A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark 2:13-17
13 He went out again beside the sea; and all the crowd gathered about him, and he taught them. 14 And as he passed on, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. 15 And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
From the Acts of the Apostles we can see how all Christian communities, growing and multiplying according to the laws of living organisms, all follow the same guidelines. The practice of Jesus’s commandment is the raison d’être of the community itself, and is the totally new and original aspect that sets this community apart from others.
The whole pastoral activity of the Apostles can be summed up as enabling everyone to live the new commandment, which is the summary of the Law and the Prophets. John writes, “This is the commandment that he has given us, that anyone who loves God must also love his brother” (1 Jn 4:21)
The Apostles experienced this communion with Jesus and were the first to be aware of the Kingdom of God among them. Their task was to enable others to enter into and share in this communion, for this is the original “civilization” that God wanted to share with us.
Silvano Cola
Scritti e testimonianze
Gen’s, Grottaferrata 2007, p. 57
(published by the Priestly Branch of the Focolare Movement)
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