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

Gospel text

(Mt 13,10-17): 

The disciples went up to Jesus and asked, «Why do you speak to them in parables?». Jesus answered, «To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but not to these people. For the one who has, will be given more and he will have in abundance. But the one who does not have will be deprived of even what he has. That is why I speak to them in parables, because they look and do not see; they hear, but they do not listen or understand. In them the words of the prophet Isaiah are fulfilled: ‘Much as you hear, you do not understand; much as you see, you do not perceive’. For the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears hardly hear and their eyes dare not see. If they were to see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand with their heart, they would turn back and I would heal them.

»But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears, because they hear. For I tell you that many prophets and upright people would have longed to see the things you see, but they did not, and to hear the things you hear, but they did not hear it».

The Application

God has His own way of dealing with the people. Since He is a God of justice, He responds to the need of the people, according to the mission that He wishes to confines to them. The divine justice is based on love and compassion, which responds to the expectation of the people, in a balanced and coherent way.

Today Jesus is inviting us to see all that the Lord has done to us, rather than looking into what we haven’t received from Him. « But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears, because they hear. » If God has chosen to speak to the disciples in explicit way, then, He is going to entrust them the mission of explaining these parables to the people.

Many at times, we are like the Emmaus disciples, who understand the inner movements in a later day. God knows how to prepare us, when to propose to us and will certainly give us the necessary grace and courage in due time, to accomplish His will. Let’s have patience and learn to surrender to the divine will.

Action of the day : Be patience and listen.

«Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears, because they hear»

Fr. Manel MALLOL Pratginestós
(Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we remember the “encomium” Jesus Christ addressed to those around him in those days: «Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears, because they hear» (Mt 10:16). And we wonder: can Jesus' words be also intended for us, or only for those who saw and heard him directly? It looks like they, who were lucky enough to share their lives with Jesus, and physically and sensibly remained by his side, should be the only blessed ones. Whereas we should rather belong in the group of the upright people and prophets —without being either the upright ones or the prophets!— we would have liked to see and hear.

But we should not forget the Lord is referring to righteous people and prophets before his arrival, before his Revelation: «For I tell you that many prophets and upright people would have longed to see the things you see, but they did not» (Mt 10:17). The fullness of time is brought with him, and we find ourselves in this fullness; we are already in Christ's time, in Salvation's time... Certainly, we have not seen Jesus with our own eyes, but we have, indeed, known him. We do know him. We have not heard his voice with our own ears, but we have definitely heard his words. We do hear them. The knowledge our faith gives us, even though not perceptible, is a true knowledge, which brings us near the truth making us, therefore, feel happy and jubilant.

Let us be grateful to our Christian faith, let us be joyous. Let us try to make our relationship with Jesus not a remote one, but as close as possible one, as that of those disciples, who were by his side, who saw and heard him, treated him. Let us not look at Jesus from today to yesterday, but from today to today; let us actually share his time, a never-ending time. Prayer —to speak with the Lord— and the Eucharist —to receive him— assure us this nearness to him, and make us really happy while looking at him with the eyes and ears of our faith. «Receive, therefore, God's image, that you lost because of your bad deeds» (St. Augustine).

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 3 ,31-35):

31 Alors arrivent sa mère et ses frères. Restant au-dehors, ils le font appeler.

32 Une foule était assise autour de lui ; et on lui dit : « Voici que ta mère et tes frères sont là dehors : ils te cherchent. »

33 Mais il leur répond : « Qui est ma mère ? qui sont mes frères ? »

34 Et parcourant du regard ceux qui étaient assis en cercle autour de lui, il dit : « Voici ma mère et mes frères.

35 Celui qui fait la volonté de Dieu, celui-là est pour moi un frère, une sœur, une mère. »

«Celui qui fait la volonté de mon Père qui est aux cieux, celui-là est pour moi (…) une mère»

Abbé Pere SUÑER i Puig SJ
(Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, l'Évangile se présente, d'emblée, surprenant: «Qui est ma mère?» (Mt 12,48), Jésus demande. Il semble que le Seigneur emploie une attitude méprisante envers Marie. Certainement pas. Ce que Jésus veut laisser ici tout à fait clair c'est que devant ses yeux —les yeux de Dieu!— la valeur décisive d'une personne ne demeure pas dans le fait de la chair et du sang, mais dans la disposition spirituelle d'accueil de la volonté de Dieu: «Puis, tendant la main vers ses disciples, il dit: ‘Voici ma mère et mes frères. Celui qui fait la volonté de mon Père qui est aux cieux, celui-là est pour moi un frère, une sœur et une mère’» (Mt 12,49-50).

Or, à ce moment-la, la volonté de Dieu était qu'Il plût évangéliser ceux qui l'écoutaient et que ceux-là pussent l'écouter. Ceci était plus primordial que n'importe qu'elle autre valeur, sans égard pour son importance. Pour faire la volonté du Père, Jésus-Christ avait laissé Marie et maintenant il devait prêcher loin de sa maison.

Mais, qui a été plus disposée à faire la volonté de Dieu que Marie? «Voici la servante du Seigneur; que tout se passe pour moi selon ta parole» (Lc 1,38). C'est pour cela que saint Augustin dit que Marie, a d'abord reçu la parole de Dieu dans l'esprit par obéissance, et, seulement après, elle a conçu dans son sein pour l'Incarnation du Verbe.

En d'autres mots: Dieu nous aime dans la mesure de notre sainteté. Marie est très sainte et, conséquemment, elle est très aimée. Cependant, être des saints, n'est pas la raison pour laquelle Dieu nous aime. Au contraire, parce qu'Il nous aime nous pouvons devenir saints. Le Seigneur est toujours le premier à nous aimer (cf. 1Jn 4,10). Marie nous l'apprend lorsqu'elle dit: «Il s'est penché sur son humble servante» (Lc 1,48). Aux yeux de Dieu nous sommes très peu; mais Il veut nous agrandir, nous sanctifier.

Gospel text

(Jn 20,1-2.11-18): 

Now, on the first day after the Sabbath, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark and she saw that the stone blocking the tomb had been moved away. She ran to Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved. And she said to them, «They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have laid him».

Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she bent down to look inside; she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, and the other at the feet. They said, «Woman, why are you weeping?». She answered, «Because they have taken my Lord and I don't know where they have put him». As she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize him. Jesus said to her, «Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?». She thought it was the gardener and answered him, «Lord, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him». Jesus said to her, «Mary». She turned and said to him, «Rabboni» —which means, Master. Jesus said to her, «Do not cling to me; you see I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them: ‘I am ascending to my Father, who is your Father, to my God, who is your God’. So Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, «I have seen the Lord, and this is what he said to me».

The Application

Transcendence and the dark side of life, both are invisible to the naked eye.  Each one of us live our life, well conditioned by these invisible elements. This is why Mary Magdalene was no longer able to see and perceive the presence of angels. God alone sees everything that is invisible in us, outside of us, and helps us to discover them.

Today, Mary Magdalene is invited to discover her Lord, her lover, whom she believed to be dead and disappeared.  The Lord assures her, "Woman, why do you weep? ", He is alive and before you. She is suprised to discover not only her Lord who dwelt in her heart, but also the Lord of Lords, the Lord of the universe: dead to the world and risen to all the believers. He will call her, 'Mary', in an affective way that He always called her.

It was the Lord who asked her to seek Him, so that she might become the first witness of the resurrection. She will seek Him and find Him. This encounter will transform her from an ordinary woman to an apostle to the apostles. What a gift! She will say to the apostles of the Lord, "I have seen the Lord. » Do you wish to be part of her story ?

Action of the day : Search the Lord and He will surprise you.

 «Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’»

Fr. Antoni CAROL i Hostench
(Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we celebrate with joy Saint Mary Magdalene. With joy and benefit for our faith!, because her trail could very well be ours. Magdalene came from afar (cf. Luke 7: 36-50) and she did go very far... Indeed, at the dawn of the Resurrection, Mary looked for Jesus, found the risen Jesus and met Jesus’ Father, "Our Father". That morning, Jesus Christ discovered her the most important fact of our faith: that she was also God’s daughter.

In Mary of Magdala’s itinerary, we discover some important aspects of our faith. In the first place, we admire her courage. Though a gift from God, faith requires courage from the believer. Generally, we tend towards what we can see, what can be seized with our hand. God being essentially invisible, faith “represents the risky enterprise of accepting what plainly cannot be seen as the truly real and fundamental. It involves a leap out of the tangible world” (Benedict XVI). Mary, by seeing the risen Christ can also "see" the Father, the Lord.

On the other hand, the "leap to faith" «is reached through what the Bible calls conversion or repentance: only he who changes receives it "(Benedict XVI). Was not this Mary’s first step? Should not this also be a reiterated step in our lives?

In the conversion of Magdalene, there was much love: she did not spare any perfumes for her Love. Love!: here is another "vehicle" of faith, because we neither hear, nor see or believe whom we do not love. In John’s Gospel it clearly appears «believing is to listen and, at the same time, to see (...)». In that dawn, María Magdalena takes risks for her Love, she listens to her Love (to hear Him saying "Mary" is enough for her to recognize Him) and she meets the Father. «On the morning of Easter (...), María Magdalena, is asked to contemplate Him as He ascends to the Father, and finally to her full confession "I have seen the Lord" (Jn 20:18)» (Pope Francis).

Texte de l'Évangile

(Jn 20,1-2.11-18): 

Le premier jour de la semaine, Marie Madeleine se rend au tombeau de grand matin, alors qu'il fait encore sombre. Elle voit que la pierre a été enlevée du tombeau. Elle court donc trouver Simon-Pierre et l'autre disciple, celui que Jésus aimait, et elle leur dit: «On a enlevé le Seigneur de son tombeau, et nous ne savons pas où on l'a mis».

Marie Madeleine restait là dehors, à pleurer devant le tombeau. Elle se penche vers l'intérieur, tout en larmes, et, à l'endroit où le corps de Jésus avait été déposé, elle aperçoit deux anges vêtus de blanc, assis l'un à la tête et l'autre aux pieds. Ils lui demandent: «Femme, pourquoi pleures-tu?». Elle leur répond: «On a enlevé le Seigneur mon Maître, et je ne sais pas où on l'a mis». Tout en disant cela, elle se retourne et aperçoit Jésus qui était là, mais elle ne savait pas que c'était Jésus. Jésus lui demande: «Femme, pourquoi pleures-tu? Qui cherches-tu?». Le prenant pour le gardien, elle lui répond: «Si c'est toi qui l'as emporté, dis-moi où tu l'as mis, et moi, j'irai le reprendre». Jésus lui dit alors: «Marie!». Elle se tourne vers lui et lui dit: «Rabbouni!», ce qui veut dire: "Maître" dans la langue des Juifs. Jésus reprend: «Cesse de me tenir, je ne suis pas encore monté vers le Père. Va plutôt trouver mes frères pour leur dire que je monte vers mon Père et votre Père, vers mon Dieu et votre Dieu». Marie Madeleine s'en va donc annoncer aux disciples: «J'ai vu le Seigneur, et voilà ce qu'il m'a dit».

L’Application

Transcendance et côté obscur de la vie, tous les deux sont invisibles aux yeux nus.  Chacune et chacun de nous vivons notre vie, bien conditionnée par ces éléments invisibles. C’est pourquoi Marie Madeleine n’était plus capable de voir et percevoir la présence des anges. Dieu seul voit tout ce qui est invisible en nous, en dehors de nous et nous aide à les découvrir.

Aujourd’hui, Marie Madeleine va découvrir son Seigneur, son amoureux, qu’elle croyait mort et disparu.  Le Seigneur l’assure, « Femme, pourquoi pleures-tu ? », Il est vivant et devant toi. Elle est invitée à découvrir non seulement son Seigneur qui demeurait dans son cœur, mais également le Seigneur des Seigneurs, le Seigneur de l’univers : mort et ressuscité. Il l’appellera, Marie’, d’une manière affective qu’Il l’appelait toujours.

C’est le Seigneur qui lui a demandé de Le chercher, pour qu’elle devienne le premier témoin de la résurrection. Elle le cherchera et Le trouvera. Cette rencontre va la transformer, d’une femme ordinaire, à un apôtre aux apôtres. Quel cadeaux offert ! Elle dira aux apôtres du Seigneur, « J’ai vu le Seigneur. »

HOMÉLIE DE S. GRÉGOIRE LE GRAND
SUR L'ÉVANGILE DE JEAN

Marie Madeleine, après être venue au tombeau sans y trouver le corps du Seigneur, crut qu'on l'avait enlevé et porta cette nouvelle aux disciples. Une fois venus, ceux-ci constatèrent et ils crurent qu'il en était comme elle l'avait dit. L'Évangile note aussitôt : Après cela, les disciples rentrèrent chez eux. Puis il ajoute : Mais Marie restait là dehors, à pleurer.

À ce sujet, il faut mesurer avec quelle force l'amour avait embrasé l'âme de cette femme qui ne s'éloignait pas du tombeau du Seigneur, même lorsque les disciples l'avaient quitté. Elle recherchait celui qu'elle ne trouvait pas, elle pleurait en le cherchant, et, embrasée par le feu de son amour, elle brûlait du désir de celui qu'elle croyait enlevé. C'est pour cela qu'elle a été la seule à le voir, elle qui était restée pour le chercher, car l'efficacité d'une œuvre bonne tient à la persévérance, et la Vérité dit cette parole : Celui qui aura persévéré jusqu'à la fin, celui-là sera sauvé.

Elle a donc commencé par chercher, et elle n'a rien trouvé ; elle a persévéré dans sa recherche, et c'est pourquoi elle devait trouver ; ce qui s'est produit, c'est que ses désirs ont grandi à cause de son attente, et en grandissant ils ont pu saisir ce qu'ils avaient trouvé. Car l'attente fait grandir les saints désirs. Si l'attente les fait tomber, ce n'était pas de vrais désirs. C'est d'un tel amour qu'ont brûlé tous ceux qui ont pu atteindre la vérité. Aussi David dit-il : Mon âme a soif du Dieu vivant : quand pourrai-je parvenir devant la face de Dieu ? Aussi l'Église dit-elle encore dans le Cantique des cantiques : Je suis blessée d'amour. Et plus loin : Mon âme a défailli.

Femme, pourquoi pleures-tu ? Qui cherches-tu ? On lui demande le motif de sa douleur, afin que son désir s'accroisse, et qu'en nommant celui qu'elle cherchait, elle rende plus ardent son amour pour lui.

Jésus lui dit : Marie. Après qu'il l'eut appelée par le mot banal de « femme », sans être reconnu, il l'appelle par son nom. C'est comme s'il lui disait clairement : « Reconnais celui par qui tu es reconnue. Je ne te connais pas en général, comme les autres, je te connais d'une façon particulière. » Appelée par son nom, Marie reconnaît donc son créateur et elle l'appelle aussitôt Rabboni, c'est-à-dire maître, parce que celui qu'elle cherchait extérieurement était celui-là même qui lui enseignait intérieurement à le chercher.

Gospel text

(Mt 12,46-50): 

While Jesus was still talking to the people, his mother and his brothers wanted to speak to him and they waited outside. So someone said to him, «Your mother and your brothers are just outside; they want to speak with you». Jesus answered, «Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?». Then He pointed to his disciples and said, «Look! Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is for me brother, sister, or mother».

The Application

Jesus is inviting us to join in his family, by accomplishing the will of the Father. For this, He is presenting His own mother as our model and guide. Though Jesus doesn’t respond directly to the demand of the mother, He does respond to the need of all the people of God, people of good will, by elarging His own family, as the family of the humanity. His mother is blessed, in the way she was accomplishing the divine will.

Sometime, in our daily life, it seems to be very difficult to discern the divine will. However, if we look at the life of Jesus, we will understand that this discernment can be easily done. All that we have to discern is, whether our thought and needs are deeply rooted in love and mercy of God. The more we are rooted in love and mercy, the better we will be placed in accomplishing the divine will. Since God is love, anything done in pure love is also divinely. Thus Jesus is asking you and me, to act divinely in our own humanity. It is here we become members of His family. Do you wish to be ?

Action of the day : Act as if you Jesus is your brother.

«Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is for me (...) mother»

Fr. Pere SUÑER i Puig SJ
(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, to start with, the Gospel surprises us: «Who is my mother? (Mt 12:48), wonders Jesus. It would seem the Lord is showing a contemptuous attitude towards Mary, his mother. Nothing of the sort! What Jesus wants to make quite clear is that, in his own eyes —God's eyes— the crucial value of a person does not lie on flesh and blood facts, but on the spiritual disposition to accept God's will: «Then He pointed to his disciples and said, ‘Look! Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is for me brother, sister, or mother’» (Mt 12:49-50). At that time, God's will was for Jesus to evangelize those who were listening and for these ones to actually listen to him. This was a priority over any other value, no matter how dear. To abide by his Father's will, Jesus Christ had left Mary and now He was preaching far away from home.

But, who was ever more willing to abide by God's will than Mary? «‘I am the Lord's servant’, Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said’» (Lk 1:38). This is why, St. Augustine says that Mary, first accepted God's word with a spirit of obedience and, only afterwards, she conceived it in her womb for the Incarnation.

In other words: God loves us as per our saintliness. The Virgin Mary is the most blessed, and, therefore, the most loved. However, God does not love us because we may be saints. It is rather the other way round: we are saints because He loves us. The first one to love is always our Lord (cf. 1Jn 4:10). Mary proves it when she says: «For He has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness» (Lk 1:48). In God's eyes our own lowliness is evident; but He wants to magnify us, to sanctify us.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mt 12,46-50): 

Comme Jésus parlait encore à la foule, voici que sa mère et ses frères se tenaient au-dehors, cherchant à lui parler. Quelqu'un lui dit: «Ta mère et tes frères sont là dehors, qui cherchent à te parler». Jésus répondit à cet homme: «Qui est ma mère, et qui sont mes frères?». Puis, tendant la main vers ses disciples, il dit: «Voici ma mère et mes frères. Celui qui fait la volonté de mon Père qui est aux cieux, celui-là est pour moi un frère, une soeur et une mère».

L’Application

Nous avons un Dieu, plein d’amour et de miséricorde. Il nous a donné sa mère comme là-nôtre. Cette mère n’a pas réagi à cette parole de son Fils, car elle savait que cette parole n’était pas contre elle. En revanche, la réponse de son Fils affirmait tout ce qu’elle vivait toute sa vie.

Comment discerner la volonté divine, dans les affaires quotidiennes ? Il me semble que si on vit une vie d’amour et de miséricorde, on accomplira de facto la volonté divine, car Dieu est AMOUR. Puisque tout acte d’amour est un acte divin, dans notre humanité, l’homme est capable d’agir divinement. C’est dans ces agissements divins que l’homme accomplira la volonté divine, même dans les affaires charnelles et quotidiennes.

«Celui qui fait la volonté de mon Père qui est aux cieux, celui-là est pour moi (…) une mère»

Abbé Pere SUÑER i Puig SJ
(Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, l'Évangile se présente, d'emblée, surprenant: «Qui est ma mère?» (Mt 12,48), Jésus demande. Il semble que le Seigneur emploie une attitude méprisante envers Marie. Certainement pas. Ce que Jésus veut laisser ici tout à fait clair c'est que devant ses yeux —les yeux de Dieu!— la valeur décisive d'une personne ne demeure pas dans le fait de la chair et du sang, mais dans la disposition spirituelle d'accueil de la volonté de Dieu: «Puis, tendant la main vers ses disciples, il dit: ‘Voici ma mère et mes frères. Celui qui fait la volonté de mon Père qui est aux cieux, celui-là est pour moi un frère, une sœur et une mère’» (Mt 12,49-50).

Or, à ce moment-la, la volonté de Dieu était qu'Il plût évangéliser ceux qui l'écoutaient et que ceux-là pussent l'écouter. Ceci était plus primordial que n'importe qu'elle autre valeur, sans égard pour son importance. Pour faire la volonté du Père, Jésus-Christ avait laissé Marie et maintenant il devait prêcher loin de sa maison.

Mais, qui a été plus disposée à faire la volonté de Dieu que Marie? «Voici la servante du Seigneur; que tout se passe pour moi selon ta parole» (Lc 1,38). C'est pour cela que saint Augustin dit que Marie, a d'abord reçu la parole de Dieu dans l'esprit par obéissance, et, seulement après, elle a conçu dans son sein pour l'Incarnation du Verbe.

En d'autres mots: Dieu nous aime dans la mesure de notre sainteté. Marie est très sainte et, conséquemment, elle est très aimée. Cependant, être des saints, n'est pas la raison pour laquelle Dieu nous aime. Au contraire, parce qu'Il nous aime nous pouvons devenir saints. Le Seigneur est toujours le premier à nous aimer (cf. 1Jn 4,10). Marie nous l'apprend lorsqu'elle dit: «Il s'est penché sur son humble servante» (Lc 1,48). Aux yeux de Dieu nous sommes très peu; mais Il veut nous agrandir, nous sanctifier.

Gospel text

(Mt 12,38-42): 

Some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up, «Teacher, we want to see a sign from you». Jesus answered them, «An evil and unfaithful people want a sign, but no sign will be given them except the sign of the prophet Jonah. In the same way that Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the monster fish, so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the depths of the earth. At the judgment, the people of Niniveh will rise with this generation and condemn it, because they reformed their lives at the preaching of Jonah, and here there is greater than Jonah. At the judgment, the Queen of the South will stand up and condemn you. She came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and here there is greater than Solomon».

«Teacher, we want to see a sign from you»

Fr. Joel PIRES Teixeira
(Faro, Portugal)

Today, Jesus is tested by 'some teachers of the law and Pharisees' (Mt 12:38; cf. Mc 10; 12), who feel threatened by his person, not because of reasons of faith, but of power. Fearing to lose their influence, they seek to discredit Jesus, by needling Him. These "some" can be quite often ourselves, when we are led by our selfishness and individual interests. Or, just as well, when we look at the Church as a merely human reality and not as a project of God’s love for each one of us.

Jesus’ answer is sharp: «but none will be given» (cf. Mt 12:39), not by fear, but to emphasize and remind them that the "signs" are the relationship of communication and love between God and humanity; it is not an association of interests and individual powers. Jesus evokes that there are many signs given by God; and it is not by challenging or blackmailing Him that He can be reached.

Jesus is the greatest signal. On this day the Word is an invitation for each one of us to humbly understand that only a converted heart turned towards God, can receive, interpret, and see this sign which is Jesus. Humility is the reality that not only brings us closer to God, but also to humanity. Through humility we acknowledge our limitations and virtues, but mostly we see our neighbors as brothers and God as our Father.

As Pope Francis reminded us, "The Lord is patient with us! He never tires of starting over again each time we fall ". That is why, despite our faults and incitements, the Lord welcomes us with open arms to start all over again. Let us, therefore, try to accomplish that in our life, and particularly today, this Word becomes a reality in us. The joy of the Christian is to be recognized by the love that is seen in his life, love that springs from Jesus.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mt 12,38-42): 

Quelques-uns des scribes et des pharisiens lui adressèrent la parole: «Maître, nous voudrions voir un signe venant de toi». Il leur répondit: «Cette génération mauvaise et adultère réclame un signe, mais, en fait de signe, il ne sera donné que celui du prophète Jonas. Car Jonas est resté dans le ventre du monstre marin trois jours et trois nuits; de même, le Fils de l'homme restera au coeur de la terre trois jours et trois nuits. Lors du Jugement, les habitants de Ninive se lèveront en même temps que cette génération, et ils la condamneront; en effet, ils se sont convertis en réponse à la proclamation faite par Jonas, et il y a ici bien plus que Jonas. Lors du Jugement, la reine de Saba se dressera en même temps que cette génération, et elle la condamnera; en effet, elle est venue de l'extrémité du monde pour écouter la sagesse de Salomon, et il y a ici bien plus que Salomon».

«Maître, nous voudrions voir un signe venant de toi»

Abbé Joel PIRES Teixeira
(Faro, Portugal)

Aujourd'hui, Jésus est mis en épreuve par « certains » scribes et pharisiens » (Mt 12,38 ; Mc 10,12), qui se sentent menacés par la personne de Jésus, non pas pour des raisons de foi, mais de pouvoir. Avec la peur de perdre leur pouvoir, ils tentent de discréditer Jésus, en le narguant. Ces « certains » souvent se sont nous-mêmes quand nous sommes emportés par notre égoïsme et nos intérêts individuels. Aussi, quand on regarde l'Eglise comme une réalité purement humaine et non comme un projet d'amour de Dieu pour chacun de nous.

La réponse de Jésus est claire : « Aucun signe leur sera donné » (cf. Mt 12,39) non par peur, mais bien pour souligner et rappeler que les « signes » sont la relation de communication et d'amour entre Dieu et l’humanité ; Ce n'est pas une relation d'intérêts et de pouvoirs individuels. Jésus rappelle qu'il y a beaucoup de signes donnés par Dieu ; et nous n’arriverons pas à Lui en le provocant ou en utilisant le chantage.

Jésus est le plus grand signe. Ce jour-ci la Parole est une invitation pour chacun de nous à comprendre, avec humilité, que seul un cœur converti, tourné vers Dieu, peut recevoir, interpréter et voir ce signe qui est Jésus. L'humilité est la réalité qui nous amène non seulement à Dieu, mais aussi à l'humanité. Par l’humilité, nous reconnaissons nos limites et nos vertus, mais surtout, nous voyons les autres comme frères et Dieu comme Père.

Le Pape François nous fait remémorer, « Le Seigneur est vraiment patient avec nous ! Il ne se lasse jamais de recommencer depuis le début à chaque fois que nous tombons ". Ainsi, malgré nos fautes et provocations, le Seigneur a les bras ouverts pour accueillir et recommencer. Tâchons que notre vie, et aujourd'hui en particulier, ce mot se soit réellement fait en nous. La joie du chrétien est d'être reconnu par l'amour qui est dans votre vie, l'amour qui jaillit de Jésus.

Today we enter the sixteenth ordinary Sunday. Last Sunday we meditated on grains and earth. We still remain on the same theme of grain and the earth that produces, and today we will hear the patience of the sower who sowed the good grains. We are oriented towards the Sower, and invited to meditate on his power and goodness.  This parable confirms to us that the product of the earth is not totally conditioned by the earth itself, for there are also other conditions, the external force, the blessing of grace that makes good things grow in us and the curse of manipulation, which makes violence and vengeance germinate in us. This parable affirms to us an active and dynamic presence of evil in the world that God loves.

Whatever may be the external conditions  or force of the good or bad seeds, it is the earth that has produced the fruit, for it has generously accepted even the bad seeds rather than rejecting them at the source.  The devil can do nothing if man does not cooperate with him. The sower clearly sees a problem, yet he does not rush into it. He takes his time, always mindful of those good seeds, which are faithful to Him, tender and weak today, who grow with the evil ones, in faith and certainly in wisdom. The good grains, always faithful, see the presence of those bad grains that prevent them from going towards the Lord, praying without ceasing, "You, Lord, God of tenderness and pity, slow to anger, full of love and truth! Look towards me, have mercy on me. "We must recognize that some situations are beyond us.

God created the world and He found it good and in the expression of that goodness the devil chose to sow evil. God who searches the hearts of men still watches over these good seeds. He has done good, all that He could do and He continues to do good. It is man in his ignorance has accepted the bad seeds into his heart. The history of creation repeats itself.   Life and death are before man. Instead of choosing life, He chose death. The parable tells us that it was an enemy, working in a hidden way and in the night, who sowed the bad seeds. He is not the shepherd who enters by the main gate, he is a thief who only came to steal. It's up to us to choose.

The Lord adds two more parables that make us understand how God works in us. He presents us with a mustard seed and leaven. The Lord's blessing will not present itself as a mountain with a storm. Blessing and grace come very often in silence and in the murmur of a soft breeze.  Yet it is capable of moving mountains, overturning kingdoms, and radically transforming the person.

The Gospel of the day ends with these words, "He who has ears, let him hear! "The conclusion is a call to conversion. Let us not be afraid of these bad seeds. Let us believe in the Good News of God's presence. Let’s believe with certitude that one single individual like Mother Theresa, or like Abbé Pierre, is capable of changing the world. God works in silence, in the hearts of men. Perhaps, it is you whom the Lord has chosen to transform the world. He who has ears, let him hear! ", Amen.

Gospel text

(Mt 12,14-21): 

The Pharisees went out and made plans to get rid of Jesus. As Jesus was aware of the plot, He went away from that place. Many people followed him and He cured all who were sick. Then He gave them strict orders not to make him known. In this way Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled: «Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, and with whom I am pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him and He will announce my judgment to the nations. He will not argue or shout, nor will his voice be heard in the streets. The bruised reed He will not crush, nor snuff out the smoldering wick. He will persist until justice is made victorious and in him all the nations will put their hope».

«He cured all who were sick»

Fr. Josep Mª MASSANA i Mola OFM
(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, the Gospel brings up a double message. On the one hand, Jesus calls us with a beautiful invitation to follow him: «Many people followed him and He cured all who were sick» (Mt 12:15). If we follow him we shall find the remedy for all the troubles of our journey, as we were reminded not long ago: «Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest» (Mt 11:28). On the other hand, we are showed the value of gentle love: «He will not argue or shout» (Mt 12:19).

He knows we are burdened and weary because of the heaviness of our temperamental and physical weaknesses... and for this unexpected cross that has visited us with all its coarseness, with all our disagreements, disappointments, grief and sorrow. In fact, «the Pharisees went out and made plans to get rid of Jesus» (Mt 12:14) and... if we know the disciple is not above his teacher (cf. Mt 10:24), we should be conscious that we shall also have to suffer from incomprehension and persecution.

All in all, it is a heavy burden upon us, a bundle that strains us. And we feel as if Jesus would be saying: «Cast off your bundle at me feet, and I will take care of it; give me that heavy burden that crashes you, and I will carry it; unload your worries and turn them over to me...».

It is kind of funny: Jesus invites us to cast off our burden, while He is offering us another one: his yoke, with the promise, however, that it is a soft and light one. He wants to show us that we cannot go around the world without any burden upon us. We are to carry some kind of load, anyway. But, let it not be our bundle full of materialism; let it be, instead, his burden that does not encumber us.

In Africa, mothers and elder sisters carry their offspring on their back. A missionary, once, saw a girl carrying her little brother... And he asked her: «Are you sure he is not too heavy for you?». And she answered back without thinking twice: «He is not heavy, he is my little brother, and I love him». Love, Jesus’ yoke, is not only light, but it also sets us free from all that overwhelms us.