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

Gospel text

(Lk 10:38-42): 

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, He entered a village and a woman called Martha welcomed him to her house. She had a sister named Mary who sat down at the Lord's feet to listen to his words. Martha, meanwhile, was busy with all the serving and finally she said, «Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the serving?». But the Lord answered, «Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her».

The Application

• It was Martha who received the Lord, yet she did not understand the essence of this welcome, listening and doing.
• It seems to us that the Lord chose contemplation over action. In truth, contemplation without action serves nothing but spiritual arrogance. Action without inspired in the contemplation will end up, with human glory, very far from divine glory. Do you honestly think that the Lord will choose one and ignore the other? 
• Where is Lazarus, the friend of the Lord? Is he listening or acting?
• Where are the Lord's disciples, for they came together?
• I would like to ask you few essential questions in this story. Where did you find yourself in this story? What role would you like to play? What are your concerns today? Do you have the same temptation of Martha, "Lord, don't you care?" 

Action of the day: Make a good discernment before choosing.

«Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed»

Fr. Josep RIBOT i Margarit

(Tarragona, Spain)

Today, as every day, we can learn from the Gospel. Jesus, invited to Martha's home in Bethany, gives us a lesson of humanity: He, who loved people, lets people love him, for both things are equally important. It would be a serious mistake, with harmful consequences for sanctity, to refuse God's and others' affection.

Martha or Mary? But..., why opposing those who loved each other so much and loved God too? Jesus loved Martha and Mary, and their brother Lazarus, and He loves each one of us, too.

On the path of sainthood not any two souls are exactly alike. We all try to love God, but within our own style and personality, without imitating anyone. Our models are Christ and the Mother of God. Do you resent how others treat God? Try to learn from his personal piety.

«Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the serving? Ask her therefore to help me» (Lk 10:40). To serve others, for the love of God, is an honor, not a burden. Do we serve with joy, as the Mother of God did with her cousin Elisabeth or at Cana's wedding, or as Jesus did when washing the Apostle's feet at the Last Supper?

«Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed» (Lk 10:41-42). Let us lose neither our peace nor our good humor. And to accomplish it, let us take good care of God's presence. «Know it well: There is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations; and it is up to each person to discover it (…); either we learn to find our Lord in ordinary, everyday life, or else we shall never find him» (St. Josemaria).

«Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her» (Lk 10:42). God wants us happy. That our Mother in Heaven helps us to feel the joy of giving.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 10,38-42): 

Alors qu'il était en route avec ses disciples, Jésus entra dans un village. Une femme appelée Marthe le reçut dans sa maison. Elle avait une soeur nommée Marie qui, se tenant assise aux pieds du Seigneur, écoutait sa parole. Marthe était accaparée par les multiples occupations du service. Elle intervint et dit: «Seigneur, cela ne te fait rien? Ma soeur me laisse seule à faire le service. Dis-lui donc de m'aider». Le Seigneur lui répondit: «Marthe, Marthe, tu t'inquiètes et tu t'agites pour bien des choses. Une seule est nécessaire. Marie a choisi la meilleure part: elle ne lui sera pas enlevée».

L’Application

• C'est Marthe qui a accueilli le Seigneur, pourtant elle n'a pas compris l'essence de cet accueil, l'écoute.
• Il nous semble que le Seigneur a préféré la contemplation à l'action. En vérité, la contemplation sans action ne sert qu'à l'arrogance spirituelle. L'action sans contemplation aboutira à une gloire humaine, très loin de la gloire divine. Pensez-vous honnêtement que le Seigneur va choisir l'un et ignorer l'autre ? 
• Où est Lazare, l'ami du Seigneur ? Est-ce qu'il écoute ou agit ?
• Où sont les disciples du Seigneur, car ils sont venus ensemble ?
• Je voudrais vous poser quelques questions essentielles dans cette histoire. Où vous êtes-vous trouvé dans cette histoire ? Quel rôle voudriez-vous jouer ? Quelles sont vos préoccupations aujourd'hui ? Avez-vous la même tentation que Marthe : " Seigneur, tu ne t'en soucies pas ? ". 

«Marthe, Marthe, tu t'inquiètes et tu t'agites pour bien des choses. Une seule est nécessaire»

Abbé Josep RIBOT i Margarit

(Tarragona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, comme chaque jour, tu peux apprendre de l'Évangile. Jésus, invité au foyer de Béthanie, nous donne une leçon d'humanité: Lui, qui aimait les autres, se laisse aimer, puisque les deux choses sont importantes. Rejeter les preuves d'affection, de Dieu et des autres, serait une grave erreur, comportant des conséquences néfastes pour la sainteté.

Marie ou Marthe? Mais… Pourquoi confronter ceux qui s'aimaient tant, et qui aimaient tant Dieu? Jésus aimait Marthe et Marie, et son frère Lazare, et nous aime tous et chacun.

Sur le chemin de la sainteté, il n'y a pas deux âmes identiques. Tous et chacun tentons d'aimer Dieu, mais avec notre propre style et personnalité, sans imiter qui que ce soit. Notre modèle est le Christ et la Vierge. La façon d'aimer Dieu des autres te dérange? Essaie d'apprendre de leur piété personnelle.

«Seigneur, cela ne te fait rien? Ma sœur me laisse seule à faire le service. Dis-lui donc de m'aider» (Lc 10,40). Servir les autres, par amour pour Dieu, est un honneur, et non une charge. Nous servons, avec joie, comme la Vierge à sa cousine Sainte Elizabeth ou lors des noces de Cana, ou comme Jésus, au lavage de pieds de la Dernière Cène?

«Marthe, Marthe, tu t'inquiètes et tu t'agites pour bien des choses. Une seule est nécessaire» (Lc 10,41-42). Ne perdons pas la paix, ni la bonne humeur. Et pour ce faire, tâchons de prendre soin de la présence de Dieu. «Sachez-le bien: il y a quelque chose de saint, de divin, caché dans les situations quotidiennes, que chacun de nous devons découvrir (…); ou nous savons trouver le Seigneur dans notre vie ordinaire, ou nous ne le trouverons jamais» (Saint Josemaría).

«Marie a choisi la meilleure part: elle ne lui sera pas enlevée» (Lc 10,42). Dieu veut notre bonheur. Que notre Mère du Ciel nous aide à trouver la joie du don de nous-mêmes.

Gospel text

(Lk 10:25-37): 

A teacher of the Law came and began putting Jesus to the test. And he said, «Master, what shall I do to receive eternal life?». Jesus replied, «What is written in the Scripture? How do you understand it?». The man answered, «It is written: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind. And you shall love your neighbor as yourself». Jesus replied, «What a good answer! Do this and you shall live».

The man wanted to keep up appearances, so he replied, «Who is my neighbor?». Jesus then said, «There was a man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. It happened that a priest was going along that road and saw the man, but passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite saw the man and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, too, was going that way, and when he came upon the man, he was moved with compassion. He went over to him and treated his wounds with oil and wine and wrapped them with bandages. Then he put him on his own mount and brought him to an inn where he took care of him. The next day he had to set off, but he gave two silver coins to the innkeeper and told him: ‘Take care of him and whatever you spend on him, I will repay when I come back’». Jesus then asked, «Which of these three, do you think, made himself neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?». The teacher of the Law answered, «The one who had mercy on him». And Jesus said, «Go then and do the same».

The Application

On the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the Lord asks us to be a neighbour to all people, and in return God assures us eternal life. The parable of the Good Samaritan will help us to discover our neighbour, and to become the Good Samaritan wished by the Lord. He knew how to pause, to go towards the other, to look with love and compassion, to accompany him to the inn, with a promise of return and justice. We know this story by heart.

That is why I invite you to discover yet another character in this parable, one who is totally discreet, who neither speaks nor demonstrates any concrete action, the innkeeper. In truth, we are that innkeeper, to whom God has entrusted many men and women who have been wounded and abandoned. Before we go to look for the wounded of the world, the Lord asks us, first of all, to take care of your wife, your husband, your brother and  sister whom you already know, and who are in the same home where you live.  I personally find myself in this innkeeper, because I see so many people who are in front of my house, like poor Lazarus, who needs me. Francis found the whole of creation in his home and you?

Action of the day: Be open to the impulsion of the Holy Spirit.  

«What must I do to inherit eternal life?»

Fr. Ivan LEVYTSKYY CSsR

(Lviv, Ukraine)

Today, the gospel’s message indicates the path to life: «You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, (..) and your neighbor as yourself» (Lk 10:27). And since God has loved us in the first place He leads us to the union with Him. Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta said: «We need this intimate union with God in our daily life. And how can we achieve it? Through prayer». Being in oneness with Him we begin to experience that with Him everything is possible, even to love our neighbor.

Someone said that Christians enter the church to love God and come out to love their neighbors. Pope Benedict accentuates that the Christian’s program – the program of the Good Samaritan, Jesus program – is «a heart which can see». See and stop! In this parable there are two people who see the needy, but they don´t stop. This is why Christ has reproached the Pharisees saying: «Do you have eyes and not see?» (Mk 8:18). On the contrary, the Samaritan sees and stops, he has mercy and thus saves the life of the needy and his own.

When the famous Catalan architect Antonio Gaudí was run over by a tramway some bystanders didn’t stop to help that injured old man. He carried no documents and looked like a beggar. Had they realized who that neighbor was and surely they would have stayed in line to help him.

When we practice the good, we think we do it for our neighbor, but we really do it also for Christ: «I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me» (Mt 25:40). And Benedict XVI says my neighbor is anyone who needs me and I can help. If everyone seeing his neighbors in need would stop and have mercy on them once a day or once a week the crisis would decrease and the world would become better. «Nothing resembles us so much to God as the good deeds» (St. Gregory of Nyssa).

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 10,25-37): 

Pour mettre Jésus à l'épreuve, un docteur de la Loi lui posa cette question: «Maître, que dois-je faire pour avoir part à la vie éternelle?». Jésus lui demanda: «Dans la Loi, qu'y a-t-il d'écrit? Que lis-tu?». L'autre répondit: «Tu aimeras le Seigneur ton Dieu de tout ton coeur, de toute ton âme, de toute ta force et de tout ton esprit, et ton prochain comme toi-même». Jésus lui dit: «Tu as bien répondu. Fais ainsi et tu auras la vie».

Mais lui, voulant montrer qu'il était un homme juste, dit à Jésus: «Et qui donc est mon prochain?». Jésus reprit: «Un homme descendait de Jérusalem à Jéricho, et il tomba sur des bandits; ceux-ci, après l'avoir dépouillé, roué de coups, s'en allèrent en le laissant à moitié mort. Par hasard, un prêtre descendait par ce chemin; il le vit et passa de l'autre côté. De même un lévite arriva à cet endroit; il le vit et passa de l'autre côté. Mais un Samaritain, qui était en voyage, arriva près de lui; il le vit et fut saisi de pitié. Il s'approcha, pansa ses plaies en y versant de l'huile et du vin; puis il le chargea sur sa propre monture, le conduisit dans une auberge et prit soin de lui. Le lendemain, il sortit deux pièces d'argent, et les donna à l'aubergiste, en lui disant: ‘Prends soin de lui; tout ce que tu auras dépensé en plus, je te le rendrai quand je repasserai’. Lequel des trois, à ton avis, a été le prochain de l'homme qui était tombé entre les mains des bandits?». Le docteur de la Loi répond: «Celui qui a fait preuve de bonté envers lui». Jésus lui dit: «Va, et toi aussi fais de même».

L’Application

En la fête de Saint François d'Assise, le Seigneur nous demande d'être le prochain de tous les hommes, et en retour Dieu nous assure la vie éternelle. La parabole du bon Samaritain nous aidera à découvrir notre prochain, et à devenir le bon Samaritain souhaité par le Seigneur. Il a su s'arrêter, aller vers l'autre, le regarder avec amour et compassion, l'accompagner jusqu'à l'auberge, avec une promesse de retour et de justice. Nous connaissons cette histoire par cœur.

C'est pourquoi je vous invite à découvrir un autre personnage de cette parabole, celui qui est totalement discret, qui ne parle pas et ne pose pas d'acte concret, l'aubergiste. En vérité, nous sommes cet aubergiste, à qui Dieu a confié de nombreux hommes et femmes blessés et abandonnés. Avant de partir à la recherche des blessés du monde, le Seigneur nous demande, avant tout, de prendre soin de ta femme, de ton mari, de ton frère et de ta sœur que tu connais déjà et qui se trouvent dans la même maison que toi.  Personnellement, je me retrouve dans cet aubergiste, car je vois tant de personnes qui sont devant ma maison, comme le pauvre Lazare, qui a besoin de moi. François a trouvé toute la création dans sa maison come frère et soeur et toi ?

«Que dois-je faire pour avoir part à la vie éternelle?»

Abbé Ivan LEVYTSKYY CSsR

(Lviv, Ukraine)

Aujourd'hui, le message évangélique montre le chemin de la vie: «Tu aimeras le Seigneur ton Dieu de tout ton cœur, (…) et ton prochain comme toi-même» (Lc 10,27). Et parce que Dieu nous a aimé le premier, il nous porte vers l’union avec Lui. La bienheureuse Thérèse de Calcutta dit: «Nous avons besoin de cette union intime avec Dieu dans notre vie quotidienne. Et comment y parvenir? À travers la prière». En étant unis à Dieu, nous commençons à nous rendre compte qu’avec Lui tout est possible, même l’amour du prochain.

Quelqu’un a dit que le chrétien entre dans une église pour aimer Dieu et qu’il en sort pour aimer son prochain. Le Pape Benoît souligne que le programme du chrétien —le programme du bon Samaritain, le programme de Jésus— est «un cœur qui voit». Voir et s’arrêter! Dans la parabole deux personnes aperçoivent le nécessiteux, mais ne s’arrêtent pas. C’est pourquoi le Christ reprochait aux pharisiens: «Vous avez des yeux et vous ne voyez pas» (Mc 8,18). Le Samaritain, au contraire, voit et s’arrête, il a pitié et sauve ainsi la vie du nécessiteux et la sienne.

Quand le fameux architecte catalan Antoine Gaudi fut heurté par un tramway, ceux qui passaient par là ne s’arrêtèrent pas pour aider ce vieillard blessé. Il n’avait sur lui aucun papier et par son aspect il ressemblait à un mendiant. Si ces gens avaient su qui était ce prochain, ils auraient fait la queue pour l’aider.

Quand nous faisons le bien, pensons que nous le faisons pour notre prochain mais aussi pour le Christ: «Je vous l’assure, tout ce que vous avez fait à l’un de ces petits qui sont mes frères, c’est à moi que vous l’avez fait» (Mt 25,40). Et mon prochain, dit Benoît XVI, c’est toute personne qui a besoin de moi et que je puis aider. Si chacun, voyant son prochain dans le besoin, s’arrêtait et prenait soin de lui, ne serait-ce qu’une fois par jour ou par semaine, la crise diminuerait et le monde deviendrait meilleur. «Rien de tel comme les bonnes œuvres pour nous faire semblable à Dieu» (Saint Grégoire de Nisse).

The Pharisees approached to test him, today's gospel tells us. The divine answer comes with a command, 'let no man do anything against the divine will, the union dearly desired by God.  What wisdom in the face of failure! Lord, everyone is against you, and you tell us that this story is not about you. Yet you tell us that our faithfulness to your will concerns you, and our holiness pleases you.

On this Sunday we are invited to discover the divine will, a will revealed to mankind from the beginning of creation, foreseen for our lives, including today, here. The union. God does not want man to be alone. God understands our loneliness and all its consequences. For this reason, the Lord asks us to become children again, the children of God. To associate him as our Father.  The same rebirth that the Lord demanded of Nicodemus. By becoming the child of God, we will be elevated, like the heavenly beings who will be able to see the angels of the Lord descending and ascending. What a response with an invitation, a call to holiness, a gift offered freely.

This call to unite with God is linked to a separation willed by the Lord. You are separating yourself from your roots, an uprooting, so that you may be rooted in God. You are going to found a new life, according to the divine desire. Thus, you will no longer be a spiritual consumer, but a creator with God, who will be able to give, to give new life, through your own rebirth. You are no more two, but one in Christ.

This mysterious sleep of which the first reading tells us is important in our daily lives. This sleep, voluntarily willed by the Lord, makes us discover the otherness that is not like me, yet of me, for me and in me. This sleep makes us plunge into the surprise of life, to accept the other as he or she is, with respect and honour that we reserve for God who loves us. It is no longer the other who is for me, it is I who is invited to discover him or her, so that the other takes his or her place, his or her rightful place in me, which is right before God.

If we have so many divorces in the world, it is because we are wounded, disappointed, by the other. We belatedly recognise that our expectations were not consistent with God's will. To do this, we must always remain in dialogue, promoting forgiveness and reconciliation, every day, washing up after each meal. Very often our house built on the rock of love and faith, and it is destroyed, not because there was a storm from outside. If it is gone, it is because of our own ego centric interiority, this house so solid, yet not habitable, by the dust of our personal interests. Man is no longer capable of dialogue, of reconciliation with his brothers and sisters. 

Unfortunately, we are no longer with the Lord. We do not love Him as He has loved us. God so loved the world that he sent his Son, not to judge us, but through him to save the world. He wanted us to have life, life in its fullness in Jesus Christ, a life in God, by God and for God. That they may be one, as we are ONE, was Jesus' prayer to his Father. We do not respect this prayer of the Lord. My friends, let us love Christ, let us cooperate with Him, that the divine will may be accomplished in us. Let us pray for the Church of the Lord, the Body of Christ, which we form in Baptism.  

Gospel text

(Lk 10,17-24): 

The seventy-two disciples returned full of joy. They said, «Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we called on your name». Then Jesus replied, «I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. You see, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the Enemy, so that nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, don't rejoice because the evil spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven».

At that time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said, «I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and made them known to the little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. I have been given all things by my Father, so that no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and he to whom the Son chooses to reveal him».

Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said to them privately, «Fortunate are you to see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings would have liked to see what you see but did not, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it».

The Application

What a successful ministry. Everything went as planned and there is joy. Jesus is inviting His disciples to search the causality and the reason of their joy, so that it may remain in them in a perpetual way.  The best way for this is, to associate it with God, with divine glory, which more close to the truth. By this, He reminds us that wee are all called, anointed and sent.

God calls ordinary people, and He makes them extraordinary. Since in every call there is a particular blessing, thanks to it, the Holy Spirit orients the one called towards a good path on which to discover the divine wonders. The guardian angels walk with us, keeping us before God , as pure as possible, so that we may be always as the loving children of God, always associated to the divine will.

God loves to work in our smallness and in this smallness Jesus gives thanks to God. Our joy is not found in our human works, where man has accomplished a mission entrusted to him, rather God is at work in us and God is glorified in our works. Once we realise that God is associated in us, and we are in God, everything falls fine for us in our deeds and words.

Action of the day: Feel the warmth of the Guardian Angel.

«At that time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth’»

+ Fr. Josep VALL i Mundó

(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, evangelist Luke tells us what brings Jesus to praise his Father for the benefits granted to Mankind. He rejoices for the revelation made to the very simple at heart, to the smaller ones of the Kingdom. Jesus shows his joy when realizing how they accept, understand and practice what, through Him, God tells them. On other occasions, when in intimate dialogue with his Father, Jesus will also praise him for always listening to Him. He praises that leper Samaritan who, having been healed —along with other nine—, is the only one that returned, and with a loud voice glorified and thanked Jesus for the benefit received.

St. Augustine writes: «What can we better carry in our heart, or say with our mouth, or write with the pen, than these words ‘Thanks to God’? There is nothing that can be said so briefly, nor listened to with more joy, nor make you feel with more elation, nor done with more profit». This is what we are always to do with God and our neighbor, even for those gifts we are not aware of, as St. Josemaria Escriva used to write. Gratitude towards our parents, our friends, our teachers, our pals. Towards everybody that may help us, may spur us, may serve us. And logically, gratitude also, for our Mother the Church.

Gratitude is not a very “common” or practiced virtue, and, nevertheless, is one of the most pleasant to experiment. We must admit, though, that it is not an easy virtue to live with. St. Theresa asserted: «I have such a grateful heart that I could be bribed with a sardine». This has always been the saints' demeanor. And they have done it in three different ways, as St. Thomas Aquinas pointed out: first, trough the own awareness of the benefits received; secondly, by praising God externally with words; and, thirdly, by trying to pay back our benefactor with deeds, depending upon our own capabilities.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 10,17-24): 

Les soixante-douze disciples revinrent tout joyeux. Ils racontaient: «Seigneur, même les esprits mauvais nous sont soumis en ton nom». Jésus leur dit: «Je voyais Satan tomber du ciel comme l'éclair. Vous, je vous ai donné pouvoir d'écraser serpents et scorpions, et pouvoir sur toute la puissance de l'Ennemi; et rien ne pourra vous faire du mal. Cependant, ne vous réjouissez pas parce que les esprits vous sont soumis; mais réjouissez–vous parce que vos noms sont inscrits dans les cieux».

A ce moment, Jésus exulta de joie sous l'action de l'Esprit Saint, et il dit: «Père, Seigneur du ciel et de la terre, je proclame ta louange: ce que tu as caché aux sages et aux savants, tu l'as révélé aux tout-petits. Oui, Père, tu l'as voulu ainsi dans ta bonté. Tout m'a été confié par mon Père; personne ne connaît qui est le Fils, sinon le Père, et personne ne connaît qui est le Père, sinon le Fils et celui à qui le Fils veut le révéler».

Puis il se tourna vers ses disciples et leur dit en particulier: «Heureux les yeux qui voient ce que vous voyez! Car, je vous le déclare: beaucoup de prophètes et de rois ont voulu voir ce que vous voyez, et ne l'ont pas vu, entendre ce que vous entendez, et ne l'ont pas entendu».

L’Application

Dieu appelle des personnes ordinaires, et Il les rend extraordinaires. Puisque dans chaque appel il y a une bénédiction particulière, grâce à elle, l'Esprit Saint oriente l'appelé vers un bon chemin pour découvrir les merveilles divines. Les anges gardiens marchent avec nous, nous gardant devant Dieu, aussi purs que possible, afin que nous soyons toujours comme les enfants aimants de Dieu. 

Dieu aime travailler dans notre petitesse et dans cette petitesse, Jésus rend grâce à Dieu. Notre joie ne se trouve pas dans nos œuvres humaines, où l'homme a accompli une mission qui lui était confiée, mais Dieu est à l'œuvre en nous et Dieu est glorifié dans nos œuvres. Dieu est associé en nous, et nous sommes en Dieu.

«A ce moment, Jésus exulta de joie sous l'action de l'Esprit Saint, et il dit: ‘Père, Seigneur du ciel et de la terre, je proclame ta louange’»

+ Abbé Josep VALL i Mundó

(Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, l'évangéliste Luc nous raconte l'événement qui provoque la reconnaissance de Jésus envers son Père pour les bienfaits qu'Il a octroyé à l'humanité. Il rend grâce pour la révélation concédée aux humbles de cœur, aux petits du Royaume. Jésus montre sa joie en voyant que ceux-ci admettent, comprennent et pratiquent ce que Dieu fait connaître par son intermédiaire. En d'autres occasions, dans son dialogue intime avec le Père, Il lui rendra aussi grâce parce qu'Il l'écoute toujours. Il loue le samaritain lépreux qui, après la guérison de sa maladie –en même temps que neuf autres personnes–, lui seul revient trouver Jésus pour le remercier du bienfait reçu.

Saint Augustin écrit: «Qu'y-a-t-il de mieux à porter dans le cœur, à prononcer avec la bouche, à écrire avec la plume, que ces mots: ‘grâce à Dieu’? Rien de plus bref à dire, rien de plus joyeux à entendre, de plus élevé à ressentir, de plus utile à pratiquer». C'est ainsi que nous devons toujours agir envers Dieu et envers le prochain, même pour les dons que nous ignorons, comme l'écrivait saint Josémaria Escriva. Gratitude envers nos parents, nos amis, nos maîtres, nos camarades. Envers tous ceux qui nous aident, qui nous stimulent, qui nous servent. Gratitude aussi, comme il se doit, envers notre Mère l'Église.

La gratitude n'est pas une vertu très “en usage” ou habituelle; mais c'est l'une de celles qui procurent le plus de plaisir. Nous devons reconnaître que, parfois, elle n'est pas non plus facile de la vivre. Sainte Thérèse affirmait: «Je suis si reconnaissante de tempérament qu'on m'achèterait avec une sardine». Les saints ont toujours agit ainsi. Et ils l'ont fait des trois façons indiquées par saint Thomas d'Aquin: d'abord, par la reconnaissance intérieure des bienfaits reçus; ensuite, en louant Dieu par des paroles; enfin, en cherchant à récompenser le bienfaiteur par des œuvres, selon les possibilités de chacun.

Gospel text

(Lk 10,13-16): 

Jesus said, «Alas for you Chorazin! Alas for you Bethsaida! So many miracles have been worked in you! If the same miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would already be sitting in ashes and wearing the sackcloth of repentance. Surely for Tyre and Sidon it will be better than for you on the Judgment Day. And what of you, city of Capernaum? Will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be thrown down to the place of the dead. Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me; and he who rejects me, rejects the one who sent me».

The Application

Today's readings show us two important elements: God's generosity and the people's unfaithfulness. Since this generosity is always accessible, we can easily correct our unfaithfulness. Today's gospel teaches us to correct our unfaithfulness to this God who loves us. It asks us to see and glimpse in human beings the true divine presence and its works. Seeing the invisible truth in the visible elements will help us to cross that wall of purely human reality towards a true divine revelation.

This approach to life will help us to discover in personal and human encounters and relationships the divine presence and its revelations. There we will be grateful to God for all the good that He continually gives us and we will give Him glory throughout our lives. When God looks upon us, in His mercy, He will find us worthy of His grace and we will recognise, like children, the wonders done by God. Thus, a listening to the children, the smallest, and the whole creation in its grandeur, will be translated as a listening to the divine teachings. As a result, we will be converted by default.

Action of the day: Take an effort to see your life with gratitude.

«Whoever listens to you listens to me»

Fr. Jordi SOTORRA i Garriga

(Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we contemplate Jesus addressing his speech to some towns of Galilee where He had preached and carried out the works by his Father, and that had been the cause of his preoccupation. Nowhere had He preached and made miracles as He did in Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. The sowing had been plentiful, but the harvest had been meager. Not even Jesus could persuade them...! What a mystery human freedom is! We can say “no” to God... The evangelic message is not imposed upon us by force: it is offered to me but I can refuse it; I can accept it or reject it. Our Lord's respect for my freedom is total. What a responsibility for me!

Jesus' language: «Alas for you Chorazin! Alas for you Bethsaida!» (Lk 10:13) when his apostolic mission was over, is more indicative of suffering than of condemnation. The nearness of the Kingdom of God was not a call for penance and conversion for those towns. Jesus recognizes that Tyre and Sidon would have taken more advantage of all the grace granted to the Galilees.

But Jesus' frustration is even bigger when He refers to Capernaum. «Will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be thrown down to the place of the dead» (Lk 10:15). It was there where Peter had his home and Jesus had centered his preaching. Once again, we can detect in these words a feeling of sadness rather than a threat. We could, just as well, say the same out of many cities and persons of our time. They believe they are being lifted, but in fact, they are being thrown down.

«Whoever listens to you listens to me» (Lk 10:16). These words ending today's Gospel are a call to conversion and are bearers of hope. If we listen to Jesus' voice, we still have time. Conversion happens when love banishes selfishness from our life, which is a permanent unfinished task. St. Maximus will tell us: «Nothing is more pleasant and loved by God, than men convert to him with sincere contrition».

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 10,13-16): 

«Malheureuse es-tu, Corazine! Malheureuse es-tu, Bethsaïde! Car, si les miracles qui ont eu lieu chez vous avaient eu lieu à Tyr et à Sidon, il y a longtemps que les gens y auraient pris le vêtement de deuil, et se seraient assis dans la cendre en signe de pénitence. En tout cas, Tyr et Sidon seront traitées moins sévèrement que vous lors du Jugement. Et toi, Capharnaüm, seras-tu donc élevée jusqu'au ciel? Non, tu descendras jusqu'au séjour des morts! Celui qui vous écoute m'écoute; celui qui vous rejette me rejette; et celui qui me rejette celui qui m'a envoyé».

L’Application

Les lectures d'aujourd'hui nous montrent deux éléments importants : La générosité de Dieu et l'infidélité du peuple. Puisque cette générosité est toujours accessible, nous pouvons facilement corriger nos infidélités. L'évangile d'aujourd'hui nous apprend à corriger notre infidélité à ce Dieu qui nous aime. Il nous demande de voir et d'entrevoir dans les êtres humains la véritable présence divine et ses œuvres. Voir la vérité invisible dans les éléments visibles nous aidera à franchir ce mur de la réalité purement humaine vers une véritable révélation divine.

Cette approche de la vie nous aidera à découvrir dans les rencontres et les relations personnelles et humaines la présence divine et ses révélations. C'est là que nous serons reconnaissants envers Dieu pour tout le bien qu'il nous donne continuellement et que nous lui rendrons gloire tout au long de notre vie. Quand Dieu nous regardera, dans sa miséricorde, il nous trouvera dignes de sa grâce et nous reconnaîtrons, comme des enfants, les merveilles faites par Dieu. Ainsi, l'écoute des enfants, des plus petits, et de toute la création dans sa grandeur, se traduira par une écoute des enseignements divins. En conséquence, nous serons convertis par défaut.

«Celui qui vous écoute m'écoute»

Abbé Jordi SOTORRA i Garriga

(Sabadell, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, nous voyons que Jésus tourne son attention vers les cités qui avaient fait l'objet de ses soucis, là où il avait prêché et réalisé les oeuvres du Père. A aucun endroit il n'avait autant prêché et fait de miracles comme à Corazine, Bethsaïde et Capharnaüm. La semence était abondante mais la récolte n'avait pas été bonne. Même Jésus lui-même n'avait pu les convaincre! Quel mystère que celui de la liberté humaine! Nous pouvons dire “non” à Dieu… le message évangélique ne s'impose pas par la force, il s'offre à nous uniquement et je peux fermer mon coeur, l'accepter ou le refuser. Le Seigneur respecte totalement ma liberté. Quelle responsabilité que la mienne!

Les paroles de Jésus: «Malheureuse es-tu, Corazine! Malheureuse es-tu, Bethsaïde!» (Lc 10,13) lors de la fin de sa mission apostolique, expriment davantage la souffrance que la damnation. La proximité du Royaume de Dieu n'a pas provoqué dans ces villes un appel à la conversion et à la pénitence. Jésus reconnaît qu'à Sidon et à Tyr ils auraient mieux profité de toutes les grâces dispensées aux galiléens.

La déception de Jésus est encore plus grande s'agissant de Capharnaüm. «Et toi, Capharnaüm, seras-tu donc élevée jusqu'au ciel? Non, tu descendras jusqu'au séjour des morts!» (Lc 10,15). C'est là où Pierre a sa maison et Jésus avait fait de cette ville le centre de sa prédication. Une fois de plus nous ressentons davantage un sentiment de tristesse qu'une menace dans ces paroles. Nous pouvons dire la même chose de certaines de nos villes et personnes de notre époque. Ils croient prospérer, quand en réalité ils s'enfoncent.

«Celui qui vous écoute m'écoute» (Lc 10,16). Ces paroles qui concluent l'Évangile sont un appel à la conversion et elles sont porteuses d'espérance. Si nous écoutons la voix de Jésus nous avons encore le temps. La conversion consiste en ce que l'amour surpasse dans notre vie progressivement l'égoïsme, ce qui est un travail qui ne s'achève jamais. Saint Maxime dira: «Il n'y a rien d'aussi agréable et aimé par Dieu que de voir que les hommes se convertissent à Lui avec un sincère repentir».

Gospel text

(Lk 10,1-12): 

The Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place, where he himself was to go. And He said to them, «The harvest is rich, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest. Courage! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know.

»Whatever house you enter, first bless them saying: ‘Peace to this house’. If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you. Stay in that house eating and drinking at their table, for the worker deserves to be paid. Do not move from house to house.

»When they welcome you in any town, eat what they offer you. Heal the sick who are there and say to them: ‘The kingdom of God has drawn near to you’. But in any town where you are not welcome, go to the marketplace and proclaim: ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off and leave with you. But know and be sure that the kingdom of God had come to you’. I tell you that on the Judgment Day it will be better for Sodom than for this town».

The Application

I would like to share with you my contemplations that can help you apply this gospel in a simple and concrete way. I offer several elements for you to choose from for application.

Two by two: The proclamation of the gospel is a community commitment, not necessarily an individual one, even though God calls us individually. Every divine call is directed towards a saving mission, a participation in God's plan, the salvation of the world. As christians, we have to learn to work together, and avoid doing everythying alone.

The Lord of the harvest: We are all workers, called, consecrated and sent by the Lord, as St. Paul tells us.  A common mission, but the gifts and work are very varied and different, according to the divine needs and also our individual capacity. The diversity of activities shouldn't be hinderrence, rather an oppertunity.

Prayer and action: All are called not only to the fulfilment of the divine will, because the essential is to listen to the word of God, the contemplation of his will, and to understand the mission that the Lord entrusts to us. Action is a fruit of contemplation.

Peace and freedom: Let the people feel the peace that God grants to his people. Even this peace is not forced, for God desires man to act in his freedom, a divine quality that God shares with humanity. Without this freedom, not only can we receive the peace that God grants us, but it cannot remain in us.

The day of judgement: God is the only judge. We continue to proclaim the Good News. The fruits of the mission belong to the Master, not to the workers. Let us remain faithful to the mission and not be discouraged by failures, for God takes care of everything.

Action of the day: Trust the Lord.

«Ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest»

Fr. Ignasi NAVARRI i Benet

(La Seu d'Urgell, Lleida, Spain)

Today, Jesus speaks to us of his apostolic mission. Though «He appointed seventy-two other disciples and sent them» (Lk 10:1), the Gospel's proclamation is a task that «cannot be delegated to a few “specialists”» (John Paul II): we have all been called and we all have got to feel responsible. Each one from his own place and condition. The day of our Baptism we were told: «You are Priest, Prophet and King and you will receive eternal life». Today, more than ever before, our world needs the testimony of the Christ's followers.

«The harvest is rich, but the workers are few» (Lk 10:2): this positive interpretation of the mission is interesting. The text does not say, «there is a lot to sow and a few workers». Maybe today, we might have to speak like that, in view of the great ignorance of our society about Jesus Christ and his Church. A hopeful glance at the mission may engender optimism and illusion. Let us not be discouraged by pessimism or despair.

To start with, the mission waiting for us is, at the same time, exciting and difficult. Our mission neither can nor must pretend to force adhesion to the announcement of the Truth and of Life, but simply to hint a free attachment. Our Pope reminds us that the ideas are to be proposed not imposed.

«Set off without purse or bag or sandals...» (Lk 10:4): the only missionary's strength must be Christ. And, so that Christ may fill his life, the evangelizer must disembarrass of whatever is not Christ. Evangelic poverty is the great requisite and, at the same time, the most believable testimony the Apostle may offer while only this unselfishness can make us free.

The missionary announces peace. He is a bearer of peace because Christ, is the “Prince of Peace”. This is why, «whatever house you enter, first bless them saying: ‘Peace to this house’. If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you» (Lk 10:5-6). Our world, our families, our personal ego, they all need Peace. This is why our mission is so urgent and exciting.