A God in search of the lost and unequal, to expand our life

(Lk 15:1-10)

Why does Jesus speak of Joy in reference to the one sheep?

Says the Tao Tê Ching (x): "Preserve the One by dwelling in the two souls: are you able to keep them apart?"

Even in the spiritual journey, Jesus is careful not to propose a dictated or planned universalism, as if his were an ideal model, "for the purpose of homogenisation" (Brothers All No.100).

The type of Communion that the Lord proposes to us does not aim at "a one-dimensional uniformity that seeks to eliminate all differences and traditions in a superficial search for unity".

Because "the future is not 'monochromatic' but if we have the courage, it is possible to look at it in the variety and diversity of the contributions that each one can make. How much our human family needs to learn to live together in harmony and peace without us all being equal!" (from an Address to Young People in Tokyo, November 2019).

Although the piety and hope of the representatives of official religiosity was founded on a structure of human, ethnic, cultural securities and a vision of the Mystery consolidated by a great tradition, Jesus crumbles all predictability.

In the Son, God is revealed no longer as exclusive property, but as the Power of Love that forgives the marginalised and lost: saving and creating, liberating. And through the disciples, he unfolds his Face that recovers, breaks down the usual barriers, calls out to miserable multitudes.

It seems an impossible utopia to realise in the concrete (today of the health and global crisis) but it is the sense of the handover to the Church, called to become an incessant prod of the Infinite and ferment of an alternative world, for integral human development:

"Let us dream as one humanity, as wayfarers made of the same human flesh, as children of this same earth that is home to us all, each with the richness of his faith or convictions, each with his own voice, all brothers!" (FT no.8).

Through an absurd question (phrased rhetorically) Jesus wants to awaken the conscience of the 'righteous': there is a counterpart of us that supposes of itself, very dangerous, because it leads to exclusion, to abandonment.

Instead, inexhaustible Love seeks. And it finds the imperfect and restless.

The swamp of stagnant energy that is generated by accentuating boundaries does not make anyone grow: it locks in the usual positions and leaves everyone to make do or lose themselves. Out of self-interested disinterest - that impoverishes everyone.

This made the creative virtues fall into despair.

And it plunged those who were outside the circle of the elect - anterior ones who had nothing superior. In fact, Luke portrays them as utterly incapable of beaming with human joy at the progress of others.

Calculating, acting and conforming - the leaders (fundamentalist or sophisticated) are ignorant of reality, and use religion as a weapon.

Instead, God is at the antipodes of the fake sterilised - or disembodied thinking - and looking for the one who wanders shakily, easily becomes disoriented, loses his way. 

Sinful yet true, therefore more disposed to genuine Love. This is why the Father is searching for the insufficient.

The person who is so limpid and spontaneous - even if weak - hides his best side and vocational richness precisely behind the apparently detestable sides. Perhaps that he himself does not appreciate.

This is the principle of Redemption that astounds and makes interesting our often distracted paths, conducted by trial and error - in Faith, however, generating self-esteem, credit, fullness and joy.

The commitment of the purifier and the impetus of the reformer are 'trades' that seemingly oppose each other, but are easy... and typical of those who think that the things to be challenged and changed are always outside themselves.

For example, in mechanisms, in general rules, in the legal framework, in worldviews, in formal (or histrionic) aspects instead of the craft of the concrete particular good; and so on.

They seem to be excuses not to look inside oneself and get involved, not to meet one's deepest states in all aspects and not only in the guidelines. And to recover or cheer up individuals who are concretely lost, sad, in all dark and difficult sides.

But God is at the antipodes of sterilised mannerists or fake idealists, and in search of the insufficient: he who wanders and loses his way. Sinful yet true, therefore more disposed to genuine Love.

The transparent and spontaneous person - even if weak - hides his best part and vocational richness precisely behind the apparently detestable aspects (perhaps which he himself does not appreciate).

So let us ask for solutions to the mysterious, unpredictable interpersonal energies that come into play; from within things.

Without interfering with or opposing ideas of the past or future that we do not see. Rather by possessing its soul, its spontaneous drug.

This is the principle of Salvation that astounds and makes interesting our paths [often distracted, led by trial and error] - ultimately generating self-esteem, credit and joy.

The idea that the Most High is a notary or prince of a forum, and makes a clear distinction between righteous and transgressors, is caricature.

After all, a life of the saved is not one's own making, nor is it exclusive possession or private ownership - which turns into duplicity.

It is not the squeamish attitude, nor the cerebral attitude, that unites one to Him. The Father does not blandish suppliant friendships, nor does He have outside interests.

He rejoices with everyone, and it is need that draws Him to us. So let us not be afraid to let Him find us and bring us back (v.5)... to His house, which is our house.

If there is a loss, there will be a finding, and this is no loss to anyone - except to the envious enemies of freedom (v.2).

For the LORD is not pleased with marginalisation, nor does he intend to extinguish the smoking lamp.

Jesus does not come to point the finger at the bad times, but to make up for them, by leveraging intimate involvement. Invincible force of faithfulness.

This is the style of a Church with a Sacred Heart, lovable, elevated and blessed.

[What attracts one to participate and express oneself is to feel understood, restored to full dignity - not condemned].

Carlo Carretto said: 'It is by feeling loved, not criticised, that man begins his journey of transformation'.

As the encyclical Fratelli Tutti emphasises again:

Jesus - our Engine and Motive - "had an open heart, which made the dramas of others its own" (n.84).

And he adds as an example of our great Tradition:

"People can develop certain attitudes which they present as moral values: fortitude, sobriety, industriousness and other virtues. But in order to properly direct the acts [...] we must also consider to what extent they realise a dynamism of openness and union [...] Otherwise we will only have appearances'.

"St Bonaventure explained that the other virtues, without charity, strictly speaking do not fulfil the commandments as God intends them" (n.91).

In sects or one-sidedly inspired groups, human and spiritual riches are deposited in a secluded place, so they grow old and debased.

In the assemblies of the sons, on the other hand, they are shared: they grow and communicate; by multiplying, they green up, for universal benefit.

To internalise and live the message:

What attracts you to the Church? In comparisons with the top of the class, do you feel judged or adequate?

Do you feel the Love that saves, even if you remain uncertain?

Heart that does not give up

Celebrating the Jubilee of Priests on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are called to point to the heart, that is, to the interiority, to the strongest roots of life, to the core of the affections, in a word, to the centre of the person. And today we turn our gaze to two hearts: the Heart of the Good Shepherd and our own heart as shepherds.

The Heart of the Good Shepherd is not only the Heart that has mercy on us, but it is mercy itself. There the Father's love shines out; there I feel sure of being accepted and understood as I am; there, with all my limitations and sins, I taste the certainty of being chosen and loved. Looking at that Heart I renew my first love: the memory of when the Lord touched my soul and called me to follow him, the joy of having cast the nets of life on his Word (cf. Lk 5:5).

The Heart of the Good Shepherd tells us that his love has no bounds, never tires and never gives up. There we see his continuous self-giving, without limits; there we find the source of his faithful and meek love, which leaves us free and sets us free; there we rediscover every time that Jesus loves us "to the end" (Jn 13:1) - he does not stop before, to the end -, without ever imposing himself.

The Heart of the Good Shepherd is outstretched towards us, "polarised" especially towards those who are most distant; there he stubbornly points the needle of his compass, there he reveals a particular weakness of love, because he wishes to reach everyone and no one to lose.

Before the Heart of Jesus arises the fundamental question of our priestly life: where is my heart oriented? A question that we priests must ask ourselves many times, every day, every week: where is my heart oriented? The ministry is often full of multiple initiatives, which expose it on so many fronts: from catechesis to liturgy, to charity, to pastoral and even administrative commitments. In the midst of so many activities, the question remains: where is my heart fixed? I am reminded of that beautiful prayer from the liturgy: "Ubi vera sunt gaudia...". Where does it point, what is the treasure it seeks? Because - Jesus says - "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Mt 6:21). There are weaknesses in all of us, even sins. But let us go to the depths, to the root: where is the root of our weaknesses, of our sins, that is, where is that very 'treasure' that draws us away from the Lord?

The irreplaceable treasures of the Heart of Jesus are two: the Father and us. His days were spent between praying to the Father and meeting people. Not distance, encounter. The heart of Christ's pastor also knows only two directions: the Lord and people. The heart of the priest is a heart pierced by the love of the Lord; therefore he no longer looks to himself - he should not look to himself - but is turned to God and to his brothers and sisters. It is no longer 'a dancing heart', which is attracted by the suggestion of the moment or which goes hither and thither in search of approval and petty satisfaction. Instead, it is a heart steadfast in the Lord, gripped by the Holy Spirit, open and available to the brethren. And there he resolves his sins.

To help our hearts burn with the charity of Jesus the Good Shepherd, we can train ourselves to make our own three actions, which today's readings suggest: seek, include and rejoice.

Seek. The prophet Ezekiel reminded us that God himself seeks his sheep (34:11, 16). He, says the Gospel, "goes in search of the lost one" (Lk 15:4), without being frightened by the risks; without qualms he ventures out of the pasture grounds and out of the working hours. And he does not charge overtime. He does not postpone the search, he does not think 'I have already done my duty today, and if anything, I will deal with it tomorrow', but sets to work immediately; his heart is restless until he finds that one lost sheep. Having found it, he forgets his fatigue and loads it on his shoulders all happy. Sometimes he has to go out to look for it, to speak, to persuade; at other times he has to remain in front of the tabernacle, struggling with the Lord for that sheep.

Here is the heart that seeks: it is a heart that does not privatise time and space. Woe to the shepherds who privatise their ministry! He is not jealous of his legitimate peace of mind - legitimate, I say, not even of that - and never claims not to be disturbed. The pastor after God's own heart does not defend his own comforts, is not concerned with protecting his good name, but will be slandered, like Jesus. Undeterred by criticism, he is willing to take risks in order to imitate his Lord. "Blessed are you when they insult you, when they persecute you..." (Mt 5:11).

The shepherd according to Jesus has a free heart to leave his things behind, he does not live by accounting for what he has and the hours of service: he is not an accountant of the spirit, but a good Samaritan in search of those in need. He is a shepherd, not an inspector of the flock, and he dedicates himself to the mission not fifty or sixty percent, but with his whole self. In seeking he finds, and he finds because he risks. If the shepherd does not risk, he does not find. He does not stop after disappointments, and in his labours he does not give up; for he is obstinate in the good, anointed by divine obstinacy that no one should go astray. That is why he not only keeps the doors open, but goes out in search of those who no longer wish to enter through the door. And like every good Christian, and as an example for every Christian, he is always going out of himself. The epicentre of his heart is outside himself: he is off-centred from himself, centred only in Jesus. He is not drawn by his ego, but by the You of God and the we of men.

Second word: include. Christ loves and knows his sheep, he lays down his life for them and none are strangers to him (cf. Jn 10:11-14). His flock is his family and his life. He is not a leader feared by the sheep, but the Shepherd who walks with them and calls them by name (cf. Jn 10:3-4). And He desires to gather the sheep that do not yet dwell with Him (cf. Jn 10:16).

So also the priest of Christ: he is anointed for the people, not to choose his own projects, but to be close to the concrete people that God, through the Church, has entrusted to him. No one is excluded from his heart, his prayer and his smile. With a loving gaze and a father's heart he welcomes, includes and, when he has to correct, it is always to approach; no one despises, but for all he is ready to dirty his hands. The Good Shepherd knows no gloves. A minister of the communion he celebrates and lives, he does not expect greetings and compliments from others, but first offers his hand, rejecting gossip, judgement and venom. With patience he listens to people's problems and accompanies their steps, bestowing divine forgiveness with generous compassion. He does not scold those who leave or go astray, but is always ready to reintegrate and settle disputes. He is a man who knows how to include.

Rejoice. God is "full of joy" (Lk 15:5): his joy is born of forgiveness, of life rising, of the son breathing home air again. The joy of Jesus the Good Shepherd is not a joy for himself, but a joy for others and with others, the true joy of love. This is also the joy of the priest. He is transformed by the mercy he freely bestows. In prayer he discovers God's consolation and experiences that nothing is stronger than his love. That is why he is inwardly serene, and is happy to be a channel of mercy, to bring man closer to the Heart of God. Sadness for him is not normal, but only passing; hardness is alien to him, for he is a shepherd according to the meek Heart of God.

Dear priests, in the Eucharistic Celebration we rediscover every day this identity of ours as shepherds. Each time we can truly make his words our own: "This is my body offered as a sacrifice for you". This is the meaning of our life, these are the words with which, in a certain way, we can daily renew the promises of our Ordination. I thank you for your 'yes', and for so many hidden everyday 'yeses' that only the Lord knows. I thank you for your "yes" to giving your life united to Jesus: therein lies the pure source of our joy.

[Pope Francis, homily 3 June 2016]

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

The liturgy today once again presents for our meditation Chapter 15 of Luke's Gospel, one of the loftiest and most moving passages of all Sacred Scripture. It is beautiful to think that on this day throughout the world, wherever the Christian community gathers to celebrate the Sunday Eucharist, the Good News of truth and salvation rings out: God is merciful love. 

The Evangelist Luke has gathered in this Chapter three parables on divine mercy: the two shortest ones which he has in common with Matthew and Mark are the Parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin; the third, lengthy, articulate and proper to him alone, is the famous parable of the merciful Father, commonly known as the parable of the "Prodigal Son".

In this Gospel passage, we almost seem to hear Jesus' voice revealing to us the Face of his Father and our Father. Basically, this was the reason he came into the world: to speak to us of the Father; to make him known to us, his lost children, and to revive in our hearts the joy of belonging to him, the hope of being forgiven and restored to our full dignity, the desire to dwell for ever in his house which is also our house. 

Jesus recounted the three parables of mercy because the Scribes and Pharisees were muttering bad things about him since they had noticed he permitted sinners to approach him and even eat with him (cf. Lk 15: 1-3). He then explained in his typical language that God does not want even one of his children to be lost and that his soul overflows with joy whenever a sinner is converted.

True religion thus consists in being attuned to this Heart, "rich in mercy", which asks us to love everyone, even those who are distant and our enemies, imitating the Heavenly Father who respects the freedom of each one and draws everyone to himself with the invincible power of his faithfulness.
This is the road Jesus points out to all who want to be his disciples: "Judge not... condemn not... forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.... Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful" (Lk 6: 36-38). In these words we find very practical instructions for our daily conduct as believers. 

In our time, humanity needs a strong proclamation and witness of God's mercy. Beloved John Paul II, a great apostle of Divine Mercy, prophetically intuited this urgent pastoral need. He dedicated his Second Encyclical to it and throughout his Pontificate made himself a missionary of God's love to all peoples. 

After the tragic events of 11 September 2001, which darkened the dawn of the third millennium, he invited Christians and people of good will to believe that God's Mercy is stronger than all evil, and that only in the Cross of Christ is the world's salvation found. 

May the Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, whom we contemplated yesterday as Our Lady of Sorrows at the foot of the Cross, obtain for us the gift of always trusting in God's love and help us to be merciful as our Father in Heaven is merciful.

[Pope Benedict, Angelus 16 September 2007]

1. In the Incarnation, God fully reveals himself in the Son who came into the world (cf. Tertio Millennio Adveniente, 9). Our faith is not simply the result of our searching for God. In Jesus Christ, it is God who comes in person to speak to us and to show us the way to himself.

The Incarnation also reveals the truth about man. In Jesus Christ, the Father has spoken the definitive word about our true destiny and the meaning of human history (cf. ibid., 5). “In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an expiation for our sins” (1 Jn 4:10). The Apostle is speaking of the love that inspired the Son to become man and to dwell among us. Through Jesus Christ we know how much the Father loves us. In Jesus Christ, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, each one of us can share in the love that is the life of the Blessed Trinity. 

Saint John goes on: “Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God” (1 Jn4:15). Through faith in the Son of God made man we abide in the very heart of God: “God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him” (1 Jn 4:16). These words open to us the mystery of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: the love and compassion of Jesus is the door through which the eternal love of the Father is poured out on the world. In celebrating this Mass of the Sacred Heart, let us open wide our own hearts to God’s saving mercy! 

2. In the Gospel reading which we have just heard, Saint Luke uses the figure of the Good Shepherd to speak of this divine love. The Good Shepherd is an image dear to Jesus in the Gospels. Answering the Pharisees who complained that he welcomed sinners by eating with them, the Lord asks them a question: Which of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? “And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them: 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep'” (Lk15:5-6). 

This parable highlights the joy of Christ and of our heavenly Father at every sinner who repents. God’s love is a love that searches us out. It is a love that saves. This is the love that we find in the Heart of Jesus.

[Pope John Paul II, homily in St Louis 27 January 1999]

In the Liturgy today we read chapter 15 of the Gospel of Luke, which contains three parables of mercy: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and then the longest of them, characteristic of St Luke, the parable of the father of two sons, the “prodigal” son and the son who believes he is “righteous”, who believes he is saintly. All three of these parables speak of the joy of God. God is joyful. This is interesting: God is joyful! And what is the joy of God? The joy of God is forgiving, the joy of God is forgiving! The joy of a shepherd who finds his little lamb; the joy of a woman who finds her coin; it is the joy of a father welcoming home the son who was lost, who was as though dead and has come back to life, who has come home. Here is the entire Gospel! Here! The whole Gospel, all of Christianity, is here! But make sure that it is not sentiment, it is not being a “do-gooder”! On the contrary, mercy is the true force that can save man and the world from the “cancer” that is sin, moral evil, spiritual evil. Only love fills the void, the negative chasms that evil opens in hearts and in history. Only love can do this, and this is God’s joy!

Jesus is all mercy, Jesus is all love: he is God made man. Each of us, each one of us, is that little lost lamb, the coin that was mislaid; each one of us is that son who has squandered his freedom on false idols, illusions of happiness, and has lost everything. But God does not forget us, the Father never abandons us. He is a patient father, always waiting for us! He respects our freedom, but he remains faithful forever. And when we come back to him, he welcomes us like children into his house, for he never ceases, not for one instant, to wait for us with love. And his heart rejoices over every child who returns. He is celebrating because he is joy. God has this joy, when one of us sinners goes to him and asks his forgiveness.

What is the danger? It is that we presume we are righteous and judge others. We also judge God, because we think that he should punish sinners, condemn them to death, instead of forgiving. So ‘yes’ then we risk staying outside the Father’s house!

[Pope Francis, Angelus 15 September 2013]

And worry about the number

(Lk 14:25-33)

Jesus is concerned to see around him «many crowds» (v.25)!

Unusual that a proposal for total gift and risk of the whole life - goods, relationships, prestige, hopes - can find oceanic consensus.

In fact, there are not a few who do not know «where» He goes. Not to take power and share it to friends - along with the loot.

The Lord is worried (v.25) and must start teaching again.

Having so many admirers is a strange thing for Who proposes to involve themselves and not give in to indifference.

Even today, the Lord challenges, and urges us; He stings.

For those who make the choice of gratuitous love, first disposition is the integration of affections, even "family members". Not - to make us give up living.

Circles can detach us from the boundless demands of a relationship between people who share great ideals across borders.

Feelings and bonds must be relocated; they must acquire a new light.

Nobody is so much hero that he can no longer think of himself and his own, but a perspective dimension takes over, in the experience of a Father who provides for creating more wise turns.

All the logics of common sense take on another meaning.

Even attachment to one’s own image and reputation: «take, lift, carry the arm of the Cross» [v.27: sense of the Greek verb].

It was the moment of the maximum loneliness and perception of failure.

Those who are agitated by opinion-around limit themselves, do not begin paths, do not rely on their own skills or even discover them; they do not learn to take the step of what happens, nor subvert what must be detested.

The contrast with the strong powers that demand the usual double-edged loyalty, is simply to be taken into account from the outset.

Third "commitment" (v.33). Excess goods serve only to build “Relationship”. This is the threshold of Happiness: it makes one similar to God.

Absurd deal, but a source of unconditional joy, which brings us much more than emotion. So we must open our eyes well.

Because in mission you do not live on adrenaline, but on convictions that reflect the intimate life and the fullness of being.

Pay attention: the one who puts his face on it must first meet and measure himself very deeply, because he goes as in war (vv.31-32).

This is no joke here: the gendarmes of the established clans are capable of anything, to continue to give themselves importance and occupy positions.

You pay in person. You do not participate in a triumphal procession: rather, you are rejected.

But Faith sustains: it believes that the Lord does not exert abuses, nor does he want around him resigned witnesses.

His Dream supplants common sense - to make us wince of an unexpected specific ‘pondus’ that we find free in our hearts.

From now on there is no more downwards haggling: this is the new Tower (vv.28-30) to be built.

[Wednesday 31st wk. in O.T.  November 4, 2026]

And worrying about numbers

(Lk 14:25-33)

In his commentary on the Tao Tê Ching (vii) Master Ho-shang Kung writes: "The saint is devoid of self-interest and does not care to give himself importance: therefore he can realise his interest".

Jesus is worried about seeing "many crowds" around him [v.25 Greek text]: having so many admirers is a strange thing for one who proposes to involve himself and not give in to indifference.

Unusual that a proposal of total gift and risk of one's entire life (goods, relationships, prestige, hopes) can find oceanic consent.

Truly unusual, perhaps grotesque, that so many people wish to gamble everything, even their health, for an ideal that generally does not 'sell' much.

Those who make genuine choices know well that sequela Christi is not to take part in a triumphal procession.

Indeed, there are not a few who do not know 'where' it goes....

Not to seize power and share it - alongside the spoils - with friends in his circle!

At best, they have misunderstood him, imagining that they are able to sacralise a quiet and smooth experience - with Him on the bedside table.

That is, picturesque and brilliant in society - intimate inside (with Him in the little heart). All hoods that soften the overhangs of principle.

Jesus notices those who follow Him for induced reasons, almost like enthusiastic festivals, or even venal, opportunistic ones, and only want to share the spoils of the new King of the Holy City. 

He understands why he has so many crowds around him. They have not grasped that God is beyond their reach.

Even in our days, the many crowds that attend the appointments of the 'Church of events' - Pope Francis would say - amaze.

For this reason, Christ sends and makes verifications, challenges and continues to incite the crumbling of any reflexive, quietist, external, self-interested or facilitation illusion - which, however, aggregates.

The first disposition of mind that presses and stings is the integration of affections, even 'family' affections. Not to make us give up living.

They can detach us from the boundless demands of a relationship between people who share great ideals across borders.

The hindrance of old feelings and ties must indeed be relocated, acquiring a new light.

The goal is authentic celebration. Not the useful and immediate; not even the pious mortifications or the abstract perfectionism of those who chase after frantic and contrived acts of strength.

No one is so heroic that he can no longer think of himself and his own, but a perspective dimension takes over; as well as the experience of the Father, who provides for wiser turns.

All the logic of common sense and balance is enhanced, yet takes on another meaning. In view of a Love in which every other good acquires full value.

Even the attachment to one's own image and reputation: "to take up, lift up and carry the arm of the Cross" [v.27 sense of the Greek verb].

It was a time of utmost loneliness and perception of failure, personal, religious, social.

He who is agitated by the opinion-around him limits himself, does not initiate paths, does not rely on his own talents, nor does he discover them; he does not learn to take the pace of what is happening, nor does he subvert what is to be detested.

Paraphrasing the encyclical Fratelli Tutti (n.187, "The sacrifices of love") one could say that precisely "from there, the paths that open up are different from those of a soulless pragmatism".

It is not enough to accept the normal contrarieties.

Those who remain attached to the idol of quiet expectations, looks, cheering crowds and the (invigorating) opinion of others cannot be in the Christi sequel.

Lies, but precious ones at heart - inside out. Because this is not the enthusiasm we seek.

We experience it inside: the lust for prestige does not listen to authentic needs, does not reinvent the present.

Subjection to the fear of social scorn [this is the proposal of the Cross] does not build the breakthrough that belongs to us; it loses it.

Despite the hubbub of outward appearances, conformists and qualunquists do not discern the authentic Sacred in the judgement of the Gospels.

The Word of God does not declare certain faith "how much we need" or what we can "sell".

Traditional discipline and discernment - but also the great disembodied ideas of fashionable thinking - never want to make important what characterises the real woman and man.

According to current sophistication, they will first have to be content to be numbers, to follow custom, to adapt.

In this way, at first glance the critical witness might seem wrong or unequal: one would have to align oneself - are we not for an ecclesiology of communion?

But the very conviviality of differences, even within the same family, demands it.

What is valid is harmony that recovers the whole human being, including the opposite poles.

They complete us, and will have to come into play sooner or later; although they do not correspond to the fundamental trait of every character.

We see it: characters who, in order not to feel devalued and unappreciated, readjust to all seasons - but only to settle down.

They do not value their own energetic contradictions... with the sole purpose of living.

They think: when life seems to be stronger than us, we might as well get even - without ever attempting to objectify their own innermost, unprecedented, personal, disproportionate aspirations.

The appointment with the Unexpected does not settle for neat, contrived, or cerebral and schematic things, which dampen the potential for growth.

We are forced to put back into circulation forces, virtues, resources, even the sharpest, most eccentric and unpredictable ones - that we did not even think we had.

The contrast with the strong powers that demand the usual double-edged loyalty, and the aversion of the tenants of the papier-mâché castles, is simply to be reckoned with.

Power seeks useful idiots and servile office-bearers, not apostles who enjoy the varied expressions of life.

We belong to another planet: we are not interested in careers, management and consideration, but in the Calling by Name, which activates unknown capacities - those that multiply energies and set things in motion.

There is no better alternative path, to overcome even the global emergency, which grips life today and the world: it is asking us to regenerate, not to go back to the way it was.

Third "commitment" (v.33): excess goods are only for building Relationship. This is the threshold of Happiness: it makes one like God.

An absurd affair, but a source of unconditional joy, which brings us far more than emotion. So you have to open your eyes wide.

Because on a mission we do not live on adrenalin, but on convictions that reflect the intimate life and fullness of being - the heavenly condition.

We will no longer dream of changing smartphones, or the stripe or tear in our trousers, and still have fun: we will widen spaces, invent roads, plant a seed of an alternative society.

He who puts his face to it to make the world wise and transparent, even the ecclesiastical world, must however first meet and measure himself very very thoroughly, for he goes as if to war (vv.31-32).

This is also why one must learn to put a whole new mind into the game and not just combing parlor trinkets, as if caught up in the squalor of the chase - instead of the poignant and sacred goals.

There is no joking here: the gendarmes and the various established clans guarding their ancient or à la page are capable of all the worst there is, to continue to give themselves importance and occupy positions that matter, and yield.

One pays in person. One is rejected. But the Faith sustains: it believes that the Lord does not exercise abuse, nor does He want resigned followers around.

His Dream transcends common sense - to make us wince with an unexpected ‘pondus’ that we find free in our hearts.

In commentary on the Tao xxvi, Master Wang Pi writes: "To lose the foundation is to lose the person".

And Master Ho-shang Kung adds: "If the ruler is light and arrogant, he loses his ministers; if the ruler is light and licentious, he loses the essence.

Light-heartedness, externality and booty are puerile expectations.

Henceforth there is no more bargaining: this is the new Tower (vv.28-30) to be built.

In the Gospel passage from St Luke, Jesus himself frankly states the three conditions necessary for being his disciples: to love him more than anyone else and more than life itself; to carry one's cross and to walk after him; to renounce all one's possessions. Jesus sees a great crowd following him with his disciples and wants to make it quite clear to all that following him is demanding and cannot depend on enthusiasm or opportunism. It must be a carefully considered decision taken after asking oneself, in all conscience: who is Jesus for me? Is he truly "Lord", does he take first place, like the sun around which all the planets rotate? And the First Reading from the Book of Wisdom indirectly suggests to us the reason for this absolute primacy of Jesus Christ: in him we find the answers to the questions of human beings in every epoch who seek the truth about God and about themselves. God is out of our reach and his plans are unknown to us. Yet he has chosen to reveal himself, in creation and especially in the history of salvation, while in Christ he fully manifested himself and his will. Although it remains true that "No one has ever seen God" (Jn 1: 18), we now know his "name" and his "face" and even his will, because Jesus, who is the Wisdom of God made man, has revealed them to us. "Thus", writes the sacred author of the First Reading, "men were taught what pleases you, and were saved by wisdom" (Wis 9: 18).

[Pope Benedict, homily in Carpineto Romano 5 September 2010]

3. “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and  follow me”(Lk 9:23). These words denote the radicality of a choice that does not allow for hesitation or second thoughts. It is a demanding requirement that unsettled even the disciples and that, throughout the ages, has held back many men and women from following Christ. But  precisely this radicality has also  produced admirable examples of sanctity and martyrdom that strengthened and confirmed the way of the Church. Even today these words are regarded as a stumbling block and folly (cf. 1 Cor 1: 22-25). Yet they must be faced, because the path outlined by God for his Son is the path to be undertaken by the disciple who has decided to follow Jesus. There are not two paths, but only one: the  one trodden by the Master. The disciple cannot invent a different way.

Jesus walks ahead of his followers and asks each one to do as he himself has done. He says: I have not come to be served, but to serve; so, whoever wants to be like me must be the servant of everyone. I have come to you as one who possesses nothing; for this reason, I can ask you to leave all riches behind which  prevent you from entering the Kingdom of Heaven. I accept denial and rejection by most of my people; therefore I can ask you to accept denial and opposition from wherever it comes.

In other words, Jesus asks that we courageously choose the same path. We have to choose it from our hearts, because external situations do not depend on us. In so far as it is possible, the will to be as obedient as he was to the Father  and to be ready to accept the plan which he has for each person right to the end depends upon each of us.

4. “He must deny himself”. To deny oneself is to give up one’s own plans that are often small and petty in order to accept God’s plan. This is the path of conversion, something indispensable in a Christian life, and that led Saint Paul to say, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20).

Jesus does not ask us to give up living, but to accept a newness  and a fullness of life that only He can give. The human being has a deep-rooted tendency to “think only of self”, to regard one’s own person as the centre of interest and to see oneself as the standard against which to gauge everything. One who chooses to follow Christ, on the other hand, avoids being wrapped up in himself and does not evaluate things according to self interest.  He looks on  life in terms of gift and gratuitousness, not in terms of conquest and possession. Life in its fullness is only lived in self-giving, and that is the fruit of the grace of Christ: an existence that is free and in communion with God and neighbour (cf. Gaudium et spes, 24).

If to live as a follower of the Lord becomes the highest value, then all other values are given their rightful rank and importance. Whoever depends solely on worldly goods will end up by losing, even though there might seem to be an appearance of success. Death will find that person with an abundance of possessions but having lived a wasted life (cf. Lk 12:13-21). Therefore, the choice is between being and having, between a full life and an empty existence, between truth and falsehood.

5. “Take up his cross daily and follow me”. As the cross can be reduced to being an ornament, “to carry the cross” can become just a manner of speaking. In the teaching of Jesus, however, it does not imply the pre-eminence of mortification and denial. It does not refer primarily to the need to endure patiently  the great and small tribulations of life, or, even less, to the exaltation of pain as a means of pleasing God. It is not suffering for its own sake that a Christian seeks, but love. When the cross is embraced it becomes a sign of love and of total self-giving. To carry it behind Christ means to be united with him in offering the greatest proof of love.

We cannot speak about the cross without considering God’s love for us, the fact that God wishes to shower us with good things. With his invitation “follow me”, Jesus not only says again to his disciples: take me as your model, but also: share my life and my choices, and stake your life for love of God and for neighbour together with me. This is how Jesus opens up before us the “way of life”. Unfortunately, this is constantly being threatened by the “way of death”. Sin is this way that separates a person from God and neighbour and brings about division and undermines  society from within.

The “way of life” continues and renews the mind of Christ in us  and becomes the way of faith and conversion. It is indeed the way of the cross. It is the way that leads one to trust in him and his plan of salvation, and to believe that He died in order to show God’s love for each one. It is the way to salvation in a society often divided, confused and contradictory. It is the way to the happiness found in following Christ right to the end, in the sometimes dramatic circumstances of daily life.  It is the way that does not fear  failure, difficulties, isolation, loneliness, because it fills our hearts with the presence of Jesus. It is the path of peace, self-control and a joyful heart.

6. My dear young people, do not think it strange that, at the beginning of the third millennium, the Pope once again directs you towards the Cross of Christ as the path of life and true happiness. The Church has always believed and proclaimed that only in the Cross of Christ  is there salvation.

There is a widespread culture of the ephemeral that only attaches value to whatever is pleasing or beautiful, and it would like us to believe that it is necessary to remove the cross in order to be happy. The ideal presented is one of instant success, a fast career, sexuality separated from any sense of responsibility, and ultimately, an existence centred on self affirmation, often bereft of respect for others.

Open your eyes and observe well, my dear young people: this is not the road that leads to true life, but it is the path that sinks into death. Jesus said: “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” Jesus leaves us under no illusions: “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?” (Lk 9:24-25). With the truth of his words that sound hard but  fill the heart with peace, Jesus reveals the secret of how to live a true life (cf. Talk to the young people of Rome, 2 April 1998).

Therefore, do not be afraid to walk the way first trodden by the Lord. With your youthfulness, put your mark of hope and enthusiasm, so typical of your age, on the third millennium that is just beginning. If you allow the grace of God to work in you, and earnestly fulfill this commitment daily, you will make this new century a better time for everyone.

Mary the Mother of the Lord always walks with you. She was the first of the disciples, and she remained faithful at the foot of the Cross where Christ entrusted us to her motherly care. May this Apostolic Blessing that I impart with great affection be with you always.

From the Vatican, 14 February 2001.             

[Pope John Paul II, Message for the XVI WYD]

In today’s Gospel Jesus insists on the conditions for being his disciples: preferring nothing to the love of Christ, carrying one’s cross and following him. Many people in fact drew near to Jesus, they wanted to be included among his followers; and this would happen especially after some miraculous sign which accredited him as the Messiah, the King of Israel. However Jesus did not want to disappoint anyone. He knew well what awaited him in Jerusalem and which path the Father was asking him to take: it was the Way of the Cross, the way of sacrificing himself for the forgiveness of our sins. Following Jesus does not mean taking part in a triumphal procession! It means sharing his merciful love, entering his great work of mercy for each and every man and for all men. The work of Jesus is, precisely, a work of mercy, a work of forgiveness and of love! Jesus is so full of mercy! And this universal pardon, this mercy, passes through the Cross. Jesus, however, does not want to do this work alone: he wants to involve us too in the mission that the Father entrusted to him. After the Resurrection he was to say to his disciples: “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you”... if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven” (Jn 20:21-22). Jesus’ disciple renounces all his possessions because in Jesus he has found the greatest Good in which every other good receives its full value and meaning: family ties, other relationships, work, cultural and economic goods and so forth.... The Christian detaches him or herself from all things and rediscovers all things in the logic of the Gospel, the logic of love and of service.

To explain this requirement, Jesus uses two parables: that of the tower to be built and that of the king going to war. The latter says: “What king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace” (Lk 14:31-32). Jesus does not wish to address the topic of war here; it is only a parable. Yet at this moment in which we are praying intensely for peace, this word of the Lord touches us to the core, and essentially tells us: there is a more profound war that we must all fight! It is the firm and courageous decision to renounce evil and its enticements and to choose the good, ready to pay in person: this is following Christ, this is what taking up our cross means! This profound war against evil! What is the use of waging war, so many wars, if you aren't capable of waging this profound war against evil? It is pointless! It doesn’t work.... Among other things this war against evil entails saying “no” to the fratricidal hatred and falsehood that are used; saying “no” to violence in all its forms; saying “no” to the proliferation of weapons and to the illegal arms trade. There is so much of it! So much of it! And the doubt always remains: is this war or that war — because wars are everywhere — really a war to solve problems or is it a commercial war for selling weapons in illegal trade? These are the enemies to fight, united and consistent, following no other interests than those of peace and of the common good. 

[Pope Francis, Angelus 8 September 2013]

[1–2 November]

First Reading from the Book of Revelation (Rev 7:2–4, 9–14)

 1. Saint John recounts and describes a vision: ‘I, John, saw an angel ascending from the east, from where the sun rises, and afterwards I saw a vast multitude, which no one could count.’ Let us contemplate, together with the apostle, a mystical vision – in other words, a symbolic representation which should not, however, be interpreted literally. To understand the message the author intends to convey, we must look beyond the images he describes. John describes a great procession made up of two distinct groups. The first group consists of 144,000 people, whom he calls servants of God. This number is not to be understood literally, but symbolically, and these people bear the seal of the living God, which represents Baptism. They are therefore the baptised, that is, the Christians of that time who were being persecuted, to whom John addresses himself in the Book of Revelation, the final book of the Bible. The second group consists of an immense and innumerable multitude, coming from every nation, tribe, people and language, representing the whole of humanity. The number four, present symbolically in this list, refers to the created world, the cosmos and all human beings, perhaps also through the reference to the four cardinal points. But what is the meaning of these symbols?  The immense crowd is dressed in white robes, stands before the throne of God and the Lamb, and holds palm branches in their hands; all these elements have a specific meaning: the white robes signify purity and the wedding garment, a symbol of salvation; standing signifies the state of those who have been raised from the dead and have conquered death; and the palm branches are a symbol of victory; the throne of God and the Lamb depicts the divine presence before which the multitude of the saved gathers. All these symbols prove that these people have attained salvation, and the multitude itself proclaims this, affirming that salvation belongs to God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.

2. But what is the relationship between the baptised and the multitude of the saved? An important point is that the second multitude—that immense crowd drawn from all humanity—does not bear the seal of Baptism described for the first group. This raises a question: who contributed to the salvation of this multitude? According to the interpretation proposed by the text, a fundamental role is played precisely by the 144,000, that is, by John’s contemporary Christians. At the end of the first century, these Christians faced terrible persecution under Emperor Domitian (81–96 AD). Despite their suffering and difficulties, they were called to remain faithful to their faith and to continue bearing witness to the Gospel. Their perseverance was important not only for themselves, but also because it could bear fruit for others. The main message that John wishes to convey to persecuted Christians is a call not to lose faith and to persevere even in the most difficult situations, for the sufferings endured during persecution are not in vain: through their witness, Christians can contribute to the salvation of all humanity. 

3. Here the apostle speaks of the ‘great trial’, referring to the persecutions that Christians at that time were forced to endure. It is precisely in this trial that a profound meaning is found: fidelity to God, especially when it involves suffering, becomes a means through which other people are led to salvation. The vision, therefore, is not merely intended to reassure persecuted Christians, but also to show that their witness has universal value. The message is clear: through this image, the Book of Revelation teaches that when Christians remain faithful in the face of persecution, their witness bears fruit that extends far beyond their own community; and by persevering faithfully through trials and often cruel martyrdom, believers contribute to the salvation of all humanity. The vision thus conveys a message of hope: the harsher the trials, the more the Christian becomes an instrument of conversion and salvation for many. Note: the Roman army used to place a mark on the foreheads of recruits; in the same way, the baptised person becomes a soldier of the King of Heaven, and this protective seal was also known in the Old Testament (Ex 12:7; Ez 9:4). Furthermore, in the Book of Revelation, John sees the victory of the poor and the lowly as a revelation of God’s victory over the forces of evil.

Responsorial Psalm (23/24)  

1. We find ourselves in the Temple of Jerusalem. A great procession approaches and, upon reaching the gates of the Temple, two choirs begin to sing in turn, engaging in a dialogue: ‘Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?’ The prophet Isaiah had already compared God, thrice Holy, to a consuming fire and asked this  question: ‘Who among us can stand before this consuming fire? Who can stand before these eternal flames?’ (Isaiah 33:14). The meaning is that humankind, on its own, would be unable to bear the sight of God and the splendour of his glory. The psalm expresses the joy and triumph of the chosen people, who are welcomed into God’s presence through no merit of their own. 

2. One of the great revelations to the people of Israel is that God is the Holy One, completely distinct from every other reality, yet at the same time draws near to humankind. Despite his holiness and greatness, God allows man to stand in his presence and to live in communion with him. This psalm is linked to the feast of All Saints because the saints are those who have ascended the Lord’s mountain and have been welcomed into his presence, and now join the angels in their song of praise. During Mass, Christians sing the Sanctus, uniting themselves spiritually with the multitude of angels and saints; and today, on the Feast of All Saints, the liturgy commemorates this immense multitude, which no one can count. 

3. The psalm then describes the answer to the initial question: namely, the person who may stand before God is ‘one who has innocent hands and a pure heart’ and does not put their trust in idols. The primary meaning of ‘purity’ does not concern moral behaviour, for the people know that they are accepted by God not because of their own merits, but because of His benevolence; and the fundamental requirement is to remain faithful to the one true God by rejecting idols. In the Bible, the word ‘pure’ can be compared to its meaning in chemistry: a substance is pure when it is not mixed with other substances. In the same way, a pure heart is a heart that turns solely to God. Purity of heart, therefore, means above all total fidelity to God, and the psalm teaches that a person may stand in His presence not because they are perfect or have accumulated merits, but because they strive to live in fidelity to the one true God.

Second Reading from the First Letter of Saint John (3:1–3)

1. ‘Beloved, see…’: with these words, Saint John invites us to contemplate, for learning to see is fundamental to our life of faith. The entire history of humanity can be seen as a journey through which humankind learns to see in the right way. Jesus said: ‘They have eyes to see, yet they do not see.’ This is the tragedy of humankind: having eyes yet failing to recognise the truth, failing to see God’s love for humanity. Here, Saint John invites us to learn to see with the eyes of faith. The theme of seeing runs throughout the Bible and always carries the same meaning: knowing how to see and opening our eyes means discovering the true face of God, who is love.

2. Conversely, our way of looking can be distorted and lead us to misinterpret reality. As happened in the Garden of Eden, where everything depended on the way Adam and Eve looked at and interpreted their surroundings. At the centre of the Garden of Eden stand the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God allows man to eat the fruit of all the trees, including the tree of life, but forbids him to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent asks the woman a seemingly innocent question: ‘Is it true that God has told you not to eat the fruit of any tree in the garden?’ The mere act of listening to the serpent begins to alter her perspective. Eve, in fact, starts to regard the forbidden tree as central, rather than the tree of life. Her attention shifts from the goodness of the gifts received from God to what has been forbidden to her. This detail is important because it shows how, at times, simply listening to a deceitful voice is enough to begin seeing reality in the wrong light. The serpent continues to deceive Eve, promising her that, if she eats the fruit, she will not die, but will become like God, knowing good and evil. The woman then looks at the tree and sees that it is good to eat, a delight to the eyes and desirable for gaining wisdom. The narrative deliberately emphasises words relating to sight and perception. She takes the fruit, eats it and offers it to Adam, who in turn eats it. At that point, the text states that both their eyes are opened and they see their own nakedness. Not only have they not become like God, but they begin to experience their nakedness—that is, their fragility and fundamental poverty—as a source of pain.  The story thus shows that a deceived gaze can lead man away from the truth and cause him to lose sight of God’s goodness.  

3. What connection exists between the story of Adam and Eve and this Reading?  The story of Adam and Eve has always been regarded as a key to understanding humanity’s unhappiness and suffering. Mankind, having been deceived, comes to suspect God and regard him as someone who wishes to prevent them from being happy. St John, on the other hand, invites us to do the opposite: ‘Look!’, that is, learn to see and open your eyes. The message is that we must learn to recognise the true face of God and his love for us. When God sets a limit on humankind, he does not do so to prevent us from being happy; on the contrary, he desires the good of humankind. This is why it is important to learn to look at reality through the lens of faith, without allowing ourselves to be deceived by what leads us to doubt his love. By following the example of the saints we commemorate today, let us learn to look with the eyes of faith, so that we may recognise God’s love and his plan for humanity; let us open our eyes to recognise the true face of God. The message is clear: God does not wish to deprive us of good, but loves us and desires our good. To live our faith authentically, we must therefore learn to look beyond appearances and recognise God’s goodness and love in our lives.

From the Gospel according to Saint Matthew (5:1–12a)

1. “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; he sat down, and his disciples came to him. He began to speak and teach them, saying…” . Jesus ascends the mountain like Moses on Sinai, but whilst Moses came down bearing stone tablets and a Law with prescriptive rules, Jesus ascends the mountain—that is, he takes his place with authority; he sits down, which is the gesture of the Master, of the Rabbi who teaches with authority—and opens his mouth not to command anything, but to proclaim the gospel of holiness: ‘Blessed are…’. He does not, therefore, lay down precepts; rather, he paints a portrait; he does not say ‘you must be like this’, but exhorts: ‘you are already blessed if…’. The Beatitudes are not, therefore, eight new commandments, more difficult than the previous ones. They are, in truth, eight names of Jesus, the portrait of his life and his mission, his identity card which we can recognise in the lives of those who wish to follow him without compromise. And today, in the liturgy that invites us to contemplate all the saints in the glory of Heaven, we recognise holiness in its myriad forms. The saints are not, in fact, supermen, but people in whom the Beatitudes have taken flesh in such a way that their lives become a concrete realisation of them. In the diversity of their charisms, they remind us that it is possible for everyone – absolutely everyone – to become a saint, because Jesus, ‘the Holy One par excellence’, shows us the example and assures us of his constant support. Through Baptism we are all saints; in other words, we belong to God by his free mercy, and life is given to us as a concrete opportunity to embody the divine will within ourselves.  And today, in the splendour of Heaven’s triumph, we recognise the myriad faces that holiness takes on in the stories of people with such diverse spiritual experiences. Whilst every day of the year the liturgical calendar presents us with ‘Blessed and Saints’ recognised and proclaimed as such by the Church, today we embrace a vast multitude of simple and humble people—faces and names that are part of everyday life— people who quietly embody the Gospel Beatitudes, in each of which an aspect of God’s holiness shines forth.

2. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The poor in spirit are not those who have nothing, but those who know they are not self-sufficient. They are the opposite of the ‘artificial intelligence’ man, who must optimise everything and control everything. The poor person says: ‘Lord, I need You’, and God in Jesus, who ‘though He was rich, became poor’ (2 Cor 8:9), needs to become a beggar for love, and God’s holiness becomes small. How many men and women, whose names we do not know, have lived in simplicity and poverty like St Francis, now known to all; and blessed, then, are those who do not build their lives on image, reputation or success, but entrust themselves to the fatherly hands of God.  ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.’ Here God reveals himself as the Comforter. Weeping is not weakness; it is the truest form of prayer, for God is not the God who wipes away tears with a quick fix, but the One who weeps with us. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem; he weeps for Lazarus. The believer’s tears are the holiness of God, who shares in the wounds of every human body; and blessed are those who do not flee from pain through endless distractions, but dwell within it and offer it up.  “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” The meek are not the weak who never get angry, but those who have strength and do not use it to crush others. God is meek: “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29).  Meekness will conquer the world, and blessed are those who, in their families, at work and on social media, do not expect to win all the time. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Righteousness here is not legalism, but tzedekah – that is, the ardent desire for God to reign and for human beings to be respected. God hungers for justice and cannot bear the harm done to the poor; and blessed are those who are not content to say ‘that’s just how everyone is’, but who hunger for a more just world. ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.’ Mercy is the heart of God—or rather, rachamim, his maternal compassion. God, therefore, does not have an algorithm that calculates; He has a heart that is moved, and blessed is the one who forgives seventy times seven, who pours oil—not vinegar—onto the wounds of every person. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ Pure is not the one who has never sinned, but the one whose heart is undivided. Cor mundum: a simple heart without ulterior motives. God is pure, transparent; He is light without shadow, and the pure-hearted see because they have no filters of self-interest. Blessed, then, are those who are clear-hearted, without masks, and do not live for ‘likes’. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” Note: it does not say ‘blessed are the peaceful’, those who are calm, but ‘the peacemakers’, the builders of peace. In Hebrew, shalom is not the absence of war; it is the fullness of life. God is a peacemaker because he has broken down the wall between heaven and earth and acts within every heart thirsting for true peace. Blessed are those who do not harbour resentment, those who work for reconciliation, those who switch off their mobile phones at home to foster dialogue and become apostles of listening even where it seems impossible.  “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This is the final seal. God is the one who is persecuted: from the manger to the cross, he has always been opposed and rejected. True holiness is a thorn in the side, for it unmasks the truth; and blessed are those who remain faithful even when it costs them dearly, those who do not sell their conscience for the sake of convenience. Ultimately, every beatitude reiterates: do not lose heart, and listen to Jesus, who points out the concrete path to happiness that not even death can annul. The world proclaims: blessed are the rich, the powerful, those who never weep, the cunning, the heartless, the violent, the victors. Jesus points to the exact opposite, and history shows that he is right. For example, who today remembers or glorifies Herod, Pilate and other figures who, over the centuries, seemed all-powerful? The Gospel, on the other hand, continues to change hearts and to sow saints along the paths of history. The multitude of saints we celebrate today are, as Pope Francis said, ‘the saints next door’: Grandmothers, mothers who pray and often weep in silence, fathers who bear the burden of the family without complaint, young people who choose purity in a world that embraces every kind of perversion, children, young people and sick adults who offer everything to Jesus for the conversion of sinners, priests who continue to bear witness to the joy of the Gospel even when everything seems too arduous and even futile. Ultimately, a saint is someone who, in their heart—despite their frailties and sins—allows themselves to be loved by God and follows Him, seeking to face life’s obstacles with persevering courage. 

Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed  [2 November]

Today, every priest is permitted to celebrate three Holy Masses, and specific readings are provided for each one. I shall limit myself here simply to commenting on three readings and a responsorial psalm.

First Reading from the Book of Job (19:1–23–27) 

1. The sacred author reflects on the meaning of suffering, of faith and of God as liberator, taking as his starting point the biblical figure of Job, the symbol of every person who suffers. Job represents the people of Israel and, more generally, all human beings who face the problem of evil, suffering, pain and death. He is not necessarily a historical figure: rather, he is a symbolic figure in whom billions of people recognise themselves, including ourselves when we suffer. The biblical writer is courageous because he dares to cry out and rebel against suffering in all its forms, but despite the pain, Job remains a man of faith, and his faith is founded on the conviction that God is close to every person who suffers. This certainty has accompanied the people of Israel ever since Moses’ experience before the burning bush (Exodus chapter 3), and Job considers this faith so important that he wishes his words to be engraved forever in stone, with an iron and lead chisel, so that no one may erase them. In ancient times, in fact, lead was poured into the engraved letters to make them more legible. 

2. My Redeemer lives. The word ‘Redeemer’ actually means ‘liberator’ and derives from the Hebrew term Go’el, which refers to the next of kin, responsible for freeing a family member who has fallen into slavery because of debt. In ancient Israel, if a person was forced to sell themselves into slavery to pay off debts, the nearest relative had to intervene to redeem them, paying the creditor and restoring their freedom (Leviticus 25:47–49). Similarly, if someone was forced to sell their land, the relative had the right to buy it back in order to preserve the family heritage (Leviticus 25:25). Financial payment was necessary, but it was not the main purpose: the fundamental aim was to free the person from slavery. This institution expresses an important principle: every member of God’s people must be free. For this reason, no Israelite should accept that a member of their family should remain a slave, and the people of Israel apply this idea to God as well, recognising him as their closest kinsman and their liberator. They therefore call him Go’el. God has proved Himself to be the liberator of Israel on several occasions, beginning with the deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Even during the exile in Babylon, the prophet Isaiah upheld the people’s hope by promising their deliverance.

3. In this brief text, which recalls Isaiah’s promise, it is worth recalling a few fundamental concepts.  Job represents every person who suffers and questions the nature of evil, pain and death. Faith is trust in a God who is close to those who suffer, even in the most difficult moments. Job’s cry shows that believing does not mean not suffering or not protesting against pain. God the Deliverer shows that Israel recognises God as its Go’el, the one who frees from slavery and restores hope. Freedom is the central value of redemption; money is merely a means to achieve it. The central message is that biblical faith does not deny suffering, but affirms that God is close to those who suffer and acts as a liberator and, according to some manuscripts, even as the ‘avenger of blood’ (Numbers 35:19), offering hope and freedom.

Responsorial Psalm (62/63)

1. The expression ‘I rejoice in the shadow of your wings’ comes from a psalm that describes the intimacy between God and his people. To understand it, one must imagine the Temple in Jerusalem before its destruction in 587 BC by Nebuchadnezzar. In the holiest part of the Temple, the Holy of Holies (literally, ‘Holy of the holy things’), stood the Ark of the Covenant, a chest of precious wood overlaid with gold, which held the tablets of the Law. Above the Ark stood two large statues of cherubim. The cherubim were celestial figures originating from the Mesopotamian tradition, depicted with the body and paws of a lion, a human face and large wings. In Mesopotamia they were worshipped as deities, whilst in Israel they were regarded as mere creatures in the service of God. Their outstretched wings symbolically protected the Ark and were considered the footstool of the divine throne. The priest who prayed in the Temple, beneath those wings, thus felt enveloped by God’s tenderness and protection, from dawn until nightfall. The other images in the psalm also draw on the lives of the Levites, those entrusted with religious service in the Temple. The phrase ‘I have beheld you in the sanctuary’ recalls that only the Levites were permitted to enter the holy part of the Temple. The words ‘All my life I will bless you’ indicate that their existence was consecrated to the praise of God, whilst ‘hands raised in invocation of your name’ describes their posture during prayer. The image of being satisfied as at a banquet recalls the sacrifices followed by communal meals and the portion of the sacrificial meat set aside for the Levites’ sustenance. Finally, the remembrance of God during the night recalls the lives of those who served in the Temple and spent their time there.

2. In reality, the psalm is a metaphor: the Levite represents the whole people of Israel, who from the very beginning of their history until the end of time seek God and long to live in intimacy with him. When the psalm says ‘I seek you from the dawn’, it refers not only to the beginning of the day, but to the dawn of time—that is, to Israel’s search for God throughout its history. The words ‘My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, like parched land, thirsty and without water’ profoundly express this longing. The image of the barren land awaiting rain to come back to life was particularly vivid for the people of Israel, who were accustomed to experiencing drought. In the same way, the soul needs God to regain life and hope. The central message is that Israel has thirsted for God from the very beginning of its history, and this thirst becomes even more intense because the people have already experienced his presence and closeness. The most authentic prayer springs precisely from an awareness of our spiritual poverty and our need for God, like the cry of a dehydrated person who pleads: ‘I am thirsty’.

Second Reading from the Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Romans (8:14–23)

1. On the occasion of the commemoration of All Souls’ Day—that is, of those who have already returned to the Father—we are inevitably confronted with the mystery of death. The Church invites us to reflect on God’s great plan, which encompasses our entire lives, our deaths and those of all people. In his Letter to the Romans, Paul describes this plan as a birth: that of a new creation and a new humanity. This is why he states that the whole of creation groans and suffers as if in the pangs of childbirth. This image suggests that God’s plan is being realised gradually, like a birth that requires time and suffering. Creation, therefore, is not merely an event of the past, but a project that is constantly unfolding. The people of Israel lived in expectation of God’s promises; Paul, who shared this hope, came to understand that expectation in a new light after encountering the risen Jesus.

2. Everything depends on the resurrection of Christ: if Christ had not risen, our faith and our hope would collapse; if, however, he has risen, then the world has changed, because love and life have triumphed over hatred and death, and the Kingdom of God has already begun. Through the resurrection of Jesus, we have already entered the new world and can live as new people. In his first letter, John states that we are already children of God, even though what we will be has not yet been fully revealed. When Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2–3). The hope of Christians is that Christ’s resurrection will reach all humanity and transform it, spreading like a contagion. Jesus himself said: ‘I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already ablaze!’ (Luke 12:49).

Our mission is therefore to spread the fire of God’s love throughout the world, knowing that the Holy Spirit is always at our side. It is the Holy Spirit who continues to work in the world to draw it towards God. As Paul reminds us, we have already received the Holy Spirit, but we are still awaiting our full adoption as children of God and the redemption of our bodies. Ultimately, the central message of this text is that death is not the end of God’s plan. Thanks to Christ’s resurrection, we are called to live in the hope of a new creation and, whilst awaiting the full realisation of our lives as children of God, to bear witness to love and to spread the fire of the Holy Spirit throughout the world.

From the Gospel according to Matthew (25:31–46).

1. Yesterday we celebrated the multitude of the saved, praising God in the glory of the Trinity. Today we come to the cemetery and pause to pray for our dear departed who are journeying towards that same destination. The Church, as a wise mother, invites us to listen to the most demanding Gospel passage: the final judgement that awaits us at the end of life.  Jesus says: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, with all his angels, he will sit on the throne of his glory. And all the nations will be gathered before him.’ This is a truth we sometimes forget: for everyone, with death, the day of judgement will come, and with judgement, eternal destiny—heaven or hell. This is not a judgement reserved for just a few, and there is no way out, for death comes to everyone and that day is known only to God. Foolish, therefore, is the person who lives as if they were never to die: they build houses, careers, bank balances, dreams up all manner of plans, without ever lifting their gaze towards heaven, and does not bother to prepare for the encounter with the One who will examine our lives on our final day, a day unknown to us.  Jesus, however, in his mercy, has already revealed to us the content and context of the examination that will mark that encounter. Who will be the judge? Not a cold-hearted official in a court of law, but the Son of Man, the King who reigned  from the manger in Bethlehem to the utter abandonment of Golgotha, He who has already paid the price for us by giving His life for our salvation; the Good Samaritan of the parable who became our neighbour. The judgement, therefore, will not be an act of vengeance, but a revelation of the truth that saves, knowing every hidden intention of ours. And He will carry out this judgement like the shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats. He does not separate the good from the bad by judging on the basis of how much they have prayed or fasted, or how many rosaries they have recited. He separates on the basis of a single criterion: whether they have loved in a concrete way by performing the works of mercy: “ ‘I was hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.’ Not, therefore, a test of theology, but an examination of reality, a true test of love made flesh. ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you? ’ ‘When did we see you like that and fail to serve you?’ This judgement, in truth, begins right here and now, in every act of love towards our neighbour. Every time we visit an elderly person, feed the hungry, welcome a stranger, forgive, or comfort the despondent, we are already writing, of our own accord, the judgement we will deserve. 

2. Just as it is foolish to live without ever realising that one might die at any moment, so too is it foolish to live in anguish at the thought of death. This passage from the Gospel was not written to terrify us, but to encourage us. Let us not forget that the Judge is the very same Jesus who said: ‘I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world’; he is the very same who, on the cross, forgave the thief: ‘Today you will be with me in paradise’; he is the very same who promised: ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy’. For the Christian, therefore, death will not be an encounter with a foreign and severe king and judge, but an embrace with divine mercy. If, then, we seek to recognise the face of Christ in the poor and in the people we meet on the streets of this world, at that very moment that same face will reveal itself to us in the splendour of an eternal ‘face-to-face’ encounter. But there remains one truth we must not forget: judgement is serious and true; heaven exists for those who have believed in divine love, and hell will be for those who, in full freedom and awareness, have decided to say ‘no to love’ forever. 

3. At this point, a question arises: what do the dead tell us through their silence?  When we visit them in cemeteries, we bring flowers and light candles – gestures that are undoubtedly commendable expressions of remembrance and love. But they implore us for a greater gift: to pray for them, for they need our prayers, the Holy Mass and indulgences. At the same time, they remind us that we can honour their memory in a tangible way when we visit the sick, welcome a stranger, help those who ask for support and forgive those who offend us: they remind us that every work of corporal and spiritual mercy is the only way to prepare ourselves for the Last Judgement. Ultimately, they tell us: ‘We have made many mistakes, but we have tried to love, and you must do the same; do not waste time, love today, for today is “the favourable day”’ . Ultimately, they urge us to fill our lives with actions, choices and decisions consistent with our  faith; for when death knocks at our door, it will take love – and concrete love – to hear these words: ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world’.

+Giovanni D’Ercole