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

Gospel text

(Mt 9:35—10:1.6-8): 

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness “Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

The Application

Yesterday, we have celebrated Francis Xavier, one of the greatest missions of the Church. Many of us listened to the Advent lecture by Cardinal Raniera Cantalamessa, who invited us to look inside the Church and discover the mystery of God, the Father, which we very often leave out. In today's Gospel we have a day of Jesus, full of teaching and action. In him we discover God's compassion, which is revealed in action, and how we can imitate him. In this imitation, Jesus shows us two paths that we must take, together, two at the same time: contemplation and action.   

Jesus says that we have received grace and power freely. We are called to share them freely, in order to achieve their proper purpose, that His kingdom may come and His lost sheep be converted. To do this, we must do everything possible so that the world may discover, through our life of witness, the true presence of God in our actions and words. A divine closeness is created by our human proximity, which is the very Good News that we are called to live and be a witness, particularly in this Advent time. 

Action of the day: Be a person of peace.

“Ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Fr. Xavier PAGÉS i Castañer

(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, a week into our preparation for the celebration of Christmas, we see that one of the virtues, which we have to work on during Advent, is hope. Not in a passive way, like that of someone waiting for a train, but active hope, hope which gets us ready to give all that is needed for Jesus to be born again in our hearts.

We can't be happy just thinking about what it is we are hoping for, we have to think about what it is that God hopes of us. He wants us to follow him, just like he did the apostles. He tells us through Isaiah: “This is the way, walk in it” (Is 30:21, today's first reading). God hopes of us that we will give witness, each one in his own particular situation and circumstances that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 10:7).

Today's Gospel tells of how Jesus, in front of that huge crowd, felt compassion and said “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Mt 9:37-38). He has always wanted to be able to count on us, he wants us, in all our diverse circumstances to become real apostles of the world in which we move and live. The mission for which God sent his son to the world depends on us for its continuation. We find in our present day a mass of desperate and disorientated souls, thirsting for the Good News of Salvation that Christ has brought us, and of which we are the messengers. It is a mission, which has been entrusted to every one of us. Conscious of our weaknesses and our failings, we get the support we need from constant prayer and are happy that this way we can collaborate with the plan for redemption that Christ has revealed.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mt 9,35-10,1.6-8): 

Jésus parcourait toutes les villes et tous les villages, enseignant dans leurs synagogues, proclamant la Bonne Nouvelle du Royaume et guérissant toute maladie et toute infirmité. Voyant les foules, il eut pitié d'elles parce qu'elles étaient fatiguées et abattues comme des brebis sans berger. Il dit alors à ses disciples: «La moisson est abondante, et les ouvriers sont peu nombreux. Priez donc le maître de la moisson d'envoyer des ouvriers pour sa moisson».

Alors Jésus appela ses douze disciples et leur donna le pouvoir d'expulser les esprits mauvais et de guérir toute maladie et toute infirmité. «Allez plutôt vers les brebis perdues de la maison d'Israël. Sur votre route, proclamez que le Royaume des cieux est tout proche. Guérissez les malades, ressuscitez les morts, purifiez les lépreux, chassez les démons. Vous avez reçu gratuitement: donnez gratuitement».

L’Application

Beaucoup d'entre nous ont écouté la conférence de l'Avent du Cardinal Raniera Cantalamessa, (Prédication de l'Avent avec le cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa - YouTube ) qui nous a invités à regarder à l'intérieur de l'Eglise et à découvrir le mystère de Dieu, le Père, que nous laissons très souvent de côté. Dans l'Évangile d'aujourd'hui, nous avons une journée de Jésus, pleine d'enseignement et d'action. En lui, nous découvrons la compassion divine, qui se révèle dans l'action, et comment nous pouvons l'imiter. Dans cette imitation, Jésus nous montre deux chemins que nous devons emprunter, ensemble, deux en même temps : la contemplation et l'action.   

La grâce et la puissance, nous les avons reçues gratuitement. Nous sommes appelés à les partager librement, afin d'atteindre leur propre but, que son règne vienne et que ses brebis perdues soient converties. Pour cela, nous devons tout faire pour que le monde découvre, par notre vie de témoignage, la véritable présence de Dieu dans nos actes et nos paroles, une proximité divine, la Bonne Nouvelle. 

«Priez donc le maître de la moisson d'envoyer des ouvriers pour sa moisson»

Abbé Xavier PAGÉS i Castañer

(Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, quand une semaine s'est déjà écoulée en la préparation de l'itinéraire des célébrations de Noël, nous avons pu constater qu'une des vertus que nous devons encourager pendant l'Avent est celle de l'espérance. Mais pas d'une façon passive, comme celle de qui attend le train qui arrive, mais une espérance active, qui nous pousse à y mettre de notre part tout ce qu'il faut afin que Jésus puisse naître de nouveau dans nos coeurs.

Nous pouvons essayer de ne pas rester seuls dans nos espoirs, mais —surtout— de découvrir qu'est ce que Dieu attend de nous. Comme les douze apôtres, nous sommes tous appelés à suivre ses chemins. Si seulement nous pussions écouter aujourd'hui la voix du Seigneur qui —au moyen du prophète Isaïe— nous dit: «Voici le chemin, marchez-y!» (Is 30,21, de la première lecture d'aujourd'hui). En suivant chacun de nous notre chemin, Dieu espère de nous tous qu'avec notre vie nous annonçons «que le Royaume des cieux est tout proche» (Mt 10,7).

L'Evangile d'aujourd'hui nous raconte comme, en voyant les foules, il eut pitié parce qu'elles étaient fatiguées et abattues et dit alors à ses disciples: «La moisson est abondante, et les ouvriers sont peu nombreux. Priez donc le maître de la moisson d'envoyer des ouvriers pour sa moisson» (Mt 9,37-38). Il a voulu compter sur nous et il veut que dans les circonstances plus diverses, nous répondions à la vocation de devenir apôtres de notre monde. La mission pour laquelle le Dieu Père a envoyé son Fils au monde nécessite que nous en soyons les continuateurs. Des nos jours nous pouvons trouver aussi une foule trompée et sans espoir qui a soif de la Bonne Nouvelle du Salut que le Christ nous a amené, dont nous en sommes les messagers. C'est une mission qui a été confiée à nous tous. En connaisseurs de nos faiblesses et de nos manques, appuyons-nous dans la prière constante et soyons heureux de devenir ainsi des collaborateurs du plan rédempteur que le Christ nous a révélé.

Gospel text

(Mt 9:27-31): 

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed [him], crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him.

Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

The Application

Faith moves us in an exceptional way, because it directs us towards heaven, fixing our gaze on the Lord, Christ the Saviour, the Light of the world. If man trusts in this God, the road he travels, even if it is long, will be so short that no one can stop him. These blind men make us learn from them.

"Son of David, ...... Yes, Lord, we believe", what an expression of faith. In this Advent season, we are invited to do just that, and we will certainly hear it, "let it be done for you according to your faith." ET..........My faith!

Action of the day: Be a person of faith.
 

“Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him.”

Fr. Josep Mª MASSANA i Mola OFM

(Barcelona, Spain)

Today the first Friday of Advent, the Gospel presents three characters: Jesus, and the two blind men who approach him, full of faith and with hopeful hearts. They have heard about him, about his tenderness towards the sick and about his power. These features identified him as the Messiah. Who could help them better than the Son of Man?

Both blind men help each other and, together, address Jesus. The two of them, in unison, make a petition asking Jesus, who they call “Son of David”, for compassion: “Son of David, have pity on us!” (Mt 9:27).

Jesus challenges their faith: “Do you believe that I can do this?” (Mt 9:28). If they have approached the Lord it is precisely because they believe in him. In chorus they make a beautiful profession of faith, replying: “Lord, we do believe in you”. And Jesus gives sight to those who could already see through faith. To believe is to see with interior eyes.

This time of Advent is appropriate for seeking out Jesus with a strong will, like both blind men, in community, as a Church. With the Church we call on the Spirit: “Please come, Jesus Christ our Lord” (cf. Ap 22:17-20). Jesus comes with the power to open the eyes of our heart, to make us see, to make us believe. Advent is a powerful time for prayer: a time for petition, and especially for the professing of faith. A time to see and to believe.

Remember the words of the fable of the Little Prince: “The essential can only be seen with the heart”.

Gospel text

(Mk 16,15-20): 

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them, «Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned. Signs like these will accompany those who have believed: in my Name they will cast out demons and speak new languages; they will pick up snakes and, if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed. They will lay their hands on the sick and they will be healed».

So then, after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and took his place at the right hand of God. The Eleven went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied them.

The Application

For every Indian, Francis Xavier will be an image parfait to be imitated, as a missionary. He knew neither the language nor the culture, still an efficient predicator. Just like Jesus, he himself was the message and his life was the preaching. He was protected by the Lord.

The legend of him says, while constructing the church in Kottar (Kanyakumari dst.) there were few men who didn’t wish to carry the stone for the construction, by pretending of carrying a dead person. At the end, the story ended in a tragedy that they found him really dead. Then they came and asked pardon. God was with him and people who knew, were well aware of this truth. If you have visited his birth place, you would have noticed a smiling face of Jesus on the crucifix. Xavier, could always remain in silence and smiling in his difficult time.

I invite you all, the missionaries to imitate this great missionary that God has given to us as model and pray to him, that he continues to support the Indian church through his intercession, particularly the missionaries who are still persecuted.

«In my Name they will speak new languages; they will lay their hands on the sick and they will be healed»

Fr. Eduard MARTÍNEZ Quinto

(Mirasol, Barcelona, Spain)

Today we contemplate the last words of Jesus before returning to the Father. It is the moment before the Ascension. Therefore those are the last words that the apostles will hear of Jesus Christ in person.

Last words of a person before leaving for another place are so important! They are stored in a preferred place of the heart. Even more so when that person is God Himself becoming man, coming to the world and surrendering himself to death, to free us from evil, sin and from death itself, giving us Life for his Resurrection. How important are those words! Important for who says them: God Himself. Important for his message: the Gospel. Important by the recipient: the whole world.

How well understood these words St. Francis Xavier! This great missionary traveled great distances in India, Japan and other nations, with his heart burning with missionary enthusiasm. Faithfully fulfilling the command of Jesus, he experienced the signs that will accompany his true apostles, as Christ says: “In my Name they will cast out demons and speak new languages; they will pick up snakes and, if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed. They will lay their hands on the sick and they will be healed” (Mk 16, 17-18).

Indeed, his preaching and testimony was accompanied by numerous healings of the sick. Crowds also approached him to be baptized. Sometimes, at night, he could not move his right hand because of the pain, because he had spent the whole day baptizing. In addition, along with many difficulties, he had to learn new languages. What the Gospel tells us today is thus fulfilled.

Through Baptism you and I also receive that message from Jesus that makes us messengers of God, missionary apostles, bearers of the Good News. Keep in your heart the words of Jesus and go without fear on adventure taking the Gospel everywhere.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mt 9,27-31): 

Jésus était en route; deux aveugles le suivirent, en criant: «Aie pitié de nous, fils de David!». Quand il fut dans la maison, les aveugles l'abordèrent, et Jésus leur dit: «Croyez-vous que je peux faire cela?». Ils répondirent: «Oui, Seigneur». Alors il leur toucha les yeux, en disant: «Que tout se fasse pour vous selon votre foi!». Leurs yeux s'ouvrirent, et Jésus leur dit sévèrement: «Attention, que personne ne le sache!». Mais, à peine sortis, ils parlèrent de lui dans toute la région.

L’Application

La foi nous anime de manière exceptionnelle, car elle nous oriente vers le ciel, en fixant notre regard sur le Seigneur, le Christ Sauveur, la Lumière du monde. Si l'homme a confiance en ce Dieu, le chemin qu'il parcourt, même s'il est long, sera si court que personne ne pourra l'arrêter. Ces aveugles nous font apprendre d'eux.

"Fils de David, ...... Oui, Seigneur, nous croyons", quelle expression de la foi. En ce temps de l'Avent, nous sommes invités à le faire, et nous l'entendrons certainement : " qu'il soit fait pour vous selon votre foi. " ET..........Ma foi !

«Jésus leur dit: ‘Croyez-vous que je peux faire cela?’. Ils répondirent: ‘Oui, Seigneur’»

Abbé Josep Mª MASSANA i Mola OFM

(Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, en ce premier vendredi de l'Avent, l'Évangile nous présente trois personnages: Jésus, au centre de la scène, et deux aveugles qui s'approchent de Lui pleins de foi, le cœur rempli d'espérance. Ils avaient entendu parler de Lui, de sa tendresse envers les malades et de son pouvoir. Ces traits l'identifiaient comme Messie. Qui mieux que Lui pouvait prendre leur malheur en considération?

Les deux aveugles se rejoignent et, ensemble, ils se dirigent vers Jésus. Ils font à l'unisson une prière de demande à l’Envoyé de Dieu, au Messie, auquel ils donnent le titre de "Fils de David". Ils veulent, par cette prière, provoquer la compassion de Jésus: «Aie pitié de nous, fils de David!» (Mt 9,27).

Jésus en appelle à leur foi: «Croyez-vous que je peux faire cela?» (Mt 9,28). S'ils se sont approchés de l'Envoyé de Dieu, c'est précisément parce qu'ils croient en Lui. D'une seule voix, ils font une belle profession de foi, en répondant: «Oui, Seigneur» (Ibidem). Et Jésus accorde la vue à ceux qui voyaient déjà par la foi. Croire, en effet, c'est voir d'un regard intérieur.

Ce temps de l'Avent est, pour nous aussi, le temps opportun pour chercher Jésus d'un grand désir, comme les deux aveugles, ensemble, bâtissant l'Église. Avec l'Église, proclamons dans l'Esprit Saint: «Viens, Seigneur Jésus» (cf. Ap 22,17-20). Jésus vient avec son pouvoir d'ouvrir tout grand les yeux de notre cœur, pour nous permettre de voir et de croire. L'Avent est un temps fort de prière: temps de prière de demande et, surtout, de prière de profession de foi. Temps pour voir et pour croire.

Souvenons-nous des paroles du Petit Prince: «On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur».

Gospel text

(Mt 7:21.24-27): 

Jesus said to his disciples, “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”.

“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

The Application

No one wishes to be in the midst of storms or hurricanes. We wish a peaceful and serein moments of life. However, we should never forget that the boat is neither meant to be at the harbour, nor the car to be in the garage. A static life is not a Christian life. God wishes us that we keep moving, as pilgrims, towards the holiness, in the midst of stormy weather.

Very often, in the face of life's troubles, we become exhausted and blame the Lord for having granted us or allowed us to be in such a situation. However, these are the important moments in life, which form and reform us, so that we discover the depth of our faith and may the world discovers through our daily life, the power of faith.

The parable of the house built on the rock, for me personally, it represents the deep relationship that we should have with the Lord, our rock, on whom every baptized is invited to lean. Thus, if it is done, in faith we could say with certainty that the Lord is our Shepherd, and we lack nothing. But the question is that man learns to listen to His Word and has the courage to put it into practice. It is here that he will discover, how God protects him and guides him.

Why doesn't man listen to and put His Word into practice? We do not listen to it because we do not love God and we do not put it into practice because we do not trust. That is why man seeks the wide door that is easy to pass and chooses in his ignorance the sandy ground to build his house. And you, how do you translate the house, and the rock, in your daily life?

Action of the day: Trust the Lord.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Fr. Jean-Charles TISSOT

(Freiburg, Switzerland)

Today, the Lord pronounced these words at the end of His "Sermon on the Mount" where He bestows a new and deeper meaning to the Commandments of the Old Testament, the "words" of God to men. He talks as the Son of God, and as such, He demands us “to receive what I say to you”, as very significant words: words of eternal life which must be put into practice, and not only to be heard - with the risk of forgetting them or just be satisfied admiring them or admiring their author - but without any personal involvement.

“To build a house on sand” (cf. Mt 7:26) is an image to describe a foolish behavior that leads us nowhere and ends up in a failure in life, after a long and painful effort to build up something. “Bene curris, sed extra viam", said St. Augustine, which we could translate as: “You run well, but out of the way”. What a shame reaching just there: the time of trial, of the storms and floods that inevitably fill up our life!

The Lord wants to teach us how to set up a solid groundwork, the base of which originates in our effort to act according to His teachings, living by them every day in the midst of small problems He will try to direct. Thus, our daily resolutions to live by Christ’s teachings must end up in tangible results, which despite not being definitive, can still allow us to achieve out of them joy and gratitude at night, at the time of examining our conscience. The joy of having achieved a small victory over ourselves is a preparation for other battles, and the strength will not fail us - with the grace of God — to persevere until the end.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mt 7,21.24-27): 

«Il ne suffit pas de me dire: ‘Seigneur, Seigneur!’, pour entrer dans le Royaume des cieux; mais il faut faire la volonté de mon Père qui est aux cieux. Tout homme qui écoute ce que je vous dis là et le met en pratique est comparable à un homme prévoyant qui a bâti sa maison sur le roc. La pluie est tombée, les torrents ont dévalé, la tempête a soufflé et s'est abattue sur cette maison; la maison ne s'est pas écroulée, car elle était fondée sur le roc. Et tout homme qui écoute ce que je vous dis là sans le mettre en pratique est comparable à un homme insensé qui a bâti sa maison sur le sable. La pluie est tombée, les torrents ont dévalé, la tempête a soufflé, elle a secoué cette maison; la maison s'est écroulée, et son écroulement a été complet».

L’Application

Très souvent, face aux difficultés de la vie, nous nous épuisons et nous reprochons au Seigneur de nous avoir accordé ou permis de nous trouver dans une telle situation. Cependant, ce sont les moments importants de la vie, qui nous forment et nous réforment, afin que nous découvrions la profondeur de notre foi et que le monde découvre à travers notre vie quotidienne, la puissance de la foi.

La maison construite sur le rocher représente la relation profonde que nous avons avec le Seigneur, notre rocher, sur lequel tout baptisé est invité à s'appuyer. Ainsi, si cela est fait, dans la foi nous pourrons dire avec certitude que le Seigneur est notre berger, et nous ne manquons de rien. Mais la question est que l'homme apprenne à écouter Sa Parole et ait le courage de la mettre en pratique. C'est là qu'il découvrira, comment Dieu le protège et le guide. 

Pourquoi l'homme n'écoute-t-il pas et ne met-il pas en pratique Sa Parole ? Nous ne l'écoutons pas parce que nous ne l'aimons pas et nous ne la mettons pas en pratique parce que nous ne lui faisons pas confiance. C'est pourquoi l'homme cherche la porte large qui est facile à franchir et choisit dans son ignorance le terrain sablonneux pour construire sa maison. Et vous, comment traduisez-vous la maison, et le rocher, dans votre vie quotidienne ?

«Il ne suffit pas de me dire: ‘Seigneur, Seigneur!’, pour entrer dans le Royaume des cieux»

Abbé Jean-Charles TISSOT

(Freiburg, Suisse)

Aujourd'hui, Le Seigneur prononce ces paroles à la fin de son «sermon sur la montagne», dans lequel il donne un sens nouveau et plus profond aux Commandements de l’Ancien Testament, les «paroles» de Dieu aux hommes. Il s’exprime en tant que Fils de Dieu, et c’est en tant que tel qu’il nous demande de recevoir ce que je vous dis là comme des paroles de la plus haute importance : des paroles de vie éternelle, qui doivent être mises en pratique, et non seulement à écouter, avec le risque de les oublier ou de se contenter de les admirer ou d’en admirer leur auteur, mais sans implication personnelle.

«Bâtir une maison sur le sable» (cf. Mt 7,26) est une image pour décrire un comportement insensé, qui ne mène à aucun résultat et aboutit à l’échec d’une vie, après un effort long et pénible pour construire quelque chose. "Bene curris, sed extra viam", disait saint Augustin : tu cours bien, mais en dehors du parcours homologué, pouvons-nous traduire. Quel dommage d’en arriver là, au moment de l’épreuve, des tempêtes et des crues que comporte nécessairement notre vie !

Le Seigneur veut nous enseigner à poser un fondement solide, dont l’assise provient de l’effort de mettre en pratique ses enseignements, c’est-à-dire de les vivre chaque jour au moyen de petites résolutions qu’il s’agira de tenir. Nos résolutions quotidiennes de vivre l’enseignement du Christ doivent ainsi aboutir à des résultats concrets, à défaut d’être définitifs, mais dont nous puissions tirer de la joie et de la reconnaissance lors de l’examen de notre conscience, le soir. La joie d’avoir obtenu une petite victoire sur nous-mêmes est un entraînement à d’autres batailles, et la force ne nous manquera pas, avec la grâce de Dieu, pour persévérer jusqu’au bout.

Gospel text

(Mt 15:29-37): 

Moving on from there Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there. Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the deformed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind able to see, and they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, for they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, for fear they may collapse on the way.” The disciples said to him, “Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted place to satisfy such a crowd?” Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” “Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.” He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.

They all ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over—seven baskets full.

The Application

How can I apply this gospel in my daily life? I propose to you three points.

Trust: God is full of goodness and generosity. As long as this God remains alive in our hearts, we can trust him.  He never abandons the cry of his beloved ones. Our faith helps us to see everything through God's eyes, as a plan for the salvation of the world, even the unpleasant elements. Thanks to this faith, we can give everything to God, not from our superfluousness, but in our indulgence.

God needs our rolls: These rolls are important for the Lord to multiply. He does not need our little loaves of bread, yet through these small commitments the world can easily recognise His presence. Through this participation in the divine project, we become collaborators with God. What a joy to be able to work with the Lord!

Begin everything with a prayer: Let everything begin and end in prayer. May this prayer is the source of our words and actions. Jesus showed us this path of prayer, through his own contemplation of the Father's will, that they may be one, as we are ONE. The fulfilment of the Father's will gave him joy. May our joy be found in that fulfilment; in bringing everyone to the Lord.

Action of the day: Be generous.

“How many loaves do you have?” “Seven,” they replied, “and a few fish.”

Fr. Joan COSTA i Bou

(Barcelona, Spain)

Today we reflect on the multiplication of the bread and fish in the Gospel. Many people —Matthew states— “came to him” (Mt 15:30). Men and women who were in need of Christ: blind people, cripples and sick people of every kind, together with those who accompanied them. We are all in need of Christ. Of his tenderness, his forgiveness, his light, his mercy... In him, the fullness of all that is human can be found.

Today's Gospel makes us aware of the need for men who will lead others to Christ. Those who bring Jesus the sick so that he can cure them are the image of all those who know that the greatest act of charity towards their fellow man is to get them close to Christ, the source of our life. A life of faith demands holiness and apostolate.

Saint Paul urges us (Phil 2:5) to have the same feelings as Christ. This story shows what Jesus' heart is like: “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd”. He cannot leave them, because they are hungry and tired. Christ searches man out in his necessity and manages to be there for us to find. How good He is to us! And how important we people are for Him! Our hearts swell with gratitude, admiration and a sincere wish for conversion.

This God made man, all-powerful, who loves us passionately, and whom we need in everything and for everything —“because without me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5)— paradoxically requires something from us as well: this is the meaning of the seven loaves of bread and the few fish that he will use to feed a crowd. If we really realized how much Jesus counts on us, and of the value of all we do for Him, as small as it is, we would try all the harder to correspond to Him with all our being?

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mt 15,29-37): 

Jésus gagna les bords du lac de Galilée, il gravit la montagne et s'assit. De grandes foules vinrent à lui, avec des boiteux, des aveugles, des estropiés, des muets, et beaucoup d'autres infirmes; on les déposa à ses pieds et il les guérit. Alors la foule était dans l'admiration en voyant des muets parler, des estropiés guérir, des boiteux marcher, des aveugles retrouver la vue; et ils rendirent gloire au Dieu d'Israël.

Jésus appela ses disciples et leur dit: «J'ai pitié de cette foule: depuis trois jours déjà, ils sont avec moi et n'ont rien à manger. Je ne veux pas les renvoyer à jeun; ils pourraient défaillir en route». Les disciples lui disent: «Où trouverons-nous dans un désert assez de pain pour qu'une telle foule mange à sa faim?». Jésus leur dit: «Combien de pains avez-vous?». Ils dirent: «Sept, et quelques petits poissons». Alors il ordonna à la foule de s'asseoir par terre. Il prit les sept pains et les poissons, il rendit grâce, les rompit, et il les donnait aux disciples, et les disciples aux foules. Tous mangèrent à leur faim; et, des morceaux qui restaient, on ramassa sept corbeilles pleines.

L’Application

Comment puis-je appliquer cet évangile dans ma vie quotidienne ? Je vous propose trois points.

La confiance : Dieu est plein de bonté et de générosité. Tant que ce Dieu reste vivant dans notre cœur, nous pouvons lui faire confiance.  Il n'abandonne jamais le cri de ses bien-aimés. Notre foi nous aide à voir tout à travers les yeux de Dieu, comme un plan pour le salut du monde, même les éléments désagréables. Grâce à cette foi, nous pouvons tout donner à Dieu, non pas à partir de notre superflu, mais dans notre indulgence.

Dieu a besoin de nos petits pains : Ces petits pains sont importants pour que le Seigneur les multiplie. Il n'a pas besoin de nos petites miches de pain, mais grâce à ces petits engagements, le monde peut facilement reconnaître sa présence. Par cette participation au projet divin, nous devenons des collaborateurs de Dieu. Quelle joie de pouvoir travailler avec le Seigneur !

Commencez tout par une prière : Que tout commence et se termine par une prière. Que cette prière soit la source de nos paroles et de nos actions. Jésus nous a montré ce chemin de la prière, par sa propre contemplation de la volonté du Père, afin qu'ils soient un, comme nous sommes UN. L'accomplissement de la volonté du Père lui donnait de la joie. Que notre joie se trouve dans cet accomplissement, en amenant tout le monde au Seigneur.

«‘Combien de pains avez-vous?’. Ils dirent: ‘Sept, et quelques petits poissons’»

Abbé Joan COSTA i Bou

(Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui nous contemplons dans l'Evangile la multiplication des pains et des poissons. «De grandes foules —nous raconte l'évangéliste Matthieu— vinrent à lui» (Mt 15,30) au Seigneur. Des hommes et des femmes qui ont besoin du Christ, des aveugles, des boiteux et beaucoup d'autres infirmes, ainsi que ceux qui les accompagnent. Nous aussi nous avons besoin du Christ, de sa tendresse, de son pardon, de sa lumière, de sa miséricorde... En Lui nous trouvons la plénitude de tout ce qui est humain.

L'Évangile d'aujourd'hui nous fait aussi nous rendre compte qu'il est nécessaire que des hommes conduisent les autres vers Jésus-Christ. Ceux qui amènent les infirmes à Jésus pour qu'Il les guérisse sont l'image de tous ceux qui savent que la plus grande preuve de charité envers le prochain c'est de l'approcher du Christ, source de toute Vie. Une vie de foi exige, donc, la sainteté et l'apostolat.

Saint Paul nous exhorte à avoir les mêmes dispositions que le Christ Jésus (cf. Ph 2,5). Notre récit nous montre son cœur: «J'ai pitié de cette foule» (Mt 15,32). Il ne peut pas les abandonner car ils sont affamés et fatigués. Le Christ cherche l’homme dans le besoin et il feint de le rencontrer par hasard. Que le Seigneur est bon! Et que nous sommes importants à ses yeux! Quand il y songe, le cœur humain se dilate plein de gratitude, d'admiration et d'un désir sincère de conversion.

Ce Dieu fait homme, tout-puissant et qui nous aime passionnément, et dont nous avons besoin en tout et pour tout —«car, en dehors de moi, vous ne pouvez rien faire» (Jn 15,5)— a aussi, paradoxalement, besoin de nous: telle est la signification des sept pains et des quelques petits poissons dont il se servira pour nourrir une grande foule. Si nous savions à quel point Jésus s'appuie sur nous, et la valeur que possède à Ses yeux tout ce que nous faisons, pour aussi peu que ce soit, nous lui montrerions chaque fois mieux notre plus entière reconnaissance.

Gospel text

(Mt 4:18-22): 

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.

The Application

One of the wisest of the Lord's apostles. He invited his brother Simon to meet the Lord, and brought Nicodemus to the Lord, a true disciple of John the Baptist, who would become a disciple of Christ, according to his master's wish. He who knew how to follow Christ, will make a good connection for others, with a discernment of time and moment, to the people who seek the Lord and find Him, at the opportune moment, according to the will of his Master.

Personally, I would like to be like him, always looking for the dwelling place of God, searching for Him and once found, leading the people to Christ. From time to time, I must know how to abandon everything and empty myself, so that the Lord may fill me with his grace. It is in this emptying that He wishes to lead me towards divine richness.

Come behind me' is not just to be his disciple, but more deeply, to be his friends, his beloved. He will make me discover all that the Father would like to tell me. He is going to make me participate in his joy, and that I make his deep desire my own, that this joy be complete. It is in this joy that others become his disciples. Let us all become, in the image of Christ, by our witnessing life, bearers of the Father's joy.

Action of the day: Be a sign of God’s joy.

"I will make you fishers of men."

Prof. Dr. Mons. Lluís CLAVELL

(Roma, Italy)

Today, is St. Andrew's Day, apostle, a festivity celebrated in a solemn way amongst Eastern Orthodox Christians. He was one of the two young men that met Jesus by the river Jordan and had a long conversation with him. He first found his own brother Simon, and told him “We have found the Messiah” and he brought him to Jesus (cf. Jn 1:41-42). Shortly afterwards, Jesus called these two fishermen brothers, as we read in today's Gospel: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt 4:19). In the same village there were two other brothers, James and John, friends and chums of the first ones, and fishermen like them. And Jesus also invited them to follow him. It is nice to see how they leave everything and follow him “at once”, a word that is repeated in both cases. We cannot tell Jesus: “afterwards”, “later on”, “I'm busy now”...

To each one of us —to all Christians— Jesus is also asking every day to place at his service whatever we are and whatever we have —that means to leave everything, not to have anything of our own— so that, while Jesus is accompanying us in our professional and familial obligations, we may become “fishermen for people”. What does it mean to be “fishermen for people”? A nice answer might be a commentary by St. John Chrysostom. This Father and Doctor of the Church says that Andrew did not know how to explain to his brother Peter who Jesus was and, consequently, he “brought him to the very source of light”, that is, Jesus Christ. “To fish men” means to help all those around us, in our family and in our work, to find Christ who is the only light for our route.