Lapis et pastor

The Bible is not a philosophy handbook nor a theological treatise and neither is a catechism. As a rule, we do not find in it precise and abstract definitions, but stories, poems and parables. Since it deals with the mystery of God, in order to speak of him, it generally resorts to images that depict some of his aspects, without claiming to exhaust his mystery, which is infinite. Even the New Testament often uses images to speak of Jesus, although he was a man, but—let us not forget it—a man bearer of a mystery. Jesus himself employed parables to illustrate the mystery of the kingdom of God, and made recourse to metaphors to speak of himself. We find two of these images in today’s liturgy. 

Una vicenda che spiazza

La vicenda di Alfie Evans, che sta giustamente attirando la nostra attenzione in questi giorni, mi ha fatto fare alcune brevi riflessioni, che vi propongo cosí come mi sono venute in mente, senza alcuna pretesa di completezza e sistematicità. E scusandomi per l’eventuale confusione.

“Noi amiamo perché egli ci ha amati per primo”

Il lezionario biblico-patristico a ciclo biennale curato dall’Unione monastica italiana per la liturgia (L’Ora dell’Ascolto, Piemme-Edizioni del Deserto, Casale Monferrato, 1989) riporta, come seconda lettura dell’Officium lectionis odierno, un bel testo di Sant’Agostino tratto da uno dei suoi discorsi sull’Antico Testamento (Sermo 34: PL 38, 209-213; CCL 41, 424-427). Nella Liturgia delle ore tale lettura verrà utilizzata martedí prossimo. Si tratta di una riflessione sul Salmo 149: Cantate Domino canticum novum. Una riflessione particolarmente adatta per il tempo pasquale, durante il quale tutto parla di novità: uomo nuovo, canto nuovo, testamento nuovo.

«Paenitemini igitur et convertimini»

The appearance of the risen Lord narrated in today’s gospel is the same as the first of the two we found in last Sunday’s gospel, namely the appearance to the disciples on the evening of the very day of his resurrection. The disciples were gathered together in the place where Jesus had eaten the last supper with them, and Jesus revealed himself to them, after appearing to two of them who were going back to their village, Emmaus. After recognizing the Lord in the breaking of the bread, these two had returned to Jerusalem to inform the apostles and, while they were recounting their experience, Jesus appeared again to all of them. 

«Esiste uno sviluppo della dottrina»

Nei giorni scorsi Sandro Magister ha pubblicato sul suo blog Settimo Cielo un post in cui evidenziava come Papa Francesco usi tre diverse modalità di comunicazione:

— dicendo lui in pubblico ciò che vuole, senza passare da nessun controllo o verifica preliminare;
— facendo sí che altri dicano in pubblico ciò che lui dice loro in colloqui privati;
— raccomandando l’ascolto di persone che dicono ciò che lui stesso non dice né in pubblico né in privato, ma gli piace che sia detto.

«Qui venit per aquam et sanguinem»

Christianity is a complex religion: there are different aspects to be considered. It is not like human ideologies, where there is only one idea, and everything revolves around it; Christianity has to keep together requirements often at odds with each other. For instance, what is more important, faith or love? There are some who stress the first virtue; others, the second one. Nowadays there is even a tendency in the Church to downplay faith—which would be divisive—and emphasize almost exclusively love for the neighbor, because this would be—and actually it is—the greatest commandment in the law. Of course, there is no contradiction between the constituents of Christianity, and it would be wrong to oppose them as if they were mutually exclusive. On the contrary, it is of the greatest importance to keep them together. Today’s liturgy can help us to do it.

«Praecucurrit citius Petro»

Running is what strikes more in today’s gospel. Mary Magdalene ran, full of anguish, since she had found the tomb open and empty. Her first thought—her only thought—was that someone might have taken away the body of Jesus. Where was he now? So she ran and went to the apostles—Peter and John—to inform them of the incident. She did not tell them what she had seen—the empty tomb—but her interpretation of what she had seen—the only interpretation, in her opinion, plausible: “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”

«Non est hic»

“He is not here” (Non est hic), the young man found in the tomb said to the women, who had gone there to anoint the body of Jesus, since his burial had been rushed through because of the sabbath. 

«Videbunt in quem transfixerunt»

Christians, over the centuries, have meditated on the passion of Christ. Usually, their attention has been focused on the different moments before his death. Suffice it to think of the Way of the Cross or of the sorrowful mysteries of the Holy Rosary. It would seem that everything ended with Jesus’ death, and everything resumed with his resurrection, as if between death and resurrection there was nothing. We know, instead, from the Creed that between the death and the resurrection of Jesus there are other two mysteries—his burial and his descent into hell. Just to say that between death and resurrection there is no vacuum. Burial and descent into hell are the mysteries on which Christians are invited to meditate on Holy Saturday.

«Est Pascha Domini!»

Not always do the gospels agree with each other; sometimes we find some discrepancies among them. One of most controversial cases is the question about the last supper of Jesus with his disciples: was it a Passover meal, like that described in today’s first reading?

Sacerdos alter Christus

During the Chrism Mass a proper preface is used, which illustrates the mystery we are celebrating: “The priesthood of Christ and the ministry of priests.” It is a newly composed preface, maybe the longest one in the Roman Missal, full of theology and spirituality. It is subdivided into four sections.

«Vere homo hic Filius Dei erat»

Today’s liturgy has two sides: at the beginning of the Mass, we have commemorated the Lord’s triumphal entrance into Jerusalem; now, during the Mass, we are recalling his sorrowful passion. 

Decoro istituzionale

Sembrerebbe che lo scandalo Lettergate si sia concluso con le (non del tutto convincenti) dimissioni di Mons. Dario Viganò. Durante lo svolgimento dell’affaire sono rimasto a guardare, tra il divertito e lo sconsolato. Ora che la vicenda sembra essere giunta al suo epilogo, senza tornarci sopra (è stato già fatto piú volte da altri e con grande competenza), vorrei fare un paio di veloci osservazioni marginali.

«Exauditus pro sua reverentia»

We have just heard the last of the three passages from John’s gospel about Christ’s coming glorification through his cross and resurrection. Unlike the two previous passages, which were taken from the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, this selection is taken from its end. The scene takes place soon after the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Passover is drawing near; there are many pilgrims in the Holy City; among these, some “Greeks,” that is to say, Gentiles who support the Jewish religion—those whom the Acts of the Apostles calls “God-fearers.” These people want to see Jesus. And so they go to Philip; this one tells Andrew, and together they go to Jesus. Notice, Philip and Andrew are, among the apostles, the only ones with a Greek name, since they were from Galilee, where many were bilingual.

Un supplemento di prudenza

Sta facendo molto discutere in questi giorni la sentenza dell’Alta Corte di giustizia di Londra del 20 febbraio scorso, con la quale si autorizzano i medici dell’Alder Hay Children Hospital di Liverpool a far morire il piccolo Alfie Evans sospendendo ventilazione e nutrizione.

«Dives in misericordia»

Milan, Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio, 

the “Serpent Column” (left) and the “Cross Column” (right)

This Sunday is halfway through Lent. It is called Laetare Sunday, from the first word of the Entrance Antiphon—an invitation for us to suspend for a day the Lenten penance and to rejoice, so that we may get our breath back for the final sprint before Easter.

«Sovvieni alle necessità della Chiesa»

Ieri, durante l’udienza generale, dedicata a una catechesi sulla preghiera eucaristica, il Santo Padre ha tra l’altro affermato:

“Padre, quanto devo pagare perché il mio nome venga detto lí?” – “Niente”. Capito questo? Niente! La Messa non si paga. La Messa è il sacrificio di Cristo, che è gratuito. La redenzione è gratuita. Se tu vuoi fare un’offerta falla, ma non si paga. Questo è importante capirlo.

Naturalmente i media si sono subito buttati a capofitto sulla notizia, soffermandosi su queste tre righe e magari trascurando le altre cinquanta righe della catechesi. Ma questo fa parte del sistema dell’informazione.

Mater Ecclesiae

Sabato scorso è stato pubblicato il Decreto della Congregazione per il culto divino e la disciplina dei sacramenti (CCDDS) sulla celebrazione della Beata Vergine Maria Madre della Chiesa nel Calendario romano generale, che reca la data dell’11 febbraio 2018 (qui). Con tale decreto viene istituita la memoria liturgica di Maria Madre della Chiesa, da celebrarsi in tutta la Chiesa il lunedí dopo Pentecoste. L’allegato contenente le Additiones in Libris liturgicis Ritus Romani de memoria B. Mariae Virginis Ecclesiae Matris, che non si trova sul sito della Santa Sede, è reperibile sul sito del Dicastero (www.cultodivino.va). Sono contento per questo provvedimento per diversi motivi.

«Quod signum ostendis nobis?»

This year we are reading the gospel of Mark; but, according to an ancient tradition, during Lent and Eastertide, the Church prefers to read the gospel of John. So, on these mid-Lent Sundays we will hear three passages from John’s gospel about Christ’s coming glorification through his cross and resurrection. We start today with the account of the cleansing of the temple. The synoptic gospels put this episode at the end of Jesus’ life, soon after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem before his passion. John instead places it at the beginning of his public ministry, on the occasion of the first Passover spent by Jesus in Jerusalem. 

Rosmini e l’ontologismo

Padre Giovanni Cavalcoli, dimostrando grande attenzione ai recenti post sul confronto della Chiesa con la modernità e in particolare su Antonio Rosmini, è voluto intervenire nel dibattito con una lettera che ho pubblicato martedí scorso (qui). Ho apprezzato molto il gesto di Padre Cavalcoli e gliene sono assai grato. Ciò non significa, ovviamente, che condivida la sua posizione. Cercherò di chiarire i motivi per cui non posso trovarmi d’accordo con lui.