Monsignor Fisichella speaks to arm, while the pope prepares, surprisingly, to meet young people. In the homily of the official opening mass of the Jubilee, the pro-prefect of the saying of evangelization proposes the image of Marta and Maria as an example of faith and freedom. The Gospel of John comments and explains that the song tells us that “Faith is a meeting, however, a meeting that we do not establish”. In fact, in the previous song “the evangelist John tells us that Marta and Mary had warned Jesus, that Lazzaro was bad and Jesus delays his visit, still remains a few days before setting off. It would seem strange, when a person is told you is sick the first thing you do is start immediately. Jesus no. Jesus tells the disciples to wait ». This, explains the pro prefect, “” teaches us something important. Faith is a meeting, but the first that comes to meet us is Jesus. He comes to us when he wants, as he wants, over time established by him, not by us. We are only called to answer. Once we see that we meet us, we are also called to start walking towards him ».
And Marta runs, does not walk, “he feels so much desire to meet the Lord who runs towards him. That’s why Marta is a sign of our faith, a sign that when the Lord wants to meet us he must find in us vigilant people, ready, ready to run towards him, without hesitation. Because faith, and is a second feature, is a choice of freedom, a freedom with which we want to seize the Lord ».
And we follow him “where he wants to lead us, we follow him where he has established true happiness for each of us. A choice of freedom that also manifests itself in the attitude of Marta and Mary ». AND They tell Jesus “Lazzaro is bad”, they don’t say “come and perform a miracle”. Because “Jesus must decide what it is appropriate to do, not only the time, but also the methods, the ways with which we meet us because we must respect the freedom of God. We are so jealous of our freedom, but we must know that when God comes to meet us we must respect his freedom. A freedom of a God who does not abandon us, of a God who can never abandon, on any occasion, those he loves. And we are loved by God. That’s why we will never be alone, we will never be abandoned, because Jesus is our street companion ». But, underlines Monsignor Fisichella, «Every gesture of freedom involves a renunciation ». Recalls the rich young man who wanted to follow the ladies, but was centered on himself and therefore, when Jesus asks him for something more “he is no longer able to gesture of true freedom, he cannot give up, he cannot therefore perform an act of freedom”.
And instead “we are really free when we make some renunciations, but above all when this renunciation is aimed at meeting the Lord and having to follow him”. Finally “faith”, he explains, “is also listening. The apostle Paul teaches us: faith comes from listening. Marta listened to what Jesus said to her and was able to do his profession of faith. I believe you are Christ, I believe in the resurrection because you, you Jesus, you are the resurrection and life. No other side can we find happiness if not in him, the meaning of our life if not in him ». We believe that “whoever died has returned to life,” says Fisichella. «This we announce, of this we are witnesses: that the resurrection is a new life for each of us. You are never afraid of being witnesses of the Risen Christ, because this is what makes us believers, Christians. Christ is risen and we have seen him, we believe in him ». This testimony also becomes action “Marta is the example of a woman who has acted so much in her life, so much so that you also deserve a benevolent reproach from Jesus. Marta, Marta, you worry about many things. Maria who is sitting here next to me, who listens to my voice, is instead the one who has chosen the best part. But Today Marta tells us that faith becomes action, becomes concrete testimony, becomes life. Life that moves according to what is the teaching of Jesus in the words he left us ». So “we must feed those who are hungry, give a drink to those who are thirsty, to be present when some need us, who is sick, is in prison. be present to restore dignity when one is no longer dressed in his own dignity, to be ready for commitment to return to everyone who fails the fundamental right to the dignity of his life. We are called to give courage, to give consolation, to give all those who cry a smile ». He recalls the beatitudes that are “the testimony that the Lord asks us to give to the world of today, because this is the hope that awaits”.
We live, insists, “a period of great violence and violence, my friends, is not only in the territories of war- violence is in our streets and in our cities, it is next to us, in schools. Give certainty of the hope that love always wins, that goodness exceeds violence, that we need to be manufacturers of peace every day, in the simplicity of our life. If we build peace, the world will have peace ».
And he invites young people to remember «The word that Pope Leone gave us last Sunday out of the window, giving us the greeting that awaits us all in Tor Vergata on Saturday and Sunday. The Pope told us: “To meet Christ, for this I await you, meet Christ, and be strengthened by him in faith and in the commitment to follow him with consistency”.
