Aug 25, 2025 Written by 

Loose from the automatic mentality

Jesus in the synagogue: Deliverance from quietism

(Lk 4:31-37)

 

In third Gospel, first ‘signs’ of the Lord are the quiet escape from death threats [agitated by his people!] and the healing of the possessed.

In this way of narrating the Jesus story, Lk indicates the priorities that his communities lived: first of all, it was necessary to suspend the intimate struggles, inculcated by the Judaizing tradition and by his "knowing how to stay in the world".

In the stubborn and conformist village of Nazareth, the Master is unable to communicate his novelty, and is forced to change residence.

He doesn’t resign himself, on the contrary: Capernaum was at the intersection of important roads, which facilitated contacts and dissemination.

Among people of all walks of life, the Son of God wished to create a consciousness strongly critical towards the approved doctrines of religious leaders.

He didn’t mechanically mention the teachings - modest - of the authorities, but started from his life experience and from the living relationship with the Father.

Thus he created clear minds and in each one an unusual, non-reductive shudder; which aimed to make reach a higher level to souls harassed by the automatic mentality of quiet living.

The Master still faces the power that reduces people to a condition without originality, allergic to differences.

 

In the Gospel, the person who suddenly makes sparks has always been a quiet visitor to the assembly, who tirelessly dragged his spiritual life into small areas without color, lacking in breath and rhythm.

But the Word of the Lord has in itself a real charge: the power of the bliss of living, of creating, of loving in truth - which doesn’t hate eccentric characteristics.

Where this Appeal comes, all the demons you don't expect are exposed and jump out of the burrows.

Whoever meets Christ is overthrown; he sees his certainties thrown into the air.

Upheaval that allows the hidden or repressed facets to do their part - even if they are not "as they should be".

In short, the Gospel invites us to welcome all that is in us, as it is, not attenuated; by multiplying our energies - because inside lurks the best of our Call to the personal Mission.

In Christ, our multifaceted faces [albeit contradictory] can take to the field together, without repressing the precious territories of the soul, of the essence, of the character; of another persuasion - even distant or unrepeatablely singular.

The habitué of the assemblies is indeed troubled and questioned, but he doesn’t remain abulic; on the contrary, he makes a showy progress from the dormant and ritual existence - bent, repetitive, off and fake.

He is freed face to face from all the clichés that used to keep him good, subjugated and on a leash.

Even through a protest that breaks apathy, the divine Call forces us to a life as saved sons, of new witness that seemed impossible.

Now no longer on the sidelines, but in the midst of the people (v.35), in the wonder of a deep, personal and unexpected Happiness.

 

Difference between common religiosity and living Faith.

 

 

[Tuesday 22th wk. in O.T.  September 2, 2025]

291 Last modified on Tuesday, 02 September 2025 11:59
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".

The Church, having before her eyes the picture of the generation to which we belong, shares the uneasiness of so many of the people of our time (Dives in Misericordia n.12)
Avendo davanti agli occhi l'immagine della generazione a cui apparteniamo, la Chiesa condivide l'inquietudine di tanti uomini contemporanei (Dives in Misericordia n.12)
Addressing this state of mind, the Church testifies to her hope, based on the conviction that evil, the mysterium iniquitatis, does not have the final word in human affairs (Pope John Paul II)
Di fronte a questi stati d'animo la Chiesa desidera testimoniare la sua speranza, basata sulla convinzione che il male, il mysterium iniquitatis, non ha l'ultima parola nelle vicende umane (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
Jesus reminds us today that the expectation of the eternal beatitude does not relieve us of the duty to render the world more just and more liveable (Pope Francis)
Gesù oggi ci ricorda che l’attesa della beatitudine eterna non ci dispensa dall’impegno di rendere più giusto e più abitabile il mondo (Papa Francesco)
Those who open to Him will be blessed, because they will have a great reward: indeed, the Lord will make himself a servant to his servants — it is a beautiful reward — in the great banquet of his Kingdom He himself will serve them [Pope Francis]
E sarà beato chi gli aprirà, perché avrà una grande ricompensa: infatti il Signore stesso si farà servo dei suoi servi - è una bella ricompensa - nel grande banchetto del suo Regno passerà Lui stesso a servirli [Papa Francesco]
At first sight, this might seem a message not particularly relevant, unrealistic, not very incisive with regard to a social reality with so many problems […] (Pope John Paul II)
A prima vista, questo potrebbe sembrare un messaggio non molto pertinente, non realistico, poco incisivo rispetto ad una realtà sociale con tanti problemi […] (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
At first sight, this might seem a message not particularly relevant, unrealistic, not very incisive with regard to a social reality with so many problems […] (Pope John Paul II)
A prima vista, questo potrebbe sembrare un messaggio non molto pertinente, non realistico, poco incisivo rispetto ad una realtà sociale con tanti problemi […] (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
There is work for all in God's field (Pope Benedict)
C'è lavoro per tutti nel campo di Dio (Papa Benedetto)
The great thinker Romano Guardini wrote that the Lord “is always close, being at the root of our being. Yet we must experience our relationship with God between the poles of distance and closeness. By closeness we are strengthened, by distance we are put to the test” (Pope Benedict)
Il grande pensatore Romano Guardini scrive che il Signore “è sempre vicino, essendo alla radice del nostro essere. Tuttavia, dobbiamo sperimentare il nostro rapporto con Dio tra i poli della lontananza e della vicinanza. Dalla vicinanza siamo fortificati, dalla lontananza messi alla prova” (Papa Benedetto)
The present-day mentality, more perhaps than that of people in the past, seems opposed to a God of mercy, and in fact tends to exclude from life and to remove from the human heart the very idea of mercy (Pope John Paul II)
La mentalità contemporanea, forse più di quella dell'uomo del passato, sembra opporsi al Dio di misericordia e tende altresì ad emarginare dalla vita e a distogliere dal cuore umano l'idea stessa della misericordia (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
«Religion of appearance» or «road of humility»? (Pope Francis)
«Religione dell’apparire» o «strada dell’umiltà»? (Papa Francesco)

Due Fuochi due Vie - Vol. 1 Due Fuochi due Vie - Vol. 2 Due Fuochi due Vie - Vol. 3 Due Fuochi due Vie - Vol. 4 Due Fuochi due Vie - Vol. 5 Dialogo e Solstizio I fiammiferi di Maria

duevie.art

don Giuseppe Nespeca

Tel. 333-1329741


Disclaimer

Questo blog non rappresenta una testata giornalistica in quanto viene aggiornato senza alcuna periodicità. Non può pertanto considerarsi un prodotto editoriale ai sensi della legge N°62 del 07/03/2001.
Le immagini sono tratte da internet, ma se il loro uso violasse diritti d'autore, lo si comunichi all'autore del blog che provvederà alla loro pronta rimozione.
L'autore dichiara di non essere responsabile dei commenti lasciati nei post. Eventuali commenti dei lettori, lesivi dell'immagine o dell'onorabilità di persone terze, il cui contenuto fosse ritenuto non idoneo alla pubblicazione verranno insindacabilmente rimossi.