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FRIENDS and SERVANTS of the WORD May 29, 2023 BLESSED VIRGIN MARY MOTHER of the CHURCH WORD of the DAY When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. (John 19: 26-27) How shall I live this Word? The disciple He loved is every person who welcomes God’s love. And what does Jesus say to them in John, “Behold your mother” indicating Mary, His mother. He welcomed her not only by giving her a home, but mainly by praying with her, as the Antiphon reminds us. “All these were persevering in prayer with one accord, together with some women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.” (Acts 1:14). We must not welcome Mary into our home only with paintings or statues, but as a Mother in prayer so that she can help us with her maternal love to go towards Jesus. Welcoming her as a Mother will be our prayer written by Pope Francis at the end of the Encyclical Lumen Fidei (29 June 2013). The voice of Pope Francis, to Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of our faith “Help our faith, O Mother! Help us listen to the Word, so that we may recognize God’s voice and His call. Awaken in us the desire to follow in His footsteps, leaving our land and accepting His promise. Help us to let ourselves be touched by His love, so we may... read more
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FRIENDS and SERVANTS of the WORD May 28, 2023 PENTECOST SUNDAY WORD of the DAY When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. (Acts 2: 1-11) How shall I live this Word? On this Solemnity, we must not think only of what happened years ago. Now this event that comes from above is still evident and memorable. We can say that the Holy Spirit always descends upon us, if we put the conditions in place for this great event to take place in our lives, as it happened on the day of Pentecost. The Apostles were all gathered together in the same place in prayer, so there is a reality of communion between them. The first Christian community, as the Acts of the Apostles narrate, was united and persevering in prayer (cf. Acts 1:14). In fact, no one can say “Jesus is Lord!”, except under the action of the Holy Spirit. Lord, help me to bring personal, community and liturgical prayer into harmony so that the Spirit may lead me to You and I can live in harmony with my brothers and sisters. The voice of Pope Francis, Homily on Pentecost 5 June 2022 “Besides... read more
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FRIENDS and SERVANTS of the WORD Saturday May 27, 2023 WORD of the DAY Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved, the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not told him that he would not die, just “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?” It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written. (John 21: 20-25) How shall I live this Word? “… You follow me!” Jesus repeats and renews the invitation to Peter. The last word He addresses to him is the same as the first, addressed to him a few years earlier: follow me. There is never an end to the call; there is never an end to the following. The Lord calls us continuously, every day, even through and in our tiredness, in our continuous failures. Jesus, the Risen One, is not discouraged; He continue to trust in us, in... read more
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FRIENDS and SERVANTS of the WORD Friday May 26, 2023 WORD of the DAY After Jesus had revealed himself to his disciples and eaten breakfast with them, he said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.” (John 21: 15-19) How shall I live this Word? The passage from today’s liturgy is the continuation of chapter 21 of John in which, after the meal where Jesus makes Himself recognized again in the gesture of handing over and sharing, the personal encounter with... read more
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FRIENDS and SERVANTS of the WORD Thursday May 25, 2023 WORD of the DAY Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them.” (John 17: 20-26) How shall I live this Word? With the Gospel proposed by today’s liturgy, let us go back to reading chapter 17 of the Evangelist John in which he presents the priestly prayer of Jesus. In His prayer, Jesus looks to the future; He prays for the disciples of... read more
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FRIENDS and SERVANTS of the WORD Wednesday May 24, 2023 Feast of Mary Help of Christians WORD of the DAY Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs* in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. (John 2: 1-11) How shall I live this Word? Today the Church commemorates the Virgin Mary with the title “Help of Christians”. As Patroness of the Salesian Family, she is solemnly celebrated by us. St. John Bosco saw in the invocation “Help of Christians” a stupendous synthesis of the mystery of the Blessed Virgin in the plan of salvation working in... read more
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FRIENDS and SERVANTS of the WORD May 23, 2023 Seventh Tuesday of Easter WORD of the DAY Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began. “I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me, I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.” (John 17: 1-11a) How shall I live this Word? The seventeenth chapter... read more
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FRIENDS and SERVANTS of the WORD May 22, 2023 Seventh Monday of Easter WORD of the DAY The disciples said to Jesus, “Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” (John 16: 29-33) How shall I live this Word? The context of today’s Gospel continues to be the environment of the Last Supper, an environment of fraternity and farewell, of sadness and expectation, which reflects the situation of the first Christian communities, of our communities, of each of us. Today’s Gospel shows us how much the Apostles still needed the Holy Spirit to fully understand the Master’s Word. They are ready to show Jesus that they have understood everything! They delude themselves that they have now known their Master, because He speaks openly, that is, in an open, direct, and courageous way, no longer using parables or similes, as in the past. But Jesus, who knows their hearts and the fragility of their faith, immediately freezes their excessive certainties: “Now do you believe? Behold, the... read more
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FRIENDS and SERVANTS of the WORD May 21, 2023 ASCENSION OF THE LORD WORD of the DAY The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 16-20) How shall I live this Word? Today, Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, the liturgy offers us, with the words of the conclusion of the Gospel of Matthew, the image of an imperfect Church sent on mission. It is to the Eleven, to the inadequate Church that Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” It is precisely to this Church, formed by each of us, that the Lord entrusts the task of speaking about true love. Yes, because you can love even like this, maybe just like this, in imperfection. Because that void is the space that God comes to fill. The Eleven return to Galilee for a new beginning; to proclaim God’s love. This is the history of the Church from the very beginning, an imperfect, incomplete, inadequate Church, marked by wounds but supported by the only certainty, “I am with you every day.” I, the Lord, come every day to complete... read more
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FRIENDS and SERVANTS of the WORD May 20, 2023 Sixth Saturday of Easter WORD of the DAY Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. “I have told you this in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but I will tell you clearly about the Father. On that day you will ask in my name, and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you. For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father. (John 16: 23b-28) How shall I live this Word? “Ask and you will receive so that your joy to be full.” Jesus does not teach us to pray to God with the certainty that our every request will be granted; rather He invites us to trust in God, knowing that He never evades our questions, even when He does not answer according to our expectations. After all, He alone knows what is good and what is best for us. There are situations in which experiencing bitterness makes us more human, while success can fuel the spiral of pride. He knows better than us what is necessary. Full... read more
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