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

Gospel text

(Mk 4:1-20): 

On another occasion Jesus began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, “Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. He answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that ‘they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.’”

Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

The Application

How can I understand and apply this parable today? For me personally, I am the same ground that produced fruit and the ground that could not produce fruit. I know, from time to time I am very receptive to the Word of God and I welcome it with great joy and I also produce the fruit. There are times when I could not respond positively to the divine call. I would like and desire very much to be the good soil all my life that produces the fruits wanted by the Lord, though very little, it may be. Let us pray that we all remain faithful to the baptism we have received, and in this faithfulness we can always produce the fruits, 100 for one.

Action of the day: Be aware of your status, when you welcome the Word of God.

“The sower sows the word”

Fr. Antoni CAROL i Hostench

(Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we hear our Lord teaching the “Sower's parable”. The example is highly topical. Our Lord is always “sowing”. Lots of people today also listen to Jesus through his Vicar —the Pope—, his ministers and... his faithful laymen and women: Christ has given a share in his priestly mission to all of us, who have been baptized. There is “hunger” for Jesus. Never ever before our Church has been so Catholic, men and women of all races and colors finding cover under its wings all the over the world. He send us all over the world (cf. Mk 16:15) and, despite the shadows of the panorama, this has become true in Jesus Christ's apostolic commandment.

The sea, the boat and the shore have been replaced by large venues, screens and modern communication and transport means. However, Jesus today is no different than yesterday. Man and his urge to learn how to love have not changed either. Even today there are those who receive and understand the Word more directly, by grace and gratuitous divine election… it is a mystery! On the other hand, there are many who need more descriptive and deliberated explanations of the Revelation.

In any case, God requests from both of us the fruits of sanctity. The Holy Spirit helps us but not without our personal cooperation. In the first place, diligence is needed. If we half react, that is, if we halt at the “border” of the road without fully going in, we shall be an easy prey for Satan.

Secondly, we need perseverance in prayer —dialogue—, to be able to get a deeper knowledge and love for Jesus Christ: “Saint without praying...? —I do not believe in this sanctity” (Saint Josemaria Escrivà).

Finally, the spirit of poverty and self-abnegation will prevent our “suffocating” on the way. It better be clear that: “No one can serve two masters...” (Mt 6:24).

In the Virgin Mary we can find the best model of how to react to the God's call.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 4,1-20): 

Jésus s'est mis une fois de plus à enseigner au bord du lac, et une foule très nombreuse se rassemble auprès de lui, si bien qu'il monte dans une barque où il s'assoit. Il était sur le lac et toute la foule était au bord du lac, sur le rivage. Il leur enseignait beaucoup de choses en paraboles, et il leur disait, dans son enseignement: «Écoutez! Voici que le semeur est sorti pour semer. Comme il semait, il est arrivé que du grain est tombé au bord du chemin, et les oiseaux sont venus et ils ont tout mangé. Du grain est tombé aussi sur du sol pierreux, où il n'avait pas beaucoup de terre; il a levé aussitôt, parce que la terre était peu profonde; et lorsque le soleil s'est levé, ce grain a brûlé et, faute de racines, il a séché. Du grain est tombé aussi dans les ronces, les ronces ont poussé, l'ont étouffé, et il n'a pas donné de fruit. Mais d'autres grains sont tombés sur la bonne terre; ils ont donné du fruit en poussant et en se développant, et ils ont produit trente, soixante, cent pour un». Et Jésus disait: «Celui qui a des oreilles pour entendre, qu'il entende!».

Quand il resta seul, ses compagnons, ainsi que les Douze, l'interrogeaient sur les paraboles. Il leur disait: «C'est à vous qu'est donné le mystère du royaume de Dieu; mais à ceux qui sont dehors, tout se présente sous l'énigme des paraboles, afin que se réalise la prophétie: ‘Ils pourront bien regarder de tous leurs yeux, mais ils ne verront pas; ils pourront bien écouter de toutes leurs oreilles, mais ils ne comprendront pas; sinon ils se convertiraient et recevraient le pardon’».

Il leur dit encore: «Vous ne saisissez pas cette parabole? Alors, comment comprendrez-vous toutes les paraboles? Le semeur sème la Parole. Ceux qui sont au bord du chemin où la Parole est semée, quand ils l'entendent, Satan survient aussitôt et enlève la Parole semée en eux. Et de même, ceux qui ont reçu la semence dans les endroits pierreux: ceux-là, quand ils entendent la Parole, ils la reçoivent aussitôt avec joie; mais ils n'ont pas en eux de racine, ce sont les hommes d'un moment; quand vient la détresse ou la persécution à cause de la Parole, ils tombent aussitôt. Et il y en a d'autres qui ont reçu la semence dans les ronces: ceux-ci entendent la Parole, mais les soucis du monde, les séductions de la richesse et tous les autres désirs les envahissent et étouffent la Parole, qui ne donne pas de fruit. Et il y a ceux qui ont reçu la semence dans la bonne: ceux-là entendent la Parole, ils l'accueillent, et ils portent du fruit: trente, soixante, cent pour un».

L’Application

Comment puis-je comprendre et appliquer cette parabole aujourd'hui ? Pour moi personnellement, je suis la même terre qui a produit du fruit et la terre qui n'a pas pu produire du fruit. Je sais, de temps en temps, je suis très réceptif à la Parole de Dieu et je l'accueille avec une grande joie et je produis aussi le fruit. Il y a des moments où je n'ai pas pu répondre positivement à l'appel divin. J'aimerais et je désire beaucoup être toute ma vie la bonne terre qui produit les fruits voulus par le Seigneur, même si c'est très peu. Prions pour que nous restions tous fidèles au baptême que nous avons reçu, et que dans cette fidélité nous puissions toujours produire les fruits, 100 pour un.

«Le semeur sème la Parole»

Abbé Antoni CAROL i Hostench

(Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, nous écoutons des lèvres du Seigneur la "Parabole du semeur". La scène est totalement actuelle. Le Seigneur ne cesse de "semer". De nos jours aussi les foules écoutent Jésus par la bouche de son Vicaire le Pape, de ses ministres et… de ses fidèles laïques: à tous les baptisés le Christ a accordé de participer de sa mission sacerdotale. On a "faim" de Jésus. Jamais comme à présent l'Église n'avait été si catholique, puisque sous ses "ailes" s'abritent des hommes et des femmes des cinq continents et de toutes les races. Nous avons été envoyés dans le monde entier (cf. Mc 16,15) et, en dépit d'un panorama sombre, le commandement apostolique de Jésus-Christ a produit ses fruits.

La mer, les barques et les plages ont été remplacées par des stades, des écrans et les moyens modernes de communication et de transport. Mais Jésus reste le même. L'homme non plus n'a pas changé, avec son besoin d'enseignement pour aimer. Aujourd'hui aussi, il y en a qui -par grâce et en vertu d'un choix gratuit de Dieu: c'est un mystère!- reçoivent et entendent plus directement la Parole. Comme il y en a également beaucoup qui ont besoin d'une explication plus poussée de la Révélation.

Aux uns et aux autres, en tout cas, Dieu nous demande des fruits de sainteté. L'Esprit Saint nous aide, mais Il ne se dispense pas de notre collaboration. La diligence est d'abord requise. Si quelqu'un ne répond qu'à demi, s'il se maintient "à la lisière" du chemin sans y entrer pleinement, il sera une victime facile de Satan.

Ensuite, la constance dans la prière -le dialogue-, pour approfondir notre connaissance et notre amour de Jésus: «Un saint qui ne prie pas…? -Je ne crois pas à cette sainteté-là (Saint Josémaria).

Enfin, l'esprit de pauvreté et de détachement nous évitera de nous "noyer" en chemin. Pour le dire clairement: «Nul ne peut servir deux maîtres…» (Mt 6,24).

Chez sainte Marie, nous trouvons le meilleur modèle de réponse à l'appel de Dieu.

Gospel text

(Mk 16:15-18): 

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

The Application

The conversion is not essentially a change of life, or a new way of life. It’s simply getting back to the original plan and if you wish, it’s coming back to home. Thus the conversion of Paul, is coming back to the vocation, for which God has created him and today, he has revealed it to him. Rightly, Paul has responded to God very positively.

No one can with certitude know the way God forms us and prepares us. He has his own way of preparing us. For some, it’s a joyful ride. For others, it’s a painful path. Once the call is responded positively, they will certainly appreciate the way God has formed them, and even called them. The preparation is conditioned by the mission for which you and me are called.

The priestly vocation (any vocation) is a gift offered to certain people, who are capable of fulfilling a mission, a particular mission with the talents that God has already placed in their being. Thus, the call is not a reaction or response of a moment or movement, but a fulfilment of the purpose of one's birth.

Yet, each and every one of us feels in ourselves, this call in a definitive and timely moment that God has chosen, as the hour of the call. For Paul it was on the way and God had already chosen him, even before he was born, as his apostle to the Gentile world. It was today that he realised this and was able to respond positively to Him.

God does not call anyone in the same way. We must be alert to that moment of call that God will manifest through an event, or a person, or through an internal or external feeling or sensation. Some people feel this call in their own interiority. Whatever may be our vocation, let us not forget that we are all called to be witnesses of His love and mercy.

Action of the day: Be grateful to God.

“Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature”

Fr. Josep GASSÓ i Lécera

(Ripollet, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, the Church commemorates the conversion of St. Paul, apostle. The short fragment of the Gospel according to St. Mark contains part of the address on the mission bestowed to the apostles by Jesus, resurrected. His exhortation to go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News includes the thesis that faith and baptism are necessary essentials for salvation: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mk 16:16). Furthermore, Christ guarantees that preachers will be given the faculty to work out miracles or prodigies which will support and confirm their missionary preaching (cf. Mk 17:18). The mission is big —“Go into the whole world”—, but it will not be without the Lord's escort: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:20).

Today's collect, tells us: “O God, by the preaching of your apostle Paul you have caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world: Grant, we pray, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show ourselves thankful to you by following his holy teaching.” A gospel God has allowed us to know and that so many souls would desire to have: we have the responsibility to transmit this wonderful heritage to whatever extent we are able to.

St. Paul's conversion is a great event: from persecuting Jesus' followers he converted into a servant and defender of the cause of Christ. Quite often, perhaps, we have also been “persecutors”: and, as St. Paul, we need to convert from “persecutors” into servants and defenders of Jesus Christ.

With the Virgin Mary, we should realize the Almighty has also noticed us and has chosen us to share and carry out the priestly and redeeming mission of his divine Son: Regina apostolorum, Queen of the apostles, pray for us!; Give us courage to bear witness of our Christian faith in this world of ours.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 16,15-18): 

Puis Jésus leur dit: «Allez dans le monde entier. Proclamez la Bonne Nouvelle à toute la création. Celui qui croira et sera baptisé sera sauvé; celui qui refusera de croire sera condamné. Voici les signes qui accompagneront ceux qui deviendront croyants: en mon nom, ils chasseront les esprits mauvais; ils parleront un langage nouveau; ils prendront des serpents dans leurs mains, et, s'ils boivent un poison mortel, il ne leur fera pas de mal; ils imposeront les mains aux malades, et les malades s'en trouveront bien».

L’Application

La vocation sacerdotale (toute vocation) est un don offert à certaines personnes, qui sont capables de remplir une mission, une mission particulière avec les talents que Dieu a déjà placés dans leur être. Ainsi, l'appel n'est pas une réaction ou une réponse d'un moment ou d'un mouvement, mais un accomplissement du but de sa naissance.

Pourtant, chacun d'entre nous ressent en lui cet appel à un moment définitif et opportun que Dieu a choisi, comme l'heure de l'appel. Pour Paul, il était en route et Dieu l'avait déjà choisi, avant même sa naissance, comme son apôtre auprès du monde païen. C'est aujourd'hui qu'il l'a compris et qu'il a pu lui répondre positivement.

Dieu n'appelle personne de la même manière. Nous devons être attentifs à ce moment d'appel que Dieu va manifester à travers un événement, ou une personne, ou à travers un sentiment ou une sensation interne ou externe. Certaines personnes ressentent cet appel dans leur propre intériorité. Quelle que soit notre vocation, n'oublions pas que nous sommes tous appelés à être des témoins de son amour et de sa miséricorde.

«Allez dans le monde entier. Proclamez la Bonne Nouvelle à toute la création»

Abbé Josep GASSÓ i Lécera

(Ripollet, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui l'Église célèbre la fête de la Conversion de saint Paul, apôtre. Le court fragment de l'Évangile selon saint Marc recueille une partie du discours relatif à la mission octroyée par le Seigneur ressuscité. À l'exhortation à prêcher dans le monde entier s'ajoute l'affirmation que la foi et le baptême sont nécessaires au salut: «Celui qui croira et sera baptisé sera sauvé; celui qui refusera de croire sera condamné» (Mc 16,16). En outre, le Christ garantit à ses prédicateurs qu'ils recevront le pouvoir de faire des prodiges ou des miracles pour appuyer et confirmer leur prédication missionnaire (cf. Mc 17,18). Grande est la mission —«Allez dans le monde entier»— mais l'assistance du Seigneur ne fera pas défaut: «Et moi, je serai avec vous tous les jours jusqu'à la fin du monde» (Mt 28,20).

La collecte propre à la fête d'aujourd'hui nous dit: «Dieu qui as instruit le monde entier par la parole de l'Apôtre saint Paul dont nous célébrons aujourd'hui la conversion, accorde-nous d'aller vers toi en cherchant à lui ressembler, et d'être, dans le monde, les témoins de ton Évangile». Cet Évangile que Dieu nous a donné de connaître et que tant et tant d'âmes désireraient posséder: nous avons la responsabilité de transmettre aussi loin que possible ce merveilleux patrimoine.

La Conversion de saint Paul est un grand événement: de persécuteur, il devient un converti, serviteur et défenseur de la cause du Christ. Bien souvent, peut-être, nous sommes des “persécuteurs”: comme saint Paul nous devons devenir des serviteurs et des défenseurs de Jésus-Christ.

Avec sainte Marie, reconnaissons que le Très-Haut nous a regardé et nous a choisi pour participer de la mission sacerdotale et rédemptrice de son divin Fils: Regina apostolorum, Reine des apôtres, prie pour nous! Rends-nous vaillants pour témoigner de notre foi chrétienne dans ce monde qui est le nôtre.

Gospel text

(Mk 3:22-30): 

The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him. But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an everlasting sin.” For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

The Application

Man seeks neutrality as an essential element of a wise and healthy life. Yet, human experience itself reveals and betrays to us that this neutrality belongs to God. Even in our objectivity, we will always be subjective.  Therefore, man is called in his freedom to choose what is good and right, and to abandon all that is evil and wrong. In this discernment, he will discover the source of good and attribute it to its author, which the scribes err, not in ignorance, but quite a voluntary commitment, to discredit the divine work in Jesus Christ. Jesus without hesitation will declare it an unforgivable sin. 

The evil Spirit and the Holy Spirit that coexist in the world of dualism, force man to take responsibility: for God or against God. Like David who will play his diplomacy, choosing Saul's daughter as his wife, and choosing Jerusalem as his capital, will balance his kingship, by obedience to the divine will, by a right use of his discernment and his capacity for governance. He will again receive an anointing, which will be a sign to his people, who had chosen him as their king. God watches these human spectacles and dramas, will leave man to his own discernment. David will prove his faithfulness to his God, to the end of his life, by acknowledging the Author of all power, the eternal King, his king.  

Action of the day: Give due credit to God.

“But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness”

Fr. Vicenç GUINOT i Gómez

(Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Spain)

Today, when we read about this event in the Gospel we are more than a little surprised when “The scribes who had come from Jerusalem” recognize Jesus' compassion for the oppressed and witness the divine miracles with which He blesses them, but then say, “He is possessed by Beelzebul”, and “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.” (Mk 3:22). It is surprising how even intelligent people permit personal and religious animosity to blind them to the good in others. These teachers were in the presence of Him who personified Goodness. They must have sensed, as did others, the unassuming Heart of Jesus, and they will have understood that they stood before One who was the only true Innocent. Yet, because of their intransigence, they obstinately refused to acknowledge him. Those who claimed to be knowledgeable in the things of God were those who not only did not recognize him, but who also accused him of being satanic.

While others might have retaliated in an angry outburst, or turned away from them and their contemptuous accusation, our Lord does not, for He knows that He must try to convince them of his divinity for the sake of their souls. As Saint John Paul II asserted, our Lord “is an insuperable testimony of patient loving and humble gentleness.” His unlimited condescension brings Him to try to open their closed hearts by reasoning with them by parables, but to no avail. Finally, Jesus in the divine but stern authority of the Godhead warns them that their hard-heartedness is rebellion against the Holy Spirit, and that it will never be forgiven (cf. Mk 3:29). That rebellion remains unforgiving, not because God does not want to forgive, but because, to be forgiven, one must first recognize one's sin, which the rebellious will not do.

The Master knows that His followers also experience that same obstinacy, even when they are acting in good faith for the benefit of unbelievers. All of us will, at times, face the same kind of difficulties and rejection as Jesus did. When we do, let us remember Saint Teresa of Jesus when she was leading her sisters closer to holiness.

Let us not be surprised therefore, if we find in our path these contradictions. They will just be the sign we are following the right way of life. Let us then pray for these people and ask our Lord to give us the necessary patience.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 3,22-30): 

Les scribes, qui étaient descendus de Jérusalem, disaient: «Il est possédé par Béelzéboul; c'est par le chef des démons qu'il expulse les démons». Les appelants près de lui, Jésus disait en parabole: «Comment Satan peut-il expulser Satan? Si un royaume se divise, ce royaume ne peut pas tenir. Si une famille se divise, cette famille ne pourra pas tenir. Si Satan s'est dressé contre lui-même, s'il s'est divisé, il ne peut pas tenir; c'en est fini de lui. Mais personne ne peut entrer dans la maison d'un homme fort et piller ses biens, s'il ne l'a d'abord ligoté. Alors seulement il pillera sa maison. Amen, je vous le dis: Dieu pardonnera tout aux enfants des hommes, tous les péchés et tous les blasphèmes qu'ils auront faits. Mais si quelqu'un blasphème contre l'Esprit Saint, il n'obtiendra jamais le pardon. Il est coupable d'un péché pour toujours». Jésus parla ainsi parce qu'ils avaient dit: «Il est possédé par un esprit impur».

L’Application

L'homme recherche la neutralité comme élément essentiel d'une vie sage et saine. Pourtant, l'expérience humaine elle-même nous révèle et nous trahit que cette neutralité appartient à Dieu. Même dans notre objectivité, nous serons toujours subjectifs.  C'est pourquoi l'homme est appelé dans sa liberté à choisir ce qui est bon et juste, et à abandonner tout ce qui est mauvais et erroné. Dans ce discernement, il découvrira la source du bien et l'attribuera à son auteur, ce que les scribes font par erreur, non par ignorance, mais tout à fait par engagement volontaire, pour discréditer l'œuvre divine en Jésus-Christ. Jésus sans hésiter déclarera que c'est un péché impardonnable. 

L'Esprit mauvais et l'Esprit Saint qui coexistent dans le monde du dualisme, obligent l'homme à prendre ses responsabilités : pour Dieu ou contre Dieu. Comme David qui jouera de sa diplomatie, choisissant la fille de Saül comme épouse, et choisissant Jérusalem comme capitale, équilibrera sa royauté, par l'obéissance à la volonté divine, par un juste usage de son discernement et de sa capacité de gouvernance. Il recevra à nouveau une onction, qui sera un signe pour son peuple, qui l'avait choisi comme roi. Dieu veille à ces spectacles, et laissera l'homme à son propre discernement. David prouvera sa fidélité à son Dieu, jusqu'à la fin de sa vie, en reconnaissant l'Auteur de tout pouvoir, le Roi éternel, comme son roi.  

«Mais si quelqu'un blasphème contre l'Esprit Saint, il n'obtiendra jamais le pardon»

Abbé Vicenç GUINOT i Gómez

(Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, en lisant l'Évangile du jour, nous sommes étonnés -c'est "hallucinant" comme nous disons dans le langage courant-. «Les scribes, qui étaient descendus de Jérusalem» voient la compassion de Jésus pour les gens et son pouvoir qui œuvre pour les opprimés, et -pourtant- ils disent qu'«Il est possédé par Béelzéboul» et que «c'est par le chef des démons qu'il expulse les démons» (Mc 3,22). En réalité nous sommes étonnés de voir jusqu'ou peut arriver la malice et l'aveuglement humain, dans le cas présent, venant de gens lettrés. Ils ont en face la Bonté en personne, Jésus, l'humble de cœur, l'unique Innocent, et ils ne s'en rendent même pas compte. On suppose que se sont eux les sages, ceux qui connaissent les choses de Dieu afin d'aider le peuple, et en fin compte non seulement ils ne le reconnaissent pas mais en plus ils l'accusent d'être diabolique.

Vu depuis cette perspective c'est assez pour leur dire: «Arrêtez-vous là!». Mais le Seigneur endure avec patience leur jugement téméraire de sa personne. Comme l'affirmait Jean-Paul II, Il est le «témoignage insurpassable de l'amour patient et de l'humble mansuétude». Sa condescendance illimitée l'amène même à remuer leurs cœurs en augmentant avec des paraboles et des considérations raisonnables. Bien qu'à la fin, Il les prévient que cet endurcissement de leur cœur, qui est une rébellion contre le Saint Esprit, ne sera pas pardonnée (cf. Mc 3,29). Et non pas parce que Dieu ne le veuille mais parce qu'avant d'être pardonné, il faut reconnaître son péché.

Comme l'a annoncé le Maître, la liste des disciples, qui ont souffert l'incompréhension quand ils agissaient avec les meilleures intentions, est longue. Pensons par exemple à Sainte Thérèse De L'Enfant-Jésus quand elle s'efforçait de d'emmener ses soeurs vers une plus haute perfection.

Ne nous étonnons pas, donc, si sur notre route nous trouvons les mêmes contradictions. Elles seront le signe que nous sommes sur la bonne route. Prions pour ces personnes et demandons au Seigneur qu'Il nous accorde l'endurance.

We have all three readings announcing Good News. The first reading announces the feast of tents, where the people are called to an assembly where the Law will be read and interpreted. The people of Israel are invited to be purified and to be faithful to this Law, faithful to the author of this Law, God. There was a pleasure in listening to it, and in putting it into practice.  On this Word of God Sunday, let us put this Word at the centre of our lives, including in our homes. It is a pity that some Christians do not have the Bible at home and very few read the Bible daily.

The second reading announces to us the newness of this people, the Church of the Lord, as a dwelling place of God, a Catholic, holy and universal Church, with its diversity.  It’s no more one single community or race, it’s an assembly of people, people of µGod, from different origins, thinking or orientations. Yet, we are one body, the Body of Christ.  This Church has received the gifts of the Holy Spirit, varied according to service and ministry, yet directed towards the fulfilment of one mission, the mission of Jesus, entrusted by his Father. Paul tells us that this Church of the Lord is nourished by the Word of God which is announced or proclaimed by its faithful, led by the faith it received in baptism. St. Paul says that we are a covenant people, a people filled with the Holy Spirit. This people is configured to Christ.  Live by God and for God.

That is why we fix our gaze on Jesus. In today's Gospel, Jesus announces to us his mission, which is also our mission, to announce the Good News. In Jesus we discover our mission, our baptismal vocation. This Gospel affirms three realities that are found in Jesus and that we can realise in our daily lives.

The realities of today's Gospel

1.            The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.

Jesus does not work alone. He sent his disciples on mission, never alone, but in pairs. We must know how to work together. Our faith is essentially communitarian in nature. The mission that Jesus gave us is a Trinitarian mission. Even if we only see one person of the Trinity visibly active, they are always together.  The gospel of the day says, pushed by the Holy Spirit, Jesus is at the synagogue.

2.            The Fulfilment of the Prophets and the Law

It is today that this prophesy is fulfilled. The mission is like a relay. One started it, I continue it and the other will pursue it. The mission continues and the saving project is a project for eternity. We accomplish all that we have been given. I did not come to destroy the prophets and the Law, but to fulfil them. Our presence in this church is already a plan of God. We need to be here every Sunday, not only to nourish our faith, but also to fulfil God's will. God would like you to be here, together, to worship Him in a worthy and pleasing way. We are here for God, because God has called us. Our presence is a response to the divine call.

3.            Consecrated and sent on mission

If we are here, it is because we are consecrated, and be sent by God, into this world that is thirsting for justice and peace. It is the Father who sent Jesus among us. It is the Father who sent me to you. It is the Father who will send you to the world today. Go in the peace of Christ, we hear at the end of the Mass. We should never forget the consecration and the mission that we have received on the day of baptism.

4.            Mission: proclamation and liberation.

In the end, what is the mission? How do we translate it into our daily lives? Certainly, we are doing God's will, as we have heard from the beginning of this Gospel. Luke teaches Theophile, the seeker of God, the beloved of God. We announce and proclaim the message we have received to the people whom God loves. I will no longer call you servants, you are my friends, for I have told you everything. As a father passes on his values to his children, so I have passed on to you all that the Father has entrusted to me. Jesus announce the liberation.  Let us free ourselves from the slavery of this world and free others, so that they may find the promised joy. We are here in this world as light to remove anything that darkness dominates and to announce to the world, the year of Jubily, year of promise and liberation, year of joy and hope.

Gospel text

(Mk 3:20-21): 

Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”

The Application

In love everything is possible, and you lose everything, including your head. It is in this love, as we saw in the first reading, that David will mourn for the one who wanted to make him disappear. So many missionaries give themselves generously to the mission, and they even give their lives for the Lord in this love. Do you have the joy of suffering in love, in love for the Lord? Very often in the family, parents live it, in silence, very discreetly, so that their children do not discover their suffering and their children do not suffer. In truth, God lives it, even today, for you and for me.

Action of the day: Love and act.

“He is out of his mind”

Fr. Antoni CAROL i Hostench

(Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we see how Jesus' own relatives react “He is out of his mind” (Mk 3:21). Once again, the old proverb “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house” (Mt 13:57), is seen to be true. It is unnecessary to say this complaint does not “taint” the Blessed Virgin Mary, because from the beginning to the last moment —when she was at the foot of the Cross— she always kept her immovable faith and trust towards her Son.

But, what about us? Think about how many, amongst our neighbors or those closer to us, can we say light up our lives... We do not have to go very far: let us consider the Holy Father St. John Paul II: how many people followed him and, at the same time, how many did not hesitate to accuse him of being “stubborn and out-of-date”, jealous of his “power”? Is it possible that after two thousand years Jesus is still on the cross for our salvation while we onlookers keep saying to Him: “come down from the Cross so we may see and believe”? (cf. Mk 15:32)

Let us look at it another way! If we valiantly identify ourselves with Christ, our presence will not be neutral for those interacting with us for reasons of kinship, work, etc. Moreover, our presence will be a pain in the neck for some people, because we shall be like a reminder for their conscience. We can be certain: “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (Jn 15:20). With their mockery they will try to conceal their fears; with their disqualifications they will perform a poor defense of their “laziness”.

How many times we Catholics are being accused of “exaggerating”? We have to reply we are not, for it is impossible to exaggerate in matters of love. Instead, it is quite true we are “radical”, because love is just so “absorbent”: “it has to be either all or nothing”; “or love kills the self or the self kills love.”

This is why St. John Paul II spoke of “evangelic radicalism” and of “not being afraid”: “In the cause of the Kingdom there is no time for looking back, even less for settling into laziness”.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 3,20-21): 

Jésus entre dans une maison, où de nouveau la foule se rassemble, si bien qu'il n'était pas possible de manger. Sa famille, l'apprenant, vint pour se saisir de lui, car ils affirmaient: «Il a perdu la tête».

L’Application

En amour, tout est possible, et on perd tout, y compris la tête. C'est dans cet amour, comme nous l'avons vu dans la première lecture, que David fera le deuil de celui qui voulait le faire disparaître. Tant de missionnaires se donnent généreusement à la mission, et ils donnent même leur vie pour le Seigneur dans cet amour. Avez-vous la joie de souffrir par amour ? Très souvent, dans la famille, les parents la vivent, en silence, très discrètement, pour que leurs enfants ne découvrent pas leur souffrance et que leurs enfants ne souffrent pas. En vérité, Dieu la vit, aujourd'hui encore, pour toi et pour moi.

«Il a perdu la tête»

Abbé Antoni CAROL i Hostench

(Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, nous voyons que les propres parents de Jésus osent lui dire qu'Il a «perdu la tête» (Mc 3,21). Une fois de plus, le proverbe «Un prophète n'est sans honneur que dans sa patrie et dans sa maison» (Mt 13,57) («Nul n'est prophète en son pays») s'avère vrai. Il est évident que ces commentaires n'éclaboussent pas la très Sainte Marie, car depuis le premier et jusqu'au dernier moment, au pied de la croix, elle a gardé solidement et fermement sa foi et sa confiance en son Fils.

Et nous alors? Faisons un examen! Combien de personnes qui vivent à nos cotés, de notre entourage, sont une lumière dans nos vies,… et nous? Il ne faut pas aller très loin pour trouver: pensons au pape Jean-Paul II, combien de gens l'on suivi?, et... en même temps combien l'ont considéré comme un "têtu démodé", jaloux par son "pouvoir"? Serait-il possible que Jésus, deux mille ans après, continue à être cloué sur la croix pour notre salut, et que nous, en bas, nous continuions toujours à crier «descends maintenant de la croix, afin que nous voyions et que nous croyions» (cf. Mc 15,32)?

Ou au contraire. Si nous nous efforçons de nous configurer au Christ, notre présence ne sera pas inutile vis-à-vis de ceux qui sont à nos côtés soit par lien de parenté soit à cause du travail, etc. De plus, elle sera peut-être gênante pour certains car nous serons un rappel de leur conscience. C'est garanti! «S'ils m'ont persécuté, ils vous persécuteront» (Jn 15,20). Par leurs moqueries ils cacheront leur peur, par leur désintéressement ils défendront mal leur oisiveté.

Combien de fois les gens nous accusent, nous les catholiques, d'exagérer? Nous devons leur répondre que nous n'exagérons pas du tout, car quand il est question d'amour, il est impossible d'exagérer. Mais il est vrai que nous sommes des "radicaux" car l'amour est comme ça: «ou tout ou rien», «ou l'amour tue le moi ou le moi tue l'amour».

C'est pour cela que le Saint Père nous a parlé du "radicalisme évangélique" et nous a dit "n'ayez pas peur": «Dans la cause du Royaume, il n'y a pas de temps pour regarder en arrière, et encore moins pour s'abandonner à la paresse» (Saint Jean-Paul II).

Gospel text

(Mk 3:13-19): 

Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed twelve [whom he also named apostles] that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons:[he appointed the twelve:] Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

The Application

I would like to invite you to pray for all the missionaries of the world, especially for the consecrated ones. The Lord needs missionaries to continue the mission of the Father; the glory of God and the salvation of the world. Let us pray for the vocation.

Vocation is a gift, yet God desires that man welcomes it with an open and humble heart. In truth all the baptised are missionaries of the Light of Christ, called to be the bearers of the light of the Risen Christ, by our witnessing life. It is here that we learn to respect each and every one, appreciate the difference and feel the necessity of the exigence that God desires from every Christian. It is easy to accord this respect to a good priest or a holy religious. When we find them weak, there we stumble and fail.

In the first reading, David teaches us the basis of this respect that we must give to all the ministers of the Lord. They are anointed and through this consecration the Holy Spirit dwells upon them. We can apply this to all human beings, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

Action of the Day: Be aware of your call and remain faithful.

“Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted”

Fr. Jordi POU i Sabater

(Sant Jordi Desvalls, Girona, Spain)

Today, the Gospel considers the theology of Christian vocation: “The Lord called those he wanted to be with him and send them to be apostles” (cf. Mk 3:13-14). First, He calls them: For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy (cf. Eph 1:4). God loves us, shaping us in Christ, encouraging us to develop the characteristics necessary for us to become his children. These qualities are best understood when we consider them from a vocational perspective; vocation is the “role” in life that God's plan of redemption has allotted us so that we can fulfill our part in his work of redemption. Only by discovering your God-given vocation —the true reasons for your life— and by fulfilling it on his terms, will you come to know yourself as God knows you.

And what does God require of those He calls? He asks us to live close to him as we serve him, and in return, He promises to stay close to us. Yet, God speaks to each one of us individually and specifically. “One day perhaps an ordinary Christian, just like you, opened your eyes to horizons both deep and new, yet as old as the Gospel. He suggested to you the prospect of following Christ earnestly, seriously, of becoming an apostle of apostles. Perhaps you lost your balance then and didn't recover it. Your complacency wasn't quite replaced by true peace until you freely said “yes” to God, because you wanted to, which is the most supernatural of reasons. And in its wake came a strong, constant joy, which disappears only when you abandon him” (Saint Josemaria).

It is a blessing, but it is a blessing that can only be fully realized when we become holy through our willingness to serve, through prayer, and through the blessed sacraments. “All the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity; by this holiness as such a more human manner of living is promoted in this earthly society” (Second Vatican Council).

This is how we learn of our apostolic mission of taking Christ to others. First, having him ourselves so that we can share him. Today, and every day, we must meditate upon the true nature of our call to vocation, answering his call with an increased love, born of our increased understanding of what He calls us to do and to be.