Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
Saint John 15,9-17.

          «You are my friends if you do what I command you.»

The Lord words in this passage are addressed to the disciples of that time, but we must think that they are also addressed to us.

If today those of us who feel like his disciples, if we want to be, we can say that we really are if we try to prove it with our lives. All the more reason we must do it because the Lord also says that it is not that we have chosen him, but that he has chosen us. As all those like us have done, those who have succeeded one another over the centuries, even we who think we have chosen Christ, have instead been chosen by him; we are chosen to bring some fruit and so that our fruit, perhaps even minimal and apparently insignificant, remains; some have borne fruit and others have not, but even in the imperfection and difficulty the Church, as a whole, has carried out and still carries out her mission in this world with the material and spiritual contribution of her members.
The Church is the assembly of Christians, made up of those who are still on earth, as well as all those who have already crossed the path of life and abandoned this world; it is the two-thousand-year fruit of the work of all its members, which has lasted over the centuries, and which remains and continues despite the disagreements and sins, even serious ones, of today and yesterday, of some of its members.

Also among the twelve there was a Judas Iscariot, who despite living close to the Master had understood him even less than what the other fellow disciples had understood.
I feel I can say that Jesus would have forgiven Judas too, as he did with the good thief, if only Judas had asked him with true repentance, instead of going to hang himself in desperation.
If among the disciples of that time there was a Judas, evidently there can be and there are among us too, it is a fact I would dare to say 'statistical'. Everything is that a Judas should try not to persevere in error and could have the courage to ask for forgiveness.
The relationship between God and every single man or woman who live on this earth is strictly personal, and each of us, as must be responsiblle and answer for his actions before human society, will ultimately stand and answer before Him. The final judgment belongs to God, who sees deeply in our souls and judges with justice, but also with mercy.

The first and most important command that Jesus gives us so that we can freely follow him, is the commandment of mutual love.

"The first thing is that I command you: love one another"

It is not a simple command to apply in this world, but if we read the Gospel and strive to understand what Jesus tells us, we will succeed.
And anyway trust in this: Jesus loves us, one by one. He loves everyone and offers everyone all His mercy. It is enough to accept it and take a seat to act accordingly.

Fine del comneto

 

HISTORICAL NOTE

1. The problems and scandals of the Roman Catholic Church must not discourage us!
   The Church which has lasted for millennia, and which in any case fulfills its mission, is therefore holy as a whole, despite the fact that not all of its members have been or are saints and many have been and are ALSO sinful and unworthy.
   Church's Members are all the Christians, both the common faithful like the majority of us, that is, we common faithful, and those who are a more closely part; the difference consists in the fact that priests and religious are the allowed teachers and ministers of the sacraments and should be the guide of others in the faith.
   Their responsibility is therefore greater as greatest is the risk they run if they do not follow God's words and do not accept his forgiveness.
   The part of the teaching and ministering Church that is in this world, like all human organizations, needs rules and systems for controlling the work of the members.
   However, as in any society, the rules are not enough to keep it in order. For example, the fact that a state has a criminal law that requires anyone who appropriates other people's property to be punished with a prison sentence of between 4 and 8 years does not mean that thefts no longer occur. Not being able to do something or not having to do it are two different things.
2. The division of Christians and the struggles between Christian churches and confessions, and even religion wars.
   In my opinion, the past and current divisions are due, more than to facts concerning theology and dogmas, which also exist, above all to problems of power and the will to prevail the ones over the others.
   While not considering churches that are not actually religious confessions but have the character of real sects, which are not even to be considered as spiritual assemblies of believers in God, we are amazed how Christians over the centuries have hardly loved each other and still do. We love each other so little.
   It is enough to study a few history of Christian Europe, from the very beginning we will have evidence of those facts. If studying we will discover the reasons for, since when the religion of the Roman Empire became Christianity, and all other cults were even banned, the heresies and struggles between Christians began.
   The only remedy, as Pope Francis and his predecessors also did often say, that is the prayer. WHAT MAN DOESN'T HAVE THE POSSIBILITY TO DO GOD CAN DO it.
   Let's just hope that God, master ot the History, would allow it in a way that's not too traumatic for humanity

«This I command you: love one another.»

 

  No fear! the Mercy of Jesus
  is INFINITE