Jun 24, 2025 Written by 

Jesus and his disciples came to the other shore

(Mt 8:28-34)

 

In all religions, man is invited to bind himself to divine consent to receive light and strength, submitting to his authority.

The dilemma of the Judaizing assemblies of Galilee and Syria - reflected here - is whether to close or open the circuit of the sacred.

And whether to customize, or step back and repeat.

The passage associates the icons of the sea (vv.27.32) and of the wandering possessed ones, separated from God and people; deprived of a regenerating inner strength.

The optics is that of our baptismal purification in Christ, which drowns impurities and germs of death.

In this way: those who have not yet met Jesus proceed haphazardly, they are «furious» (v.28); without criterion or goal.

The only constant these souls have in common is to put fear into others: they live in a belligerent, disorderly, pre-human situation, impeded in themselves and of a hindrance to all (v.28).

But the fact appeared within the norm (v.29).

 

In Semitic literature, the image of «sea» alludes to disordered forces, aimlessly and not in accordance with God's project on woman and man.

Powers that generate chaos in our existence.

It is the bitter panorama of a world that loses the foundation of its being and becoming.

Ambit assiduously forced to groping... to solve problems and not permanently lose the vitality-wave.

«Pig» [symbol of paganism] is a figure of that kind of irremediable contamination that prevented the human being from having a relationship with God - and feeling his welcome.

The critical moment is the Presence of the Lord: suddenly the evil crumbles completely, revealing its emptiness - unexpectedly devoid of all solidity.

A disproportion takes over: between what seemed fearful and invincible, and the nothingness that appearances were masking (v.31).

 

Imperial ideology was threatening and destructive. It leveraged on people's fears in order to subdue consciences.

This was the situation of persons - crumbled inside - before Jesus arrival.

Power then ideologically manipulated popular beliefs about demons - to shatter singular personalities and accentuate the surrender of the already oppressed masses.

 

Conversely, in the experience of life’s victory over death, early Christian communities gained breath of Faith and a return to oneself - as a soul therapy.

They experienced a kind of disproportion and self-control, despite defeats in preaching.

The ancient assembly that once had the horror of contaminations began to open the doors of the purist ghetto, making everyone participate.

The church broke away from common beliefs, which transmitted perverse competitions, and to the weak a feeling of mortifying awe - lack of autonomy and conscience.

Of course, the early heralds were quick to realize that the new sense of freedom produced a twofold feeling: oppressed men do not always want to be freed from their alienations and torments.

 

Jesus fascinates and consternates. He precipitates inconsistent bonds, and common idols.

His Message is decisive and beneficial, but it forces us to upset habits, purposes, and every closure.

 

 

[Wednesday 13th wk. in O.T.  July 2, 2025]

867 Last modified on Wednesday, 02 July 2025 12:02
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".

St John Chrysostom explained: “And this he [Jesus] says to draw them unto him, and to provoke them and to signify that if they would covert he would heal them” (cf. Homily on the Gospel of Matthew, 45, 1-2). Basically, God's true “Parable” is Jesus himself, his Person who, in the sign of humanity, hides and at the same time reveals his divinity. In this manner God does not force us to believe in him but attracts us to him with the truth and goodness of his incarnate Son [Pope Benedict]
Spiega San Giovanni Crisostomo: “Gesù ha pronunciato queste parole con l’intento di attirare a sé i suoi ascoltatori e di sollecitarli assicurando che, se si rivolgeranno a Lui, Egli li guarirà” (Comm. al Vang. di Matt., 45,1-2). In fondo, la vera “Parabola” di Dio è Gesù stesso, la sua Persona che, nel segno dell’umanità, nasconde e al tempo stesso rivela la divinità. In questo modo Dio non ci costringe a credere in Lui, ma ci attira a Sé con la verità e la bontà del suo Figlio incarnato [Papa Benedetto]
This belonging to each other and to him is not some ideal, imaginary, symbolic relationship, but – I would almost want to say – a biological, life-transmitting state of belonging to Jesus Christ (Pope Benedict)
Questo appartenere l’uno all’altro e a Lui non è una qualsiasi relazione ideale, immaginaria, simbolica, ma – vorrei quasi dire – un appartenere a Gesù Cristo in senso biologico, pienamente vitale (Papa Benedetto)
She is finally called by her name: “Mary!” (v. 16). How nice it is to think that the first apparition of the Risen One — according to the Gospels — took place in such a personal way! [Pope Francis]
Viene chiamata per nome: «Maria!» (v. 16). Com’è bello pensare che la prima apparizione del Risorto – secondo i Vangeli – sia avvenuta in un modo così personale! [Papa Francesco]
Jesus invites us to discern the words and deeds which bear witness to the imminent coming of the Father’s kingdom. Indeed, he indicates and concentrates all the signs in the enigmatic “sign of Jonah”. By doing so, he overturns the worldly logic aimed at seeking signs that would confirm the human desire for self-affirmation and power (Pope John Paul II)
Gesù invita al discernimento in rapporto alle parole ed opere, che testimoniano l'imminente avvento del Regno del Padre. Anzi, Egli indirizza e concentra tutti i segni nell'enigmatico "segno di Giona". E con ciò rovescia la logica mondana tesa a cercare segni che confermino il desiderio di autoaffermazione e di potenza dell'uomo (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
Without love, even the most important activities lose their value and give no joy. Without a profound meaning, all our activities are reduced to sterile and unorganised activism (Pope Benedict)
Senza amore, anche le attività più importanti perdono di valore, e non danno gioia. Senza un significato profondo, tutto il nostro fare si riduce ad attivismo sterile e disordinato (Papa Benedetto)
In reality, an abstract, distant god is more comfortable, one that doesn’t get himself involved in situations and who accepts a faith that is far from life, from problems, from society. Or we would even like to believe in a ‘special effects’ god (Pope Francis)
In realtà, è più comodo un dio astratto, distante, che non si immischia nelle situazioni e che accetta una fede lontana dalla vita, dai problemi, dalla società. Oppure ci piace credere a un dio “dagli effetti speciali” (Papa Francesco)
It is as though you were given a parcel with a gift inside and, rather than going to open the gift, you look only at the paper it is wrapped in: only appearances, the form, and not the core of the grace, of the gift that is given! (Pope Francis)

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