“The true sadness”, Don Tonino recalled, “is when you no longer expect anything of life” ( Cirenei della gioia, 2004, 97). One does not await God with arms crossed, but active in love. It is beautiful to await the novelty of God in life: not to live by expectations, which then maybe do not come true, but in expectation, that is, desiring the Lord Who always brings newness. He goes to Egypt, he falls asleep again, and returns from Egypt… May it be God to change our plans with our joy! He fell asleep again, and his plans changed again. He, a good man, fell asleep, and his plans changed.
![get back up again gospel get back up again gospel](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/completepostcovid-19seriesbyalanharrison2020-211124170125/95/the-complete-covid-19-series-by-alan-harrison-2020-48-638.jpg)
For him, to welcome the Lord meant being willing to change our plans (cf. Living Advent means “opting for the unprecedented”, for the new, it is accepting the good disorder of God and His prophets, such as Don Tonino. He renews, displaces, always surprises: He is the God of surprises.
![get back up again gospel get back up again gospel](https://pictures.abebooks.com/isbn/9780988571013-us.jpg)
When we let God enter, we arrive at true newness. And it is true: we were born to be with the Lord. “We tend towards new things because we are born for great things”, wrote Don Tonino ( Non c’è fedeltà senza rischio, 2000, 34). We remain always hungry, with this rhythm of novelty, novelty… and yet you are not sated. If we look within, we see that all novelties, even the continuous ones of today, are not enough to satisfy our expectations. Then they stop crying and, instead of being sad, they begins to do the opposite: to console, to help.ĭear brothers and sisters, this evening there begins a time of consolation and hope, the time of Advent: there begins a new liturgical year, which brings with it the newness of our God, Who is the “the God of all comfort” (2 Cor 1: 3). Instead, those who put the Lord before their problems find joy again. At times, when we find people like this, who always live sad and critical, one finds oneself thinking, “But what do you have in your veins? Blood or vinegar?”. Perhaps it is all good, all white, all bright, but he or she will see the flaw, see the shadow, the negative. Those who are sad see only problems they see only the dark side of life. Indeed, those who become sad remain alone and do not have friends. Here too, when they gossip, it is because that man, that woman, is sad. The gossip has a sad heart! This is the root. Indeed, those who are sad remain alone, speak badly of others, gossip here and there… They have a sad heart. Let us make our own his recommendation never to be sad: if we put it into practice we will bring the treasure of God’s joy into the poverty of man today. Those who believe in Jesus can not be sad “The opposite of a Christian people is a sad people” ( The Gospel of Courage, 2012, 145). He said: “I urge you, tomorrow, do not be sad about any bitterness in your home, or any other bitterness. On that occasion Don Tonino made a recommendation.
#GET BACK UP AGAIN GOSPEL HOW TO#
And may this be our way of living: as brothers and sisters who, looking into each other’s eyes, know how to say “I love you”.
#GET BACK UP AGAIN GOSPEL FULL#
I would like to welcome you with a phrase full of affection, which Don Tonino pronounced at the end of the last Chrism Mass, just before living his own Pasch: “I would like to say, one by one, looking into your eyes: ‘I love you’”.
![get back up again gospel get back up again gospel](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0B_lnQIITxU/maxresdefault.jpg)
The memory of Don Tonino Bello has joined our paths: mine towards you in April and yours towards me in these days. And thank you also for the bread: a good bread for making a sandwich! Domenico Cornacchia for the words they addressed to me on your behalf. I thank you for coming, so enthusiastic, so joyful.