每日祈祷

Memory of Jesus crucified
每天都有神的话

Memory of Jesus crucified

Memorial of the prophet Isaiah. 阅读更多

Libretto DEL GIORNO
Memory of Jesus crucified
Friday, May 9

Memorial of the prophet Isaiah.


Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

This is the Gospel of the poor,
liberation for the imprisoned,
sight for the blind,
freedom for the oppressed.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Acts 9,1-20

Meanwhile Saul was still breathing threats to slaughter the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked for letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, that would authorise him to arrest and take to Jerusalem any followers of the Way, men or women, that he might find. It happened that while he was travelling to Damascus and approaching the city, suddenly a light from heaven shone all round him. He fell to the ground, and then he heard a voice saying, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' he asked, and the answer came, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do.' The men travelling with Saul stood there speechless, for though they heard the voice they could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing at all, and they had to lead him into Damascus by the hand. For three days he was without his sight and took neither food nor drink. There was a disciple in Damascus called Ananias, and he had a vision in which the Lord said to him, 'Ananias!' When he replied, 'Here I am, Lord,' the Lord said, 'Get up and go to Straight Street and ask at the house of Judas for someone called Saul, who comes from Tarsus. At this moment he is praying, and has seen a man called Ananias coming in and laying hands on him to give him back his sight.' But in response, Ananias said, 'Lord, I have heard from many people about this man and all the harm he has been doing to your holy people in Jerusalem. He has come here with a warrant from the chief priests to arrest everybody who invokes your name.' The Lord replied, 'Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for my name.' Then Ananias went. He entered the house, and laid his hands on Saul and said, 'Brother Saul, I have been sent by the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, so that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' It was as though scales fell away from his eyes and immediately he was able to see again. So he got up and was baptised, and after taking some food he regained his strength. After he had spent only a few days with the disciples in Damascus, he began preaching in the synagogues, 'Jesus is the Son of God.'

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

What happened to Saul regards in truth every believer; if we do not fall to the ground from our pride and then discover our weakness, we can hardly understand what it means to believe. Only acknowledging our being small and poor, it is possible to welcome the light of Gospel wisdom. Pride leads to ruin, confrontation and violence; humility regenerates us and makes us more understanding and in solidarity with others. Not by chance, the future apostle was led by hand to Damascus where, guided by Ananias, after three days of darkness, he was baptised and began a new life: Saul became Paul, a new name for a new life. The visitor who enters Damascus today through the gate of Thomas - despite the tragedy that has befallen this city in recent years - finds himself almost immediately at the beginning of the via recta, the main street of the old city. This is the street mentioned in the Acts; in that very area, an ancient tradition places the house of Ananias where Paul was taken as soon as he arrived in the city. The author narrates Ananias' initial fright and then his astonishment on learning of the arrival of Saul, one of the sworn enemies of the young Christian community. But, warned by the Spirit, as soon as he sees Saul he goes to meet him and says, "Brother Saul." For Ananias, Saul of Tarsus is no longer enemy, but brother. And the repentant persecutor regains his sight. Christians, even for him, are now brothers and sisters. The pride and violence that previously possessed his heart had blinded him. The Lord transforms him. He who had 'personally' met the risen Jesus, now needs a brother to help him open his eyes fully. Ananias welcomes him, explains the Scriptures to him and introduces him to the life of the community. Whenever the Word of God is proclaimed to us in the community of brothers and sisters, we are as it were called by name, that is, exhorted to make the Word we have heard our own.

这群年轻人,通过阅读圣经,並将圣经作为生命的中心,激励他们度真正信仰的生活,接受耶稣基督自古以来,世世代代的邀请,成为祂的门徒。这邀请呼籲人悔改,放弃只是为自己而生活的态度,开始自由自在地成为泛爱众人的工具,爱人不分男女,而特别是爱那些最贫穷的人。聆听及生活天主的圣言,是人生命中的最重要的事,就是承认人应跟随耶稣,而非跟随自我。

在这个团体中,最真情流露的景象就是大家聚集一起祈祷,聆听天主的圣言,像当年的门徒,有如一家人般聚集在耶稣身旁一样。同心合意的祈祷(宗2:42)是简单的祈祷方式,它要求团体所有成员献出自己。如同圣咏一样,祈祷是熟识耶稣的说话和祈祷的门径,融合了前人的祈祷,将穷人的需要、我们的需要、以及整个世界的需要,呈献给上主。

因此,在罗马及在意大利、欧洲、以至在全世界的其他城市中,我们的团体都尽可能经常聚会,一起祈祷。我们在很多城市中,每晚都会有团体的祈祷,並开放给普罗大众参与。我们也期望团体内的每个成员,都有个人祈祷的理想地方,在生活中阅读圣经,並要从福音开始阅读。