But which salvation?

Br. MichaelDavide Semeraro

Not only at Christmas we often invoke Jesus as “the Saviour” as we have been waiting so long for his coming. But what is the meaning of this word? From a political point of view Jesus did not deliver his people from the Roman domination; he did not bring justice: he did not save people from suffering (except for a few times as we read in the Gospel) as we continue suffering. Is it a just an eschatological salvation? B.G. When the angel announced to Joseph the birth of his fiancée’s son he told him to call him Jesus- This name means “God save”. The Saviour is Jesus, he is the Saviour because he frees us from fear, from shame, from not trusting God and our brothers and sisters. At the time of Jesus many people were waiting for the coming of a saviour (the emperor was called like that) to be delivered from suffering and from humiliation. Our Lord Jesus, with his words and his gestures, has shown us the way of salvation, carrying the burden of our suffering with love and compassion. This is the salvation that Jesus gives us and that he asks us to give to…