Vangelo Mc 13, 33-37 Vegliate: non sapete quando il padrone di casa ritornerà.
Dal vangelo secondo Marco
In quel tempo, Gesù disse ai suoi discepoli:
«Fate attenzione, vegliate, perché non sapete quando è il momento. È come un uomo, che è partito dopo aver lasciato la propria casa e dato il potere ai suoi servi, a ciascuno il suo compito, e ha ordinato al portiere di vegliare.
Vegliate dunque: voi non sapete quando il padrone di casa ritornerà, se alla sera o a mezzanotte o al canto del gallo o al mattino; fate in modo che, giungendo all’improvviso, find you sleeping.
What I say to you I say unto all, watch. "
COMMENT Mgr. Vincenzo Paglia
Watch: Do not know when the master of the house is coming!
Today begins the liturgical year. It is a replica of a story already known. We are so illiterate that they need God to return to your school. All! Be with the Lord is not a repetition of the same: it becomes so when we take our life away from him and his brothers. On Sundays they help us understand the mystery of his presence in today among men. Like any love story has at various times, all important. What we are asked is to listen and follow the Signore e, anzitutto, attenderlo. Gesù stesso esorta: “Vigilate, non sapete quando il padrone di casa ritornerà”. Tutta la nostra vita è un’attesa. Quando non aspettiamo più nessuno, quando il domani sembra non esserci più, iniziamo un po’ a morire. Quando lasciamo solo qualcuno lo aiutiamo a morire. Qualche volta pensiamo che in fondo gli altri non aspettino niente, non serva loro nulla, stiano bene così. Non è così. Chi aiuta gli uomini a sperare? Chi cerca di capire e rispondere all’attesa dell’altro o di interi popoli segnati dalla guerra e dalla violenza? Chi incoraggia e risponde all’attesa dei giovani? Anche per questo dobbiamo essere “vigilanti”. Il liturgical season is marked by the time of God, or rather, it is time to God who enters into that of men. And is measured from the mystery of Jesus begins with its birth, continues through preaching in Galilee and Judea to the death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. Every Sunday, from this first of Advent until the Feast of Christ the King, the Word of God takes us by hand in a certain way to distract us from the slavery of our own pace, and introduces us into the mystery of Christ, to make us sharers in his own life. By the time we receive the great gift of liturgical become contemporaries of Jesus This is the "force" on Sunday, "that made the early Christians:" For us it is impossible live without Sunday. "
"Advent", as we well know, means "coming", namely the birth of Jesus in our midst. And from ancient times the Church has felt the need to prepare his heart and that of the faithful to welcome the Lord. For almost a thousand years, Christian communities, both East and West, experienced the forty days fasting and praying before Christmas waiting for the birth of Jesus, she felt so decisive. And they realized it did not take much for ordinary occupations did forget that step. Today, although the shortened days (only four weeks of preparation) and abolished the fast, no less heartfelt is the expectation of this coming, remember that for nearly two thousand years.
The supplication of the prophet Isaiah, we hear the first reading, salt is still on our lips: "Why did God let us wander from your ways and harden our hearts, so you do not fear you? Return for the sake of your servants. If you would rend the heavens and come down "(Isaiah 63.17). Yes, "Return, O Lord, for the sake of your servants." We need it. He needs your same land that does not seem to find peace in Africa who need it bathed in the blood of thousands of refugees left to themselves, they need so many countries where millions of poor people die of hunger every day, have need the great cities of the West that marginalize countless multitudes of weak, elderly, sick. They need the hearts of so many men and women to dissolve their hardness, is moved on the poor and the weak, and strive for a new future. "If you would rend the heavens and come down." This cry is the prayer of Advent and remains the universal prayer of this time. The season of Advent breaks throughout the day, just to remind the invocation of the prophet and the cries of many who are waiting for someone to save them. These cries, often far from our ears, are really our true consciousness. They help us to understand the actual meaning of Advent and we spingono a non restare addormentati nella nostra ricchezza e nella nostra avara tranquillità. Noi, pur così smaliziati, abbiamo forse smarrito il senso dell’attesa; siamo convinti che non verrà nessuno a salvarci; tanto convinti da inculcare ai nostri bambini che debbono badare da soli a se stessi, che non debbono aspettarsi nulla da nessuno. Che triste una società senza Avvento, senza un po’ d’inquietudine!
Dio non lascia “avvizzire la nostra vita”; non vuole che vaghiamo come chi cammina senza sapere verso dove; non lascia senza forma l’argilla, la creta della nostra vita. Squarcia i cieli e diventa lui la via per il cielo. Ci fa scoprire il desiderio di cielo, di speranza, che c’è in everyone and in every man. When we expect someone happy. He is not ashamed of my weakness, do not despise me if they are small. Brings love and things like who can not give my heart! The application of Advent is to give birth to the Lord in our hearts, to give birth to hope in the world!
We stand at the door of our heart and watch. As if waiting for someone to come home and we are careful to hear the sound of his feet to open potergli immediately. "Behold - the Lord says in Revelation - I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come and eat with him and he with me. " Advent calls us to not fall asleep. Wake up from sleep to believe the sweet spot, because we've already done a lot, from the sleep of pessimism sad, so not worth it to do nothing more than restless and dissatisfied with the sorrows and the affirmation of self. Wake up from sleep distracted by those who no longer listens, from the sleep of impatience, he wants everything immediately, who can not wait, it disappoints and sleeps. And we say to the Lord: Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly, it gives solace and peace. Tear open the heavens and a future for those who are crushed by evil. Free from the love itself which numbs the heart. Teach us to be careful to recognize you and open yourself to the door of the heart, a gentle guest, friend, our hope.
ADVENT
Come, Lord Jesus, come
to bring joy on earth
Come, Lord Jesus, have mercy on us
heartbroken, disappointed, tired.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Come in coldness and darkness of this world:
only your love can warm up and make life flourish!
COME! COME! COME!
