Dec 3, 2025 Written by 

In the Kingdom of unobtrusive energy

The Great Baptizer, smaller than the Least

(Mt 11:11-15)

 

Throughout the history of Redemption, the Baptist has been a crossroads of radical, unexpected, diriment proposals.

But he did not reveal - like the Son - the depth of the Father's heart.

He believed that the work of the new prophets should do immediate, rough justice.

He dreamed of being able to recover the pristine nature and strength of antiquity, mending the ingredients of the religion of the fathers.

Everything, purifying and updating the great Temple - not supplanting it in its juridical-theological configuration.

According to Jesus, however, it remained radically deviant, because it was inclined to strength and incapable of appreciating fragility and insecurity.

The God of archaic beliefs disdained contradictions. He came to judge and chastise according to a cold code, as ideal as it was distant from each [even his own believers].

But a High Ruler who does not care about weak people or things he does not like, does not seem lovable.

The constant mortification of eccentricities that would make one great, demotivates.

Locked in armour that does not belong to us, we become sullen, enemies of life, instead of exceptional, unique, flourishing.

This is why Jesus announces the novelty of a Kingdom to be 'welcomed'.

Not to be set up in a sweat and prepared with effort, according to cultural, legalistic, external dictates, but precisely to be accommodated and included; because it disorients, oversteps the mark, astounds.

In this sense, John is inferior to any of the last of the last and burdenless (v.11) who comes to the threshold of communities to enjoy fraternal life.

Even the Baptizer's idea of the Messiah was not that of the Christ willing to embrace, reclaim, value and favour even the voiceless, or those distant considered unclean.

Our Master and Brother is a proponent of works of life [uniquely] with fullness of Happiness (vv.2-6), not of mortification or accusation.

For Jesus, the mikròi (v.11) - that is, the least, strangers and pitocchios - carry in their hearts and in the Kingdom the seed of the newness of the heavens ripped open forever.

Despite having little energy, they carry the dove of peace [Mt 3:16; Mk 1:10; Lk 3:22].

Icon of an energy that is no longer aggressive, although they suffer it (v.12) [cf. Lk 16:16].

And as Paul VI emphasised, at the price of a sons’ style, open to self-rethinking, crucifying - in the intimate virtue of reversal [Evangelii Nuntiandi 10].

The man of Faith will never be a belligerent prevaricator.

For this reason, to the distinct personality of the great and famous Saint of the desert and the Jordan, the Son of God can place before any inexperienced, new, limping, sinner, set free because regenerated.

This is the new era, where no longer is anyone pointed at and under siege.

The creative states of any ‘infant’ - out of the loop, but sensitive - are welcomed and awakened, rather than pulled to one side and silenced.

The real engine of the story is in a dedicated but open and quiet spontaneous, natural, innate power.

Whether in setbacks (even epochal ones) or in the pursuit of integral human development, or in the relentless search for peace, such a baptismal attitude knows how to start again from scratch.

It dissolves the real knots, it does not deprive existence of space, it does not impoverish situations.

 

 

[Thursday 2nd wk. in Advent, December 11, 2025]

4 Last modified on Wednesday, 03 December 2025 04:37
don Giuseppe Nespeca

Giuseppe Nespeca è architetto e sacerdote. Cultore della Sacra scrittura è autore della raccolta "Due Fuochi due Vie - Religione e Fede, Vangeli e Tao"; coautore del libro "Dialogo e Solstizio".

We cannot draw energy from a severe setting, contrary to the flowering of our precious uniqueness. New eyes are transmitted only by the one who is Friend. And Christ does it not when we are well placed or when we equip ourselves strongly - remaining in a managerial attitude - but in total listening
Non possiamo trarre energia da un’impostazione severa, contraria alla fioritura della nostra preziosa unicità. Gli occhi nuovi sono trasmessi solo da colui che è Amico. E Cristo lo fa non quando ci collochiamo bene o attrezziamo forte - permanendo in atteggiamento dirigista - bensì nell’ascolto totale
The Evangelists Matthew and Luke (cf. Mt 11:25-30 and Lk 10:21-22) have handed down to us a “jewel” of Jesus’ prayer that is often called the Cry of Exultation or the Cry of Messianic Exultation. It is a prayer of thanksgiving and praise [Pope Benedict]
Gli evangelisti Matteo e Luca (cfr Mt 11,25-30 e Lc 10,21-22) ci hanno tramandato un «gioiello» della preghiera di Gesù, che spesso viene chiamato Inno di giubilo o Inno di giubilo messianico. Si tratta di una preghiera di riconoscenza e di lode [Papa Benedetto]
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 (Pope Benedict)
L’umanità – noi tutti - è la pecora smarrita che, nel deserto, non trova più la strada. Il Figlio di Dio non tollera questo; Egli non può abbandonare l’umanità in una simile miserevole condizione. Balza in piedi, abbandona la gloria del cielo, per ritrovare la pecorella e inseguirla, fin sulla croce. La carica sulle sue spalle, porta la nostra umanità (Papa Benedetto)
"Too bad! What a pity!" “Sin! What a shame!” - it is said of a missed opportunity: it is the bending of the unicum that we are inside, which every day surrenders its exceptionality to the normalizing and prim outline of common opinion. Divine Appeal of every moment directed Mary's dreams and her innate knowledge - antechamber of her trust, elsewhere
“Peccato!” - si dice di una occasione persa: è la flessione dell’unicum che siamo dentro, che tutti i giorni cede la sua eccezionalità al contorno normalizzante e affettato dell’opinione comune. L’appello divino d’ogni istante orientava altrove i sogni di Maria e il suo sapere innato - anticamera della fiducia
It is a question of leaving behind the comfortable but misleading ways of the idols of this world: success at all costs; power to the detriment of the weak; the desire for wealth; pleasure at any price. And instead, preparing the way of the Lord: this does not take away our freedom (Pope Francis)
Si tratta di lasciare le strade, comode ma fuorvianti, degli idoli di questo mondo: il successo a tutti i costi, il potere a scapito dei più deboli, la sete di ricchezze, il piacere a qualsiasi prezzo. E di aprire invece la strada al Signore che viene: Egli non toglie la nostra libertà (Papa Francesco)
Inside each woman and man resides a volcano of potential energies which are not to be smothered and aligned. The Lord doesn’t level the character; he doesn’t wear out the creatures. He doesn't make them desolate. The Kingdom is Near: it reinstates the imbalances. It does not mortify them, it convert them and enhances them
Dentro ciascuna donna e uomo risiede un vulcano di energie potenziali che non devono essere soffocate e allineate

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