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

Gospel text

(Lc 11,37-41): 

As Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to have a meal with him. So He went and sat at table. The Pharisee then wondered why Jesus did not first wash his hands before dinner. But the Lord said to him, «So then, you Pharisees, you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside yourselves you are full of greed and evil. Fools! He who made the outside, also made the inside. But according to you, by the mere giving of alms everything is made clean».

The Application

Every day is a new day, with new vitality and sometime with discouragements. Some days are filled with many activities and another will be a slow moody day. However the person who acts is always the same. Jesus is inviting each and every one of us to discover this invisible person through visible signs of life, in every human encounter.

God sees our interiority and man discovers it through the exterior elements. The more we learn to see the invisible truth of the person, the less we will be judgemental, rather filled with mercy and compassion. It’s here we become divine in our approach et our ordinary human encounter becomes de facto divine, without even we become conscience of the divine work through us.

Paul is calling the new converts to have a new behavioural changes and not to fall back to old laws and traditions. He is reminding them that we are not the people of law, rather new people of covenant. If we become aware of this covenant that God has done through the death and resurrection of the Lord, we can’t afford to remain the same old people.  Like Paul, we will be radically a different person, both internally and externally, both in our words and deeds. Have a wonderful day.

«But according to you, by the mere giving of alms everything is made clean»

Fr. Pedro IGLESIAS Martínez 
(Rubí, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, the evangelist shows us Jesus at a banquet: «A Pharisee asked him to have a meal with him» (Lk 11:37). The host must have frowned when he realized his guest could not care less about the hand washing ritual (which was not a precept of Law, but just a tradition from the old rabbis) on top of frowning upon him and his social group. The Pharisee did not hit the right day, and Jesus' behavior, as we would say today, was not “politically correct”.

The Gospels show us that the Lord was basically uninterested in what “people might say” or in what may be considered “politically correct” behavior; we see in the Gospels that Jesus didn’t care much for what people might say or what is politically correct, whether we like it or not. These are not criteria on which Christians should base their decisions. Jesus clearly condemns double morality, which clearly seeks convenience or deception: «So then, you Pharisees, you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside yourselves you are full of greed and evil. Fools!» (Lk 11:39). God's word, as usual, questions us about customs and habits of our daily life, when we end up converting trivia into “values”, to disguise our sins of arrogance, selfishness and conceit, while attempting to “globalize” morals with political correction in order to avoid being out of tune or being marginalized, and this, irrespective of the price to be paid in terms of the soilure of our soul, as, after all, everybody does the same.

St. Basil used to say, «he who is prudent must be mostly afraid of living pending of others' opinion». If we are witnesses to Christ, we must know that the truth will always shine through. This is our mission amidst these men we share our live with, while trying to keep us clean after the model of man God has revealed to us in Christ. The cleanliness of spirit goes far beyond any social forms and, if we ever have any doubts, let us then remember that blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God. Each one must decide what he wants to see for all eternity.

Texte de l'Évangile (Lc 11,37-41): 

Comme Jésus parlait, un pharisien l'invita pour le repas de midi. Jésus entra chez lui et se mit à table. Le pharisien fut étonné en voyant qu'il n'avait pas d'abord fait son ablution avant le repas. Le Seigneur lui dit: «Bien sûr, vous les pharisiens, vous purifiez l'extérieur de la coupe et du plat, mais à l'intérieur vous êtes remplis de cupidité et de méchanceté. Insensés! Celui qui a fait l'extérieur n'a-t-il pas fait aussi l'intérieur? Donnez plutôt en aumônes ce que vous avez, et alors tout sera pur pour vous».

«Donnez plutôt en aumônes ce que vous avez, et alors tout sera pur pour vous»

Abbé Pedro IGLESIAS Martínez 
(Rubí, Barcelona, Espagne)

Gospel text

(Lc 11,29-32): 

As the crowd increased, Jesus began to speak in this way, «People of the present time are evil people. They ask for a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign for this generation. The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here there is greater than Solomon. The people of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for Jonah's preaching made them turn from their sins, and here there is greater than Jonah».

The Application

We are called by the world as a believing community, a community of believers, which goes beyond human intelligence. Sadly we have inherited from our salvation history which also narrates the infidelity of the same people and a faithful GOD. Both are two sides of the same coin. The people of old covenant is still alive in us, while proclaiming that we are the people of the new covenant in CHRIST.

Let’s not be discouraged of our past, because we have a God who sees further, not behind of our present life. It’s here Jesus seems to be disappointed with the people of then generation, which demanded a sign from God. They were not able to see the visible signs in Jesus, present before their eyes.

It’s equally important to verify our own approach towards this God.  God has already given us a beautiful sign through the death and resurrection of His only begotten Son and through people and events, He continues to give many other wonderful sings today. Are we still a disappointed people, because He didn’t respond to our present prayers and waiting for a healing or caring sign, or even a miracle? If yes, what’s the difference it makes from the people of then generation and of our time? By this approach, are we participating directly or indirectly to the same evil generation that Jesus points out?

Saint Theresa of Avila says that Jesus is her friend and she will do everything for this friend, including embracing the suffering. She doesn’t wish that Jesus suffers once again and readies to suffer for Him, because she loves Him. Are we loving Jesus with the same intensity or at least trying to love Him? What’s that pure act that we present before Him, as our sign of love? Shall we make an effort to do something special for Him today? Shall we become accomplishers of the divine will?

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: 

The sign of Jonah,

by an anonymous early author from the Greek church

"'What is the sign of Jonah? The stumbling block of the cross. So it is not the disputers of knowledge who will be saved but those who believe true teaching. For the cross of Christ is indeed a stumbling block to those who dispute knowledge but salvation to those who believe. Paul testifies to this: 'But we, for our part, preach the crucified Christ - to the Jews indeed a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God' (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Why do the Jews seek signs and the Greeks seek wisdom? God pointed to the sign of the stumbling block of the cross to both the Jews and the Greeks. Thus those who wish to find Christ not through faith but through wisdom will perish on the stumbling block of foolishness. Those who wish to know the Son of God not through faith but through a demonstration of signs will remain trapped in their disbelief, falling on the stumbling block of his death. It is no small wonder that the Jews, considering the death of Christ, thought he was merely a man, when even Christians - as they purport to be but really are not - because of his death are reluctant to declare the only begotten, the crucified, as incomparable majesty." (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 30, the Greek fathers).

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 11,29-32): 

Comme la foule s'amassait, Jésus se mit à dire: «Cette génération est une génération mauvaise: elle demande un signe, mais en fait de signe il ne lui sera donné que celui de Jonas. Car Jonas a été un signe pour les habitants de Ninive; il en sera de même avec le Fils de l'homme pour cette génération. Lors du Jugement, la reine de Saba se dressera en même temps que les hommes de cette génération, et elle les 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. 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».

L’Application

Sans entrer dans l’histoire d’Agar et Sarah, nous devons reconnaitre que Dieu est juste et Il protège tous. L’histoire du salut nous aide à comprendre non seulement l’infidélité du peuple de Dieu, mais aussi la fidélité divine. Puisque cette histoire du salut, est la-nôtre, même si nous partageons avec eux à l’infidélité à cause de notre liens (nature humaine), Jésus nous met en garde, que nous sommes un peuple de la nouvelle alliance et nous devons avoir un comportement digne du peuple de cette alliance nouvelle (un peuple saint).

Jésus nous invite à découvrir et à croire Dieu en Lui. Si sa mort et sa résurrection ne sont pas appropriés comme un cadeau offert par Dieu pour le salut des hommes, nous ne sommes plus ses disciples et nous participons plus à la nouvelle alliance, donc non plus un peuple saint. Là, nous serons jugés par ce peuple de l’ancienne alliance, car il ne connaissait pas le CHRIST.

La connaissance divine nous aide à approfondir notre foi. La foi est la source de tous les actes humains. Cette foi crée une amitié avec le Christ et cette amitié nous pousse vers les autres et nous met en service au peuple de Dieu (enseignement de Sainte Thérèse). Ce service est un visage de ce Dieu d’amour et de miséricorde.

«Cette génération est une génération mauvaise: elle demande un signe»

Abbé Raimondo M. SORGIA Mannai OP 
(San Domenico di Fiesole, Florencia, Italie)

Aujourd'hui, la voix douce –mais sévère– du Christ met en garde ceux qui sont convaincus d'avoir déjà leur “ticket” pour le Paradis, parce qu'ils disent: «Jésus, comme tu es beau!». Le Christ a payé le prix de notre salut sans exclure qui que ce soit, mais il faut remplir certaines conditions élémentaires. Entre autres, celle de ne pas prétendre que le Christ fasse tout, nous rien. Ce serait non seulement une sottise, mais un mauvais orgueil. C'est pourquoi le Seigneur emploie aujourd'hui le mot “mauvais”: «Cette génération est une génération mauvaise: elle demande un signe, mais en fait de signe il ne lui sera donné que celui de Jonas» (Lc 11,29). Il l'appelle “mauvaise” parce qu'elle subordonne son éventuelle et condescendante adhésion à la condition de voir des miracles spectaculaires.

Jésus n'accepta jamais d'agir ainsi, même devant ses compatriotes de Nazareth, qui exigeaient qu'Il garantisse sa mission de prophète et de Messie par de prodigieux miracles, à savourer assis dans un fauteuil de cinéma. Mais c'est impossible: le Seigneur offre son salut à ceux-là seuls qui se soumettent à Lui par une obéissance qui naît de la foi, qui espère et se tait. Dieu requiert cette foi antécédente (qu'Il a mise en nous comme semence de grâce).

Contre cette caricature de foi, la reine de Saba se lèvera, elle qui vint des confins de la terre pour écouter la sagesse de Salomon, alors que «il y a ici bien plus que Salomon» (Lc 11,31). Un proverbe dit: «Il n'est pire sourd que celui qui ne veut pas entendre». Le Christ, condamné à mort, ressuscitera trois jours plus tard: à qui Le reconnaît, Il propose le salut; aux autres –quand Il reviendra comme Juge– il ne restera plus qu'à entendre la condamnation pour leur incrédulité obstinée. Prenons les devants: acceptons-Le avec foi et amour. Nous Le reconnaîtrons et Il nous reconnaîtra comme siens. Le serviteur de Dieu Don Albérione disait: «Dieu ne gaspille pas l'électricité: il éclaire les lampes nécessaires, toujours au bon moment».

The gospel of the day is a way of life and if applied in our daily life, we can learn to discern and act in a right way, according to the divine will, which will in return will assure us the joy of eternal life. This path is a path of wisdom that helps us to discern not only spiritual part of our life, but also the good gestation of our material life.

If we look at the gospel of the day we will find out that Jesus is on the march, on the march towards us, towards a people He loves. A program already launched and he is on the way. It is here that he is obliged to take a break, by a profession of faith, "Good Master". Since He is good, it is necessary for him to stop and listen to the concern of his people. He will listen carefully to this man's request, and he will not stop his journey. Jesus will associate this goodness with his Father, for He is with Him. Jesus is in the Father, he will certainly restart his journey, to fulfil the divine will. For us Christians, we must know how to stop and restart, like the Good Samaritan, by doing everything we can do, with our limits and capacities.

In order to have eternal life, Jesus directs us once again to ourselves with the means He has already provided. These are the sacred writings, the history of salvation, the tradition of the people, the cults we celebrate, etc. are there to accompany us on this journey towards holiness.  We cannot address ourselves  before God without being faithful to our baptismal commitments. If we are faithful to our Christian commitments, like this young man, we will have a good gift, a precious gift, a divine gaze, a look filled with love and compassion. "Jesus looked at him and loved him. "This look of love will show us all that we lack, as it did to this man who sought eternal life.

It was in this love that the Lord proposed this requirement to him. A requirement outside our scope? Certainly not. God has granted him a material and also spiritual wealth.  This desire for eternal life is a spiritual richness that God already put in heart. Yet this man did not want to use his material wealth to acquire spiritual wealth. The solution was just to give up everything that was stopping you from moving forward in life. A life of holiness cannot be attached only to the fleshly goods.

To remove all that is wrong and evil in us is an obligation. Even a small child knows this without giving him a lesson in discernment. Removing all that is good in us, especially that which hinders us from moving forward, requires a process of discernment, a spiritual discernment. The goods that God granted to this man had a purpose that he conveniently ignored. Since this wealth prevented him from advancing towards the holiness he desired, the Lord suggested that he move away from his material goods.

God is not against wealth, yet he is against the wealth that we have disproportionately appropriated, against the divine will. God is against the hardness of heart that refuses to share with others who need it. God created the world and He found it good. Fortunately, he still finds it good.

Today's gospel gives us a lot of hope. He invites us not to close our hearts, but to open them to the infinite of God. God reminds us, "you are missing one thing, one thing only". You must know how to empty yourself, so that I can fill you with grace and happiness. He warns us that our dependence on the material or intellectual goods, may hinder us to have our hope in the providence of the Lord. The more we think that we are rich, the more is the danger of going away from God.

Lord, I surrender myself to you. May you take me in grace and bless me. I share with you this prayer of covenant that Saint Ignatius gave us to conclude my homily. "Take, Lord, and receive all my freedom, my memory, my intelligence and all my will, all that I have, You have given it to me;  Lord, I give it back. Everything is yours, dispose of it according to your entire will. Give me your love and grace. That's enough for me. Amen.

L’évangile du jour est un chemin de la vie. Ce chemin est un chemin de sagesse qui nous aide à bien discerner non seulement les choses matérielles, mais aussi les choses spirituelles. Regardons encore une fois l’évangile du jour. Jésus est en marche, en marche vers nous, vers un peuple qu’Il aime. Un programme déjà lancé et il est en route. C’est ici il est obligé de faire une pause, par une profession de foi, ‘Bon Maître’. Puisqu’Il est bon, il faut qui s’arrête et qu’il écoute le souci de son peuple. Il écoutera soigneusement la demande de cet homme, et il ne s’arrêtera pas son parcours. Jésus va s’associé cette bonté à son Père, car Il est avec Lui. Jésus va le reprendre son chemin après avoir fait une pause, pour accomplir la volonté divine. Pour nous les chrétiens, il faut savoir s’arrêter et se reprendre, comme le Bon Samaritain, en faisant tout ce que nous pouvons faire, avec nos limites et nos capacités.

Pour avoir la vie éternelle, Jésus nous oriente encore une fois vers nous-mêmes avec les moyens qu’Il nous a déjà disposé. Voilà les écritures sacrées, l’histoire du salut, la tradition du peuple, les cultes que nous célébrons, etc sont-là pour nous accompagnement dans ce cheminement vers la sainteté.  Nous ne pouvons pas nous s’adresser justement devant Dieu, sans d’être fidèles à nos engagements baptismal. Si on est fidèle à nos engagements chrétiens, comme cet homme jeune, nous aurons un bon cadeau, un cadeau précieux, un regard divin, un regard rempli d’amour et de compassion. « Jésus posa son regard sur lui, et il l’aima. » Ce regard d’amour nous montera tout ce qui nous manque, comme il l’a fait à cet homme qui a cherché la vie éternelle.

C’est dans cet amour que le Seigneur lui proposa cette exigence. Une exigence hors de notre protée ? Certainement pas. Dieu lui a accordé une richesse matérielle et aussi spirituelle.  Ce désire pour la vie éternelle est une richesse spirituelle que Dieu déjà mis dans cœur. Pourtant cet homme n’a pas voulu utiliser ses richesses matérielles pour acquérir les richesses spirituelles. La solution était seulement céder tout ce qui t’empêche d’avancer dans la vie. Une vie de sainteté, ne peut s’attacher uniquement  aux biens charnels.

Enlever tout ce qui est mal et mauvais en nous, est une obligation. Même un petit enfant le sait sans lui faire une leçon de discernement. Enlever tout ce qui est bon en nous, particulièrement ce qui nous gêne de nous avancer, demande un processus de discernement, un discernement spirituel. Les biens que Dieu a accordés à cet homme avaient une finalité qu’il ignorait commodément. Puisque cette richesse l’empêchait d’avancer vers la sainteté qu’il désirait, le Seigneur lui proposa de s’éloigner de ses biens matériels.

Dieu n’est pas contre la richesse, pourtant il est contre la richesse que nous avons approprié disproportionnellement, contre la volonté divine. Dieu est contre la dureté de cœur qui refuse de partager avec les autres qui en ont besoin. Dieu créa le monde et Il le trouva bon. Heureusement, Il le trouve encore bon.

L’évangile du jour nous donne beaucoup d’espérance. Il nous invite à ne pas fermer notre cœur, mais à l’ouvrir à l’infini de Dieu. Dieu nous en rappelle, ‘il te manque une chose, une seule chose’. Il faut savoir te vider, pour que Je puisse te remplir avec la grâce et le bonheur.

Seigneur, je m’abandonne à toi. Que tu me prennes en grâce et que tu me bénisses. Je partage avec vous cette prière d’alliance que saint Ignace nous a donné pour terminer mon homélie. « Prends, Seigneur, et reçois toute ma liberté, ma mémoire, mon intelligence et toute ma volonté, tout ce que j’ai et tout ce que je possède, Tu me l’as donné ; à toi, Seigneur, je le rends. Tout est à toi, disposes-en selon ton entière volonté. Donne-moi ton amour et ta grâce. C’est assez pour moi. Amen.

Gospel text

(Lc 11,27-28): 

As Jesus was speaking, a woman spoke from the crowd and said to him, «Blessed is the one who bore you and nursed you!». Jesus replied, «Surely blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it as well».

The Application

Jesus revealing to us the source of the joy of his mother. What is visible to the world about the mother of Jesus is, that she was a proud and happy mother. Any mother can sense this pride and joy, when their children take the centre place in a given society.

Jesus is taking us from this visible joy, the invisible reason of this inner joy and happiness. She could be an instrument in the hand of the creator to save the whole world. Though her YES was quite expense, right from the beginning till the end, she found lots of energy and support in her Lord, who has called her.

Jesus is inviting each and every one of us to participate in the joy of His mother. To respond to the call of the Lord, we should learn to listen to the Lord. Very often the Lord speaks to us, not in the thunder, rather in the murmur or the whisper of the wind. Do we have the ears to listen to the Lord?  

«Blessed is the one who bore you and nursed you!»

Fr. Jaume AYMAR i Ragolta 
(Badalona, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we hear the best compliment Jesus could make of his own Mother: «Surely blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it as well!» (Lk 11:28). With this reply, Jesus Christ does not reject the enthusiastic praise that plain woman dedicated to his Mother, but He acknowledges it and goes even further, when stating that the Blessed Virgin Mary is blessed —mostly!— because she has been good and faithful in keeping the word of God.

At times, people ask me whether we Christians believe in predestination, as other religions do. Certainly not!: we Christians believe God has reserved for us a destination of happiness. God wants us to be happy, fortunate, blessed. Take notice how this word is being repeated in Jesus' teachings: «Blessed, blessed, blessed...». «Blessed are the poor, the meek, the merciful, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who have not seen and yet have believed» (cf. Mt 5:3-12; Jn 20:29). God wants our happiness, a happiness that begins right here in this world, even though the path leading to it is not wealth, or power, or easy success, or fame, but, the poor and humble love of he who expects it all. The joy to believe! That joy Jacques Maritain, the converted one, spoke about.

It is a kind of happiness which is greater than the joy of living, because we believe in an endless and eternal life. Mary, Jesus' Mother, is not only blessed because she bore him and nursed him —as spontaneously surmised that local woman— but, mainly, because of her having heard the Word and kept it: for having loved and having let his Son Jesus love her. As the poet wrote: «Being able to say “mother” and being addressed as “my son” / is what God envied us». Let Mary, Mother of Divine Love, pray for us.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 11,27-28): 

Comme Jésus était en train de parler, une femme éleva la voix au milieu de la foule pour lui dire: «Heureuse la mère qui t'a porté dans ses entrailles, et qui t'a nourri de son lait!». Alors Jésus lui déclara: «Heureux plutôt ceux qui entendent la parole de Dieu, et qui la gardent!».

L’Application

Jésus nous oriente vers l’invisibilité, la vérité. Tout ce qui est visible à nous ce que Marie la mère de Jésus est une femme heureuse. Cette joie n’est pas née de la naissance de son Fils, plutôt de pouvoir répondre positivement à l’appel de Dieu. « Heureuse celle qui a écouté la demande et a dit OUI à son appel. » Jésus nous dévoile la source de la joie de sa mère.

Très souvent nous perdons beaucoup de temps par les mots et nous n’entendons pas la Parole de Dieu. Dieu se communique mieux dans le SILENCE. Pour répondre, il faut l’entendre. Avons-nous les oreilles pour l’entendre ?

«Heureuse la mère qui t'a porté dans ses entrailles, et qui t'a nourri de son lait!»

Abbé Jaume AYMAR i Ragolta 
(Badalona, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, nous écoutons la meilleurs des éloges que Jésus pouvait faire à sa propre mère: «Heureux (…) ceux qui entendent la parole de Dieu, et qui la gardent!» (Lc 11,28). Avec cette réponse, Jésus-Christ ne repousse pas l'éloge que cette simple femme faisait de façon passionnée à sa Mère, sinon qu'Il l'accepte et va plus loin, expliquant que la Très-Sainte-Marie était bienheureuse –surtout!- pour le fait d'avoir été bonne et fidèle d'avoir accompli la Parole de Dieu.

Quelques fois, on me demande si les chrétiens croient à la prédestination, comme on y croit dans d'autres religions. Non!: les chrétiens croyons que Dieu nous prépare un destin de bonheur éternel. Dieu veut que nous soyons heureux, fortunés, bienheureux. Prenons conscience de la fréquence de ces paroles dans les enseignements de Jésus: «Bienheureux, bienheureux, bienheureux…». «Bienheureux les pauvres, les miséricordieux, ceux qui ont faim et soif de justice, ceux qui créerons sans avoir vu» (cf. Mt 5,3-12; Jn 20,29). Dieu veut notre bonheur, un bonheur qui commence déjà en ce monde, bien que les chemins pour y arriver ne soit pas la richesse, ni le pouvoir, ni le succès facile, sinon l'amour pauvre et humble de celui qui est dans l'attente. La joie de croire! Cette joie dont parlait le converti Jacques Maritain.

Il s'agit d'un bonheur qui est encore plus grand que la joie de vivre, car nous croyons d'une vie sans fin, éternelle. Marie, la Mère de Jésus, non seulement est fortunée d'avoir amené au monde, pour l'avoir nourri et éduqué —comme disait spontanément cette femme du village— sinon, surtout, pour avoir été à l'écoute de la Parole et pour l'avoir mise en pratique: pour avoir aimé et pour s'être laissé aimer par son Fils Jésus. Comme disait le poète: «Pouvoir dire «mère» et s'entendre dire «mon fils» / c'est la chance qui faisait envi de Dieu». Que Marie, Mère du Belle Amour, prie pour nous.

Texte de l'Évangile (Lc 11,15-26): 

Mais certains se mirent à dire: «C'est par Béelzéboul, le chef des démons, qu'il expulse les démons». D'autres, pour le mettre à l'épreuve, lui réclamaient un signe venant du ciel. 

Jésus, connaissant leurs intentions, leur dit: «Tout royaume divisé devient un désert, ses maisons s'écroulent les unes sur les autres. Si Satan, lui aussi, est divisé, comment son royaume tiendra-t-il? Vous dites que c'est par Béelzéboul que j'expulse les démons. Et si c'est par Béelzéboul que moi, je les expulse, vos disciples, par qui les expulsent-ils? C'est pourquoi ils seront eux-mêmes vos juges. Mais si c'est par le doigt de Dieu que j'expulse les démons, c'est donc que le règne de Dieu est survenu pour vous. 

»Quand l'homme fort et bien armé garde son palais, tout ce qui lui appartient est en sécurité. Mais si un plus fort intervient et triomphe de lui, il lui enlève l'équipement de combat qui lui donnait confiance, et il distribue tout ce qu'il lui a pris. Celui qui n'est pas avec moi est contre moi; celui qui ne rassemble pas avec moi disperse. Quand l'esprit mauvais est sorti d'un homme, il parcourt les terres desséchées en cherchant un lieu de repos. Et comme il n'en trouve pas, il se dit: ‘Je vais retourner dans ma maison, d'où je suis sorti’. En arrivant, il la trouve balayée et bien rangée. Alors, il s'en va, et il prend sept autres esprits encore plus mauvais que lui, ils y entrent, et ils s'y installent. Ainsi, l'état de cet homme est pire à la fin qu'au début».

«Certains se mirent à dire: ‘C'est par Béelzéboul, le chef des démons, qu'il expulse les démons’»

Abbé Josep PAUSAS i Mas 
(Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Espagne)

Gospel text

(Lc 11,5-13): 

Jesus said to his disciples, «Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to his house in the middle of the night and says: ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine who is traveling has just arrived and I have nothing to offer him’. Maybe your friend will answer from inside: ‘Don't bother me now; the door is locked and my children and I are in bed, so I can't get up and give you anything’. But I tell you, even though he will not get up and attend to you because you are a friend, yet he will get up because you are a bother to him, and he will give you all you need.

»And so I say to you, Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For the one who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to him who knocks the door will be opened. If your child asks for a fish, will you give a snake instead? And if your child asks for an egg, will you give a scorpion? Even you evil people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more then will the Father in heaven give holy spirit to those who ask him!».

The Application

Many of us are very often disappointed with our faith and prayer, because we feel that many of our just demands are not answered. We are so stupid that we still demand for sandwich, after having a great banquet. We reduce our life with logic and laws, remaining believers, and refuse to get the message communicated to us through the faith, says St. Paul.

For our reflexion, I would like to invite you all to mediate on these few words of the gospel.

Demand (ask): what to demand and why to demand.

Knock: where to knock and how to knock?

Search: what to search and where to search?

Door: what is the symbolic representation of ‘door’ for you personally?

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: 

Ask by praying, seek by proper living, knock by persevering, 

by Bede the Venerable, 672-735 A.D.

"Desiring that we arrive at the joys of the heavenly kingdom, our Lord and Savior taught us to ask these joys of him and promised that he would give them to us if we asked for them. 'Ask,' he said, 'and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.' Dearly beloved..., we earnestly and with our whole heart must ponder these words of our Lord. He bears witness that the kingdom of heaven is not given to, found by and opened to those who are idle and unoccupied but to those who ask for it, seek after it and knock at its gates. The gate of the kingdom must be asked for by praying. It must be sought after by living properly. It must be knocked at by persevering." (excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 2.51.20)

«How much more then will the Father in heaven give holy spirit to those who ask him!»

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

Today, the Gospel is a catechesis by Jesus on prayer. He solemnly asserts that the Father always listens to him: «Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you» (Lk 11:9).

At times, we may think reality indicates that it is not always the case, that it does not actually “works” in such a way. This is because we must want to pray with an attitude adequate to an effective prayer!

The first premise is dedication and perseverance. We must pray avoiding feeling disheartened, even if we think our prayer is being ignored, or is not given heed to, right away. This is the attitude of that inappropriate man calling on his friend's home, in the middle of the night, to request a favor. With his doggedness he will get the loaves he needs. God is the friend who listens from within to whom is persistent enough. We must believe that He will end up by giving us what we are asking, because in addition to being a friend, He is also our Father.

The second stipulation Jesus teaches us is confidence and filial love. God's paternity goes far beyond man's paternity, which is limited and imperfect: «Even you evil people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more then will the Father in Heaven…!» (Lk 11:13).

The Third one: above all we must ask for the Holy Spirit and not only for material things. Jesus encourages us to invoke him, assuring us we shall receive it: «...much more then will Father in heaven give Holy Spirit to those who ask him!» (Lk 11:13). This petition is always listened to. It is very much like asking the grace of the prayer, as the Holy Spirit is its source and its origin.

The blessed fra Giles of Assisi, one of St. Francis' friars and friends, summarizes the idea of this Gospel when he says: «Pray faithfully and devotedly, because a grace God has not granted you once, He may grant to you some other time. On your hand, humbly place your whole mind in God, and God will place his grace in you, as and when He pleases».