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

Gospel text (Mt 13,44-46): 

Jesus said to the crowds, «The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. The one who finds it buries it again; and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field.

»Again the kingdom of heaven is like a trader who is looking for fine pearls. Once he has found a pearl of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything he has and buys it».

The application

The Christian life, particularly the faith life is like a ‘hide and seek’ game, which many of us might have played in our childhood. God has hidden Himself in us and everyday it is our first mission to find Him and love Him.

This story of selling and buying, particularly ‘giving away’ which we have gained with much pain, is a painful process of human growth. To grow or to gain, we should lean to leave away the less important elements of life, even though they may be of hard earned ones.

There are two elements which I would like to share with you all. The first is, that everything ‘selling and buying’ filled with greater joy. This is possible only if we learn to value the importance of God’s Kingdom. The second aspect is, that these treasures are accessible to us and to all. Only those who search for them will be able to find them. Let us search with hope and learn to loose with joy.

«He goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field»

Fr. Enric CASES i Martín 
(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, Matthew places two parables about the Kingdom of Heaven for us to ponder over. The announcement of the Kingdom is of essence in Jesus' preaching and in the hopes of the chosen people. But it is evident the nature of this Kingdom is not understood by the majority. The Sanhedrin who condemned him to death did not understand it, nor did Pontius Pilate or Herod, and initially, not even his disciples understood it. We can find only in the good thief, hung in a cross along with him, the comprehension Jesus requests when he says: «Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom» (Lk 23:42). Both had been accused as criminals and were about to die; but, because of an unknown reason, the good thief recognizes Jesus as the King of a Kingdom that will come after that terrible death. It could only be a spiritual Kingdom.

In his first preaching, Jesus speaks of the Kingdom as of a hidden treasure, the finding of which causes the finder a great joy and impels him to buy the field to be able to enjoy it forever: «and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field» (Mt 13:44). But, at the same time, to reach the Kingdom it is necessary to look for it with yearning and effort, to the point of selling all one may have: «Once he has found one of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything he has and buys it» (Mt 13:46). «What is He referring to when He says seek and he who seeks, finds? I daresay He is referring to the pearls and to the pearl, pearl that acquires he who has given up everything and has accepted to lose everything» (Origen).

The Kingdom is peace, justice and liberty. To reach It is, at the same time, a gift from God and a human responsibility. In front of the greatness of this divine gift we realize the imperfection and instability of our own efforts, quite often destroyed by our sins, our wars and our malice that looks insurmountable. Nevertheless, we must have confidence, because what looks impossible for man is more than possible for God. 

Texte de l'Évangile (Mt 13,44-46): 

«Le Royaume des cieux est comparable à un trésor caché dans un champ; l'homme qui l'a découvert le cache de nouveau. Dans sa joie, il va vendre tout ce qu'il possède, et il achète ce champ. 

»Ou encore: Le Royaume des cieux est comparable à un négociant qui recherche des perles fines. Ayant trouvé une perle de grande valeur, il va vendre tout ce qu'il possède, et il achète la perle».

L’application

Je suis tellement convaincu que la personne qui a découvert Dieu et son Royaume trouvera facile de tout perdre. Si nous ne voulons pas perdre, c’est parce que nous ne connaissons  ni Dieu, ni son Royaume. Il faut noter que tout se passe dans la joie.

Comment pouvons-nous connaitre Dieu ? Simplement dans l’amour. Si notre vie est repli d’amour et de compassion, Dieu se révèlera devant nous, car ça Lui fera plaisir. Puisque, toute révélation vient avec une mission, l’amour, comme une mission nous aidera à découvrir Dieu, qui est présent en nous, non pas partiellement, mais dans sa totalité.

«Dans sa joie, il va vendre tout ce qu'il possède, et il achète ce champ»

Abbé Enric CASES i Martín 
(Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, Mathieu, soumet à notre réflexion deux paraboles sur le Royaume des Cieux. L'annonce du Royaume a beaucoup d'importance pour la prédication de Jésus ainsi que pour l'espérance du peuple choisi. Mais il est certain que la nature de ce Royaume n'était pas quelque chose connu de tous. Les Sanhédrins qui avaient condamné Jésus à mort ne l'avaient pas compris, Pilate et Hérode non plus, et, au début, même les disciples ne l'avaient pas compris. Nous ne trouvons qu'un seul instant de compréhension, celui du bon larron cloué sur la croix à côté de Jésus, quand il lui dit: «Jésus, souviens-toi de moi quand tu viendras inaugurer ton Règne» (Lc 23,42). Tous les deux avaient été accusés en tant que criminels et étaient sur le point de mourir, mais pour une raison que nous ne connaissons pas, le bon larron reconnaît Jésus comme le Roi d'un Royaume qui viendra après cette terrible mort sur la croix. Ce ne pouvait être qu'un Royaume Spirituel.

Jésus, dans sa première prédication, parle du Royaume des Cieux comme d'un trésor caché sous terre, et dont la découverte est cause d'une telle joie, que cela nous incite à acheter le terrain où il se trouve afin de profiter de lui pour toujours. «Dans sa joie, il va vendre tout ce qu'il possède, et il achète ce champ» (Mt 13,44). Mais au même temps, pour trouver ce Royaume, nous devons le chercher assidûment même au point de vendre tout ce que nous possédons: «Ayant trouvé une perle de grande valeur, il va vendre tout ce qu'il possède, et il achète la perle» (Mt 13,46). «Car à propos de quoi est-il dit: ‘cherchez’, ou ‘qui cherche trouve’? Oserai-je dire qu'il s'agit des perles et de la perle, celle que se procure celui qui a tout donné et accepté de tout perdre…» (Origène).

Le Royaume est la paix, amour, justice et liberté. L'atteindre est à la fois un don de Dieu et une responsabilité humaine. Devant la grandeur du don divin, nous constatons l'imperfection et l'instabilité de tous nos efforts, qui sont souvent détruits par le péché, la guerre et la malice qui nous semblent insurmontables. Cependant, nous devons être confiants, car ce qui semble impossible pour l'homme est possible pour Dieu.

Gospel text (Mt 20,20-28): 

The mother of James and John came to Jesus with her sons, and she knelt down to ask a favor. Jesus said to her, «What do you want?». And she answered, «Here you have my two sons. Grant that they may sit, one at your right and one at your left, when you are in your kingdom». Jesus said to the brothers, «You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?». They answered, «We can». Jesus replied, «You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right or at my left is not for me to grant. That will be for those for whom the Father has prepared it». 

The other ten heard all this and were angry with the two brothers. Then Jesus called them to him and said, «You know that the rulers of the nations act as tyrants, and the powerful oppress them. It shall not be so among you; whoever wants to be more important in your group shall make himself your servant. And if you want to be first, make yourself the servant of all. Be like the Son of Man who has come, not to be served but to serve and to give his life to redeem many».

The application

While celebrating the feast of Saint James, the apostle of the Lord, we are called to be aware of the human desire and the divine will. The human glory is the participation of the divine glory by an infusion in the divine will. Tough the mother has not understood in this process of divine infusion by martyrdom, her children will do the same in later days, as Jesus has already foretold.

All that is expected from us today is simply allow ourselves be animated by the Holy Spirit who will guide us and orient us towards the right path. It is in this total surrender that we become the true servant of the Lord, the Word of God.

«Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?»

Mons. Octavio RUIZ Arenas Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization 
(Città del Vaticano, Vatican)

Today’s fragment of the Gospel narrates an episode that places us in front of a situation which is not unusual in the various Christian communities. Indeed, John and James have been very generous leaving behind their households and their nets to follow Jesus the Christ. They have heard the Lord announce a Kingdom and offer eternal life but they still fail to understand the new dimension the Lord puts forward to them. It is because of this that their mother is going to ask for something which is good enough, but which doesn’t go beyond a simple human ambition: «Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom» (Mt 20,21).

Similarly, we listen to the Lord and follow Him, like the first disciples, but not always do we fully understand his message; we then sometimes follow our personal interests and ambitions within the Church. We forget that when we accept the Lord we have to give ourselves wholly and with full trust in Him; that we cannot think in obtaining the glory without having accepted the cross.

The answer Jesus gives them puts the stress precisely on this aspect: in order to have a share in his Kingdom what matters is to drink from his same «cup» (see Mt 20, 22), i.e. to be ready and willing to give our own life for the love of God and dedicate ourselves to the service of our brethren with the same merciful attitude that Jesus showed. In his first homily Pope Francis emphasized that in order to follow Jesus we have to carry our cross, because «when we make our way without the cross, when we confess a Christ without his cross, we are not disciples of the Lord».

As a consequence, following Christ demands from us great humility. From the minute of our Baptism we have been called to be his witnesses in order to transform the world. But this transformation will only be achieved if we are able to be servants of our brethren, with a spirit of great generosity and self-giving, but always joyful because we are following and making the Lord present.

Texte de l'Évangile (Mt 20,20-28): 

Alors la mère de Jacques et de Jean, fils de Zébédée, s'approcha de Jésus avec ses fils et se prosterna pour lui faire une demande. Jésus lui dit: «Que veux-tu?». Elle répondit: «Voilà mes deux fils: ordonne qu'ils siègent, l'un à ta droite et l'autre à ta gauche, dans ton Royaume». Jésus répondit: «Vous ne savez pas ce que vous demandez. Pouvez-vous boire à la coupe que je vais boire?». Ils lui dirent: «Nous le pouvons». Il leur dit: «Ma coupe, vous y boirez; quant à siéger à ma droite et à ma gauche, il ne m'appartient pas de l'accorder; il y a ceux pour qui ces places sont préparées par mon Père». 

Les dix autres avaient entendu, et s'indignèrent contre les deux frères. Jésus les appela et leur dit: «Vous le savez: les chefs des nations païennes commandent en maîtres, et les grands font sentir leur pouvoir. Parmi vous, il ne doit pas en être ainsi: celui qui veut devenir grand sera votre serviteur; et celui qui veut être le premier sera votre esclave. Ainsi, le Fils de l'homme n'est pas venu pour être servi, mais pour servir et donner sa vie en rançon pour la multitude».

«Pouvez-vous boire à la coupe que je vais boire ?»

Mgr. Octavio RUIZ Arenas Secrétaire du Conseil pontifical pour la promotion de la Nouvelle Evangélisation 
(Città del Vaticano, Saint-Sige)

Gospel text

(Mt 11,25-27): 

On one occasion Jesus said, «Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise you, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to simple people. Yes, Father, this is what pleased you. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him».

The application

Jesus is glorifying His Father, particularly for the choice of children as the beneficiaries of divine revelation. I would like to look this gospel message in two ways. The first is, what is the use of revealing the divine mysteries to the little children than to the adults? It seems to me that the little children that Jesus speaks, is not of age rather the behaviour and character. Their simplicity, openness to the newness or the teachings, this eagerness to know and search, their humility before others, are all added in this teaching of Jesus.

The second point which I would like to share with you all is the send teaching of Jesus. Revelation is chosen and only to a few. Happily we are included in this chosen ones, because we believe. Thus, the justice will demand more from us. Since we have received this divine mysteries, like incarnation and resurrection, we too have a greater responsibility to live a witnessing life, not by words, rather by deeds, says Saint John in his letter. The best way of living this life is to imitate Jesus in our thinking and being. It is in this being that Jesus reveals to us the Father, and His paternal love for us.

Shall will live today, as a grace filled day, just like a little child, putting all our trust in the divine providence?

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: 

Revealed to babes, by Epiphanius the Latin (late 5th century)

"And he revealed these things to children. To which children? Not those who are children in age but to those who are children in respect to sin and wickedness. To them Jesus revealed how to seek the blessings of paradise and the things to come in the kingdom of heaven, because thus it was well pleasing before God that 'they should come from the east and the west and that they should lie down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but that the sons of this worldly kingdom should be cast into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:11-12).'" (excerpt from INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 26)

«You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to simple people»

Fr. Raimondo M. SORGIA Mannai OP 
(San Domenico di Fiesole, Florencia, Italy)

Today, the Gospel offers us the opportunity to accede, so to speak, to the very structure of the divine wisdom. Who, amongst us, would not love to become acquainted with the unfathomable mysteries of life? There are enigmas the world's best team of investigators would not even dream of detecting. There is One however before which «there is nothing hidden, (...); nor is anything secret» (Mk 4:22). This is the mystery of who calls himself the “Son of man ”, inasmuch He says about himself: «All things have been handed over to me by my Father» (Mt 11:27). His human nature —through the hypostatic union— has been assumed by the Person of the Word of God: He is, in short, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, before which darkness does not exist and for which, night is more luminous than broad daylight.

An Arab proverb says: «If a pitch black night a black ant climbs over a black wall, God sees it». There are neither secrets nor mysteries for God. There are mysteries for us, but not for God, before whom, past, present and future are open and dug into, to the last comma. 

Quite pleased, the Lord says today: «Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise you, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to simple people» (Mt 11:25). Indeed, because no one could pretend to know these or similar hidden secrets, not even by bringing them out of the darkness through exhaustive studies, or as the wisdom should. A little old aged woman, without any school experience, will always be more aware about the deep secrets of life than the pretentious scientist that has spent an awful lot of money at reputed universities. Certain science can be achieved through inner faith, humility and poorness. Clement of Alexandria very well wrote: «Night is favourable for mysteries; it is then when our soul —attentive and humble— turns on itself while pondering over its condition; it is then when it finds God».

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mt 11,25-27): 

En ce temps-là, Jésus prit la parole: «Père, Seigneur du ciel et de la terre, je proclame ta louange: ce que tu as caché aux sages et aux savants, tu l'as révélé aux tout-petits. Oui, Père, tu l'as voulu ainsi dans ta bonté. Tout m'a été confié par mon Père ; personne ne connaît le Fils, sinon le Père, et personne ne connaît le Père, sinon le Fils, et celui à qui le Fils veut le révéler».

L’application

En lisant cet évangile, je me demande, si j’ai vraiment ce comportement d’enfant devant Dieu, pour que je puisse comprendre la sagesse divine. Jésus nous affirme que la révélation divine est facilement compréhensible ou identifiable par les enfants.  

Le deuxième point est ce que la révélation est choisie, même si elle est accessible à tous. Si nous avons la foi, c’est parce que Dieu la voulu. C’est pourquoi nous devons rendre grâce au Seigneur, simplement pour la foi, la foi qui nous fait vivre. Pouvons-nous transformer cette journée, comme une journée de grâce ?

«Tu as caché aux sages et aux savants, tu l'as révélé aux tout-petits»

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

Aujourd'hui, l'Évangile nous donne l'opportunité de pénétrer, pour ainsi dire, dans la structure même de la sagesse divine. Qui d'entre nous n'aurait pas envie de se voir dévoiler les mystères de la vie? Mais il y a des énigmes que même la meilleure équipe de savants du monde ne pourra jamais élucider. Néanmoins, il y en a UN devant lequel «(...) rien n'est caché, (…) rien n'a été gardé secret» (Mc 4,22). C'est celui qui s'appelle lui-même “Fils de l'homme”, car Il affirme que «Tout m'a été confié par mon Père» (Mt 11,27). Sa nature humaine —à travers l'Union Hypostatique— a été appropriée par la Personne du Verbe de Dieu c'est, en un mot, la deuxième personne de la Sainte Trinité, face à laquelle il n'y a pas de ténèbres et c'est grâce à elle que la nuit est encore plus lumineuse que le jour.

Un proverbe arabe dit: «Si dans une nuit noire une fourmi noire grimpe sur un mur noir, Dieu la voit». Pour Dieu il n'y a pas de secrets ni de mystères. Les mystères existent pour nous, mais pas pour Dieu, devant qui le passé, le présent et le futur sont dévoilés et scrutés jusqu'au dernier détail.

Comblé le Seigneur dit: «Je proclame ta louange: ce que tu as caché aux sages et aux savants, tu l'as révélé aux tout-petits» (Mt 11,25). C'est vrai, personne ne peut prétendre connaître de pareils secrets même en essayant de les élucider par des études intensives, ni par le don de la connaissance. Une vieille dame sans éducation en saura plus sur les secrets de la vie que le scientifique prétentieux qui a passé des années dans les universités les plus prestigieuses. Il y a la sagesse qui s'obtient par la foi et la simplicité et l'humilité intérieures. Clément Alejandrino l'a très bien dit: «La nuit est propice aux mystères, c'est le moment où l'âme, attentive et humble, se retourne sur elle-même pour réfléchir à sa condition et c'est à ce moment là qu'elle rencontre Dieu».

Gospel text (Mt 10,7-15): 

Jesus said to his disciples, «Go and proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near’. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. You received this as a gift, so give it as a gift. Do not carry any gold, silver or copper in your purses. Do not carry a traveler's bag, or an extra shirt, or sandals, or walking-stick: workers deserve their living. When you come to a town or a village, look for a worthy person and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, wish it peace. If the people in the house deserve it, your peace will be on them; if they do not deserve it, your blessing will come back to you. And if you are not welcomed and your words are not listened to, leave that house or that town and shake the dust off your feet. I assure you, it will go easier for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than it will for the people of that town».

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: 

The gift of power to reign with the Lord, by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD)

"All the power possessed by the Lord is bestowed upon the apostles! Those who were prefigured in the image and likeness of God in Adam have now received the perfect image and likeness of Christ. They have been given powers in no way different from those of the Lord. Those once earthbound now become heaven-centered. They will proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, that the image and likeness of God are now appropriated in the company of truth, so that all the holy ones who have been made heirs of heaven may reign with the Lord. Let them cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out devils. Whatever impairment Adam's body had incurred from being goaded on by Satan, let the apostles wipe away through their sharing in the Lord's power. And that they may fully obtain the likeness of God according to the prophecy in Genesis, they are ordered to give freely what they freely have received (Matthew 10:8). Thus a gift freely bestowed should be freely dispensed." (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 10.4)

«Go and proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near»

Fr. Antonio BORDAS i Belmonte 
(L’Ametlla de Mar, Tarragona, Spain)

Today, the Gospel invites us to evangelize, it says: “Preach” (Mt 10:7). The announcement is Jesus’ good news, trying to tell us about the kingdom of God, that He is our savior, sent by the Father to the world and for this reason, the only one who can renew us from within and change the society in which we live.

Jesus proclaimed that "the Kingdom of Heaven is near" (Mt 10:7). He was the herald of the Kingdom of God that was present among men and women to the extent that good would advance and evil would retreat.

Jesus wants the whole man’s salvation, in body and in spirit; more so, by the enigma that concerns humanity, which is death, Jesus proposes the resurrection. When someone lives dead for a sin, and recovers the grace, he will experience a new life. This is a great mystery that we begin to experience from our baptism; Christians are called to the resurrection!

A sample of how Pope Francis seeks the good of man: “This "culture of discarding" also has made us insensitive to squandering and food waste. At one time our grandparents took great care not to throw any leftovers. The food that is discarded is like stealing from the poor’s table, from which he’s hungry!”

Jesus tells us to always be bearers of peace. When the priests brings the Communion to a sick person he says, 'Lord’s Peace to this house! ". And the peace of Christ remains there, if there are people worthy of it. To receive the gifts of God's kingdom one needs a good inner will. On the other hand, we also see many people making excuses for not receiving the Gospel.

We have a great task among men, and we cannot fail to preach the Gospel after having believed, because we live it and we want others to live it also.

«Do not carry a traveler's bag, or an extra shirt...»

Fr. David COMPTE i Verdaguer 
(Manlleu, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we want to foresee even the unforeseeable. Today is the age of home servicing and deliveries. And, if today we talk so much about peace, perhaps it is because we need it so badly. Today's Gospel fully deals with these three other “todays”. Let us go step by step.

We want to foresee even the unforeseeable: soon, we shall buy insurance to foresee the possibility our insurer may fail us. Or, perhaps, to foresee our buying a pair of trousers, and the sales clerk giving us a stained or discolored pair! Today's Gospel, with its invitation to travel without any luggage («Do not carry any gold, silver or copper in your purses»), is inciting us to confidence, to availability. But, look out! this does not mean carelessness! Not even improvisation. Living this reality is only possible through a life deeply rooted in what is truly fundamental: in the person of Christ. His Holiness John Paul II says: «We must respect an essential principle of the Christian vision of our life: the supremacy of Grace. We should not forget that without Christ, ‘we can do nothing’ (cf. Jn 15:5)».

It is also true that home servicing is proliferating: no more catering!, now you can have your Spanish omelet made for you in your own home. This should be the icon of a society where we people have a tendency to do things our own way, to organize our own life by doing without others. Today, Jesus tells us «go»; go out. In other words, do bear in mind, those you have beside you. Let us, therefore, keep them in our mind, open to their needs.

Holidays, a peaceful countryside... are they synonymous of peace? It seems we may have some strong motives to doubt it. Maybe many holidays are nothing but the lethargy of some intimate concern or worry, that, later on, is about to arise again. We Christians do know we are the bearers of peace; even more, we know this peace soaks up all our being —also when we find nothing but an hostile surrounding around us— as far as we closely follow Jesus.

Let, therefore, the force of Christ's Today soak us up! And... «who has truly found Christ cannot keep Him only for himself, he has to announce Him» (John Paul II).

Texte de l'Évangile (Mt 10,7-15): 

«Sur votre route, proclamez que le Royaume des cieux est tout proche. Guérissez les malades, ressuscitez les morts, purifiez les lépreux, chassez les démons. Vous avez reçu gratuitement: donnez gratuitement. Ne vous procurez ni or ni argent, ni petite monnaie pour en garder sur vous; ni sac pour la route, ni tunique de rechange, ni sandales, ni bâton. Car le travailleur mérite sa nourriture. Dans chaque ville ou village où vous entrerez, informez-vous pour savoir qui est digne de vous accueillir, et restez chez lui jusqu'à votre départ. En entrant dans la maison, saluez ceux qui l'habitent. Si cette maison en est digne, que votre paix vienne sur elle. Si elle n'en est pas digne, que votre paix retourne vers vous. Si l'on refuse de vous accueillir et d'écouter vos paroles, sortez de cette maison ou de cette ville, en secouant la poussière de vos pieds. Amen, je vous le dis: au jour du Jugement, le pays de Sodome et de Gomorrhe sera traité moins sévèrement que cette ville».

«"Allez proclamer que le Règne des Cieux est proche"»

Abbé Antonio BORDAS i Belmonte 
(L’Ametlla de Mar, Tarragona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, le texte de l'Évangile nous invite à évangéliser ; il nous dit : "prêchez" (cf. Mt 10,7). Ce qui est annoncé, c'est la bonne nouvelle de Jésus, qui essaie de nous parler du royaume de Dieu, du fait que c'est Lui notre sauveur, que le Père l'a envoyé dans le monde, et que pour cette raison, c'est le seul qui peut nous régénérer de l'intérieur et changer la société dans laquelle nous vivons.

Jésus annonçait "le Règne des Cieux est proche" (Mt 10,7). C'est lui qui annonçait le règne de Dieu qui progressait entre les hommes et les femmes au fur et à mesure que le bien avançait et que le mal reculait.

Jésus veut le salut de l'homme en entier, dans son corps et dans son esprit ; plus encore, face à l'énigme qui préoccupe l'humanité qu'est la mort, Jésus propose la résurrection. Celui qui est un mort vivant à cause du péché, expérimente une nouvelle vie quand il retrouve la grâce. C'est un grand mystère que nous commençons à expérimenter à partir de notre baptême : Nous chrétiens, nous sommes appelés à la résurrection !

Voici un exemple de la façon dont le Pape François recherche le bien de l'homme : "Cette "culture du rejet" nous a aussi rendus insensibles face à la profusion et au gaspillage des aliments. A une autre époque, nos grands-parents veillaient scrupuleusement à ce qu'aucun reste de nourriture ne soit jeté. Jeter un aliment revient à le voler de la table du pauvre, de celui qui a faim !".

Jésus nous demande d'être toujours des messagers de la paix. Quand nous les prêtres nous apportons la Communion à un malade nous disons : Que la paix du Seigneur vienne dans cette maison !" Et la paix du Christ reste là-bas, s'il y a des personnes dignes de la recevoir. Pour recevoir les dons du royaume de Dieu il faut être dans une bonne disposition intérieure. D'un autre côté, nous voyons aussi comment beaucoup de gens trouvent des excuses pour ne pas recevoir l'Évangile.

Nous avons un grand devoir au milieu des hommes, c'est qu'une fois que nous sommes croyants, nous ne pouvons pas cesser d'annoncer l'Évangile car nous le vivons et nous voulons que d'autres gens le vivent aussi.

Texte de l'Évangile

 (Mt 10,1-7): 

Alors Jésus appela ses douze disciples et leur donna le pouvoir d'expulser les esprits mauvais et de guérir toute maladie et toute infirmité. Voici les noms des douze Apôtres: le premier, Simon, appelé Pierre; André son frère; Jacques, fils de Zébédée, et Jean son frère; Philippe et Barthélemy; Thomas et Matthieu le publicain; Jacques, fils d'Alphée, et Thaddée; Simon le Zélote et Judas Iscariote, celui-là même qui le livra. Ces douze, Jésus les envoya en mission avec les instructions suivantes: «N'allez pas chez les païens et n'entrez dans aucune ville des Samaritains. Allez plutôt vers les brebis perdues de la maison d'Israël. Sur votre route, proclamez que le Royaume des cieux est tout proche».

The application

La mission confiée aux Apôtres est la nôtre : ‘proclamer que le Royaume des cieux est tout proche.’ Comment pouvons-nous annoncer le Royaume de Dieu ? Simplement en vivant pleinement dans l’amour et dans le pardon, nous pouvons annoncer non seulement le Royaume de Dieu, mais aussi l’actualiser dans notre vie quotidienne.

«Sur votre route, proclamez que le Royaume des cieux est tout proche»

Abbé Fernando PERALES i Madueño 
(Terrassa, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, l'Évangile nous montre Jésus en envoyant ses disciples en mission: «Ces douze, Jésus les envoya en mission avec les instructions suivantes» (Mt 10,5). Les douze disciples forment le “Collège Apostolique”, c’est-à-dire “missionnaire”; dans sa pérégrination terrestre, l'Église est une communauté missionnaire, car elle a son origine dans l'accomplissement de la mission du Fils et du Saint Esprit selon le dessein de Dieu le Père. 

De même que saint Pierre et les autres Apôtres constituent, de par l'institution du Seigneur, un seul Collège Apostolique semblablement le Pontife romain, successeur de Pierre, et les évêques, successeurs des apôtres, forment entre eux un tout sur lequel échoit le devoir d'annoncer l'Évangile partout.

Parmi les disciples envoyés en mission nous trouvons ceux qui le Christ a placés dans un lieu important et avec une plus grande responsabilité, comme Pierre; et d'autres, comme Thaddée, sur qui nous ne savons que peu de choses. Or, les Évangiles nous communiquent la Bonne Nouvelle, et ils ne sont pas faits pour satisfaire notre curiosité. De notre côté. Nous devons prier pour tous les Évêques, pour les célèbres et pour ceux qui ne le sont pas, tout en demeurant en communion avec eux: «Suivez tous l'évêque, comme Jésus-Christ suit son Père, et le presbyterium comme les Apôtres» (Saint Ignace d'Antioche) 

Jésus ne cherchait pas des personnes instruites, mais tout simplement qu'elles fussent disponibles et prêtes à Le suivre jusqu'à la fin. Cela m'a enseigné que moi, comme Chrétien, je dois me sentir responsable d'une partie de l'ouvre salvatrice de Jésus. Est-ce que je m'éloigne du mal?, est-ce que j'assiste mes frères? 

Et comme l'ouvre n'est qu'au commencement, Jésus s'empresse de rajouter une consigne de limitation: «N'allez pas chez les païens et n'entrez dans aucune ville des Samaritains. Allez plutôt vers les brebis perdues de la maison d'Israël. Sur votre route, proclamez que le Royaume des cieux est tout proche» (Mt 10,5-6). Aujourd'hui, il faut faire de notre mieux, avec la confiance que Dieu appellera tous les païens et samaritaines dans une autre phase du travail missionnaire.

Gospel text

(Mt 9,32-38): 

Some people brought to Jesus a man who was dumb because he was possessed by a demon. When the demon was driven out, the dumb man began to speak. The crowds were astonished and said, «Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel». (But the Pharisees said, «He drives away demons with the help of the prince of demons»).

Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, and He cured every sickness and disease. When He saw the crowds he was moved with pity, for they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to his disciples, «The harvest is abundant but the workers are only few. Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest».

The application

Today’s healing can be seen in two ways. The first may be of simple healing and the send may be our own dumbness which is a stumbling block for our own growth. The evil spirit like this kind silence before the injustice and oppression. The more we keep silence before these atrocities, the more we are indirectly perpetuating theses evil acts in our society.

The second point is our personal life. The way we look at the events help us to identify our inner self. The more we see evil outside, the more we are inhabited by these evils. If we learn to see and identify the divine work, we can say that we are habited by the divine presence. It’s important that we remain watchful of our commentaries, which reveal our own interiority.

I invite you all to pray that we may have many people who can help us to identify the divine work in this world.

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: 

Freedom and healing in Christ, by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD)

"In the deaf and dumb and demoniac appear the need of the Gentiles for a complete healing. Beleaguered on all sides by misfortune, they were associated with all types of the body's infirmities. And in this regard a proper order of things is observed. For the devil is first cast out; then the other bodily benefits follow suit. With the folly of all superstitions put to flight by the knowledge of God, sight and hearing and words of healing are introduced. The declaration of the onlookers followed their admiration over what took place: 'Never has the like been seen in Israel.' Indeed, he whom the law could not help was made well by the power of the Word, and the deaf and dumb man spoke the praises of God. Deliverance has been given to the Gentiles. All the towns and all the villages are enlightened by the power and presence of Christ, and the people are freed from every impairment of the timeless malady. (excerpt from ON MATTHEW 9.10)

«Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest»

Fr. Joan SOLÀ i Triadú 
(Girona, Spain)

Today, the Gospel speaks of the man who was dumb because he was possessed, and of how his healing provoked different reactions between the crowd and the Pharisees who, in the face of prodigious evidence, nobody could deny, they attributed it to devilish powers «He drives away demons with the help of the prince of demons» (Mt 9:34). Instead, the crowd marvels: «Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel» (Mt 9:33). When referring to this passage St. John Chrysostom, says: «What the Pharisees truly resented was the crowds were considering Jesus superior, not only to those existing then, but to all that had ever existed».

However, the Pharisees' animadversion did not worry Jesus in the least; He faithfully went on with his mission. Not only, but before the evidence those Israel guides, instead of looking after their flock and shepherd it, what they did was to mislay it, Jesus felt sorry for those tired and depressed crowds without a true shepherd to look after them. That crowds are grateful for a good leadership and yearn for it, can be appreciated when we looked at the pastoral visits of His Holiness John Paul II to the different places in the world. How he manages to gather immense crowds around him! How they listen to him, particularly our youth! And this, despite the Pope does not make discounts, for he preaches the Gospel with all its requirements.

St. Josemaria Escriva says: «If we should be consequent with our faith, when we look around us and contemplate the scenery of history and our world, we could not but feel that, the same feelings that animated Jesus' heart, are also invading ours», which would take us to a very generous apostolic task. But the disproportion amongst the crowds waiting for the preaching of the Good News of the Kingdom of God and the scarcity of ready workers to preach it, is quite evident. At the end of the text of the Gospel, though, Jesus gives us the solution: to ask the master of the harvest to send workers to his fields (cf. Mt 9:38).