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

"You, Bethlehem Ephratah, the smallest of the clans of Judah, from you will come the one who is to rule Israel for me. God has made a choice, choice to be born in  a clan which is small and weak.  By this birth God expresses his belonging. By nature, which was divine, became the flesh of the flesh, participating in the life and death of humanity, which nevertheless has its heavenly origin. God who called man, come, 'You are my Son,' allowed humanity in Mary to call Him, You are my son, of my flesh.  Mary will give birth to this Flesh, the divine flesh that belongs visibly or by appearance to humanity, represented by Mary. 

The new Eve makes humanity learn, the humanity that God wanted from the beginning of creation, "And Then the man said, 'This time, this is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh! She shall be called woman - Ishsha - who was taken from man - Ish. She who brought misfortune to mankind by her disobedience will be the same one today who will bring consolation, symbolically reminding us of the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. It is this Ark that carries the Saviour for all humanity. A moment of joy and gladness, the child jumps with joy.

In Mary man has found the divine way, the way that will lead all humanity to the divinity. She will do so in such a way, by bringing Christ to her cousin Elizabeth, the Ark par excellence of the covenant. It is no longer man who goes to seek his God, but God who comes to seek him. After committing the sin, God will come to meet man,  "The Lord God called the man and said to him, "Where are you? It is beautiful that this story is repeated in Elizabeth. God comes for Zechariah, who did not believe the Word spoken by the Lord. His role is reversed. It is in Elizabeth, who knew how to welcome the Mother of God, that Zechariah will find his salvation.  We are all called to be this Marie who carries Jesus to the whole world.

What a beautiful encounter! Two women show us another encounter of two children. One will be silent, but active in accomplishing the divine will and the other will tremble with joy of feeling the presence of this silent worker. In this encounter, moved by the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth reveals the divine motherhood of Mary, her cousin. How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me? Thus, Mary will carry salvation within her. We are all called to identify the divine presence in the heart of the humanity.

In this exchange of greetings we will feel the presence of the Holy Spirit gathering us together and like Elizabeth, we will recognise the mother of God in our brothers and sisters, the envoys of the Father who are before us and with us. My friends, let this visitation not end here in the church. Let us bring it to life in every human encounter, at home, in the hospital and on the street, etc.

Let us pray,

On this Sunday we turn to you, God our Father. You give us the joy of visiting your Son received in this Eucharist. Fill us with the Holy Spirit so that, with the Virgin Mary and Elizabeth, we may give you thanks and welcome you in our brothers and sisters, with our words and our whole life. Amen.

Gospel text

(Mt 1:18-24): 

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.

Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

The Application

"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary into your home", a direct assurance and "he took his wife into his home", a concrete commitment. God understands our sensitivities and it is enough to say everything in a dream and Joseph will do it. It should be noted that Mary was totally unaware of everything that happened to Joseph. We don't have to understand everything, including the way God works in our lives. He will do it in His own way, in His own time.

So let us not expect all the details to be given, revealed and received. It is enough that we feel that God is with us and that we know to trust in His goodness and generosity. The moment we say Yes to Him, like Mary, God will reveal His plan to us, little by little, in its totality. Let us contemplate Joseph, his silence and discretion. Let us imitate him. 

Action of the day: Learn to believe in God.

“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home”

Fr. Antoni CAROL i Hostench

(Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, the liturgy of the Word invites us to think of the wonderful example St. Joseph gives us. He was extremely sensitive towards Mary, his betrothed.

There is no doubt that both were excellent people, in love with each other like no other couple. However, it is plain to see that the Almighty wanted their love to go through some very demanding circumstances.

Saint John Paul II wrote: “Christianity is a surprise from a God who has taken sides with his creature”. As a matter of fact, He has taken the initiative: To come to this world He has not waited for us to deserve it. He proposes His initiative; He does not impose it upon us: It is as though God asked us for “permission”. To Mary He proposed —never imposed anything! — the vocation of being the Mother of God: “He, who had the power to create everything from nothing, had refused to rebuild what had been desecrated if Mary had not agreed to it” (Saint Anselm).

But God, not only is asking us for permission, He also wants us to take part in His plans, to make a heroic contribution. And so it was for Mary and Joseph. In fact the Christ-child needed parents. Even more so: He needed his parent's heroism, for they had to go to extremes to defend the life of the “little Redeemer”.

What is really beautiful is that Mary revealed only a few details of her childbearing: Such an important fact is reported in just two verses (cf. Lk 2:6-7). On the other hand, she was more explicit when speaking of Joseph's thoughtfulness towards her. The fact was that “before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit” (Mt 1:19), and in order not to risk discrediting her, he would have preferred to disappear discretely and to renounce her love (something that was socially unfavorable to him). Thus, before the law of charity had been proclaimed, Saint Joseph was already practicing it: Mary (and his loving attentions with her) was his law.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mt 1,18-24): 

Voici quelle fut l'origine de Jésus Christ. Marie, la mère de Jésus, avait été accordée en mariage à Joseph; or, avant qu'ils aient habité ensemble, elle fut enceinte par l'action de l'Esprit Saint. Joseph, son époux, qui était un homme juste, ne voulait pas la dénoncer publiquement; il décida de la répudier en secret.

Il avait formé ce projet, lorsque l'ange du Seigneur lui apparut en songe et lui dit: «Joseph, fils de David, ne crains pas de prendre chez toi Marie, ton épouse: l'enfant qui est engendré en elle vient de l'Esprit Saint; elle mettra au monde un fils, auquel tu donneras le nom de Jésus (c'est-à-dire: "Le-Seigneur-sauve"), car c'est lui qui sauvera son peuple de ses péchés». Tout cela arriva pour que s'accomplît la parole du Seigneur prononcée par le prophète: Voici que la Vierge concevra et elle mettra au monde un fils, auquel on donnera le nom d'Emmanuel, qui se traduit: "Dieu-avec-nous". Quand Joseph se réveilla, il fit ce que l'ange du Seigneur lui avait prescrit: il prit chez lui son épouse.

L’Application

" Joseph, fils de David, ne crains pas de prendre Marie chez toi ", une assurance directe et " il prit sa femme chez lui ", un engagement concret. Dieu comprend nos sensibilités et il suffit de tout dire en rêve pour que Joseph le fasse. Il faut noter que Marie n'était absolument pas au courant de tout ce qui est arrivé à Joseph. Nous n'avons pas besoin de tout comprendre, y compris la façon dont Dieu agit dans nos vies. Il le fera à sa manière, en son temps.

Ne nous attendons donc pas à ce que tous les détails soient donnés, révélés et reçus. Il suffit que nous sentions que Dieu est avec nous et que nous sachions faire confiance à sa bonté et à sa générosité. Au moment où nous lui dirons Oui, comme Marie, Dieu nous révélera son plan, petit à petit, dans sa totalité. Contemplons Joseph, son silence et sa discrétion. Imitons-le. 

«Joseph, fils de David, ne crains pas de prendre chez toi Marie, ton épouse»

Abbé Antoni CAROL i Hostench

(Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, la liturgie de la parole nous invite à considérer le merveilleux exemple de saint Joseph. Il fut extraordinairement généreux et délicat envers Marie, sa fiancée.

Il est hors de doute que tous deux étaient d'excellentes personnes, qui s'aimaient plus que tout autre couple. Mais, en même temps, il faut reconnaître que le Très-Haut voulut que leur amour conjugal passât par des circonstances très exigeantes.

Le Pape saint Jean Paul II a écrit que «le christianisme est la surprise d'un Dieu qui s'est mis du côté de sa créature». De fait, c'est Lui qui prit “l'initiative”: pour venir en ce monde, il n'a pas attendu que nous le méritions. Malgré ça, il propose cette initiative, il ne l'impose pas: c'est tout juste s'il ne demande pas la permission, dirions-nous. Sa vocation de Mère de Dieu, il la proposa à Marie —mais ne la lui imposa pas! «Lui, qui avait eu le pouvoir de tout créer à partir du néant, refusa de refaire sans le concours de Marie ce qui avait été profané» (Saint Anselme).

Mais Dieu ne demande pas seulement notre permission; il veut aussi que nous participions à ses plans, et que cette participation soit héroïque. Et tel fut le cas pour Marie et Joseph. L'Enfant Jésus avait besoin de parents. Mieux, il avait besoin de parents héroïques, qui durent se battre pour défendre la vie du “petit Rédempteur”.

Il est très beau que Marie n'ait révélé que fort peu de détails de son enfantement: un événement aussi emblématique n'est raconté qu'en deux versets (cf. Lc 2,6-7). Elle fut en revanche plus diserte sur la délicatesse de Joseph, son époux, envers elle. Le fait est que «avant qu'ils aient habité ensemble, elle fut enceinte par l'action de l'Esprit Saint» (Mt 1,19), et pour ne pas risquer de ternir sa réputation, Joseph était prêt à disparaître discrètement et à renoncer à son amour (circonstance qui entraînait un certain discrédit social). Ainsi, avant que la loi de la charité n'ait été promulguée, saint Joseph la pratiquait déjà: Marie (et sa juste relation avec elle) fut sa loi.

Gospel text

(Mt 1:1-17): 

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king.

David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile.

After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah. Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

Application

The origin of Jesus helps us to understand the divine preparatory time, the participation of generations in the project of salvation, and the need to trust the God of goodness.

I invite you to review the path you have taken, to contemplate the project that God has entrusted to you, and how you are participating today in the fulfilment of the divine will.

As the divine project continues, we believe that He continues this process of preparation, He needs our cooperation and commitment. We must be aware that not only do we participate in a history, the history of salvation, in truth, we are this history.

Action of the day: Believe in the salvation history.

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”

Fr. Vicenç GUINOT i Gómez

(Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Spain)

Today, when we read the genealogy of Jesus in the liturgy of the Mass, a sentence commonly said in rural areas here in Catalonia, Spain, comes to mind: “Josephs, Johns and donkeys are to be found in every house”. That's why, in order to make a difference between them, one uses the household name. Thus, they say, for example, Joseph from Filomena's, John from Josefina's... In this way, a person is easily identified. The problem is that people become branded by the good or bad name of their ancestors. This is what happens with the “Genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, the son of Abraham” (Mt 1:1).

What Matthew is saying is that Jesus is a real man. In other words, that Jesus —just like every man and every woman who comes into this world— does not start from zero, but brings with him a certain historical baggage. This means that the Incarnation is something deliberate, that when God is made man, He is made man with all the consequences. When he comes to this world, the Son of God, brings with him a family past.

Going down through the characters that make up the list we can see that Jesus —as far as family genealogy goes— does not possess “clean report”. As Cardinal Nguyen van Thuan wrote, “in this world, if a people writes its official history, it will speak of its grandeur... It is a unique, admirable and splendid thing to find a people which, in its official history, does not hide the sins of its ancestors”. Sins like homicide (David), idolatry (Solomon) or prostitution (Rahab) appear. Along with these, though, there are moments of grace and of faithfulness to God, especially when we talk of Joseph and Mary, from whom “was born Jesus who is called the Messiah” (Mt 1:16).

To sum up, Jesus' genealogy helps us contemplate the mystery that we are about to celebrate: that God became Man, true Man, and “and made his dwelling among us” (Jn 1:14).

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mt 1,1-17): 

Voici la table des origines de Jésus Christ, fils de David, fils d'Abraham: Abraham engendra Isaac, Isaac engendra Jacob, Jacob engendra Juda et ses frères, Juda, de son union avec Thamar, engendra Pharès et Zara, Pharès engendra Esrom, Esrom engendra Aram, Aram engendra Aminadab, Aminadab engendra Naassone, Naassone engendra Salmone, Salmone, de son union avec Rahab, engendra Booz,Booz, de son union avec Ruth, engendra Jobed,Jobed engendra Jessé, Jessé engendra le roi David.

David, de son union avec la femme d'Ourias, engendra Salomon, Salomon engendra Roboam, Roboam engendra Abia, Abia engendra Asa, Asa engendra Josaphat, Josaphat engendra Joram,Joram engendra Ozias, Ozias engendra Joatham, Joatham engendra Acaz, Acaz engendra Ézékias, Ézékias engendra Manassé, Manassé engendra Amone, Amone engendra Josias, Josias engendra Jékonias et ses frères à l'époque de l'exil à Babylone.

Après l'exil à Babylone, Jékonias engendra Salathiel, Salathiel engendra Zorobabel, Zorobabel engendra Abioud, Abioud engendra Éliakim, Éliakim engendra Azor, Azor engendra Sadok, Sadok engendra Akim, Akim engendra Élioud, Élioud engendra Éléazar, Éléazar engendra Mattane, Mattane engendra Jacob, Jacob engendra Joseph, l'époux de Marie, de laquelle fut engendré Jésus, que l'on appelle Christ (ou Messie). Le nombre total des générations est donc: quatorze d'Abraham jusqu'à David, quatorze de David jusqu'à l'exil à Babylone, quatorze de l'exil à Babylone jusqu'au Christ.

L’Application

L'origine de Jésus nous aide à comprendre le temps préparatoire divin, la participation des générations au projet de salut et la nécessité de faire confiance au Dieu de bonté.

Donc, je vous invite à revoir le chemin que vous avez parcouru, à contempler la mission que Dieu vous a confiée, et comment vous participez aujourd'hui à l'accomplissement de la volonté divine.

Alors que le projet divin se poursuit, nous croyons qu'Il poursuit ce processus de préparation, Il a besoin de notre coopération et de notre engagement. Nous devons être conscients que non seulement nous participons à une histoire, l'histoire du salut, mais qu'en vérité, nous sommes cette histoire.

«Voici la table des origines de Jésus Christ, fils de David, fils d'Abraham»

Abbé Vicenç GUINOT i Gómez

(Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, dans la liturgie de la messe nous lisons la généalogie de Jésus et cela nous fait penser à une phrase d'usage dans la campagne catalane: "Des Joseph, des ânes et des Jean, il y en a dans tous les foyers". C'est pour cela qu'afin de les distinguer, on utilise comme enseigne le nom de chaque maison. Ainsi, nous parlons de Joseph, de la maison de Philomène, Joseph, de la maison de Soledad, etc, etc. De cette façon la personne est rapidement identifiée. Le problème est que chacun est ainsi marqué par la bonne ou la mauvaise réputation de ses ancêtres. C'est ce qui arrive à «la table des origines de Jésus Christ, fils de David, fils d'Abraham» (Mt 1,1)

Ce que Saint Matthieu est en train de nous dire est que Jésus est un vrai Homme. En d'autres mots, que Jésus, comme tout homme et toute femme qui arrive au monde, ne part pas de zéro, mais qu'Il a derrière lui une histoire. Cela veut dire que l'Incarnation c'est du sérieux, que lorsque Dieu se fait Homme, Il le fait en assumant toutes les conséquences. Le Fils de Dieu en venant au monde, assume le passé de sa famille.

En regardant les personnages de cette liste, nous pouvons nous rendre compte que Jésus n'a pas pour ainsi dire un "dossier immaculé". Comme écrivait le Cardinal Nguyen van Thuan, «en ce monde, si un peuple écrit son histoire officielle, il le fera avec grandeur… C'est un cas unique, de trouver un peuple dont l'histoire officielle ne cache les péchés de ses ancêtres». Il y a des péchés comme l'homicide (David), l'idolâtrie (Salomon), ou la prostitution (Rahab). Et à coté de tout cela, il y a des moments de grâce et de fidélité à Dieu et surtout des personnages comme Joseph et Marie «(…) de laquelle fut engendré Jésus, que l'on appelle Christ (ou Messie)» (Mt 1,16).

En définitive, la généalogie de Jésus nous aide à contempler le mystère que nous nous préparons à célébrer: celui de Dieu fait Homme, vrai Homme, qui a «habité parmi nous» (Jn 1,14).

Gospel text

(Lk 7:24-30): 

When the messengers of John had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. “What did you go out to the desert to see—a reed swayed by the wind? Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine garments? Those who dress luxuriously and live sumptuously are found in royal palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom scripture says: ‘Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, he will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

(All the people who listened, including the tax collectors, and who were baptized with the baptism of John, acknowledged the righteousness of God; but the Pharisees and scholars of the law, who were not baptized by him, rejected the plan of God for themselves.)

The Application

If there is one thing we can all do without discrimination, it is our faithfulness to the love of God. It is in this love that conversion and reconciliation are founded. Once this love is recognised, man can easily go through even the mountains. If one has not known this love, even if God would appear before us, we can never recognise Him. "What did you go to see in the desert?"

Unfortunately, we are like those Pharisees and doctors of the Law, not wanting to move from our places of safety and waiting for God to move to us, according our expectations and standards. We are always looking for the visible, palpable signs that can help us to believe. Jesus invites us to discover this faith that we have already received at our baptism, and to live it fully, through our concrete commitments, which are best expressed in our acts of love and mercy. For Jesus' contemporaries, John the Baptist was this sign, the messenger of God. For you and for me, what are those signs that we can identify or spot, as messengers of God, that we ignore in our daily lives?

Action of the day: Love God and love your neighbours

“What did you go out to the desert to see?”

Fr. Carles ELÍAS i Cao

(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, three times Jesus Christ asks us: “What did you go out to the desert to see? Then what did you go out to see?; Then what did you go out to see?” (Lk 7:24.25.26).

Today, Jesus seems to want us to get rid of that eagerness of ours for a futile curiosity, of the arrogance the Pharisees and Masters of the Law showed by looking down upon God's plans for them by ignoring John's call (cf. Lk 7:30). We realize that only our “knowledge of God” will not save us; we must know Him, love Him and follow Him; we need a response from deep inside us, sincere, humble and grateful.

“All the people who listened, including the tax collectors, and who were baptized with the baptism of John, acknowledged the righteousness of God;” (Lk 7:29): now comes the time for salvation. As St. John Crysostom preached, now is not the time to be examined, but the time of forgiving. Now and today is the right time; God is coming near and nearer each time, because He is good, He is just and He knows us well, and therefore He is full of a love that forgives; because, every evening He waits for us, returning home, to embrace us.

And He offers us the gift of his forgiveness and his presence; He breaks whatever distance between us; He knocks at our door. Humble, patient, now He knocks at your heart: in your desert, in your loneliness, in your failings, in your incapacity, He wants you to see his loving.

We must leave behind our comfort and luxury and face reality as it is: disturbed by consumerism and selfishness we have forgotten what God is expecting from us. He wants our love; He wants us for Him; He wants us truly poor and simple, to be able to give us the news that, despite everything, we are still awaiting: —I am with you, do not be afraid, trust me.

Looking inside us, we may now say in a quiet voice: —O Lord, you know me and accept me as I am; open my heart to your presence; I wish to accept your love, I wish to welcome you, now that you are coming in silence and peace.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 7,24-30): 

Après le départ des envoyés de Jean Baptiste, Jésus se mit à parler de lui aux foules: «Qu'êtes-vous allés voir au désert? Un roseau agité par le vent?... Alors, qu'êtes-vous allés voir? Un homme aux vêtements luxueux? Mais ceux qui portent des vêtements magnifiques et mènent une vie de plaisir sont dans les palais des rois. Alors, qu'êtes-vous allés voir? Un prophète? Oui, je vous le dis; et bien plus qu'un prophète! C'est de lui qu'il est écrit: ‘Voici que j'envoie mon messager en avant de toi, pour qu'il prépare le chemin devant toi’. Je vous le dis: Parmi les hommes, aucun n'est plus grand que Jean; et cependant le plus petit dans le royaume de Dieu est plus grand que lui».

Tout le peuple qui a écouté Jean, y compris les publicains, a reconnu la justice de Dieu en recevant le baptême de Jean. Mais les pharisiens et les docteurs de la Loi, en ne recevant pas ce baptême, ont rejeté le dessein que Dieu avait sur eux.

L’Application

S'il y a une chose que nous pouvons tous faire sans discrimination, c'est notre fidélité à l'amour de Dieu. C'est dans cet amour que se fondent la conversion et la réconciliation. Une fois cet amour reconnu, l'homme peut facilement franchir même les montagnes. Si l'on n'a pas connu cet amour, même si Dieu apparaissait devant nous, nous ne pourrions jamais le reconnaître. "Qu'es-tu allé voir dans le désert ?"

Malheureusement, nous sommes comme ces pharisiens et docteurs de la loi, ne voulant pas bouger de nos lieux de sécurité et attendant que Dieu se déplace vers nous, selon nos attentes et nos normes. Nous sommes toujours à la recherche des signes visibles, palpables, qui peuvent nous aider à croire. Jésus nous invite à découvrir cette foi que nous avons déjà reçue à notre baptême, et à la vivre pleinement, à travers nos engagements concrets, qui s'expriment le mieux dans nos actes d'amour et de miséricorde. Pour les contemporains de Jésus, Jean le Baptiste était ce signe, le messager de Dieu. Pour vous et pour moi, quels sont ces signes que nous pouvons identifier ou repérer, comme messagers de Dieu, que nous ignorons dans notre vie quotidienne ?

«Qu'êtes-vous allés voir au désert?»

Abbé Carles ELÍAS i Cao

(Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, par trois fois, Jésus-Christ nous demande: «Qu'êtes-vous allés voir au désert?»; «Alors, qu'êtes-vous allés voir?»; «Alors, qu'êtes-vous allés voir?» (Lc 7,24.25.26).

L’on dirait que Jésus veut nous ôter toute curiosité stérile, la suffisance des pharisiens et des docteurs de la Loi, qui méprisaient le plan que Dieu avait pour eux, en rejetant l’appel de Jean (cf. Lc 7,30). “Le savoir sur Dieu”, à lui seul, ne sauve pas; il faut Le connaître, L’aimer et Le suivre; il faut une réponse du cœur, sincère, humble, reconnaissante.

«Tout le peuple qui a écouté Jean, y compris les publicains, a reconnu la justice de Dieu en recevant le baptême de Jean» (Lc 7,29): maintenant, c’est le temps du salut. Comme le prêchait saint Jean-Chrysostome, ce n’est plus l’heure de l’examen, mais celle du pardon. Aujourd'hui et maintenant c’est le moment: Dieu est proche, chaque fois plus proche de nous, car Il est bon, est juste et nous connaît parfaitement et c’est pourquoi il est plein d’amour qui pardonne; Il attend chaque soir notre retour d’enfant au foyer, pour nous embrasser.

Et Il nous régale de son pardon et de sa présence ; Il brise toute distance avec nous ; Il frappe à notre porte. Humble, patient, Il frappe maintenant à la porte de notre cœur: de ton désert, de ta solitude, de tes échecs, de ton incapacité, Il veut que tu voies son amour.

Nous devons sortir de notre confort et de nos luxes, pour nous affronter à la réalité telle qu’elle est: distraits par la consommation et l’égoïsme, nous avons oublié que Dieu nous attend. Il désire notre amour, Il nous veut pour Lui. Il nous veut vraiment pauvres et simples, pour pouvoir nous dire ce que, malgré tout, nous espérions encore: —Je suis avec toi, n’aies pas peur, fais-moi confiance.

Rentrant en nous-mêmes, disons maintenant d’une voix tranquille: —Seigneur, toi qui sais comme je suis et qui m’acceptes ainsi, ouvres-moi le cœur en ta présence; je veux accepter ton amour, je veux t’accueillir maintenant que tu viens, dans le silence et dans la paix.

Gospel text

(Lk 7:18b-23): 

The disciples of John told him about all these things. John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” When the men came to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’”

At that time he cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits; he also granted sight to many who were blind. And he said to them in reply, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”

The Application

The people were waiting not only for the Messiah, but also for the prophet Elijah, who will prepare the way for the Lord. Thus the eyes of the people who were waiting for the Lord, fixed on the personality of John, as the Lord, or at least as the prophet. By the impulsion of the Holy Spirit, he himself witnessed, that Jesus is the Lamb of God. However, today we find, even Jean is confused and worried. The image he had of the Lord, is visibly invisible in Jesus, thus he sends his disciples towards Jesus.

His inability to personally meet Jesus (in fact he is in the prison), didn’t block him to send his disciples. It’s important that we live with certain certitude and conviction, than in doubt and dissolutions. Jesus who understands our dissolutions and doubts, helps us to discover the truth. John is invited to see and observe the events and through these events read the divine message of hope filled with consolation and compassion. Jesus is the saviour and He is accomplishing what Isaiah has prophesised. If we to approach Jesus with our doubts and dissolutions, He will certainly whelp us to discover the truth, through the events and realities of life.

Action of the day: Approach Jesus, when doubts dominates you.

“The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed...”

Fr. Bernat GIMENO i Capín

(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, when we may realize we do not know what to expect of our life; when, at times, we lose our hopes and do not dare to look beyond our own shortcomings; when we are glad to be faithful to Jesus Christ and, at the same time, we are fretful or feeling low for not savoring the fruits of our apostolic mission, the Lord wants us to ask ourselves, as John the Baptist did: “Should we look for another?” (Lk 7:20).

Sure enough, the Lord is “smart”, and He wants to take advantage of our uncertainty —otherwise, quite a normal one— so that we can completely examine our life, and detect our failings, our dark, our wickedness... thus, being able to strengthen our faith and “endlessly” multiply our expectations.

The Lord has no limits when it comes to accomplish his mission: “The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed...” (Lk 7:22). Where are my hopes placed? Where is my joy resting? Because our hopes and our interior joy are intimately related. It goes without saying that Christians must, of course, live like any other normal person, but they must always keep their eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, that will never fail us. No Christian can live his life by ignoring Christ's life and his Gospel. Let us center our gaze upon him, Almighty, and let us set no limits to our hopes. “You will find in Him much more than you can ask for or desire” (St. John of the Cross).

Liturgy is not a “sacred game”, and our Church gives us this time of Advent because the Church wants each believer to revive in Christ the virtue of hope in his life. Quite often, we lose it because we tend to exceedingly entrust our own forces and do not wish to see ourselves as an “ailing child” in need of the Lord's healing hand. But this is how it must be, and since He knows us well and is fully aware we are all made from the same “material”, He offers us his helping hand. —Thanks, O Lord, for rescuing me out of the mud and fill up my heart with hope.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 7,19-23): 

Jean appela deux d'entre ses disciples et les envoya demander au Seigneur: «Es-tu celui qui doit venir, ou devons-nous en attendre un autre?». Arrivés près de Jésus, ils lui dirent: «Jean Baptiste nous a envoyés te demander: ‘Es-tu celui qui doit venir, ou devons-nous en attendre un autre?’».

A ce moment-là, Jésus guérit beaucoup de malades, d'infirmes et de possédés, et il rendit la vue à beaucoup d'aveugles. Puis il répondit aux envoyés: «Allez rapporter à Jean ce que vous avez vu et entendu: les aveugles voient, les boiteux marchent, les lépreux sont purifiés, les sourds entendent, les morts ressuscitent, la Bonne Nouvelle est annoncée aux pauvres. Heureux celui qui ne tombera pas à cause de moi!».

L’Application

Dimanche dernier, nous avons entendu : " Le peuple attendait, et tous se demandaient en eux-mêmes si Jean n'était pas le Messie. Aujourd'hui, Jean se présente comme l'un de ces gens, avec la même sensibilité et le même doute. Il a cru et proclamé le Christ sous l'impulsion de l'Esprit Saint. Pourtant, dans son humanité, le doute subsistait.

Nous devons apprendre de Jean comment agir dans une telle situation. Comme il est en prison, il envoie ses disciples. Il ne se laisse pas guider par ses doutes et ses sensibilités. Il les confronte aux réalités visibles, afin de découvrir la vérité invisible. Jésus l'aidera à découvrir la vérité, en l'invitant à observer les événements qui se produisent autour de lui, et aussi à découvrir en Jésus, le Christ, le sauveur, envoyé par le Père, qui accomplit la prophétie du prophète Isaïe. Dieu accompagne toujours le cœur brisé et aimant. Dieu nous aidera à découvrir sa présence et ses œuvres. Ayons confiance en sa bonté et sa générosité, et gardons fermement notre foi.

«Les aveugles voient, les boiteux marchent, les lépreux sont purifiés,…»

Abbé Bernat GIMENO i Capín

(Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, quand nous voyons que dans notre vie nous ne savons plus quoi espérer, quand nous nous décourageons parce que nous manquons de courage pour voir au-delà de nos défaillances quand nous sommes heureux car nous sommes fidèles à Jésus-Christ, et en même temps inquiets ou alanguis de ne pas savourer les fruits de notre mission apostolique, le Seigneur veut que nous posions la même question que Jean-Baptiste: «devons-nous en attendre un autre?» (Lc 7,20).

C'est clair, le Seigneur est “astucieux” et il veut profiter de nos incertitudes —qui sont d'ailleurs, tout à fait normales— pour que nous fassions un bilan de notre vie, que nous regardions nos défauts, nos efforts, nos maladies… et, ainsi, que nous réaffirmions notre foi et multiplions “à l'infini” notre espérance.

Le Seigneur n'a pas de limites quand il s'agit d'accomplir sa mission: «les aveugles voient, les boiteux marchent, les lépreux sont purifiés…» (Lc 7,22). Où est mon espérance? Où est ma joie? Car l'espérance est intimement liée à la joie intérieure. Le chrétien, doit, naturellement, vivre comme n'importe qui, mais avec le regard toujours fixé sur le Christ, qui ne nous fait jamais défaut. Un chrétien ne peut pas vivre sa vie en marge de celle du Christ et de son Évangile. Fixons nos regards sur Celui qui peut tout, absolument tout, et ne limitons pas notre espérance. «En Lui tu trouveras même plus que tu ne demandes et que tu ne désires» (Saint Jean de la Croix).

La liturgie n'est pas un "jeu sacré", et l'Église nous offre ce temps de l'Avent afin que chaque chrétien, uni au Christ, ranime la vertu de l'espérance dans sa vie. Souvent nous la perdons car nous faisons trop confiance à nos propres forces et nous ne voulons pas reconnaître que nous sommes “malades” et que nous avons besoin de la main salvatrice du Seigneur. Mais c'est ainsi, et comme Il nous connaît bien et qu'il sait que nous sommes tous faits de la même “pâte” il nous tend la main pour nous sauver. —Merci Seigneur, de me sortir de la boue et de remplir mon cœur d'espérance.

Gospel text

(Mt 21:28-32): 

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people, “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did his father’s will?” They answered, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him."

The Application

Life brings us many opportunities that man loses in these means that he is not able to discern well, nor choose his priorities, even  for his own daily life. God understands this weakness of humanity, which is related to the human nature. Faced with his weaknesses and limitations, man seeks the support of others to feed himself or to meet his needs and applies the intelligence that God has accorded to him. Thus, he forms a community, including the family, to accomplish the basic human needs.

There, each one has a responsibility to fulfil and we are called to be faithful to our daily commitments, so that life's fullness be achieved. "I don't want to" was an unreflective, yet sincere response. "Yes, Lord" was the opposite, well thought out, yet totally insincere. It is quite possible that some of our decisions we can go back and correct. Some we can only accept in humility. In this Advent season, let us pay attention to everything we say and do. If we can correct some of the mistakes of our past, now is the time to do so, for God is close to the broken heart.

Action of the day: Be humble

“The son answered: “‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went””

Fr. Jordi POU i Sabater

(Sant Jordi Desvalls, Girona, Spain)

Today, we contemplate the father who had two sons and went to the first and said to him: “Son, go out and work in the vineyard today”. (Mt 21:28). And he answered: “ ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went” (Mt 21:29). Then, he also went to the second with the same command. And he replied: “‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go”. (cf. Mt 21:30). What really matters is not saying “yes”, but “doing it”. As the saying goes “actions speak louder than words”.

On another occasion, Jesus will refer to the doctrine taught by this parable: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven”. (Mt 7:21). As Saint Augustine wrote, “there are two wills. Your will has to be corrected so as to identify it with God's will; but do not try to bend God's will to adapt it to yours.” In the Catalan language we say a child “believes” you to mean he obeys you. There is an identification of obedience and faith, of the reationship that exists between trust and obedience.

Obedience comes from the Latin composition “ob-audire”: meaning, to listen with great attention. And this is should be evident in our prayer, in our not turning “a deaf ear” to the voice of Love. “We men tend to “defend ourselves”, to adhere to our selfishness. But God demands that, when obeying Him, we put our faith to work. At times, our Lord suggests what He wants in a whisper, deep, down, inside our conscience: we must remain on high alert to be able to distinguish his voice and be faithful to it” (Saint Josemaria Escrivà). To abide by God's will implies becoming a saint; to obey does not mean to be a puppet in someone else's hands, but to interiorize what we must accomplish: and then, to do it “because you feel like it”.

Our Mother, the Virgin Mary, a great teacher of obedience to the faith, will show us the way to learn how to obey the will of the Father.