Third Easter Sunday [4 May 2025]

God bless us and may the Virgin protect us! In these days, as the prayer of the Church is intense in anticipation of the choice of Peter's successor, the proclamation of the Gospel (Jn 21:1-19) concerning Peter himself takes on great value.

*First Reading, from the Acts of the Apostles (5, 27b-32. 40b-41)

 After the apostles had been scourged for their preaching, St Luke writes that when they came out of the Sanhedrin they went away rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer outrages for the name of Jesus. After all, the Lord had foretold to them that they would be hated, banished, insulted, and reviled because of the Son of Man, and that precisely that would be the time to rejoice and even exult because great is the reward in heaven, since this was also the case with the prophets (cf. Lk 6:22-23). Besides, if they persecuted the Master, they will do the same to you (cf. Jn 15:20). Peter and John, after the healing of the cripple at the Porta Bella, a miracle that made much noise in the city, had been tried before the Sanhedrin, the Jerusalem tribunal, the same one that had condemned Jesus a few weeks earlier. As soon as they were released, they had resumed preaching and performing miracles. Arrested again and put in prison, during the night they were released by an angel and it is understood that this miraculous intervention made them even stronger; they resumed preaching. Today's passage situates us precisely at this moment: arrested once again and brought to court, Peter replies to the high priest who questions them that "one must obey God rather than men". He then speaks of the difference between the logic of God and the logic of men: that of men, that is, that of the Jewish court, considers that a wrongdoer who has been killed should certainly not be given publicity. And he argues thus: Jesus, in the eyes of the religious authorities, is an impostor crucified because he had to be prevented from deceiving the populace prone to give credence to any supposed messiah. A condemned man hung on the cross, according to the Torah, becomes cursed even by God. However, there is also God's logic: you crucified Jesus and yet, against all odds, he is not only not cursed by God but raised to the right hand of God who made him Prince and Saviour to grant Israel conversion and forgiveness of sins. Words that sound scandalous to the judges exasperated by the apostles' confidence, so many decide to eliminate them as they did Jesus. Gamaliel intervenes, however, who invites the Sanhedrin to prudence because if this work is of human origin it will destroy itself, but if it comes from God this will never happen; indeed he warns them so that "it will not happen to you to fight against God" (Acts 5:34-39). Today's liturgical reading skips the Gamaliel episode and directly narrates Peter's response to the tribunal determined to scourge the apostles and then free them. History shows that there have always been persecutions, scandals, and attacks of all kinds in the Church, and yet it continues to go on through the centuries. St Augustine writes: "The city of God advances through time, pilgrimaging between the persecutions of the world and the consolations of God." (De Civitate Dei, XIX, 26).

*Responsorial Psalm 29 (30), 3-4, 5-6ab, 6cd.12, 13

Psalm 29 (30) is very short, only thirteen verses (of which only eight are proposed in today's liturgy). Reading through the entire psalm one perceives the situation of a desperate person who has done everything to be saved, crying out, begging, asking for help. There are people who even enjoy seeing him suffer and mock him, but he continues to cry out for help until someone finally listens and frees him. It is God himself who intervenes and, freed from oppression, the desperate man explodes with joy. The opening of the psalm sets the tone for everything else: 'I exalt you, O Lord, for you have raised me up and not allowed my enemies to rejoice over me'. In every psalm there are two levels of reading: here too, the adventure of one who, despite having suffered an unexpected collapse in his life, continues to be certain that in the end he will be delivered, is an image of Israel exploding with joy after the Babylonian exile, just as it had exulted after the crossing of the Red Sea. In tragic moments, Israel trusts in God: "In my confidence I said: never shall I waver"; he cries out to the Lord: "Hear, Lord, have mercy on me, Lord come to my aid!" and uses every argument possible, going so far as to provoke God: "what good would it do you if I died, what good would my blood do you if I went down to the grave?"  And when the psalmist says: "Can the dust praise thee, proclaim thy faithfulness?" he makes us realise that in those days it was believed that after death there was nothingness, so useless before death were prayers, sacrifices, songs. God, however, listens and performs the miracle: "I cried out to you, my God, and you healed me; Lord you brought me up from the abyss and revived me when I was about to die". This psalm finds its fulfilment in the Easter cry of Alleluia because the Lord has delivered us from the bondage of evil. Among rabbinic commentaries I found this: "God has led us from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from mourning to the feast day, from darkness to shining light, from slavery to redemption. Therefore we sing Alleluia before him!"

* Second Reading: From the Book of Revelation of Saint John the Apostle (5, 11-14)

The book of Revelation is a hymn to victory narrated with many visions. In today's text, millions and millions of angels shout at the top of their voices in heaven: "long live the King!" while on land, sea, and under the earth, every breathing creature praises the new King, Jesus Christ: the immolated Lamb, acclaimed as he receives "power and riches, wisdom and strength, honour, glory, and blessing". To describe the kingship of Christ, the vision uses a language of images and numbers; a rich text, therefore, because only symbolic language can introduce us into the ineffable and lindicable world of God. It is, at the same time, a difficult text because it uses recurring images, colours and numbers that are not easy to interpret. It is difficult to grasp the hidden meaning of a passage such as the expression "the four living creatures", which in the previous chapter are four winged beings: the first with the face of a man, the other three of animals - a lion, an eagle, a bull - and we are used to seeing them in many paintings, sculptures and mosaics, believing we know without hesitation to whom they refer. St Irenaeus, in the 2nd century, proposed a symbolic reading: for him, the four living ones are the four evangelists; St Augustine took up the same idea, modifying it slightly, and his interpretation has remained in the tradition: according to him, Matthew is the living one with the face of a man, Mark the lion, Luke the bull and John the eagle. Modern biblical scholars do not seem to agree because for them the author of Revelation has taken an image from Ezekiel, where the four beings support the throne of God and simply represent the created world. The numbers are also difficult to interpret. According to many, the number 3 symbolises God; 4 the world the created world by reason of the four cardinal points; 7 (3+4) evokes both God and the created world in its fullness and perfection, while 6 (7-1) stands for incompleteness, imperfection. Of singular interest is this acclamation: 'The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honour, glory and praise': power and riches, wisdom and strength refer to earthly success, honour, glory and praise are reserved for God. It is a total of seven words: this is to say that the immolated Lamb, that is, Jesus is fully God and fully man, all expressed with the suggestive power of symbolic language. All creatures in heaven, on earth, under the earth and on the sea thus proclaim their submission to God who sits on the Throne and to the Lamb: "To him who sits on the Throne and to the Lamb, praise, honour, glory and power for ever and ever". John's insistence aims to exalt the victory of the immolated Lamb: defeated in the eyes of men, he is the great victor. Let us contemplate here the mystery that lies at the heart of the New Testament, which is at the same time its paradox: the Lord of the world is made the least, the Judge of the living and the dead is judged as an evildoer; he who is God is accused of blasphemy and rejected precisely in the name of God. All this happens because God has allowed it. By using this language, St John has a twofold objective: on the one hand, he offers the community a response to the scandal of the cross by providing arguments to Christians who were arguing bitterly with the Jews about the death of Christ. For the Jews it was clear that he was not the Messiah because it is written in Deuteronomy that "anyone condemned to death under the law, executed and hung on a tree, is a curse of God" (Deut 21:22). For Christians, on the other hand, in the light of the resurrection, his death is the work of God and the cross constitutes the place of the exaltation of the Son, as Jesus himself had announced: "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, you will know that 'I am'" (Jn 8:28). That is, you will recognise my divinity: "I Am" is exactly the name of God (Ex 3:14). In a condemned wretch the glory of God shines forth, and in John's vision the Lamb receives the same honours and acclamations as he who sits on the Throne. Secondly, with Revelation John wanted to support Christians in the hour of trial because on the cross Love conquered hatred and, after all, this is precisely the message of Revelation in support of persecuted Christians

*From the Gospel according to John (21, 1-19)

John specifies in this text the presence of seven apostles (21,2). Since the seven Churches of Revelation represent the whole Church, it can be assumed that the seven apostles indicate the disciples of all times, i.e. the whole Christian world. This chapter, as is often the case in the Fourth Gospel, is all symbolic. Let us look at just a few examples. 

1. When the boat touches the shore, despite the fact that the disciples find an embers fire with some fish and bread, Jesus asks them to bring the fish caught by them. Probably this is the message: in the work of evangelisation, since he called Peter "fisher of men", Jesus goes ahead of us (here is the fish already placed on the fire before the disciples arrive), but he always asks for our collaboration.

2. Another point is the dialogue between Jesus and Peter of which the Italian translation has tried to render in some way the subtlety of the Greek verb used for love. Commenting on verses 15-17 in the catechesis of 24 May 2006, Benedict XVI notes the use of the two verbs agapaō and phileō.  In Greek, phileō expresses the love of friendship, affectionate but not all-encompassing; agapaō, love without reserve. The first time Jesus asks Peter: "Simon... do you 'agapā̄s me'?" (21:15), i.e. "Do you love me with that total and unconditional love?", Peter however does not answer with agapaō but with phileō, saying: "Lord, I love you (phileō) as I know how to love". Jesus repeats the verb agapaō in the second question, but Peter insists with phileō. Finally, the third time, Jesus only asks "phileîs me?" and Simon understands that his poor love is enough for Jesus. One can say that Jesus adapted himself to Peter, rather than Peter to Jesus, and it is this adaptation of God that gives hope to the disciple, who has experienced the suffering of infidelity. As in the night between Thursday and Friday, Peter denied three times that he knew the man, now Jesus questions him three times: infinite delicacy to allow him to erase his threefold denial. Hence the confidence that will enable him to follow Christ to the end. 

3. Each time Jesus bases his demand on this adherence of Peter to entrust him with the ministry of shepherding the community: "Shepherd my sheep". Our relationship with Christ has meaning and truth if it fulfils a mission in the service of others. Jesus indeed specifies 'my' sheep: Peter is invited to share the 'burden' of Christ. He does not own the flock, but the care he devotes to Christ's flock will be the test of his love for Christ himself. When Jesus asks him if he loves me more than them, this is not to be understood as 'because you love me more than the others, I entrust the flock to you', but quite the opposite. Precisely because I entrust you with this task, you must love me more, and remember that in any ecclesial context, accepting a pastoral assignment entails a lot of gratuitous love. St Augustine comments: "If you love me, do not think that you are the shepherd; but shepherd my sheep as my own, not as your own."

4. We also have here an account of an apparition of the Risen One, but the term apparition should not mislead us because Jesus does not come from elsewhere and then disappear; on the contrary, he is permanently present with his disciples, with us as he had promised: "I am with you always, until the end of the world" (Mt 28:20). That is why it is better than apparition to use the term manifestation. Christ is Invisible, but not absent, and in the apparitions of then and of all times He makes Himself visible (in Greek: "He gives Himself to, He makes Himself seen"). These manifestations of Christ's presence are a support to strengthen our faith: full of concrete details, sometimes surprising, but with high symbolic value. 

5. What is the significance of the 153 fish? Apparently, exactly one hundred and fifty-three species of fish were known then. For St Eusebius of Caesarea, it is a symbolic way of indicating a maximum yield fishing. And later it becomes the theological symbol of the fullness of salvation wrought by Christ through the Church over the centuries that gathers all, Jews and Gentiles, into one faith.

NOTE: Chapter 20 of the Fourth Gospel concludes by saying that Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book because we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and believing we have life in his name (20:30-31). It is therefore a good ending and why chapter 21? For many it was added later, almost as a postscriptum to clarify the issue of Peter's pre-eminence, already felt in the early Christian communities. Put another way, Peter's role in an account of Christ's appearance under the pen of St John may come as a surprise, and this points to one of the problems of the early Christian communities. This is why it seemed useful to remind the community linked to the memory of John that, by Christ's will, the pastor of the universal Church is Peter and not John. "When thou art old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall clothe thee, and bring thee whither thou wilt not" (v.18), a phrase that immediately follows the delivery to Peter: "shepherd my sheep" and seems to clearly indicate that the mission entrusted to Peter is one of service and not of domination. At the time, the belt was worn by travellers and servants: here is a double sign for the itinerant servants of the gospel. Peter died faithful in the service of the gospel; this is why John explains: Jesus "said this to indicate by what death he would glorify God"(v.19) and this suggests that this chapter is after Peter's death (during Nero's persecution in 66 or 67). It is generally thought that John's gospel was written very late and some even speculate (starting with Jn 21:23-24) that the final draft was written after his own death.

+Giovanni D'Ercole

(Jn 6:22-29)

Not a few seek Jesus not for the amazement of the Person and his Way, but because He guarantees more satiety than others (v.26).

Then we must get out of the superficiality of short thoughts. To the Master, the "correct" relationship already seems a "finished" Love.

Christ's proposal points to other goals; it’s not matched by momentary enthusiasm for a sensational event, nor by quiet selfishness.

In the Sign that nourishes the new Way [the Exodus of «little boats» (vv.22-24) that follow Christ] lies a Vocation and a Mission.

Beyond where one assumes.

A Mysticism of the donated Seed opens up the meaning of personal existence - to finally set us off  without guardians (v.22).

The «Son of man» is the person endowed with full humanity, depicting man in the divine condition.

He is always surprisingly on the other side (v.25) to make himself that "I don't know what": ‘Perfume’ of the outgoing Church.

Eros-beyond, which overcomes attachments, habits, consolidated equilibriums.

The Lord doesn’t identify spiritual well-being with the extinguishing of the soul’s flame, in the manias even of activism.

Therefore, the required Work is not at all about fulfilling the many prescriptions.

It does not resemble the usual staging, set-up and composition works [the «doing»: v.28], for it is rather singular Action of God [Subject] in us.

Observances must be tediously piled on top of each other.

The divine Initiative that is accomplished in our every gesture is instead a precious Virtue, an unexpected Energy.

A new opportunity to meet ourselves, our brothers, another shore - and to detach ourselves from exteriority.

Jesus reveals himself in the sign of the breaking of Bread.

«Food that endures for the Life of the Eternal» (v. 27), that is, that flows into an experience that already here and now possesses the indestructible quality of God's own intimacy.

In order to receive the well-chopped Food that sustains and becomes a source of complete life in us, the "work" to be done doesn’t belong to the kind that we can ‘prepare’ - not even according to law and devotions.

It can only be a response to the work that the Father himself carries out within each of us; even if it does not immediately appear brilliant and finalized.

And here is the reversal guaranteed by the adventure of Faith:

Religious submission is swept away by Acceptance, which has a far less mortifying (and reductionist) sense; conversely, respectful of attempts. And creative.

The relationship with God changes.

It becomes one of pure welcoming; yet inventive, by Name: unrepeatable and personal.

No more of passive renunciation, reproach, purification, obedience [“yes-sir” appearances].

The founding Eros does not scold us: it is solely Gift. For a healthy Reciprocity, respectful of our character and ascendant.

In this way, the Attraction will not be extinguished. It wants its peaks every day; it is not enough for it to become normal symbiosis, then habit.

Rather, it dreams of a broad Path.

The rest unfortunately remains ineffective or ambiguous sequels; leading the soul always at war with itself and others.

Binary that here and there can only manifest blind, one-sided, forced caricatures of the Eternal’s Image - despite the claims of excellence.

Mechanisms that hurt.

[Monday 3rd wk. in Easter, May 5, 2025]

(Jn 6:22-29)

The crowd must be directed, because in the face of the "sign of the loaves" the reaction seems disappointing. Sensationalism that directs towards an earthly kingdom is not worthwhile (v.15).

Not a few seek Jesus not for the wonder of the Person and his Way, but because he guarantees more satiety than others (v.26).

Then one must get out of the superficiality of short thoughts. To the Master, the "correct" relationship already seems a "finished" love.

Christ's proposal points to other destinations; it does not go together with momentary enthusiasm for a sensational event, nor with quiet selfishness.

In the Sign that nourishes the new Way [the Exodus of "little boats" (vv.22-24) that follow the Christ] lies a Vocation and a Mission. Beyond where one assumes.

A Mysticism of the Seed given to finally set us off without guardians (v.22) opens up the meaning of personal existence.

Otherwise, the struggle for 'bread' does not reach the Source, nor the roots of being and relationship. Nor does it expand the horizon of total living.

In the wilderness, Moses had ensured sustenance for the people: admittedly, a feeble sustenance, always identical to the point of boredom - but reassuring. 

Like ancient religion: good for all seasons; that is also good on the surface.

The 'Son of Man' is the person endowed with full humanity, depicting man in the divine condition.

He does not repeat the past: he is always surprisingly on the other side (v.25) to make himself that "I don't know what": 'perfume' of the outgoing Church.

Eros beyond, which overcomes attachments, habit, established balances.

In short, Christ does not want passive friends, those who do not want the discomfort of listening and dialogue; who shun suffering, affronts, or the consequences of new initiatives.

The Lord does not equate spiritual well-being with the extinguishing (toxic) of the flame of the soul that does not measure itself, that does not like questioning, and comparisons.

In our journey, the very apprehension of situations that worry and manifest vulnerabilities are precious intimate signals.

The same applies to failures, which force us to rework the 'no events', look inside, shift our gaze.

Assemblies of Faith' are the Fraternities that in the unfolding of relationships, horizons and even insecurities do not leave us conditioned and 'regulated', shaped by epidermic gazes, by others.

Peers who do not keep food and treasures for themselves, experiencing together a special aptitude for appreciation and wholeness - without secret, hysterical, lacerating dissociations.

The Work required is not at all about the fulfilments of the law, the pile of 'works', or the fulfilment of the many prescriptions... to 'merit'.

It does not resemble the usual set-up work [the "doing": v.28], for it is rather singular Action of God [Subject] in us.

Observances must be tediously piled on top of one another. Instead, the divine Work that is accomplished in our every gesture is precious Virtue.

Unexpected energy; a new opportunity to meet ourselves, our brothers, another shore - and to detach ourselves from externality.

Jesus self-reveals himself in the sign of the breaking of the Bread, "food that endures for the Life of the Eternal One" (v.27), that is, that results in an experience that already here and now possesses the indestructible quality of God's own intimacy.

In order to receive the well-diminished Food that sustains and becomes in us the source of complete life, the "work" to be done does not belong to the kind of work that we can do - not even according to law and devotion.

It can only be a response to the work that the Father Himself performs within each of us, even if it does not immediately appear brilliant and purposeful.

And here is the reversal guaranteed by the adventure of Faith:

Religious submission is undermined by acceptance, which has a far less mortifying (or reductionist) sense; on the contrary, respectful of attempts, and creative.

It does not merely present a kind of elitist and normalised depersonalisation: e.g. 'eyes open', pleasures not to be experienced, 'bills to be paid'; and so on.

The relationship with God changes.

It becomes purely 'welcoming'. Yet inventive, by Name: unrepeatable and personal.

No longer passive renunciation, rebuke, purification, obedience [lordly appearances].

Foundational Eros does not scold us: it is uniquely Gift.

But only His work is reliable, albeit whimsical, unaligned, changeable, totally unpredictable.

And Us? Spontaneous, transparent, unbothered correspondence; not covered by tame activism.

Only thus will the 'giving in' not somatise into acts of protest. For a healthy Reciprocity, respectful of our character and ascendant.

Thus the attraction will not fade. It wants its peaks every day; it is not enough for it to turn into a normal symbiosis, then a habit.

Rather, dream of a broad Path; in depth. Of regeneration and similarity - involving and projecting, but not absorbing.The rest unfortunately remains ineffective or ambiguous sequelae; leading the soul always at war with itself and others.

Binary that here and there can only manifest blind, one-sided, forced caricatures of His Image - despite the pretensions of excellence.

Mechanisms that hurt.

To internalise and live the message:

How do you discern the qualitative difference between Works of Law and Works of Faith?

Food of the Eternal and Faith [by Teresa Girolami].

In today's passage, after the multiplication of the loaves, the crowd chases Jesus to the other shore, towards Capernaum.

And immediately the Lord puts his finger on the sore spot by emphasising that people seek Him not because of the signs seen, but because they are satiated.

A quest driven not by faith, but perhaps by need.

And, to those who ask what to fulfil in order to do the works of God, the Lord urges the work par excellence: believing.

Jesus dismounts and shifts his gaze from the law to Faith.

Wonderful context that in the time of Francis and Clare induced the poor people of Assisi to evolve their path of trust and abandonment in God.

In the extraordinary Franciscan Sources we find Francis himself called by the Lord to a leap of faith.

"The Saint found great consolation in the Lord's visits and was assured by them that the foundations of his Order would always remain stable [...].

Being troubled by bad examples, and having resorted one day, so bitterly, to prayer, he felt himself addressed in this way by the Lord:

"Why are you, little man, troubled? Perhaps I made you pastor of my Order in such a way that you would forget that I remain its principal patron?

That is why I have chosen you, simple man, so that those who will, may follow the works that I will do in you and that must be imitated by all others.

I have called you: I will preserve and shepherd you, I will make up with new religious the void left by the others, to the point of giving birth to them if they were not already born.

'Do not therefore be troubled, but wait for your salvation, for if the Order should be reduced even to only three brothers, my help will always be stable'.

From that day it was customary to say that the virtue of a single holy friar overcomes a quantity, however great, of imperfects, as a single ray of light dispels the thickest darkness" (FF 742).

To him who believes in Him who makes us righteous, it is his faith that is reckoned to him for righteousness (cf. Rom 4:4-5).

S. Clare, then, lived literally what Jesus suggests in this Gospel passage: be concerned about food that lasts forever.

In fact, Pope Gregory, with the Bull "Quo elongati" [Up to what point] of 28 September 1230, forbade the Friars Minor from entering monasteries without a special licence from the Holy See - and that only those brothers deputed to do so could take care of the Poor Clares.

In this context, here is what the Sources attest:

"Once, when the Lord Pope Gregory had forbidden any monk to go to the monasteries of the Women without his permission, the pious Mother regretted that the sisters would more rarely have the food of sacred doctrine and groaning said:

"Take them all away from us now, the brothers, after you have taken away those who gave us the nourishment of life!"

And she immediately sent all the brothers back to the minister, not wanting to have beggars to provide the material bread, when they no longer had those who provided them with the bread of the spirit.

But when Pope Gregory learned of this, he immediately put the prohibition back into the power of the general minister" (FF 3232).

Solicitude of a soul in love with the eternal food and willing to renounce everything for It.

"Work not for the food that perishes, but for the food that remains for the life of the LORD [...]" (Jn 6:27).

"This is the Work of God: that you believe in him whom he has sent" (Jn 6:29).

[Teresa Girolami].

Opening the horizon

We are in the synagogue of Capernaum where Jesus is giving his well-known discourse after the multiplication of the loaves. People had tried to make him king, but Jesus had withdrawn, first to the mountain with God, with the Father, and then to Capernaum. Not seeing him, she had set out to look for him, had boarded the boats to reach the other side of the lake and had finally found him. But Jesus knew well the reason for so much enthusiasm in following him and he also says it clearly: you "seek me not because you have seen signs [because your heart has been moved], but because you have eaten of those loaves and been satisfied" (v. 26). Jesus wants to help people go beyond the immediate satisfaction of their material needs, important though they are. He wants to open up to a horizon of existence that is not simply that of the daily concerns of eating, dressing, a career. Jesus speaks of a food that does not perish, that it is important to seek and receive. He says: "Give yourselves not for the food that does not last, but for the food that remains for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you" (v. 27).The crowd does not understand, they believe that Jesus is asking for the observance of precepts in order to obtain the continuation of that miracle, and they ask: "What must we do to do the works of God?" (v. 28). Jesus' response is clear: "This is the work of God: that you believe in him whom he has sent" (v. 29). The centre of existence, what gives meaning and firm hope to the often difficult journey of life is faith in Jesus, the encounter with Christ. We too ask, "what must we do to have eternal life?" And Jesus says: "believe in me". Faith is the fundamental thing. It is not a question here of following an idea, a project, but of encountering Jesus as a living Person, of letting oneself be totally involved by Him and His Gospel. Jesus invites us not to stop at the purely human horizon and to open up to the horizon of God, the horizon of faith. He demands only one thing: to accept God's plan, that is, "to believe in him whom he has sent" (v. 29). Moses had given Israel the manna, the bread from heaven, with which God himself had fed his people. Jesus does not give something, He gives Himself: He is the 'true bread, come down from heaven', He, the living Word of the Father; in the encounter with Him we encounter the living God.

"What must we do to do the works of God?" (v. 28) asks the crowd, ready to act, so that the miracle of the bread may continue. But Jesus, the true bread of life that satiates our hunger for meaning, for truth, cannot be "earned" by human labour; he comes to us only as a gift of God's love, as God's work to be asked for and accepted.

Dear friends, in the days laden with occupation and problems, but also in those of rest and relaxation, the Lord invites us not to forget that if it is necessary to worry about material bread and replenish our strength, it is even more fundamental to grow in our relationship with Him, to strengthen our faith in Him who is the "bread of life", who fills our desire for truth and love.

[Pope Benedict, Angelus 5 August 2012].

Verb "Believe", noun "Faith

1. The first and fundamental point of reference of this catechesis are the universally known professions of the Christian faith. They are also called "symbols of faith". The Greek word 'symbolon' meant the half of a broken object (e.g. of a seal) that was presented as the sign of recognition. The broken parts were put together to verify the identity of the bearer. Hence the further meanings of the 'symbol': proof of identity, letters of credence and even a treaty or contract of which the 'symbolon' was the proof. The transition from this meaning to that of a collection or summary of the things referred to and documented was quite natural. In our case 'symbols' mean the collection of the main truths of faith, i.e. what the Church believes in. Systematic catechesis contains instructions on what the Church believes in, i.e. the contents of the Christian faith. Hence also the fact that 'symbols of faith' are the first and fundamental point of reference for catechesis.

2. Among the various ancient 'symbols of faith', the most authoritative is the 'apostolic symbol', of very ancient origin and commonly recited in the 'prayers of the Christian'. It contains the main truths of the faith transmitted by the apostles of Jesus Christ. Another famous ancient symbol is the 'Nicene-Constantinopolitan' symbol: it contains the same truths of the apostolic faith authoritatively elucidated in the first two ecumenical councils of the universal Church: Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381). The custom of the 'symbols of faith' proclaimed as the fruit of the Church's Councils has also been renewed in our century: in fact, after the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI pronounced the 'profession of faith' known as the Creed of the People of God (1968), which contains the entirety of the truths of the Church's faith with special consideration of those contents to which the last Council had given expression, or those points around which doubts had been raised in recent years.

The symbols of faith are the main point of reference for the present catechesis. They, however, refer to the whole of the 'deposit of the word of God', constituted by Holy Scripture and the apostolic tradition, being only a concise synthesis of it. Through the professions of faith, therefore, we too aim to go back to that immutable "deposit", on the basis of the interpretation that the Church, assisted by the Spirit, has given it over the centuries.

3. Each of the aforementioned 'symbols' begins with the word 'creed'. Each of them in fact serves not so much as instruction but as profession. The contents of this profession are the truths of the Christian faith: all are rooted in this first word 'I believe'. And it is precisely on this expression 'I believe' that we wish to focus in this first catechesis.The expression is present in everyday language, even independently of any religious content, and especially of Christian content. 'I believe you' means: I trust you, I am convinced that you speak the truth. "I believe in what you say" means: I am convinced that the content of your words corresponds to objective reality.

In this common use of the word 'I believe', certain essential elements are emphasised. "To believe" means to accept and recognise as true and corresponding to reality the content of what is said, i.e. the words of another person (or even of several persons), because of his (or their) credibility. This credibility decides in a given case the particular authority of the person: the authority of truth. Thus by saying 'I believe', we are simultaneously expressing a twofold reference: to the person and to the truth; to the truth, in view of the person who enjoys particular credibility.

4. The word 'I believe' appears very often in the pages of the Gospel and throughout Holy Scripture. It would be very useful to compare and analyse all the points in the Old and New Testaments that enable us to grasp the biblical meaning of 'believing'. Alongside the verb 'to believe' we also find the noun 'faith' as one of the central expressions throughout the Bible. We even find a certain type of "definitions" of faith, such as for example: "faith is the foundation of things hoped for and proof of things not seen" from the Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 11:1).

These biblical data have been studied, explained, developed by the Fathers and theologians over two thousand years of Christianity, as the enormous exegetical and dogmatic literature we have at our disposal attests. As in 'symbols', so in all theology, 'believing', 'faith' is a fundamental category. It is also the starting point of catechesis, as the first act with which we respond to God's revelation.

5. In the present discussion we will limit ourselves to just one source, which however sums up all the others. It is the conciliar constitution Dei Verbum of Vatican II. We read the following: "It pleased God in his goodness and wisdom to reveal himself and to manifest the mystery of his will (cf. Eph 1:9), through which men, through Christ, the Word made flesh in the Holy Spirit, have access to the Father and are made sharers in the divine nature . . . (cf. Eph 2:18; 2 Pet 1:4)" (Dei Verbum, 2).

"To the God who reveals is due the obedience of faith (cf. Rom 16:26; 1:5; 2 Cor 10:5-6), by which man freely surrenders himself to God in his entirety, lending him 'the full obedience of intellect and will' (Vatican Council I, Dei Filius, 3) and voluntarily consenting to the revelation given by him" (Dei Verbum, 5).

In these words of the conciliar document is contained the answer to the question: what does it mean to "believe". The explanation is concise, but condenses a great wealth of content. We will have to penetrate more extensively into this explanation of the Council later on, which has a scope equivalent to that of a technical definition, so to speak.

One thing is first of all obvious: there is a genetic and organic link between our Christian 'creed' and that particular 'initiative' of God himself, which is called 'revelation'.

Therefore, catechesis on the 'creed' (faith) must be carried out together with catechesis on divine revelation. Logically and historically, revelation precedes faith. Faith is conditioned by revelation. It is man's response to divine revelation.

Let us say right now that it is possible and right to give this answer, because God is credible. No one is like him. No one possesses the authority of truth like it. In no case is the conceptual and semantic value of the word so usual in human language: 'I believe', 'I believe you', realised as in faith in God.

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience 13 March 1985].

Faith in Christ

1. Looking at the primary objective of the Jubilee, which is "the reinvigoration of the faith and witness of Christians" (Tertio millennio adveniente, 42), after having outlined in the previous catecheses the fundamental traits of the salvation offered by Christ, we pause today to reflect on the faith that he expects from us.

To God who reveals himself - teaches Dei Verbum - is due "the obedience of faith" (n. 5). God revealed himself in the Old Covenant, demanding from his chosen people a fundamental adherence of faith. In the fullness of time, this faith is called to be renewed and developed in response to the revelation of the incarnate Son of God. Jesus expressly requests it, addressing his disciples at the Last Supper: "You have faith in God; have faith also in me" (Jn 14:1).

2. Jesus had already asked the group of twelve Apostles for a profession of faith in his person. At Caesarea Philippi, after questioning the disciples about the opinions expressed by the people concerning his identity, he asks: "Who do you say that I am?" (Mt 16:15). The answer comes from Simon: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (16:16).

Immediately Jesus confirms the value of this profession of faith, emphasising that it does not proceed simply from a human thought, but from a heavenly inspiration: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for neither flesh nor blood has revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Mt 16:17). These expressions of a strong Semitic colour designate the total, absolute and supreme revelation: that which refers to the person of Christ the Son of God.

The profession of faith made by Peter will remain the definitive expression of Christ's identity. Mark takes up the terms to introduce his Gospel (cf. Mk 1:1), John refers to it at the conclusion of his, stating that he wrote it so that people might believe "that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God", and so that, believing, they might have life in his name (cf. Jn 20:31).

3. In what does faith consist? The Constitution Dei Verbum explains that with it "man freely surrenders himself to God in his entirety, lending him 'the full obedience of intellect and will' and voluntarily consenting to the revelation given by Him" (n. 5). Faith is, therefore, not only adherence of the intellect to revealed truth, but also obedience of the will and self-giving to God who reveals himself. It is an attitude that commits one's entire existence.

The Council goes on to recall that faith requires "the grace of God, which anticipates and assists, and the interior help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and turns it to God, opens the eyes of the mind, and gives everyone gentleness in consenting to and believing the truth" (ibid.). One can see how faith, on the one hand, makes one accept the truth contained in Revelation and proposed by the Magisterium of those who, as Pastors of the People of God, have received a "certain charism of truth" (Dei Verbum, 8). On the other hand, faith also urges true and profound consistency, which must be expressed in all aspects of a life modelled on that of Christ.

4. Fruit as it is of grace, faith exerts an influence on events. This is admirably seen in the exemplary case of the Blessed Virgin. At the Annunciation, her adherence of faith to the angel's message is decisive for the very coming of Jesus into the world. Mary is the Mother of Christ because she first believed in Him.

At the wedding feast of Cana, Mary by her faith obtains the miracle. Faced with a response from Jesus that seemed less than favourable, she maintained a confident attitude, thus becoming a model of the bold and constant faith that overcomes obstacles.

Bold and insistent was also the faith of the Canaanite woman. To this woman, who had come to ask for the healing of her daughter, Jesus had opposed the Father's plan, which limited his mission to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The Canaanite woman responded with all the strength of her faith and obtained the miracle: 'Woman, truly great is your faith! May it be done to you as you wish" (Mt 15:28).

5. In many other instances, the Gospel testifies to the power of faith. Jesus expresses his admiration for the centurion's faith: 'Truly I tell you, in Israel I have found no one with such great faith' (Mt 8:10). And to Bartimaeus he says: "Go, your faith has saved you" (Mk 10:52). He repeats the same thing to the haemorrhagic woman (cf. Mk 5:34).

The words addressed to the father of the epileptic, who desired the healing of his son, are no less impressive: 'All things are possible for him who believes' (Mk 9:23).

The role of faith is to cooperate with this omnipotence. Jesus demands such cooperation to the extent that, on his return to Nazareth, he performs almost no miracles for the reason that the inhabitants of his village did not believe in him (cf. Mk 6:5-6). For the purpose of salvation, faith has a decisive importance for Jesus.

St Paul will develop Christ's teaching when, in contrast to those who wanted to base the hope of salvation on the observance of the Jewish law, he forcefully affirms that faith in Christ is the only source of salvation: "For we hold that man is justified by faith, regardless of the works of the law" (Rom 3:28). We must not, however, forget that St Paul was thinking of that authentic and full faith "which works through charity" (Gal 5:6). True faith is animated by love of God, which is inseparable from love of one's brothers and sisters.

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience 18 March 1998].

We are in the synagogue of Capharnaum where Jesus was giving his well-known discourse after the multiplication of the loaves. The people had sought to make him king but Jesus had withdrawn, first, to the mountain with God, with the Father, and then to Capharnaum. Since they could not see him, they began to look for him, they boarded the boats in order to cross the lake to the other shore and had found him at last. However, Jesus was well aware of the reason for this great enthusiasm in following him and he says so, even clearly: “you seek me, not because you saw signs, [because you were deeply impressed] but because you ate your fill of the loaves” (v. 26). 

Jesus wants to help the people go beyond the immediate satisfaction — albeit important — of their own material needs. He wants to open them to a horizon of existence that does not consist merely of the daily concerns of eating, of being clothed, of a career. Jesus speaks of a food that does not perish, which it is important to seek and to receive. He says: “do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you” (v. 27). 

The crowd does not understand, it believes that Jesus is asking for the observance of precepts in order to obtain the continuation of that miracle, and asks: “what must we do, to be dong the works of God?” (v. 28). Jesus’ answer is unequivocal: “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (v. 29). The centre of existence — which is what gives meaning and certain hope in the all too often difficult journey of life — is faith in Jesus, it is the encounter with Christ. 

We too ask: “what must we do to have eternal life?”. And Jesus says: “believe in me”. Faith is the fundamental thing. It is not a matter here of following an idea or a project, but of encountering Jesus as a living Person, of letting ourselves be totally involved by him and by his Gospel. Jesus invites us not to stop at the purely human horizon and to open ourselves to the horizon of God, to the horizon of faith. He demands a single act: to accept God’s plan, namely, to “believe in him whom he has sent” (v. 29).

Moses had given Israel manna, the bread from heaven with which God himself had nourished his people. Jesus does not give some thing, he gives himself: he is the “true bread that which comes down from heaven”. He is the living Word of the Father; in the encounter with him we meet the living God. 

“What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” (v. 28), the crowd asks, ready to act in order to perpetuate the miracle of the loaves. But Jesus, the true bread of life that satisfies our hunger for meaning and for truth, cannot be “earned” with human work; he comes to us only as a gift of God’s love, as a work of God to be asked for and received. 

Dear friends, on days that are busy and full of problems, but also on days of rest and relaxation, the Lord asks us not to forget that if it is necessary to be concerned about material bread and to replenish our strength, it is even more fundamental to develop our relationship with him, to reinforce our faith in the One who is the “bread of life” which satisfies our desire for truth and love.

[Pope Benedict, Angelus 5 August 2012]

1. The first and fundamental point of reference of the present catechesis are the universally known professions of the Christian faith. They are also called 'symbols of faith'. The Greek word 'symbolon' meant the half of a broken object (e.g. of a seal) that was presented as the sign of recognition. The broken parts were put together to verify the identity of the bearer. Hence the further meanings of the 'symbol': proof of identity, letters of credence and even a treaty or contract of which the 'symbolon' was the proof. The transition from this meaning to that of a collection or summary of the things referred to and documented was quite natural. In our case 'symbols' mean the collection of the main truths of faith, i.e. what the Church believes in. Systematic catechesis contains instructions on what the Church believes in, i.e. the contents of the Christian faith. Hence also the fact that 'symbols of faith' are the first and fundamental point of reference for catechesis.

2. Among the various ancient 'symbols of faith', the most authoritative is the 'apostolic symbol', of very ancient origin and commonly recited in the 'prayers of the Christian'. It contains the main truths of the faith transmitted by the apostles of Jesus Christ. Another famous ancient symbol is the 'Nicene-Constantinopolitan' symbol: it contains the same truths of the apostolic faith authoritatively elucidated in the first two ecumenical councils of the universal Church: Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381). The custom of the 'symbols of faith' proclaimed as the fruit of the Church's Councils has also been renewed in our century: in fact, after the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI pronounced the 'profession of faith' known as the Creed of the People of God (1968), which contains the entirety of the truths of the Church's faith with special consideration of those contents to which the last Council had given expression, or those points around which doubts had been raised in recent years.

The symbols of faith are the main point of reference for the present catechesis. They, however, refer to the whole of the 'deposit of the word of God', constituted by Holy Scripture and the apostolic tradition, being only a concise synthesis of it. Through the professions of faith, therefore, we too aim to go back to that immutable "deposit", on the basis of the interpretation that the Church, assisted by the Spirit, has given it over the centuries.

3. Each of the aforementioned 'symbols' begins with the word 'creed'. Each of them in fact serves not so much as instruction but as profession. The contents of this profession are the truths of the Christian faith: all are rooted in this first word 'I believe'. And it is precisely on this expression 'I believe' that we wish to focus in this first catechesis.

The expression is present in everyday language, even independently of any religious content, and especially of Christian content. 'I believe you' means: I trust you, I am convinced that you speak the truth. "I believe in what you say" means: I am convinced that the content of your words corresponds to objective reality.

In this common use of the word 'I believe', certain essential elements are emphasised. "To believe" means to accept and recognise as true and corresponding to reality the content of what is said, i.e. the words of another person (or even of several persons), because of his (or their) credibility. This credibility decides in a given case the particular authority of the person: the authority of truth. Thus by saying 'I believe', we are simultaneously expressing a twofold reference: to the person and to the truth; to the truth, in view of the person who enjoys particular credibility.

4. The word 'I believe' appears very often in the pages of the Gospel and throughout Holy Scripture. It would be very useful to compare and analyse all the points in the Old and New Testaments that enable us to grasp the biblical meaning of 'believing'. Alongside the verb 'to believe' we also find the noun 'faith' as one of the central expressions throughout the Bible. We even find a certain type of "definitions" of faith, such as for example: "faith is the foundation of things hoped for and proof of things not seen" from the Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 11:1).

These biblical data have been studied, explained, developed by the Fathers and theologians over two thousand years of Christianity, as the enormous exegetical and dogmatic literature we have at our disposal attests. As in 'symbols', so in all theology, 'believing', 'faith' is a fundamental category. It is also the starting point of catechesis, as the first act with which we respond to God's revelation.

5. In the present meeting we will limit ourselves to one source, which however summarises all the others. It is the conciliar constitution Dei Verbum of Vatican II. We read the following: "It pleased God in his goodness and wisdom to reveal himself and to manifest the mystery of his will (cf. Eph 1:9), through which men, through Christ, the Word made flesh in the Holy Spirit, have access to the Father and are made sharers in the divine nature . . . (cf. Eph 2:18; 2 Pet 1:4)" (Dei Verbum, 2).

"To the God who reveals is due the obedience of faith (cf. Rom 16:26; 1:5; 2 Cor 10:5-6), by which man freely surrenders himself to God in his entirety by lending him 'the full obedience of intellect and will' (Vatican Council I, Dei Filius, 3) and voluntarily consenting to the revelation given by him" (Dei Verbum, 5).

In these words of the conciliar document is contained the answer to the question: what does it mean to "believe". The explanation is concise, but condenses a great wealth of content. We will have to penetrate more extensively into this explanation of the Council later on, which has a scope equivalent to that of a technical definition, so to speak.

One thing is first of all obvious: there is a genetic and organic link between our Christian 'creed' and that particular 'initiative' of God himself, which is called 'revelation'.

Therefore, catechesis on the 'creed' (faith) must be carried out together with catechesis on divine revelation. Logically and historically, revelation precedes faith. Faith is conditioned by revelation. It is man's response to divine revelation.

Let us say right now that it is possible and right to give this answer, because God is credible. No one is like him. No one possesses the authority of truth like it. In no case is the conceptual and semantic value of the word so usual in human language: 'I believe', 'I believe you', realised as in faith in God.

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience 13 March 1985]

Faith in Christ

1. Looking at the primary objective of the Jubilee, which is the "strengthening of faith and of the witness of Christians" (Tertio millennio adveniente, n. 42), after outlining in previous catecheses the basic characteristics of the salvation offered by Christ, today we pause to reflect on the faith he expects of us.

"The obedience of faith", Dei Verbum teaches, "must be given to God as he reveals himself" (n. 5). God revealed himself in the Old Covenant, asking of the people he had chosen a fundamental response of faith. In the fullness of time, this faith is called to be renewed and increased, to respond to the revelation of the incarnate Son of God. Jesus expressly asks for it when he speaks to his disciples at the Last Supper: "Believe in God, believe also in me" (Jn 14:1).

2. Jesus had already asked the group of the 12 Apostles to profess their faith in his person. At Caesarea Philippi, after questioning his disciples about the people's opinion of his identity, he asks: "But who do you say that I am?" (Mt 16:15). The reply comes from Simon Peter: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (16:16).

Jesus immediately confirms the value of this profession of faith, stressing that it stems not only from human thought idea but from heavenly inspiration: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Mt 16:17). These statements, in strongly Semitic tones, indicate the total, absolute and supreme revelation: the one that concerns the person of Christ, Son of God.

Peter's profession of faith will remain the definitive expression of Christ's identity. Mark uses this same expression to begin his Gospel (cf. Mk 1:1) and John refers to it at the end of his, saying that he has written his Gospel so that you may believe "that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God", and that in believing you may have life in his name (cf. Jn 20:31).

3. In what does faith consist? The Constitution Dei Verbum explains that by faith, "man freely commits his entire self to God, making 'the full submission of his intellect and will to God who reveals'" (n. 5). Thus faith is not only the intellect's adherence to the truth revealed, but also a submission of the will and a gift of self to God revealing himself. It is a stance that involves one's entire existence.

The Council also recalls that this faith requires "the grace of God to move [man] and assist him; he must have the interior helps of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes of the mind and 'makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth'" (ibid.). In this way we can see how, on the one hand, faith enables us to welcome the truth contained in Revelation and proposed by the Magisterium of those who, as Pastors of God's People, have received a "sure charism of truth" (Dei Verbum, n. 8). On the other hand, faith also spurs us to true and deep consistency, which must be expressed in all aspects of a life modeled on that of Christ.

4. As a fruit of grace, faith exercises an influence on events. This is wonderfully seen in the exemplary case of the Blessed Virgin. Her faith-filled acceptance of the angel's message at the Annunciation is decisive for Jesus' very coming into the world. Mary is the Mother of Christ because she first believed in him.

At the wedding feast in Cana, Mary, obtains the miracle through her faith. Despite Jesus' reply, which does not seem very favourable, she keeps her trustful attitude, thus becoming a model of the bold and constant faith which overcomes obstacles.

The faith of the Caananite woman was also bold and insistent. Jesus countered this woman, who had come to seek the cure of her daughter, with the Father's plan which restricted his mission to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The Caananite replied with the full force of her faith and obtained the miracle: "O woman! Great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire" (Mt 15:28).

5. In many other cases the Gospel witnesses to the power of faith. Jesus expresses his admiration for the centurion's faith: "Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith" (Mt 8:10). And to Bartimaeus: "Go your way your faith has made you well" (Mk 10:52). He says the same thing to the woman with a haemorrhage (cf. Mk 5:34). 

His words to the father of the epileptic who wanted his son to be cured are no less striking: "All things are possible to him who believes" (Mk 9:23).

The role of faith is to co-operate with this omnipotence. Jesus asks for this co-operation to the point that upon returning to Nazareth, he works almost no miracles because the inhabitants of his village did not believe in him (cf. Mk 6:5-6). For Jesus, faith has a decisive importance for the purposes of salvation.

St Paul will develop Christ's teaching when, in conflict with those who wished to base the hope of salvation on observance of the Jewish law, he forcefully affirms that faith in Christ is the only source of salvation: "We hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law" (Rom 3:28). However, it must not be forgotten that St Paul was thinking of that authentic and full faith which "works through love" (Gal 5:6). True faith is animated by love of God, which is inseparable from love for our brothers and sisters.

[Pope John Paul II, General Audience 18 March 1998]

The initial scene of the Gospel in today’s liturgy (see Jn 6,24-35) shows us some boats moving towards Capernaum: the crowd is going to look for Jesus. We might think that this is a very good thing, yet the Gospel teaches us that it is not enough to seek God; we must also ask why we are seeking him. Indeed, Jesus says: “You seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” (v. 26). The people, in fact, had witnessed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, but they had not grasped the meaning of that gesture: they stopped at the external miracle, they stopped at the material bread: there only, without going beyond, to the meaning of this.

Here then is a first question we can ask ourselves: why do we seek the Lord? Why do I seek the Lord? What are the motivations  for my faith, for our faith? We need to discern this, because among the many temptations we encounter in life, among the many temptations there is one that we might call idolatrous temptation. It is the one that drives us to seek God for our own use, to solve problems, to have thanks to Him what we cannot obtain on our own, for our interests. But in this way faith remains superficial and even, if I may say so, faith remains miraculous: we look for God to feed us and then forget about Him when we are satiated. At the centre of this immature faith is not God, but our own needs. I think of our interests, many things … It is right to present our needs to God's heart, but the Lord, who acts far beyond our expectations, wishes to live with us first of all in a relationship of love. And true love is disinterested, it is free: one does not love to receive a favour in return! This is self-interest; and very often in life we are motivated by self-interest.

A second question that the crowd asks Jesus can help us: “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” (v. 28). It is as if the people, provoked by Jesus, were saying: “How can we purify our search for God? How do we go from a magical faith, which thinks only of our own needs, to a faith that pleases God?” And Jesus shows the way: He answers that the work of God is to welcome the One whom the Father has sent, that is, welcoming Himself, Jesus. It is not adding religious practices or observing special precepts; it is welcoming Jesus, it is welcoming Him into our lives, living a story of love with Jesus. It is He who will purify our faith. We are not able to do this on our own. But the Lord wants a loving relationship with us: before the things we receive and do, there is Him to love. There is a relationship with Him that goes beyond the logic of interest and calculation.

This applies to God, but it also applies to our human and social relationships: when we seek first and foremost the satisfaction of our needs, we risk using people and exploiting situations for our own ends. How many times have we heard it said of someone; “But he uses people and then forgets about them”? Using people for one’s own gain: this is bad. And a society that puts interests instead of people at its centre is a society that does not generate life. The Gospel’s invitation is this: rather than being concerned only with the material bread that feeds us, let us welcome Jesus as the bread of life and, starting out from our friendship with Him, learn to love each other. Freely and without calculation. Love given freely and without calculation, without using people, freely, with generosity, with magnanimity.

Let us now pray to the Holy Virgin, She who lived the most beautiful story of love with God, that she may give us the grace to open ourselves to the encounter with her Son.

[Pope Francis, Angelus 1 August 2021]

Do you Love me? I care for you

(Jn 21:1-19)

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 is 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 is making one with our body.

Do you Love me? I care for you [like a friend]

(Jn 21:15-19)

Jesus names Simon by the attribute «of John» because He still considers Peter to be spiritually pupil of the Baptist (!).

Despite his oscillations, the Lord puts him back on his feet.

Even with us, the Son never tires of re-proposing a loving and inviting Face of God, capable of astonishing.

For let us remember that the chief apostle had been called to freedom and had chosen the condition of lackey [cf. Jn 21:9 with the «ember fire» in Jn 18:18].

Thus, at the end of a game of reproposals, in the dialogue it is Jesus himself who “settles” for a love of friendship [cf. Greek text] by modifying the double question «do you love me?» with the third: «do you care for me?».

Human love waits for a minimum of satisfaction; it cannot shape itself into pure loss. It waits for little 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 recovers, helps one to become another person - 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 statement.

Or a sincere expression, but often animated by enthusiasm without deep roots, which on a subsequent test of facts transforms the oath of allegiance 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 that transforms self-presumption into apostolate!

That is why Jesus asks Peter to start with the little ones of the flock (v.15).

And «to ‘shepherd’» (vv.15-17) means «to feed»: to nurture, to care for, to protect, to foster; to initiate, to risk personally, to defend and to put one's face on - not “to command”.

«To graze the sheep» is to make oneself present, in a continuous flow of references. This is the climate that convinces, educates, nourishes and sustains, allowing to grow and flourish.

«To ‘shepherd’» is not (precisely) to dominate, but food the ideal. And to begin with the tiny flock (v.15).

Well, in order to ensure the "happy" outcome, the true believer, the friend of the Lord, the son of God, does not ally himself with people who matter - then we will see...

Nor must he “fish” proselytes, but rather expand and cheer life.

The fulness of the "result" is the Happiness of every single real woman and man - as they are - not “as should be" according to opinion.

In fact, Jesus does not ask Peter: are you a good administrator? are you a good organizer? are you a skilful animator? Are you well-equipped, intelligent, cunning, smart, well-connected, introduced and versed enough to stand up to your opponents?

In short, what force dehumanises man, instead of deifying him?

God's 'enemy' is not uncertainty, but the quest for the “average life”. Quagmire where one does not throw oneself.

[3rd Easter Sunday (C)  May 4,2025]