Thursday of the Fourth week of Easter
Commentary of the day
Pope Francis
Apostolic Exhortation « Evangelii Gaudium / The Joy of the Gospel » § 24 (trans. © copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana)
"No messenger is greater than the one who sent him"
The Church which “goes forth” is a community of missionary disciples who take the first step, who are involved and supportive, who bear fruit and rejoice. An evangelizing community knows that the Lord has taken the initiative, he has loved us first (1 Jn 4,19), and therefore we can move forward, boldly take the initiative, go out to others, seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast (Lk 14,23). Such a community has an endless desire to show mercy, the fruit of its own experience of the power of the Father’s infinite mercy. Let us try a little harder to take the first step and to become involved.
Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. The Lord gets involved and he involves his own, as he kneels to wash their feet. He tells his disciples: “You will be blessed if you do this” (Jn 13:17). An evangelizing community gets involved by word and deed in people’s daily lives; it bridges distances, it is willing to abase itself if necessary, and it embraces human life, touching the suffering flesh of Christ in others. Evangelizers thus take on the “smell of the sheep” and the sheep are willing to hear their voice (Jn. 10,3).
| Thursday, May 15, 2014 Saint Isidore the Farmer (Optional Memorial) |
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