Gesù ha pregato per Pietro

English version down below

Gesù ha pregato per Simone affinché non venisse meno nella fede (Lc 22,32). Quanto più siamo vicini a Gesù, tanto più siamo vulnerabili e inclini a vacillare nella fede. Questo perché Satana farà di tutto per metterci alla prova e indebolirci. 

Quando Gesù dice: "Satana vi ha cercati per vagliarvi come il grano", sta esprimendo una realtà spirituale potente. Il grano viene separato dalla pula attraverso un processo di vagliatura, e Satana cerca di fare lo stesso con i discepoli: li mette alla prova per separare la loro fede dalla loro vita, inducendoli al dubbio e alla paura. Questo non significa che Satana abbia un ruolo "bello" nel senso positivo, ma piuttosto che la prova può rivelare la consistenza della fede di una persona. Tuttavia, il pericolo è grande, perché può portare a dubitare e, peggio ancora, a cadere proprio quando ci si sente forti e sicuri, pensando erroneamente di poter fare tutto per Gesù basandosi solo sulle proprie forze. In realtà, la fedeltà non dipende solo dall'impegno personale, ma dal sostegno della preghiera che Gesù rivolge al Padre per noi, come dice in Luca 22,32: "Ma io ho pregato per te, perché la tua fede non venga meno."

Pietro disse a Gesù: "Signore, con te sono pronto ad andare anche in prigione e alla morte." Qui Pietro mostra la sua sicurezza e il suo ardore, sentendosi forte tra i suoi amici e convinto di poter affrontare ogni difficoltà per Gesù. Le sue parole sono sincere, scaturite dal profondo del cuore, ma sono anche dettate da un impulso emotivo che non considera la realtà della debolezza umana. Pietro si affida alla sua determinazione personale senza comprendere che la vera forza viene dalla preghiera di Gesù e dall'azione dello Spirito Santo. Quando Gesù prega, non si limita a formulare una richiesta: Egli invoca il Padre affinché la Sua grazia sostenga i discepoli, perché la forza spirituale viene solo da Dio.

Poi Gesù gli rispose: "Pietro, io ti dico: oggi il gallo non canterà prima che tu, per tre volte, abbia negato di conoscermi." Qui si verifica una profonda contraddizione tra le parole coraggiose di Pietro e la sua reazione di paura quando si trova realmente messo alla prova. La negazione di Pietro non è solo il rifiuto di ammettere che conosce Gesù, ma è un modo per proteggersi dal rischio di essere associato a Lui e alle accuse che circolavano contro di Lui. Pietro non voleva essere coinvolto in ciò che poteva portarlo alla sofferenza e al pericolo. Testimoniare Gesù davanti agli altri richiede non solo coraggio, ma anche una fede radicata, che non dipende dalle circostanze o dalle proprie emozioni del momento. Questo dimostra che quando ci sentiamo forti e sicuri, credendo di essere ormai abbastanza maturi nella fede, la vera prova arriva sempre dopo, quando le difficoltà ci colpiscono inaspettatamente. Infatti, la tentazione non si manifesta necessariamente nel momento della preparazione o della prova iniziale, ma nel momento della vulnerabilità, quando la mente e il cuore si trovano indeboliti.

"E tu, una volta convertito, conferma i tuoi fratelli." La preghiera di Gesù per Pietro ha un significato profondo: Pietro dovrà passare attraverso un’esperienza di caduta e di rinascita per poter guidare e rafforzare gli altri nella fede. La vera leadership spirituale non nasce dalla perfezione o dalla forza personale, ma dalla consapevolezza della propria fragilità e dalla certezza che solo Dio può sostenerci. Quando Pietro, dopo la sua negazione, ritorna alla pesca, lo fa in un momento di confusione e smarrimento. Questo episodio è significativo, perché mostra che senza Gesù tutto torna vano. Nel vangelo di Giovanni 21,3-6 si racconta che Pietro e altri discepoli escono a pescare, ma non catturano nulla. Solo quando Gesù interviene e dice loro di gettare la rete dalla parte destra, la pesca diventa abbondante. Questo rappresenta la realtà della vita spirituale: senza la guida di Gesù, ogni sforzo umano rimane sterile, ma con la sua presenza tutto acquista senso.

Gesù si manifesta nuovamente per confermare Pietro nel suo amore. Nel dialogo tra Gesù e Pietro in Giovanni 21,17, il Signore chiede per la terza volta: "Simone, figlio di Giovanni, mi vuoi bene?" Pietro, addolorato per la ripetizione della domanda, risponde: "Signore, tu conosci tutto; tu sai che ti voglio bene." In questa risposta c’è un cambiamento profondo: Pietro non basa più la sua affermazione sulla sua forza personale, ma sulla conoscenza che Gesù ha di lui. Pietro ora comprende che è Dio a sostenere la sua fede, non la sua determinazione umana.

Infine, Gesù gli dice: "Pasci le mie pecore." Questa è la missione affidata a Pietro: non solo guidare, ma essere il ponte che unisce nell’amore fraterno, accompagnando il popolo di Dio nella crescita spirituale.

English translation

Jesus prayed for Simon so that his faith would not fail. The closer we are to Jesus, the more vulnerable we become and the more likely we are to falter in our faith. This is because Satan will do everything to tempt us. "Satan has asked to sift you all like wheat." Satan has a role that may seem beneficial in some ways, but it is extremely dangerous because it can lead to great harm. He can lead us to doubt, and worse, to surrender when we believe ourselves to be strong and invincible. We might think we can do everything as a favor to Jesus, convinced that we can prove our loyalty through our own efforts. However, Jesus has already said in Luke 22:32, "But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail."

Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." This is Peter showing his moral strength, feeling confident and powerful among his friends. His words are bold and sincere, coming from deep within his heart, aimed at demonstrating his strong friendship and alliance with the Lord. Yet, he does not realize that the only thing that can truly save and strengthen us is Jesus’ prayer—the invocation of His Holy Spirit on our behalf. When Jesus prays, He calls upon the Father, for His supplication goes directly to God the Father, Adonai, Elohim, so that God may respond through the Holy Spirit.

Then Jesus answered, "Peter, I tell you, the rooster will not crow today before you have denied three times that you know me." Peter’s denial was not merely a refusal to acknowledge Jesus, but also a rejection of the personal experience he had as a friend, as part of the group that walked with Him. He could no longer accept this identity out of fear of being associated with Jesus and all that was being said about Him. Bearing witness to Jesus before others, recognizing Him as the Master, was something incredibly difficult for Peter. The same thing happens when people believe they are strong and unwavering in their faith, convinced that nothing can change their convictions. One may endure forty days of fasting and abstinence, but the real trial always comes afterward—when one assumes they are strong enough. The temptation does not come during the fast but afterward, when hunger arises and vulnerability sets in. Temptation strikes when one still feels charged, but eventually, the moment of doubt and weakness arrives, bringing down all certainty.

"And you, once converted, strengthen your brothers." Jesus’ prayer for Peter, His first disciple, empowers him completely in charity so that he may strengthen his brothers. To strengthen one’s brothers means to see oneself as part of a single family. On that dark night, Peter said, "I am going fishing," and they caught nothing. John 21:3 says, "Simon Peter said to them, 'I am going fishing.' They said to him, 'We will go with you.' They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing." Then John 21:4-6 continues, "When dawn came, Jesus was standing on the shore, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, 'Children, do you have anything to eat?' They answered, 'No.' Then He said to them, 'Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.' So they cast it, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish."

Jesus enters delicately, without imposing Himself on the moment of our lives. He presents Himself to reaffirm His love. John 21:17 says, "Jesus said to him a third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?' And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep.'"

"Feed my sheep." Guide my people, be the bridge that unites them in fraternal love.

Il tamarisco nella steppa

 

The english version down below

IL TAMARISCO NELLA STEPPA

Che cosa rappresenta il "tamarisco nella steppa" descritto dal profeta Geremia?

Spesso sentiamo parlare di questa immagine senza comprenderne fino in fondo il significato. La similitudine utilizzata dal profeta Geremia è un potente invito a riflettere sull’esperienza umana, sull’aridità spirituale e sulla forza trasformativa dello Spirito Santo.

Il "tamarisco nella steppa" evoca una vita priva di nutrimento e orientamento, una condizione di isolamento interiore che può colpire chiunque si allontani da Dio. È la metafora di un’anima disconnessa dalla fede e dall’amore divino, che si ritrova in un terreno arido, sterile, incapace di vedere e accogliere il bene. Questo stato non è solo una descrizione di perdita spirituale, ma un monito a non vivere scollegati dalla fonte della vita, che è Dio stesso.

Ma anche nel deserto c’è speranza. Il messaggio di Geremia non si esaurisce nel rimprovero, ma si illumina di prospettiva e di fede. Lo Spirito Santo si rivela come sorgente inesauribile, capace di rigenerare persino il cuore più desolato. Egli soffia nuova vita, trasformando la steppa in un giardino rigoglioso, l’aridità in fecondità, il vuoto in pienezza. Questa immagine diventa allora un invito ad aprire il nostro cuore, riconoscendo che nessuna condizione è definitiva se ci affidiamo con fiducia all’amore di Dio.

Questa similitudine, lungi dall’essere soltanto un motivo di riflessione, è un’esortazione concreta. È un richiamo esistenziale che ci sfida a non restare imprigionati nella nostra "steppa interiore," quella zona arida della vita fatta di paure, risentimenti, disillusioni o scelte sbagliate. Lasciarsi irrigare dallo Spirito significa abbandonare questi pesi che ci immobilizzano, trovando nuova forza per camminare verso la speranza e la fede.

In un contesto spirituale, la Parola diventa una guida viva: "Non siate come un tamarisco nella steppa. Aprite il vostro cuore allo Spirito Santo, lasciate che Egli trasformi ogni vostra aridità in bellezza e ogni fragilità in forza. La Sua grazia può colmare il vuoto del vostro cuore, donandovi una visione nuova e più profonda della vita. Così potrete diventare strumenti di luce e speranza per gli altri, segni visibili della presenza di Dio nella quotidianità."

Questa riflessione ci ricorda che il deserto non è mai l’ultima tappa del cammino, ma il luogo dove lo Spirito Santo attende per manifestare la Sua potenza creatrice, capace di rendere nuove tutte le cose. Sta a noi scegliere di fare il primo passo, aprendo il cuore con fiducia e accogliendo questa trasformazione divina.

Preghiera carismatica allo Spirito Santo

Spirito Santo, soffio di vita, noi ti invochiamo! Riempici della tua unzione divina, perché solo Tu puoi vivificare la nostra esistenza. Riversa su di noi la tua grazia abbondante, rinnovando ogni aridità nei nostri cuori e trasformando ogni deserto interiore in un giardino rigoglioso.

Non permettere che diventiamo come un tamarisco nella steppa, chiusi, bloccati, e senza speranza, incapaci di accogliere il tuo bene. Abbatti ogni barriera che ci separa da Te e apri le nostre radici alla fonte inesauribile del tuo amore. Riempi ogni vuoto della nostra anima, perché possiamo vivere nella pienezza della tua presenza.

Spirito del Dio vivente, donaci forza nei momenti di debolezza e luce nelle nostre tenebre. Rigenera la nostra fede, rinnova la nostra speranza e accendi in noi un ardente desiderio di seguire le tue vie. Rendici strumenti del tuo amore, capaci di testimoniare la tua bontà nel mondo e di portare frutto anche nelle sfide più grandi.

Santo Spirito, guida i nostri passi e trasformaci secondo la tua volontà. Che il tuo soffio riaccenda in noi la gioia di appartenerti, e che, radicati nel tuo amore, possiamo camminare con fiducia e fede, portando la tua luce a chiunque incontriamo.

A Te affidiamo ogni aspetto della nostra vita. Spirito Santo, vivifica, rinnova e trasforma, oggi e sempre. Amen.

English Translation

THE TAMARISK IN THE WILDERNESS

What does the "tamarisk in the wilderness" described by the prophet Jeremiah represent?

Often, we hear of this image without truly understanding its deeper meaning. The analogy used by the prophet Jeremiah is a powerful invitation to reflect on the human experience, spiritual dryness, and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit.

The "tamarisk in the wilderness" evokes a life devoid of nourishment and direction, a state of inner isolation that can affect anyone who turns away from God. It symbolizes a soul disconnected from faith and divine love, confined to an arid, sterile land, unable to see and embrace goodness. This state is not merely a description of spiritual loss but a warning not to live detached from the source of life, which is God Himself.

Yet, even in the desert, there is hope. Jeremiah's message does not end in reproach but shines with perspective and faith. The Holy Spirit reveals Himself as an inexhaustible fountain, capable of regenerating even the most desolate heart. He breathes new life, transforming the wilderness into a lush garden, barrenness into fruitfulness, and emptiness into fullness. This image becomes an invitation to open our hearts, recognizing that no condition is final if we trust in God's love.

This analogy, far from being merely a topic for reflection, is a concrete exhortation. It is an existential call that challenges us not to remain imprisoned in our "inner wilderness," that arid zone of life shaped by fears, resentments, disillusionments, or poor choices. Allowing the Spirit to irrigate us means shedding these burdens that immobilize us, rediscovering the strength to walk forward in hope and faith.

Spiritually, the Word becomes a living guide: "Do not be like a tamarisk in the wilderness. Open your hearts to the Holy Spirit; let Him transform your dryness into beauty and your frailty into strength. His grace can fill the emptiness in your heart, giving you a new and deeper vision of life. In this way, you can become instruments of light and hope for others, visible signs of God's presence in daily life."

This reflection reminds us that the desert is never the final destination, but rather the place where the Holy Spirit waits to reveal His creative power, capable of renewing all things. It is up to us to take the first step, opening our hearts with trust and welcoming this divine transformation.

Charismatic Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit, breath of life, we call upon You! Fill us with Your divine anointing, for You alone can bring vitality to our existence. Pour out Your abundant grace upon us, renewing every dryness in our hearts and transforming every inner desert into a thriving garden.

Do not let us become like a tamarisk in the wilderness—closed, blocked, and without hope, unable to receive Your goodness. Break down every barrier that separates us from You and open our roots to the inexhaustible source of Your love. Fill every void in our souls, so that we may live in the fullness of Your presence.

Spirit of the living God, grant us strength in moments of weakness and light in our darkness. Revive our faith, renew our hope, and ignite within us an ardent desire to follow Your ways. Make us instruments of Your love, able to witness to Your goodness in the world and bear fruit even in the greatest challenges.

Holy Spirit, guide our steps and transform us according to Your will. May Your breath rekindle in us the joy of belonging to You, and may we walk rooted in Your love, with confidence and faith, bringing Your light to everyone we encounter.

To You we entrust every aspect of our lives. Holy Spirit, vivify, renew, and transform us, now and always. Amen.

Il segno di Giona

 

The English version down below

... mentre le folle si accalcavano, Gesù cominciò a dire: «Questa generazione è una generazione malvagia; essa cerca un segno, ma non le sarà dato alcun segno, se non il segno di Giona» (Lc 11,29).

Gesù considera malvagio chi non riesce a riconoscere il valore del silenzio e della morte come passaggi necessari per la trasformazione. È indispensabile attraversare il momento dell'impotenza e accettare la tomba come un passaggio obbligato verso la risurrezione. Non c’è risurrezione senza la discesa agli inferi.

Il segno di Giona è un simbolo centrale per la vera conversione. Giona, di fronte al progetto divino, tentò di fuggire, ma Dio, con la Sua misericordia, lo riportò a Ninive. Lì, Giona predicò con successo, ispirando il digiuno e la conversione del popolo. Eppure, il vero segno non fu tanto la sua predicazione, quanto il fatto che rimase nello stomaco del pesce: un simbolo della morte e dell'impotenza.

Anche noi, per risorgere, dobbiamo imparare a fermarci e a lasciarci conquistare dalla volontà divina, abbandonandoci con fiducia al Suo disegno. Dobbiamo credere con fermezza che nella morte si nasconde un significato nuovo e profondo. Nella fede in Cristo Gesù, la tomba non è più l’ultima parola, ma diventa la porta aperta verso la risurrezione.

Nella fede, anche la notte più oscura non è più una condanna che priva della luce, bensì un preludio al chiarore di un nuovo giorno, il giorno della speranza. Camminare nella fede significa abbracciare la speranza, sentire un’energia interiore che ci spinge a vivere con entusiasmo e a puntare verso un obiettivo pieno di vita.

La paura può affiancarci lungo il cammino, ma non sarà mai un ostacolo insormontabile all’amore. Al contrario, affrontata con fede, può trasformarsi in un'opportunità per crescere nell’amore e nella fiducia in Dio.

Donaci, Signore, la forza di rialzarci con Te quando tocchiamo il fondo della nostra miseria. Risveglia in noi, attraverso il tuo Santo Spirito, il fervore che scaccia l’indifferenza e le abitudini stagnanti. Ravviva in noi una vita spirituale dinamica, affinché non cadiamo nel perbenismo o nella superficialità religiosa. Amen.

The english translation

As the crowds were gathering, Jesus began to say: "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah" (Luke 11:29).

Jesus considers evil those who fail to recognize the value of silence and death as necessary passages for transformation. It is essential to face moments of powerlessness and embrace the tomb as an inevitable step toward resurrection. There is no resurrection without descending into the depths.

The sign of Jonah is a fundamental symbol of true conversion. When faced with God’s divine plan, Jonah tried to flee, but God, in His mercy, brought him back to Nineveh. There, Jonah preached successfully, inspiring fasting and conversion among the people. Yet, the true sign was not so much his preaching but the fact that he remained in the belly of the fish—a symbol of powerlessness and death.

We too, in order to rise again, must learn to stop and allow ourselves to be conquered by divine will, surrendering with trust to His plan. We must deeply believe that there is a new and profound meaning in death. Through faith in Christ Jesus, the tomb is no longer the final word but becomes an open doorway to His resurrection.

In faith, even the darkest night is no longer a condemnation that robs us of light but a prelude to the radiance of a new day—a day of hope. Walking in faith means embracing hope, feeling an inner strength that propels us to live with enthusiasm and to strive toward a life full of purpose.

Fear may accompany us along the way, but it will never become an insurmountable obstacle to love. On the contrary, when faced with faith, fear can be transformed into an opportunity to grow in love and in trust in God.

Grant us, Lord, the strength to rise again with You when we reach the depths of our misery. Awaken in us, through Your Holy Spirit, the fervor that banishes indifference and stagnant routines. Revive within us a dynamic spiritual life, so that we do not fall into complacency or superficial religiosity. Amen.

The atypical version of the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

 

Come Holy Spirit enlighten us and guide us in our faith.

Teach us to learn how to live a life inspired according to the Gospel.

Let your action bring us closer to the knowledge of a faith that is echoing.

This we pray in Jesus' name.

 

 

The common understanding of the Kingdom of heaven is something unreachable or if one has to desire it, he should effort to live an impeccable life. A flawless morality with no sin at all. Such thought belies the Kingdom of heaven that Jesus has taught.

 

Let us listen to the gospel of Matthew …

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 13,44-46.

Jesus said to his disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.
When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it".

 

 

Two interesting similitudes Jesus had used in order to explain the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s not the paradise that we usually imagine, the garden with a lot of beautiful stuffs.  The Kingdom of Heaven that He taught is different to the imaginary representation of the artists and religious visionaries. First it's not a place reserved exclusively to the unblemished religious people, who often somehow lived a judgmental and a boring existence. Second, the Kingdom of Heaven has to do with an interior ATTITUDE.

 

Decisiveness to abandon everything, all that are not essential, i.e. obtuseness (apathy); materialistic attitude that brings to feeble-mindedness; hatred and animosity.

 

The reign of God is not obvious and showy. The search of a blatant God that many people want. To have a kind that can really do explicitly and openly miracles, saving the people from Pandemic and Poverty; a powerful God who could punish the bad politicians and leaders who have caused so much injustices and crimes.

 

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, we glorify you for the Kingdom of Heaven that you are opening to us. Allow us to comprehend and to be emerged to this unfathomable beauty of your reign. We adore you together with the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit.

https://youtu.be/JYc-B0gLKdw

The darkest moment hides hope

 Negative experiences usually cause discouragements, but little people know that it's the most extraordinary time where a Christian experience will come to a new level. The pessimistic vision may only reveal the bitter part of the story of these mournful moments.  He who knows the experience of Mary Magdalene in the gospel of John (20:1-2.11-18) can be opened up to an another attitude regarding the doleful circumstance. Mary on the death of Jesus was totally lost and disoriented. 

For Mary Magdalene, the Master was everything, her Lord and Saviour - Ieshua : in aramaic: God saves. So for her going to the tomb was the only way to feel the memory of the Lord. But the worst of what she had not expected was the "empty-tomb". She could have had accepted the tomb with the enclothe dead-corpse rather than finding the clothe-folded in one side with no cadavere.

 

Many times we too behave like Mary Magdalene, we love to keep the most sad moment as a memory of our defeat. We love to repeat it a million times and we somehow dwell to these memories.

 

So Jesus called Mary, His voice awakened her from desperate state. the "voice" of Jesus that was so familiar to her because many times she had "contemplated" His teachings. Mary! - Rabbouni! or Teacher! 

 

Knowing Jesus as a teacher is very important during the darkest moment. Being the Teacher and being the Light are two important characteristics of the Lord. Being a Teacher He always have taught of Eternal Life and being the Light, He dispels the darkness. Therefore, the sepulcher could no longer be the dwelling but the rendezvous with the Resurrected, the Beloved and the Master.

 

 

2. Healing from a deep suffering through a mothers prayer

 

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 7,24-30.  

Jesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice.

Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet.

The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.

He said to her, "Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs."

She replied and said to him, "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps."

Then he said to her, "For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter."

When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

 

 

 

Another story of healing that Jesus had done was with the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman. She was considered as pagan, as far she didn't belong to the people of Israel. 

 

Normally the Rabbis or the Teachers of the Law are not really open to talking with women of a lowly moral status, like with prostitutes and pagans. But Jesus was really different.  His ways are motivated not according to the prejudices of the people and to the stereotypes of the moralistic-religious society.

 

His conversation to the pagan woman turned to be a cross examination of her faith. She then manifested a deep belief that was beyond the cultural conditionings which made Jesus fascinated.

 

Her response truly was a demonstration of a mature faith which wasn't just a mere adherence to a religious practice but a strong belief in the person of the Jesus, to His authority and to His power. The faith of a mother who was not even a very religious or a pious practicing, but in her heart she had that strong belief. Her belief that Jesus is the messiah and He can save her daughter. She has that total trust that nothing is impossible to this Rabbi.

 

The belief that Jesus is Lord and His Lordship is universal. His goodness and mercy is beyond every obtuse mentality, meaning close religious mentality.  Such way of thinking that one can be more privileged according to his merits of being so morally upright and  somehow judgmental to others who are less devout. There's a common misbelief sometimes that one feels to be fortunate because he or she is very devout and God is good to him/her. But to others who have some misfortunes somehow they are not that prayerful or they are not that morally (apparently) righteous. Because the faith of the Greek (pagan) woman manifested that salvation of Jesus is not only "reserved" to those some fundamentalists and bigots, but it's open to everyone who is willing to accept Him as His savior.

 

The belief that was so powerful of that mother released the diabolic possessed daughter from the torments. After all, there wasn't any moral argumentation of Jesus, his questions to her was all cultural cross-examination of being Greek and Syrophoenician by birth, meaning her condition of not belonging to the "elected people" of Israel; which is a common belief of every hebrew person at that time of Jesus, a kind of - salvific assurance. 

 

Jesus somehow in our prayers put us into a deep inquiry so to know how strong is our faith. If we really believe His Lordship and His work is true.

 

 

Prayer:

 

Lord Jesus, your name is Holy,

you are great and almighty.

I believe that nothing is impossible with you.

I come to you with that faith of the pagan mother

desperate due to the suffering of her daughter

who was under the power of the demon.

In you I entrust ….. (the name of the person)

my ….. (the relationship with the person)

and I believe that you can do healing and deliverance.

Healing from the illness and deliverance from

evil spirit who causes suffering.

Thank you Jesus for your salvation.

All glory and worship to you Father and to the

Holy Spirit, the giver of life.

Amen.

 

Those who think they know so much about God.

Luke 11: Woes on the Pharisees and the Experts in the Law

³⁷ When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. ³⁸ But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.

      
³⁹ Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰ You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.

- The hypocrisy of these <religious people> The Pharisees who are fixated to the juridical observance of the Law, neglecting what is essential.

- Practicing almsgiving is the best form of spiritual cleansing and purification.

⁴² “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

- Woe : literally means “Curse” - an ill Will of Jesus to those who give so much money to the religious groups, churches and associations but then who don’t do what is correct and honest to the people.

- Giving the Tenth Percent as an Offering but neglecting what is fair and just causes bad fortune and disaster.

- It’s opposite to God’s favor and protection.

⁴³ “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.
⁴⁴ “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”
⁴⁵ One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”

- It’s terrible to think that a person who gives so much care of his personal image as honorable and distinct, considering ones glory as the highest regard; then cursed by our Lord as equivalent to nobody, estimated like an unmarked grave where people walks over with no care and respect.

⁴⁶ Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

- Putting loads to the shoulder of the common people without giving a hand, is the same as telling them certain difficult obligations and precepts to be done without considering the possibilities and the means of certain category of persons. Like for example creating fears and threats in the minds of the believers without giving them a glimpse of hope.

⁴⁷ “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. ⁴⁸ So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹ Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ ⁵⁰ Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.

⁵² “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”

- There’s a saying : the shoemaker left with no shoes. Experts of the Law who don’t observe the law and prohibit others to know it too. Curse to them. Hypocrites!

⁵³ When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, ⁵⁴ waiting to catch him in something he might say.