Allocution, October 10, 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today, October 10, the 18th Sunday of ordinary liturgical time, we hear in all Catholic churches the gospel according to Saint Mark, chapter 10, verses 17 to 30.
(GOSPEL)
Surely, who ran up to Jesus and knelt before Him and asked: What shall I do to inherit eternal life? He was a good person, faithful to God and his commandments, which he fulfilled from a young age.
He loved God, and Jesus asked him and also each of us: love your neighbor.
He did not swear by the name of God falsely and Jesus asked him and us too: let your word be yes, let your word be no. What happens from there comes from the evil one.
He sanctified the Lord’s day, Saturday at that time, Sunday today. Jesus asks him and us too: sanctify every minute of your life.
He honored dad and mom, and Jesus asked him, and us too: stand next to your parents, make them happy; What they taught you, follow it. Be with them now, in old age, illness and agony.
He did not kill, and Jesus asked him and us too: love your enemy.
He did not commit impure acts, and Jesus asked him and us too: keep your thoughts clean, respectful love that channels your feelings, your healthy looks admire the beauty of the body, your hands do not stain anyone’s body or your own.
He did not steal, and Jesus asks him and us: share your goods and give them to the poor.
He did not give false testimonies, and Jesus asked him and us too: always tell the truth at all times and never be hypocritical.
He did not covet his neighbor’s wife, and Jesus asked him and us too: not to desire her even in thought.
He did not covet other people’s goods, and Jesus asked him and us too: to rejoice in the good of his neighbor.
At Jesus’ requests to sell everything he had and give it to the poor and follow Him, this good person who from a young age fulfilled the ten commandments, frowned and left very sad.
We review the ten commandments and tell God how we have done with the practice of these commandments.
The spouses look at each other fondly and wonder: how have we done with the ninth commandment?
The young man wonders: how have I done with the sixth commandment?
The children wonder: how have we done with the fourth commandment?
We want to live and teach the ten commandments and the gospel to the whole family to live happily in this life and then all in eternal life together with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, with the Virgin, Saint Joseph, the saints and our deceased .
(SINGING)
The pilots of the airplanes, the helmsmen of the ships, the drivers, are continually rectifying course.
The Christian must rectify his course with the compass of the Word of God.
There is an anecdote about Leonardo da Vinci, famous artist of the Florentine school, known especially as the painter of La Gioconda, The Last Supper, The Virgin of the Rocks, who distinguished himself in all branches of art and science, in which it is told the next:
It took him 20 years to make The Last Supper, because he was very demanding when looking for people who would serve as models.
He had problems starting the painting because he could not find the model to represent Jesus, who had to reflect purity, nobility and the most beautiful feelings in his face… he also had to possess an extraordinary manly beauty.
Finally, he found a young man with those characteristics and it was the first thing he painted.
He then located the 11 apostles, whom he painted together, leaving Judas Iscariot pending, since he could not find the appropriate model.
This had to be a person of mature age and show on his face the traces of betrayal and greed, so the painting remained unfinished for a long time, until he was told about a terrible criminal who had been arrested.
He went to see him and it was exactly the Judas he wanted to finish his work, so he asked the mayor to allow the prisoner to pose for him.
The mayor, knowing the fame of the master Da Vinci, gladly accepted and the prisoner was taken, guarded by two guards and chained, to the painter’s studio. During the entire time, the prisoner did not show any emotion for having been chosen as a model, appearing too quiet and distant.
In the end Da Vinci, satisfied with the result, called the prisoner and showed him the work.
When the prisoner saw her, he fell to his knees, extremely shocked, crying.
Da Vinci, surprised, asked him the reason for his attitude, to which the prisoner responded: Master Da Vinci, don’t you remember me? Da Vinci, observing him, replied: No, he had never seen it before.
Crying and asking God for forgiveness, the prisoner told him: Master, I am that young man who 19 years ago you chose to represent Jesus in this same painting.
Moral: No matter how much physical beauty you have, it is the internal beauty that finally comes to light over time. If we live a life of bad feelings, they will be marked in the wrinkles on our face. That is why it is important for each of us to rectify course. And it helps us find the true path, the Word of God, which is guidance towards the happiness of our life here on earth and then to achieve eternal life.
(GOSPEL)
Pope Francis invites the universal Church so that we all walk together in a process of communion, participation, mission. This Sunday this synodal reflection begins in Rome, and next Sunday the 17th this process of reflection called Synodal will begin in all the churches.
The Pope spoke on September 18 to the diocese of Rome.
“As you know, this is nothing new, a synodal process is about to begin, a path in which the entire Church is committed around the theme: ‘For a synodal Church: communion, participation, mission’: three pillars. Three phases are planned, which will take place between October 2021 and October 2023. This itinerary has been conceived as a dynamism of mutual listening, I want to emphasize it: a dynamism of mutual listening, carried out at all levels of the Church, involving the entire people of God. The cardinal vicar and the auxiliary bishops must listen to each other, the priests must listen to each other, the religious must listen to each other, the laity must listen to each other. And then, listen to each other. Listen to yourself; Talk to others and listen to yourself. It’s not about collecting opinions, no. It is not about a survey, but about listening to the Holy Spirit, as we find in the book of Revelation: ‘Whoever has ears, let him listen to what the Spirit says to the churches’ (2:7). Having ears, listening, is the first commitment. It is about listening to the voice of God, capturing his presence, intercepting his passage and his breath of life. It happened to the prophet Elijah to discover that God is always a God of surprises, even in the way he passes by and makes himself heard:
‘There was a powerful and fierce wind to break the mountains and break the rocks […], but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. Tras el fuego, el susurro de una suave brisa. When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his mantle’ (1 Kings 19, 11-13). This is how God speaks to us. And it is because of this “gentle breeze” – which exegetes also translate as ‘a subtle voice of silence’ and others as ‘a thread of sonorous silence’ – that we must prepare our ears to listen to this breeze of God.
The first stage of the process (October 2021 – April 2022) is that which concerns the individual diocesan Churches. And that is why I am here, as your bishop, to share, because it is very important that the diocese of Rome commits itself with conviction to this path. It would be a shame if the Pope’s diocese did not commit to it, wouldn’t it? A shame for the Pope and for everyone.”
(SINGING)
As a first step in this synodal process we are invited to pray:
All sessions of the Second Vatican Council began with prayer Adsumus Sancte Spiritus, the first phrase of the original Latin meaning “We stand before you, Holy Spirit”, which has been used historically in Councils, Synods and other meetings of the Church for hundreds of years, and is attributed to Saint Isidore of Seville (ca . 560 – April 4, 636). As we undertake this Synodal Process, this prayer invites the Holy Spirit to act in us, so that we may be a community and a people of grace. For the synodal path from 2021 to 2023, we propose the following simplified version so that any group or liturgical assembly can pray it more easily.
We stand before you, Holy Spirit, gathered in your name.
You who are our true advisor:
come to us,
support us,
enter our hearts.
Show us the way,
show us how to reach the goal.
Keep us from losing
the course as weak and sinful people.
Don’t let ignorance
lead us down false paths.
Grant us the gift of discernment,
so that our actions are not guided
by prejudices and false considerations.
Lead us to unity in you,
so that we do not stray from the path of truth and justice,
but on our earthly pilgrimage
Let us strive to achieve eternal life.
We ask this of you,
that works in all times and places,
in communion with the Father and the Son,
forever and ever. Amen.
(Anyone who wishes to pray this prayer can request it in the churches and in the archbishopric).
(SINGING)
Next Friday the 15th we celebrate the feast of Saint Teresa. We congratulate the people who bear the name of Teresa and the churches whose patron saint is this Saint and all the Teresians. We sing with Saint Teresa, which is praying twice.
(SINGING)
The blessing of God the Father, who created us to love and be loved; the blessing of Jesus Christ, health of the sick; May the blessing of the Holy Spirit, who can achieve our personal dreams, always accompany you. Amen.
(SINGING)