1. The difficulties that sometimes accompany the development of evangelisation highlight a delicate problem whose solution cannot be sought in purely historical or sociological terms: the problem of the salvation of those who do not visibly belong to the Church. We are not given the opportunity to scrutinise the mystery of divine action in minds and hearts, to assess the power of Christ's grace in taking possession, in life and in death, of those whom 'the Father has given him', and whom he himself has proclaimed he does not want to 'lose'. We hear this repeated in one of the Gospel readings proposed for the Mass for the dead (cf. Jn 6:39-40).
But, as I wrote in the Encyclical Redemptoris Missio, the gift of salvation cannot be limited "to those who explicitly believe in God and have entered the Church. If salvation is destined for all, it must be made available to all in concrete terms". And, admitting that it is practically impossible for many people to access the Christian message, I added: "Many people do not have the opportunity to know or accept the revelation of the Gospel or to enter the Church. They live in socio-cultural conditions that do not allow it, and they have often been educated in other religious traditions" (Redemptoris Missio, 10).
We must recognise that, as far as human foresight and knowledge are concerned, this practical impossibility seems destined to continue for a long time, perhaps even until the final completion of the work of evangelisation. Jesus himself warned that only the Father knows "the times and moments" he has set for the establishment of his Kingdom in the world (cf. Acts 1:7).
2. However, what I have said above does not justify the relativistic position of those who believe that a way of salvation can be found in any religion, even independently of faith in Christ the Redeemer, and that interreligious dialogue should be based on this ambiguous conception. This is not the Gospel-compliant solution to the problem of the salvation of those who do not profess the Christian Creed. Instead, we must maintain that the path to salvation always passes through Christ, and that it is therefore the task of the Church and her missionaries to make him known and loved at all times, in every place and in every culture. Outside of Christ, "there is no salvation." As Peter proclaimed before the Sanhedrin, from the beginning of the apostolic preaching: "There is no other name given to men under heaven by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Even for those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and do not recognise themselves as Christians, the divine plan has provided a way of salvation. As we read in the conciliar decree on missionary activity Ad Gentes, we believe that "God, through ways known only to himself, can lead men who through no fault of their own are ignorant of the Gospel" to the faith necessary for salvation (Ad Gentes, 7). Of course, the condition "through no fault of their own" cannot be verified or assessed by human evaluation, but must be left solely to divine judgement. For this reason, in the Constitution Gaudium et Spes, the Council declares that in the heart of every person of good will "grace works invisibly" and that "the Holy Spirit gives everyone the possibility of coming into contact, in the way known to God, with the Paschal Mystery" (Gaudium et Spes, 22).
3. It is important to emphasise that the path to salvation taken by those who ignore the Gospel is not a path outside Christ and the Church. The universal will to save is linked to the unique mediation of Christ. The First Letter to Timothy affirms this: "God our Saviour, who wants all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and humankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Tim 2:3-6). Peter proclaims this when he says that "there is no salvation in anyone else," and calls Jesus the "cornerstone" (Acts 4:11-12), highlighting the necessary role of Christ as the foundation of the Church.
This affirmation of the “uniqueness” of the Saviour originates from the words of the Lord himself, who says that he came “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45), that is, for humanity, as St Paul explains when he writes: “One died for all” (2 Cor 5:14 cf. Rom 5:18). Christ obtained universal salvation by the gift of his life: no other mediator has been established by God as Saviour. The unique value of the sacrifice of the Cross must always be recognised in the destiny of every human being.
4. And since Christ works salvation through his mystical Body, which is the Church, the way of salvation is essentially linked to the Church. The axiom extra Ecclesiam nulla salus – "outside the Church there is no salvation" – enunciated by Saint Cyprian (Epist 73,21: PL 1123 AB), belongs to Christian tradition and was included in the Fourth Lateran Council (Denz.-S. 802), in the bull Unam Sanctam of Boniface VIII (Denz.-S. 870) and in the Council of Florence (Decretum pro Jacobitis, Denz.-S. 1351).
The axiom means that for those who are not ignorant that the Church was founded by God through Jesus Christ, it is necessary to enter and persevere in it in order to obtain salvation (cf. Lumen Gentium, 14). For those who have not received the proclamation of the Gospel, as I wrote in the Encyclical Redemptoris Missio, salvation is accessible through mysterious ways, inasmuch as divine grace is conferred on them by virtue of Christ's redemptive sacrifice, without external adherence to the Church but always in relation to it (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 10). This is a "mysterious relationship": mysterious for those who receive it, because they do not know the Church and indeed sometimes reject it externally; mysterious also in itself because it is linked to the saving mystery of grace, which involves an essential reference to the Church founded by the Saviour.
In order to be effective, saving grace requires adherence, cooperation, and a yes to divine self-giving: and such adherence is, at least implicitly, oriented towards Christ and the Church. Therefore, we can also say sine Ecclesia nulla salus – 'without the Church there is no salvation': adherence to the Church, the mystical Body of Christ, however implicit and mysterious, is an essential condition for salvation.
5. Religions can have a positive influence on the destiny of those who belong to them and follow their teachings with sincerity of spirit. But if the decisive action for salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit, we must bear in mind that man receives his salvation only from Christ, through the Holy Spirit. It begins already in earthly life, which grace, accepted and reciprocated, makes fruitful, in the evangelical sense, for earth and heaven.
Hence the importance of the indispensable role of the Church, which "is not an end in itself but fervently seeks to be wholly of Christ, in Christ and for Christ, and wholly of men, among men and for men". This role is therefore not 'ecclesiocentric', as has sometimes been said: the Church does not exist or work for itself, but is at the service of humanity called to divine filiation in Christ (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 19). It therefore exercises an implicit mediation even towards those who are ignorant of the Gospel.
However, this should not lead to the conclusion that its missionary activity is less necessary in such circumstances. Quite the contrary. In fact, those who are ignorant of Christ, through no fault of their own, find themselves in a condition of darkness and spiritual famine, which often has negative repercussions on a cultural and moral level. The missionary activity of the Church can provide them with the conditions for the full development of Christ's saving grace, proposing full and conscious adherence to the message of faith and active participation in the life of the Church in the sacraments.
This is the theological line drawn from Christian tradition. The Magisterium of the Church has followed it in doctrine and practice as the way marked out by Christ himself for the Apostles and for missionaries of all times.
[Pope John Paul II, General Audience, 31 May 1995]

We have listened to a passage from the Gospel of Matthew (11:2-6). The evangelist’s intention is that of making us enter more deeply into the mystery of Jesus, in order to grasp his goodness and his mercy. The scene is as follows: while John the Baptist was in prison, he sent his disciples to Jesus to ask him a very clear question: “Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (v. 3). He was precisely in a moment of darkness ... John was anxiously awaiting the Messiah and used colourful language to describe him in his preaching as a judge who would finally inaugurate the Kingdom of God and purify his people, rewarding the good and punishing the bad. John preached in this way: “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Mt 3:10). Now that Jesus has begun his public mission in a different manner, John suffers because he is in a two-fold darkness: the darkness of his prison cell, and the darkness of heart. He does not understand this manner of Jesus, and he wants to know if He is really the Messiah, or if he must await someone else.

And at first Jesus’ answer does not seem to correspond to John’s question. In fact, Jesus says: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offence at me” (vv. 4-6). Here Jesus’ intent becomes clear: He responds by saying that he is the real instrument of the Father’s mercy, who goes to encounter everyone, bringing consolation and salvation, and, in doing so, he manifests God’s justice. The blind, the lame, the lepers, the deaf, regain their dignity and are no longer excluded because of their disease, the dead return to life, while the Good News is proclaimed to the poor. And this becomes the summary of Jesus’ action, who in this way makes God’s own actions visible and tangible.

The message that the Church receives from this account of Christ’s life is very clear. God did not send his Son into the world to punish sinners, nor to destroy the wicked. Rather, they were invited to convert, so that, seeing the signs of divine goodness, they might rediscover their way back. As the Psalm says: “If thou, O Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, / Lord, who could stand? / But there is forgiveness with thee, / that thou mayest be feared” (130 [129]:3-4). 

The justice that John the Baptist places at the heart of his preaching is manifested in Jesus firstly as mercy. And the Precursor’s doubts merely anticipate the astonishment that Jesus’ actions and words will arouse later. The conclusion of Jesus’ answer, therefore, is understandable. He says: “blessed is he who takes no offence at me” (v. 6). Offence means “obstacle”. Thus Jesus warns against a particular danger: if one’s obstacle to believing is above all Jesus’ works of mercy, it means that one has a false image of the Messiah. But blessed are those who, in view of Jesus’ works and words, render glory to the Father who is in heaven. 

Jesus’ admonition is always pertinent: today too, man forms an idea of God that prevents him from enjoying His real presence. Some people carve out a “do-it-yourself” faith that reduces God to the limited space of one’s own desires and convictions. This faith is not a conversion to the Lord who reveals himself, but rather, it prevents him from enlivening our life and consciousness. Others reduce God to a false idol; they use his holy name to justify their own interests, or actual hatred and violence. For others still God is only a psychological refuge in which to be reassured in difficult moments: it is a faith turned in on itself, impervious to the power of the merciful love of Jesus which reaches out to others. Others still consider Christ only as a good instructor of ethical teachings, one among the many of history. Finally, there are those who stifle the faith in a purely intimate relationship with Jesus, nullifying his missionary thrust that is capable of transforming the world and history. We Christians believe in the God of Jesus Christ, and our desire is that of growing in the living experience of his mystery of love. 

Let us therefore commit ourselves not to allow any obstacle to hinder the Father’s merciful action, and let us ask for the gift of a great faith so that we too may become signs and instruments of mercy.

[Pope Francis, General Audience, 7 September 2016]

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary [8 December]

Biblical texts: Gn 3:9–20; Ep 1:3–12; Lk 1:26–38 May God bless us and may the Virgin protect us! Instead of commenting on the readings, I propose a theological and spiritual meditation on the Immaculate Conception, starting with St Paul and referring to the tradition of the Church and the liturgy.

1. Saint Paul and Mary: a hidden but real bond Although Paul speaks almost nothing directly about the Virgin Mary, his teaching on the election, holiness and predestination of Christians (Eph 1:4-11) deeply illuminates the mystery of Mary. Saint Paul affirms that all the baptised are chosen, holy and immaculate. Applying this to Mary, we understand that what is true for the whole Church is realised in her in a perfect and anticipated way.

2. The mystery of the Church sheds light on the mystery of Mary In the development of theology, especially in the early centuries, Mary was understood in relation to the Church: Mary is what the Church is called to become. What is partial in us is perfect in her. She is 'the first on the journey': first in time, first in perfection. Mary is 'first' in two senses: chronologically first to welcome Christ, first to share in his Passion, first to enter into glory with body and soul. Qualitatively: no one welcomed Christ with greater purity, love and freedom. Her unique grace does not separate her from us, but manifests what God wants to accomplish in the whole Church. The Immaculate Conception is not an isolated privilege, but the full realisation of the vocation of every Christian: Mary is preserved from sin in view of Christ's merits. We are saved from sin through Christ's merits (baptism, sacraments, conversion). The trajectories are the same; in Mary they are only anticipated and brought to perfection thanks to her total obedience and total abandonment to God's will: Mary did not do the divine will but lived entirely in God's will. Herein lies the key to her life: tempted like everyone else, including Jesus, she defeated Satan by choosing to live always and completely in the Father's will, and for this reason she is now a sign of sure hope for us all.

3. Why is Mary Immaculate? The reason is profoundly simple: to be truly the Mother of God. To love Jesus for what he really is — true God and true man — Mary had to be totally free from sin, totally open to love, capable of welcoming God without hindrance. The Immaculate Conception is a gift of love: God formed her this way out of love for his Son and for us, so that Mary might become the Mother of the Saviour and the Mother of the Church. St John Damascene writes: "As Eve cooperated in the fall, Mary cooperated in the redemption: immaculate, she brought life to the one who was to give life to the world." And St Bartholomew Longo, recently canonised, observes: "The Immaculate Conception is not just a title, but a living mystery: God created her entirely pure to make her the Mother of the Redeemer."

4. Mary precedes us to show us our destiny. Mary does not crush, humiliate or distance us: she shows us what we will be in glory; she is a foretaste of what the Church will become; her holiness is a promise of ours. In her we see the goal of Christian life. Mary freely receives the angel's announcement and her "fiat" opens the door to salvation. Today, too, the Church, like Mary, is called to proclaim Christ, to bring his love into the world, to say her "yes" in history. God needs our hands, our eyes, our arms, our hearts: like Mary, we are called to be bearers of light, and we can be so to the extent that God's will lives in us as the protagonist of our entire existence.

5. What does it mean to be “immaculate” today? For us, it does not mean being without sin, but welcoming God’s action in our lives. It means living open to grace, saying our daily “yes”, allowing ourselves to be purified and transformed by the Spirit, becoming transparent in order to show Christ in the world. The Immaculate Conception thus becomes a vocation and a journey. "The truth about the Immaculate Conception seemed the most difficult for me to accept... when I finally accepted it, everything became clear: my faith found meaning." (Testimony reported on the website CatholicConvert.com in the story of Delores, a woman who recounts her conversion to Catholicism).

Important points to remember: +Mary is understood starting from the Church: what is true for all the baptised is perfect in her. +Immaculate because she is the Mother of God: in order to love her Son fully, she had to be totally free from sin. +"First on the journey": first in time and in the quality of love and holiness. +Her grace is promised to us: what she already lives, the Church and Christians will live fully in glory. +Shared predestination: Mary is preserved from sin; we are saved from sin. +Mary's "fiat" as a model: God calls, but waits for our freedom; the yes opens the way to mission. +Being immaculate today: it means welcoming God, allowing ourselves to be purified, becoming transparent to his light. +Mary takes nothing away from God: she is the "echo of God"; to venerate her is to honour God's work in her. +Mary points to our destiny: in her we see what God wants to accomplish in each of us. +The Immaculate Conception is a gift of love: from God to Mary and from Mary to the world.

*Here is a very brief historical summary of the main medieval defenders of the Immaculate Conception: St. Albert the Great (1200-1280) – Dominican theologian; open to the idea of Mary's preservation from original sin, but without defining it definitively. St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) – Dominican theologian; he argued that Mary was redeemed 'after original sin', therefore not immaculate from conception. Duns Scotus (1266-1308) – Franciscan theologian; main defender of the Immaculate Conception. Mary was preserved from original sin from the first moment, thanks to the merits of Christ anticipated by God. William of Ockham (1287-1347) – Franciscan; supporter of Scotus' position, albeit with some philosophical nuances. Scotus' central idea: Mary immaculate from the moment of conception, preserved by God's grace thanks to the future merits of Christ, anticipating the official dogma defined in 1854.

+ Giovanni D'Ercole

The authority of Jesus and ours

(Mt 21:23-27)

«With wich authority do you do these things? And who gave you this authority?» (Mt 21:23).

In the traditional Judaizing milieu of the early communities, questions bounced about Christ’s authority in putting under siege the ordinary religious system, and His distinction even from prophets recognized as the Baptist.

Only answer: the power of God that was expressed in the sign of the times - by fermenting consciences.

Jesus’ mission was not regular: He baffled the atmosphere, so His living and sharp Word had to be circumscribed at all costs.

Such bold behavior would have seemed irreverent, even if adopted by the expected Messiah himself.

And a landless man could only be his false claimant...

Religious leaders that the Lord faced - rooted in established thought patterns and strategies - were always content to adapt Heaven within closed screens.

Mt tried to help his communities in Galilee and Syria: they had to continue fearlessly, and not let themselves be seduced by official religious practices, nor polluted by imperial ideology.

The Evangelist also seems to suggest to the faithful in Christ to avoid puny diatribes, with the representatives of a world only apparently stable - vice versa destined to implode on its own contradictions.

After the expulsion of the sellers and usurer-profaners from the Temple (Mt 21:12ff), Jesus' fate is sealed.

But through his intimates, the new Kingdom - untied - must be proposed in spirit of disinterest, and as a Surprise.

Only the Father can have seed management, of the roots and development.

No man can give "permission" to any person to be reflective and dissolved.

There is an unpredictable path even for those who are accustomed to being directed in every story. Instead the guarantees clutter minds and clog the streets that then result in frontier experiences.

In this way, we manifest independence and freedom because Jesus himself has demonstrated it, flying over all expectations and purpose.

Sooner or later the leaders would have been dismayed by those who could not stand the ratifications, finally recognizing their ignorance.

They would have stranded themselves permanently, on their own - even because of the will not to expose themselves (vv.25-27a). Tactical perplexity, which reveals disbelief - lukewarmness - total lack of Faith.

In short, the ‘silence’ of those who like a more attentive and less external Church is often the just echo of God, more eloquent than so many brilliant disquisitions (v.27b).

Thus Jesus avoids the ambiguity of mental restriction or evasive semantics: in Him the non-response to the leaders becomes a question.

The Lord remains silent, but without diverting the point.

[Monday 3rd wk. in Advent, December 15, 2025]

The authority of Jesus and ours

(Mt 21:23-27)

"By what authority do you do these things? And who gave you this authority?" (Mt 21:23).

In the traditional Judaizing environment of the early communities, questions about Christ's authority in laying siege to the ordinary religious system, and his standing apart even from recognised prophets such as the Baptist, were bouncing around.

The only answer: the power of God expressed in the sign of the times - fermenting consciences.

Jesus' mission was not a regular one: he disconcerted the atmosphere, so his sharp, living Word had to be contained at all costs.

Such bold behaviour would have seemed irreverent towards the authorities, even if adopted by the expected Messiah himself. And a landless one could only be his false pretender....

The religious leaders whom the Lord confronted - rooted in established patterns of thought and strategies, even coinage - were always content to fit Heaven into closed dishcloths.

Even the faithful in the congregations of Mt seemed under the tutelage of interests, ways, words and deeds imposed by the despotic climate.

In the 1970s-80s, Jewish converts to the Lord were persecuted because they resisted the customs and pressures of established religious leaders and the power system.

Some had already thoughtlessly attempted the diplomatic route, trying to reconcile Faith and Empire.

As Paul, by now sadly aware of the defeat of his theology, said: 'Those who want to make a good impression in the flesh, force you to be circumcised, just so as not to be persecuted because of the cross of Christ'.

Mt tries to help his communities in Galilee and Syria: they should continue fearless, and not be seduced by official religious practices, nor polluted by the corrupt ideology of the various Caesars.

The evangelist also seems to suggest to the faithful in Christ to avoid punctilious diatribes, with the representatives of a world only apparently stable - on the contrary destined to implode on its own contradictions.

The Tao Tê Ching (v) writes: "To speak much and scrutinise rationally, is worth less than to be empty". And Master Wang Pi comments: 'He who does not talk and does not reason surely scrutinises the reason of things'.

After the expulsion of the sellers and usurer-profaners from the Temple (Mt 21:12ff), Jesus' fate is sealed.

The true god of the ancient high places is not touched: the sack of the 'masters' and the treasure of the priests involved.

Those in charge of the black affairs of the sacred precinct appeared believing and loyal, but only when scrutinised from the outside.

Their inner eye and activity well concealed under their cloaks and behind the scenes lay on anything but spiritual goods.

They were masters of everything, so no one had to take any initiative without their placet. Let alone affect religious commerce.

Who ever gave the imprimatur to a carpenter's son to stand in the way of lavish earnings, and undermine their prestige?

Useful beliefs and habitual income were 'vested rights'.

Unfortunately, the history of religions is punctuated with episodes of plagiarism and compromise, even in times when the economic and social situation became difficult or complex (like today).

Where the less affluent classes declined the risks, the more willingly they outsourced the difficult management of personal freedom - leaving the field open to business partners with God, manipulators of conscience.

But here - by dint of permits to be asked for with deference, similar proceedings (and smuggling 'cordatas') - that freshness full of wonder, typical of the soul open to adventure and the passion of love, was finally lacking.

Therefore, according to Jesus, no man can give 'permission' for any person to be reflective and dissolved.

There is an unpredictable path even for those who are used to being directed in every affair.

The seed borne by the wind of the Spirit makes its own plant, which does not necessarily resemble the surrounding ones: it does not bind itself in its particular expressiveness, and it also flies out of bounds.

Although the constituted authorities absolutely did not want to lose control of things and imposed the usual standard pious life - with its own spin-offs - according to Christ, God alone could have stewarded the seed, roots and development.

Through his intimates, the new Kingdom - untied - is to be proposed to the whole world, in the spirit of selflessness... and as a Surprise.

Unforeseen and unburdened attributes, which the Son reveals in his caring for the weak, and opposing the wily; in his Person.

We manifest independence and freedom, because Jesus himself demonstrated it, overriding all expectations and intentions.

The Master was not a qualunquist with those who hatched plots of trade and even demanded approval.Without seeking lexical concordances, he emphasised that orthodoxy should not be confused with repetition.

The guarantees of the past often clog up minds and clog up paths that then lead to frontier experiences.

In this way, sooner or later the leaders would have been dismayed by those who do not endure ratifications, finally acknowledging their ignorance.

They would run themselves aground - overwhelmed by their own cheating and their anxiety not to lose power over the people [increasingly intolerant of 'visas'].

This, even because of the desire not to expose themselves (vv.25-27a). 

Tactical perplexity, which reveals unbelief - lukewarmness - total lack of Faith.

As Pope Francis pointed out:

Jesus, with intelligence, answers with another question and puts the chief priests "in a corner", asking them whether John the Baptist baptised with an authority that came to him from heaven, that is, from God or from men. Matthew describes their reasoning, reread by the Pontiff "If we say, "From heaven", they will say to us, "Why did you not believe?"; if we say, "From men", people will come against us. And they wash their hands of it and say: 'We do not know'. This, the Holy Father commented, "is the attitude of the mediocre, the liars of faith".

"Not only did Pilate wash his hands of it," the Pope explained, these also wash their hands of it: 'We do not know'. This means, Francis continued, "not entering into the history of men, not getting involved in problems, not fighting to do good, not fighting to heal so many people in need.... 'Better not. Let's not get dirty'".

That is why, the Pontiff clarified, Jesus replies "with the same tune: 'Neither do I tell you by what authority I do this'". In fact, "these are two attitudes of lukewarm Christians", recalled Francis, "of us - as my grandmother used to say - "rose-water Christians"; Christians like this: without consistency".

[Pope Francis, St. Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano 16-17/12/2019].

In his commentary on the Tao (LXV) Master Ho-Shang Kung writes: "The man who possesses the mysterious virtue is so profound that he cannot be probed, so inscrutable that he has no limit.

The silence of those who in Christ are still educating the protagonists of the sacred places is often God's righteous echo, more eloquent than many brilliant disquisitions (v.27b).

Thus Jesus avoids the ambiguity of mental restriction or evasive semantics: in Him the non-answer to the leaders is transformed into a question.

The Lord remains silent, but without deflecting the question.

To internalise and live the message:

Do you demonstrate autonomy and emancipation from those who aspire to control your personality, only to make you a (licensed) labourer in (their) temple?

In your opinion: despite their pompous appearances of rank, did the people's spiritual leaders and temple officials have anything to do with the One they were celebrating?

Sometimes, perhaps - even us - little or nothing?

Translating power into humility

Jesus' word to the people immediately opens up access to the Father's will and to the truth about themselves. Not so, however, for the scribes, who had to strive to interpret the Holy Scriptures with countless reflections (...)

Divine authority is not a force of nature. It is the power of God's love that creates the universe and, by becoming incarnate in the Only-Begotten Son, descending into our humanity, heals the world corrupted by sin. Romano Guardini writes: 'Jesus' entire existence is the translation of power into humility...it is sovereignty that here lowers itself to the form of a servant' (Il Potere, Brescia 1999, 141,142).

For man, authority often means possession, power, dominion, success. For God, on the other hand, authority means service, humility, love; it means entering into the logic of Jesus who stoops to wash the disciples' feet (cf. Jn 13:5), who seeks the true good of man, who heals wounds, who is capable of a love so great that it gives life, because it is Love. In one of her Letters, St Catherine of Siena writes: 'It is necessary that we see and know, in truth, with the light of faith, that God is supreme and eternal Love, and can will nothing but our good' (Ep. 13 in: Le Lettere, vol. 3, Bologna 1999, 206).

[Pope Benedict, Angelus 29 January 2012]

The words Jesus addresses to the people immediately give access to the will of the Father and to the truth about themselves. This was not the case for the scribes who instead had to make an effort to interpret the Sacred Scriptures with countless reflections (...)

The divine authority is not a force of nature. It is the power of the love of God that creates the universe and, becoming incarnate in the Only-Begotten Son, descending into our humanity, heals the world corrupted by sin. Romano Guardini wrote: “Jesus’ entire existence is the translation of power into humility... here is the sovereignty which lowers itself into the form of a servant” (Il Potere, Brescia 1999, 141-142).

Authority, for human beings, often means possession, power, dominion and success. Instead for God authority means service, humility and love; it means entering into the logic of Jesus who stoops to wash his disciples’ feet (cf. Jn 13:5), who seeks man’s true good, who heals wounds, who is capable of a love so great that he gives his life, because he is Love. In one of her Letters St. Catherine of Siena wrote: “It is necessary for us to see and know, in truth, with the light of the faith, that God is supreme and eternal Love and cannot want anything but our good” (Ep. 13 in: Le Lettere, vol. 3, Bologna 1999, 206).

[Pope Benedict, Angelus 29 January 2012]

This is not the appropriate place for quoting the confirmations of this fact which run through the whole history of humanity. What is certain is that from the most ancient times the dictate of conscience has guided every human subject towards an objective moral norm which finds concrete expression in respect for the other person and in the principle of not doing to that person what one would not wish done to oneself (41).

[41] "The moral law", Confucius says, "is not distant from us... The wise man does not make many mistakes regarding the moral law. He has as his principle: do not do to others what you would not wish done to you" (Chung Yung: Equilibrium and Norm, 13). A Japanese master of ancient times (Dengyo Daishi, also called Saicho, who lived 767-822 A.D.) urges people to be "forgetful of self, doers of good to others: this represents the summit of friendship and compassion" (cf. W.T. De Bary, Sources of Japanese Tradition, New York 1958, Vol I, p. 127). Nor can one fail to mention Mahatma Gandhi, who taught the "power of truth" (satyagraha), which conquers without violence by the dynamism intrinsic to just action.

[Pope John Paul II, Dilecti Amici n.7]

Two attitudes of lukewarm Christians - 'cornering God and washing their hands of Him' - are dangerous: because 'it is like challenging God'. If the Lord cornered us "we would never enter Paradise" and woe if he then "washed his hands of us". This is how Pope Francis, in his homily during the morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta on Monday 16 December, reread the Gospel of Matthew proposed by the liturgy: the one about the dialogue between Jesus and the chief priests, who ask him with what authority he teaches in the temple.

Jesus, the Pontiff recalled, exhorted the people, healed them, taught and performed miracles, and thus unnerved the chief priests, because with his gentleness and dedication to the people he attracted everyone to him. While they, the officials, were respected by the people, who however did not approach them "because they did not trust them". So they agreed 'to corner Jesus'. And they ask him, Francis continued, "By what authority do you do these things?" For 'you are not a priest, a doctor of the law, you have not studied in our universities. You are nothing'.

Jesus, with intelligence, answers with another question and corners the chief priests, asking them whether John the Baptist baptised with an authority that came to him from heaven, that is, from God or from men. Matthew describes their reasoning, reread by the Pontiff "If we say, "From heaven", they will say to us, "Why did you not believe?"; if we say, "From men", people will come against us. And they wash their hands of it and say: 'We do not know'. This, the Holy Father commented, "is the attitude of the mediocre, the liars of faith".

"Not only did Pilate wash his hands of it," the Pope explained, these also wash their hands of it: 'We do not know'. This means, Francis continued, "not to enter into the history of men, not to involve oneself in the problems, not to fight to do good, not to fight to heal so many people in need.... 'Better not. Let's not get dirty'".

That is why, the Pontiff clarified, Jesus replies "with the same tune: 'Neither do I tell you by what authority I do this'". In fact, "these are two attitudes of lukewarm Christians", recalled Francis, "of us - as my grandmother used to say - "rose-water Christians"; Christians like this: without consistency". Hence, the Pontiff explained, that attitude of "putting God in the corner: 'Either you do this to me or I will never go to a church again'".

The other attitude of lukewarmness, the Pope continued, is washing one's hands of it, like "the disciples of Emmaus that morning of the Resurrection": they see the women "all rejoicing because they had seen the Lord", but they do not trust them, because the women "are too imaginative"; and so they wash their hands of it and so they enter the confraternity "of St. Pilate".

"So many Christians," Pope Francis then denounced, "wash their hands of it before the challenges of culture, the challenges of history, the challenges of the people of our time; even before the smallest challenges. How many times, he recalled, "we hear the stingy Christian in front of a person who asks for alms and does not give it: 'No, no I do not give because then these people get drunk. He washes his hands of it'. And to those who reply, continued the Pontiff: "But he has no food.... - It's his business: I don't want him to get drunk'. We hear this many times, many times".

"Putting God in a corner and washing one's hands of him," was the Pontiff's warning, "are two dangerous attitudes, because it is like challenging God. Let us think what would happen if the Lord cornered us. We would never enter Paradise. And what would happen if the Lord washed his hands of us? Poor things". These are, Pope Francis concludes, "two hypocritical attitudes of the educated".

"No, not this one. I don't meddle", so the Pope voiced the hypocritical educated, "I corner people, because they are dirty people", while "in front of this I wash my hands of it because it is their business". Hence Francis' final invitation to see "if there is something like this in us"; and if there is to cast out "these attitudes to make way for the Lord who comes."

[Pope Francis, St. Martha, in L'Osservatore Romano 16-17/12/2019]

Second Sunday of Advent (year A) [7 December 2025]

May God bless us and may the Virgin protect us! From this Sunday onwards, in addition to the summary of the most important elements of each reading, I will add a brief commentary on the Gospel by a Father of the Church.

*First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (11:1-10)

Isaiah speaks of the root of Jesse and refers to the descendants of King David. Jesse had eight sons, but God chose Samuel not to choose the strongest or the eldest, but the youngest: David, the shepherd, who became the greatest king of Israel. From that moment on, Jesse became the progenitor of a dynasty often represented as a tree destined for a great future, which would never die. The prophet Nathan promised David that his descendants would reign forever and bring unity and peace to the people. But in history, the kings of his lineage did not fully keep these promises. However, it is precisely from disappointments that a stronger hope arises: if God has promised, then it will come to pass. How did the idea of the Messiah come about? The term 'messiah' (in Hebrew mashiach = 'anointed') originally referred to any king, because he was 'anointed' with oil on the day of his coronation. Over time, however, the word 'messiah' took on the meaning of 'ideal king', the one who brings justice, peace and happiness. When Isaiah says, 'A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse', it means that even if David's dynasty seems like a dead tree, God can bring forth a new shoot, an ideal king: the Messiah, who will be guided by the Spirit of the Lord. The seven gifts of the Spirit, symbols of fullness, will rest upon him: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord, which is not fear but trust and respect as a son. The Messiah will rule as God wills: with justice and faithfulness, and his task will be to wage war on injustice: He will judge the poor with justice... not according to appearances... he will put an end to wickedness with the breath of his lips. 'The wicked' does not refer to a person, but to wickedness itself, like saying 'waging war on war'. Isaiah describes a world where the wolf lives with the lamb, the child plays without fear, there is no more violence or conflict. It is not a return to paradise on earth, but the final fulfilment of God's plan, when the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth. The root of Jesse will be a sign for all peoples, and the Messiah concerns not only Israel but all nations. Jesus himself will take up this idea: "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself" (Jn 12:32). Isaiah preaches in the eighth century BC, at a time of political pressure and threats from neighbouring empires. The tree of David seems to be dead, but Isaiah urges us not to lose hope. The "animal fable" uses symbols to speak of human beings, as La Fontaine would do many centuries later, and constitutes a promise of peace, brotherhood and universal reconciliation. Martin Luther King, in his "I have a dream" speech, drew direct inspiration from these images used by Isaiah (cf. 11:2): a world where justice and brotherhood overcome violence.

The central theme can be summed up in one sentence: From the seemingly dead trunk of David's dynasty, God is so faithful that, when all seems lost, he revives his promise from a fragment, from a stump: hope is born precisely where man can no longer see anything. God will raise up a Messiah guided by the Spirit, who will fight injustice and bring universal peace to all peoples. God is faithful, and even from a dead trunk he can bring forth new life. It is messianic peace, the final reconciliation of creation. There are times when we too feel like a cut tree: failures, disappointments, repeated sins, broken relationships, projects that do not come to fruition, communities that seem to be losing strength. Isaiah announces: God is not finished with you either, and even where you see no future, He sees a sprout. Continue to hope, because God sees sprouts where we see only dry wood.

*Responsorial Psalm (71/72, 1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17)

Psalm 71/72 is a prayer that arose after the Babylonian exile, at a time when there was no longer a king in Israel. This means that the psalm no longer speaks of an earthly ruler, but of the king promised by God: the Messiah. Since it is God who promises him, his fulfilment is certain. The entire Bible is permeated with an indestructible hope: history has meaning and direction, and God has a plan of happiness for humanity. This plan takes on different names (the Day of the Lord, the Kingdom of Heaven, the benevolent plan), but it is always the same: like a lover who repeats words of love, God tirelessly proposes his plan of salvation.

This plan is announced from the beginning, in the vocation of Abraham (Gen 12:3): 'All the families of the earth shall be blessed in you'. The revelation is therefore universal from the outset. Israel is chosen not to manage a privilege, but to be a service and a sign for all peoples. The psalm takes up this promise: in the Messiah, all nations will be blessed and will call him blessed. It also takes up the other promise made to Abraham (Gen 15:18), namely the gift of the land "from the river of Egypt to the great river". Echoing this, the psalm says: "He shall rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth." The book of Sirach (Sir 44:21) confirms this reading, linking together universal blessing, multiplication of descendants and extended inheritance. Although today the idea of a universal ruler may seem far removed from democratic sensibilities, and indeed there is fear of the imposition of a hidden world authority that would dominate the whole of humanity, the Bible reminds us that every ruler is only an instrument in the hands of God, and what matters is the people, considering the whole of humanity as one vast people, and the psalm announces a pacified humanity: In those days, justice will flourish, great peace until the end of time, poverty and oppression defeated. The dream of justice and peace runs through the entire Scripture: Jerusalem means 'city of peace'; Deuteronomy 15 states that there will be no more poor people. The psalm fits into this line: the Messiah will help the poor who cry out, the weak without help, the miserable who have no defence. The prayer of the psalm does not serve to remind God of his promises, because God does not forget. Instead, it serves to help man learn to look at the world through God's eyes, remember his plan and find the strength to work towards its realisation. Justice, peace and the liberation of the poor will not come about magically: God invites believers to cooperate, allowing themselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit with light, strength and grace.

Important points to remember: +Psalm 72 is messianic: written when there were no more kings, it announces the Messiah promised by God.+History has meaning: God has a plan of happiness for all humanity.+The promises to Abraham are the foundation: universal blessing and inheritance without borders.+The Messiah will be God's instrument, serving the people and not power.+The world to come will be marked by justice, peace and an end to poverty. +Prayer is not meant to convince God, but to educate us: it opens our eyes to God's plan. Peace and justice will also come through human commitment guided by the Spirit.

Second Reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (15:4-9)

Saint Paul writes to the Romans: 'Everything that was written before us was written for our instruction... so that we may keep hope alive'. This sentence is the key to reading the entire Bible: Scripture exists to enlighten, liberate and give hope. If a text seems obscure or difficult, it simply means that we have not yet fully understood it: the Good News is always present and we must dig to find it, as if it were a hidden treasure. Scripture nourishes hope because it proclaims on every page a single plan of God: that "merciful design" which is the great love story of God with humanity. The entire Bible, from the Old to the New Testament, has only one subject: the plan of salvation and communion that God wants to realise in the Messiah. Paul then moves on to a concrete theme: the Christians in Rome were divided. There were two groups: Christians who came from Judaism and were still attached to Jewish religious and dietary practices, and Christians who came from paganism and considered such observances outdated. This diversity gave rise to discord, mutual judgement and suspicion. Liturgical and cultural differences became real conflicts. This situation is very similar to the tensions that exist even today in the Church between different sensibilities. Paul does not propose dividing the community into two separate groups. Instead, he proposes the path of cohabitation, the building of peace, patience and mutual tolerance, inviting everyone to seek what promotes peace and what builds up the community. Let each one seek the good of the other, and may 'the God of perseverance and consolation' grant you to live in harmony according to Christ. The fundamental principle is: 'Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you'. Paul recalls that Christ took upon himself the mission of the Servant of God announced by Isaiah: chosen and elected by God, formed every morning by the Word, giver of his own life, bringer of salvation to all nations. Christ, by dying and rising again, united the Jews, saved in continuity with their Covenant, and the pagans, saved by God's gratuitous mercy. For this reason, no one can claim superiority; rather, everything is grace, everything is a gift from Christ, and true worship is this: to overcome the past, to recognise the gift received, to welcome one another without distinction, to sing together of God's faithfulness and mercy.

Important elements to remember: +Scripture exists to give hope. Every page of the Bible is Good News. If we do not find liberation, we have not yet understood the text. + The Bible proclaims a single plan. God's "providential plan" is to bring humanity to communion and salvation through the Messiah. +Paul corrects a divided community: In Rome, there were tensions between Christians of Jewish and pagan origin. Practical and cultural differences created judgements and conflicts. The Christian solution is not to separate. Paul proposes cohabitation, patience, and mutual edification. The community is a 'building' that must be constructed with peace and tolerance. +The model is Christ the Servant who united everyone: Jews and pagans. No one can boast: everything is grace. +The watchword: welcome: Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you. The Church is alive when it overcomes divisions and lives mercy.

*From the Gospel according to Matthew (3:1-12)

When John the Baptist begins his preaching, Judea has been under Roman rule for 90 years, Herod is in power but deeply hated; religious currents are divided and confused; there are collaborators, resisters, false prophets, messianic agitators. The people are tired and disoriented, and it is in this climate that the preaching of John, who lives in the desert of Judea (between Jerusalem and the Jordan), begins. Matthew insists on the spiritual meaning of the desert: he recalls the Exodus, the Covenant, purification, the loving relationship between God and Israel (Hosea) and sees the desert as the place of return to truth and decision. In John, everything recalls the great prophets: he wears camel's hair, eats locusts and honey, and lives an ascetic lifestyle. Many consider him the possible return of Elijah, awaited to prepare for the coming of God (Malachi 3:23). His preaching has a double prophetic tone: sweet and comforting for the humble; harsh and provocative for the proud. The expression "brood of vipers" is not a personal insult, but a way of saying, "you are following the logic of the tempting serpent," and is therefore an invitation to change one's attitude. John invites everyone to make a righteous discernment in their lives: what is healthy remains, what is corrupt is eliminated. And to be incisive, he uses strong images: fire burning straw (a reference to the prophet Malachi), a sieve separating wheat from chaff, a threshing floor where the choice is made - and this is the meaning: everything in us that is death will be purified; everything that is authentic will be saved and preserved. It is a liberating judgement, not a destructive one. John announces Jesus: 'I baptise you with water, but the one who comes after me... will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire'. Only God can give the Spirit, and so John implicitly affirms the divinity of Jesus. The images used: 'Stronger than me' is a typical attribute of God. "I am not worthy to carry his sandals or untie his sandals": with this he recognises Jesus' divine dignity. Although he is a teacher followed by disciples, John puts himself in the second row; he recognises Jesus' superiority and paves the way for the Messiah. His greatness consists precisely in making room. Matthew shows him as a "voice in the desert" with reference to Isaiah 40:3, also linked to Elijah (2 Kings 1:8; Malachi 3:23), in the line of prophets to introduce Jesus as God present and judge. Chapters 3-4 of Matthew are a hinge: here begins the preaching of the Kingdom.

Important elements to remember: +John appears in a context of oppression and moral confusion: his word brings light and discernment. +The desert is a place of new covenant, truth and conversion. +John presents himself with prophetic signs (clothing, food, style) reminiscent of Elijah. +His preaching is twofold: consolation for the little ones, provocation for those who are sure of themselves. +Judgement is internal, not against categories of people: it purifies the evil in each person. Fire does not destroy man, but what is dead in him: it is a fire of love and truth. +Jesus accomplishes purification by baptising in the Holy Spirit, something that only God can do, and John recognises the divinity of Jesus with gestures of great humility. +The greatness of the Precursor lies in stepping aside to make room for the Messiah, and Matthew places him as a bridge between the Old and New Covenants, inaugurating the preaching of the Kingdom.

St John Chrysostom – Commentary on Matthew 3:1-12

'John appears in the desert not by chance, but to recall the ancient path of Israel.

Israel was educated in the desert, and now conversion begins again in the desert. His rough clothing and simple food show that he is free from all vanity, like Elijah. For this reason, the people, tired of the leaders of the time, flock to him: they see in John a truthful man who does not seek glory but leads to the truth." Chrysostom then explains the prophetic and moral content of John's preaching: By calling them a 'brood of vipers', he is not insulting them, but shaking them up so that they realise the poison that corrupts them. He does not attack people, but the evil that possesses them.

The judgement he announces is not against men, but against their evil deeds: fire burns guilt, not human nature." And regarding the announcement of the Messiah: "By saying, 'One more powerful than I is coming after me,' John does not compare himself to another man, but to God. For only God is said to be the Strong One. And when he adds, 'He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit', he openly confesses that the One who is coming has divine power. For this reason, he declares that he is not even worthy to untie his sandals: not because he despises himself, but because he recognises the greatness of Christ." Finally, Chrysostom interprets the mission of the Precursor:

"His greatness consists in diminishing so that Christ may grow. He is the voice that prepares the Word; he is the bridge that connects the Old Covenant to the New. He shows that all that the prophets awaited is now fulfilled: the King is near, and the Kingdom begins."

+Giovanni D'Ercole