L'Evangile dans ma vie/ The Gospel in my life

Gospel text

(Mk 5,1-20): 

Jesus and his disciples arrived on the other side of the lake in the region of the Gerasenes. No sooner did Jesus leave the boat than He was met by a man with evil spirits who had come from the tombs. He lived among the tombs and no one could restrain him, even with a chain. He had often been bound with fetters and chains but he would pull the chains apart and smash the fetters, and no one had the strength to control him. Night and day he stayed among the tombs on the hillsides, and was continually screaming and beating himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell at his feet and cried with a loud voice, «What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? For God's sake I beg you, do not torment me». He said this because Jesus had commanded, «Come out of the man, evil spirit». And when Jesus asked him, «What is your name?», he replied, «Legion is my name, for we are many». And all of them kept begging Jesus not to send them out of that region.

Now, a great herd of pigs was feeding on the hillside, and the evil spirits begged him, «Send us to the pigs and let us go into them». So Jesus let them go. The evil spirits came out of the man and went into the pigs, and immediately the herd rushed down the cliff and all were drowned in the lake. The herdsmen fled and reported this in the town and in the countryside, so all the people came to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the man freed of the evil spirits sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the same man who had been possessed by the legion. They were afraid. And when those who had seen it told what had happened to the man and to the pigs, the people begged Jesus to leave their neighborhood.

When Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed begged to stay with him. Jesus would not let him and said, «Go home to your people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you». So he went throughout the country of Decapolis telling everyone how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were astonished.

The Application

I invite you to meditate on the theme "on the other side of the lake", for it speaks to us of the passage of the Lord from his divinity to us, our humanity.

The de facto presence of the Lord removes all that is darkness by divine authority, "come out of this man" and assures us a gentle presence and at the same time a strong presence with firmness. How does Jesus do it?

Every day Jesus transforms the ordinary and human encounter into an extraordinary and divine encounter. Through this divine encounter, He speaks to us, heals us and transforms us. The more we recognise in this ordinary and human encounter, his presence, the more we will find peace and inner tranquillity. The others, looking at our external actions which are the fruits of this divine experience in our interiority, will give glory to God.  It is thus, on our part, like that possessed at Decapolis, that we will become true witnesses of divine mercy.

Action of day : We a witness of divine mercy.

«Come out of the man, evil spirit»

Fr. Ramon Octavi SÁNCHEZ i Valero

(Viladecans, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we find a fragment of the Gospel that might induce someone to smile. Imagining a herd of some two thousand pigs rushing down a cliff and into a lake, is a sort of funny image. But the truth is that those herdsmen did not find any fun in what had happened; they were very angry and begged Jesus to leave their neighborhood immediately.

While the herdsmen's attitude may seem logical, it is actually quite admonishing: for they would have undoubtedly preferred to save their pigs rather than have that demonized man delivered from his evil spirits. That is, first the material goods, which bring us money and ease, instead of a dignified life for a man who does not belong “to our class”. Because the man possessed by the evil spirit was nothing but a person that «night and day stayed among the tombs on the hillsides, and was continually screaming and beating himself with stones» (Mk 5:5).

Quite often we run the risk to cling to what we own and infuriate when we lose whatever material possessions we may have. Thus, we have the farmer despairing when he loses his crop, even if fully insured or the stock market investor who angers if his shares go down. On the other hand, few are those who actually anguish when they see millions of human beings, many of which may live next to us, living in extreme poverty or dying of hunger.

Jesus always placed persons before anything else, even before the law and the powerful people of his time. But, just too often, we only think of us and of what we believe may bring us some happiness, despite the fact that selfishness never has brought any happiness to anyone. As the Brazilian Bishop Dom Helder Cámara would say: «Selfishness is the deepest root of all unhappiness. Your own and that of the whole world».

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 5,1-20): 

Ils arrivèrent sur l'autre rive du lac, dans le pays des Géraséniens. Comme Jésus descendait de la barque, aussitôt un homme possédé d'un esprit mauvais sortit du cimetière à sa rencontre; il habitait dans les tombeaux et personne ne pouvait plus l'attacher, même avec une chaîne; en effet on l'avait souvent attaché avec des fers aux pieds et des chaînes, mais il avait rompu les chaînes, brisé les fers, et personne ne pouvait le maîtriser. Sans arrêt, nuit et jour, il était parmi les tombeaux et sur les collines, à crier, et à se blesser avec des pierres. Voyant Jésus de loin, il accourut, se prosterna devant lui et cria de toutes ses forces: «Que me veux-tu, Jésus, Fils du Dieu très-haut? Je t'adjure par Dieu, ne me fais pas souffrir!». Jésus lui disait en effet: «Esprit mauvais, sors de cet homme!». Et il lui demandait: «Quel est ton nom?». L'homme lui répond: «Je m'appelle Légion, car nous sommes beaucoup». Et ils suppliaient Jésus avec insistance de ne pas les chasser en dehors du pays.

Or, il y avait là, du côté de la colline, un grand troupeau de porcs qui cherchait sa nourriture. Alors, les esprits mauvais supplièrent Jésus: «Envoie-nous vers ces porcs, et nous entrerons en eux». Il le leur permit. Alors ils sortirent de l'homme et entrèrent dans les porcs. Du haut de la falaise, le troupeau se précipita dans la mer: il y avait environ deux mille porcs, et ils s'étouffaient dans la mer. Ceux qui les gardaient prirent la fuite, ils annoncèrent la nouvelle dans la ville et dans la campagne, et les gens vinrent voir ce qui s'était passé. Arrivés auprès de Jésus, ils voient le possédé assis, habillé, et devenu raisonnable, lui qui avait eu la légion de démons, et ils furent saisis de crainte. Les témoins leur racontèrent l'aventure du possédé et l'affaire des porcs. Alors ils se mirent à supplier Jésus de partir de leur région.

Comme Jésus remontait dans la barque, le possédé le suppliait de pouvoir être avec lui. Il n'y consentit pas, mais il lui dit: «Rentre chez toi, auprès des tiens, annonce-leur tout ce que le Seigneur a fait pour toi dans sa miséricorde». Alors cet homme s'en alla, il se mit à proclamer dans la région de la Décapole tout ce que Jésus avait fait pour lui, et tout le monde était dans l'admiration.

L’Application

Je vous invite à méditer sur le thème « sur l’autre rive du lac », car il nous parle le passage du Seigneur de sa divinité vers nous, notre humanité.

La présence du Seigneur de facto enlève tout ce qui est souillure par une autorité divine, « sors de cet homme » et nous assure une présence douce et en même temps une présence forte avec une fermeté. Comment Jésus le fait ?

Chaque jour Jésus transforme la rencontre ordinaire et humaine à  une rencontre extraordinaire et divine. Par cette rencontre divine, Il nous parle, nous guéri et nous transforme. Le plus nous reconnaissons dans cette rencontre ordinaire et humaine, sa présence, le plus nous retrouverons la paix et la tranquillité intérieure. Les autres, en regardant nos agissements extérieurs qui sont les fruits de cette expérience divine dans notre intériorité, rendront gloire à Dieu.  C’est ainsi, de notre part, comme ce possédé à Décapole, nous deviendrons,  les véritables témoins de la miséricorde divine.

«Esprit mauvais, sors de cet homme!»

Abbé Ramon Octavi SÁNCHEZ i Valero

(Viladecans, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, nous découvrons un passage de l'Évangile qui en fera sourire plus d'un. S'imaginer environ deux mille porcs se précipitant au bas de la montagne a quelque chose de comique. Mais les porchers, eux, ne goûtèrent pas l'humour de la situation, ils se fâchèrent beaucoup et demandèrent à Jésus de quitter leur territoire.

Même si, humainement parlant, elle peut paraître logique, cette attitude n'en demeure pas moins franchement condamnable: ils préféraient conserver leurs cochons plutôt que de voir le possédé guéri. Plutôt les biens matériels, qui nous apportent argent et bien-être, que la vie digne d'un homme qui n'est pas "des nôtres". Car celui qui était possédé par un esprit mauvais «sans arrêt, nuit et jour, était parmi les tombeaux et sur les collines, à crier, et à se blesser avec des pierres» (Mc 5,5).

Nous courrons aussi bien souvent le danger de nous attacher à ce qui est à nous, et de désespérer quand nous le perdons. Par exemple, le paysan se désespère quand il perd sa récolte, même si elle est assurée, et le spéculateur en bourse quand ses actions perdent une partie de leur valeur. Très peu, en revanche, perdent l'espérance lorsqu'ils voient la faim et la situation précaire de tant d'êtres humains, dont certains vivent à deux pas de chez eux.

Jésus accorda toujours la première place aux personnes, même avant les lois et les puissants de son temps. Mais nous, trop souvent, ne pensons qu'à nous et à ce qui, croyons-nous, nous rend heureux, alors même que l'égoïsme n'apporte jamais le bonheur. Comme disait l'évêque brésilien Helder Camara, «l'égoïsme est la source infaillible du malheur pour soi-même et pour ceux qui nous entourent».

“I will put my words in his mouth.” When God tells us that he himself will put his words in our mouth, we can be sure that this divine presence will be there to accompany us, until the end of our life, because it is God who speaks to us through our brothers and sisters. We should never forget the word that was addressed to Saul on the road, "Why do you persecute me? "Paul understood very quickly that all the evil he had inflicted on the people of God was only towards the God who loved him.

From this divine encounter, accompanied of course by the disciples of the Lord, Saul became Paul, and was recognized by the people of God as an Apostle chosen and sent by Jesus.  The story of salvation also tells us about the other divine encounter, that of Moses and Abraham.  Humanly they were all the weak, ordinary men that God chose to be his messengers to his Father. Today, we are this people chosen and sent by this God who loves us, to his people, his beloved possessions.

If we become aware that through baptism, and especially through the consecration received in the  baptism, that God dwells in us, and if we recognize the truth of the divine presence in every human being, our vision on the world around us will be quite different, for this gaze will be filled with love and mercy. That is why as baptized people we should choose our words according to the divine will, and let our actions be inspired by the Holy Spirit. In this way, our words will be with authority, accompanied by divine recognition.

In today's Gospel, Jesus is with his people in prayer and peaching. He is there with us today, discreetly listening to our prayers and supplication and teaching. Let us not leave this church without having a divine encounter, without having a sincere and true dialogue with our brothers and sisters. God speaks to us, not only in the liturgical and Eucharistic celebration, but also in human encounters.  Let us listen to their words and their stories, we will certainly see in our openings of hearts, the divine wonders, even today, in the daily lives of our brothers and sisters.

Let us imitate the daily life of Jesus, fulfilling the divine will, in our daily activities, particularly in our discernment and choices. Jesus responds to our daily needs, mainly our need to be liberated from our desire of pure human pleasure to divine accomplishment. Be liberated from our self-oriented decisions to common goodness, in particularly what God desires from us for our community, by fulfilling our personal needs.  Our liberated life is oriented for a greater purpose so that others may be liberated from our personal engagement. It is here that we can sing with the psalmist of the day,

Come, let us cry out for joy to the Lord,

Let us cheer our Rock, our salvation!

Let us go up to it in thanksgiving,

by our festive hymns let's cheer him up!

Come in, bow down, prostrate yourself,

let us adore the Lord who made us.

Yes, he is our God ;

we are the people he leads

    the herd guided by his hand.

Gospel text

(Mk 4,35-41): 

On that same day when eve­ning had come, Jesus said to them, «Let's go across to the other side». So they left the crowd and took him away in the boat he had been sitting in, and other boats set out with him. Then a storm gathered and it began to blow a gale. The waves spilled over into the boat so that it was soon filled with water. And Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. They woke him up and said, «Master, don't you care if we sink?».

As Jesus awoke, He rebuked the wind and ordered the sea, «Quiet now! Be still!». The wind dropped and there was a great calm. Then Jesus said to them, «Why are you so frightened? Do you still have no faith?». But they were terrified and they said to one another, «Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him!».

The Application

The evening and the crossing of the other side are the external signs which indicate the inner struggle of the disciples, who lack the deep faith in Jesus Christ. Thus this eveing chosen and willed  by Christ, which will lead them into darkness, will enlighten them, making them crossing from the emptiness to the fulness of faith.

How can we measure the depth of our faith? Don't the storms, winds and waves of life help us to understand the depth of our faith?  The faith we have in Jesus Christ, sent from the Father, is not a mere feeling or sentiment, but is a certainty about the truth, a truth revealed in Jesus Christ, by his life and by his word.

What is this truth that Jesus has revealed to us? God is good and in his goodness that he sent us his only Son, is not to judge us, but through him the world be saved. It is in this divine goodness that Abraham was able to give everything to God, including his son, the only hope for his future, even for his generation. The fulness of the goodness of God was then invisble to him and he will discover it little later, through toubles and temptations.

Faith is already sown in our hearts through the sacrament of Baptism, like a mustard seed, which will do its work in us, giving fruit at the right time, according to its rhythm of life. If we do not lose this faith, even if it is not visible in daily life, during the storms of life, it will lift us up and give us joy and happiness, even if apparently everything goes wrong for us. Since our God, the Father, is eternal, his goodness for us will also be eternal. Do we believe in Jesus Christ, sent by the Father and the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us daily?

Action of the day : Never be disapointed and your God is watching over you. He will never fail you.

«Why are you so frightened? Do you still have no faith?»

Fr. Joaquim FLURIACH i Domínguez

(St. Esteve de P., Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we see how our Lord scolds his disciples for their lack of faith: «Do you still have no faith?» (Mk 4:40). They had seen demonstrations of His divine power that proved beyond doubt that Jesus Christ was God's Envoy. Nevertheless, some of his closest followers did not believe Him. They did not realize that they should fear nothing because the Lord was with them. In his rebuke, Jesus establishes a direct correlation between faith and courage. His meaning is clear. If you have faith in me, you will also have courage. If you do not have courage, it is because you do not have faith in me.

On another occasion when the Apostles doubted, it was explained that they did not believe because they had not received the Holy Spirit. Our Lord needed an abundance of patience to teach the Apostles what they would, in turn, teach us, so that we too can courageously give testimony of the reality of Jesus, the Son of God. If we, who are His modern day disciples, say we have faith but then give way to fear when we should talk to others about Him, it is fitting that we share the scolding that Jesus gave to His fearful disciples after He had stilled the storm on Galilee.

We have received the Holy Spirit, which, if we always do our best to obey the Father's will, lets us see beyond doubt and fear that our Lord is positively guiding us in our walk of faith through life. Because we have the Holy Spirit, we have no reason to fear anything. Jesus is the one and only Lord of the Universe, because «even the wind and the sea obey him!» (Mk 4:41), as his terrified disciples said to one another.

So, when you are afraid, ask yourself, —why am I so cowardly? Are my own fears so real or so necessary to me that I cling to them although they cause me to question my Lord's infinite Love for me? Our many brothers and sisters who have died as martyrs knew how to answer this question, not only with their words in times of tranquility, but also in times of danger, often at the cost of their lives. With the aid of God's grace, and in spite of their awareness of the dangers to themselves, many of our brothers and sisters take steps of courage that cause their faith and hope in our Lord to grow exponentially. And if they can do it, why not us? If we hold back, could it be because deep within our souls we do not have the same passionate desire to love our Lord with all our minds, hearts, and souls?

We can be made bolder by remembering one of the greatest examples of courage and faith —the Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, Queen of confessors— who even at the foot of the Cross maintained the light of faith. A faith that dazzled the world on the Day of the Resurrection!

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 4,35-41): 

Ce jour-là, le soir venu, il dit à ses disciples: «Passons sur l’autre rive». Quittant la foule, ils emmènent Jésus dans la barque, comme il était; et d'autres barques le suivaient. Survient une violente tempête. Les vagues se jetaient sur la barque, si bien que déjà elle se remplissait d'eau. Lui dormait sur le coussin à l'arrière. Ses compagnons le réveillent et lui crient: «Maître, nous sommes perdus; cela ne te fait rien?».

Réveillé, il interpelle le vent avec vivacité et dit à la mer: «Silence, tais-toi!». Le vent tomba, et il se fit un grand calme. Jésus leur dit: «Pourquoi avoir peur? Comment se fait-il que vous n'ayez pas la foi?». Saisis d'une grande crainte, ils se disaient entre eux: «Qui est-il donc, pour que même le vent et la mer lui obéissent?».

L’Application

Le soir et la traversée de l'autre côté sont les signes extérieurs qui indiquent la lutte intérieure des disciples, qui n'ont pas la foi profonde en Jésus-Christ. Ainsi, cette soirée choisie et voulue par le Christ, qui les conduira dans les ténèbres, les éclairera, les faisant passer du vide à la plénitude de la foi.

Comment pouvons-nous mesurer la profondeur de notre foi ? Les tempêtes, les vents et les vagues de la vie ne nous aident-ils pas à comprendre la profondeur de notre foi ?  La foi que nous avons en Jésus-Christ, envoyé du Père, n'est pas un simple sentiment, mais une certitude sur la vérité, une vérité révélée en Jésus-Christ, par sa vie et par sa parole.

Quelle est cette vérité que Jésus nous a révélée ? Dieu est bon et dans sa bonté, le fait qu'il nous ait envoyé son Fils unique, n'est pas pour nous juger, mais par lui le monde soit sauver. C'est dans cette bonté divine qu'Abraham a pu tout donner à Dieu, y compris son fils, seul espoir pour son avenir, même pour sa génération.

La foi est déjà semée dans nos cœurs par le sacrement du Baptême, comme un grain de moutarde, qui fera son œuvre en nous, donnant du fruit au bon moment, selon son rythme de vie. Si nous ne perdons pas cette foi, même si elle n'est pas visible dans la vie quotidienne, pendant les tempêtes de la vie, elle nous élèvera et nous donnera joie et bonheur, même si apparemment tout va mal pour nous. Puisque notre Dieu, le Père, est éternel, sa bonté pour nous sera également éternelle. Croyons-nous en Jésus-Christ, envoyé par le Père et le Saint-Esprit qui nous sanctifie chaque jour ?

«Pourquoi avoir peur? Comment se fait-il que vous n'ayez pas la foi?»

Abbé Joaquim FLURIACH i Domínguez

(St. Esteve de P., Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, le Seigneur reproche à ses disciples leur manque de foi: «Comment se fait-il que vous n'ayez pas la foi?» (Mc 4,40). Jésus-Christ avait déjà donné des preuves suffisantes de ce qu'Il était l'Envoyé et ils ne croient toujours pas. Ils ne se rendent pas compte qu'ils n'ont rien à craindre, puisqu'ils ont avec eux le Seigneur Lui-même. Jésus met clairement en parallèle “foi” et “vaillance”.

Dans un autre passage de l'Évangile, face à une situation où les Apôtres doutent, il est dit qu'ils ne pouvaient pas encore croire car ils n'avaient pas reçu l'Esprit Saint. Il faudra encore beaucoup de patience au Seigneur pour apprendre aux premiers disciples ce dont eux-mêmes seront ensuite la preuve palpable : être de fermes et courageux témoins.

Qu'il serait bien si nous aussi, nous nous sentions “grondés”! À plus forte raison, d'ailleurs: nous avons reçu l'Esprit Saint qui nous rend capables de comprendre que le Seigneur est vraiment avec nous sur le chemin de la vie, quand nous cherchons toujours pour de bon la volonté de son Père. Nous n'avons aucune raison objective d'être lâches. Il est l'unique Seigneur de l'Univers, car «même le vent et la mer lui obéissent» (Mc 4,41), comme les disciples le disent avec admiration.

Alors, de quoi ai-je peur? Y a-t-il là des motifs si graves qu'ils me font douter du pouvoir infiniment grand de l'Amour que le Seigneur a pour nous? Telle est la question à laquelle nos frères martyrs surent répondre, non avec des mots, mais par leur propre vie. Ainsi que tant de nos frères qui, avec la grâce de Dieu, font chaque jour de chaque contradiction un pas de plus dans la croissance de la foi et de l'espérance. Et nous, pourquoi non? Ne sentons-nous pas en nous le désir d'aimer le Seigneur de toute notre intelligence, de toutes nos forces, de toute notre âme?

Marie, Secours des chrétiens, Reine des confesseurs, nous donne l'un des grands exemples de courage et de foi. Au pied de la Croix, elle sut maintenir debout la lumière de la foi… qui devint resplendissante au jour de la Résurrection!

Gospel text

(Mk 4,26-34): 

Jesus said, «In the kingdom of God it is like this. A man scatters seed upon the soil. Whether he is asleep or awake, be it day or night, the seed sprouts and grows, he knows not how. The soil produces of itself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when it is ripe for harvesting they take the sickle for the cutting: the time for harvest has come».

Jesus also said, «What is the kingdom of God like? To what shall we compare it? It is like a mustard seed which, when sown, is the smallest of all the seeds scattered upon the soil. But once sown, it grows up and becomes the largest of the plants in the garden and even grows branches so big that the birds of the air can take shelter in its shade». Jesus used many such stories or parables, to proclaim the word to them in a way they would be able to understand. He would not teach them without parables; but privately to his disciples he explained everything.

The Application

We are given two parables that can help us to understand the elements of the Kingdom of God: the field and the mustard seed which are closely related. If the parable of the field makes us understand that we can never master the functioning of the Kingdom of God and that God is at the centre of this functioning, the parable of the mustard seed makes us understand that the Kingdom of God is a mystery itself which will be revealed little by little to men of faith. The Word sown in our hearts will grow in us and will bear fruit in due time without our knowing it.

The second parable tells us that this Word that God has sown in our hearts, are in truth like a mustard seed invisible to the eyes. Even if it is so small as this mustard seed, if we let it germinate in us, it is capable of making us grow and grow in us, as big as a tree.

Action of the day : Allow the Word of Goda ct in you.

«In the kingdom of God it is like this. A man scatters seed upon the soil and the soil produces of itself»

Fr, Jordi PASCUAL i Bancells

(Salt, Girona, Spain)

Today, Jesus is telling people about an experience very close to his life: «A man scatters seed upon the soil (…), the seed sprouts and grows (…). The soil produces of itself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear» (Mk 4:26-28). With these words Jesus is speaking of the kingdom of God, consisting «of sanctity and grace, Truth and Life, justice, love and peace» (Preface of the Solemnity of our Lord Christ the King), that He is bringing us. We must make this kingdom real. First, within each one of us; afterwards, for all our world.

In every Christian's, soul Jesus Christ has sown —by virtue of the Baptism— the grace, the sanctity, the Truth... It is necessary that these seeds sprout, grow and bear a multitude of good fruits, our deeds: deeds of service and charity, of kindness and generosity, of sacrifice to properly comply with our daily duty and to make happy those around us; deeds of constant prayer, of forgiveness and understanding, of effort to grow in virtue, of joy...

Thus, this Kingdom of God —that begins within each one of us— will extend to our family, to our people, to our society, to our world. Because, he who lives like that, «what does he do but preparing the path of God (...), so that the strength of grace fills him and the light of truth lights him up; so that his ways to God are always straight?» (Saint Gregory the Great).

The seed begins very small, «It is like a mustard seed which, when sown, is the smallest of all the seeds scattered upon the soil. But once sown, it grows up and becomes the largest of the plants in the garden» (Mk 4:31-32). But the force of God's will scatters it all over and makes it grow up with a surprising vigor. Jesus asks us today —as in the beginning of Christianity— to spread his kingdom throughout all the world.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 4,26-34): 

Jésus disait: «Il en est du règne de Dieu comme d'un homme qui jette le grain dans son champ: nuit et jour, qu'il dorme ou qu'il se lève, la semence germe et grandit, il ne sait comment. D'elle-même, la terre produit d'abord l'herbe, puis l'épi, enfin du blé plein l'épi. Et dès que le grain le permet, on y met la faucille, car c'est le temps de la moisson».

Il disait encore: «A quoi pouvons-nous comparer le règne de Dieu? Par quelle parabole allons-nous le représenter? Il est comme une graine de moutarde: quand on la sème en terre, elle est la plus petite de toutes les semences du monde. Mais quand on l'a semée, elle grandit et dépasse toutes les plantes potagères; et elle étend de longues branches, si bien que les oiseaux du ciel peuvent faire leur nid à son ombre». Par de nombreuses paraboles semblables, Jésus leur annonçait la Parole, dans la mesure où ils étaient capables de la comprendre. Il ne leur disait rien sans employer de paraboles, mais en particulier, il expliquait tout à ses disciples.

L’Application

Il nous est donné deux paraboles qui peuvent nous aider à comprendre les éléments du Royaume de Dieu : le champ et la graine de moutarde qui sont étroitement liés. Si la parabole du champ nous fait comprendre que nous ne pourrons jamais maîtriser le fonctionnement du Royaume de Dieu et que Dieu est au centre de ce fonctionnement, la parabole du grain de moutarde nous fait comprendre que le Royaume de Dieu est un mystère lui-même qui sera révélé peu à peu aux hommes de foi. La Parole semée dans nos cœurs croîtra en nous et portera du fruit en temps voulu sans que nous le sachions.

La deuxième parabole nous dit que cette Parole que Dieu a semée dans nos cœurs, est en vérité comme un grain de moutarde invisible aux yeux. Même si elle est aussi petite que ce grain de moutarde, si nous la laissons germer en nous, elle est capable de nous faire grandir et grandir en nous, aussi grande qu'un arbre.

«Il en est du règne de Dieu comme d'un homme qui jette le grain dans son champ (…). D'elle-même, la terre produit d'abord l'herbe»

Abbé Jordi PASCUAL i Bancells

(Salt, Girona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, Jésus parle aux gens d'une expérience qui leur est familière: «Un homme qui jette le grain dans son champ (…); la semence germe et grandit. D'elle-même, la terre produit d'abord l'herbe, puis l'épi, enfin du blé plein l'épi» (Mc 4,26-28). Avec ces paroles, Il fait référence au Règne de Dieu, qui consiste en "la sainteté et la grâce, la Vérité et la Vie, la justice, l'amour et la paix" (Préface de la solennité du Christ-Roi), que Jésus-Christ est venu nous apporter. Ce Règne doit se faire réalité, en premier lieu, dans chacun de nous; et ensuite dans notre monde.

Dans l'âme de chaque chrétien, Jésus a semé —par le Baptême— la grâce, la sainteté, la Vérité… Nous devons faire grandir cette semence pour qu'elle se multiplie en bonnes œuvres: de service et charité, d'amabilité et de générosité, de sacrifice pour bien réaliser notre devoir de chaque instant et pour apporter le bonheur à ceux qui nous entourent, de prière constante, de pardon et compréhension, d'effort pour grandir en vertus, de joie…

De cette façon, ce Règne de Dieu —qui commence en chacun de nous— s'étend à notre famille, à notre ville, à notre société, à notre monde. Car qui vit ainsi, «que fait-il sinon préparer le chemin du Seigneur (…), afin que pénètre en lui la force de la grâce, que l'illumine la lumière de la vérité, que se rectifient les chemins qui conduisent en Dieu?» (Saint Grégoire le Grand).

La semence commence toute petite, comme «une graine de moutarde: quand on la sème en terre, elle est la plus petite de toutes les semences du monde. Mais quand on l'a semée, elle grandit et dépasse toutes les plantes potagères» (Mc 4,31-32). Mais la force de Dieu se répand et grandit avec une vigueur inespérée. Comme dans le temps des premiers chrétiens, Jésus nous demande aujourd'hui de répandre son Règne à travers le monde.

Gospel text

(Mk 4,21-25): 

Jesus also said to the crowd, «When the light comes, is it to be put under a tub or a bed? Surely it is put on a lampstand. Whatever is hidden will be disclosed, and whatever is kept secret will be brought to light. Listen then, if you have ears!».

And he also said to them, «Pay attention to what you hear. In the measure you give, so shall you receive and still more will be given to you. For to the one who produces something, more will be given, and from him who does not produce anything, even what he has will be taken away from him».

The Application

The readings of the day invite us to live our baptismal life in a way that is worthy of our call and identity. Jesus told us that we are the light of the world, so let us joyfully carry the light of the resurrection within us as a sign of hope. Many of us do not realise that we are that light sent by God to dispel the ignorance and darkness that inhabit the hearts of men.

This is why we must ensure that our words and actions are in accordance with the commandment of love and mercy and that they are also a sign of the divine presence. It is in this love that man will learn to act with compassion, and this compassion will bring the necessary hope to savour forgiveness. If we fail to do so, we risk not only bringing darkness to the world, but we ourselves will lose the hope and light that Baptism has guaranteed us.

Action of the day : Be a light to your brothers and sisters.

«When the light comes, is it to be put under a tub or a bed?»

Fr. Àngel CALDAS i Bosch

(Salt, Girona, Spain)

Today, Jesus explains to us the secret of his Kingdom. He is even somewhat ironical when telling us that the internal “energy” the Word of God has —his own Word—, that communicative force that spreads all over the world, is just like a light, and that this light cannot go «under a tub or a bed?» (Mk 4:21)

Can you imagine someone so stupid as to place a lit candle under the bed? We Christians with the lights off or with the lights on, but with a ban on lighting us up! This is what happens when we do not place all our love and knowledge at the service of our Faith. How anti-natural of us to selfishly retreat into ourselves, by limiting our life to the scope of our own personal interests! To live under the bed! Ridiculously and tragically still :absents of the spirit…

On the other hand, the Gospel is a saint outburst of passionate Love that wants to communicate, that needs “to say”, and that carries along a demand of personal growth, of interior maturity and service to others. «If you say: Enough!, you are dead», saint Augustine says. And saint Josemaria Escrivà also says: «O Lord: let me have temperance and restraint in everything… except in Love!».

«Listen then, if you have ears!». And He also said to them, «Pay attention to what you hear» (Mk 4:23-24). But, what does it mean “to hear”?; what are we to hear? This is the great question we have to ask ourselves. It is an attitude of sincerity towards God that demands to know what we really want to do. And to find it out we must hear: we must pay attention to the hints of God. We have to enter into a dialogue with him to put an end to the “mathematics of measure”: «In the measure you give, so shall you receive and still more will be given to you. For to the one who produces something, more will be given, and from him who does not produce anything, even what he has will be taken away from him» (Mk 4:24-25). God's accrued interests, are unpredictable and extraordinary, so as to stimulate our generosity.

In the Virgin Mary we will find the best example of how to answer God's call.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 4,21-25): 

Jésus disait encore à ses disciples cette parabole: «Est-ce que la lampe vient pour être mise sous le boisseau ou sous le lit? N'est-ce pas pour être mise sur le lampadaire? Car rien n'est caché, sinon pour être manifesté; rien n'a été gardé secret, sinon pour venir au grand jour. Si quelqu'un a des oreilles pour entendre, qu'il entende!».

Il leur disait encore: «Faites attention à ce que vous entendez! La mesure dont vous vous servez servira aussi pour vous, et vous aurez encore plus. Car celui qui a recevra encore; mais celui qui n'a rien se fera enlever même ce qu'il a».

L’Application

Les lectures du jour nous invitent à vivre notre vie baptismale, d'une manière digne de notre appel et de notre identité. Jésus nous a dit que nous sommes la lumière du monde, alors portons joyeusement en nous la lumière de la résurrection, en signe d'espérance. Beaucoup d'entre nous ne se rendent pas compte que nous sommes cette lumière envoyée par Dieu pour dissiper l'ignorance et l'obscurité qui habitent le cœur des hommes.

C'est pourquoi nous devons veiller à ce que nos paroles et nos actes soient conformes au commandement de l'amour et de la miséricorde et qu'ils soient aussi un signe de la présence divine. C'est dans cet amour que l'homme apprendra à agir avec compassion, et cette compassion apportera l'espoir nécessaire pour savourer le pardon. Si nous n'y parvenons pas, nous risquons non seulement d'apporter les ténèbres au monde, mais nous perdrons nous-mêmes l'espoir et la lumière que le Baptême nous a garantis. 

«Est-ce que la lampe vient pour être mise sous le boisseau ou sous le lit?»

Abbé Àngel CALDAS i Bosch

(Salt, Girona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, Jésus nous explique le secret du Royaume. Il utilise même une certaine ironie afin de nous montrer que l'énergie interne de la Parole de Dieu -la même que la sienne, la force qui doit se répandre à travers le monde, est comme une lumière, et que l'on ne peut pas la mettre «sous le boisseau ou sous le lit» (Mc 4,21).

Est-ce que nous pouvons imaginer quelle serait la stupidité humaine de mettre une bougie allumée sous le lit? Chrétiens avec la lumière éteinte ou avec une lumière allumée et avec interdiction d'éclairer! C'est ce qui arrive quand nous ne mettons pas toutes nos connaissances et notre amour au service de la foi. C'est tellement contre nature de se replier égoïstement sur soi en réduisant notre vie au domaine de nos intérêts personnels! Vivre sous le lit! Absurdement et tragiquement immobiles: "absents" de l'esprit.

L'Évangile -au contraire- est une sainte extase d'amour passionné qui a besoin de s'exprimer, qui a besoin de "se révéler", qui porte en soi une exigence propre de croissance personnelle, de maturité intérieure, et de services aux autres. «Si tu dis: Assez!, Tu meurs», nous dit Saint Augustin. Et Saint Joseph-Marie nous dit: «Seigneur: Faites que j'aie un poids et une mesure pour tout sauf pour l'Amour!».

«‘Si quelqu'un a des oreilles pour entendre, qu'il entende!’. Il leur disait également: ‘Faites attention à ce que vous entendez!’ (Mc 4,23-24). Mais qu'est-ce que cela veut dire entendre? Voilà la grande question que nous devons nous poser. C'est l'acte sincère envers Dieu qui exige de savoir réellement ce que nous voulons faire. Et pour le savoir il faut savoir écouter: il faut être attentif aux suggestions de Dieu. Il faut entamer le dialogue avec Lui. Et la conversation met fin aux "mathématiques de la mesure": «La mesure dont vous vous servez servira aussi pour vous, et vous en aurez encore plus. Car celui qui a recevra encore; mais celui qui n'a rien se fera enlever même ce qu'il a» (Mc 4,24-25). Les intérêts accumulés par Dieu notre Seigneur, sont imprévisibles et extraordinaires. Voilà la manière d'inciter notre générosité.

Gospel text

(Mk 4,1-20): 

Jesus began to teach by the lake, but such a large crowd gathered about him that He got into a boat and sat in it on the lake while the crowd stood on the shore. He taught them many things through stories or parables. In his teaching he said, «Listen! The sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some of the seed fell along a path and the birds came and ate it up. Some of the seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil; it sprang up immediately because it had no depth; but when the sun rose and burned it, it withered because it had no roots. Other seed fell among thornbushes and the thorns grew and choked it, so it didn't produce any grain. But some seed fell on good soil, grew and increased and yielded grain; some produced thirty times as much, others sixty and others one hundred times as much». And Jesus added, «Listen then, if you have ears».

When the crowd went away, some who were around him with the Twelve asked about the parables. He answered them, «The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But for those outside, everything comes in parables, so that the more they see, they don't perceive; the more they hear, they don't understand; otherwise they would be converted and pardoned».

Jesus said to them, «Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any of the parables? What the sower is sowing is the word. Those along the path where the seed fell are people who hear the word, but as soon as they do, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Other people receive the word like rocky ground. As soon as they hear the word, they accept it with joy, but they have no roots so it lasts only a little while. No sooner does trouble or persecution come because of the word, than they fall. Others receive the seed as among thorns. After they hear the word, they are caught up in the worries of this life, false hopes of riches and other desires. All these come in and choke the word so that finally it produces nothing. And there are others who receive the word as good soil. They hear the word, take it to heart and produce: some thirty, some sixty and some one hundred times as much».

The Application

We are familiar with this parable of the sower and the good seeds that produced the fruit. Without entering into biblical exegetics, I would like to insist on the importance of the cooperation of the earth, the work of the Sower and the environment. For the grain to produce fruit, our heart as well as the land, our environment as the community and our relationship with the source as the grain, are important.

Since the community is an external element (the people) and at the same time internal (as a memeber, I form  this community), I can influence it with some limitation, by the way I live my life. Since the grain is a gift from God, and the sower is generous, through baptism it has already been acquired. If there is one element that I can and must master, it is the soil, my heart. It is to me alone that this freedom is granted, so that my heart may choose and act, as it must, in this freedom, to welcome the Word of God, as a grace in all gratuity, and that I may use all the means at my disposal so that this seed may produce the expected fruit.

We must recognise a truth and ask ourselves this question, in all sincerity: even if the grain is given and received freely, and capable of producing fruit in us, if I, for my part, do not recognise the gift that God has already given me, how can it be possible for me to cooperate in the fulfilment (germination and development) of the divine will? In order to give the fruits, first of all, we must recognise the grain and its gratuitousness, after the commitment will be easier than we would imagine, because God will take care of everything.

The Application : Count the grains that God has put into your heart.

«What the sower is sowing is the word»

Fr. Antoni CAROL i Hostench

(Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we hear our Lord teaching the “Sower's parable”. The example is highly topical. Our Lord is always “sowing”. Lots of people today also listen to Jesus through his Vicar —the Pope—, his ministers and... his faithful laymen and women: Christ has given a share in his priestly mission to all of us, who have been baptized. There is “hunger” for Jesus. Never ever before our Church has been so Catholic, men and women of all races and colors finding cover under its wings all the over the world. He send us all over the world (cf. Mk 16:15) and, despite the shadows of the panorama, this has become true in Jesus Christ's apostolic commandment.

The sea, the boat and the shore have been replaced by stadiums, screens and modern communication and transport means. However, Jesus today is no different than yesterday. Man and his urge to learn how to love have not changed either. Today, there are also some who, more directly, receive and understand the Word — by grace and free divine election, mysteriously... while, on the other hand, there are many who need more descriptive and deliberated explanations of the Revelation.

God, in any case, requests from both of us the fruits of sanctity. The Holy Spirit helps us but not without our personal cooperation. In the first place, diligence is needed. If we half react, that is, if we halt at the “border” of the road without fully going in, we shall be an easy prey for Satan.

Secondly, we need perseverance in prayer —dialogue—, to be able to get a deeper knowledge and love for Jesus Christ: «Saint without praying...? —I do not believe in this sanctity»

(Saint Josemaria Escrivà).

Finally, the spirit of poverty and self-abnegation, will prevent our “suffocating” on the way. It better be clear that: «No one can serve two masters....» (Mt 6:24).

In the Virgin Mary we can find the best model of how to react to the God's call.