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

Gospel text

(Lk 6,12-19): 

Jesus went out into the hills to pray, spending the whole night in prayer with God. When day came, He called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them whom He called apostles: Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James son of Alpheus and Simon called the Zealot; Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who would be the traitor.

Coming down the hill with them, Jesus stood on a level place. Many of his disciples were there and a large crowd of people who had come from all parts of Judea and Jerusalem and from the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon. They gathered to hear him and be healed of their diseases; likewise people troubled by evil spirits were healed. The entire crowd tried to touch him because of the power that went out from him and healed them all.

The Application

Jesus knew that Judas will betray Him. Peter was neither the strongest disciple, nor with great leadership qualities.  Did the Lord make a mistake in his discernment by choosing Judas Iscariot as one of his disciples and Peter as the head of His church?  Yet we know that this discernment is made in prayer and contemplation, totally inspired by the Holy Spirit, fully accompanied by his Father. Personally I am convinced that there is deep message for you and me. In this choice of disciples, as I look it here, I find that there is a consolation and a warning sign to us all.

A consolation because conversion is possible at any time, if we desire it. Each and every one of us, with our limits can participate perfectly in the divine mission. A warning, because the proximity, the divine knowledge does not guarantee us salvation. Each of us is personally invited to respond to this divine call, through our own positive commitment to the fulfilment of God's will.

Today's readings invite us to discern everything before God, according to the teaching we have received from the Lord. Society brings us a teaching, with rules and prohibitions. The Lord brings us a teaching filled with love and mercy, a call to holiness, conditioned by the love He expressed on the cross, for the remission of sin. Love one another as I have loved you.

It was in this love for His Father that He was in contemplation and prayer all night. It was in this same love that He chose from among His disciples and raised them up as Apostles. It was in this love for His Father that He taught and healed. So let us also go to the mountain in this prayer, that we may imitate him in a perfect and radical way, and that his Kingdom may come. Amen.  

Action of the day: Start everything in prayer

«Jesus went out into the hills to pray, spending the whole night in prayer with God»

Fr. Lluc TORCAL

Poblet(Santa Maria de Poblet, Tarragona, Spain)

Today, I would like to center our thoughts on the first words of this Gospel: «In those days, Jesus went out into the hills to pray, spending the whole night in prayer with God» (Lk 6:12). Introductions as this one may go unnoticed in our daily reading of the Gospel, while —in fact— they are of the maximum importance. Today, Jesus, specifically and clearly tells us that the election of the twelve apostles —central decision for our Church's future life— was preceded by a full night in prayer alone, before God, his Father.

How was the Lord's prayer? What we can deduce from his life, it must have been a prayer full of confidence in the Father, of complete surrendering to his will —«for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me» (Jn 5:30)—, of clear union to God's work of salvation. Only through this profound, long and constant prayer —supported always by the action of the Holy Spirit that, at the moment of Jesus' Incarnation, had already fallen over him in his Baptism— could the Lord receive the necessary strength and light to go on with his mission of abiding by the Father to accomplish his work of salvation for mankind. The subsequent election of the Apostles —that as St. Cyril of Alexandria says, «the same Christ affirms having given them the same mission He received from the Father»—, shows us how the rising Church was the fruit of Jesus' prayer to the Father in the Holy Spirit and, therefore, the work of the Holy Trinity. «When day came, He called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them whom He called apostles» (Lk 6:13).

If only all our life as Christians —of disciples of God— could always be immersed in prayer and led by it.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 6,12-19): 

En ces jours-là, Jésus s'en alla dans la montagne pour prier, et il passa la nuit à prier Dieu. Le jour venu, il appela ses disciples, en choisit douze, et leur donna le nom d'Apôtres: Simon, auquel il donna le nom de Pierre, André son frère, Jacques, Jean, Philippe, Barthélemy, Matthieu, Thomas, Jacques fils d'Alphée, Simon appelé le Zélote, Jude fils de Jacques, et Judas Iscariote, celui qui fut le traître.

Jésus descendit de la montagne avec les douze Apôtres et s'arrêta dans la plaine. Il y avait là un grand nombre de ses disciples, et une foule de gens venus de toute la Judée, de Jérusalem, et du littoral de Tyr et de Sidon, qui étaient venus l'entendre et se faire guérir de leurs maladies. Ceux qui étaient tourmentés par des esprits mauvais en étaient délivrés. Et toute la foule cherchait à le toucher, parce qu'une force sortait de lui et les guérissait tous.

L’Application

Le Seigneur s'est-il trompé dans son discernement en choisissant Judas Iscariote comme l'un de ses disciples ?  Pourtant, nous savons que ce discernement se fait dans la prière et la contemplation, totalement inspiré par l'Esprit Saint, pleinement accompagné par son Père. Personnellement, je suis convaincu qu'il y a là un message profond pour vous et moi. Dans ce choix, tel que je le regarde ici, je trouve qu'il y a une consolation et un avertissement pour nous tous.

Une consolation, car la conversion est possible à tout moment, si nous le désirons. Un avertissement, parce que la proximité, la connaissance divine ne nous garantit pas le salut. Chacun de nous est personnellement invité à répondre à cet appel divin, par son propre engagement positif en faveur de l'accomplissement de la volonté de Dieu.

Les lectures d'aujourd'hui nous invitent à tout discerner devant Dieu, selon l'enseignement que nous avons reçu du Seigneur. La société nous apporte un enseignement, avec des règles et des interdictions. Le Seigneur nous apporte un enseignement rempli d'amour et de miséricorde, un appel à la sainteté, conditionné par l'amour qu'il a exprimé sur la croix, pour la rémission des péchés. Aimez-vous les uns les autres comme je vous ai aimés.

C'est dans cet amour pour son Père qu'il est resté en contemplation et en prière toute la nuit. C'est dans ce même amour qu'Il a choisi parmi ses disciples et les a élevés comme Apôtres. C'est dans cet amour pour son Père qu'il a enseigné et guéri. Alors, allons nous aussi sur la montagne dans cette prière, afin de l'imiter de manière parfaite et radicale, et que son Règne vienne. Amen.  

«Jésus s'en alla dans la montagne pour prier, et il passa la nuit à prier Dieu»

Abbé Lluc TORCAL

(Santa Maria de Poblet, Tarragona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, je voudrais centrer notre réflexion sur les premiers mots de cet Évangile: «En ces jours-là, Jésus s'en alla dans la montagne pour prier, et il passa la nuit à prier Dieu» (Lc 6,12). Des introductions comme celles-là peuvent passer inaperçues dans notre lecture quotidienne de l'Évangile, mais —de fait— elles sont de la plus grande importance. Dans le cas présent, on nous dit clairement que le choix des douze Apôtres —décision centrale pour la vie future de l'Église— fut précédé par toute une nuit de prière de Jésus, dans la solitude, devant Dieu son Père.

Comment était la prière du Seigneur? Sa vie nous permet de penser que ce devait être une prière pleine de confiance dans le Père, de total abandon à sa volonté —«ce n'est pas ma propre volonté que je cherche, mais la volonté de Celui qui m’a envoyé» (Jn 5,30), d'union manifeste à son œuvre de salut. Ce n'est qu'à partir de cette longue, profonde et constante prière, toujours soutenue par l'action du Saint Esprit, qui, déjà présent au moment de son Incarnation, était descendu sur Lui lors de son Baptême, que le Seigneur puit obtenir la force et la lumière nécessaires pour continuer sa mission d'obéissance au Père en vue d'accomplir son œuvre de service pour le salut des hommes. Le choix ultérieur des Apôtres, dans lequel, comme nous le rappelle saint Cyrile d'Alexandrie, «le Christ lui-même affirme leur confier la mission même qu’il avait reçu du Père», nous montre comment l'Église naissante fut le fruit de cette prière de Jésus au Père dans l'Esprit, et que, par conséquent, elle est l'œuvre de la Sainte Trinité elle-même. «Le jour venu, il appela ses disciples, en choisit douze, et leur donna le nom d'Apôtres» (Lc 6,13).

Que toute notre vie de chrétien —de disciples du Christ— soit toujours immergée dans la prière et prolongée par elle.

Gospel text

(Lk 6,6-11): 

On another Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and began teaching. There was a man with a paralyzed right hand and the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees watched him: Would Jesus heal the man on the Sabbath? If He did, they could accuse him. But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to the man, «Get up and stand in the middle». Then he spoke to them, «I want to ask you: what is allowed by the Law on the Sabbath, to do good or to do harm, to save life or destroy it?». And Jesus looked around at them all. Then He said to the man, «Stretch out your hand». He stretched it out and his hand was restored, becoming as whole as the other. But they were furious and began to discuss with one another how they could deal with Jesus.

The Application

It is very sad to end a day of divine glory in a furious and sad manner, as it has happened to these teachers of the Law and the Pharisees. It all happens by the way they look at the events and the reasons that they attach to these events, which are very often conditioned by human way of looking, observing and judging.

Once we learn to look everything divinely, try to identify how God works in these events, and search in every moment of life, what He demands from me, and the fruit of this way of looking and discerning process, will certainly end in an agreeable way before God and will accord us an inner peace that we search daily. Since this process of discernment, the way of looking at people and events is very much personal, spiritual and flow from our inner-self, it is very important that we actively engage to purify our interiority, our inner consciousness, the soul that motivates everything.

Thus, for Jesus, it is not a question of doing good or evil, but a question of the divine will, the glory of his Father and a question of 'now or later'. Jesus, not wanting to be conditioned by the human way of looking at events, a gaze full of wickedness, makes us learn to discern, all before the divine will. If God agrees with me, if my action pleases God, everything is good and desirable.

It is important for us to cooperate with Jesus, and to know how to stand up when we hear his call, “Get up…….and stretch out your hand.” His call, when answered positively, not only makes us grow, but also through us, it makes the whole world grow, especially the people around us. That is why our YES, like Mary's, is so important to God.

Like those scribes and Pharisees who observed the Lord, by his actions and words, a purely human, external and so limited observance, Jesus sees them in their inner selves, their evil thoughts which are contaminated by their own perversities. Unfortunately, we are surrounded by these hypocritical people and fortunately by God's grace and guidance we are called to identify them who wear an outwardly pure garment with words that are sweet and pleasant to hear.

Like Jesus, we must invite them to be converted, not judge them. We must learn from Jesus in the face of such failure, to ignore them and continue to do the divine will, the precious mission that God has entrusted to us at our baptism; the glory of God and the salvation of the world, as Father Claret tells us. A heart filled with love will depart in peace. A heart filled with wickedness, on the other hand, will depart in fury and desolation.

Action of the day: Learn to look everything with an eye of God.

«Get up and stand in the middle (...). Stretch out your hand»

Fr. Julio César RAMOS González SDB

(Mendoza, Argentina)

Today, Jesus provides us with an example of the freedom, which we speak so much about. But, contrary to what most claim or consider as “freedom”, Jesus' freedom, is totally associated and adhered to the Father's actions. He will say: «I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; He can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does» (Jn 5:19). And the Father only does and acts out of love.

Love cannot be imposed but forces us to act, pulls us together and largely reverts to life. Jesus' command: «Get up and stand in the middle» (Lk 6:8) has the vivifying strength of he who loves and responds to the Word. And, the last part of his order: «Stretch out your hand» (Lk 6:10), that concludes the miracle, definitely restores life and strength to what was powerless and dead. “To save” is to draw from death, and this same word translates as “healing”. By healing, Jesus is saving whatever that poor ailing man had dead, and this is a clear sign of God's fatherly love for his creatures. Thus, in the new creation, where the Son does only what He sees his Father doing, the new law that will prevail will be the law of the acting love rather than that of a “dormant” relaxation, including doing good to the brother in need.

Therefore, a conjugated freedom and love is the key for today. Freedom and love conjugated Jesus' way. Today, what St. Augustine used to say: «love and do as you please», is perfectly valid to learn to totally identify ourselves with Christ our Saviour.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 6,6-11): 

Un autre jour de sabbat, Jésus était entré dans la synagogue et enseignait. Il y avait là un homme dont la main droite était paralysée. Les scribes et les pharisiens observaient Jésus afin de voir s'il ferait une guérison le jour du sabbat; ils auraient ainsi un motif pour l'accuser. Mais il connaissait leurs pensées, et il dit à l'homme qui avait la main paralysée: «Lève-toi, et reste debout devant tout le monde». L'homme se leva et se tint debout. Jésus leur dit: «Je vous le demande: Est-il permis, le jour du sabbat, de faire le bien, ou de faire le mal? de sauver une vie, ou de la perdre?». Alors, promenant son regard sur eux tous, il dit à l'homme: «Étends ta main». Il le fit, et sa main redevint normale. Quant à eux, ils furent remplis de fureur et ils discutaient entre eux sur ce qu'ils allaient faire à Jésus.

L’Application

Pour Jésus, il ne s'agit pas de faire le bien ou le mal, mais il s'agit de la volonté divine, de la gloire de son Père et d'une question de " maintenant ou plus tard ". Jésus, ne voulant pas être conditionné par le regard humain, un regard plein de méchanceté, nous fait apprendre à discerner, tout cela devant le regard divin. Si Dieu est d'accord avec moi, si mon action plaît à Dieu, tout est bon et souhaitable.

Il est important que nous coopérions avec Jésus, et que nous sachions nous lever lorsque nous entendons son appel. Son appel, lorsqu'on y répond positivement, non seulement nous fait grandir, mais aussi à travers nous, il fait grandir le monde entier, surtout les personnes qui nous entourent. C'est pourquoi notre OUI, comme celui de Marie, est si important pour Dieu.

Comme ces scribes et ces pharisiens qui observaient le Seigneur, par ses actes et ses paroles, une observation purement humaine, extérieure et si limitée, Jésus les voit dans leur for intérieur, dans leurs pensées mauvaises et contaminées par leurs propres perversités. Malheureusement, nous sommes entourés de ces hypocrites et heureusement, par la grâce et la direction de Dieu, nous sommes appelés à identifier ceux qui portent un vêtement extérieurement pur avec des mots doux et agréables à entendre.

Comme Jésus, nous devons les inviter à se convertir, et non les juger. Nous devons apprendre de Jésus, face à un tel échec, à les ignorer et à continuer à faire la volonté divine, la précieuse mission que Dieu nous a confiée à notre baptême : la gloire de Dieu et le salut du monde, comme nous le dit le Père Claret. Un cœur rempli d'amour s'en ira en paix. Un cœur rempli de méchanceté, par contre, s'en ira dans la fureur et la désolation.

«Lève-toi, et reste debout devant tout le monde (…). Étends ta main»

Abbé Julio César RAMOS González SDB

(Mendoza, Argentine)

Aujourd'hui, Jésus nous donne en exemple la liberté. Nous parlons tellement d'elle de nos jours. Mais, à la différence de ce qu'aujourd'hui on annonce et on vit comme “liberté”, celle de Jésus est une liberté totalement associée et adhérée à l'action du Père. Lui-même dira: «Je vous assure que le Fils de l'homme ne peut faire quoi que ce soit de lui-même, sinon seulement ce qu'il voit faire par le Père; ce que le Père fait, le fait le Fils» (Jn 5,19). Et le Père agit seulement par amour.

L'amour ne s'impose pas, mais fait agir, mobilise rendant généreusement la vie. Cet ordre de Jésus: «Lève-toi, et reste debout devant tout le monde» (Lc 6,8) a la force de recréer de celui qui aime, et qui par la parole agit. Encore davantage: «Étends ta main» (Lc 6,10), qui termine par un miracle, rétablit définitivement la force et la vie à ce qui était faible et mort. “Sauver” signifie arracher à la mort, et c'est la même parole qui se traduit par “guérir”. Jésus en guérissant, sauve ce qu'il y avait de mort en ce pauvre homme malade, ce qui constitue un signe, on ne peut plus claire, de l'amour de Dieu le Père pour ses créatures. Ainsi, dans la nouvelle création dans laquelle le Fils ne fera autre chose que ce qu'il voit faire par le Père, la nouvelle loi qui règnera sera celle de l’amour qui se manifeste à travers l'action, et non celle d'un repos “inactif” incluant pour faire le bien à un frère qui a besoin d'aide.

En conséquence, conjuguer liberté et amour est la clef d’aujourd’hui. Conjuguer liberté et amour à la façon de Jésus. Ce que disait Saint Augustin est maintenant pleinement en vigueur pour apprendre à ressembler pleinement au Christ Sauveur : « Aime et fait ce que tu veux».

The readings of the day invite us to discover the divine work, especially in a pagan terrain where Jesus opens his ears and makes his Word heard. An exceptional event is produced by a community commitment that has recognised in Jesus, the Saviour, the Envoy of the Father, like many other pagans contemporaries of Jesus.  Certainly, the people of his country could not recognise his presence, as a divine presence.  Today, the presence of Jesus in this land has moved everyone to make the most of a great teacher.  This recognition of his presence by a community makes all burst into joy which requires a resemblance of all, with an open and welcoming approach. It is in this gathering and openness that Jesus chose to act, so that through this man the whole world would discover the divine power, the universal salvation, a God who comes to us, to save all. 

He will not take the whole world. He will take him alone, apart from the crowd, with a particular attention that is nevertheless palpable and visible to all. By this gesture, he makes us discover how God restores a divine closeness, totally unknown in this world.  He looks at him with a look full of tenderness and compassion. In this look, he is not alone. He will associate himself with his Father and the Holy Spirit. He will repeat the same gesture of his Father, "He breathed and said to him. The Word becomes a flesh. Let man hear the Word and proclaim it. A gesture that the Church imitates perfectly and rightly in baptism, "Effata, open up.

Jesus invites us with this man to listen to the Word of God, open our hearts and to proclaim it to the whole world. Go to the whole world and proclaim the Good News and baptise them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are going to announce not only our experience and the feelings, rather the PERSON, Jesus, God Man. In Jesus we recognise, like Mary, the wonders done by our God. He comes to visit us in Jesus.

Today we are invited to imitate Jesus, our Master, in welcoming, in closeness and in service. Like Jesus, we must turn our heads towards heaven, invoking the Holy Spirit, so that our words and actions are life-giving words, words that open our ears and make us hear the truth. Very often our words are not right before God, very far from the truth. In Jesus God Himself comes to remove the evil, the injustice in our society. In this way, He will accomplish the will of the Father.

Let us open our ears to hear the good words, that the Word of God may enter into the depths of our being and purify our conscience. Let us open our mouths, so that this Word of life may come out of our mouths and save the people of God. God needs us, so that the promise made to Abraham may be fulfilled in us. Let us praise the Lord while we live, Amen.

Gospel text (Lk 6,1-5): 

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the corn fields and his disciples began to pick heads of grain crushing them in their hands for food. Some of the Pharisees asked them, «Why do you do what is forbidden on the Sabbath?». Then Jesus spoke, «Have you never read what David did when he and his men were hungry?. He entered the house of God, took and ate the bread of the offering and even gave some to his men, though only priests are allowed to eat that bread». And Jesus added, «The Son of Man is Lord and rules over the Sabbath».

The Application

Today's gospel shows us that it is the presence of Jesus that saves his disciples. Somewhere along the line, he asks me this profound question; am I standing before the divine presence or am I walking away from his presence? If I stay with Him, He will certainly save me.

Jesus reveals to us that He is the Master of the Sabbath. From the beginning of creation He was there and this Word is with us in the form of the Eucharist. Adoration of the Eucharist would help me to live this closeness in a real way. Since He gave us the law, through Moses, we must always consult Him, for its right application in daily life, including our brothers and sisters.  

To do or not to do, must be discerned not according to the regulation of the present society, which is harsh and unwise with the poor and wretched. Whatever is good and right for me, does not necessarily have to be good and right for the other. God alone can help me to discern the truth.  Therefore, every word that comes out of our mouths and every act that we would like to do, must be born out of our relationship with Jesus and according to his will. There we will be just before God and in this righteousness, we will give glory to God.

Action of the day: Let your word and act glorify God.

«The Son of Man is Lord and rules over the Sabbath»

Fr. Austin Chukwuemeka IHEKWEME

(Ikenanzizi, Nigeria)

Today, responding to the Pharisees' accusation, Jesus explains the correct meaning of the Sabbath, while quoting an example from the Old Testament (cf. Deut 23:26): «Have you never read what David did (...)?. He entered the house of God, took and ate the bread of the offering and even gave some to his men, though only priests are allowed to eat that bread» (Lk 6:3-4).

David's behaviour anticipates the doctrine Christ teaches in this passage. God had already established in the Old Testament an order for the precepts of the Law, whereby those of less rank would yield to the main ones.

In the light of all this, it can be understood that a ceremonial precept (as the one we are commenting) yields to a precept of the natural law. The precept of Sabbath, likewise, is not more important than the elementary needs of subsistence.

In this passage, Christ teaches which was the meaning of the divine institution of the Sabbath: God had instituted it to man's benefit, so that he could rest and devote his time with peace and joy to the divine cult. However, the Pharisees' interpretation had transformed this day into a day of anguish and worrying because of the many directions and prohibitions.

The Sabbath had been set up not only for man's rest, but also to glorify God: this is the actual and true meaning of the expression «The Sabbath was made for man...» (Mk 2:27).

Furthermore, by declaring himself “Lord of the Sabbath” (cf. Lk 6:5), He openly manifests that He is the very same God who gave the precept to the people of Israel, thus confirming his divinity and his universal power. For this reason, other laws can be established, just as Yahweh did in the Old Testament. Jesus can therefore be called “Lord of the Sabbath”, because He is God.

Let us beg the Virgin Mother of God to help us believing and understanding that the Sabbath belongs to God and that it is a way —adapted to our own nature— to glorify and honour the Almighty. As Saint John Paul II has written, «our rest is a “sacred”» thing and an occasion «to realize that everything is the work of God».

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 6,1-5): 

Un jour de sabbat, Jésus traversait des champs de blé; ses disciples arrachaient et mangeaient des épis, après les avoir froissés dans leurs mains. Des pharisiens lui dirent: «Pourquoi faites-vous ce qui n'est pas permis le jour du sabbat?». Jésus leur répondit: «N'avez-vous pas lu ce que fit David un jour qu'il eut faim, lui et ses compagnons? Il entra dans la maison de Dieu, prit les pains de l'offrande, en mangea, et en donna à ses compagnons, alors que les prêtres seuls ont la permission d'en manger». Jésus leur disait encore: «Le Fils de l'homme est maître du sabbat».

L’Application

L'évangile de ce jour nous montre que c'est la présence de Jésus qui sauve ses disciples. Quelque part, il me pose cette question profonde : est-ce que je me tiens devant la présence divine ou est-ce que je m'éloigne de sa présence ? Si je reste avec Lui, Il me sauvera certainement.

Jésus nous révèle qu'il est le maître du sabbat. Dès le début de la création, Il était là et cette Parole est avec nous sous la forme de l'Eucharistie. L'adoration de l'Eucharistie m'aiderait à vivre cette proximité de manière réelle. Puisqu'Il nous a donné la loi, par Moïse, nous devons toujours Le consulter, pour sa juste application dans la vie quotidienne, y compris pour nos frères et sœurs.  
Faire ou ne pas faire, doit être discerné non pas en fonction de la réglementation de la société actuelle, qui est dure et peu sage avec les pauvres et les misérables.  Ce qui est bon et juste pour moi, ne l'est pas nécessairement pour l'autre. Dieu seul peut m'aider à discerner la vérité.  C'est pourquoi chaque parole qui sort de nos bouches et chaque acte que nous voudrions faire, doit naître de notre relation avec Jésus et selon sa volonté. Là, nous serons justes devant Dieu et dans cette justesse, nous rendrons gloire à Dieu.

«Le Fils de l'homme est maître du sabbat»

Abbé Austin Chukwuemeka IHEKWEME

(Ikenanzizi, Nigeria)

Aujourd'hui, face à l'accusation des pharisiens, Jésus explique le sens correct du repos sabbatique, en prenant un exemple dans l'Ancien Testament (cf. Dt 23,26): «N'avez-vous pas lu ce que fit David (…), [qui] prit les pains de l'offrande, en mangea, et en donna à ses compagnons?» (Lc 6,3-4).

La conduite de David anticipa la doctrine que le Christ enseigne dans ce passage. Dans l'Ancien Testament, Dieu avait déjà établi un ordre dans les préceptes de la Loi, pour que ceux de rang inférieur cèdent le pas aux principaux.

L'on s'explique ainsi qu'un précepte cérémoniel comme celui que nous commentons soit écarté lorsqu'il entre en conflit avec un précepte de la loi naturelle. Le précepte du sabbat n'est pas supérieur aux nécessités élémentaires de la subsistance.

Dans ce passage, le Christ enseigne quel est le sens de l'institution divine du sabbat: Dieu l'avait établi pour le bien de l'homme, pour qu'il puisse se reposer et se dédier dans la paix et la joie au culte divin. L'interprétation des pharisiens avait fait de ce jour une occasion d'angoisse et de préoccupation de par la foule des prescriptions et des prohibitions.

Le sabbat avait été établi non seulement pour que l'homme se reposât, mais aussi pour qu'il rendît gloire à Dieu: c'est là le sens authentique de l'expression «le sabbat a été fait pour l'homme» (Mc 2,27).

De plus, quand Il se déclare “maître du sabbat” (cf. Lc 6,5), Jésus manifeste ouvertement qu'Il est ce même Dieu qui a donné ce précepte au peuple d'Israël, affirmant ainsi sa divinité et son pouvoir universel. Aussi peut-Il établir d'autres lois, tout comme Yahvé dans l'Ancien Testament. Jésus peut bien se dire “maître du sabbat”, car Il est Dieu.

Demandons son aide à la Vierge pour croire et comprendre que le sabbat appartient à Dieu et qu'il est une manière —adaptée à la nature humaine— de rendre gloire et honneur au Tout-Puissant. Comme l'a écrit Saint Jean-Paul II, «le repos est une chose “sacrée”» et une occasion de «prendre conscience que tout est œuvre de Dieu».

Gospel text

(Lk 5,33-39): 

Some people asked Jesus, «The disciples of John fast often and say long prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why is it that your disciples eat and drink?». Then Jesus said to them, «You can't make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them. But later the bridegroom will be taken from them and they will fast in those days».

Jesus also told them this parable, «No one tears a piece from a new coat to put it on an old one; otherwise the new will be torn and the piece taken from the new will not match the old. No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed as well. But new wine must be put into fresh skins. Yet no one who has tasted old wine is eager to get new wine, but says: The old is good».

The Application

The society where live gives us certain regulations, so that a common life be agreeable to all. It is here that some of us get so obsessed (in the family, society, office etc.) and when they have certain authority and power, wish to impose, what they think as ideal and good to everyone, without taking the sensibility or priority of the other into consideration.

Jesus invites us to look our life not in comparison of the other in the society where we live, rather, fix our attention in Him and in the will of the Father. For this, Jesus asks us to discern life and evaluate the way we manage it. He wishes that everything begins and ends in God. In God we will find stability, for the whole of creation depends on Him. Even though the world He has created is good, everything in it is not good for all.

Thus, He warns us that it is not wise for us to format our lives according to the desires or orientation of this world. It must be formatted according to the divine will and the talents and capacity that God has showered on us, to accomplish His will. The divine wisdom will help us to discern and choose well. So, it is not a question of fasting or not fasting, nor is it a question of the new or the old. For God, the whole creation is good in Him and in Him, everything is fine for us. The rest are secondary in nature and we should learn to ignore the unimportant elements of life.

Action of the day: Discern according to the divine will.

«You can't make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them»

Fr. Frederic RÀFOLS i Vidal

(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, while pondering over the Gospel, we can detect the trap prepared by the Pharisees and masters of the Law, when they twist an important question: they simply oppose the fasting and praying of the Pharisees and John’s disciples to the eating and drinking of Jesus' disciples.

Jesus Christ tells us there is a time to pray and fast and a time to eat and drink. Which means the same person that prays and fasts is who eats and drinks. We can appreciate that in our daily life: let us watch the simple joy of a family, maybe our own family. But, later on, tribulations may visit them. The persons are the same, but circumstances differ: «You can't make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them. But later they will...» (Lk 5:34).

Timing is everything; there is a time under the sky for everything: «A time to rend, and a time to sew» (Eccles 3:7). These words uttered by a learned man of the Old Testament, certainly not the most optimistic one, almost coincide with the simple parable of the torn coat. And, to a certain extent, they probably coincide with our own experience. Our mistake appears when at the time of sewing, we tear and at the time of tearing, we sew. Then, everything goes wrong.

We are aware that, along with Jesus Christ, we shall reach the glory of Resurrection through his passion and death, and that no other way is God's way. Precisely, Simon Peter is scolded when he tries to lead the Lord away from the only way: «You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men» (Mt 16:23). If we can enjoy a few moments of peace and joy, let us make the most out of it. There will probably come other moments when we shall have to fast for good. The only difference is that, thanks God, we shall always have the bridegroom beside us. And this is what the Pharisees did not know and, maybe, this is why in the Gospel they always appear as such bad-tempered persons. Therefore, and as far as we are concerned, let us avoid being bad-tempered, while admiring the Lord's soft irony, which can be gathered from today's Gospel.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 5,33-39): 

On disait un jour à Jésus: «Les disciples de Jean jeûnent souvent et font des prières; de même ceux des pharisiens. Au contraire, tes disciples mangent et boivent!». Jésus leur dit: «Est-ce que vous pouvez faire jeûner les invités de la noce, pendant que l'Époux est avec eux? Mais un temps viendra où l'Époux leur sera enlevé: ces jours-là, ils jeûneront».

Et il dit pour eux une parabole: «Personne ne déchire un morceau à un vêtement neuf pour le coudre sur un vieux vêtement. Autrement, on aura déchiré le neuf, et le morceau ajouté, qui vient du neuf, ne s'accordera pas avec le vieux. Et personne ne met du vin nouveau dans de vieilles outres; autrement, le vin nouveau fera éclater les outres, il se répandra et les outres seront perdues. Mais il faut mettre le vin nouveau dans des outres neuves. Jamais celui qui a bu du vieux ne désire du nouveau. Car il dit: ‘C'est le vieux qui est bon’».

L’Application

Nous devons donner la priorité à la vie, la vie en Dieu. Grâce à cette vie donnée gratuitement et reçue gracieusement, l'homme prend une place importante dans la société, car la vie en lui est capable de donner naissance à une vie, mais aussi de faire disparaître l'autre. Dans notre vie relationnelle et sociale, nous devons être attentifs au fait que notre vie donne naissance à l'autre.

Pour cela, Jésus nous invite à discerner la vie et la manière dont nous la gérons. Que tout commence et finit en Dieu. En Dieu, nous trouverons la stabilité, car toute la création dépend de lui. Pourtant, il n'est pas sage pour nous de formater notre vie selon les désirs ou l'orientation de ce monde. Elle doit être formatée en fonction de la volonté divine. Celle-ci nous aidera à discerner et à bien choisir. Il ne s'agit donc pas de jeûner ou de ne pas jeûner, ni de faire du neuf ou de l'ancien. Pour Dieu, toute la création est bonne en Lui et en Lui, tout est bien pour nous. 

«Est-ce que vous pouvez faire jeûner les invités de la noce, pendant que l¨'Époux est avec eux?»

Abbé Frederic RÀFOLS i Vidal

(Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, dans notre réflexion sur l'Évangile de ce jour, nous voyons comment les pharisiens et les maîtres de la loi trichent quand ils tergiversent une question importante: ils opposent le jeûne et le temps de prière des disciples de Jean et des pharisiens au boire et au manger des disciples de Jésus.

Jésus nous dit que dans la vie il y a un temps pour jeûner et pour prier et qu'il y a un temps pour boire et manger. C'est bien cela: la personne qui prie et jeûne est aussi celle qui boit et mange. Nous le voyons dans la vie de tous les jours: contemplons la joie simple d'une famille, peut-être même la nôtre. Et nous voyons, qu'à un autre moment les tribulations lui rendent visite. Les sujets sont les mêmes, mais chaque chose a son temps: «Est-ce que vous pouvez faire jeûner les invités de la noce, pendant que l'Époux est avec eux?» (Lc 5,34).

Il y a un moment pour tout: sous le ciel il y a un temps pour chaque chose: «Un temps pour déchirer, et un temps pour coudre» (Qo 3,7). Ces paroles exprimées par un sage de l'Ancien Testament, pas des plus optimistes, coïncident presque avec la parabole du vêtement rapiécé. Et coïncident sûrement d'une certaine manière avec nos propres expériences. L'erreur c'est que pendant le temps de déchirer nous cousions et que pendant le temps de coudre nous déchirions, à ce moment là plus rien ne va.

Nous savons que comme Jésus, nous arriverons à la gloire de la résurrection par la mort et par la passion et tout autre chemin n'est pas le chemin de Dieu. Précisément, Simon Pierre est grondé quand il veut éloigner le Seigneur du “chemin unique”: «tes pensées ne sont pas celles de Dieu, mais celles des hommes» (Mt 16,23) Si nous pouvons profiter de moments de paix et de joie, profitons-en. Nous aurons certainement de durs moments de jeûne. La seule différence c'est que, par chance, nous aurons toujours l'Epoux avec nous. C'est cela que les Pharisiens ne savaient pas et c'est peut-être pour cela que dans l'Évangile on nous les présente presque toujours comme des personnes de mauvaise humeur. En admirant la douce ironie du Seigneur qui émane de l'Évangile d'aujourd'hui, essayons surtout de ne pas être des personnes de mauvaise humeur.

Gospel text

(Lk 5,1-11): 

One day, as Jesus stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, with a crowd gathered around him listening to the word of God, He caught sight of two boats left at the water's edge by the fishermen now washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to pull out a little from the shore. There He sat and continued to teach the crowd.

When He had finished speaking He said to Simon, «Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch». Simon replied, «Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, I will lower the nets». This they did and caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. They signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats almost to the point of sinking. Upon seeing this, Simon Peter fell at Jesus' knees, saying, «Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!». For he and his companions were amazed at the catch they had made and so were Simon's partners, James and John, Zebedee's sons. Jesus said to Simon, «Do not be afraid. You will catch people from now on». So they brought their boats to land and followed him, leaving everything.

The Application

(A meditation)

O  Peter, come with me, leaving behind you net and people, and let’s walk together. I may be a carpenter, but still you will listen to me. I know that you are tired of full night work, without any hope. However, you will listen to me and help me to preach. Are you ready to listen to Jesus?

Peter, you may be thinking that the preaching I did, it was meant for the people. In truth, it was for you. I am happy that in silence and discretion, you were with me, and following my teaching, taking them very deep into your heart.  Do you listen to Jesus?

Peter, I do appreciate your courage to listen to me. May be I have asked you to do little more than your capacities, as you keep thinking into your heart. In truth, you don’t know yourself, and your capacity. It’s here that I ask you to push the boat to the sea once again to give you hope and now to cast the net and try again, against all your disapointments and brokeness. It’s all in you and with the sea to respond to you. The whole world will listen to you, provided you are with me and do what I ask you to do. Are you ready to do something, even if they are against your will, simply because your parents, or teachers or elders ask you to do?

Peter, have courage. I know your weakness and also your strength. I have a lot of confidence in you and in your capacity. It is in you and in your weakness that I wish that my Church be build, so that all those who are weak like you, may find the Hope in my Church. Don’t be afraid of your weakness, that I am with you and transform you.

Peter, from today on, you are mine and hold on me. I have called and consecrated you. You are a roc that you yourself may not understand today. You will understand everything later. Today, follow me. Take a risk in life and with me, you won’t be disappointed. Do you wish to follow Jesus?

Action of the day: Be Peter today.

«Put out into deep water»

Fr. Pedro IGLESIAS Martínez

(Rubí, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, we are still surprised at how those fishermen were capable of leaving everything behind, their job, their families, to follow Jesus («They brought their boats to land and followed him, leaving everything»: Lk 5:11), precisely when He manifested himself before them as an exceptional collaborator for the business which they lived from. If Jesus of Nazareth would make the same proposal to us, in our 21st century..., would we have as much courage as those other men had?; should we be able to sense which is the true gain for us?

We Christians believe that Christ is ever present; this resurrected Christ, therefore, requests us, not only to Peter, John or James, but to George, Joe, Paula, and all of us who accept him as our Lord, that we accept him —from Luke's text— in the boat of our life for He wants to rest by our side; He requests us to let him make use of us, to allow him to show us where He wants to guide our existence to, so we can become productive amid a society which every day is more far away and in need of God's Good News. The proposal is quite attractive, we need only to know how are we, and if we really wish, to manage to get rid of our fears, of our worries about what people may “say” or “think” and set a course for deeper waters, or what is equivalent, to horizons which may be farther away than those restricting our quotidian mediocrity of anguish and disappointments. «He who stumbles on his way, no matter how little he moves forward, always gets somewhat closer to the end of his journey; but he who runs out of his way, the more he runs the farther he gets from the end of his trip» (St. Thomas Aquinas).

«Duc in altum»; «To pull out a little from the shore» (Lk 5:4): let us try not to rest by the shore of a world that lives by contemplating its navel! Our navigation through the seas of life has to take us towards the harbor on the promise land, the end of our course in this Heaven long waited for, which is a gift from the Father, but, indivisible too, the work of man —yours, mine— from the service to others in the Church's boat. Christ knows quite well the fishing grounds; it all depends upon us: or in our harbor of selfishness, or towards his horizons.