I entrust you to God, which has the power to build and to grant inheritance.
From the Acts of the Apostles At 20,28-38
In those days, Paul said to the elders of the Church of Ephesus: «Watch over yourselves and over all the flock, in the midst of which the Holy Spirit has made you guardians to be shepherds of the Church of God, which she purchased with her own blood Son.
I know that after my departure ravenous wolves will come among you, who will not spare the flock; even among you some will arise and speak perverse things, to draw the disciples after them. Therefore be vigilant, remembering that for three years, night and day, I have not ceased, with tears, to admonish each one of you.
And now I entrust you to God and at the word of his grace, which has power to build and to grant an inheritance among all who are sanctified by him.
I coveted neither silver nor gold nor anyone's dress. You know that these hands of mine have provided for my needs and those who were with me. In every way I have shown you that the weak must be helped by working in this way, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, who said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive!”».
Having said this, he knelt with them all and prayed. Everyone burst into tears and, throwing themselves on Paolo's neck, they kissed him, grieved above all because he had said they would never see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.
Show, or Godyour strength confirm, or Godhow much you have done for us! For your temple in Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts. R.
Kingdoms of the earth, sing a God, sing hymns to the Lord, to him who rides in the heavens, in the eternal heavens. Behold, he makes his voice heard, a mighty voice! Recognize a God its power. R.
His majesty over Israel, his power above the clouds. Terrible you are, o God, in your sanctuary. It's him, the God of Israel, who gives strength and vigor to his people. Blessed be you God! R.
Gospel acclamation
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Your word, Lord, is truth: consecrate us in the truth. (Cf. Jn 17,17b.a)
Alleluia.
today's Gospel
They are one, like us.
The Word of May 24, 2023 4
From the Gospel according to John Jn 17,11b-19
During that time, [Jesus, raised his eyes to heaven, prayed saying:]«Father saint, keep them in your name, the one you gave me, so that they may be one, like us.
When I was with them, I kept them in your name, what you gave me, and I kept them, and none of them was lost, except the son della perdizione, perché si compisse la Scrittura.
But now I come to you and say this while I am in the world, so that they may have the fullness of my joy in themselves. I gave them your word and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Non prego che tu li tolga dal mondo, ma che tu li custodisca dal Maligno. Essi non sono del mondo, come io non sono del mondo.
Sanctify them in truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I also sent them into the world; for them I consecrate myself, so that they too may be consecrated in truth".
There is only one Church che, con fecondità sempre crescente, abbraccia una moltitudine sempre più vasta. Il sole invia molti raggi, ma è unica la sua fonte luminosa; l’albero si divide in molti rami, ma c’è un solo tronco vigorosamente appoggiato alle sue tenaci radici; da una sorgente sgorgano molti ruscelli; questa molteplicità non si crea, sembra, che grazie alla sovrabbondanza dell’acqua, che viene però da un’unica origine.
Separate un raggio dalla massa del sole, l’unità della luce non ammette tale frazionamento. Staccate un ramo da un albero: il ramo staccato non potrà più fiorire.
Cut a stream from its source, it dries up. It also happens to Church of the Lord: he spreads the rays of his light throughout the universe, but one is the light that spreads everywhere, the unity of the body is not divided. It spreads its branches of mighty vitality over the whole earth, its overabundant waters reach far. Yet there is only one source, one origin, one mother.
The sacrament of unity, the bond of an inextricably consistent concord, is presented to us in the Gospel by the tunic of our Lord JesusChrist, which is not divided nor torn, but, drawn by lot to see who would be clothed with Christarrives intact to the person who takes possession of it, without being wasted or cut. The people of Christ pure non può essere diviso.
And his tunic, one, of a single piece, of a single fabric, represents the coherent harmony of our people, of us who have put on Christ. Indivisible is unity; a body cannot lose its cohesion nor be torn apart, its entrails torn out and scattered. Everything that moves away from the center of life could not live and breathe apart, it loses the substance of health.
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
God, facendosi uomo, ha fatto propria la nostra sete, non solo dell’acqua materiale, ma soprattutto la sete di una vita piena, di una vita libera dalla schiavitù del male e della morte.
At the same time, with its incarnation God he put his thirst – because also God is thirsty – in the heart of a man: Jesus of Nazareth. God he thirsts for us, for our hearts, for ours love, and put this thirst in the heart of Jesus.
So, in the heart of Christ human thirst and divine thirst meet. And the desire for the unity of his disciples belongs to this thirst. We find it expressed in the prayer raised to the Father prima della Passione: «Perché tutti siano una sola cosa» (Gv 17,21).
What he wanted Jesus: the unity of all! The devil – we know – is the father of divisions, he is one who always divides, who always makes wars, it does so much harm. That this thirst for Jesus our thirst becomes more and more! (Angelus, January 25, 2015)
