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

Gospel text

(Mk 6:7-13): 

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick –no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

The Application

The divine project od human salvation does not end with the death and resurrection of the Lord. Jesus wanted his disciples to continue it, and the Lord's disciples have passed on this mission to us. We are called to respond positively to this invitation of the Lord.

This sending of two by two, makes us discover that the mission that the Lord entrusted to us through his disciples is essentially a community work rather than an individual one. We must never forget that even in an individual or private activity, we are in communion with our brothers and sisters, who are present with us spiritually, in union of prayer.

Jesus already foresees the difficulty that we will encounter throughout our lives. Though we have received the graces and the authority to do in His name, the path will not always be a rosy one. However, we must trust the Lord's protection and his support, learn to continue the mission and that the mission does not stop because of a failure. The success and the failure doesn’t belong to us. Jesus has promised us that he will be there and complete the mission he has already started in us.

Action of the day: Be courageous and hopeful.

“Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two (…). So they went off and preached repentance”

+ Fr. Josep VALL i Mundó

(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, the Gospel refers to the Apostles' first apostolic mission. Jesus Christ sends the Twelve to preach, to heal the sick and to prepare the ways of our definite salvation. This is the mission of the Church, and our mission, too. The II Vatican Council asserted, “Christian vocation is by its very nature a vocation to the apostolate. No baptized person can remain idle! Therefore, he who would not strive to achieve a human body and spiritual growth, would be as useless for the Church as he would be for himself.”

Gustave Thibon used to say that our world needs a “soul's supplement” to regenerate itself. Christ's doctrine is the only medicine that can cure all illnesses of the world. The world is in crisis. But, it is not just a partial decay of moral or human values: it is a crisis of everything. And the most precise term to define it would be a “crisis of soul”.

With the grace and doctrine of Jesus we Christians find ourselves in the midst of the temporal structures of humans so that we can instill life in them and guide them towards our Creator: “That the world, through the predication of the Church, by listening, it can believe, by believing, it can wait, and by waiting, it can love” (Saint Augustine). We Christians cannot elude this world. As Bernanos wrote: “We have been thrown in the middle of the dough, in the middle of the multitude, as yeast; we shall conquer again, inch by inch, the Universe that sin snatched away from us. O Lord, we shall return it to you as we received it in the morning of the world, with all its order and all its sanctity.”

The secret lies in loving the world with all our soul and in living with love the mission Jesus Christ gave the Apostles, and all of us. With words from Saint Josemaria, we can affirm “The apostolate is a love for God that is brimming with joy, with dedication to others (...). And our eagerness to spread our apostolate is the exact, adequate and necessary manifestation of our interior life.” This has to be our daily testimony amidst men and throughout all ages.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 6,7-13): 

Jésus appelle les Douze, et pour la première fois il les envoie deux par deux. Il leur donnait pouvoir sur les esprits mauvais, et il leur prescrivit de ne rien emporter pour la route, si ce n'est un bâton; de n'avoir ni pain, ni sac, ni pièces de monnaie dans leur ceinture. «Mettez des sandales, ne prenez pas de tunique de rechange». Il leur disait encore: «Quand vous avez trouvé l'hospitalité dans une maison, restez-y jusqu'à votre départ. Si, dans une localité, on refuse de vous accueillir et de vous écouter, partez en secouant la poussière de vos pieds: ce sera pour eux un témoignage». Ils partirent, et proclamèrent qu'il fallait se convertir. Ils chassaient beaucoup de démons, faisaient des onctions d'huile à de nombreux malades, et les guérissaient.

L’Application

Le projet divin de salut de l'homme ne s'achève pas avec la mort et la résurrection du Seigneur. Jésus a voulu que ses disciples le poursuivent, et les disciples du Seigneur nous ont transmis cette mission. Nous sommes appelés à répondre positivement à cette invitation du Seigneur.

Cet envoi deux par deux, nous fait découvrir que la mission que le Seigneur nous a confiée à travers ses disciples est essentiellement une œuvre communautaire plutôt qu'individuelle. Nous ne devons jamais oublier que même dans une activité individuelle ou privée, nous sommes en communion avec nos frères et sœurs, qui sont présents avec nous spirituellement, dans l'union de prière.

Jésus prévoit déjà les difficultés que nous rencontrerons tout au long de notre vie. Le chemin ne sera pas toujours rose. Cependant, nous devons savoir faire confiance à la protection et au soutien du Seigneur, apprendre à poursuivre la mission et que la mission ne s'arrête pas à cause d'un échec. Jésus nous a promis qu'il sera là et qu'il achèvera la mission qu'il a déjà commencée en nous.

«Jésus appelle les Douze, et pour la première fois il les envoie deux par deux (…).Ils partirent, et proclamèrent qu'il fallait se convertir»

+ Abbé Josep VALL i Mundó

(Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, L'Evangile raconte la première mission apostolique. Le Christ envoie les Douze prêcher, guérir les malades et préparer les voies du salut définitif. C'est la mission de l'Église, celle de chaque chrétien également. Le Concile Vatican II affirme que «la vocation chrétienne implique de soi la vocation à l'apostolat. Aucun membre n'a de rôle passif. Et celui qui ne veillerai pas à la croissance du corps serait, pour cette raison, inutile pour toute l'Église et aussi pour lui-même».

Le monde actuel a besoin —comme le disait Gustave Thibon— d'un “supplément d'âme” pour sa régénération. Seul le Christ, avec sa doctrine, est remède pour ses maladies. Le monde passe par des crises. Ce n'est pas seulement une crise morale partielle, ou de valeurs humaines: c'est une crise d'ensemble. Le terme le plus précis pour la définir est celui de “crise d'âme”.

Les chrétiens avec la grâce et la doctrine de Jésus se trouvent au milieu des structures temporelles pour les vivifier et les ordonner au Créateur: «Qu'en écoutant la prédication de l'Église, le monde puisse croire, qu'en croyant il puisse espérer, qu'en espérant il puisse aimer» (saint Augustin). Le chrétien ne peut fuir ce monde. Bernanos écrivait ainsi: «Il nous a jeté au milieu de la pâte, au milieu de la multitude comme levain; nous reconquerrons pied à pied l'univers que le péché nous a enlevé; Seigneur, nous te le rendrons tel que nous l'avons reçu en ce premier matin du monde, tout ordonné et tout saint».

L'un des secrets est d'aimer le monde de toute son âme et de vivre avec amour la mission confiée par le Christ aux Apôtres ainsi qu'à nous tous. Comme l'a dit saint Josémaria, «l'apostolat est amour de Dieu qui déborde, don de soi-même aux autres (…). Et le désir d'apostolat est la manifestation exacte, adéquate, nécessaire, de la vie intérieure». Tel doit être notre témoignage quotidien au milieu des hommes et tout au long des temps.

Gospel text

(Lk 2:22-40): 

When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord, and to offer the sacrifice of a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord. He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

The Application

On this day of the Feast of the Presentation, I would like to invite you to look at the journey of Jesus, from the Incarnation to the Resurrection, and at all that God has made known to us through His only Son. We must never forget the people in salvation history who participated in the completion of the economy of salvation, including the people we see in today's Gospel.

As this history continues, we become aware of our own participation in the salvation of the world. It is not simply that we are part of this history, but also that we form this history, and we are this history.  In truth, we are those Simeon, Anne, Mary, Joseph, etc. Each of us is invited to recognise the divine will, and to fulfil that will in our daily lives.

Action of the day: Present yourself fully to God.

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace”

Fr. Lluís RAVENTÓS i Artés

(Tarragona, Spain)

Today, we see how Simeon, ignoring the winter's cold, is awaiting the arrival of the Messiah. Five hundred years before, when the Temple was starting to be built there was such poverty in the country that its builders were highly discouraged. It was then when Haggai, the prophet, said: “Greater will be the glory of this house the latter more than the former —says the LORD of hosts; And in this place I will give you peace— oracle of the LORD of hosts.” (Hag 2:9); and added “I will shake all the nations, so that the treasures of all the nations will come in. And I will fill this house with glory” (Hag 2:7). Words that accept different meanings; some will say ‘the dearest one’, while saint Jeronim will say ‘the desired of all nations’.

The Holy Spirit had assured Simeon “that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord” (Lk 2:26), and today, led by the Holy Spirit, he has gone into the Temple. He is not a levite, nor a scribe, nor a doctor of the law, he is just a “righteous and devout man, awaiting the consolation of Israel” (Lk 2:25). But the Holy Spirit blows where it wills (cf. Jn 3:8).

Now, he realizes with surprise that no preparation has been made, no flags, garlands, damasks or shields can be seen anywhere, just Joseph and Mary, crossing the esplanade, and bringing the Child Jesus in their arms. “Lift up your heads, O gates; be lifted, you ancient portals, that the king of glory may enter.” (Ps 24:), claims the psalmist.

Stretching out his arms Simeon takes the Infant from his Mother and blessed God while saying: “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel” (Lk 2:29-32). Then, he tells Mary: “A sword will pierce so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk 2:35).

Mother, when the moment to go to the Father's house arrives, please take me in your arms as you did with Jesus, for I'm your son and a child too.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 2,22-40): 

Quand arriva le jour fixé par la loi de Moïse pour la purification, les parents de Jésus le portèrent à Jérusalem pour le présenter au Seigneur, selon ce qui est écrit dans la Loi: «Tout premier-né de sexe masculin sera consacré au Seigneur». Ils venaient aussi présenter en offrande le sacrifice prescrit par la loi du Seigneur: un couple de tourterelles ou deux petites colombes.

Or, il y avait à Jérusalem un homme appelé Syméon. C'était un homme juste et religieux, qui attendait la Consolation d'Israël, et l'Esprit Saint était sur lui. L'Esprit lui avait révélé qu'il ne verrait pas la mort avant d'avoir vu le Messie du Seigneur. Poussé par l'Esprit, Syméon vint au Temple. Les parents y entraient avec l'enfant Jésus pour accomplir les rites de la Loi qui le concernaient. Syméon prit l'enfant dans ses bras, et il bénit Dieu en disant: «Maintenant, ô Maître, tu peux laisser ton serviteur s'en aller dans la paix, selon ta parole. Car mes yeux ont vu ton salut, que tu as préparé à la face de tous les peuples: lumière pour éclairer les nations païennes, et gloire d'Israël ton peuple». Le père et la mère de l'enfant s'étonnaient de ce qu'on disait de lui.

Syméon les bénit, puis il dit à Marie sa mère: «Vois, ton fils qui est là provoquera la chute et le relèvement de beaucoup en Israël. Il sera un signe de division. Et toi-même, ton coeur sera transpercé par une épée. Ainsi seront dévoilées les pensées secrètes d'un grand nombre».

Il y avait là une femme qui était prophète, Anne, fille de Phanuel, de la tribu d'Aser. Demeurée veuve après sept ans de mariage, elle avait atteint l'âge de quatre-vingt-quatre ans. Elle ne s'éloignait pas du Temple, servant Dieu jour et nuit dans le jeûne et la prière. S'approchant d'eux à ce moment, elle proclamait les louanges de Dieu et parlait de l'enfant à tous ceux qui attendaient la délivrance de Jérusalem. Lorsqu'ils eurent accompli tout ce que prescrivait la loi du Seigneur, ils retournèrent en Galilée, dans leur ville de Nazareth. L'enfant grandissait et se fortifiait, tout rempli de sagesse, et la grâce de Dieu était sur lui.

L’Application

En ce jour de la fête de la Présentation, je voudrais vous inviter à regarder le parcours de Jésus, de l'Incarnation à la Résurrection, et tout ce que Dieu nous a fait connaître par son Fils unique. Nous ne devons jamais oublier les personnes qui, dans l'histoire du salut, ont participé à l'achèvement de l'économie du salut, y compris les personnes que nous voyons dans l'Évangile de ce jour.

À mesure que cette histoire se poursuit, nous prenons conscience de notre propre participation au salut du monde. Ce n'est pas seulement que nous faisons partie de cette histoire, mais aussi que nous formons cette histoire, et que nous sommes cette histoire.  En vérité, nous sommes ces Siméon, Anne, Marie, Joseph, etc. Chacun de nous est invité à reconnaître la volonté divine et à l'accomplir dans sa vie quotidienne.

«Maintenant, ô Maître, tu peux laisser ton serviteur s'en aller dans la paix, selon ta parole. Car mes yeux ont vu ton salut»

Abbé Lluís RAVENTÓS i Artés

(Tarragona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, en endurant le froid de l'hiver, Siméon attend l'arrivée du Messie. Il y a cinq cents ans déjà, quand a débuté la construction du Temple, il y a eu une grande pénurie, tellement grande que les constructeurs étaient totalement découragés. C'est alors, qu'Aggée a prophetisé: «La splendeur future de ce Temple surpassera la première, et dans ce lieu, je vous ferai don de la paix. Parole du Seigneur de l'univers» (Ag 2,9) et il ajouta «Je vais mettre en branle toutes les nations païennes, leurs trésors afflueront ici» (Ag 2,7). Phrase qui peut s'interpréter de plusieurs manières «le plus précieux» dirons les uns, «le plus prisé» dira saint Jérémie.

A Siméon «l'Esprit lui avait révélé qu'il ne verrait pas la mort avant d'avoir vu le Messie du Seigneur» (Lc 2,26), et aujourd'hui «poussé par l'Esprit», il est monté au Temple. Il n'était pas Lévite, ni Scribe, ni Docteur de la loi, mais il était simplement «un homme juste qui attendait la Consolation d'Israël» (Lc 2,25). Mais l'Esprit souffle là où il veut (cf. Jn 3,8).

Maintenant il constate avec un certain étonnement qu'il n'y a pas eu de grands préparatifs d'accueil, pas de drapeaux, pas de guirlandes, ni d'écussons de quelque sorte nulle part. Joseph et Marie traversent l'esplanade en portant l'Enfant dans leurs bras. «Portes, élevez vos linteaux; élevez-vous, portes antiques: que le Roi de gloire fasse son entrée» (Ps 24,7) chante le Psaume.

Siméon s'avance les bras ouverts pour saluer la Mère, il reçoit l'Enfant et bénit Dieu en disant: «Maintenant, ô Maître, tu peux laisser ton serviteur s'en aller dans la paix, selon ta parole. Car mes yeux ont vu ton salut, que tu as préparé à la face de tous les peuples: lumière pour éclairer les nations païennes, et gloire d'Israël ton peuple» (Lc 2,29-32).

Gospel text

(Mk 5:21-43): 

When Jesus had crossed again [in the boat] to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he stayed close to the sea. One of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, came forward. Seeing him he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him, saying, “My daughter is at the point of death. Please, come lay your hands on her that she may get well and live.”

He went off with him, and a large crowd followed him and pressed upon him. There was a woman afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years. She had suffered greatly at the hands of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet she was not helped but only grew worse. She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Jesus, aware at once that power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who has touched my clothes?” But his disciples said to him, “You see how the crowd is pressing upon you, and yet you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. The woman, realizing what had happened to her, approached in fear and trembling. She fell down before Jesus and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official’s house arrived and said, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the teacher any longer?” Disregarding the message that was reported, Jesus said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” He did not allow anyone to accompany him inside except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

When they arrived at the house of the synagogue official, he caught sight of a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. So he went in and said to them, “Why this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they ridiculed him. Then he put them all out. He took along the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and entered the room where the child was. He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise!” The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around. [At that] they were utterly astounded. He gave strict orders that no one should know this and said that she should be given something to eat.

The Application

I always wondered Lord, why you have made a pause, while on a move to save a child. Your little stops and pauses do have some meaning to me. You seems to be very much connected, not only internally with the Father, but also externally to the suffering of each individual. It’s quite interesting to see your sensibility. Give me this grace Lord, to be very sensible to the feeling and need of the people who are around me.

Your questioning this poor and vulnerable woman, seemed to me, an unjust and humiliating approach. Later I understood, that it was not for her, though towards her. It was imply meant to the father of the little child that he may see in her the divine grace and not to lose his hope in you. Each and every act of us has a meaning for you, including our faults and failures. They can be a hope and lesson for others.

The faith which you have put into us, is a marvellous gift, enriched with powerful force and energy. It has made her to do something so strange to the eyes of the world and made the father to put all the trust in you, against all human intelligence and understanding. When we light up little candles before the alter, has the same meaning to you. You appreciate these little gestures, sometime our childish approach. Lord, I pray that I keep my faith always alive, particularly when the human intelligence fails me and discourages me.

Action of the day: Keep your faith alive.

“Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.”

Fr. Francesc PERARNAU i Cañellas

(Girona, Spain)

Today, the Gospel presents us with two of Jesus' miracles that speak of the great faith of two entirely different persons. Whether Jairus —an official of the synagogue— or that poor ailing woman, both displayed much faith: Jairus is certain Jesus can cure his daughter, while that good old woman knows that just touching Jesus' robe will be more than enough to deliver her from her very serious bleeding. And, Jesus, because both are persons with a strong faith, grants them what they wanted.

The woman who thought she was unworthy of Jesus' attention, who did not dare to bother neither the Master nor those influential Jews, was the first one. Noiselessly, she came up behind him and, softly touching Jesus' cloak, she “draws out” her cure, and she can feel how her body is completely healed. Jesus, who knows what has happened, does not want to let her go without saying to her: «Daughter, your faith has saved you; go in peace and be free of this illness» (Mk 5:34).

To Jairus, Jesus is asking an even stronger faith. As God did with Abraham in the Old Testament, Jesus will ask Jairus to have faith against hope, a faith in impossible things. Jairus had been told the terrible news his little daughter had just died. We can easily imagine the deep anguish and horrible pain he must have felt in that very moment, and perhaps the temptation to despair. But Jesus, who had also heard the news, tells him: «Do not fear, just believe» (Mk 5:36). And, like those ancient patriarchs, hopelessly believing, he could see how his beloved little girl was resurrected by Jesus.

Two great lessons in faith for us. Jairus and the woman suffering a serious bleeding, along with so many others, from the Gospel pages, speak to us of the need to have an unmovable faith. We can make ours that beautiful evangelic exclamation: «O Lord, I believe; help my unbelief» (Mk 9:24).

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 5,21-43): 

Jésus regagna en barque l'autre rive, et une grande foule s'assembla autour de lui. Il était au bord du lac. Arrive un chef de synagogue, nommé Jaïre. Voyant Jésus, il tombe à ses pieds et le supplie instamment: «Ma petite fille est à toute extrémité. Viens lui imposer les mains pour qu'elle soit sauvée et qu'elle vive». Jésus partit avec lui, et la foule qui le suivait était si nombreuse qu'elle l'écrasait.

Or, une femme, qui avait des pertes de sang depuis douze ans. Elle avait beaucoup souffert du traitement de nombreux médecins, et elle avait dépensé tous ses biens sans aucune amélioration; au contraire, son état avait plutôt empiré. Cette femme donc, ayant appris ce qu'on disait de Jésus, vint par derrière dans la foule et toucha son vêtement. Car elle se disait: «Si je parviens à toucher seulement son vêtement, je serai sauvée». A l'instant, l'hémorragie s'arrêta, et elle ressentit dans son corps qu'elle était guérie de son mal. Aussitôt Jésus se rendit compte qu'une force était sortie de lui. Il se retourna dans la foule, et il demandait: «Qui a touché mes vêtements?». Ses disciples lui répondaient: «Tu vois bien la foule qui t'écrase, et tu demandes: ‘Qui m'a touché?’». Mais lui regardait tout autour pour voir celle qui avait fait ce geste. Alors la femme, craintive et tremblante, sachant ce qui lui était arrivé, vint se jeter à ses pieds et lui dit toute la vérité. Mais Jésus reprit: «Ma fille, ta foi t'a sauvée. Va en paix et sois guérie de ton mal».

Comme il parlait encore, des gens arrivent de la maison de Jaïre pour annoncer à celui-ci: «Ta fille vient de mourir. A quoi bon déranger encore le Maître?». Jésus, surprenant ces mots, dit au chef de la synagogue: «Ne crains pas, crois seulement». Il ne laissa personne l'accompagner, sinon Pierre, Jacques, et Jean son frère. Ils arrivent à la maison du chef de synagogue. Jésus voit l'agitation, et des gens qui pleurent et poussent de grands cris. Il entre et leur: «Pourquoi cette agitation et ces pleurs? L'enfant n'est pas morte: elle dort». Mais on se moquait de lui. Alors il met tout le monde dehors, prend avec lui le père et la mère de l'enfant, et ceux qui l'accompagnent. Puis il pénètre là où reposait la jeune fille. Il saisit la main de l'enfant, et lui dit: «Talitha koum», ce qui signifie: «Jeune fille, je te le dis, lève-toi!». Aussitôt la jeune fille se leva et se mit à marcher -elle avait douze ans. Ils en furent complètement bouleversés. Mais Jésus leur recommanda avec insistance que personne ne le sache; puis il leur dit de la faire manger.

L’Application

Seigneur tu es là pour nous assurer que ta présence nous sauvera. Merci Seigneur pour ce moment fort que tu as offert à cet homme : la maladie de cette femme, et sa guérison seront un signe pour ce père, qui aimait tant sa fille. La foi de cette femme, lui donnera une formidable assurance, que ce père aura confiance en Toi et répondra positivement à Ton appel, "Ne crains pas, crois seulement". Je suis conscient Seigneur que la vie et la foi de mes frères et sœurs est déjà un soutien que tu m'offres quotidiennement.

La foi est capable de nous transformer et de nous donner de l'espoir à un moment où nous ne voyons que du vide. Elle a poussé cette femme à faire un geste, totalement stupide devant l'intelligence humaine et incompréhensible même pour les hommes de foi. Pourtant, pour ce Dieu qui l'aime, tout était parfait, comme tout le reste. Puissions-nous être assurés que notre veilleuse, que nous plaçons devant un autel, a un sens devant notre Dieu.

Aide-moi Seigneur à imiter la foi de cette femme, et à faire confiance comme Jaïrus. Que je ne perde jamais la foi.

«Ma fille, ta foi t'a sauvée. Va en paix et sois guérie de ton mal»

Abbé Francesc PERARNAU i Cañellas

(Girona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, l'Évangile nous présente deux miracles de Jésus qui nous parlent de la foi de deux personnes bien différentes. Aussi bien Jaïre -l'un des chefs de la synagogue- que cette femme malade font preuve d'une grande foi: Jaïre est sûr que Jésus peut guérir sa fille; la femme est certaine qu'en frôlant le vêtement de Jésus elle sera libérée d'une très grave maladie. Et Jésus, parce que ces personnes ont la foi, leur concède la grâce qu'elles étaient venues chercher.

La première, ce fut elle, qui pensait qu'elle n'était pas digne que Jésus lui dédiât un instant, qui n'osait pas déranger le Maître ni ces juifs importants. Sans bruit, elle s'approche et, touchant la frange du manteau de Jésus, elle "arrache" sa guérison, ce qu'elle remarque aussitôt dans son corps. Mais Jésus, qui sait ce qui s'est passé, ne veut pas la laisser partir sans lui adresser un mot: «Ma fille, ta foi t'a sauvée. Va en paix et sois guérie de ton mal» (Mc 5,34).

De Jaïre, Il demande une foi encore plus grande. Comme l'avait déjà fait Dieu avec Abraham dans l'Ancien Testament, il exige une foi contre toute espérance, la foi des choses impossibles. L'on communiqua à Jaïre la terrible nouvelle que sa petite fille venait de mourir. Nous pouvons nous imaginer la grande douleur qui dût l'envahir alors, et peut-être la tentation du désespoir. Et Jésus, qui avait entendu, lui dit: «Ne crains pas, crois seulement» (Mc 5,36). Et comme les antiques patriarches, croyant contre toute espérance, il vit comment Jésus rendait la vie à sa fille bien-aimée.

Deux grandes leçons de foi pour nous. À partir des pages de l'Évangile, Jaïre et l'hémorroïsse, comme tant d'autres, nous parlent de la nécessité d'avoir une foi inébranlable. Nous pouvons faire nôtre cette belle exclamation évangélique: «Je crois, Seigneur, viens au secours de mon incrédulité» (Mc 9,24).

Gospel text

(Mk 5:1-20): 

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, crying out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” (He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) He asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.” And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory.

Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they pleaded with him, “Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.” And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg him to leave their district.

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But he would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

The Application

In all honesty, I don't know how I can apply this gospel in my daily life. However, I invite you to look at Jesus. Jesus not only frees the person, he also listens to the evil spirit. We must always have this openness in our daily lives, a heart that is welcoming and full of love.

In imitation of Jesus, I invite you to free our brothers and sisters, who are slaves of sin, especially through our prayers and contemplation. They are in need of our attentive listening and compassionate accompaniment.

Third, I invite you to imitate this man who is totally healed, will give glory to God, by his life of witness. Let us acknowledge the good things we have received from the Lord and give glory to God by our life of witness.

Action of the day: Be open and generous.

“Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”

Fr. Ramon Octavi SÁNCHEZ i Valero

(Viladecans, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we find a fragment of the Gospel that might induce someone to smile. Imagining a herd of some two thousand pigs rushing down a cliff and into a lake, is a sort of funny image. But the truth is that those herdsmen did not find any fun in what had happened; they were very angry and begged Jesus to leave their neighborhood immediately.

While the herdsmen's attitude may seem logical, it is actually quite admonishing: for they would have undoubtedly preferred to save their pigs rather than have that demonized man delivered from his evil spirits. That is, first the material goods, which bring us money and ease, instead of a dignified life for a man who does not belong “to our class”. Because the man possessed by the evil spirit was nothing but a person that “Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.” (Mk 5:5).

Quite often we run the risk to cling to what we own and infuriate when we lose whatever material possessions we may have. Thus, we have the farmer despairing when he loses his crop, even if fully insured or the stock market investor who angers if his shares go down. On the other hand, few are those who actually anguish when they see millions of human beings, many of which may live next to us, living in extreme poverty or dying of hunger.

Jesus always placed persons before anything else, even before the law and the powerful people of his time. But, just too often, we only think of us and of what we believe may bring us some happiness, despite the fact that selfishness never has brought any happiness to anyone. As the Brazilian Bishop Dom Helder Cámara would say: “Selfishness is the deepest root of all unhappiness. Your own and that of the whole world.”

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 5,1-20): 

Ils arrivèrent sur l'autre rive du lac, dans le pays des Géraséniens. Comme Jésus descendait de la barque, aussitôt un homme possédé d'un esprit mauvais sortit du cimetière à sa rencontre; il habitait dans les tombeaux et personne ne pouvait plus l'attacher, même avec une chaîne; en effet on l'avait souvent attaché avec des fers aux pieds et des chaînes, mais il avait rompu les chaînes, brisé les fers, et personne ne pouvait le maîtriser. Sans arrêt, nuit et jour, il était parmi les tombeaux et sur les collines, à crier, et à se blesser avec des pierres. Voyant Jésus de loin, il accourut, se prosterna devant lui et cria de toutes ses forces: «Que me veux-tu, Jésus, Fils du Dieu très-haut? Je t'adjure par Dieu, ne me fais pas souffrir!». Jésus lui disait en effet: «Esprit mauvais, sors de cet homme!». Et il lui demandait: «Quel est ton nom?». L'homme lui répond: «Je m'appelle Légion, car nous sommes beaucoup». Et ils suppliaient Jésus avec insistance de ne pas les chasser en dehors du pays.

Or, il y avait là, du côté de la colline, un grand troupeau de porcs qui cherchait sa nourriture. Alors, les esprits mauvais supplièrent Jésus: «Envoie-nous vers ces porcs, et nous entrerons en eux». Il le leur permit. Alors ils sortirent de l'homme et entrèrent dans les porcs. Du haut de la falaise, le troupeau se précipita dans la mer: il y avait environ deux mille porcs, et ils s'étouffaient dans la mer. Ceux qui les gardaient prirent la fuite, ils annoncèrent la nouvelle dans la ville et dans la campagne, et les gens vinrent voir ce qui s'était passé. Arrivés auprès de Jésus, ils voient le possédé assis, habillé, et devenu raisonnable, lui qui avait eu la légion de démons, et ils furent saisis de crainte. Les témoins leur racontèrent l'aventure du possédé et l'affaire des porcs. Alors ils se mirent à supplier Jésus de partir de leur région.

Comme Jésus remontait dans la barque, le possédé le suppliait de pouvoir être avec lui. Il n'y consentit pas, mais il lui dit: «Rentre chez toi, auprès des tiens, annonce-leur tout ce que le Seigneur a fait pour toi dans sa miséricorde». Alors cet homme s'en alla, il se mit à proclamer dans la région de la Décapole tout ce que Jésus avait fait pour lui, et tout le monde était dans l'admiration.

L’Application

En toute honnêteté, je ne sais pas comment je peux appliquer cet évangile dans ma vie quotidienne. Cependant, je vous invite à regarder Jésus. Jésus ne fait pas que libérer la personne, il est aussi à l'écoute de l'esprit mauvais. Nous devons toujours avoir cette ouverture dans notre vie quotidienne, un cœur accueillant et plein d'amour.

A l'imitation de Jésus, je vous invite à libérer nos frères et sœurs, esclaves du péché, notamment par nos prières et notre contemplation. Ils ont besoin de notre écoute attentive et de notre accompagnement compatissant.

Troisièmement, je vous invite à imiter cet homme totalement guéri, qui rendra gloire à Dieu, par sa vie de témoignage. Reconnaissons les bonnes choses que nous avons reçues du Seigneur et rendons gloire à Dieu par notre vie de témoignage.

«Esprit mauvais, sors de cet homme!»

Abbé Ramon Octavi SÁNCHEZ i Valero

(Viladecans, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, nous découvrons un passage de l'Évangile qui en fera sourire plus d'un. S'imaginer environ deux mille porcs se précipitant au bas de la montagne a quelque chose de comique. Mais les porchers, eux, ne goûtèrent pas l'humour de la situation, ils se fâchèrent beaucoup et demandèrent à Jésus de quitter leur territoire.

Même si, humainement parlant, elle peut paraître logique, cette attitude n'en demeure pas moins franchement condamnable: ils préféraient conserver leurs cochons plutôt que de voir le possédé guéri. Plutôt les biens matériels, qui nous apportent argent et bien-être, que la vie digne d'un homme qui n'est pas "des nôtres". Car celui qui était possédé par un esprit mauvais «sans arrêt, nuit et jour, était parmi les tombeaux et sur les collines, à crier, et à se blesser avec des pierres» (Mc 5,5).

Nous courrons aussi bien souvent le danger de nous attacher à ce qui est à nous, et de désespérer quand nous le perdons. Par exemple, le paysan se désespère quand il perd sa récolte, même si elle est assurée, et le spéculateur en bourse quand ses actions perdent une partie de leur valeur. Très peu, en revanche, perdent l'espérance lorsqu'ils voient la faim et la situation précaire de tant d'êtres humains, dont certains vivent à deux pas de chez eux.

Jésus accorda toujours la première place aux personnes, même avant les lois et les puissants de son temps. Mais nous, trop souvent, ne pensons qu'à nous et à ce qui, croyons-nous, nous rend heureux, alors même que l'égoïsme n'apporte jamais le bonheur. Comme disait l'évêque brésilien Helder Camara, «l'égoïsme est la source infaillible du malheur pour soi-même et pour ceux qui nous entourent».

Each gathering of the faithful on the Sunday celebration is a powerful moment when the community bears witness to the God of love and mercy, in a concrete way, by celebrating a worship worthy of God. There we remember an event that God himself has asked us to do; do it in memory of me. So our celebration is a celebration of love; God so loved the world and wanted to love it to the end. It is a celebration of patience and trust; God has put his trust in man. It is a celebration of hope, because from here everything will begin again. We will leave here as missionaries of the Lord, spreading the message of hope to the whole world. I do repeat this message, very often, in different way in my daily gospel application.

As we heard in the first reading, nothing was by chance. Everything was measured, calculated and in the end well executed. God doesn’t work on chance, rather with full elaboration and planning. From the incarnation of the Lord, we are part of this salvation story, not as a participant, a consumerist approach, but a concrete commitment, a constructive approach. We believe in this beautiful message, though addressed to the prophet, today to you and me, "Before I fashioned you in your mother's womb, I knew you; before you came into the world, I consecrated you; I am making you a prophet to the nations.  We are filled with events and moments, abundantly blessed with talents to discern and choose. Saint Paul tells us that everything may disappear, but charity will remain. Charity is a fruit of hope and hope is born in faith. It is charity or love that makes visible this faith that animate us.

So I invite you to look at a day of Jesus as presented in today’s gospel that can be ours. A day that starts well, with praise, recognition of divine power, including the fulfilment of prophecy. It will end however miserably, in violence and despair. Why did a very pleasant event end in violence? Simply man wanted to divert the divine will, for his own benefit, by putting God himself to the test. It is no longer your will, but my will be done. If you are God, do this or that, etc. They wish that God proves himself before the humanity.

Saint Paul says in the second reading that we do not have all the truth. God alone has all the truth and all we have are partial. Our view of God, and also of each other, is never perfect. That is why, instead of acting in the face of justice, conditioned by our very subjective views, we must choose a path of love and forgiveness. Man will err miserably if he has no love.

Jesus chose the people of Capernaum, a commercial town than Nazareth where he grew up.  People had the impression that they knew him through and through.  They wished that he continue to remain as child of the village and obeys the wills of the local. The work of the Lord will be manifested, not among his people who refuse to believe, but in a foreign land filled with faith in God, as in the time of the prophet Elijah and Elisha. This causes a stir, because Jesus justifies his choice according to the history of salvation, their own history, which will remind them of their own unfaithfulness and unbelief, which they refuse to acknowledge. 

Since God does not act according to our merits, but fully in love and mercy, we see clearly in Jesus, who will find his way, among these people, "passing through their midst, going his way". Thus he will show up to his people, the good way that we all have to undertake all our life. It is good to ignore our adversaries, and continue the divine works, like Jesus, all our lives. People act in ignorance and some with full knowledge. Whatever be the situation, we are called to ignore them and give them less importance. Jesus didn’t judge them, or accuse them. However, he didn’t fail to show them where they failed in their march towards the loving God. Even today, we face many such moments of life and the persecution of the good and innocent people, is not of the past, very much, actuality of the day. Let us never forget the divine promise to his apostles, and in the salvation history,  to his prophets and judges that we heard in the first reading: "I am with you. Let’s advance in hope, in proclaiming the salvation to the whole world.

Gospel text

(Mk 4:35-41): 

On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. And other boats were with him. A violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up. Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” They were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?”

The Application

Thank you Lord for this invitation, an invitation to 'cross over to the other side'. To cross to the other side, I must learn to leave the crowd, to face a violent storm, and most importantly, I should learn to be alone in my pains and sufferings. And you, in silence, I find deeply asleep on the cushion in the back. The trials are so frightening that I am facing death and your silence is practically taking me faraway in my hopelessness, to an unknown destination.

In truth, 'on the other side' I discovered the weakness of my faith. And  I realised, the fears that wanted to invade me, disappeared before your presence. I know Lord and I am sure that you will never abandon me. From your silence I will learn to grow in my faith. Thanks to your presence, I can cross even in the middle of a violent storm. Help me Lord, that I may recognize your presence and taste your forgiveness, just like David.  And may I learn to surrender to you, Amen.

Action of the day: Wake-up!
 

“Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”

Fr. Joaquim FLURIACH i Domínguez

(St. Esteve de P., Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we see how our Lord scolds his disciples for their lack of faith: “Do you not yet have faith?” (Mk 4:40). They had seen demonstrations of His divine power that proved beyond doubt that Jesus Christ was God's Envoy. Nevertheless, some of his closest followers did not believe Him. They did not realize that they should fear nothing because the Lord was with them. In his rebuke, Jesus establishes a direct correlation between faith and courage. His meaning is clear. If you have faith in me, you will also have courage. If you do not have courage, it is because you do not have faith in me.

On another occasion when the Apostles doubted, it was explained that they did not believe because they had not received the Holy Spirit. Our Lord needed an abundance of patience to teach the Apostles what they would, in turn, teach us, so that we too can courageously give testimony of the reality of Jesus, the Son of God. If we, who are His modern day disciples, say we have faith but then give way to fear when we should talk to others about Him, it is fitting that we share the scolding that Jesus gave to His fearful disciples after He had stilled the storm on Galilee.

We have received the Holy Spirit, which, if we always do our best to obey the Father's will, lets us see beyond doubt and fear that our Lord is positively guiding us in our walk of faith through life. Because we have the Holy Spirit, we have no reason to fear anything. Jesus is the one and only Lord of the Universe, because “even the wind and sea obey him?” (Mk 4:41), as his terrified disciples said to one another.

So, when you are afraid, ask yourself, —why am I so cowardly? Are my own fears so real or so necessary to me that I cling to them although they cause me to question my Lord's infinite Love for me? Our many brothers and sisters who have died as martyrs knew how to answer this question, not only with their words in times of tranquility, but also in times of danger, often at the cost of their lives. With the aid of God's grace, and in spite of their awareness of the dangers to themselves, many of our brothers and sisters take steps of courage that cause their faith and hope in our Lord to grow exponentially. And if they can do it, why not us? If we hold back, could it be because deep within our souls we do not have the same passionate desire to love our Lord with all our minds, hearts, and souls?

We can be made bolder by remembering one of the greatest examples of courage and faith —the Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, Queen of confessors— who even at the foot of the Cross maintained the light of faith. A faith that dazzled the world on the Day of the Resurrection!