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

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.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mt 4,18-22): 

Comme il marchait au bord du lac de Galilée, il vit deux frères, Simon, appelé Pierre, et son frère André, qui jetaient leurs filets dans le lac: c'étaient des pêcheurs. Jésus leur dit: «Venez derrière moi, et je vous ferai pêcheurs d'hommes». Aussitôt, laissant leurs filets, ils le suivirent. Plus loin, il vit deux autres frères, Jacques, fils de Zébédée, et son frère Jean, qui étaient dans leur barque avec leur père, en train de préparer leurs filets. Il les appela. Aussitôt, laissant leur barque et leur père, ils le suivirent.

L’Application

L'un des plus sages des apôtres du Seigneur. Il a invité son frère Simon à rencontrer le Seigneur, et a amené Nicodème au Seigneur, un vrai disciple de Jean le Baptiste, qui deviendra disciple du Christ, selon le souhait de son maître. Celui qui a su suivre le Christ, fera une bonne connexion pour les autres, avec un discernement du temps et du moment, vers les personnes qui cherchent le Seigneur et le trouvent, au moment opportun, selon la volonté de son Maître.

Personnellement, j'aimerais être comme lui, toujours à la recherche de la demeure de Dieu, le chercher et une fois trouvé, conduire les gens au Christ. De temps en temps, je dois savoir tout abandonner et me vider, afin que le Seigneur puisse me remplir de sa grâce. C'est dans ce vidage qu'Il veut me conduire vers la richesse divine. 

Venir derrière moi", ce n'est pas seulement être son disciple, mais plus profondément, être ses amis, son bien-aimé. Il va me faire découvrir tout ce que le Père voudrait me dire. Il va me faire participer à sa joie, et que je fasse mien son désir profond, que cette joie soit complète. C'est dans cette joie que d'autres deviennent ses disciples. Devenons tous, à l'image du Christ, par notre vie de témoignage, porteurs de la joie du Père.

«Je vous ferai pêcheurs d'hommes»

Prof. Dr. Mgr. Lluís CLAVELL

(Roma, Italie)

Aujourd'hui, c'est la fête de saint André, apôtre, célébrée solennellement par les chrétiens d'Orient. André fut l'un des deux premiers jeunes hommes qui firent la connaissance de Jésus sur les berges du Jourdain et qui eurent une longue conversation avec Lui. Il alla tout de suite chercher son frère Pierre, en lui disant «Nous avons trouvé le Messie» et il l'emmena à Jésus (Jn 2,41). Peu de temps après, Jésus appela ces deux frères pêcheurs devenus ses amis, comme nous le lisons dans l'Évangile du jour: «Venez derrière moi, et je vous ferai pêcheurs d'hommes» (Mt 4,19). Dans le même village, il y avait aussi une autre paire de frères, Jacques et Jean, compagnons et amis des premiers, pêcheurs comme eux. Jésus les appela aussi à sa suite. Il est merveilleux de voir qu'ils laissèrent tout et le suivirent “aussitôt”, mot repris dans les deux cas. L'on ne doit pas dire à Jésus: “après”, “plus tard”, “maintenant j'ai trop de travail”…

À chacun d'entre nous aussi —à tous les chrétiens— Jésus demande chaque jour de mettre à son service tout ce que nous sommes et tout ce que nous possédons —tout quitter, ne rien avoir en propre—, pour que, vivant avec Lui nos tâches professionnelles et domestiques, nous soyons des "pêcheurs d'hommes". Et que veut dire “pêcheurs d'hommes”? Une jolie réponse nous vient d'un commentaire de saint Jean Chrysostome. Ce père et docteur de l'Église observe qu'André ne savait pas bien expliquer à son frère Pierre qui était Jésus, et c'est pourquoi il «l'emmena à la source même de la lumière», Jésus. “Pêcher des hommes” signifie aider ceux qui nous entourent, dans la famille, dans le travail, à trouver le Christ, unique lumière pour notre chemin.

Gospel text

(Mt 8:5-11):

 When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.” He said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven.”

The Application

As I read this gospel, I would like to share with you three points that can help us to live this gospel in a concrete way.

Self-knowledge: This centurion has become aware of his power, of the power of his word, but also of his inability to heal his servant. Faced with this inability, he seeks the source and discovers in Jesus the divine power that can save and heal his servant.  

Faith: Faith is a gift from God, a gift that God has already put in our hearts. All we have to do is apply it in our daily lives. Faith helps us to discover the divine presence in our daily lives and to trust in the God who loves us. This centurion expresses his faith before Jesus, who is visible only to divine eyes. Jesus reveals the depth of his faith and invites us to imitate him.

His humility and humanity: Humility is a fruit of faith. Like Jesus who said to his Father, "Thy will be done", we are all called to seek the divine will and to do it. Our humility is therefore not necessarily a lowering of our humanity, but a fulfilment of the purpose of that humanity. In this way, we allow God to act in us, and through this divine action we praise God, in word and deed. Jesus does not only praise his faith, but also his humanity. The more human we become, in our humanity, to the man of the day, we will be like the Godhead. 

Action of the day: Know thyself, because everything begins in you, not outside, including the divine call.

“I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.”

Fr. Joaquim MESEGUER García

(Rubí, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, Capernaum is our city and our village, where there are sick people, some we know, others anonymous, often forgotten because of the hectic rhythm of life that we lead. Loaded with work, we rush about non-stop without thinking of those who, due to their illness or for whatever other circumstance, remain marginalised from the frenetic activity of our world. However, Jesus told us: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt 25:40). The great thinker Blaise Pascal follows this idea when he says “in his believers, Jesus finds himself in the agony of Gethsemane until the end of time”.

The centurion of Capernaum does not forget about his servant who is ill in bed, because he loves him. In spite of being more powerful and having more authority than his servant, the centurion is grateful to him because of all his years of help and appreciates him very much. Because of that, he approaches Jesus, and in the Saviour's presence, manages to make an extraordinary confession of faith, seen in the liturgy of the Eucharist: “I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed” (Mt 8:8). This confession is based on hope; it comes from the centurion's faith in the Lord and, at the same time, from his feeling of lack personal worthiness, which makes him aware of his own neediness.

We can only approach Jesus with a humble attitude, like that of the centurion. That way we can live the hope of Advent: the hope of salvation and life, of reconciliation and peace. Only he, who acknowledges his poverty and realizes that the meaning of life is not to be found in himself, but in God, in turning his life over to Him, can really have hope. Let's approach Christ confidently, and, at the same time, make the centurion's prayer our own.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mt 8,5-11): 

Jésus était entré à Capharnaüm; un centurion de l'armée romaine vint à lui et le supplia: «Seigneur, mon serviteur est au lit, chez moi, paralysé, et il souffre terriblement». Jésus lui dit: «Je vais aller le guérir». Le centurion reprit: «Seigneur, je ne suis pas digne que tu entres sous mon toit, mais dis seulement une parole et mon serviteur sera guéri. Ainsi, moi qui suis soumis à une autorité, j'ai des soldats sous mes ordres; je dis à l'un: ‘Va’, et il va, à un autre : ‘Viens’, et il vient, et à mon esclave: ‘Fais ceci’, et il le fait».

A ces mots, Jésus fut dans l'admiration et dit à ceux qui le suivaient: «Amen, je vous le déclare, chez personne en Israël, je n'ai trouvé une telle foi. Aussi je vous le dis: Beaucoup viendront de l'orient et de l'occident et prendront place avec Abraham, Isaac et Jacob au festin du Royaume des cieux».

L’Application

En lisant cet évangile, je voudrais partager avec vous trois points qui peuvent nous aider à vivre cet évangile de manière concrète.

La connaissance de soi : Ce centurion a pris conscience de sa puissance, de la puissance de sa parole, mais aussi de son incapacité à guérir son serviteur. Face à cette incapacité, il cherche la source et découvre en Jésus cette puissance divine qui peut sauver et guérir son serviteur.  

La foi : La foi est un don de Dieu, un don que Dieu a déjà mis dans notre cœur. Il nous suffit de l'appliquer dans notre vie quotidienne. La foi nous aide à découvrir la présence divine dans notre vie quotidienne et à avoir confiance dans le Dieu qui nous aime. Ce centurion exprime sa foi devant Jésus, qui n'est visible qu'aux yeux divins. Jésus révèle la profondeur de sa foi et nous invite à l'imiter.

Son humilité et son humanité : L'humilité est un fruit de la foi. Comme Jésus qui a dit à son Père : " Que ta volonté soit faite ", nous sommes tous appelés à chercher la volonté divine et à l'accomplir. Notre humilité n'est donc pas nécessairement un abaissement de notre humanité, mais un accomplissement de la finalité de cette humanité. Ainsi, nous permettons à Dieu d'agir en nous, et par cette action divine, nous louons Dieu, par nos paroles et par nos actes. Jésus ne loue pas seulement sa foi, mais aussi son humanité. Le plus nous devenons humain, dans notre humanité, aux homme du jour, nous serons semblable à la divinité. 

«Amen, je vous le déclare, chez personne en Israël, je n'ai trouvé une telle foi»

Abbé Joaquim MESEGUER García

(Rubí, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui Capharnaüm est notre ville et notre peuple, parmi les malades, les uns connus, les autres anonymes, fréquemment oubliés en raison du rythme frénétique qui caractérise la vie actuelle: chargés de travail, nous courrons sans cesse et sans songer à ceux qui, à cause de la maladie ou d'autres circonstances, restent en marge et ne peuvent pas suivre ce rythme. Cependant, Jésus nous dira un jour: «Chaque fois que vous l'avez fait à l'un de ces petits qui sont mes frères, c'est à moi que vous l'avez fait» (Mt 25:40). Blaise Pascal reprend cette idée lorsqu'il affirme que «Jésus s'arrache d'avec ses disciples pour entrer dans l'agonie de Gethsémaní jusqu'à la fin des temps».

Le centurion de Capharnaüm n'oublie pas son serviteur souffrant au lit, parce qu'il l'aime. Même s'il est plus puissant que lui et que son serviteur soit placé sous son autorité, il lui est reconnaissant par toutes ces années de service; il l'estime profondément. Aussi, poussé par son amour, s'adresse-t-il à Jésus, et en Sa présence, fait une extraordinaire confession de foi, que la liturgie eucharistique recueille: «Seigneur, je ne suis pas digne que tu entres sous mon toit, mais dis seulement une parole et mon serviteur sera guéri» (Mt 8:8).

Cette confession s'appui sur l'espérance; elle jaillit de la confiance mise en Jésus Christ, ainsi que d'un sentiment d'indignité personnelle qui lui permet de reconnaître son propre dénuement.

Nous ne pouvons approcher le Christ qu'avec une démarche humble, comme celle du centurion. C'est ainsi que nous pourrons vivre l'espoir de l'Avent: espoir de salut et de vie, de réconciliation et de paix. Seul peut espérer celui qui reconnaît sa pauvreté et se rend compte que le sens de sa vie ne se trouve pas en lui-même, mais en Dieu, en s'abandonnant entre les mains du Seigneur. Approchons-nous du Christ avec confiance, et que la prière du centurion soit aussi la nôtre.

We are living in a time that is so hectic that everyone would like to take advantage of it, including the path of faith. Some of us believed that we are on the right path towards a normal life. Alas, this is not the case. Everything is starting again, in name of OMICRON. What should we do? Let us not be afraid, let us believe in the Good News, for our God of goodness and mercy is alive.

We started this year 2021 with St. Joseph and St. Family. Very recently, the Holy Father invited us to participate actively in the synod on synodality, giving our opinions, thoughts and ideas, so that the universal Church can dream with each member of the people of God.  You know that the proposals of the universal Church, and those of our diocese, including our parish, will help us to participate in a concrete way.  Be attentive and compassionate.

How will we live this important time? What are the interior and exterior initiatives that we will choose, to better live this time offered? This time is a time of joyful waiting with an eschatological hope. We are all pilgrims, walking on the path of holiness, which leads us to the Father. In this journey, every moment is important and every encounter is nourishing.

For this time to be profitable, instead of making many resolutions and initiatives that we cannot honour, I invite you to choose a personal and interior initiative, an initiative for the health of our soul.  We heard it well in the Gospel of Matthew, "As you enter the house, greet those who live in it. 13 If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. If it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.  (Matth. 10, 12-13) Very often we are not at peace and joyful. First of all let us seek inner peace and let our hearts be joyful. For this, let us try to have a real encounter with Jesus, who dwells in the depths of our being. If time permits, go to meet him in the Blessed Sacrament, especially by participating in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  The Advent season also gives us the opportunity for another encounter with Christ, not as an all-powerful king, but in the little child in the manger, abandoned by the rich and powerful of the world. To do this, we must know how to leave our place of security and go to the periphery, where the Lord sends us and awaits us.

Our personal initiative has a purpose, the salvation of the world, our union with the Father and the coming of his Kingdom. So our inner initiative leads to an outer initiative for the health of society, including the church and the family. What is this action that you will choose for the health, including the spiritual health of your family, or your parish, that will ensure good health for society.  The feast of the birth of Christ that we are preparing," says Pope Francis, "is not out of step with the trials we are going through because it is the quintessence of compassion, the feast of tenderness. Its beauty is humble and full of human warmth. May our preparations help us to shine in the darkness, to give hope to the hopeless and to live our faith with joy in our troubled times. God bless you all and I wish you a meaningful preparation.

Gospel text

(Lk 21,34-36): 

Jesus said to his disciples, «Be on your guard; let not your hearts be weighed down with a life of pleasure, drunkenness and worldly cares, lest that day catch you suddenly as a trap. For it will come upon all the inhabitants of the whole earth. But watch at all times and pray, that you may be able to escape all that is bound to happen and to stand before the Son of Man».

The Application

On this last day of the liturgical year, the Church invites us to stay awake and above all to be always in prayer. The time comes without warning and we are often taken by surprise. The kingdoms are divided, including the people. This is the news of the day.  

For us, the people, faithful to the commandment of love, full of mercy, we have nothing to fear. This day will be a day of comfort and joy for us, for we will see God, our God face to face, a God of love and mercy. The righteous man will give glory to God, not only by his words and deeds, but also by his being, for the world will see in him the true divine presence.  Are you righteous before God? 

Action of the day: Be watchful.

«Watch at all times and pray»

Fr. Antoni CAROL i Hostench

(Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, last day of the Ordinary Time, Jesus clearly warns us about the fate of our pass through life. Should we stubbornly insist on living imbued by the immediacy of our worldly cares, the last day of our earthly existence will come upon us so suddenly that the very blindness of our own greediness will prevent us from recognizing God himself, who will come (do you remember we are just passers-by around here?) to take us towards the divine intimacy of His Infinite Love. Something like what happens to a spoiled child: he is so entertained by “his” toys, that he ends up by forgetting his parents' tenderness and his friends' company. And when he finally realizes what he has done, he disconsolately wails because of his unexpected loneliness.

The antidote Jesus offers us is equally clear: «Watch, therefore, at all times and pray» (Lk 21:36). To watch and to pray... The same advise He gave his apostles the night He was betrayed. The prayer has an admirable prophecy component, often forgotten when preaching, that is, to switch from the mere “seeing” to “watching” the quotidian in its deepest and crudest reality. As Evagrius Ponticus wrote, «Just as sight is the most worthy of the senses, so also is prayer the most divine of the virtues». The classics of spirituality name it “supernatural vision”, i.e. to look through God's eyes. Or what amounts to the same, to know the Truth: about God, about the world, about oneself. The prophets were not only those who “preceded what was about to happen”, but also those who knew how to interpret their present time in its just measurement, scope and density. The end result: they knew, with God's help, how to redress history.

So often we complaint about our world situation. —Where shall all this lead us to? Today, is the last day of the Ordinary Time, it is also a day of definite resolutions. Maybe it is about time that someone may make up his mind and give up his present drunkenness while starting to work for a better future. —Would you like this someone to be you? Then, cheer up! And may God bless you!

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 21,34-36): 

«Tenez-vous sur vos gardes, de crainte que votre coeur ne s'alourdisse dans la débauche, l'ivrognerie et les soucis de la vie, et que ce jour-là ne tombe sur vous à l'improviste. Comme un filet, il s'abattra sur tous les hommes de la terre. Restez éveillés et priez en tout temps: ainsi vous serez jugés dignes d'échapper à tout ce qui doit arriver, et de paraître debout devant le Fils de l'homme».

L’Application

En ce dernier jour de l'année liturgique, l'Église nous invite à rester éveillés et surtout à être toujours en prière. Le temps arrive sans prévenir et nous sommes souvent pris par surprise. Les royaumes sont divisés, y compris le peuple. Voici l'actualité du jour.  

Pour nous, le peuple, fidèle au commandement de l'amour, plein de miséricorde, nous n'avons rien à craindre. Ce jour sera pour nous un jour de réconfort et de joie, car nous verrons Dieu, notre Dieu face à face, un Dieu d'amour et de miséricorde. L'homme juste rendra gloire à Dieu, non seulement par ses paroles et ses actes, mais aussi par son être, car le monde verra en lui la véritable présence divine.  Êtes-vous juste devant Dieu ? 

«Restez éveillés et priez en tout temps»

Abbé Antoni CAROL i Hostench

(Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, dernier jour du temps ordinaire, Jésus nous met clairement en garde sur le sort de notre passage sur terre. Si nous nous obstinons à vivre absorbés par le train-train quotidien de notre vie, le dernier jour de notre existence arrivera d'une manière tellement soudaine qu'aveuglés par notre gloutonnerie nous ne reconnaîtrons pas le Seigneur Lui-même quand Il viendra pour nous amener, (car, comme vous le savez nous ne sommes ici que de passage), dans l'intimité de son Amour infini. Ce sera comme ce qui arrive à un enfant mal élevé: il est tellement occupé et distrait avec "ses" jouets qu'à la fin il oublie l'amour de ses parents et la compagnie de ses amis. Quand il s'en rend compte, inconsolable il pleure à cause de sa solitude inattendue.

L'antidote que nous offre Jésus est également très clair: «Restez éveillés et priez en tout temps» (Lc 21,36). Veiller et prier. C'est le même avertissement qu'il a donné à ses disciples la nuit où Il a été trahi. La prière a un élément prophétique formidable qui est souvent oublié dans la prédication: c'est-à-dire, de passer du simple "voir" à vraiment "regarder" le quotidien dans sa plus profonde réalité. Comme le dit Evagrio Pontico: «La vue est le meilleur de tous les sens, et la prière est la plus divine des vertus». Les classiques de la spiritualité appellent cela la "vision surnaturelle", regarder avec les yeux de Dieu. Ou bien, ce qui revient au même, connaître la vérité: de Dieu, du monde, de soi-même. Les Prophètes n'étaient pas seulement ceux qui "prédisaient ce qui allait arriver" mais ils interprétaient également le présent à sa juste valeur, portée et densité. Or, ils ont pu avec l'aide de Dieu reconduire l'histoire.

Nous déplorons souvent l'état du monde actuel -Où va-t-on? On se dit. Aujourd'hui dernier jour du temps ordinaire, c'est aussi un jour pour prendre des résolutions définitives. Il est peut-être temps que quelqu'un de plus soit prêt à se relever de l'ivresse du présent et se retrousser les manches pour un futur meilleur. Est-ce que tu veux être celui-là? Alors, courage! Et que Dieu te bénisse!

Gospel text

(Lk 21,29-33): 

Jesus said to his disciples, «Look at the fig tree and all the trees. As soon as their buds sprout, you know that summer is already near. In the same way, as soon as you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all this has happened: heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away».

The Application

In two days we will celebrate the first Sunday of Advent and this preparation invites us to recognise the Kingdom of God in Jesus. Like the fig tree, this Advent season too is a sign that God gives us, and it invites us to immerse ourselves in this divine project that God has been preparing since the creation of the world.

In this time of preparation, which is also a joyful expectation, let us listen to the word of Jesus, Jesus, the Person as the Word. Since Jesus is the Word of God, the Word made flesh, let us look at JESUS, the person that God gives us, to be seen and touched, to be heard and listened, etc. Jesus is the Eucharist, so let us eat his flesh and drink his blood. That we may become the Christ.

Action of the day: Observe the creation, as the image of God.

«As soon as you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near»

Deacon Fr. Evaldo PINA FILHO

(Brasilia, Brazil)

Today, Jesus invites us to read the signs of our times and epoch, and to acknowledge in them the closeness of the Kingdom of God. He invites us «Look at the fig tree and all the trees» (Lk 21:29) paying attention to what is happening with them: when you look at them, «you know that summer is already near» (Lk 21:30). The fig trees start to blossom. The buds burst open. It is not only the anticipation of the flowers and fruits that springs up, it is also the prognosis of summer, when all trees "begin to show fruit".

According to Benedict XVI «The Word of God makes us change our concept of realism» Indeed, «the realist is the one who recognizes in the Word of God the foundation of all things». This Living Word, that shows us the summer as a sign of imminence and exuberance of all things luminous, is the very Light: «As you see these things happening, you know that the Kingdom of God is near» (Lk 21:31). In this sense, «Now the word is not simply audible; not only does it have a voice, now the word has a face, one which we can see: that of Jesus of Nazareth» (Benedict XVI).

The communication between Jesus and the Father was perfect; and everything He received from the Father, He gave to us by communicating with us in the same perfect way. Thus, the nearness of the Kingdom of God, that articulates God’s free initiative to come to our encounter, must impel us to recognize that proximity of the Kingdom, so that we can also communicate with the Father in a perfect way by means of the Word of the Lord —Verbum Domini—, by appreciating the signs of the Kingdom of God that is so close, as a fulfillment of the Father’s promises in Jesus Christ.