Friday of the Twenty-SixthWeek in Ordinary Time
The West is in the twilight
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And as for you, Capernaum, ‘Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.'” Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” Lk 10,13-16
If we would have some little fear of God, the prophecy of Jesus against the cities of Corazin and Bethsaida should be scaring for us. This our Italy, home of the Vatican, rich of sanctuaries and of the most beautiful churches, where the painting inspired by christian subjects has expressed the greatest masterpieces, which for almost two thousand years has given to the church the vicar of Christ and it is by always been a land of saints, of miracles and the seat of religious orders, is losing its faith. Because – to paraphrase the today gospel – if in Beijing and Calcutta all the miracles which occurred along two thousand years among us would have taken place, the people would have repented since long time. Is it possible that our country, with this christian history, is morally and socially so devastated by the abortions and the divorces and it has the lowest birthrate in the world? It is not difficult to predict that we will be invaded by people of all races and that mosques and minarets will arise next to our churches and our bell-towers. It is an unstoppable flow. As in the areas of low pressure the air comes from the other sides and the winds that no one can stop are formed, we are increasingly invaded by other peoples, other cultures and other religions just because of our lost identity as christians. Nobody can do anything, as Jesus could not do anything for the cities of Corazin and Bethsaida. These are irreversible historical changes. If, then, the Lord uses it to make the plan of universal salvation, that’s part of his divine wisdom and of his omnipotence. The church and also us, during this our morning prayer, we have only to pray and have faith. “But take courage – says the Lord – I have conquered the world!” (Jn 16,33). The plan of salvation is unstoppable, everything else is destined to become dust, which the time will sweep away.