FAUSTI - "Blessed are you ." It is the good news that Jesus has given to the poor, to whom He announces the fulfillment of the promise. It is God's judgment on the world. It reveals His way of evaluating the reality, opposite to ours, and His way of saving us, so different from what we think. The Beatitudes constitute the Manifesto of the Kingdom of God, the New Law, a new code of life for those who welcome the Kingdom. The fruits of life and salvation are linked to it. This proclamation of the Kingdom is what Jesus accomplished in His Life, culminating in His Passion-Resurrection for us. The Beatitudes for the poor and the lamentations for the riches shouldn't be read in a moralistic key, as if they were saying what man "must" do. Rather, they say what God does and how He acts in human history. In the descent from the mountain, Moses revealed what man must do, now, in the descent to the plane, Jesus reveals what God Himself does. It is important to know this in order that we can listen to it, welcome it and bear fruit! The intent of the proclamation is to reveal to us the Face of God in Christ, so that the very Glory of His, which is that of the obedient Son, may be revealed on our own. The Life and the Work of Jesus manifest the true face of God that "no one has ever seen" (Jn 1:18). In His mystery of death/exaltation, we see how God gives the Kingdom. In His Passion, Jesus, hated, banned, insulted, rejected and defamed, solidarizes with the poor and identifies Himself with them, Himself who was already poor and hungry before. In His Resurrection, He realizes the Beatitude in the first person: identifying to Himself all the poor, in the fullness of the Messianic banquet and in the laughter of victory. Luke's speech is understandable only to the disciples. It is a Word addressed to those who, having discovered the treasure, wish to live its fruits to the full, willing to abandon all that is an obstacle to it. Jesus addresses those real poor people, of all sorts, whom He has taken care of. His "taking care" of all misery is His messianic sign. He will satisfy these hungry people with His Bread and will dry their tears with His Consolation. We also listen to the same Word, because, in obedience to Him, we are transferred and kidnapped in God, in whom salvation is offered to all the lost. It is to be noted the present time of the first Beatitude and of the first lamentation. Already "now" the Kingdom is of the poor and already "now" the rich are excluded from it with a surrogate of consolation... The other two beatitudes/consolations are in the future simple: they are respectively the fruits/surrogates of the Kingdom that will mature in the future. This means that with Jesus the present history is definitive, but not closed, it is indeed definitively open towards its term of salvation. This present/future tension, between an hour and an after, is the very space of history, a place of human decision to welcome the freedom of Christ. The last beatitude/lamentation indicates a future situation, but one that will soon become actual, in the time of persecution. Then it will be for the disciple his present of participation or not to the Passion of the Lord. The Beatitudes can only be understood by knowing God who is Love for all His children. His justice is to take away from those who have and give to those who do not have, so that the fraternity may be lived in concrete terms. Our concept of justice, "to each one his own" is based on human injustice and codifies the selfishness that originates it. It is useful to note that the distinction between poor and rich is easy to read outside. It is very difficult to read it within the heart of man: only the Word that penetrates into us discerns between bliss and alas, painfully cutting evil in us from good. Each of us is torn between having, power and appearance on the one side and the Lord's call to poverty, service and humility on the other.
17 [Jesus] came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon... 20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 "Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. 22 "Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. 24 "But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 "Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger. "Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26 "Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 78 Reading 1 JER 17:5-8 Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season, but stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth. Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: it fears not the heat when it comes; its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit. Responsorial Psalm PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6 R. (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. Blessed the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked, nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent, but delights in the law of the LORD and meditates on his law day and night. R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers. R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. Not so the wicked, not so; they are like chaff which the wind drives away. For the LORD watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes. R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord. Reading 2 1 COR 15:12, 16-20 Brothers and sisters: If Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
RispondiEliminaFAUSTI - "Blessed are you ." It is the good news that Jesus has given to the poor, to whom He announces the fulfillment of the promise. It is God's judgment on the world. It reveals His way of evaluating the reality, opposite to ours, and His way of saving us, so different from what we think.
The Beatitudes constitute the Manifesto of the Kingdom of God, the New Law, a new code of life for those who welcome the Kingdom. The fruits of life and salvation are linked to it.
This proclamation of the Kingdom is what Jesus accomplished in His Life, culminating in His Passion-Resurrection for us.
The Beatitudes for the poor and the lamentations for the riches shouldn't be read in a moralistic key, as if they were saying what man "must" do. Rather, they say what God does and how He acts in human history. In the descent from the mountain, Moses revealed what man must do, now, in the descent to the plane, Jesus reveals what God Himself does.
It is important to know this in order that we can listen to it, welcome it and bear fruit!
The intent of the proclamation is to reveal to us the Face of God in Christ, so that the very Glory of His, which is that of the obedient Son, may be revealed on our own.
The Life and the Work of Jesus manifest the true face of God that "no one has ever seen" (Jn 1:18).
In His mystery of death/exaltation, we see how God gives the Kingdom.
In His Passion, Jesus, hated, banned, insulted, rejected and defamed, solidarizes with the poor and identifies Himself with them, Himself who was already poor and hungry before.
In His Resurrection, He realizes the Beatitude in the first person: identifying to Himself all the poor, in the fullness of the Messianic banquet and in the laughter of victory.
Luke's speech is understandable only to the disciples. It is a Word addressed to those who, having discovered the treasure, wish to live its fruits to the full, willing to abandon all that is an obstacle to it. Jesus addresses those real poor people, of all sorts, whom He has taken care of.
His "taking care" of all misery is His messianic sign.
He will satisfy these hungry people with His Bread and will dry their tears with His Consolation.
We also listen to the same Word, because, in obedience to Him, we are transferred and kidnapped in God, in whom salvation is offered to all the lost.
It is to be noted the present time of the first Beatitude and of the first lamentation.
Already "now" the Kingdom is of the poor and already "now" the rich are excluded from it with a surrogate of consolation... The other two beatitudes/consolations are in the future simple: they are respectively the fruits/surrogates of the Kingdom that will mature in the future.
This means that with Jesus the present history is definitive, but not closed, it is indeed definitively open towards its term of salvation.
This present/future tension, between an hour and an after, is the very space of history, a place of human decision to welcome the freedom of Christ.
The last beatitude/lamentation indicates a future situation, but one that will soon become actual, in the time of persecution. Then it will be for the disciple his present of participation or not to the Passion of the Lord.
The Beatitudes can only be understood by knowing God who is Love for all His children.
His justice is to take away from those who have and give to those who do not have, so that the fraternity may be lived in concrete terms.
Our concept of justice, "to each one his own" is based on human injustice and codifies the selfishness that originates it.
It is useful to note that the distinction between poor and rich is easy to read outside.
It is very difficult to read it within the heart of man: only the Word that penetrates into us discerns between bliss and alas, painfully cutting evil in us from good.
Each of us is torn between having, power and appearance on the one side and the Lord's call to poverty, service and humility on the other.
Luke 6:17,20-26
RispondiElimina17 [Jesus] came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon... 20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 "Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh. 22 "Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. 24 "But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 "Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger. "Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26 "Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
RispondiEliminaLectionary: 78
Reading 1 JER 17:5-8
Thus says the LORD:
Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings,
who seeks his strength in flesh,
whose heart turns away from the LORD.
He is like a barren bush in the desert
that enjoys no change of season,
but stands in a lava waste,
a salt and empty earth.
Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
whose hope is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
it fears not the heat when it comes;
its leaves stay green;
in the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.
Responsorial Psalm PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6
R. (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked,
nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
but delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
that yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Reading 2 1 COR 15:12, 16-20
Brothers and sisters:
If Christ is preached as raised from the dead,
how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead?
If the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised,
and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain;
you are still in your sins.
Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If for this life only we have hoped in Christ,
we are the most pitiable people of all.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.