HOMILY OF 14 JANUARY 1979

 

The sacred writing, which prepares the magnitude of the sacrifice of the Mass today, focuses on a main reason, a particular thesis; The possibility and, indeed, the actual implementation of a call. God calls. “Who calls?” All. “Nobody except?” No one exception. God calls. Obviously not everyone in the same way, nor all at the same time, nor all by the same circumstances and so on, but calls.

It brings the example of the young boy, Samuel, who feels called three times and runs from his teacher, Father Eli, because demand what? Who called me? The teacher then understand who is the Lord and said: “When you still call, please reply: Lord who speaks or Your servant you listen.”.

These words very simple, really have nothing extraordinary ... But all the words have nothing extraordinary. The extraordinary of the word is the word interior to be, before they are still pronounced, the word is living in the individual, which then leaves off, the lips with the sound of the voice and then occurs, so. But when the word is lived within, then all words have their value or worth malignant and then open the road of evil, or have a value of goodness and then open the path of righteousness. But all the words have their value. So much so that the Lord said to be judged on a single word. Now we know that the Lord calls.

The example of a small young Samuel is one of the many examples. St. Paul insists, however, giving us the secret to hear, to hear the call. Why a sea of people do not hear the voice of God? Why does not feel this mysterious call him, which may open 1,000 roads? Why? St. Paul says very clearly.

It blamed the material culture. It then blame the morbid corporeal. It claims justice, truth: that the body is not made for impudicizie but for the Lord, because the Lord is the master of the body. It is he who has created. And God has also risen, by becoming man, raised the human nature of Christ died on the Cross. Then Prime risen, Lord wonderful that paves the way for large secrets of glory for the body. Indeed, the body of Christ and the body of the Virgin, up body and soul into heaven, it says “Body glorious”: that is a participating body of all perfections of the Spirit in every aspect. The Lord has thus created, in particular, the body for this wonderful and real vocation that God gives to all living things. It says: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?”.

Our body, said St. Paul, is a temple of the Holy Spirit: a temple. Inside of us live the Spirit of God. It is very clear. It is not acceptable any doubt. And the biggest witness of the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. It is, say, derived not only from good, almost almost say it is more sensitive for worse. That is, the remorse, fear, repentance, discomfort, which creates confusion in the Spirit evil action: still a little good. What is this falling within us? What is this disorder that takes away feelings of peace within the man, in certain circumstances? It is no more and no less that the Spirit of God who calls, what? At first, essenzialissima vocation: to good.

The first call of God is for the good: the man is called for the good. So mistaken his vocation, ruined his own way, ruin his life when, instead of good, evil ago, or betrays good or leaves, fails as though it were something negligible. God is not negligible.

And then the Lord makes these things, quite sensitive, in his approach simple. For example, with the Apostles men who were a bit rough, fishermen were not accustomed to certain finesse, say, the call. But not this is true too. Why does not mean that a man apparently goofy, as today there is a way to call the worker, as if the worker had only one that handles the sickle, hammer, the shooting ... That I know, no other work. No all work, removing exceptions. Unfortunately, it also works for evil, but all work. Oh! So those who work it is not sure that this is an ignorant, such a rough man not to understand the refinement of the spirit. Because the soul is soul. There will be refined education of supernatural truth, but it is a soul. And the soul is pure intelligence and intelligence. So will or not, with a small action of light from God, if you can call small, the soul will illuminate and understand. So understand the Apostles. They feel that the switch Baptist seeing Jesus said: “Behold the Lamb of God.”.

Then know that this word is given by the prophets to the revelation of the Messiah. And some of them are just behind. They say: “Rabbi, which means Teacher-Rabbi, where are you at home?”.

Come and see.” And went home to him and stayed with him and penetrated especially in the mystery of the house, that is the great joy of the truth that the Lord had with himself. The Gospel says that the four were in the afternoon is very precise, tells you the time when the disciples were introduced by Jesus. Now what happens? It happens that one of these disciples, called Andrea, and was the brother of Simon Peter, the fisherman, the renowned Peter, no? And just see Peter, said: “You know we have found the Messiah.”

What remains. Yes yes. The lead and the Lord says: “You are Simon son of John. We called Cephas” which in Hebrew means no stone Peter Stone. But translated in normal says Peter. Why rock? Why these words in the Gospel, comes after the famous promise of the establishment of the Church. “You are stone and above this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against her.”

So here is not only the call, but also to see how God calls for small things, the interior revelations of a better life, calls for a Apostolate and even publicly, without many mysteries, called the first great Pontiff that is St. Peter's, then poor and simple fisherman.

Today we wonder if there is a stranger that Pope is not Italian: Bishop of Rome. Even Peter was Italian. He was born in Palestine. He was the first Bishop of Rome, the first pope. Of Apostles none was Italian: they were all Palestinians. Of Evangelists there was some levico, so as Luke. So what? So the issue is very clear. The call is for everyone. The call is for everyone. And it must be an ambition. Well, but this can happen here ... I know I ... Boys will be ... Or at least in youth ... Then it is God who must call ...

How should that call? But life is not a nothing at all small thing petty throw from there because we do not know what to do! Life is a colossal also lived for a few minutes only. Even in a minute can make a serious sin. And in a minute you can conceive a wonderful virtue. You can become demons and can become saints. The vocation is always appropriate, it is always necessary, it is always wonderful and it is always a glory and strength to those who receive it. And since we embrace everyone, without exception, it is good that everyone back on this argument with himself. See, inside him, which was his vocation, which is the call of God, and not only that the call general good, one thing is so great that even confuses us in the light and majesty of God.

For this we are also called “children of God.”

So we are calm, at the foot of the Lord, we ask that he always insists on us, we do not ever leave, we always call in any aspect for any mission, as long as our souls have peace and so we can achieve His glory and our good fortune earthly and eternal.

I believe in one God ...