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

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 6,6-11): 

Un autre jour de sabbat, Jésus était entré dans la synagogue et enseignait. Il y avait là un homme dont la main droite était paralysée. Les scribes et les pharisiens observaient Jésus afin de voir s'il ferait une guérison le jour du sabbat; ils auraient ainsi un motif pour l'accuser. Mais il connaissait leurs pensées, et il dit à l'homme qui avait la main paralysée: «Lève-toi, et reste debout devant tout le monde». L'homme se leva et se tint debout. Jésus leur dit: «Je vous le demande: Est-il permis, le jour du sabbat, de faire le bien, ou de faire le mal? de sauver une vie, ou de la perdre?». Alors, promenant son regard sur eux tous, il dit à l'homme: «Étends ta main». Il le fit, et sa main redevint normale. Quant à eux, ils furent remplis de fureur et ils discutaient entre eux sur ce qu'ils allaient faire à Jésus.

L’application

Comment appliquer cet évangile dans notre vie quotidienne ? Regardons la manière dont Jésus a regardé, et a agis, et imitons-Le dans notre vie quotidienne. Devant Lui il y a une grande foule, une personne malade et les élites. Parmi les gens, c’était la malade qui avait besoin de Jésus. Il faut discerner qui a besoin de nous et tout ce que nous pouvons apporter pour le bien des autres.

Jésus a libéré cet homme et nous pouvons libérer les autres de leur égoïsme, de leur individualisme, etc. Avant tout, comme Jésus qui était un homme libre, nous devons nous même libérer de tout ce qui nous enferme en nous-même.

Faisons une relecture sur cet événement. Pourquoi Jésus a agis comme ça, particulièrement dans ce jour de sabbat et quel était son raisonnement ? Discernons-nous le raisonnement de son actes, avant d’agir ?

«Lève-toi, et reste debout devant tout le monde (…). Étends ta main»

Abbé Julio César RAMOS González SDB 
(Mendoza, Argentine)

Aujourd'hui, Jésus nous donne en exemple la liberté. Nous parlons tellement d'elle de nos jours. Mais, à la différence de ce qu'aujourd'hui on annonce et on vit comme “liberté”, celle de Jésus est une liberté totalement associée et adhérée à l'action du Père. Lui-même dira: «Je vous assure que le Fils de l'homme ne peut faire quoi que ce soit de lui-même, sinon seulement ce qu'il voit faire par le Père; ce que le Père fait, le fait le Fils» (Jn 5,19). Et le Père agit seulement par amour. 

L'amour ne s'impose pas, mais fait agir, mobilise rendant généreusement la vie. Cet ordre de Jésus: «Lève-toi, et reste debout devant tout le monde» (Lc 6,8) a la force de recréer de celui qui aime, et qui par la parole agit. Encore davantage: «Étends ta main» (Lc 6,10), qui termine par un miracle, rétablit définitivement la force et la vie à ce qui était faible et mort. “Sauver” signifie arracher à la mort, et c'est la même parole qui se traduit par “guérir”. Jésus en guérissant, sauve ce qu'il y avait de mort en ce pauvre homme malade, ce qui constitue un signe, on ne peut plus claire, de l'amour de Dieu le Père pour ses créatures. Ainsi, dans la nouvelle création dans laquelle le Fils ne fera autre chose que ce qu'il voit faire par le Père, la nouvelle loi qui règnera sera celle de l’amour qui se manifeste à travers l'action, et non celle d'un repos “inactif” incluant pour faire le bien à un frère qui a besoin d'aide. 

En conséquence, conjuguer liberté et amour est la clef d’aujourd’hui. Conjuguer liberté et amour à la façon de Jésus. Ce que disait Saint Augustin est maintenant pleinement en vigueur pour apprendre à ressembler pleinement au Christ Sauveur : « Aime et fait ce que tu veux».

Gospel text

(Lc 6,1-5): 

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the corn fields and his disciples began to pick heads of grain crushing them in their hands for food. Some of the Pharisees asked them, «Why do you do what is forbidden on the Sabbath?». Then Jesus spoke, «Have you never read what David did when he and his men were hungry?. He entered the house of God, took and ate the bread of the offering and even gave some to his men, though only priests are allowed to eat that bread». And Jesus added, «The Son of Man is Lord and rules over the Sabbath».

The application

We all know about this story and how Jesus establishes that He is the master of Sabbath, not the laws and regulations enacted by human being. Today I invite you all to look into this reading with a different vision. Why we should be different and shouldn’t be just like others, simply following what is proposed and traditionally accepted norms.

For me personally, we are all special people called and anointed by the Lord through our baptism. We are called to light and salt of the earth. Jesus is asking us to be leaders who to show a new path to the world according his teachings and evangelical values.

Since we are children of God, we are called to be Disciples of Christ, called to create and invent new ways so that others may follow us. It is here we are unique and special, not only to the Lord, even to the world. Jesus is proposing king David as a model for us, who has initiated a lot according to the precepts of the Lord.

We as leaders should meditate: can we be sincerely afford to be just like others or called to different? Let us not hesitate to be different and be faithful to our Master who has called us, anointed us and confined to us a special mission, His mission, the mission of His Father.

«The Son of Man is Lord and rules over the Sabbath»

Fr. Austin Chukwuemeka IHEKWEME 
(Ikenanzizi, Nigeria)

Today, responding to the Pharisees' accusation, Jesus explains the correct meaning of the Sabbath, while quoting an example from the Old Testament (cf. Deut 23:26): «Have you never read what David did (...)?. He entered the house of God, took and ate the bread of the offering and even gave some to his men, though only priests are allowed to eat that bread» (Lk 6:3-4).

David's behaviour anticipates the doctrine Christ teaches in this passage. God had already established in the Old Testament an order for the precepts of the Law, whereby those of less rank would yield to the main ones.

In the light of all this, it can be understood that a ceremonial precept (as the one we are commenting) yields to a precept of the natural law. The precept of Sabbath, likewise, is not more important than the elementary needs of subsistence.

In this passage, Christ teaches which was the meaning of the divine institution of the Sabbath: God had instituted it to man's benefit, so that he could rest and devote his time with peace and joy to the divine cult. However, the Pharisees' interpretation had transformed this day into a day of anguish and worrying because of the many directions and prohibitions. 

The Sabbath had been set up not only for man's rest, but also to glorify God: this is the actual and true meaning of the expression «The Sabbath was made for man...» (Mk 2:27).

Furthermore, by declaring himself “Lord of the Sabbath” (cf. Lk 6:5), He openly manifests that He is the very same God who gave the precept to the people of Israel, thus confirming his divinity and his universal power. For this reason, other laws can be established, just as Yahweh did in the Old Testament. Jesus can therefore be called “Lord of the Sabbath”, because He is God.

Let us beg the Virgin Mother of God to help us believing and understanding that the Sabbath belongs to God and that it is a way —adapted to our own nature— to glorify and honour the Almighty. As Saint John Paul II has written, «our rest is a “sacred”» thing and an occasion «to realize that everything is the work of God».

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 6,1-5): 

Un jour de sabbat, Jésus traversait des champs de blé; ses disciples arrachaient et mangeaient des épis, après les avoir froissés dans leurs mains. Des pharisiens lui dirent: «Pourquoi faites-vous ce qui n'est pas permis le jour du sabbat?». Jésus leur répondit: «N'avez-vous pas lu ce que fit David un jour qu'il eut faim, lui et ses compagnons? Il entra dans la maison de Dieu, prit les pains de l'offrande, en mangea, et en donna à ses compagnons, alors que les prêtres seuls ont la permission d'en manger». Jésus leur disait encore: «Le Fils de l'homme est maître du sabbat».

L’application

Pourquoi d’être diffèrent ? Ce n’est pas mieux d’être comme les autres ? Voilà la question du jour. J’ai une réponse qu’il me semble convaincante.  Un dirigeant d’une entreprise, un leader d’un groupe ne peut pas d’être comme les autres. Dieu nous a choisis comme les dirigeants de son Eglise qui accompagnent son peuple et d’être leader dans notre société qui montre le chemin de la vérité. Il nous dit que nous sommes la lumière du monde et le sel de la terre. Comment pouvons-nous nous contenter d’être simplement comme les autres ? Jésus est notre maître et soyons fidèles à Celui qui nous appelé et consacré.

«Le Fils de l'homme est maître du sabbat»

Abbé Austin Chukwuemeka IHEKWEME 
(Ikenanzizi, Nigeria)

Aujourd'hui, face à l'accusation des pharisiens, Jésus explique le sens correct du repos sabbatique, en prenant un exemple dans l'Ancien Testament (cf. Dt 23,26): «N'avez-vous pas lu ce que fit David (…), [qui] prit les pains de l'offrande, en mangea, et en donna à ses compagnons?» (Lc 6,3-4).

La conduite de David anticipa la doctrine que le Christ enseigne dans ce passage. Dans l'Ancien Testament, Dieu avait déjà établi un ordre dans les préceptes de la Loi, pour que ceux de rang inférieur cèdent le pas aux principaux. 

L'on s'explique ainsi qu'un précepte cérémoniel comme celui que nous commentons soit écarté lorsqu'il entre en conflit avec un précepte de la loi naturelle. Le précepte du sabbat n'est pas supérieur aux nécessités élémentaires de la subsistance. 

Dans ce passage, le Christ enseigne quel est le sens de l'institution divine du sabbat: Dieu l'avait établi pour le bien de l'homme, pour qu'il puisse se reposer et se dédier dans la paix et la joie au culte divin. L'interprétation des pharisiens avait fait de ce jour une occasion d'angoisse et de préoccupation de par la foule des prescriptions et des prohibitions.

Le sabbat avait été établi non seulement pour que l'homme se reposât, mais aussi pour qu'il rendît gloire à Dieu: c'est là le sens authentique de l'expression «le sabbat a été fait pour l'homme» (Mc 2,27).

De plus, quand Il se déclare “maître du sabbat” (cf. Lc 6,5), Jésus manifeste ouvertement qu'Il est ce même Dieu qui a donné ce précepte au peuple d'Israël, affirmant ainsi sa divinité et son pouvoir universel. Aussi peut-Il établir d'autres lois, tout comme Yahvé dans l'Ancien Testament. Jésus peut bien se dire “maître du sabbat”, car Il est Dieu.

Demandons son aide à la Vierge pour croire et comprendre que le sabbat appartient à Dieu et qu'il est une manière —adaptée à la nature humaine— de rendre gloire et honneur au Tout-Puissant. Comme l'a écrit Saint Jean-Paul II, «le repos est une chose “sacrée”» et une occasion de «prendre conscience que tout est œuvre de Dieu».

Gospel text (Lc 5,1-11): 

One day, as Jesus stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, with a crowd gathered around him listening to the word of God, He caught sight of two boats left at the water's edge by the fishermen now washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to pull out a little from the shore. There He sat and continued to teach the crowd. 

When He had finished speaking He said to Simon, «Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch». Simon replied, «Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I will lower the nets». This they did and caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. They signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats almost to the point of sinking. Upon seeing this, Simon Peter fell at Jesus' knees, saying, «Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!». For he and his companions were amazed at the catch they had made and so were Simon's partners, James and John, Zebedee's sons. Jesus said to Simon, «Do not be afraid. You will catch people from now on». So they brought their boats to land and followed him, leaving everything.

The application

Do we have the courage like Peter to leave behind our intelligence or experience and allow the FAITH to dominate in our discernments? Jesus is insisting us to believe in the Word and this Word will nourrish us with abandonce. 

Jesus, who knows the depth of the see and our hearts, is able to connect the invisible richness to the visible eyes. All that is demanded from us is, simply follow the directions from the Lord. This following will be our prayer, contemplation and certainly it will lead us into action. 

Late coming ‘thought’

Just to the people who read my log late in the evening................, though it was the Lord who has asked a lift from Peter, in truth, it was the Lord who has lifted up Peter from discouragement and brokenness after a disastrous catch. It is this disastrous catch which has given an opportunity to Peter to open himself in front of his own pain and hopelessness to the grace and freedom, which made him the ‘catcher of men’

It is important that we too learn to see in our brokenness the wonderful hand of God in transforming our pains into joy. Empty hand may not be willed by God, but He is capable of filling our boats more than normal and make it extraordinary.  

Jesus elevates the humble heart and makes Peter the pillar of His Church. In all the brokenness of Peter, we will see the profession of Faith, which does merit our appreciation and imitation.  

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: 

By faith Peter casts the nets of Christ's teaching, by Maximus of Turin (died between 408-423 AD)

"'That you may understand that the Lord was speaking of spiritual fishing, however, Peter says, 'Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.' It is as if he were saying, 'Through the whole night our fishing has brought us nothing, and we have been laboring in vain. Now I will not fish with fishing gear but with grace, not with diligence acquired by skill but with the perseverance acquired by devotion.' When Peter lets down the nets at the word, therefore, he is in fact letting down the teachings in Christ. When he unfolds the tightly woven and well-ordered nets at the command of the Master, he is really laying out words in the name of the Savior in a fitting and clear fashion. By these words he is able to save not creatures but souls. 'We toiled all night,' he says, 'and took nothing.' Peter, who beforehand was unable to see in order to make a catch, enduring darkness without Christ, had indeed toiled through the whole night. But when the Savior's light shone upon him the darkness scattered, and by faith he began to discern in the deep what he could not see with his eyes." (excerpt from SERMON 110.2.1)

«Put out into deep water»

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

Today, we are still surprised at how those fishermen were capable of leaving everything behind, their job, their families, to follow Jesus («They brought their boats to land and followed him, leaving everything»: Lk 5:11), precisely when He manifested himself before them as an exceptional collaborator for the business which they lived from. If Jesus of Nazareth would make the same proposal to us, in our 21st century..., would we have as much courage as those other men had?; should we be able to sense which is the true gain for us?

We Christians believe that Christ is ever present; this resurrected Christ, therefore, requests us, not only to Peter, John or James, but to George, Joe, Paula, and all of us who accept him as our Lord, that we accept him —from Luke's text— in the boat of our life for He wants to rest by our side; He requests us to let him make use of us, to allow him to show us where He wants to guide our existence to, so we can become productive amid a society which every day is more far away and in need of God's Good News. The proposal is quite attractive, we need only to know how are we, and if we really wish, to manage to get rid of our fears, of our worries about what people may “say” or “think” and set a course for deeper waters, or what is equivalent, to horizons which may be farther away than those restricting our quotidian mediocrity of anguish and disappointments. «He who stumbles on his way, no matter how little he moves forward, always gets somewhat closer to the end of his journey; but he who runs out of his way, the more he runs the farther he gets from the end of his trip» (St. Thomas Aquinas).

«Duc in altum»; «To pull out a little from the shore» (Lk 5:4): let us try not to rest by the shore of a world that lives by contemplating its navel! Our navigation through the seas of life has to take us towards the harbor on the promise land, the end of our course in this Heaven long waited for, which is a gift from the Father, but, indivisible too, the work of man —yours, mine— from the service to others in the Church's boat. Christ knows quite well the fishing grounds; it all depends upon us: or in our harbor of selfishness, or towards his horizons.

Texte de l'Évangile (Lc 5,1-11): 

Un jour, Jésus se trouvait sur le bord du lac de Génésareth; la foule se pressait autour de lui pour écouter la parole de Dieu. Il vit deux barques amarrées au bord du lac; les pêcheurs en étaient descendus et lavaient leurs filets. Jésus monta dans une des barques, qui appartenait à Simon, et lui demanda de s'éloigner un peu du rivage. Puis il s'assit et, de la barque, il enseignait la foule. 

Quand il eut fini de parler, il dit à Simon: «Avance au large, et jetez les filets pour prendre du poisson». Simon lui répondit: «Maître, nous avons peiné toute la nuit sans rien prendre; mais, sur ton ordre, je vais jeter les filets». Ils le firent, et ils prirent une telle quantité de poissons que leurs filets se déchiraient. Ils firent signe à leurs compagnons de l'autre barque de venir les aider. Ceux-ci vinrent, et ils remplirent les deux barques, à tel point qu'elles enfonçaient. A cette vue, Simon-Pierre tomba aux pieds de Jésus, en disant: «Seigneur, éloigne-toi de moi, car je suis un homme pécheur». L'effroi, en effet, l'avait saisi, lui et ceux qui étaient avec lui, devant la quantité de poissons qu'ils avaient prise; et de même Jacques et Jean, fils de Zébédée, ses compagnons. Jésus dit à Simon: «Sois sans crainte, désormais ce sont des hommes que tu prendras». Alors ils ramenèrent les barques au rivage et, laissant tout, ils le suivirent.

«Avance au large»

Abbé Pedro IGLESIAS Martínez 
(Rubí, Barcelona, Espagne)

Gospel text

 (Lc 4,38-44): 

Leaving the synagogue, Jesus went to the house of Simon. His mother-in-law was suffering from high fever and they asked him to do something for her. Bending over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and waited on them. At sunset, people suffering from many kinds of sickness were brought to Jesus. Laying his hands on each one, He healed them. Demons were driven out, howling as they departed from their victims, «You are the Son of God!». He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, for they knew He was the Messiah. 

Jesus left at daybreak and looked for a solitary place. People went out in search of him and, finding him, they tried to dissuade him from leaving. But He said, «I have to go to other towns to announce the good news of the kingdom of God. That is what I was sent to do». So Jesus continued to preach in the synagogues of the Jewish country.

The application

For a man of faith, Jesus is always in a reachable distance. We need not move towards Him, He will come to heal us. All that is demanded from us is, to open the door and welcome Jesus in our hearts.

In today’s gospel Jesus helps us to understand the source of these good needs: the divine encounter with the Father. It is in this divine encounter that Jesus decides to leave the place of glory and honour. Jesus is not against human glory, rather, He engages to accomplish the will of the Father.

Only if we remain connected with the Father, and be ready to accomplish His will, can be possible to readily ignore human felicitations and honour, and advance towards the mission confined to our care. Many of us are not aware of the mission confined with us and beat around the bush, doing nothing valuable in the eyes of God. Shall we courageously leave our places of security and continue like Jesus, doing the Will of the Father?

«Laying his hands on each one, He healed them. Demons were driven out»

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

Today, we are facing a great contrast: people out in search of Jesus and him healing all kind of “sickness” (starting with Simon's mother-in-law); at the same time, «demons were driven out, howling!» (Lk 4:41). That is: On one side, goodness and peace; evil and despair, on the other. 

It is not the first time we see the devil being “driven out” that is, escaping from the presence of God amid shouting and expostulation. Let us remember the demon-possessed man of Gerasenes (cf. Lk 8:26-39). Yet, it is surprising that, here, it is the same devil that “comes out” to meet Jesus (though, admittedly, quite furious and angry, for God's presence was disturbing his shameful tranquility).

How often, too, we think that finding Jesus is just a nuisance! It bothers us having to attend Mass on Sundays; it flusters us to remember how long it is since our last prayer; we are ashamed of our mistakes, but we do not go to the Doctor of our soul begging for forgiveness... Let us ponder whether it is not our Lord who has to come out looking for us, when we are “reluctant” to leave our little “cave” to go out and meet He who is the shepherd of our souls and lives! This is simply called, half-heartedness.

This behavior has a diagnosis, though: apathy, lack of tension in our soul, anguish, disorderly curiosity, hyperactivity, spiritual laziness about matters of faith, pusillanimity, desire of being alone with ourselves... But there is also an antidote: to stop contemplating one's navel and getting down to work. To take the small commitment to devote every day a short while to look and listen to Jesus (this is what we call praying): Jesus did it too, for «He left at daybreak and looked for a solitary place» (Lk 4:42). To take the small commitment of defeating our selfishness in some small thing every day for the benefit of others (this is what we call loving). To take the small-great commitment to live every day coherently with our Christian life.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 4,38-44): 

En quittant la synagogue, Jésus entra chez Simon. Or, la belle-mère de Simon était oppressée par une forte fièvre, et on implora Jésus en sa faveur. Il se pencha sur elle, interpella vivement la fièvre, et celle-ci quitta la malade. A l'instant même, elle se leva, et elle les servait. Au coucher du soleil, tous ceux qui avaient des infirmes atteints de diverses maladies les lui amenèrent. Et Jésus, imposant les mains à chacun d'eux, les guérissait. Des esprits mauvais sortaient de beaucoup d'entre eux en criant: «Tu es le Fils de Dieu!». Mais Jésus les interpellait vivement et leur interdisait de parler parce qu'ils savaient, eux, qu'il était le Messie. 

Quand il fit jour, il sortit et se retira dans un endroit désert. Les foules le cherchaient; elles arrivèrent jusqu'à lui, et elles le retenaient pour l'empêcher de les quitter. Mais il leur dit: «Il faut que j'aille aussi dans les autres villes pour leur annoncer la Bonne Nouvelle du règne de Dieu, car c'est pour cela que j'ai été envoyé». Et il se rendait dans les synagogues de Judée pour y proclamer la Bonne Nouvelle.

L’application

Jésus est le Maître par excellence du discernement. La fondation de toute sorte de discernement se base sur la volonté du Père. Jésus ne cherche pas l’honneur humain, et il quittera certainement ce lieu d’honneur. Il continue sa mission en accomplissant tout ce que son Père Lui demande.

Quitter un lieu de sécurité ou de certitude n’a pas une habitude humaine. Comme les magies qui sont conseillés de prendre un nouveau chemin, toujours en faisant confiance dans l’accompagnement divin, osons de quitter nos lieux de sécurité et recommençons une nouvelle vie, en faisant confiance dans la providence divine.

«Jésus, imposant les mains à chacun d'eux, les guérissait. Des esprits mauvais sortaient de beaucoup d'entre eux»

Abbé Antoni CAROL i Hostench 
(Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, nous regardons un contraste: ceux qui cherchent Jésus et Jésus, Lui qui guéri toute “infirmité” (à commencer par la belle-mère de Simon Pierre) en même temps: «Des esprits mauvais sortaient de beaucoup d'entre eux en criant» (Lc 4,41). C'est-à-dire: le bien et la paix, d'un côté; et le mal et le désespoir de l'autre.

Ce n'est pas la première fois que le diable est présenté en “sortant”, c'est à dire, en fuyant la présence de Dieu parmi les cris et les hurlements. Rappelons nous également le possédé du pays des Géraséniens (cf. Lc 8,26-39). Il est surprenante que le diable lui-même reconnaisse Jésus et que comme dans le cas de celui du possédé du pays des Géraséniens, ce soit lui qui vienne à sa rencontre (en colère et furieux, bien entendu, parce que la présence de Dieu dérange sa méprisable tranquillité).

Combien de fois avons-nous pensé que notre rencontre avec Jésus était une gêne! Cela nous gêne d'aller à la messe le dimanche, nous nous inquiétons du fait que nous n'avons pas prié depuis longtemps, nous sommes honteux de nos erreurs, au lieu d'aller chez le Médecin de notre âme et simplement lui demander pardon… Réfléchissons si n'est pas le Seigneur qui doit toujours venir à notre rencontre, car nous nous faisons prier pour laisser notre petit “trou” et aller à la rencontre de Celui qui est le Pasteur de nos vies! Cela s'appelle tout simplement: tiédeur.

Il y a un diagnostic pour ça: atonie; aucune pulsation dans l'âme, angoisse, curiosité désordonnée, hyperactivité, paresse spirituelle à l'égard des questions de la foi, pusillanimité; envie d'être seul… mais, il y a aussi un antidote: arrêter de se regarder soi-même et se retrousser les manches. S'engager à consacrer un moment chaque jour à Jésus (c'est ce qu'on entend par oraison), Jésus le faisait, puisque «quand il fit jour, il sortit et se retira dans un endroit désert» (Lc 4,42). S'engager à vaincre notre égoïsme sur une petite chose chaque jour pour le bien des autres (c'est ce qu'on appelle aimer). Faire le “petit-grand” engagement de vivre chaque jour en cohérence avec notre vie chrétienne.

Gospel text

(Lc 4,31-37): 

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and began teaching the people at the sabbath meetings. They were astonished at the way He taught them, for his word was spoken with authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by an evil spirit who shouted in a loud voice, «What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I recognize you: you are the Holy One of God». Then Jesus said to him sharply, «Be silent and leave this man!». The evil spirit then threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him harm. Amazement seized all these people and they said to one another, «What does this mean? He commands the evil spirits with authority and power. He orders, and you see how they come out!». And news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding area.

The application

The wise man knows his limit and speaks less and a stupid speak out of his ignorance, as if he has the full truth. If Jesus speaks with certitude and authority, and justly people are astonished, it is because He knows the Father and is fully inspired by the Holy Spirit. Humanly we can’t have this cognisance and comprehension, thus humility is the best way of acting. It is in humility that we can learn a lot.

The second point to be remembered today may be, identifying the source. Though the evil spirit said the Truth, the source has an evil intention. The devil tempt us in the name of common good and well-being. It present itself as the holder of truth, particularly in the creating story. Thus the original sin does get repeated in our daily life, if we fail to identify the source of any information and the intention behind it. Such evil act or thought has to be stopped right there and this is exactly Jesus has done in today’s gospel.

«They were astonished at the way He taught them, for his word was spoken with authority»

Fr. Joan BLADÉ i Piñol 
(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we can see how his teaching activity was Jesus' central mission of his public life. Jesus' preaching, however, was very different to others, and this surprised and amazed people. Despite the fact Jesus had not studied (cf. Jn 7:15), He, certainly, befuddled the Jews with his teachings, «for his word was spoken with authority» (Lk 4:32). His style of speech had the authority of he who knows He is the “Saint of God”.

It was precisely such authority in his speech that gave strength to his language. He used living and specific images, without any syllogisms or definitions; words and images He pulled out from the very nature or, more often than not, from the Holy Scriptures. Jesus was, no doubt, a good observer, a man close to human situations: while we can watch him teaching, we can also see him so close to people doing good to them (healing their sicknesses, driving out evil spirits, etc.). In the book of everyday life He read those experiences that, later on, He would use in his teachings. Despite this elementary and “basic” material, the Lord's word was always profound and perturbing, radically new and definite.

The greatest thing about Jesus Christ's speech was how He could combine his divine authority with the most incredible human simplicity. Both authority and simplicity were possible in Jesus thanks to his knowledge of the Father and his relation of amorous obedience with Him (cf. Mt 11:25-27). It is this especial relationship with the Father that explains that unique harmony between greatness and humility. The authority of his speech did not adjust to human parameters; there was no competition, no personal interest or glitter. It was the kind of authority manifested both by the sublimity of the word and its humility and simplicity. There was never in his lips any personal praise, haughtiness or shouting. Mansuetude, gentleness, understanding, peace, truth, light, justice..., this was the aroma surrounding the authority of his teachings.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 4,31-37): 

Jésus descendit à Capharnaüm, ville de Galilée, et il y enseignait, le jour du sabbat. On était frappé par son enseignement parce que sa parole était pleine d'autorité. Or, il y avait dans la synagogue un homme possédé par un esprit démoniaque, qui se mit à crier d'une voix forte: «Ah! que nous veux-tu, Jésus de Nazareth? Es-tu venu pour nous perdre? Je sais fort bien qui tu es: le Saint, le Saint de Dieu!». Jésus l'interpella vivement: «Silence! Sors de cet homme!». Alors le démon le jeta par terre devant tout le monde et sortit de lui sans lui faire aucun mal. Tous furent effrayés, et ils se disaient entre eux: «Quelle est cette parole? Car il commande avec autorité et puissance aux esprits mauvais, et ils sortent!». Et la réputation de Jésus se propagea dans toute la région.

L’application

Si Jésus parle ou enseigne avec certitude et autorité, c’est parce qu’Il connait son Père et maître de tout. La connaissance et la vérité nous donnent cette certitude et autorité. Très souvent dans notre ignorance nous parlons de Dieu et ne laissons pas Dieu enseigner le monde par nous.

Pourquoi Jésus ne laissait pas l’esprit démoniaque parler ? Simplement Il n’a pas voulu un menteur dire la vérité. Le malin nous tente au nom du bien, bien de soi et du monde. Devant nos actes et nos pensées, il faut veillez, si on est inspiré par l’Esprit Saint ou démoniaque.  

«On était frappé par son enseignement parce que sa parole était pleine d'autorité»

Abbé Joan BLADÉ i Piñol 
(Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, nous voyons comment l'enseignement fut le centre de la mission de Jésus dans sa vie publique. Mais la prédication de Jésus était très différente de celle des autres maîtres de la loi et cela faisait que les gens étaient dans la confusion et dans l'admiration. C'est clair que bien que Jésus n'avait jamais fait des études Il déconcertait par son enseignement car Il «parlait avec autorité». Sa façon de parler avait l'autorité de celui qui sait qu'Il est “le Saint de Dieu”.

Précisément, cette autorité dans sa façon de parler était ce qui donnait de la force à son langage. Il utilisait des images vives et concrètes, sans syllogismes ni définitions; paroles et images qu'Il tirait de la nature ou des Saintes Ecritures. Il n'y a pas de doute que Jésus était un bon observateur, et très proche des situations humaines en tous genres: en même temps que nous le voyons en train d'enseigner, nous le voyons en train de faire le bien autour de Lui (guérison des malades, expulsion des démons, etc.). Il lisait dans le livre de la vie de tous les jours, des expériences de tous les jours qu'il utilisait pour enseigner. Même si ce matériel était basique et rudimentaire, la parole du Seigneur était toujours d'une grande profondeur, inquiétante, tout à fait nouvelle, définitive. 

La chose la plus grande dans la manière de parler de Jésus était qu'Il conciliait l'autorité divine avec la plus incroyable simplicité humaine. Autorité et simplicité étaient possibles pour Jésus grâce à sa connaissance du Père et à la relation d'obéissance amoureuse qu'Il entretenait avec Lui (cf. Mt 11,25-27). C'est précisément cette relation avec le Père qui explique l'harmonie unique entre la grandeur et l'humilité. L'autorité de son langage ne s'ajustait pas du tout aux paramètres humains, Il n'y avait aucune concurrence, aucun intérêt personnel ou empressement de se montrer. C'était une autorité qui se manifestait tant par le sublime de ses paroles ou ses actions que par son humilité et sa simplicité. De sa bouche ne sortaient pas des éloges personnels, ni de l'arrogance, ni des cris… Mansuétude, douceur, compréhension, paix, sérénité, miséricorde, vérité, lumière, justice… voici les parfums qu'exhalait l'autorité de son enseignement.

Gospel text

 (Lc 4,16-30): 

When Jesus came to Nazareth where He had been brought up, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath as He usually did. He stood up to read and they handed him the book of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus then unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written: «The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed and announce the Lord's year of mercy». 

Jesus then rolled up the scroll, gave it to the attendant and sat down, while the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then He said to them, «Today these prophetic words come true even as you listen». All agreed with him and were lost in wonder, while He kept on speaking of the grace of God. Nevertheless they asked, «Who is this but Joseph's son?». So He said, «Doubtless you will quote me the saying: Doctor, heal yourself! Do here in your town what they say you did in Capernaum». Jesus added, «No prophet is honored in his own country. Truly, I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens with-held rain for three years and six months and a great famine came over the whole land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow of Zarephath, in the country of Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha, the prophet, and no one was healed except Naaman, the Syrian».

On hearing these words, the whole assembly became indignant. They rose up and brought him out of the town, to the edge of the hill on which Nazareth is built, intending to throw him down the cliff. But he passed through their midst and went his way.

The Application

Today we have an opportunity to ready one of the habitual activities of Jesus. Since we are trying to apply gospel in our daily life, let us verify our own daily habitual activities and see if they need to be corrected, let us do that today.

The second point to be applied is the accomplishment of the Word of God. In Jesus, He affirms that the prophecy got accomplished. Today what prophecy we would like to accomplish. Though we may not have gifts of miracles, we can however give the opportunity to others to speak, for example by reducing our words.

Jesus was not honoured in His home town. Let us in our daily life learn to honour good people who very often become the mockery in our society. Though we may not agree with some people, let learn to be polite and gentile with them.

One of the important messages of the gospel remains at the end. Jesus has ignored some of these oppositions and continued to do good. In our daily life, we take everything very seriously and break our head. It is important that we learn to ignore and continue to do the good deeds. Have a wonderful day.

«Today these prophetic words come true even as you listen»

Fr. David AMADO i Fernández 
(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, «these prophetic words come true even as you listen» (Lk 4:21). With these words, Jesus comments at the synagogue of Nazareth a text from the prophet Isaiah: «The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me» (Lk 4:18). These words have a meaning that goes beyond the specific historical moment when they were said. The Holy Spirit fully dwells in Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit sends him to believers.

But, in addition, the words of the Gospel are the words of both eternal and current life. They are eternal because The Eternal One has said them, and they are current because God makes them to be permanently fulfilled. When we listen to the Word of God, we have to receive it not as a human speech, but as the Word that has the power of transforming us. God does not speak to our ear but to our heart. Whatever He says is profoundly full of meaning and love. The Word of God is an inexhaustible source of life: «Who, O Lord, could possibly penetrate with his mind even one of your utterances? Just as in the case of thirsty men who drink from a fountain we leave behind more than that we can take a hold of» (St. Ephraem). His words come out of the heart of God. And, from this heart, from the Trinity's bosom, Jesus came —the Father's Word— to mankind.

This is why when, everyday, we listen to the Gospel, we must be able to say, along with the Virgin Mary: «May it be done to me according to your word» (Lk 1:38); to which God will reply: «Today these prophetic words come true even as you listen». However, for the Word to be effective in our lives, we must get rid of all our prejudices. Jesus' contemporaries did not understand it, because they were looking at him with human eyes only: «Who is this but Joseph's son?» (Lk 4:22). They could see Jesus Christ's humanity, but they could not appreciate his divinity. Whenever we listen to the Word of God, beyond its literary style, the beauty of its expressions or the singularity of the situation, we must remember it is God who is speaking to us.