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

God makes covenant with the people and assures them His faithfulness. Whenever this people are disturbed, He renews His covenants with all who are with Him. He does not want to lose his people, we confirm Saint John in his gospel. We wish or not, God comes to meet his people. He has always wanted to be with him, so that this world is filled with his goodness and his generosity. He created the world and He found it good, tells us the book of Genesis.

It is in this divine goodness present in this world and his continuouse generosity and in his inexhaustible love that we raise our voice, whenever we are in trouble, towards this God by saying, remember, Lord, your love and your mercy. This cry of the people is a sign of hope and trust. God taught us to shout, to cry to Him with a certainty of His forgiveness. He gives us the hope to rise ourselves like the prodigal son, 'I will get up and go to my Father.' We pray humbly, 'Teach me Lord, your path of truth. May I come back to you and learn to trust you.

Where does this trust come from? It is the baptism that gives us this hope of forgiveness and reconciliation. Since we are the loved ones of God, by our way of life and through our baptism "We become Christians, a being totally different from what we see. The first Sunday of Lent demands us to convert and believe.

For me personally, it's not about abandoning everything we love. In truth, it is a call to return to our desires, the divine desire, the good of all. Man by his own nature seeks truth and the temptation is to stop before reality, without discovering the truth. To convert is to discover this truth, the divine proximity, God with us. The reign of God is near, says the Lord. Conversion is not simply to stop doing evil, bad thinking, etc., it is rather to return home, to find your divine identity, to live yourself as a true man par excellence, to become a just man before this God who is righteous. If you do not know this 'right man', you have to look into the humanity of Jesus. Like us and with us, however, He is very different, Almighty God. To convert is simply to become a man, the very just man before God.

What is needed in the time of Lent is to rediscover that God

makes a covenant with men. He wants to share his life, eternal life with his creation. To live Lent is not to make sacrifices or mortifications or penances first; it is to look towards this God, to become aware of his active presence in us, of his firm commitment to our daily life and of his unwavering love for a people who are usually unfaithful. If we understand this well and if we integrate it into our life and share it with our brothers and sisters, our Lent will be filled with this presence of God who makes a daily alliance with us. I wish you a good Lent.

Gospel text

(Lc 5,27-32): 

After this Jesus went out, and as He noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax-office, He said to him, «Follow me». So Levi, leaving everything, got up and followed Jesus. Levi gave a great feast for Jesus, and many tax collectors came to his house and took their place at table with the other people. Then the Pharisees and their fellow teachers complained to Jesus' disciples, «How is it that you eat and drink with tax collectors and other sinners?». But Jesus spoke up, «Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. I have come to call to repentance; I call sinners, not the righteous».

The Application

This call does give us lot of hope for conversion and we understand the need of the Lord, particularly our own participation in the accomplishment of the will of God. The Kingdom that Jesus has initiated in our time, needs our cooperation and support.

This participation is possible, only if we listen to this call and respond to this call in a positive way. Like Paul who responded positively to this call, and have tasted the divine mercy and love, this Levi, Mathew, too has experienced this love and compassion of the Lord. Certainly, it needs to be feasted and this feast does invite all like him to share his joy and also the Joy of the master.

Today, we have to ask ourselves, am I this Levi who respond positively to the call of God, or like these Pharisees who are generous in passing commands? Does my responding give joy to others and invites them to participate in the joy of the Lord?

A Daily Quote for Lent: 

Our All-powerful Physician, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 AD

"Our wound is serious, but the Physician is all-powerful. Does it seem to you so small a mercy that, while you were living in evil and sinning, he did not take away your life, but brought you to belief and forgave your sins? What I suffer is serious, but I trust the Almighty. I would despair of my mortal wound if I had not found so great a Physician." (excerpt from Sermon 352, 3)

«I have come to call to repentance; I call sinners, not the righteous»

Fr. Joan Carles MONTSERRAT i Pulido 
(Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain)

Today we see how Lent is moving forward and the strength of the conversion our Lord summons us to. The figure of the apostle and evangelist Matthew is very representative of those of us who think that, because of our background, or because of our personal sins or complicated life, we are unworthy of our Lord.

Well, no, we are not; to remove any doubt we might still have, Jesus Christ is offering us the possibility of following him, as He did with the first evangelist, Levi the tax collector, to whom He simply says: «Follow me» (Lk 5:27). With him Jesus does exactly the contrary of what a “sensible” and “wise” mentality would do. If today we wish to pretend being “politically correct”, Levi —instead— came from a world where he was openly rejected by all his compatriots, as he was considered, just because of the fact he was a publican, and a helper of the Romans and, possibly, as much of a corrupt by the “commissions” he might receive, who indulged in choking the poor to collect their taxes; in short, he was considered a public sinner.

Those considering themselves as perfect, could not even think of Jesus not only not requesting them to follow him but not even asking them to his own table.

However, by choosing Levi, Our Lord Jesus Christ is telling us that it is rather this kind of people whom He prefers to call to expand his Kingdom; He has chosen the sick, the sinners, those who consider themselves unworthy: «Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong» (1Cor 1:27). For these are those who need help, and as such, they will also understand those also in need.

We are not to think God wants spotless and immaculate followers to serve him. That privilege belongs only to Our Mother. But for us, subjects of God's eternal salvation and Lent's protagonists, God wants just a contrite and humble heart. In fact, «God has made you weak to give you his own power» (Saint Augustine). This is the type of person who, as the psalm says, God would not despise.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 5,27-32): 

Après cela, il sortit et il remarqua un publicain (collecteur d'impôts) du nom de Lévi assis à son bureau de publicain. Il lui dit: «Suis-moi». Abandonnant tout, l'homme se leva et se mit à le suivre. Lévi lui offrit un grand festin dans sa maison; il y avait une grande foule de publicains et d'autres gens attablés avec eux. Les pharisiens et les scribes de leur parti récriminaient en disant à ses disciples: «Pourquoi mangez-vous et buvez-vous avec les publicains et les pécheurs?». Jésus leur répondit: «Ce ne sont pas les gens en bonne santé qui ont besoin du médecin, mais les malades. Je suis venu appeler non pas les justes mais les pécheurs, pour qu'ils se convertissent».

L’Application

Qui sont ces publicains du jour ? Suis-je y compter ? Certainement nous dirons, oui, car nous sommes tous besoin de nous convertir. Il y a pourtant un comportement très important pour que nous soyons nous convertir ? ECOUTER, simplement écouter le Seigneur et le suivre. Comment pouvons-nous nous convertir, sans avoir écouté cette Parole du Seigneur plein de bonté et de miséricorde ?

«Je suis venu appeler non pas les justes mais les pécheurs»

Abbé Joan Carles MONTSERRAT i Pulido 
(Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui nous voyons s'avancer la Carême ainsi que l'intense conversion à laquelle le Seigneur nous appelle. La figure de l'apôtre et évangéliste Matthieu est très représentative de tous ceux qui en sont venus à croire qu'à cause de leurs parcours, ou de leurs péchés personnels ou des situations compliquées, il est difficile que le Seigneur puisse les choisir comme collaborateurs. 

Mais Jésus Christ, pour écarter tous nos doutes, nous présente comme premier évangéliste, Lévi, le collecteur d'impôts, à qui Il dit tout simplement: «Suis-moi» (Lc 5,27). Il fait avec lui juste le contraire de ce qu'une mentalité “bien-pensante” et “sensée” peu concevoir. Si, aujourd'hui, nous voulons paraître “politiquement corrects”, Lévi —par contre— venait d'un monde où il était rejeté par tous ses compatriotes, car, du fait d'être un publicain, il était considéré comme un collaborateur des Romains et peut-être aussi comme un escroc. En raison des “commissions” qu'il devait percevoir; comme quelqu'un qui pressurisait les pauvres pour lever les impôts; comme un pécheur publique, enfin.

Ceux qui étaient censés être parfaits ne pouvaient se rendre à l'évidence que Jésus ne songeât pas a leur demander de le suivre ou même à s’assoire a sa table.

Mais, en choisissant Lévi, Notre Seigneur Jésus Christ nous dit qu'il aime plutôt s'entourer de ce genre de personnes pour répandre son Royaume; Il a choisi les malades, les pécheurs, ceux qui ne se croient pas justes: «Ce qu'il y a de faible dans le monde, voilà ce que Dieu a choisi pour couvrir de confusion ce qui est fort» (1Co 1,27). Ce qui ont besoin des médecins, et surtout, ceux qui pourront bien comprendre que les autres peuvent en avoir aussi besoin.

Nous devons, donc, repousser la pensée que Dieu nous veut avec des états de service impeccables pour le servir. Cet état de service, Il ne l'a préparé que pour Notre Mère. Mais pour nous tous, soumis au salut de Dieu et protagonistes du Carême, Dieu veut un cœur contrit et humilié. D'ailleurs, «Dieu t'a crée faible pour pouvoir te donner son propre pouvoir» (Saint Augustin). Voila le type de personnes que, selon le psalmiste, Dieu ne méprise pas.

Texte de l'Évangile (Lc 9,22-25): 

Jésus disait à ses disciples: "Il faut que le Fils de l'homme souffre beaucoup, qu'il soit rejeté par les anciens, les chefs de prêtres et les scribes, qu'il soit tué, et que, le troisième jour, il ressuscite". Il disait aussi à la foule: «Celui qui veut marcher à ma suite, qu'il renonce à lui-même, qu'il prenne sa croix chaque jour, et qu'il me suive. Car celui qui veut sauver sa vie la perdra; mais celui qui perdra sa vie pour moi la sauvera. Quel avantage un homme aura-t-il à gagner le monde entier, si c'est en se perdant lui-même et en le payant de sa propre existence?».

«Celui qui veut marcher à ma suite, qu'il renonce à lui-même, qu'il prenne sa croix chaque jour, et qu'il me suive»

Abbé Josep Mª MASSANA i Mola OFM 
(Barcelona, Espagne)

Every year I propose the Lenten season as entering into the desert with Jesus. This year I wish you all to be a faithful pilgrim, with three pillars of our spiritual pilgrimage such as, the prayer and contemplation, the fasting and penitence and the charity and sharing, which are essentially evangelic.  This pilgrimage with these three wheels of our social, spiritual and inner life, is not only towards the Cross and the death, as many of us do recall in these days, by faithfully participating in the way of the cross very often possible, particularly on Fridays with fasting and penitence, but most importantly towards the immense divine love for His unfaithful people (that we are), whom He so loved, assuring them His faithfulness, and promising them the resurrection of the Lord, to be rightfully profited, if we remain faithful to His commandment of love.  It is actually a moment of joy, the joy of home coming, the home coming of the prodigal son, with certitude of divine mercy or pardon and love, insists the Holy Father in his Lenten message to us all.

The first wheel which we will employ in our pilgrimage is, prayer and contemplation. This prayer and contemplation can’t be reduced by simply reciting our prayers, like office and other wonderful prayers given by the Mother Church, through the tradition or reading of the Holy Scripture, though they are essential part of our prayers. It is rather a life in God, fully configured by His divine will. It is entering in a perfect dialogue with God, giving God His due space and time to speak to us, and sincerity of inner silence, from where we will have the capacity to listen, what God has to say to us, then and there. This prayer life, (perfect dialogue) will be transformed by God (elevated), into a perfect contemplation of divine mysteries, particularly the divine love, expressed explicitly and visible to the human sensibilities, in the death and resurrection of His only begotten Son.

The second wheel is the fruit of this first wheel of the pilgrimage, which will lead us towards fasting and penitence. The divine encounter will lead us to identify our own sins and our refusal to the divine love, sometime wilfully and unintentionally.  Thus the fasting and penitence is not to receive a gratification or for a grace, rather, an inner call to the purification and reconciliation, with God, and it is done in a better way, through human reconciliation and justice. We realise with certain just culpability, without self-destroying, how much we too have participated in our silence and sometime directly involving in few actions, in getting not only our human surroundings being deteriorated, even the mother earth, the sea and the sky, part of the creation, leaving them fully polluted. The Holy Father in his Lenten message does remind us of our human responsibilities.

Certainly, this self-realization does pushes us towards the third wheel of our pilgrimage, our engagement, the charity and sharing. The Holy Father asks us, what are we going to do in this season, so that God’s Kingdom may be established, here and now? Thant we may continue the work that Jesus has inaugurated by His incarnation. It is a change from ‘me’ to ‘we’. From the isolation towards the openness. It is simply getting our divine identity re-established in us and around us. This ‘in us’ is being aware that we are children of God and God has created us in His own image and the ‘around us’ is that they may, as saint James says, know us by our acts that we are Christians. Through our witnessing life, that they may see our God. Rather to say, that our words and deeds be a life giving witness of divine work in this world. It is here that our charity like arms giving become a visible sign of invisible truth of divine love, God’s love for the humanity. This charity helps us to identify the other around us and be integrated in the otherness of this large community around us. Thus, we won’t ask any more, ‘who is my neighbour?’  It is in this charity we will find our own response to our baptismal vocation and discover the inner thirst for justice and peace that God has naturally placed in our hearts, very deep to our own existence, our very being.

Let us continue to pray for each other, be generous in pardon and fully engaged in our charity. I wish you all a very good season of Lent and a wonderful preparation for the Resurrection of the Lord. In these days, I assure you all my prayers and do remember me in your prayers. God bless you all.

Texte de l'Évangile (Mc 8,14-21): 

Les disciples avaient oublié de prendre du pain, et ils n'avaient qu'un seul pain avec eux dans la barque. Jésus leur faisait cette recommandation: «Attention! Prenez garde au levain des pharisiens et à celui d'Hérode!». Ils discutaient entre eux sur ce manque de pain. Il s'en aperçoit et leur dit: «Pourquoi discutez-vous sur ce manque de pain? Vous ne voyez pas? Vous ne comprenez pas encore? Vous avez le coeur aveuglé? Vous avez des yeux et vous ne regardez pas, vous avez des oreilles et vous n'écoutez pas? Vous ne vous rappelez pas? Quand j'ai rompu les cinq pains pour cinq mille hommes, combien avez-vous ramassé de paniers pleins de morceaux?». Ils lui répondirent: «Douze». «Et quand j'en ai rompu sept pour quatre mille, combien avez-vous rempli de corbeilles en ramassant les morceaux?». Ils lui répondirent: «Sept». Il leur disait: «Vous ne comprenez pas encore?».

«Attention! Prenez garde au levain des pharisiens et à celui d'Hérode!»

Abbé Juan Carlos CLAVIJO Cifuentes 
(Bogotá, Colombie)

Gospel text

(Mc 8,11-13): 

The Pharisees came and started to argue with Jesus. Hoping to embarrass him, they asked for some heavenly sign. Then his spirit was moved. He gave a deep sigh and said, «Why do the people of this present time ask for a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this people». Then he left them, got into the boat again and went to the other side of the lake.

The Application

Many of us can imagine and think that this gospel doesn’t concern us, because we don’t ask for a sign to put Jesus to test or to embarrass him. If we do a simple examination of conscience, we will discover that we insist that the Lord does a miracle in our favour, or sometime asking to be a just God in punishing the evil doers, or even asking Him an answer for all the injustice or the miseries of the world. Somewhere in our imaginative piety, we wish that the God remains as our simple slave who will respond to all our prayers which are just and validly made in humility and confidence, without taking care of His will or even His desire.  

Gladly God doesn’t listen to all our prayers (the world would have already disappeared). He knows what is best for us and all, and the graces that we are capable of receiving. He responds to these prayers, which are raised with full knowledge of all the events of past, present and future, in accordance with His divine will. Since this God is a God of goodness, He can’t respond to our prayers, which may not achieve this goodness, not only for us, but to all the people of God, the people whom He loves.       

If we search for the signs of Divine love, it is easily found in the smile of a little child, in the gratitude of a beggar, in the eyes of a healed sick person, in the morning smoothening sun, in the docile of the moon, in the dancing of the leaves, in the music of the birds, etc.   There are plenty of human witnesses before us, if we wish to scrutinise the divine sign. Our life and its finality itself is a sign of divine accompaniment and mercy. Those who have eyes, let them see these signs and be happy of God’s love and protection.

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: 

Why does this generation seek a sign, by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)

"But for what sign from heaven were they asking? Maybe that he should hold back the sun, or curb the moon, or bring down thunderbolts, or change the direction of the wind, or something like that?... In Pharaoh's time there was an enemy from whom deliverance was needed (Exodus 3-15). But for one who comes among friends, there should be no need of such signs." (excerpt from GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW, HOMILY 53.3)

«Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given»

Fr. Jordi POU i Sabater 
(Sant Jordi Desvalls, Girona, Spain)

Today, it looks like the Gospel does not say too much about Jesus or about us. «Why do the people of this present time ask for a sign?» (Mk 8:12). Commenting on this episode of Jesus' life, Pope John Paul II says: «Jesus invites us to discern between the words and the deeds testimony of (or a “sign of”) the arrival of God's Kingdom». It seems the Pharisees questioning Jesus are lacking the capacity or the will to discern that sign which —in fact— is the entire manifestation, deeds and words, of the Lord. 

Nowadays, Jesus is also asked for some heavenly signs: that He let us see his presence in our world or that He tells us in a clear cut manner how we are to behave. The Roman Pontiff makes us see that Jesus' negative to give a sign to the Jews —and, consequently, to us, too— is due to the fact He wants to change the «world logics, oriented to look for signs confirming man's desire of assertiveness and power». The Pharisees did not want just any sign, but one showing Jesus as the Messiah they wanted. They were not waiting for the Messiah coming to save them, but for the Messiah who was to give them the certainty they were doing things the right way.

In short, when the Jews in Jesus' time, or to-day's Christians, ask —one way or another— for a sign, what we are actually asking for, is for God to act according to our own way, that which we think is better and which also stands by our way of thinking. But God, who is omniscient and omnipotent (this is why in The Lord's Prayer we say “your will be done”), has His own ways which, more often than not, we find it difficult to understand. But He, who allows us to find him when we are truly looking for him, if we beg him to enlighten us, He will give us to understand which are his ways and how we can, today, distinguish his signs.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 8,11-13): 

Les pharisiens survinrent et se mirent à discuter avec Jésus: pour le mettre à l'épreuve, ils lui demandaient un signe venant du ciel. Jésus soupira au plus profond de lui-même et dit: «Pourquoi cette génération demande-t-elle un signe? Amen, je vous le déclare: aucun signe ne sera donné à cette génération». Puis il les quitta, remonta en barque, et il partit vers l'autre rive.

L’Application

Humainement parlant, un signe peut être très utile pour une personne qui est faible. Alors, les personnes qui demandent un signe dans l’évangile du jour, en vérité ne cherchent pas un signe qui va les amener vers une croyance, mais simplement pour mettre Jésus à l’épreuve. Combien d’entre nous cherchons encore les signes, au mon de la croyance, mais en vérité pour que Dieu s’éprouve comme un Dieu tout puissance et comme un Dieu qui écoute la prière et comme un Dieu qui se met au service de ce people, nous exigeons malheureusement  un miracle ?

Pouvons-nous nous convertir de ce comportement ? Cherchons ce Dieu dans un petit sourire, dans le soleil du matin, dans la parole d’un petit enfant, dans un simple regard d’un SDF, etc. Tout ce qui cherche sincèrement, trouverons plein de signe devant eux, en eux et par tout et en tout.

«Amen, je vous le déclare: aucun signe ne sera donné à cette génération»

Abbé Jordi POU i Sabater 
(Sant Jordi Desvalls, Girona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, l'Évangile ne paraît pas nous apprendre beaucoup de choses ni sur Jésus, ni sur nous-mêmes. «Pourquoi cette génération demande-t-elle un signe?» (Mc 8,12). Commentant cet épisode, Jean-Paul II dit: «Jésus invite au discernement des paroles et des œuvres qui témoignent (elles sont le “signe”) de la venue du royaume du Père». L'on dirait qu'il manque aux juifs qui interrogent Jésus la capacité ou la volonté de discerner ce signe que sont —en fait— toutes les actions, les œuvres et les paroles du Seigneur.

Aujourd'hui aussi l'on demande des signes à Jésus: qu'Il rende sa présence palpable en ce monde, qu'Il nous dise clairement ce que nous devons faire. Le Pape nous fait voir que le refus que Jésus-Christ oppose aux juifs —à nous aussi, par conséquent— est dû à ce qu'Il veut «changer la logique du monde, qui cherche des signes confirmant le désir d'autoaffirmation et de puissance de l'homme». Les juifs ne voulaient pas n'importe quel signe; il leur en fallait un qui indiquât que Jésus était le genre de messie qu'ils attendaient. Ils n'attendaient pas quelqu'un qui venait pour les sauver, mais quelqu'un qui les confirmerait dans leur manière de faire.

En définitive, quand les juifs du temps de Jésus et les chrétiens d'aujourd'hui demandent —d'une façon ou d'une autre— un signe, ce qu'ils font c'est demander à Dieu qu'Il agisse à leur manière, celle qu'ils croient la meilleure et qui, de fait, appuie leur façon de voir. Et Dieu, qui sait et peut davantage (c'est pourquoi nous demandons dans le Notre Père que “sa” volonté soit faite), a ses voies, même si elles nous paraissent difficiles à comprendre. Mais Il se laisse trouver par tous ceux qui le cherchent et, si nous Lui demandons le discernement, Il nous fera comprendre quel est son style et comment nous pouvons distinguer ses signes aujourd'hui.

Texte de l'Évangile (Mc 8,1-10): 

En ces jours-là, comme il y avait de nouveau une grande foule de gens, et qu'ils n'avaient pas de quoi manger, Jésus appelle à lui ses disciples et leur dit: «J'ai pitié de cette foule, car depuis trois jours déjà ils sont avec moi, et n'ont rien à manger. Si je les renvoie chez eux à jeun, ils vont défaillir en route; or, quelques-uns d'entre eux sont venus de loin». Ses disciples lui répondirent: «Où donc pourra-t-on trouver du pain pour qu'ils en mangent à leur faim, dans ce désert?». Il leur demanda: «Combien de pains avez-vous?». Ils lui dirent: «Sept». 

Alors il ordonna à la foule de s'asseoir par terre. Puis, prenant les sept pains et rendant grâce, il les rompit, et il les donnait à ses disciples pour que ceux-ci les distribuent; et ils les distribuèrent à la foule. On avait aussi quelques petits poissons. Il les bénit et les fit distribuer aussi. Ils mangèrent à leur faim, et, des morceaux qui restaient, on ramassa sept corbeilles. Or, ils étaient environ quatre mille. Puis Jésus les renvoya. Aussitôt, montant dans la barque avec ses disciples, il alla dans la région de Dalmanoutha.

«N'ont rien à manger»

Abbé Carles ELÍAS i Cao 
(Barcelona, Espagne)

Gospel text

(Mc 7,31-37): 

Again Jesus set out; from the country of Tyre, passed through Sidon and, skirting the sea of Galilee, he came to the territory of Decapolis. There a deaf man who also had difficulty in speaking was brought to him. They asked Jesus to lay his hand upon him. Jesus took him apart from the crowd, put his fingers into the man's ears and touched his tongue with spittle. Then, looking up to heaven, he groaned and said to him, «Epheta», that is, be opened. 

And his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly. Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone, but the more he insisted on this, the more they proclaimed it. The people were completely astonished and said, «He has done all things well; he makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak».

The Application

There are three elements in today’s gospel for our imitation. First the generosity of the people and their desire to bring this person towards Jesus. We have to ask ourselves, do we have the same generosity, the willingness to bring all those who are in need of Jesus, towards this saviour who can save all?

The second one is the way Jesus does his ministry. Though the essential ministry is not physical healing, Jesus never hesitate to take a step further to reach to the needs of the people. He desires to open our ignorance and consciousness. He wishes that we see ourselves the wonders that the Lord does, not only in the paste, but even today and after. In everything, Jesus gives Himself fully and the best. He continues to do the same to us. All that we need to do is, to approach this redeemer and saviour, who is generous in giving.

The third part is our own attitude in our personal and social life. Let us look at this healed person and the way he has acted after being healed. He announces gladly all that he has received from the Lord. We too have received plenty from the Lord. Do we announce this generosity of the Lord? Do we realise that the Lord is generous in forgiving us and are we ready to forgive others? Do we realise the inner freedom that the Lord has accorded to us, directly or indirectly? And what have we done………..? Saint Paul says that announcing this generosity of the Lord is not simply a mission confined to him, rather a necessity and he can’t justly live without announcing this desire of God to save us. And we………………and what are you going to do today?

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: 

The touch of the Lord, by Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD)

"That power which may not be handled came down and clothed itself in members that may be touched, that the desperate may draw near to him, that in touching his humanity they may discern his divinity. For that speechless man the Lord healed with the fingers of his body. He put his fingers into the man's ears and touched his tongue. At that moment with fingers that may be touched, he touched the Godhead that may not be touched. Immediately this loosed the string of his tongue (Mark 7:32-37), and opened the clogged doors of his ears. For the very architect of the body itself and artificer of all flesh had come personally to him, and with his gentle voice tenderly opened up his obstructed ears. Then his mouth which had been so closed up that it could not give birth to a word, gave birth to praise him who made its barrenness fruitful. The One who immediately had given to Adam speech without teaching, gave speech to him so that he could speak easily a language that is learned only with difficulty (Genesis 1:27-28). (excerpt from HOMILY ON OUR LORD 10.3)

«He has done all things well»

Fr. Joan MARQUÉS i Suriñach 
(Vilamarí, Girona, Spain)

Today, the Gospel presents us with a miracle of Jesus: he makes the deaf hear and the mute speak. The people was astonished and said: «He has done all things well» (Mk 7:37). 

This is Jesus' biography as narrated by his contemporaries. A short but complete biography. Who is this Jesus? He is who has done all things well. In the double sense of the word: in the what and the how, in the substance and the manner. He is who has only done good deeds, and who has done them well, perfectly and properly finished. Jesus is a person that does everything well, because He does only good works, and those He does, He delivers well finished. He does not leave anything unfinished; nor does He leave it to be finished later on. 

—Why don't you also try to leave everything ready now: your prayers; treating your family and other people; your work; the apostolate; your diligence to develop yourself both spiritually and professionally... Be demanding with yourself, and be also demanding, softly, but demanding, with those depending upon you. Do not tolerate any shoddiness. God dislikes them and they bother your fellowmen. Do not take this attitude just to pretend, nor because this procedure is the most profitable one, even from a human point of view; do it because God does not like “bad” works nor “good” things done badly. The Holy Scripture asserts: «The works of God are perfect» (Deut 32:4). And the Lord, through Moses, tells the People of Israel: «Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf» (Lev 22:20). Ask for the maternal help of the Virgin Mary, as Jesus also did.

Saint Josemaria offers us the secret to succeed: «Do what you should and watch what you do». Is this how you behave?