News from the Church in Malta
Dear Brothers and Sisters, buongiorno!
The scene described in the Gospel of today’s Liturgy takes place inside the Temple of Jerusalem. Jesus looks, he looks at what is happening in this the most sacred of places; and he sees how the scribes love to walk around to be seen, greeted and revered, and in order to have the places of honour… Read more »
Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!
Today we celebrate All Saints, and in the Liturgy the “programmatic” message of Jesus resounds: namely, the Beatitudes (cf. Mt 5:1-12a). They show us the path that leads to the Kingdom of God and to happiness: the path of humility, compassion, meekness, justice and peace. To be a saint is to walk on this road… Read more »
Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!
In today’s liturgy, the Gospel presents a scribe who approaches Jesus and asks him: “Which commandment is the first of all?” (Mk 12:28). Jesus responds by citing Scripture and confirms that the first commandment is to love God; from this one then derives the second, as a natural consequence: to love one’s neighbour as oneself (cf… Read more »
Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!
The Gospel of today’s Liturgy tells of Jesus who, when leaving Jericho, restores the sight of Bartimaeus, a blind man begging by the roadside (cf. Mk 10:46-52). It is an important encounter, the last one before the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem for the Passover. Bartimaeus had lost his sight, but not his voice! … Read more »
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
The Gospel of today’s Liturgy ( Mk10: 35-45) tells that two disciples, James and John, ask the Lord to sit next to him one day in glory, as if they were “prime ministers”, something like that. But the other disciples hear them and are indignant. At this point Jesus, with patience, offers them a great teaching: true glory is not obtained by rising above others, but by living the same baptism that he will soon receive in Jerusalem, that is, the cross. What does this mean? The word “baptism” means “immersion”: with his Passion, Jesus immersed himself in death, offering his life to save us. His glory, the glory of God, is therefore love that becomes service, not power that aspires to domination. Not power that aspires to domination, no! It is love that becomes service. Therefore Jesus concludes by saying to his own and also to us:Mk 10.43). To become great, you will have to go on the path of service, to serve others… Read more »
Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!
Today’s Liturgy offers us the encounter between Jesus and a man who “had great possessions” (Mk 10:22), and who went down in history as “the rich young man” (cf. Mt 19:20-22). We do not know his name. The Gospel of Mark actually speaks of him as “a man”, without mentioning his age or name, suggesting that we can all see ourselves in this man, as though in a mirror… Read more »
Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!
In the Gospel of today’s Liturgy we see Jesus react somewhat unusually: He is indignant. And what is most surprising is that his indignation is not caused by the pharisees who put him to the test with questions about the legality of divorce, but by his disciples who, to protect him from the crowd of people, rebuke some children who had been brought to Jesus… Read more »
Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!
The Gospel of today’s Liturgy recounts a brief dialogue between Jesus and the Apostle John, who speaks on behalf of all the entire group of disciples. They saw a man who was casting out demons in the name of the Lord, but they stopped him because he was not part of their group. At this point, Jesus invites them not to hinder those who do good, because they contribute to the fulfilment of God’s plan (cf. Mk 9:38-41)… Read more »
Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!
The Gospel of today’s Liturgy (Mk 9:30-37) narrates that, on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus’ disciples were discussing “with one another who was the greatest” (v. 34). So, Jesus directed harsh words toward them that are still valid today: “If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (v… Read more »
Dear brothers and sisters,
The word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving”, and at the end of this celebration that concludes the Eucharistic Congress and my visit to Budapest, I want to thank you from my heart. I thank the great Hungarian Christian family, which I would like to embrace in its rites, its history, its brothers and sisters, both Catholic and those of other confessions: all journeying towards full unity… Read more »
