n his Easter
message to the Xaverian Missionaries, Fr. Benzoni, General Superior, denounces the bellicose politics of the world’s powerful.
“We must enter into new ways of thinking”, and “open our eyes to see”, writes Fr. Rino Benzoni, Superior General the
Xaverian Missionaries in his Easter message sent to the whole Congregation.
The Gospel of peace: “put your sword away”, “show the other cheek”, “forgive seventy times seven”, and “do not repay anyone evil for evil”
He says that “never before today” is the message of Jesus which gives us peace but “not as the world gives it” so important. While they talk of peace, “those who are seen as the heads of the nations dominate the people and their great leaders exercise power over them” even “with the risk of destroying the earth and the relationship between peoples”.
From this comes the challenge “to open our eyes to see, to denounce and to avoid the reality of sin that surrounds us. Many times we are part of the problem even without noticing it. We must decide to follow a different logic than those influenced by money and power”, to enter in that “new radicalism of mission” that asks us, all followers of Christ, to be poor and disarmed, in order to be able to “spread the gospel of peace”.
In his message, Fr Benzoni lists the “radical needs” of the Gospel of peace: “put your sword away”, “show the other cheek”, “forgive seventy times seven”, and “do not repay anyone evil for evil”. “A special thought”, he concludes, “goes to the brothers and sister who work in all those areas of the world which in a special way call out to the Lord for peace. Let us unite ourselves to their prayer”.
(From VID)