“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15); “make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19). With these words, Jesus sends the Apostles to all creation, so that God’s saving action may reach everywhere. But if we consider the moment of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, as recounted in the Acts of the Apostles, we see that the disciples are still closed in their thinking, looking to the restoration of a new Davidic kingdom. They ask the Lord: “will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). How does Jesus answer? He answers by broadening their horizons and giving them both the promise and a task: he promises that they will be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and he confers upon them the task of bearing witness to him all over the world, transcending the cultural and religious confines within which they were accustomed to think and live, so as to open themselves to the universal Kingdom of God. At the beginning of the Church’s journey, the Apostles and disciples set off without any human security, purely in the strength of the Holy Spirit, the Gospel and the faith. This is the yeast that spreads round the world, enters into different events and into a wide range of cultural and social contexts, while remaining a single Church. Around the Apostles, Christian communities spring up, but these are “the” Church which is always the same, one and universal, whether in Jerusalem, Antioch, or Rome. And when the Apostles speak of the Church, they are not referring to a community of their own, but to the Church of Christ, and they insist on the unique, universal and all-inclusive identity of the Catholica that is realized in every local church. The Church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic, she reflects in herself the source of her life and her journey: the unity and communion of the Trinity.

[Pope Benedict, address to the consistory 24 November 2012]

Dear Young People,

1. In an extraordinary way the Lord blessed the Sixth World Youth Day which was celebrated last August at the shrine of Jasna Góra in Czestochowa. In announcing the theme for the next Day, my thoughts return to those wonderful moments and I thank divine Providence for the spiritual fruits which that world meeting brought not only to the Church, but to all humanity.

How I want the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which we experienced in Czestochowa, to spread everywhere! During those memorable days, Mary's shrine became the Upper Room for a new Pentecost, with the doors thrown open to the Third Millennium. Once again the world was able to see the Church, so young and so missionary, full of joy and hope.

I experienced great happiness in seeing so many young people, who gathered together for the first time from the East and West, from the North and South, united in prayer by the Holy Spirit. We witnessed a historical event, an event whose immeasurable meaning for salvation opened a new stage in the process of evangelization, in which young people have an active part to play.

Here we are before the Seventh World Youth Day, 1992. I chose these words of Christ as this year's theme: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel" (Mk 16:15). Through the Church, these words addressed to the Apostles concern every baptized person. As one can easily see, this theme is closely connected with last year's. The same Spirit who made us children of God compels us to evangelize. The Christian vocation, in fact, implies a mission.

In light of the missionary mandate which Christ has entrusted to us, the meaning and importance of World Youth Days in the Church appear with greater clarity. By participating in these gatherings, young people intend to confirm and strengthen their own "yes" to Christ and his Church, as they say again in the words of the prophet Isaiah: "Here I am; send me!" (cf. Is 6:8). This precisely was the meaning of the dismissal rite which took place in Czestochowa, when I handed lighted candles to some of your representatives and invited all young people to bring Christ's light to the world. Yes, in Jasna Góra — on Bright Mountain — the Holy Spirit enkindled a light which is a sign of hope for the Church and for all humanity.

2. By her very nature the Church is a missionary community (cf. Ad gentes, n. 2). She is continually impelled by this missionary thrust which she has received from the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). In fact, the Holy Spirit is the principal agent of the Church's entire mission (cf. Redemptoris missio, III).

As a consequence, the Christian vocation is also directed towards the apostolate, towards evangelization, towards mission. All baptized persons are called by Christ to become his apostles in their own personal situation and in the world: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you" (Jn 20:21). Through his Church Christ entrusts you with the fundamental mission of sharing with others the gift of salvation, and he invites you to participate in building his kingdom. He chooses you, in spite of the personal limitations everyone has, because he loves you and believes in you. This unconditional love of Christ should be the very soul of your apostolic work, in accord with the words of St Paul: "The love of Christ impels us" (2 Cor 5:14).

Being disciples of Christ is not a private matter. On the contrary, the gift of faith must be shared with others. For this reason the same Apostle writes: "If I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!" (1 Cor 9:16). Moreover, do not forget that faith is strengthened and grows precisely when it is given to others (cf. Redemptoris missio, n. 2).

"Go into the whole world"

3. The mission lands in which you have been called to work are not necessarily located in distant countries, but can be found throughout the world, even in the everyday situtations where you are. In the countries of more ancient Christian tradition today there is an urgent need to call attention again to the message of Jesus by means of a new evangelization, since there are widespread groups of people who do not know Christ, or do not know him well enough; many, caught by the mechanisms of secularism and religious indifference, are far from him (cf. Christifideles laici, n. 4).

The same world of young people, dear friends, is a mission land for the Church today. Everyone knows the problems which plague the environment in which young people live: the collapse of values, doubt, consumerism, drugs, crime, eroticism, etc. But at the same time every young person has a great thirst for God, even if at times this thirst is hidden behind an attitude of indifference or even hostility. How many young people, lost and dissatisfied, went to Czestochowa to give a deeper and more decisive meaning to their lives! How many came from a distance — not only in a geographical sense — although they were not baptized! I am sure that for many young people the meeting in Czestochowa was a form of pre-evangelization; for others it marked an essential turning-point, an occasion of genuine conversion.

The harvest is abundant! But, although there are many young people seeking Christ, there are still few apostles who are ready to proclaim him in a credible way. There is a need for many priests, teachers and educators in the faith, but there is also a need for young people inspired with a missionary spirit, because it is young people who "should become the first apostles of the young, in direct contact with them, exercising the apostolate by themselves among themselves" (Apostolicam actuositatem, n. 12). This is a basic principle of educating in faith. Here, then, is your great task!

Today's world offers many challenges to your involvement in the Church. In particular, the collapse of the Marxist system in the countries of Eastern and Central Europe and the subsequent opening of many countries to the proclamation of Christ are a new sign of the times to which the Church is called to give an appropriate response. In the same way the Church is searching for ways to overcome the different kinds of barriers which remain in many other countries. The effort and enthusiasm which you young people can offer the Church are indispensable.

"Proclaim the Gospel"

4. Proclaiming Christ means above all giving witness to him with one's life. It is the simplest form of preaching the Gospel and, at the same time, the most effective way available to you. It consists in showing the visible presence of Christ in one's own life by a daily commitment and by making every concrete decision in conformity with the Gospel. Today the world especially needs believable witnesses. Dear young people, you who love personal authenticity so much and who almost instinctively condemn every type of hypocrisy are able to give a clear and sincere witness to Christ.

Therefore, testify to your faith through your involvement in the world too. A disciple of Christ is never a passive and indifferent observer of what is taking place. On the contrary, he feels responsible for transforming social, political, economic and cultural reality.

Moreover, proclaiming means precisly proclaiming — becoming one who brings the Word of salvation to others. There is indeed much ignorance about the Christian faith, but there is also a deep desire to hear the Word of God. And faith comes from listening. St Paul writes: "And how can they believe unless they have heard of him?" (Rom 10:14). Dear young people, proclaiming the Word of God is not the responsibility of priests or religious alone, but it is yours too. You must have the courage to speak about Christ in your families and in places where you study, work or recreate, inspired with the same fervour the Apostles had when they said: "We cannot help speaking of what we have heard and seen" (Acts 4:20). Nor should you be silent! There are places and circumstances where you alone can bring the seed of God's Word.

Do not be afraid of presenting Christ to someone who does not yet know him. Christ is the true answer, the most complete answer to all the questions which concern the human person and his destiny. Without Christ the human person remains an unsolvable riddle. Therefore, have the courage to present Christ! Certainly, you must do this in a way which respects each person's freedom of conscience, but you must do it (cf. Redemptoris missio, n. 39). Helping a brother or sister to discover Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life (cf. Jn 14:6) is a true act of love for one's neighbour.

It is not an easy task to speak of God today. Many times one finds a wall of indifference and even a certain hostililty. How many times will you be tempted to repeat with the prophet Jeremiah: "Ah, Lord God, I know not how to speak; I am too young"! But God will always answer: "Say not ?I am too young'. To whomever I send you, you shall go" (cf. Jer 1:6-7). So, do not be discouraged, because you are never alone. The Lord will not fail to accompany you, as he promised: "Know that I am with you always, until the end of the world" (Mt 28:20).

"Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel"

5. The theme of the Seventh World Youth Day also invites you to look at the history of peoples, particularly the history of their evangelization.

In some cases the history is very ancient, in others it is recent. But there is a wondrous dynamism with which the youngest Churches grow in the faith and enrich the spiritual patrimony of the whole universal Church.

On the occasion of this Day, dear young people throughout the world, I invite you to reflect in the light of faith on the figures of the apostles and missionaries who first raised the cross of Christ in your countries. Try to draw from their example the zeal and courage to face up better to the challenges of our time.

With gratitude for the gift of faith which they brought to people, may you take personal responsibility for the heritage of Christ's cross, which you are called to pass on to future generations.

At this point I want to offer special encouragement to the young people of the Latin American continent, where the Fifth Centenary of its first evangelization is being celebrated this year. This event, which is very important for the whole Church, is an occasion for you to thank the Lord for the faith he has given you and to renew your commitment to meet the challenges presented by the new evangelization on the threshold of the Third Millennium.

6. With the publication of this Message a journey of spiritual preparation is being started for the upcoming World Youth Day, which will gather you together around your Bishops on Palm Sunday.

The ordinary character of the celebration, however, should not mean less involvement. On the contrary, I invite you young people, and those who are involved in youth work, as well as those responsible for movements, associations and ecclesial communities, to intensify your efforts so that this journey will become a true school of evangelization and apostolic formation.

I hope that many young men and women, inspired by sincere, apostolic zeal, will consecrate their own lives to Christ and the Church as priests and religious, or as lay people who are also ready to leave their own countries to rush to those places where workers in Christ's vineyard are scarce. Listen attentively, then, to the voice of the Lord, who today does not cease calling you, as he called Peter and Andrew: "Come after me and I will make you fishers of men" (Mt 4:19).

As the year 2000 approaches, the Church feels the need for a renewed missionary effort and she puts her hope in you, dear young people, precisely for this task. Do not forget to thank the Holy Spirit each day for continuing to light so many fires of apostolic commitment in the Church today. Parish communities that are dynamic and alive are its very fertile field, as well as associations, ecclesial movements and new communities which are increasing and spreading with such an abundance of charisms, especially in young people's surroundings. This is the new inspiration which the Holy Spirit is giving to our times: how I wish that it would penetrate each of your lives!

I entrust the celebration of World Youth Day 1992 to Mary, Queen of Apostles. May she teach you that to bring Jesus to others it is not necessary to do extraordinary feats, but simply to have a heart filled with love for God and one's brothers and sisters, a love which impels one to share the priceless treasures of faith, hope and charity.

In the course of preparing for the Seventh World Youth Day, dear young people, may my special Apostolic Blessing accompany you.

From the Vatican, 24 November 1991, the Solemnity of Jesus Christ the King.

[Pope John Paul II, Message to announce the Theme of the 7th WYD]

Transmitted not to convince but to offer a Treasure

The Gospel of Mark was the first to be written. It is simple, a simple style, very close […] In the Gospel we have just read - which is at the end of the Gospel of Mark - there is the sending forth by the Lord. The Lord reveals Himself as Saviour, as the only Son of God; He revealed Himself to all Israel, all the people, especially and with more details to the apostles, to the disciples. This is the Lord’s farewell, the Lord is going away: He left and “He was taken up into heaven: there at the right hand of God He took His place (Mk 16:19). But before leaving, when He appeared to the eleven, He said to them: “Go into the whole world; proclaim the Good News to every creature” (Mk 16:15). This is the missionary dimension of faith. Either faith has a missionary dimension, or it is not faith. Faith is not something only for myself, so that I may grow with faith: this is a gnostic heresy. Faith always leads you to come out of yourself, to go out. The transmission of faith; faith must be transmitted, it must be offered, above all by witness: “Go, so that the people see how you live” (see v. 15).

Someone once said to me, a European priest, from a European city: “There is a lot of unbelief, a lot of gnosticism in our city. Because the Christians do not have faith. If they had it they would certainly give it to the people”. They lack this missionary dimension, because conviction is lacking at its root: “Yes, I am Christian, I am Catholic”, as if it were a social habit. On your identity card, your name is this and that, and “I am Christian”. It is a piece of information on an identity card. This is not faith! This is a cultural thing. Faith necessarily takes you out, it leads you to give it, because essentially faith must be transmitted. It is not something quiet. “Oh, so you mean, Father, that we all need to be missionaries and go to far-off countries?” No, this is a part of the missionary dimension. This means that if you have faith you must by necessity come out of yourself, and show your faith in society. Faith is social, it is for everyone. “Go into the whole world; proclaim the Good News to every creature” (Mk 16:15). This does not mean becoming someone who proselytises, as if you were recruiting people to a football team or to a non-profit organisation. It means that you show the revelation, so that the Holy Spirit might work in people through witness: as a witness, with service. Service is a way of life. If I say that I am a Christian, but I live like a pagan, that doesn’t work, that doesn’t convince anyone. If I say that I am a Christian, and I live like a Christian, this attracts. It is witness.

Once, in Poland, a university student asked me: “At university I have many atheist companions. What should I say to them to convince them?” “Nothing. The last thing you need to do is say something. Start to live, and they, seeing your witness, will ask you, ‘Why do you live this way?’”. Faith must be transmitted: not by convincing but by offering a treasure. “It is there, do you see it?” And this is also the humility Saint Peter spoke about in the First Reading: “Wrap yourselves in humility to be servants of each other, because God refuses the proud and will always favour the humble” (1 Pt 5:5). How many times in the history of the Church have movements and aggregations been born, of men and women who wanted to convince others, to convert them… True proselytes. And how did they end? In corruption.

This passage of the Gospel is so tender! But where is the certainty? How can we be sure that by going out of ourselves we will be fruitful in the transmission of the faith? “Proclaim the Good News to every creature” (Mk 16:15) and you will work wonders (see vv. 17-18). And the Lord will be with us until the end of the world. In the transmission of ideologies there are teachers but when I act out of faith, the Lord accompanies me. I am never alone in the transmission of faith. It is the Lord with me Who transmits faith. He promised: “I will be with you all days even till the end of the world” (see Mt 28:20).

Let us pray to the Lord that He help us to live our faith in this way: a faith with open doors, a transparent faith, not proselytism, but which shows itself: “I am this way”. And with this healthy curiosity, may He help others to receive this message that will save them.

[Pope Francis, St Martha's homily 25 April 2020]

(Jn 21:1-14)

The same sign of overfishing, in Lk 5:1-11, is even placed on the day when Jesus invites the first disciples to follow him to become "fishers" of men.

The prodigy of the Vocation expands the believer's journey in Christ and affects every experience we can have of the Risen One in our ordinary work - and what Mission we are entrusted with to experience him Alive.

The Church is not composed of phenomena, but of a stubborn, eager and insecure leader (Peter). Some are in and out (Thomas), others remain tied to the past (Nathanael), and there is no shortage of fanatics (the sons of Zebedee); plus, the anonymous (all of us).

Peter realises that before giving orders, it is he who must do and expose himself: if so, the others will decide spontaneously (v.3).

But without the torch of the Word, no results. Following Peter is not enough.

Here is Jesus: on the Shore of the ultimate condition He calls us and leads the way, guides the activity, and it’s finally Light - the Dawn.

The “net” must be cast on the «side right» (v.6), that is, on the good side!

To bring people up from the abyss of polluted waters and waves of death, we need to start and aim for the best in everyone, to bring out the good [that’s there, always].

Appeal for us.

Therefore Peter - each responsible of community - must have no preconceived notions, but take off the cassock of a group leader and put on the apron of a servant [v.7: the Greek verb is that of the ‘washing of feet’].

For work that gives results according to God (love), one must wear the same robe as Christ - the only badge: the garment of someone who doesn’t give orders, but receives them.

It is the trait of the authentic Church - nothing big: it doesn’t arrive on an ocean liner, but on a «little boat» [v.8 Greek text].

And it remains low in size: like a bit of yeast, to embrace anyone.

All this shapes a different awareness of inadequacy: the one in the Faith - only positive, because it understands the brethen. It recognizes them in the depths of itself, and knows how to justify resistance to the Announcement.

We are collaborators of the apron, to dialogue with those in need of recovery, in whatever vortex or peripheral condition they find themselves.

Therefore, «to shepherd» (vv. 15-17) means to precede and feed, not to command.

Those who “lead” must be a sign of a God who is neither fed up nor spiteful.

Lovable and inviting face of the One who is capable of surprising and putting Simon back on his feet as well. The chief apostle, who had been called to freedom and had chosen the condition of lackey [cf. Jn 21:9 with the «fire of embers» in Jn 18:18].

So the "enemy" of God is the pursuit of the ‘average life’. Mire where no one throws himself.

[A reflection for the scoutmaster  reads: «Remember, scout leader: if you slow down, they stop; if you yield, they back off; if you sit down, they lie down. If you walk ahead, they will overtake you; if you give your hand, they will give their skin»].

Now the Message’s making one with our body.

(Friday between the Octave of Easter, April 25, 2025)

Jn 21:1-14 (1-19)

The same sign of the superabundant fishing in Lk 5:1-11 does not concern the story of the Church after Easter, but is even placed in the day when Jesus invites the first disciples to follow him to become "fishers" of men.

The prodigy of the Vocation expands the believer's journey in Christ and affects every experience we can have of the Risen One in our ordinary work - and what Mission is entrusted to us to experience Him Alive.

The Church is not composed of phenomena, but of a stubborn and eager leader [Peter]. Some are in and out [Thomas], others remain tied to the past [Nathanael], and there is no shortage of fanatics [the sons of Zebedee]; hence the anonymous, that is, all of us.

Peter realises that before giving orders, he must do and expose himself: if so, the others, although insubordinate, will decide spontaneously (v.3), expanding their lives.

But without the torch of the Word, no results. Following Peter is not enough and does not save anyone.

Here is Jesus: on the shore of the ultimate condition he calls us and leads the way, he leads the way of activity, and he is finally Light - the Dawn.

The net must be cast from the "right side" (v.6), i.e. the good side!

In order to pull people up from the depths of polluted waters and billows of death towards a possibility of respite or self-esteem and full life, one must begin and aim for the best in each one, bringing out the good that is always there.

Reminder for us. Every culture possesses many qualities: let us build on them, instead of approaching women and men, ethnic groups or situations, by pointing out limitations and problems.

So the Peter - each community leader - must have no preconceived notions, but take off the cassock of group leader and gird himself in the apron of a servant [v.7: the Greek verb is that of the washing of feet].

For work that gives results according to God (love) one must wear the same robe as Christ - the only badge: the robe of one who does not give orders, but receives them.

This is the trait of the authentic Church - nothing great: it does not arrive on an ocean liner, but on a "little boat" [v.8 Greek text].

And it remains low-key: like a little leaven, to embrace all.

Despite the difficulties in believing, the disciples are constituted as heralds of the news of God favourable to humanity that intends to journey towards itself - without the baggage of overwhelming accumulations of manner.

For communion with God and one's brothers and sisters, in the journey of life and the sense of rebirth that lurks therein [e.g. after pain, travails, experiences of rejection, thoughts of failure and death...]. Jesus had brought out the transmutative capacities already in dowry to each one.

His proposal had supplanted the oppressive yoke of the external perfections preached by religion, replaced precisely with our simple family virtues, grasped from within. Not: to fight, but to welcome. Not: to obey, but to resemble. And so on.

The church was not to become an ethical communion of saints, but of sinners and unbelievers. The story of the unbelieving apostles comforts us: we are already empowered, and with aptitude for fullness. But in its reversal.

It is the resurrection that sends us among men, precisely to be regenerated; just like us. Thus the apostle status is not subject to the usual doctrinal, moralistic, customary, and religious rigmarole; it no longer lags behind.

Although self-belief remains fragile, we continually experience resurrection from our rubble - raising or at best regenerating the entire organism of the spirit, and the inner universe.

All this shapes a different consciousness of inadequacy: that in Faith - only positive, because it understands the brothers. He recognises them in the depths of himself, and in this way he knows how to justify the resistance to the Announcement.

For it is in the recovery of opposing sides and the synergy of contradictions that we have become - in our own - experts in difficulty. More able to grasp the discomforts; even the feeling of feeling emptied, which sooner or later will give way to the upheaval; unprecedented happy.

Then we have learnt about listening to emotions: the sense of being overwhelmed - even in ideas. And the need to grasp and lose ourselves in sorrows, absurd or unbearable. Dignified sides; faces of ourselves.

In short, for the purpose of vocational fulfilment, everyone is already 'perfect'.

In its bearer of dissimilar energies, it just has to learn to meet the reliefs of itself that it has not yet made way for.

As if within us we have a multiplicity of aspects, often all to be discovered, behind some shell that resists - which complete us and infallibly guide us to personal and social blossoming.

Thus in the exodus we move from death-resurrection experience to true witness - in the spontaneous frankness of being empowered as evangelisers.

Which surprises us. But now the Message becomes our own.It becomes a call for peace, but an explosive one - unbelievable, and one can see this more from its limits (now nothing to fear) than from its ability, or external style, its ability to set up sententious cathedrals and showcases.

After Christ, there is no longer any need to 'improve' according to a common meaning - nor any expectation, or purpose, that looks to and drinks from the fountain of what has already been said by others [in the past, or for fashion], which then puts us back in the same predictable situation as always.

For the shaky apostles, consensus, ancient or glamorous religion, identification, were self-denial at heart.

Conversely, the Calling by Name became the development of what each person was deep inside and had not given himself, manipulating himself.

Road of self-realisation, also in our contribution to our brothers. Also not intimately dissociated.

The only convincing weapon, genuineness - burning within to make us shrines, unconscious and incomplete but living.

Contemplative and in action. Only way to meet souls.

We are collaborators of the apron, to dialogue with those in need of recovery, in whatever condition of whirlwind or periphery they find themselves.

Therefore, 'to shepherd' (vv.15-17) means to precede and nourish, not to command.

Those who lead must be a sign of a God who does not get fed up or repent.

Loving and inviting face of the One who is able to amaze and set Simon on his feet. The chief apostle, who had been called to freedom and had chosen the condition of lackey [cf. Jn 21:9; with the "fire of embers" in Jn 18:18].

At the end of a game of re-proposals, in the dialogue with Simon himself - "of John" because he is still spiritually a pupil of the Baptist (!) - it is Jesus who "settles" for a love of friendship [cf. Greek text] by modifying the double question "do you love me?" with the third: "do you love me?".

Human love waits for a minimum of satisfaction, it cannot shape itself into pure loss - it waits for something, at least a nod of approval and gratitude.

No recognition? Then it is the Strongest who yields.

'To wait' is the infinitive of the verb 'to love', because it allows one to be born again.

Human feeling is in a hurry: it regulates its conduct on the basis of the success or perfections of the beloved.

Divine Love makes up for it; it helps to become another 'person', in the round - it does not break the understanding.

His Calling is not tied to merit or performance: even through works, saying 'I love you' is (unfortunately not infrequently) a fatuous declaration.

Or a sincere expression, but often animated by enthusiasm without a deep root, which on a subsequent test of facts transforms the oath of fidelity into a fragile and uncertain sentiment.

It is the awareness of one's own unpresentability gratuitously redeemed and transformed into the ground of absurd confidence, which transforms self-presumption into apostolate!

This is why Jesus asks Peter to begin by starting with the little ones of the flock (v.15).

And 'to pasture' (vv.15.17) or 'to shepherd' (v.16) means 'to feed': to nurture, to care for, to protect, to favour; to initiate, to risk personally, to defend and to put one's face on - not 'to command'.

To graze is to make oneself present, in a continuous of references. It is this climate that convinces, educates, feeds and sustains, allowing it to grow and flourish.

"To 'shepherd' is [precisely] not to rule, but to feed the ideal. And to begin with the little flock (v.15).

In short, in order to secure the 'happy' outcome, the true believer, the friend of the Lord, the child of God, does not ally himself with people who matter, then we shall see.

Nor must it 'fish' for proselytes, but rather dilate and cheer life.

The fullness of the 'result' is the Happiness of each and every real person - as it is - not as it 'should be' according to established opinion.

In fact, Jesus does not ask Peter: are you a good steward? Are you a good organiser? Are you a skilful animator? Are you equipped, intelligent, cunning and introduced enough to stand up to your adversaries?

So God's 'enemy' is not uncertainty or sin - obsession that breeds the unbalanced - but the pursuit of the 'average life'. They quagmire where one does not throw oneself.

[A reflection for the Scoutmaster reads: "Remember, Scoutmaster: if you slow down, they stop; if you yield, they back off; if you sit down, they lie down. If you walk ahead, they will overtake you; if you give your hand, they will give their skin'].

To internalise and live the message:

Are you an envoy or a mere admirer?

What is your personal Source?

What is the Source of your relationships?

What about the root of all faithfulness and generosity that draws you, and shows you?

Peter’s call to be a shepherd, which we heard in the Gospel, comes after the account of a miraculous catch of fish: after a night in which the disciples had let down their nets without success, they see the Risen Lord on the shore. He tells them to let down their nets once more, and the nets become so full that they can hardly pull them in; 153 large fish: “and although there were so many, the net was not torn” (Jn 21:11). This account, coming at the end of Jesus’s earthly journey with his disciples, corresponds to an account found at the beginning: there too, the disciples had caught nothing the entire night; there too, Jesus had invited Simon once more to put out into the deep. And Simon, who was not yet called Peter, gave the wonderful reply: “Master, at your word I will let down the nets.” And then came the conferral of his mission: “Do not be afraid. Henceforth you will be catching men” (Lk 5:1-11). Today too the Church and the successors of the Apostles are told to put out into the deep sea of history and to let down the nets, so as to win men and women over to the Gospel – to God, to Christ, to true life. The Fathers made a very significant commentary on this singular task. This is what they say: for a fish, created for water, it is fatal to be taken out of the sea, to be removed from its vital element to serve as human food. But in the mission of a fisher of men, the reverse is true. We are living in alienation, in the salt waters of suffering and death; in a sea of darkness without light. The net of the Gospel pulls us out of the waters of death and brings us into the splendour of God’s light, into true life. It is really true: as we follow Christ in this mission to be fishers of men, we must bring men and women out of the sea that is salted with so many forms of alienation and onto the land of life, into the light of God. It is really so: the purpose of our lives is to reveal God to men. And only where God is seen does life truly begin. Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is.

[Pope Benedict, homily at the beginning of the Petrine Ministry 24 April 2005]

1. "Just as the day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach" (Jn 21: 4). At the crack of dawn, the Risen One appeared to the Apostles, who had just returned after a night of unsuccessful fishing on the lake of Tiberias. The Evangelist explains that on that night "they caught nothing" (Jn 21: 3) and adds that they had nothing to eat. They obeyed Jesus' invitation:  "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some" (Jn 21: 6) without hesitation. Their response was prompt and their reward great, because all night long their net had been empty and now, "they were not able to haul it in for the great quantity of fish" (Jn 21: 6).

How can we not see in this episode, which St John mentions in the epilogue of his Gospel, an eloquent sign of what the Lord continues to do in the Church and in the hearts of believers who trust in him without reserve? The five Servants of God whom I have had the joy of raising to the honour of the altars today are special witnesses of the extraordinary gift which the risen Christ lavishes upon every baptized person:  the gift of holiness.

Blessed are those who make this mysterious gift fruitful, allowing the Holy Spirit to conform their lives to Christ who died and was raised! Blessed are you who shine today like bright stars in the firmament of the Church:  Manuel González García, Bishop, Founder of the Congregation of the Misioneras Eucarísticas de Nazaret; Carlos Manuel Cecilio Rodríguez Santiago, layman; Marie Anne Blondin, virgin, foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of St Anne; Caterina Volpicelli, virgin, foundress of the Servants of the Sacred Heart; Caterina Cittadini, virgin, foundress of the Ursuline Sisters of Somasca.

Each one of you, in promising yourselves to Christ, made the Gospel the your rule of life. Thus you became his faithful disciples, having drawn that newness of life, inaugurated by the mystery of the Resurrection, from the inexhaustible spring of his love.

2. "That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord' " (Jn 21: 7). In the Gospel we have heard that seeing the miracle worked, a disciple recognizes Jesus. The others will recognize him later. In presenting to us Jesus who "came and took the bread and gave it to them" (Jn 21: 13), the Gospel points out how and when we can meet the risen Christ:  in the Eucharist, where Jesus is truly present under the appearances of bread and wine. It would be sad if, after so long, the Saviour's loving presence were still to be unknown by humanity.

This was the great passion of the new blessed, Bl. Manuel González García, Bishop of Malaga and later of Palencia. His experience before a deserted tabernacle in Palomares del Río was to mark his whole life, and from that moment he dedicated himself to spreading devotion to the Eucharist, proclaiming the words he subsequently chose as his epitaph:  "Here is Jesus! He is here! Do not abandon him!" Bl. Manuel González, founder of the Misioneras Eucarísticas de Nazaret, is a model of Eucharistic faith whose example continues to speak to the Church today.

3. "None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?'. They knew it was the Lord" (Jn 21: 12). When the disciples recognize him by the lake of Tiberias, their faith in Christ, risen and present among his disciples, is strengthened. For two millennia the Church has not tired of proclaiming and repeating this fundamental truth of faith.

[Pope John Paul II, homily 29 April 2001]

Today’s Gospel recounts the third apparition of the Risen Jesus to the disciples, with the account of the miraculous catch on the shore of the lake of Galilee (cf. Jn 21:1-19). The narrative is situated in the context of the everyday life of the disciples, who returned to their land and to their work as fishermen, after the shocking days of the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord. It was difficult for them to understand what had taken place. Even though everything seemed finished, Jesus “seeks” his disciples once more. It is He who goes to seek them. This time he meets them at the lake, where they have spent the night in their boats catching nothing. The nets appear empty, in a certain sense, like the tally of their experience with Jesus: they met him, they left everything to follow him, full of hope... and now? Yes, they saw he was risen, but then they were thought: “He went away and left us.... It was like a dream...”.

So it is that at sunrise Jesus presents himself on the lakeshore; however they do not recognize him (cf. v. 4). The Lord says to those tired and disappointed fishermen: “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some” (v. 6). The disciples trust in Jesus and the result is an incredibly abundant catch. At this point John turns to Peter and says: “It is the Lord!” (v. 7). Right away Peter throws himself into the water and swims to the shore, toward Jesus. In that exclamation: “It is the Lord!”, there is all the enthusiasm of the Paschal faith, full of joy and wonder, which sharply contrasts with the disappearance, the dejection, the sense of powerlessness that had accumulated in the disciples’ hearts. The presence of the Risen Jesus transforms everything: darkness has become light, futile work has again become fruitful and promising, the sense of weariness and abandonment give way to a new impetus and to the certainty that He is with us.

From that time, these same sentiments enliven the Church, the Community of the Risen One. All of us are the community of the Risen One! At first glance it might sometimes seem that the darkness of evil and the toil of daily living have got the upper hand, the Church knows with certainty that the now everlasting light of Easter shines upon those who follow the Lord Jesus. The great message of the Resurrection instills in the hearts of believers profound joy and invincible hope. Christ is truly risen! Today too, the Church continues to make this joyous message resound: joy and hope continue to flow in hearts, in faces, in gestures, in words. We Christians are all called to communicate this message of resurrection to those we meet, especially to those who suffer, to those who are alone, to those who find themselves in precarious conditions, to the sick, to refugees, to the marginalized. Let us make a ray of the light of the Risen Christ, a sign of his powerful mercy, reach everyone.

May he, the Lord, also renew in us the Paschal faith. May he render us ever more aware of our mission at the service of the Gospel and of our brothers and sisters; may he fill us with his Holy Spirit so that, sustained by the intercession of Mary, with all the Church we may proclaim the greatness of his love and the abundance of his mercy.

[Pope Francis, Regina Coeli 10 April 2016]

(Lk 24:35-48)

We do not recognize a person by hands and feet (v.39).

The Risen One has a life that escapes the perception of the senses, however the Resurrection doesn’t cancel the ‘person’, but expands it.

The identity and the being that distinguishes it is of another nature, but the heart is that, characterizing. Love to the end: unsparing action [hands] and walk [feet], which non-faith marginalizes, humiliates, kills.

One does not grasp Christ outside the experience of sharing, witnessing, Mission - tip of the text - that extends among all people.

An evangelization starting from direct heralds and enthusiastic auctioneers. Centered ones in the nucleus of the Announcement, which moves everything and gives access (vv.35ff).

And finally, thanks to the intelligence of the Scriptures - which brings us out of commonplaces and vague interpretative automatisms.

All of this, in the specific listening and forgiveness that makes us participate; in the commitment that risks, walks, and talks.

The human plan of the Creator has assumed a pedagogical configuration in the Law; it was taken up, actualized and purified by the prophets, and sung in the psalms (v. 44).

But those who «see and touch» are disciples who involve themselves to the point of making their soul movements, their exoduses to the peripheries, and their passionate gestures, coincide with the own love wounds of the Master: «Palpate me and see» (v.39).

In the early days, believers - here and there - made it through thanks to the help of fraternities in which the Person of the Lord ‘manifested’ himself persuasively, because «in the midst» (v.36).

Not "on top" or "in front", but brother to brother: a testimony of the divine (v.48).

He ‘revealed’ himself Living, in Conviviality - a key Word, climax of the entire Bible.

Sharing that also found the ways of sensitive, personal intimacy and confidence: «They handed him a portion» (v.42).

For this reason the Proclamation had to start from Jerusalem, the first of the «pagan peoples» [v.47 Greek text] in need of evangelization!

And thereby not making Christ a ghost (v.37).

In the early communities, listening to the personal and communal inner world was especially pronounced, because the direction of travel proposed by the Master seemed to be all backwards [in the opposite of institution].

Despite the chaos of external securities, the crossing fear-to-Freedom came from a tolerant perception - starting from visceral cores of experience.

The very bottlenecks accentuated change and internalization, and wrenched disciples out of the habit of setting up conformist harmonies.

One then relied more willingly on the tracks of the soul, thus meeting one's deep nature; new axis of life, starting from the ‘roots’.

The search for a new compass for one's paths, the loss of predictable references, social discomfort, all this made one in contact with oneself and others, authentically.

That feeling of anxiety, malaise and sores, allowed them to know their Calling... even if the external way they saw themselves and dealt with normal or spiritual existence, could already satisfy [the outside].

Having to move from the habits, no one escaped the most precious revelation anymore: of the primordial and humanizing intimacy deposited in the fraternity of the new crucified Way.

Educated by the paradox of narrowness, the uncertain apostles thus became step by step the seekers of a trace, of a more pertinent course.

Pilgrims of unexpected codes. «Witnesses» (v. 48): mothers and fathers  of a new humanity.

[Thursday between the Easter Octave, April 24, 2025]

He does not create a hierarchy

(Lk 24:35-48)

We do not recognise a person by hands and feet (v.39).

The Risen One has a life that escapes the perception of the senses, yet the Resurrection does not annul the person, but rather expands it.

The identity and being that distinguishes him is of another nature, but the heart is that, characterising. Love to the end: unsparing action [hands] and walk [feet], which non-faith marginalises, humiliates, kills.

One does not grasp Christ outside the experience of sharing, witnessing, mission - the point of the text - that extends among all men.

Evangelisation from direct heralds and enthusiastic proclaimers. Centred in the core of the Announcement, which stirs everything and gives access (vv.35-).

Finally, thanks to the intelligence of the Scriptures, which brings one out of commonplaces and vague interpretative automatisms.

In the specific listening and forgiveness that makes us participants; in the commitment that risks, walks, and speaks.

The human project of the Creator took on a pedagogical configuration in the Law. It was taken up, actualised and purified by the prophets, and sung in the psalms (v.44).

But the Conversion proposed by Christ is not a return to religiosity, but "change [of mind] into remission" (v.47).

The change of convictions and mentality is 'for the forgiveness of sins': that is, in overcoming the sense of inadequacy preached by the manipulative religious centre.

Its formal and empty directions prevent women and men from corresponding to their roots, character, vocation - to joy, to the fullness of personal fulfilment, to the great Desire that pulses within each one.

In Jesus, salvation history takes on and redeems the totality of the human: it becomes the privileged place of the true seal of the eternal Covenant between the Father and his children. Only in Him does our life go right.

This awareness formed the core of all the first liturgical signs, which in words and gestures expressed the attitude of gratuitousness and acceptance that animated belief.

Thus, also the multifaceted encounter; and the risk of the mission of Peace-Shalôm (v.36): Presence of the Messiah himself, actualised in the Spirit.

The Passover of the Lord gave meaning to the past of the people and was the foundation of freedom in love, in coexistence - for personal and ecclesial work.

Principle of new configurations. "Made" par excellence [in this sense Lk at vv.41-43 insists on the reality of the resurrection].

Here is the beginning, source and culmination of authentic history - in the very figure of the Eucharist as the Table of the "Fish" [acrostic abbreviation, in Greek, of the divine condition of the Son of Man].

In short, we are eyewitnesses, not gullible or victims of collective hallucinations.

In the Risen One we do not see projections of anguish and frustration converge; we do not look to him for compensation.

In the first years after the Master's death, some disciples actually defended themselves against sceptics by telling of apparitions.

The most convincing and genuine Manifestation of the Living One was actually the wisdom and quality of life expressed by the first communities.

Those who "see and touch" are those disciples who involve themselves to the point of finally making their motions of the soul, their exoduses towards the peripheries, and their passionate gestures, coincide with the Master's own wounds of love: "Palpate me and see" (v.39).

This points to an event and story of admirable light for all, which becomes extended history, from brother to brother.

He bears witness to weight, to the divine (v.48) - in the Yes of being, even undermined or destroyed by the archaic sacral society of the outside.

In the early days, believers - here and there - made it through the help of fraternities in which the Person of the authentic Messiah manifested himself persuasively, because he was "in the midst" (v.36).

Not "above" or "in front" - nor with ethics and dogmas.

Hence in the assemblies there should never have been any placemen (for life) who claimed to represent Him and had a title and place of prominence, while others were destined for the rear or subordinates (equally fixed).

All were to be equidistant from God: no privileged, no installed.

No one leading the ranks - or closer to the Lord, while others far away.

The Lord was revealed Living in conviviality - the key word, the apex of the entire Bible.

Sharing even in the summary, which found ways of sensitive, personal intimacy and trust: "They gave him a portion" (v.42).

The concrete and global perspective of the Cross as the source of Life was a transmutation of the haughty and distant sense of 'glory'.

Natural talents or not, those who represented the Risen One were always at hand: no chosen ones - zero those sent to the rear.

Even the first community tasks reflected the character of a Jesus who was shareable, spontaneous, accessible to everyone - at the centre and in a position of reciprocity.No whole-born, predestined, summit.

This is why the Announcement had to begin from the Holy City (v.47), configured to the opposite vitality - compromised, inert, omertosa; pyramidal, co-opted, and murderous of the prophets.

That of the Eternal City remained the first of the 'pagan peoples' [v.47 Greek text] to be evangelised!

Only a strong identity of stringent Faith, of Hope of Elsewhere and real Communion could convert her from sin and constitute a code for understanding the Scriptures.

And do not make Christ a ghost (v.37).

In the communities of the early days, listening to the personal and communal inner world was particularly pronounced, because the direction of travel proposed by the Master seemed to be all to the contrary.

Despite the chaos of external securities, the crossing from fear to Freedom came from a tolerant perception - from visceral cores of experience.

It was precisely the straits that accentuated the change, the internalisation, and wrenched the disciples out of the habit of setting up conformist harmonies.

One then relied more willingly on the tracks of the soul. Thus meeting one's own deep nature - a new axis of life, starting from the roots.

The search for an unprecedented compass for one's paths, the loss of predictable references, and social discomfort, put one in touch with oneself and others, in an authentic way.

Feeling the anxiety, the discomfort, and the sores, they let their own Calling be known - even though the external way in which they viewed and dealt with normal or spiritual existence was for them.

Having to move away from habits, they no longer escaped the most precious revelation: of the primordial and humanising intimacy deposited in the fraternal communion of the new crucified Way.

Educated by the paradox of straits, the uncertain apostles became step by step the seekers of a trace, of a more pertinent route; the pilgrims of unexpected codes.

"Witnesses" (v.48): fathers and mothers of a new humanity.

To internalise and live the message:

How do you experience the identity of the Risen Crucified One? And its Glory? Of what does your heart burn, and Who do you radiate?

Are you one who puts yourself at the head of the group? Or do you "with Jesus in the midst" contribute to the happiness of all?

Real Presence

Mutato, it does not erase the marks of the crucifixion

Today [...] we encounter - in the Gospel according to Luke - the risen Jesus who appears in the midst of the disciples (cf. Lk 24:36), who, incredulous and frightened, think they see a ghost (cf. Lk 24:37). Romano Guardini writes: "The Lord is changed. He no longer lives as before. His existence...is not comprehensible. Yet he is bodily, he understands ... all his life lived, the destiny he passed through, his passion and his death. Everything is reality. Albeit changed, but still a tangible reality' (The Lord. Meditations on the Person and Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Milan 1949, 433). Since the resurrection does not erase the marks of the crucifixion, Jesus shows the Apostles his hands and feet. And to convince them, he even asks for something to eat. Thus the disciples "offered him a portion of roasted fish; he took it and ate it before them" (Lk 24:42-43). St Gregory the Great comments that 'the fish roasted in the fire signifies nothing other than the passion of Jesus the Mediator between God and man. For he deigned to hide himself in the waters of the human race, accepted to be caught in the snare of our death, and was as it were placed in the fire for the pains he suffered at the time of his passion" (Hom. in Evang. XXIV, 5: CCL 141, Turnhout 1999, 201).

Thanks to these very realistic signs, the disciples overcome their initial doubt and open themselves to the gift of faith; and this faith enables them to understand the things written about Christ "in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms" (Lk 24:44). We read, in fact, that Jesus "opened their minds to understand the Scriptures and said to them, 'Thus it is written, Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and in his name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached to all peoples... Of this you are witnesses'" (Lk 24:45-48). The Saviour assures us of his real presence among us through the Word and the Eucharist. Just as, therefore, the disciples of Emmaus recognised Jesus in the breaking of the bread (cf. Lk 24:35), so too do we encounter the Lord in the Eucharistic celebration. St. Thomas Aquinas explains in this regard that 'it is necessary to recognise according to the Catholic faith, that the whole Christ is present in this Sacrament... because the divinity has never left the body it assumed' (S.Th. III, q. 76, a. 1).

[Pope Benedict, Regina Coeli 22 April 2012].

As with a living

1. May the light of your face shine upon us, Lord! (Cf. Ps 4:7)

With such words the Church prays in today's liturgy. He asks for divine light. He asks for the gift of knowing the Truth. He asks for faith.

Faith is the knowledge of the Truth, which comes from the testimony of God himself.At the centre of our faith is the resurrection of Christ, through which God Himself bore witness to the Crucified One. The testimony of the Living God confirmed in the resurrection the truth of the Gospel, which Jesus of Nazareth proclaimed. He has confirmed the truth of all his works and words. He confirmed the truth of his mission. The resurrection gave the final and most complete expression of that messianic power, which was in Jesus Christ. Truly he is the one sent by God. And divine is the word that comes from his lips.

When, today, the third Sunday of Easter, we invoke: "Let the light of your countenance shine upon us, O Lord" (cf. Ps 4:7), we ask that through Christ's resurrection, faith may be renewed in us, illuminating the paths of our lives and directing them towards the Living God.

2. At the same time, the liturgy of today's Sunday shows us how this faith was built - and continues to be built - which, being a true gift from God, has at the same time its human dimension and form.

The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is the main source of irradiation of this light, from which the knowledge of the Truth revealed by God develops in us. The knowledge and acceptance of it as divine truth.

To form the human dimension of faith, Christ himself chose witnesses of the resurrection from among men. These witnesses were to become those who from the beginning were bound to him as disciples, from among whom he alone had chosen the Twelve and made them his apostles.

To them too Jesus of Nazareth, to them who witnessed his death on the cross, he appeared alive after his resurrection. He spoke to them and in various ways convinced them of the identity of his person, of the reality of his human body.

"Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your heart? Look at my hands and my feet: it is indeed me! Touch me and see; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you see that I have" (Lk 24:38-39).

Thus he spoke to them when "amazed and frightened they thought they saw a ghost" (Lk 24:37).

"But because for great joy they still did not believe and were astonished, he said, 'Have you anything to eat here?' They offered him a portion of roasted fish; he took it and ate it before them" (Lk 24:41-43).

Thus the host of resurrection witnesses was formed. It was the men who personally knew Christ, heard his words, saw his works, experienced his death on the cross, and afterwards saw him alive and conversed with him as with a living person after the resurrection.

3. When these men, the apostles and disciples of the Lord, having received the Holy Spirit, began to speak publicly about Christ, when they began to proclaim him to men (first in Jerusalem) they first referred to the commonly known facts.

You "handed him over and denied him before Pilate, while he had decided to set him free" - so said Peter to the inhabitants of Jerusalem - you instead denied the Holy and Righteous One, you asked for a murderer to be pardoned" (i.e. Barabbas)! (Acts 3:13-14).

From the events surrounding Christ's death the speaker moves on to the resurrection: "...you killed the author of life. But God raised him from the dead, and of this we are witnesses" (Acts 3:15).

Peter speaks alone - but at the same time he speaks on behalf of the whole apostolic college: "we are witnesses" (Acts 3:15). And he adds: "Now brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders" (Acts 3:17).

4. From the description of the events, from the testimony of the resurrection, the apostle moves on to prophetic exegesis.

To such an exegesis of death and resurrection his disciples had been prepared by Christ himself.

We have proof of this in the encounter described in today's Gospel (according to Luke). The Risen One says to the disciples: "These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: all things written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled" (Lk 24:44).

"... And he said: Thus it is written: Christ shall suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and in his name shall be preached to all nations repentance and forgiveness of sins, beginning from Jerusalem. Of this you are witnesses' (Lk 24:46-48).

And the evangelist adds: "Then he opened their minds to the understanding of the Scriptures" (Lk 24:45).

From Peter's speech taken from the Acts of the Apostles, which we read in today's liturgy, we see how effective this "opening of their minds" was.

Peter, after presenting the events connected with the death and resurrection of Christ, continues: "But God has thus fulfilled what he had foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would die. Repent therefore and change your lives that your sins may be blotted out..." (Acts 3:18-20).We find in these words of the apostle the clear echo of Christ's words: of the illumination, which the disciples experienced in their encounter with the Risen Lord.

This is how the faith of the first generation of Christ's confessors was built: of the generation of the apostles' disciples. It sprang directly from the declaration of the eyewitnesses of the Cross and Resurrection.

5. What does it mean to be a Christian?

It means: continuing to accept the testimony of the Apostles, eyewitnesses. It means: believing with the same faith, which was born in them from the works and words of the Risen Lord.

The Apostle John writes (this is the second reading of today's liturgy): "By this we know that we have known him (i.e. Christ) if we keep his commandments. He who says, "I know him" and does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but he who keeps his word, in him the love of God is truly perfect" (1 John 2: 3-5).

The Apostle speaks of living faith. Faith is alive through works that conform to it. These are the works of charity. Faith is alive through the love of God. Love is expressed in the keeping of the commandments. There can be no contradiction between knowledge ("I know him") and the actions of a confessor of Christ. Only he who completes his faith with works remains in the truth.

Thus the Apostle John addresses the recipients of his first letter with the affectionate word "little children", and invites them "not to sin" (cf. 1 John 2:1). At the same time, however, he writes: 'But if anyone has sinned, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is a victim of atonement for our sins: not only for our own, but also for those of the whole world' (1Jn 2:1f).

John, the apostle and evangelist, proclaims in the words of his letter, written towards the end of the first century, the same truth that Peter proclaimed shortly after the Lord's ascension. This is the truth about conversion and the remission of sins by the power of Christ's death and resurrection.

6. What does it mean to be a Christian?

To be a Christian - today in the same way as then, in the first generation of Christ's confessors - means to continue to accept the testimony of the apostles, eyewitnesses. It means believing with the same faith, which was born in them from the works and words of Christ, confirmed by his death and resurrection.

We too, belonging to the present generation of confessors of Christ, must ask to have the same experience as the two disciples of Emmaus: "Lord Jesus, make us understand the Scriptures; may our hearts burn in our breasts when you speak to us" (cf. Lk 24:32).

Let the heart "burn"!: because faith cannot be just a cold calculation of the intellect. It must be vivified by love. Living through the works in which the truth revealed by God is expressed as the inner truth of man.

Then we too - even if we were not eyewitnesses of the works and words, death and resurrection - inherit from the Apostles their testimony. And we ourselves also become witnesses of Christ.

To be a Christian is also to be a witness to Christ.

7. Then also faith - living faith - is formed as a dialogue between the Living God and the living man; of this dialogue we find some expressions in the Psalm of today's liturgy: "When I call upon you, answer me, God, / my righteousness: / from anguish you have delivered me; / mercy on me, hear my prayer" (Ps 4:2). "...the Lord hears me when I call upon him. / Tremble and do not sin, / On your bed reflect and be appeased. / Offer sacrifices of righteousness / and trust in the Lord. / Many say, "Who will make us see the good?"Let the light of thy countenance shine upon us, O Lord; / Thou hast put more joy in my heart / than when wine and wheat abound; / In peace I lay me down, and straightway I fall asleep: / Thou alone, O Lord, in safety make me rest" (Ps 4:4-9).

And the psalmist himself adds: "Know that the Lord does wonders for his faithful" (Ps 4:4).

[Pope John Paul II, homily to Sts. Marcellinus and Peter 25 April 1982].