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

Jesus is invited with his disciples to participate in a moment of joy.  It will be a divine event, marking his presence and importance in salvation history. It seems to us that nothing was foreseen or an imposing feature, yet an event is imposed with a particular need, there was a lack of wine. This lack is perceived by the maternal love of Mary, who kept everything in her heart and meditated. In this meditation she came closer to Jesus, her Son. We see this already in the first reading of the day. All is lost, no happiness, no joy, no dancing, etc. God comes to his people with assurance and promise.  Jesus is going to bring us this new wine, a new hope, the water of life, to people who are thirsty for it.

It all begins with a look at the details, a look at others, a very special observation, which saves the whole event, including the honour of all. Dear parishioners, on this Sunday I invite you to observe everything that happens within you, within our interiority, the people you meet every day, including their feelings and emotions, a little break in our selfishness, in our personal interests, can save the whole world. Let us recognise, like Mary, the essential lack in our lives: love and charity.

It seems strange and yet normal to us, in love and charity, to feel like the disciples of Emmaus: "Stay with us, it is late". An invitation directed towards the good of others, with an exceptional openness, a stranger is invited to the table, to share his intimate life, opening up his worries and anxieties, his despair, etc. There is nothing that separates them from each other. Today's Gospel asks us to invite Jesus, who is present in the hearts of immigrants and disabled people, students, into our intimacy, so that he may remain there and transform us.

We must not forget the change of language, from mother to woman. We had the impression that Mary was addressing her son. Jesus' response makes us understand his representation of humanity. It is the humanity in Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is not addressing Jesus, the son of Joseph, as the Nazarenes tell us, but our saviour, the one sent by the Father.   Woman, my hour has not yet come, he replies. The hour of the passion and also the hour of the final glorification of the Messiah. Mary precipitates it, her son accepts it. However, it is not she who decides the hour of the Lord. She learns from her son to accept the divine will. She will serve as a relay, ordering the servants to follow the instructions that Jesus the Saviour will give them. "Do whatever he tells you," the invitation is still valid and relevant.

In directing us to the Son of God, Mary moves away from the centre of this event, like John the Baptist, and Jesus takes his place and continues his mission. Jesus never wants to take centre stage in our daily lives. He wishes that he be invited.  He is content to be there, to walk with us, to actively participate in our sorrows and joys. Once the miracle has been performed, he will leave the groom and the host to deal with everything, including misunderstanding and surprise. God gives each of us the freedom to learn the best lesson from our personal experience. 

The dialogue between Mary and Jesus does not reveal many other details than the humanity in need of divine intervention and God’s readiness to help us; yet, humanly speaking, we can easily imagine the gaze exchanged, the disciples of the Lord present by their silent participation, observing all that has happened. They are invited.  It is important that we are there with the Lord, in silence, simply observing his gestures and words. We too are invited to discover the true wedding of the Lord, where he will transform the bread into his flesh and the wine into his blood, giving them to us to eat and drink.  The Lord's journey will continue with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, offering her the water of life, inviting Nicodemus to be born again and will continue with the multiplication of the loaves, asking his disciples to give the bread themselves.  It will end on the cross, where he gives himself fully to the Father for our salvation.

Gospel text

(Mk 2:13-17): 

Jesus went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed Jesus. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus heard this and said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

The Application

Each and every one of us is asked to take side, precise our own priorities and assume our responsibilities. Jesus has taught us, how make these priorities according to the divine will, and how to assume it, when it is challenged by the people, particularly the elites and intellectuals of the contemporary world. Following Jesus and holding his priorities as ours, is a real challenge today. Are we ready for it?

Action of the day: Follow Jesus and be his disciple.

“I did not come to call the righteous but sinners”

+ Fr. Joaquim MONRÓS i Guitart

(Tarragona, Spain)

Today, Saint Mark tells us how Jesus taught and how the crowd came to Him. In those days, they were as hungry of doctrine as we are today, ignorance being always our worst enemy. Let us not forget the expression: “They will hate no more when they ignore no more”...

As He walked along, Jesus sees Levi, son of Alpheus, sitting in his office and, says to him: “Follow me” (Mk 2:14), and Levi leaves everything and follows Him. With his promptitude and generosity Levi scored his biggest “business”. Not only the “business of the century”, but the business of Eternity, too.

It would be worth our mulling over Roman tax collectors, who ceased to exist a long while ago, while Levi —better known today as Matthew— keeps piling up profits with his writings, as one of the twelve pillars of the Church. This is what happens when we promptly follow our Lord. He said: “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life” (Mat 19:29).

Jesus accepted the banquet Matthew offered Him and His apostles at home, together with other tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees —who always seemed to prefer witnessing how others worked— felt like informing His disciples that their Master was eating with people they considered as sinners. The Lord hears them and, in self-defense, He answers: “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mk 2:17). Mankind is in hard need of that divine Healer. We are all sinners and, as Saint Paul says, “all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).

Let us always answer as quickly as Mary used to do when responding to Her vocation as co-redeemer.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 2,13-17): 

Jésus sortit de nouveau sur le rivage du lac; toute la foule venait à lui, et il les instruisait. En passant, il aperçut Lévi, fils d'Alphée, assis à son bureau de publicain (collecteur d'impôts). Il lui dit: «Suis-moi». L'homme se leva et le suivit. Comme il était à table dans sa maison, beaucoup de publicains et de pécheurs vinrent prendre place avec Jésus et ses disciples, car il y avait beaucoup de monde. Même les scribes du parti des pharisiens le suivaient aussi, et, voyant qu'il mangeait avec les pécheurs et les publicains, ils disaient à ses disciples: «Il mange avec les publicains et les pécheurs!». Jésus, qui avait entendu, leur déclara: «Ce ne sont pas les gens bien portants qui ont besoin du médecin, mais les malades. Je suis venu appeler non pas les justes, mais les pécheurs».

«Je suis venu appeler non pas les justes, mais les pécheurs»

+ Abbé Joaquim MONRÓS i Guitart

(Tarragona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, la scène que relate saint Marc, nous voyons Jésus enseigner et tous venir l'entendre. À présent comme alors, la faim de doctrine est manifeste, car l'ignorance est le pire ennemi. Il en va si bien ainsi que l'expression «Ils cesseront de haïr quand ils cesseront d'ignorer» est devenue classique.

Chemin faisant, Jésus avisa Lévi, fils d'Alphée, assis au banc des impôts; Il lui dit «suis-moi» et l'autre, laissant tout, partit avec Lui. Promptitude et générosité pour "l'affaire" de sa vie. "L'affaire du siècle" et celle de l'éternité.

Le prélèvement des impôts par les romains a disparu depuis longtemps, mais Matthieu -de nos tours mieux connu sous ce nouveau nom que sous celui de Lévi- continue d'accumuler les dividendes avec ses écrits, puisqu'il est devenu l'une des douze colonnes de l'Église. C'est ce qui arrive quand on suit promptement le Seigneur. C'est Lui qui l'a dit: «Tout homme qui aura quitté à cause de mon nom des maisons, des frères, des s?urs, un père, une mère, des enfants, ou une terre, recevra beaucoup plus, et il aura en héritage la vie éternelle» (Mt 19,29).

Jésus accepta le banquet que Matthieu lui offrit chez lui, avec d'autres collecteurs d'impôts et des pécheurs, ainsi qu'avec ses apôtres. Les pharisiens -spectateurs du travail des autres- font remarquer aux disciples que leur Maître mange avec des gens qu'ils tiennent pour des pécheurs. Le Seigneur les entend et défend sa manière usuelle d'agir avec les âmes: «Je suis venu appeler non pas les justes, mais les pécheurs» (Mc 2,17). Toute l'humanité a besoin du Médecin divin. Nous sommes tous pécheurs. Comme le dira saint Paul, «tous ont péché et se sont privés de la gloire de Dieu» (Rm 3,23).

Répondons avec la promptitude de Marie devant sa vocation de corédemptrice.

Gospel text

(Mk 2:1-12): 

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them.

They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”

Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?”

Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”— he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”

He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

Action of the day: Look everything with an eye of faith.

“Child, your sins are forgiven.” (...) “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”

Fr. Joan Carles MONTSERRAT i Pulido

(Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we see the Lord surrounded once more by crowds: “Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door” (Mk 2:2). His heart is melted by people's needs and provides them as much relief as possible; by forgiving, teaching and healing them at the same time. He certainly offers them physical help (as in today's parable, by curing the paralytic), but —actually— He is intent on getting the very best for each one of us: the well-being of our soul.

Jesus, our Savior, wants to give us a true hope of salvation. He even forgives our sins and sympathizes with our moral feebleness. Before anything else, He most emphatically says: “Child, your sins are forgiven.” (Mk 2:5). Later on, we are given to see him connecting the remission of our sins —which He generously and tirelessly grants— to a most extraordinary miracle, seen by our very eyes. After forgiving the paralytic sins he cures his paralysis, as a kind of external guarantee to open our eyes of faith: “’I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.’ He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone” (Mk 2:11-12).

We can revive this miracle quite often through Confession. With the words of forgiveness said by the minister of God (“I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”) Jesus discreetly offers us the external guarantee of remission of our sins once more, a guarantee that is tantamount to the spectacular cure of the paralytic of Capernaum.

We are now beginning a new ordinary time. And, we believers are now reminded of the urgent need we have of a sincere and personal encounter with Jesus Christ, the All-Merciful Lord. In this liturgical time, He urges us neither to slacken our pace nor to neglect the necessary forgiveness He offers all of us in his dwelling, the Church.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 2,1-12): 

Jésus était de retour à Capharnaüm, et la nouvelle se répandit qu'il était à la maison. Tant de monde s'y rassembla qu'il n'y avait plus de place, même devant la porte.

Il leur annonçait la Parole. Arrivent des gens qui lui amènent un paralysé, porté par quatre hommes. Comme ils ne peuvent l'approcher à cause de la foule, ils découvrent le toit au-dessus de lui, font une ouverture, et descendent le brancard sur lequel était couché le paralysé. Voyant leur foi, Jésus dit au paralysé: «Mon fils, tes péchés sont pardonnés».

Or, il y avait dans l'assistance quelques scribes qui raisonnaient en eux-mêmes: «Pourquoi cet homme parle-t-il ainsi? Il blasphème. Qui donc peut pardonner les péchés, sinon Dieu seul?».

Saisissant aussitôt dans son esprit les raisonnements qu'ils faisaient, Jésus leur dit: «Pourquoi tenir de tels raisonnements? Qu'est-ce qui est le plus facile? de dire au paralysé: ‘Tes péchés sont pardonnés’, ou bien de dire: ‘Lève-toi, prends ton brancard et marche’? Eh bien! Pour que vous sachiez que le Fils de l'homme a le pouvoir de pardonner les péchés sur la terre, je te l'ordonne, dit-il au paralysé: Lève-toi, prends ton brancard et rentre chez toi».

L'homme se leva, prit aussitôt son brancard, et sortit devant tout le monde. Tous étaient stupéfaits et rendaient gloire à Dieu, en disant: «Nous n'avons jamais rien vu de pareil».

«‘Mon fils, tes péchés sont pardonnés’ (…). ‘Lève-toi, prends ton brancard et rentre chez toi’»

Abbé Joan Carles MONTSERRAT i Pulido

(Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, nous voyons encore le Seigneur entouré d'une foule: «Tant de monde se rassembla qu'il n'y avait plus de place, même devant la porte» (Mc 2,2). Son coeur se dilate devant les besoins des autres et Il leur fait tout le bien possible: Il pardonne, enseigne et guérit tout à la fois. Il offre son aide au plan matériel (aujourd'hui en guérissant une paralysie), mais -dans le fond- Il cherche ce qu'il y a de mieux, ce qui est le plus important pour chacun d'entre nous: le bien de l'âme.

Jésus-Sauveur veut nous laisser une espérance certaine de salut: Il est même capable de pardonner les péchés et de compatir à notre faiblesse morale. Avant tout, il affirme: «Mon fils, tes péchés sont pardonnés» (Mc 2,5). Puis nous le voyons associer le pardon des péchés -qu'il dispense généreusement et infatigablement- à un miracle extraordinaire, "palpable" à l'oeil nu. Comme une sorte de garantie extérieure, pour ouvrir nos yeux à la foi, après avoir déclaré au paralytique le pardon de ses péchés, il guérit sa paralysie: «Je te l'ordonne, dit-il au paralysé: Lève-toi, prends ton brancard et rentre chez toi. L'homme se leva, prit aussitôt son brancard, et sortit devant tout le monde» (Mc 2,11-12).

Ce miracle, nous pouvons le revivre fréquemment dans la Confession. Dans les paroles de l'absolution que prononce le ministre de Dieu («Je te pardonne au nom du Père, du Fils et du Saint-Esprit»), Jésus nous offre de nouveau -discrètement- la garantie externe du pardon de nos péchés, garantie équivalente à la guérison spectaculaire du paralytique de Capharnaüm.

Voici que nous entamons un nouveau temps ordinaire. Et l'on rappelle aux croyants l'urgente nécessité d'une rencontre sincère et personnelle avec Jésus-Christ miséricordieux. Celui-ci nous invite à ne rien brader, à ne pas négliger le nécessaire pardon qu'Il nous offre dans son giron, l'Église.

Gospel text

(Mk 1,40-45): 

A leper came to him [and kneeling down] begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”

The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

The Application

The Ark of the Lord could not save Israelite (first reading of the day) and the presence of the Lord could not heal all the lepers of his time. God can in his mercy make himself visible to us all. However, if we are not worthy to welcome him, his presence cannot bring us anything. If we close our eyes, even in the hot sun, we will only see darkness, the darkness that dwells within us.

"If you want, you can cleanse me" is a statement of faith and trust in Jesus. He hands over everything to the divine will, expressing his own desire to be healed and be saved. What a joy to hear his profession of faith. Of course, the Gospel does not tell us about his inner journey or his courage to go before the Lord, a great risk. If we place ourselves in the situation of Jesus' time, we can easily deduce the process of his inner pilgrimage from darkness, isolation and slavery to Jesus, a path to liberation, the promised salvation.

To all who seek the Lord, we have this assurance, "I will, be cleansed”. God is always there to save us and set us free. Like the leper, we are invited to take risk in life and to bear witness to all that God gives us daily. May our contemporaries, through our lives of witness, discover this God of love and mercy, who leads us on the right path, the path of holiness, Amen.

Action of the day: Learn to take risk.

“If you wish, you can make me clean (...) I do will it. Be made clean.”

Fr. Xavier PAGÉS i Castañer

(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, in the first reading we read: “Therefore, as the holy Spirit says: 'Oh, that today you would hear his voice, "Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion in the day of testing in the desert…"’” (Heb 3:7-8). And we constantly repeat it in the response to Psalm 94. In this brief quote, two points are raised: a longing and a warning. Both should never be forgotten.

During our daily prayer we long for and hope to hear our Lord's voice. But, perhaps more often than not, we fill it with our own words without allowing us time to listen to what the Lord may wish to tell us. Let us, therefore, take care of our inner silence, which —by avoiding distractions and centering our attention— opens up a space to receive the affections and inspirations our Lord, most certainly, wants to impregnate within our hearts.

A risk we must never forget is the risk that dwelling on our old sins may harden our hearts. Life's hazards, at times, may make us —even without our realizing it— more leery, insensible, disheartened, forlorn…! We must beg our Lord to make us more conscious of this inner downgrading. Our prayer offers us the opportunity to look serenely at our own life and to all circumstances surrounding it. We must meditate over the different events in the Light of the Gospel, to discover where we are in need of an authentic change.

If only we could hope for our conversion with the same degree of faith and confidence as the leper showed to Jesus! He “begged him and said, ‘If you wish, you can make me clean’” (Mk 1:40). He is the only one to make possible what for us is simply impossible. Therefore, let God act through His Grace upon us, so that our hearts can be purified, and meek to His influence may become more like Jesus' own heart, with each passing day. He is telling us, in confidence: “I do will it. Be made clean” (Mk 1:41).

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 1,40-45): 

Un lépreux vient trouver Jésus; il tombe à ses genoux et le supplie: «Si tu le veux, tu peux me purifier». Pris de pitié devant cet homme, Jésus étendit la main, le toucha et lui dit: «Je le veux, sois purifié». A l'instant même, sa lèpre le quitta et il fut purifié. Aussitôt Jésus le renvoya avec cet avertissement sévère: «Attention, ne dis rien à personne, mais va te montrer au prêtre. Et donne pour ta purification ce que Moïse prescrit dans la Loi: ta guérison sera pour les gens un témoignage».

Une fois parti, cet homme se mit à proclamer et à répandre la nouvelle, de sorte qu'il n'était plus possible à Jésus d'entrer ouvertement dans une ville. Il était obligé d'éviter les lieux habités, mais de partout on venait à lui.

L’Application

L'Arche du Seigneur n'a pas pu sauver les Israélites (première lecture du jour) et la présence du Seigneur n'a pas pu guérir tous les lépreux de son époque. Dans sa miséricorde, Dieu peut se rendre visible et disponible pour nous tous. Cependant, si nous ne sommes pas dignes de l'accueillir, sa présence ne peut rien nous apporter. Si nous fermons les yeux, même sous un soleil de plomb, nous ne verrons que les ténèbres, celles qui nous habitent.

" Si tu veux, tu peux me purifier " est une déclaration de foi et de confiance en Jésus. Il remet tout à la volonté divine, en exprimant sa propre volonté. Quelle joie d'entendre sa profession de foi. Bien sûr, l'Évangile ne nous parle pas de son cheminement intérieur ni de son courage pour aller devant le Seigneur, un grand risque. Si nous nous plaçons dans la situation de l'époque de Jésus, nous pouvons facilement déduire le processus de son pèlerinage intérieur depuis les ténèbres, l'isolement et l'esclavage jusqu'à Jésus, un chemin de libération, le salut promis.

À tous ceux qui cherchent le Seigneur, nous avons cette assurance : "Je veux, sois purifié. Dieu est toujours là pour nous sauver et nous libérer. Comme le lépreux, nous sommes invités à témoigner de tout ce que Dieu nous donne au quotidien. Que nos contemporains, par nos vies de témoignage, découvrent ce Dieu d'amour et de miséricorde, qui nous conduit sur le bon chemin, le chemin de la sainteté, Amen.

«‘Si tu le veux, tu peux me purifier’ (…). ‘Je le veux, sois purifié’»

Abbé Xavier PAGÉS i Castañer

(Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, dans la première lecture, nous lisons «Si seulement vous pouviez entendre la voix du Seigneur: ‘N'endurcissez pas vos cœurs’!» (Heb 3,7-8). Et nous le répétons avec insistance dans la réponse au Psaume 94. On trouve deux choses dans cette brève citation: un désir et un avertissement. Il ne faut jamais oublier ni l'un ni l'autre.

Pendant le temps que nous consacrons quotidiennement à la prière, nous souhaitons et nous demandons d'entendre la voix du Seigneur. Mais nous nous préoccupons peut-être trop souvent de remplir ce temps avec des paroles que nous voulons lui dire, et nous ne laissons pas de temps pour écouter ce que le Bon Dieu veut nous transmettre. Veillons par conséquent à prêter attention au silence intérieur qui —en évitant les distractions et en nous concentrant— nous ouvre un espace pour accueillir l'affection, l'inspiration… que le Seigneur veut certainement susciter dans nos cœurs.

Il y a un risque que nous ne pouvons pas oublier: c'est le danger, qu'au fil du temps, notre cœur s'endurcisse. Parfois, les coups de la vie peuvent nous faire devenir, y compris sans que nous nous en rendions compte, une personne plus méfiante, insensible, pessimiste, désespérée… Nous devons demander au Seigneur de nous rendre conscients de cette possible détérioration intérieure. La prière est l'occasion de regarder sereinement notre vie et toutes les circonstances qui l'entourent. Nous devons lire les différents événements à la lueur de l'Evangile, pour découvrir dans quels aspects nous avons besoin d'une authentique conversion.

Si seulement nous pouvions demander notre conversion avec la même foi et la même confiance que le lépreux qui s'est présenté devant Jésus: «A genoux, il dit: ‘Si tu le veux, tu peux me purifier’» (Mc, 1,40). Il est le seul à pouvoir rendre possible ce qui pour nous serait impossible. Laissons Dieu agir sur nous avec sa grâce pour que notre cœur soit purifié et, qu'obéissant à son action, il puisse ressembler davantage de jour en jour au cœur de Jésus. Lui nous dit avec confiance: «Je le veux: sois purifié» (Mc 1,41).

Gospel text

(Mk 1:29-39): 

On leaving the synagogue he entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

The Application

It is difficult to discern the divine will, in every aspect of life. When everything goes well, particularly as act of charity and love, we have a sense that God's will is there. When we are faced with a difficulty, whether death or illness, even separation or divorce, we have a sense that our good and generous God cannot allow it and it may not be His will.

Whatever be the case, if we put our trust in God, as God has put his trust in us, whatever may be the situation, God will show us his will, both in joyful and painful. To know this, Jesus shows us the right way, the way of contemplation and prayer. It was in this contemplation that Jesus decided to leave one region and go to another.  Are we really seeking God's will in our daily lives? Are we ready to welcome it without reservation? Do we have the courage to put it into practice? Samuel did have a support and we too, if we have ears to hear and eyes to see.

Action of the day: Seek thy will and the rest will be given to you.

“Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed”

+ Fr. Josep Mª MASSANA i Mola OFM

(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we are clearly shown how Jesus split his working hours. On one hand, He prayed; on the other, He consecrated time to his mission of praying with words and deeds. Contemplation and Action. Prayer and Work. Being with God while amongst men.

We indeed see Jesus dedicated in body and soul to his task as Messiah and Savior: He cures the sick, such as Saint Peter's mother-in-law and many others; He comforts the sad ones, drives out demons and preaches. People bring him the ailing and those with evil spirits. And they all want to hear his words. His disciples tell him: “Everyone is looking for you” (Mk 1:37). More often than not, He maintained an exhausting schedule that did not give him even time to breathe.

But, at the same time, Jesus also had to look for some lonely place where He could pray: “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed” (Mk 1:35). In other Gospels we can also find Jesus devoted to praying at different hours and even at night. He knew how to distribute his time, so that his working days would have a proper balance between work and prayer.

We often say, "I have not time!" We are so busy with our homework, our professional activity, the countless tasks on our agenda... So, quite often, we believe we should be relieved from our daily prayers. We do a lot of important things, but often run the risk of forgetting the absolutely necessary one: prayer. We have to establish a balance to be able to do the former without neglecting the latter.

Saint Francis puts it like that: “We must faithfully and devotedly work, without extinguishing the spirit of holy prayer and devotion which all temporal things must be submitted to.”

Perhaps we should organize ourselves a little bit better, discipline ourselves by “domesticating” our time. Certainly, what is important must be done. However, what is necessary, is an absolute must.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 1,29-39): 

En quittant la synagogue, Jésus, accompagné de Jacques et de Jean, alla chez Simon et André. Or, la belle-mère de Simon était au lit avec de la fièvre. Sans plus attendre, on parle à Jésus de la malade. Jésus s'approcha d'elle, la prit par la main, et il la fit lever. La fièvre la quitta, et elle les servait.

Le soir venu, après le coucher du soleil, on lui amenait tous les malades, et ceux qui étaient possédés par des esprits mauvais. La ville entière se pressait à la porte. Il guérit toutes sortes de malades, il chassa beaucoup d'esprits mauvais et il les empêchait de parler, parce qu'ils savaient, eux, qui il était.

Le lendemain, bien avant l'aube, Jésus se leva. Il sortit et alla dans un endroit désert, et là il priait. Simon et ses compagnons se mirent à sa recherche. Quand ils l'ont trouvé, ils lui disent: «Tout le monde te cherche». Mais Jésus leur répond: «Partons ailleurs, dans les villages voisins, afin que là aussi je proclame la Bonne Nouvelle; car c'est pour cela que je suis sorti». Il parcourut donc toute la Galilée, proclamant la Bonne Nouvelle dans leurs synagogues, et chassant les esprits mauvais.

L’Application

Il est difficile de discerner la volonté divine, dans tous les aspects de la vie. Lorsque tout se passe bien, notamment en tant qu'acte de charité et d'amour, nous avons le sentiment que la volonté de Dieu est là. Lorsque nous sommes confrontés à une difficulté, qu'il s'agisse d'un décès ou d'une maladie, voire d'une séparation ou d'un divorce, nous avons le sentiment que notre Dieu bon et généreux ne peut le permettre et que ce n'est peut-être pas sa volonté.

Quoi qu'il en soit, si nous mettons notre confiance en Dieu, comme Dieu a mis sa confiance en nous, quelle que soit la situation, Dieu nous montrera sa volonté, dans chaque situation de notre vie, aussi bien dans la joie que dans la douleur. Pour le savoir, Jésus nous montre le bon chemin, celui de la contemplation et de la prière. C'est dans cette contemplation que Jésus a décidé de quitter une région pour aller dans une autre.  Sommes-nous vraiment à la recherche de la volonté de Dieu dans notre vie quotidienne ? Sommes-nous prêts à l'accueillir sans réserve ? Avons-nous le courage de la mettre en pratique ? Samuel a eu un soutien et nous aussi, si nous avons des oreilles pour entendre et des yeux pour voir. 

«Le lendemain, bien avant l'aube, Jésus se leva. Il sortit et alla dans un endroit désert, et là il priait»

+ Abbé Josep Mª MASSANA i Mola OFM

(Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, nous voyons clairement comment Jésus divisait ses journées. D'un côté, il se consacrait à la prière, et, de l'autre, à sa mission de prédication par la parole et par les actes. La contemplation et l'action. Prière et travail. Etre avec Dieu et être avec les hommes.

En effet, nous voyons Jésus qui se donne corps et âme à sa tâche de Messie et de Sauveur: il guérit les malades, comme la belle-mère de Pierre et beaucoup d'autres, il console ceux qui sont tristes, il expulse des démons, il prêche. Tout le monde lui amène ses malades et ses possédés. Ils veulent tous l'écouter: "Tout le monde te cherche" (Mc 1,37) lui disent les disciples. Il avait certainement une activité souvent très fatigante, qui ne devait presque pas le laisser souffler.

Mais Jésus s'accordait aussi un temps de solitude pour se consacrer à la prière: «Le lendemain, bien avant l'aube, Jésus se leva. Il sortit et alla dans un endroit désert, et là il priait» (Mc 1,35). Dans d'autres passages de l'Evangile, nous voyons Jésus se consacrer à la prière à d'autres heures, y compris très tard dans la nuit. Il savait partager son temps avec sagesse, afin que sa journée ait un équilibre raisonnable entre le travail et la prière.

Nous disons souvent: Je n'ai pas le temps! Nous sommes occupés avec les tâches ménagères, le travail et les innombrables tâches qui remplissent notre agenda. Fréquemment, nous croyons être dispensés de la prière quotidienne. Nous faisons un tas de choses importantes, c'est vrai, mais nous courons le risque d'oublier la plus nécessaire: la prière. Nous devons créer un équilibre pour pouvoir faire les unes sans négliger les autres.

Saint François nous présente les choses ainsi: «Il faut travailler fidèlement et avec dévouement, sans éteindre l'esprit de la sainte prière et de la dévotion que les autres choses temporelles doivent servir».

Nous devrions peut-être nous organiser un peu plus. Nous discipliner, en “domestiquant” le temps. Ce qui est important doit trouver sa place. Mais ce qui est nécessaire encore plus.

Gospel text

(Mk 1:21-28): 

Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.

All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

The Application

A new teaching, because it comes with a divine authority, accompanied by signs. For me personally, neither this authority, nor these signs are important, because they belong to the Lord. I look, rather, at the humanity of Jesus, which belongs and is similar to me, where I can appropriate from Jesus, in my humanity, which can help me to grow in my own humanity, and in this humanity I can meet the divinity of Jesus (a humanity par excellence), in which the world will find the divine authority and God will accomplish the wonderful signs. I know with certitude,  that God continues to liberate us from evil and infirmities. However, if I forget to imitate the daily life of Jesus, which is well balanced with contemplation and action, the danger is that I may be led with action, not being inspired in the contemplation.

Jesus is not simply content that there is truth. He is looking for the source and intent of the truth. We all have in our words and actions, a truth, which is very subjective, yet in the intention and source, we can be very objective. The silence that the Lord requires can be applied in our daily lives, when our intentions and sources are not good.

Action of the day: Be contemplative in your action.

“The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.”

+ Fr. Antoni ORIOL i Tataret

(Vic, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, first Tuesday in Ordinary Time, Saint Mark presents Jesus teaching in the synagogue, and immediately he comments: “The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes” (Mk 1:21). This is quite an extraordinary comment. On one hand, what His listeners admire is certainly not the doctrine but the Master; it is not what is said, but Who says it. And, on the other hand, it is not the preacher as such but, rather, specifically who He is: Jesus taught “as one having authority”, that is, with legitimate and unimpeachable power. This particularity is further confirmed with of a direct contrast: “He taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.”

A little later, though, the scene of the man with an evil spirit integrates the doctrinal lesson with an admirable motivation: “What is this? A new teaching with authority” (Mk 1:27). Notwithstanding, we may as well note the description does not refer so much to the contents as it does to its uniqueness: the doctrine is “new”. Here we find another reason for this contrast: Jesus communicates something unheard (no other word can better describe it).

We still add a third remark. His authority comes also from the fact Jesus “commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” We are facing here such a deep contrast as with the previous ones: To the Master's authority and to the newness of His doctrine we must add His power against evil spirits.

Brothers! Our faith tells us that this Liturgy of the Word makes us contemporaries of what we have just heard and commenting on. Let us ask ourselves with humble gratitude: Do I fully realize no man has ever spoken the Word of God the Father as Jesus did? Do I feel rich with a message that holds no comparison either? Do I realize what liberating force Jesus and His teachings have in human life and, more specifically, in my life? Touched by the Holy Spirit, let us tell our Redeemer: Jesus-life, Jesus-doctrine, Jesus-victory, please, as the great Raymond Lully liked to say, may we live in a constant “wonder” of You!