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

Gospel Reading: 

Matthew 8:5-11

5 As he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him 6 and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress." 7 And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." 8 But the centurion answered him, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, `Go,' and he goes, and to another, `Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, `Do this,' and he does it." 10 When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven

The contemplation

I wish to propose for this week, the theme of ‘watch and pray’ for our meditation. In this history of the centurion, a man with authority and power has the humility to come to Jesus to save his servant. Jesus sees what is inside of the person. The humility is an expression of his faith that Jesus is asking us to watch in us. Do we have such deep faith? The faith is capable of transforming us. If we have the same faith like this Centurion, we too will be able to approach Jesus when we are in need. It is not making Him as a servant, rather submitting us before God as a faithful disciple of Christ.  

Thus let us not give much importance to the appearance, even like the virtue of humility, rather what has pushed this man to surrender before Christ and why he refused the honour of having Jesus as a guest in his house.  This contemplation will help us to discover the house where he has already allowed Jesus to enter. Have we allowed Jesus to enter in our heart?

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: 

Welcoming the Lord Jesus with expectant faith and humility, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"When the Lord promised to go to the centurion's house to heal his servant, the centurion answered, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.' By viewing himself as unworthy, he showed himself worthy for Christ to come not merely into his house but also into his heart. He would not have said this with such great faith and humility if he had not already welcomed in his heart the One who came into his house. It would have been no great joy for the Lord Jesus to enter into his house and not to enter his heart. For the Master of humility both by word and example sat down also in the house of a certain proud Pharisee, Simon, and though he sat down in his house, there was no place in his heart. For in his heart the Son of Man could not lay his head" (Matthew 8:20). (excerpt from SERMON 62.1)

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mt 8,5-11): 

Jésus était entré à Capharnaüm; un centurion de l'armée romaine vint à lui et le supplia: «Seigneur, mon serviteur est au lit, chez moi, paralysé, et il souffre terriblement». Jésus lui dit: «Je vais aller le guérir». Le centurion reprit: «Seigneur, je ne suis pas digne que tu entres sous mon toit, mais dis seulement une parole et mon serviteur sera guéri. Ainsi, moi qui suis soumis à une autorité, j'ai des soldats sous mes ordres; je dis à l'un: ‘Va’, et il va, à un autre : ‘Viens’, et il vient, et à mon esclave: ‘Fais ceci’, et il le fait». 

A ces mots, Jésus fut dans l'admiration et dit à ceux qui le suivaient: «Amen, je vous le déclare, chez personne en Israël, je n'ai trouvé une telle foi. Aussi je vous le dis: Beaucoup viendront de l'orient et de l'occident et prendront place avec Abraham, Isaac et Jacob au festin du Royaume des cieux».

Le message

Hier je vous ai dit que cette semaine nous garderons le mot ‘veiller’ comme un fil conducteur. La foi de cet homme nous demande de veiller la profondeur de notre foi. Il faut agir comme lui, lorsque nous verrons un des frères ou sœurs se trouve dans la difficulté. N’hésitons pas nous avancer vers le Seigneur, le seul qui est capable de nous faire grandir dans la foi.

«Amen, je vous le déclare, chez personne en Israël, je n'ai trouvé une telle foi»

Abbé Joaquim MESEGUER García 
(Sant Quirze del Vallès, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui Capharnaüm est notre ville et notre peuple, parmi les malades, les uns connus, les autres anonymes, fréquemment oubliés en raison du rythme frénétique qui caractérise la vie actuelle: chargés de travail, nous courrons sans cesse et sans songer à ceux qui, à cause de la maladie ou d'autres circonstances, restent en marge et ne peuvent pas suivre ce rythme. Cependant, Jésus nous dira un jour: «Chaque fois que vous l'avez fait à l'un de ces petits qui sont mes frères, c'est à moi que vous l'avez fait» (Mt 25:40). Blaise Pascal reprend cette idée lorsqu'il affirme que «Jésus s'arrache d'avec ses disciples pour entrer dans l'agonie de Gethsémaní jusqu'à la fin des temps». 

Le centurion de Capharnaüm n'oublie pas son serviteur souffrant au lit, parce qu'il l'aime. Même s'il est plus puissant que lui et que son serviteur soit placé sous son autorité, il lui est reconnaissant par toutes ces années de service; il l'estime profondément. Aussi, poussé par son amour, s'adresse-t-il à Jésus, et en Sa présence, fait une extraordinaire confession de foi, que la liturgie eucharistique recueille: «Seigneur, je ne suis pas digne que tu entres sous mon toit, mais dis seulement une parole et mon serviteur sera guéri» (Mt 8:8). 

Cette confession s'appui sur l'espérance; elle jaillit de la confiance mise en Jésus Christ, ainsi que d'un sentiment d'indignité personnelle qui lui permet de reconnaître son propre dénuement.

Nous ne pouvons approcher le Christ qu'avec une démarche humble, comme celle du centurion. C'est ainsi que nous pourrons vivre l'espoir de l'Avent: espoir de salut et de vie, de réconciliation et de paix. Seul peut espérer celui qui reconnaît sa pauvreté et se rend compte que le sens de sa vie ne se trouve pas en lui-même, mais en Dieu, en s'abandonnant entre les mains du Seigneur. Approchons-nous du Christ avec confiance, et que la prière du centurion soit aussi la nôtre.

Dear readers

It has become a tradition that I share with you all my reflexion on important moments of our Christian life. Advent is the one such occasion which the Holy Church present to us and I come to you with my thought, hoping that it will be helpful to you all to live this moment in a better way. It is quite normal that I repeat some of the information that I have already given, particularly for those who read my reflexion for the first time.

‘Advent’ takes its root from the Latin word ‘Adventus’ or ‘advenio’ which means, ‘coming’ or ‘to come to. It’s certainly related to the coming of the Lord, coming in different sense for our preparation. First it is the eschatological meaning, the solemn second coming of the Lord, where he will take the seat of judgement, and it will be a radical and definitive one, without any mercy. The second meaning can be associated to the immediate preparation for the Christmas, the mystery of incarnation that we will commemorate on 24^th night. The third is more important for us today, prepare a place, a dignified place for this little child in our heart.  

For many of us the third will take the prominence of all the spiritual and present preparations are concerned. How to prepare us for this great event and what is in it that we should give much importance? I will rather try to answer the second question which will lead us towards the second question.

The incarnation is something the humanity has never able to imagine or could desire for. This mystery was beyond its imagination or capacity and till today we haven’t decoded the intention and choice of God, to this extreme divine adventure, for a people who were systematically unfaithful. It is in this background we find difficult to accept this divine adventure and are incapable to digest or to accept such an enormous gift that God so desired for the humanity.

Thus with a sense of gratitude we stand before this great mystery and try to understand the gravity of this marvellous gift. How could God expose Himself to be controlled, directed, and taught by the humanity which was ungrateful and sinful? Is there anything that the humanity could teach to God that God didn’t know? Is there anything that good in the humanity that God could profit? Certainly the answer is a great NO. However, this event gives an opportunity to the humanity to understand God very closely in its own humanity and discover from the same humanity in Christ, to want extent God loves us.

‘God so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son, not to judge us, but through Him that we may be saved’ says, Saint Jean. In Jesus we discover this unconditional love and this Advent time gives us one such opportunity to receive and renew our desire for this love in a dignified way. The first Advent Sunday will proposes us ‘watch and pray’ that we may not go away from this love of God.  When He comes, let Him find us fully prepared to receive Him in joy and gratitude, Noah who listened to the warning of the Angel and did exactly as God commentated him.  

I come to the first question that I have asked right from the beginning. How to prepare ourselves to this great event? We are called in these days to imitate this obedience of Noah and be faithful in accomplishing the will of God, because His will is the wellbeing of the humanity, where we are essential ingredients who are going to greatly profiting.  Watching and praying are in a spiritual out-look the different faces of the same coin. Praying is responding positively to the call of God to come closer to Him and listen to Him. It is not the other way, God listen to us, and to present our supplications before Him, which get multiplied every day.  In this prayer we are taught to watch what is essential to accomplish the will of God and all that are blocking us to accomplish the mission that God has entrusted to us.

This watching is essentially includes an introspection of ourselves, the qualities that God has enriched us, some helpful to grow towards God and the devil uses the other to put us down. Watching is certainly means to identify such elements and make a proper discernment which will end-up in good and healthy decisions in our wise judgements.  It all begins by washing and arranging, ordering and orienting, certainly with perseverance.

In this year I wish you all to enter in to this season with hope and joy. It is important that we carry this on our way, not only for us, but also for those who are in-need of them. Let us discover in this pilgrim life, how much God is close to us and accompanying us. Let us watch and see ourselves the signs and symbols that God uses to teach us and warn us. Let us not forget to be united with others. The universal Church will help us in this duration to read the Sacred Literature in a different way and to understand the message that God communicates to us daily. I wish to each and every one of you that this waiting be a joyful waiting, which may end up with a wonderful experience of divine encounter.  God bless you all and a good preparation.

Scripture: 

Luke 21:34-36   

34 "But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare; 35 for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth. 36 But watch at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of man."

The message

These days, particularly the last week we had the readings preparing us for the second coming of the Lord. Rightly we end our liturgical year C today and start with the liturgical year A tomorrow. Jesus is giving us a good starting of the year by asking each and every one of us to watch and pray. Watch that we may not go away from the Love of the Lord. Pray that we may be always faithful to the Lord, even if we don’t see the signs of Lord’s presence, hoping the good Lord will never abandon us.  Thus when the Lord comes we will be blameless and pure to receive the mercy of the Lord.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 21,34-36): 

«Tenez-vous sur vos gardes, de crainte que votre coeur ne s'alourdisse dans la débauche, l'ivrognerie et les soucis de la vie, et que ce jour-là ne tombe sur vous à l'improviste. Comme un filet, il s'abattra sur tous les hommes de la terre. Restez éveillés et priez en tout temps: ainsi vous serez jugés dignes d'échapper à tout ce qui doit arriver, et de paraître debout devant le Fils de l'homme».

Le message

La joyeuse attende. Comme les serviteurs fidèles, nous nous veillons et attendons pour le jour du Seigneur. Nous nous veillerons dans la prière, pleinement dans la contemplation de la Parole de Dieu en nous nous émerveillant de l’œuvre de Dieu. Demain nous célébrerons le premier dimanche d’Avent, qui nous amènera jusqu’à Bethlehem, où nous allons adorer Dieu dans la vérité et dans l’Esprit.

Scripture: 

Luke 21:29-33

29 And he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees; 30 as soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all has taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

A Daily Quote from the early church fathers: 

My words will not pass away, by an anonymous early author from the early Greek fathers

"'This generation' refers both to those who suffer temptation and to those who cause it. It refers to sinners among men and to the demons who are at work in them. For neither group will cease being in the world until its consummation. For Christ said, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels' (Matthew 25:41). Moreover, it is necessary that the source of temptation be preserved as long as there is faith which needs testing. It is also possible, however, that 'this generation' refers to those mortal Christians who would not pass over into eternal life and be made immortal and impassible 'until' all the events about which Christ was speaking had taken place.

"'Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away' because heaven and earth were created to serve you, but my words were uttered to govern you. Both heaven and earth are subject to vanity, as the apostle said, 'Creation is subject to vanity' (Romans 8:20). Truth, however, is by nature unable to deceive and can never die." (excerpt from INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 49, the Greek fathers).

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 21,29-33): 

Et il leur dit cette parabole: «Voyez le figuier et tous les autres arbres. Dès qu'ils bourgeonnent, vous n'avez qu'à les regarder pour savoir que l'été est déjà proche. De même, vous aussi, lorsque vous verrez arriver cela, sachez que le royaume de Dieu est proche. Amen, je vous le dis: cette génération ne passera pas sans que tout arrive. Le ciel et la terre passeront, mes paroles ne passeront pas».

«Lorsque vous verrez arriver cela, sachez que le royaume de Dieu est proche»

Deacre Abbé Evaldo PINA FILHO 
(Brasilia, Brsil)

Aujourd'hui, Jésus nous invite à regarder les signes de notre temps et de notre époque et à reconnaitre en ceux-ci l'avènement du Royaume des Cieux. L'invitation est afin que nous fixions nos regards sur le figuier et les autres arbres —«Voyez le figuier et tous les autres arbres» (Lc 21,29)— et concentrer notre attention sur eux pour percevoir ce qui leur arrive «vous n'avez qu'à les regarder pour savoir que l'été est déjà proche» (Lc 21,30). Les figuiers commençaient à bourgeonner. Les bourgeons commençaient à sortir. Ce n'était pas uniquement l'annonce des fleurs et des fruits mais aussi l'annonce de l'été, saison durant laquelle tous les arbres «bourgeonnent». 

Selon Benoît XVI «la parole de Dieu nous incite à changer notre concept du réalisme. En effet, «la personne réaliste est celle qui reconnaît dans le Verbe de Dieu le fondement de tout». Cette Parole vivante qui nous montre l'été comme le signe de l'approche et de l'exubérance de la luminosité, est la lumière même: «lorsque vous verrez arriver cela, sachez que le royaume de Dieu est proche» (Lc 21,31). Par conséquent, maintenant, on ne peut pas seulement entendre la Parole, elle n'as pas seulement une voix, elle a aussi un visage que nous pouvons voir: Jésus de Nazareth» (Benoît XVI).

La communication entre Jésus et le Père fut parfaite, et tout ce qu'il a reçu du Père il nous l'a donné, en communiquant avec nous de la même manière. De ce fait, la proximité du Royaume des Cieux, qui s'exprime par la libre initiative de Dieu de venir à notre rencontre, doit nous amener à reconnaître l'approche du Royaume afin que nous aussi nous puissions communiquer d'une manière parfaite avec le Père à travers la Parole de Dieu —Verbum Domini—, en reconnaissant les signes de l'avènement du Royaume des Cieux qui est proche comme la réalisation des promesses du Père en Jésus Christ.

Scripture: 

Luke 21:20-28  

20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it; 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfil all that is written. 23 Alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! For great distress shall be upon the earth and wrath upon this people; 24 they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led captive among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 25 "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 men fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

The message

We continue to meditate with the same theme of yesterday. Let me share my views which may help you all to live today’s gospel in a different way.

If you look at the events happening today, we may be tempted to believe that the end is very near. Let us not press the panic button immediately. The time of the Lord hasn’t come. However it is very near.

Then, what should we do? It’s simple. Let us be aware that the hour of the Lord is very near and live our life as if we are very close to the second coming of the Lord. Particularly giving more importance to conversion and reconciliation.

What is the heart of today’s gospel message?  Let not be afraid of the end time. The lord will never abandon His faithful disciples. Let us be faithful to the Gospel teachings and live an evangelic life, fully configured in Christ. Have a wonderful day. God bless you.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 21,20-28):

 «Lorsque vous verrez Jérusalem encerclée par des armées, sachez alors que sa dévastation est toute proche. Alors, ceux qui seront en Judée, qu'ils s'enfuient dans la montagne; ceux qui seront à l'intérieur de la ville, qu'ils s'en éloignent ; ceux qui seront à la campagne, qu'ils ne rentrent pas en ville, car ce seront des jours où Dieu fera justice pour accomplir toute l'Écriture. 

»Malheureuses les femmes qui seront enceintes et celles qui allaiteront en ces jours-là, car il y aura une grande misère dans le pays, une grande colère contre ce peuple. Ils tomberont sous le tranchant de l'épée, ils seront emmenés en captivité chez toutes les nations païennes; Jérusalem sera piétinée par les païens, jusqu'à ce que le temps des païens soit achevé. Il y aura des signes dans le soleil, la lune et les étoiles. Sur terre, les nations seront affolées par le fracas de la mer et de la tempête. Les hommes mourront de peur dans la crainte des malheurs arrivant sur le monde, car les puissances des cieux seront ébranlées. Alors, on verra le Fils de l'homme venir dans la nuée, avec grande puissance et grande gloire. Quand ces événements commenceront, redressez-vous et relevez la tête, car votre rédemption approche».

Le message

Nous continuons à méditer avec la même orientation d’hier. Peut-on dire que l’heure du Seigneur est arrivée ? Je ne crois pas.

Que devons-nous faire aujourd’hui ? Simplement, il faut vivre comme le Seigneur est très proche, particulièrement insistant sur la conversion et la réconciliation.  

Quel est le message de l’évangile pour nous ? N’ayons pas peur. Il Seigneur ne nous abandonnera jamais. Soyons fidèle à l’évangile et à l’enseignement de l’Eglise.

Scripture: 

Luke 21:12-19

12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. 13 This will be a time for you to bear testimony. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; 17 you will be hated by all for my name's sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish.19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.

The message

Sometime we are over taken by the misery and daily trouble that we don’t see nothing than our pain. Jesus is inviting us to get configured in Him. In this configuration, our humanity will be transformed in to His divinity. We learn to see everything in the eyes of the Lord. We will be able to identity the work of God in us. Thus every send of our life will be filled with action of grace for all that the Lord has done to us, than looking the miseries. It is not that our pains get reduced or removed, rather our orientation is changed and we learn to look everything in a large perspective of life, coming out of ourselves and look in others what the Lord wants us to do for them.  Thus systematically we forget our pains and se learn to sympathize and empathize with others. It is here we endure all the persecution and calamities addressed towards us, because the Lord gives us the strength to bear everything and most importantly we discover that the Lord is fighting for us. We by consequence will chant that the Lord is my Shepherd and there is nothing shall I want.