeking "therapy", and research of vis-à-vis.

The eccentric configurations - considered miserable - in fact contain secret doors, immense virtues, and the cure itself.

Even, they drive towards a new existence. They urge us, and "oblige" us to a personal relationship with our Lord. Almost looking for the Resemblance.

In short, we are called to choose in a very unusual way, compared to clichés.

And according to the Gospels the initiative of personal Faith is the decisive fork in the way - road of the impelling and universal desire to live completely.

Unusual crossroads of the Tenderness and Faith.

[Monday 2nd wk. in Advent, December 9, 2024]