S. FAUSTI - This part, which begins at the REQUEST from the Apostles of an increase of faith and culminates in lighting (18,43), shows the faith as a possibility of the impossible, love and generosity, way of purification, that makes us knowing how and when comes the Kingdom and live of confidence and humility, that makes us sons, capable to decide us for the Son who goes to Jerusalem to give his life and makes us come to light as new men. The Apostles are disciples who, having learned from the Master,they receive His own office : they are sent to bring the Mercy of the Lord beyond the circle of the community, to the ends of the earth. The Apostles feel themselves inadequate to their commitment, because of the little faith. The faith is the personal experience of the Mercy of the Father, origin of the mission to the brothers. It must be requested as the daily bread and the forgiveness. After the prayer: "Teach us to pray" (11.1), this is the typical prayer of the believer, especially of the Apostle: "Add to us faith!" With this we get everything. All is possible to him who believes, because "nothing is impossible to God (1:37). The faith is like a little seed, but with force of life. For it St. Paul says: "There is nothing I cannot in the One who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) because my helplessness fills herself with the same power of God. To believe is to stop trusting in oneself and to let Him to act. Why "when I am weak, that I am strong" (2 Cor.12,10 St. Paul). We move now from the Apostle's personal faith to his apostolic work of the announcement to others. He is matched to the servant, or rather, to the slave, because he does not belong to himself. This his slavery is the highest realization of the freedom of to love: it makes him similar to his Lord, all of the Father and the brothers. As the slave belongs to his Master that enslaves him, so the Apostle to his Lord Who gives him the freedom to be like Him, his collaborator, associated with his sacred ministry. This slavery for love is the total liberation from selfishness: "You, in fact, my brothers, you were called to freedom" and this is not to live for selfishness, but in being, through the love ,slaves one another. The two actions typical of the Apostle are : the announcement (sowing) and the care of the brothers (shepherd). The one who "ploughs or pastures" does not do this for shameful reason of profit, but because prompted by the love of his Lord died for all. For Paul, the highest reward is to preach the Gospel free of charge. The Apostle is associated with the ministry of the grace and of the mercy of his Lord for the world. Origin of his service is the faith, as a personal experience of the One who loved him and gave himself for him. For this he is no longer in the logic of debit / credit, but in that of the free gift.
The seventy-two disciples returned full of joy. They said, "Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we called on your name." Then Jesus replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. You see, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the Enemy, so that nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, don't rejoice because the evil spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven."
At that time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and made them known to the little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. I have been given all things by my Father, so that no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and he to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said to them privately, "Fortunate are you to see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings would have liked to see what you see but did not, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
S. FAUSTI - This part, which begins at the REQUEST from
RispondiEliminathe Apostles of an increase of faith and culminates in lighting (18,43), shows the faith as a possibility of the impossible, love and generosity, way of purification, that makes us
knowing how and when comes the Kingdom and live of confidence and humility, that makes us sons, capable to decide us for the Son who goes to Jerusalem to give his life and makes us come to light as new men.
The Apostles are disciples who, having learned from the Master,they receive His own office : they are sent to bring the Mercy of the Lord beyond the circle of the community, to the ends of the earth. The Apostles feel themselves inadequate to their commitment, because of the little faith.
The faith is the personal experience of the Mercy of the Father, origin of the mission to the brothers.
It must be requested as the daily bread and the forgiveness. After the prayer: "Teach us to pray" (11.1),
this is the typical prayer of the believer, especially of the Apostle: "Add to us faith!"
With this we get everything. All is possible to him who believes, because "nothing is impossible to God (1:37).
The faith is like a little seed, but with force of life. For it St. Paul says: "There is nothing I cannot in the One who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) because my helplessness fills herself with the same power of God.
To believe is to stop trusting in oneself and to let Him to act.
Why "when I am weak, that I am strong" (2 Cor.12,10 St. Paul).
We move now from the Apostle's personal faith to his apostolic work of the announcement to others.
He is matched to the servant, or rather, to the slave, because he does not belong to himself.
This his slavery is the highest realization of the freedom of to love: it makes him similar to his Lord, all of the Father and the brothers.
As the slave belongs to his Master that enslaves him, so the Apostle to his Lord Who gives him the freedom to be like Him, his collaborator, associated with his sacred ministry.
This slavery for love is the total liberation from selfishness:
"You, in fact, my brothers, you were called to freedom" and this is not to live for selfishness, but in being, through the love ,slaves one another.
The two actions typical of the Apostle are : the announcement (sowing) and the care of the brothers (shepherd).
The one who "ploughs or pastures" does not do this for shameful reason of profit, but because prompted by the love of his Lord died for all.
For Paul, the highest reward is to preach the Gospel free of charge.
The Apostle is associated with the ministry of the grace and of the mercy of his Lord for the world. Origin of his service is the faith, as a personal experience of the One who loved him and gave himself for him. For this he is no longer in the logic of debit / credit, but in that of the free gift.
ly Gospel
RispondiEliminaGospel Reading: Lk 10:17-24
The seventy-two disciples returned full of joy. They said, "Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we called on your name." Then Jesus replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. You see, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the Enemy, so that nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, don't rejoice because the evil spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven."
At that time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and made them known to the little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. I have been given all things by my Father, so that no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and he to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said to them privately, "Fortunate are you to see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings would have liked to see what you see but did not, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."