Vi sottolineo come i più poveri siano spesso i più generosi; evidenzio il rischio di una guerra tra poveri fomentata da chi invece di combattere la povertà cancella la presenza stessa dei poveri; ricordo la dimensione rilevativa della povertà crisdtiana: noi annunciamo Cristo che da ricco che era si è fatto povero per salvare l'umanità
La conclusione è lasciata alle parole rivolte da Francesco d'Assisi ai suoi seguaci, inviati poveri tra i poveri: "Andate e predicate il Vangelo. Se necessario, anche con le parole".
Meetings of the Reference Group and Theological Study Group
for the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace
6
to 13 February 2018, Bogotá, Colombia
Conflict-Peace-Diakonia-Sustainable
Development
Morning
Prayer 9 February 2018
Scripture
reading 2
Corinthians 8:1-9
We
want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God
that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; for
during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their
extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their
part. For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to
their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly
for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints—and
this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the
Lord and, by the will of God, to us, so that we might urge Titus
that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete
this generous undertaking among you. Now as you excel in
everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness,
and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this
generous undertaking.
I
do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of
your love against the earnestness of others. For you know the
generous act
of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he
became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.
Reflection/Bible
Study (br Guido Dotti)
Paul
is fundraising for the community in Jerusalem and realize a truth
that so many times we too could realize, if only we were able to look
at what is happening around us: the fact that poor
are more generous than others!
It is the same truth we heard yesterday from Berit’s report in the
word of a campesina:
“the
poorest people are the most generous”.
The
Christian community in Macedonia suffered a lot, “a severe ordeal
of affliction”, but they transformed these sufferings in joy
through the generosity towards their sisters and brothers in
Jerusalem. Like the widow in the Temple, they did not give “some
money”, but “out
of their poverty gave everything they had, all they had to live on”
(cfr. Mk 12,41-44).
How
many times, all around the world and at any moment of the history,
the solidarity among poor allowed them to fight against suffering and
distress and to create communion. This attitude, deeply human,
becomes – thanks to the grace of God – a sign of the disciples of
Christ. Macedonians discovered that in Christ they were one body with
their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. So they were able to offer
“beyond their means”, to “gave
themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us”. We
are called to give our whole lives to our brothers and sisters in
humanity, like Jesus gave is life for his friends.
Let
us be silent for a while and remember the poor we met in our lives
and the lessons of generosity and love they gave us. Let us thanks
God for their witness and pray for them and with them.
But
in our days we discover also poor fearing other poor, and – because
of that fear – fighting against them in a horrible war
among poor.
I’m
thinking to what is tragically happening in Italy and in Europe with
migrants.
So
self-called Christian countries are refusing to listen to the Gospel
that still says to us: I was a stranger
and you welcomed me” (Mt 25-35).
When
the “other”, the stranger is shown and seen not as a human being,
I feel not responsible for him/her, I can avoid to take care of
him/her.
When
we accept the language of politicians and media too often speaking
about migrations and rarely about migrants, when we use numbers,
statistics and avoid to call a human being with his/her name… then
we are ready to fight and kill them, no matter if using weapons,
hunger or indifference.
This
dangerous fear, this attitude to feed war among poor must be an alert
also for all our humanitarian work.
Paul
fundraising for the community in Jerusalem and the response he
received from the poor and suffering community in Macedonia, show us
that, instead of planning aid “in poor’s name”, it
would better to put poor in touch, support their efforts and help
their natural conscience to be part of a unique body: humanity.
Let
us be silent for a while and remember men, women and children died in
the Mediterranean Sea, in Lybian prisons, in the desert, under the
bomb in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan… Let us thanks God for people of
good will that try to face this tragedy and let us pray God to
convert our hearts.
A
third reflection comes from St Paul’s last words in this passage:
“you
know the generous act
of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he
became poor”. In these bad times our rich societies prefer hidden
the poor, push them far from the touristic sites, ignore their
presence and close the eyes in front of their needs. So, instead of
fighting poverty and its causes, we deny the presence of the poor
among us and, if it becomes evident, we fight the poor!.
But,
according to St Paul’s words to Corinthians, poverty is not only
nor primarily an ethical issue. It is a kerygmatic one. It concerns
who Christ is, not what we have to do.
Chosen
poverty, living and fighting among the poor is not a commandment, it
is the simple and more trustable way to show the right image of
Christ.
In
all our ethical behaviours it is not a question to be obedient to one
or more commandments.
It
is a question of which Christ are we preaching, what kind of Good
News are we proclaiming.
We
can’t speak about love and mercy, without living them day by day,
where the will of God put us, with the gifts the Holy Spirit granted
us.
We
can’t preach solidarity with the poor without sharing their
condition. Doing that and following Jesus path, we shall discover
true richness for us and for all surrounding us.
Do
not forget St Francis words sending his disciples poor among the
poor: “Go
and preach the Gospel. If necessary, even with words!”.
Let
us be silent for a while and remember all those that nobody
remembers. All the marginalized, all the human beings that we refuse
to see. And let us pray for them and for Christians that choose to
became poor to enrich others, as Christ did for the sake of humanity.
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