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

Gospel text

(Mk 12,18-27): 

The Sadducees came to Jesus. Since they claim that there is no resurrection, they questioned him in this way, «Master, in the Scriptures Moses gave us this law: ‘If anyone dies and leaves a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife and give her a child who will be considered the child of his deceased brother’. Now, there were seven brothers. The first married a wife, but he died without leaving any children. The second took the wife and he, too, died leaving no children. The same thing happened to the third. Finally the seven died leaving no children. Last of all the woman died. Now, in the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife? For the seven had her as wife».

Jesus replied, «You could be wrong in this regard because you understand neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. When they rise from the dead, men and women do not marry but are like the angels in heaven. Now, about the resurrection of the dead, have you never reflected on the chapter of the burning bush in the book of Moses? God said to him: ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’. Now, He is the God, not of the dead but of the living. You are totally wrong».

The Application

The human temptation is that we wish to know everything and master even the heavenly realities, while remaining always human. We refuse to accept that we have already certain divin elements and the divine mysteries need to be welcomed as it is given to us and lived in its fulness.

We have to humbly accept that life is a process and we do not understand, nor can we as a man master on the elements of divine realities in its fulness. All we can easily grasp is that our God is alive, and since He is alive we will live in Him, through Him and for Him. In God we will find our hope and the meaning of life.

Jesus invites us to invest our energy, not on everything we can have after earthly life, but rather on life on earth and live it in its fulness. Let us not be mistaken. Since our God is alive, our life will continue, even after our life in this earth. Jesus not only asserts the resurrection, but we can easily perceive in this assertion, the divine justice. If we remain faithful to the commandment of love, a reward with our God is assured. We must never forget that we belong to the Lord and our home is in heaven.

Action of the day : Live divine mysteries in you

«He is the God, not of the dead but of the living»

Fr. Federico Elías ALCAMÁN Riffo

(Puchuncaví - Valparaíso, Chile)

Today, the Holy Church puts at our disposal —through Christ's words— the reality of resurrection and the properties of resurrected bodies. The Gospel mentions Jesus' meeting with the Sadducees who, with a hypothetical and out-of-the-way example, present Jesus with a question about the resurrection of the dead, which they do not believe in, anyway.

They ask him, should a woman be widowed seven times, «to which of them will she be wife? For the seven had her as wife» (Mk 12:23). They were just trying to deride Jesus' doctrine. But, the Lord, just breaks this difficulty up by answering, «when they rise from the dead, men and women do not marry but are like the angels in heaven» (Mk 12:25).

And, taking advantage of the opportunity, Our Lord reaffirms the existence of resurrection by mentioning what God told Moses in the chapter of the burning bush: «I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob». And He adds, «He is the God, not of the dead but of the living» (Mk 12:26-27). Jesus also tells them how wrong they are, because they understand neither the Scriptures nor the power of God; what is more, this truth was already revealed in the Old Testament, for others, like Isaiah, the Macchabees' mother or even Job, already said it.

St. Augustine described the eternal life and the loving communion, like this: «There, you will have everything and you will not have limits or suffer any hardships, and your brother will also have everything; because you two will just become one and this one, will also own He Who will have you both».

Far from doubting of the Holy Scriptures and of God's merciful love and power, we shall adhere with all our mind and heart to this hopeful truth, while rejoicing for not being thwarted in our thirst of life, full and eternal, which the same God assures us, in its glory and happiness. Before this divine invitation we have nothing to do but to foment our anxious wish to see God, and to be always next to Him, in his Kingdom.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 12,18-27): 

Des sadducéens -ceux qui affirment qu'il n'y a pas de résurrection- viennent trouver Jésus, et ils l'interrogeaient: «Maître, Moïse nous a donné cette loi: Si un homme a un frère qui meurt en laissant une femme, mais aucun enfant, qu'il épouse la veuve pour donner une descendance à son frère. Il y avait sept frères; le premier se maria, et mourut sans laisser de descendance. Le deuxième épousa la veuve, et mourut sans laisser de descendance. Le troisième pareillement. Et aucun des sept ne laissa de descendance. Et finalement, la femme mourut aussi. A la résurrection, quand ils ressusciteront, de qui sera-t-elle l'épouse, puisque les sept l'ont eue pour femme?».

Jésus leur dit: «N'êtes-vous pas dans l'erreur, en méconnaissant les Écritures, et la puissance de Dieu? Lorsqu'on ressuscite d'entre les morts, on ne se marie pas, mais on est comme les anges dans les cieux. Quant à dire que les morts doivent ressusciter, n'avez-vous pas lu dans le livre de Moïse, au récit du buisson ardent, comment Dieu lui a dit: Moi, je suis le Dieu d'Abraham, le Dieu d'Isaac, le Dieu de Jacob? Il n'est pas le Dieu des morts, mais des vivants. Vous êtes complètement dans l'erreur».

L’Application

Nous ne comprenons pas, et nous ne pouvons pas non plus, en tant qu'homme, maîtriser les éléments du ciel. Tout ce que nous pouvons facilement saisir, c'est que notre Dieu est vivant, et tant qu'il sera vivant, nous vivrons en lui, par lui et pour lui. C'est en Dieu que nous trouverons notre espérance.

Jésus nous invite à investir notre énergie, non pas dans tout ce que nous pouvons avoir après la mort, mais plutôt dans la vie sur terre. Ne nous trompons pas. Puisque notre Dieu est vivant, notre vie continuera, même après la mort. Non seulement Jésus affirme la résurrection, mais nous pouvons facilement percevoir dans cette affirmation, la justice divine. Si nous restons fidèles au commandement de l'amour, la récompense auprès de notre Dieu est assurée. Nous ne devons jamais oublier que nous appartenons au Seigneur et que notre maison est au ciel.

«Il n'est pas le Dieu des morts, mais des vivants»

Abbé Federico Elías ALCAMÁN Riffo

(Puchuncaví - Valparaíso, Chili)

Aujourd'hui, la Sainte Eglise, par le biais de la parole du Christ, nous met face à la réalité de la résurrection ainsi qu'aux propriétés des corps ressuscités. En effet, l'Évangile nous raconte la rencontre de Jésus avec les saducéens, qui ne croyaient pas à la résurrection et qui en évoquant l'hypothèse d'un fait très recherché, lui exposent un problème concernant la résurrection des morts.

Ils font allusion à une femme veuve sept fois de suite, et lui demandent «de qui sera-t-elle l'épouse, puisque les sept l'ont eue pour femme?» (Mc 12,23). Ils cherchent ainsi à mettre Jésus et sa doctrine dans l'embarras. Mais le Seigneur rejette cette notion en leur disant que «Lorsqu'on ressuscite d'entre les morts, on ne se marie pas, mais on est comme les anges dans les cieux» (Mc 12,25).

Et saisissant l'occasion Jésus confirme l'existence de la résurrection en leur citant les paroles de Dieu à Moïse dans le récit du buisson ardent: «Moi, je suis le Dieu d'Abraham, le Dieu d'Isaac, le Dieu de Jacob», et ajoute «Il n'est pas le Dieu des morts, mais des vivants» (Mc 12,26-27). Là Jésus leur reproche leur erreur, car ils ne comprennent ni les écritures ni la puissance divine, en effet, cette vérité avait été révélée dans l'ancien testament: les anciens Isaïe, la mère des Macabées, Job et les autres anciens l'avaient déjà enseignée.

Saint Augustin décrivait ainsi la vie d'éternelle et amoureuse communion: «Là-bas tu ne seras ni limité ni réduit car tu posséderas tout, tu auras tout et ton prochain aura tout également, car toi et lui ne serez qu'un, et ce tout unique aura aussi Celui à qui vous appartenez tous les deux».

Nous, loin de douter de la parole des écritures et de la puissance miséricordieuse de Dieu, nous adhérons à cette vérité d'espérance avec tous nos esprits et nos cœurs, nous sommes heureux de ne pas rester frustrés par notre soif de vie entière et éternelle, de dont nous sommes assurés en Dieu lui-même, dans sa gloire et dans sa joie. Face à cette invitation divine il ne nous reste qu'à faire accroître notre désir de voir Dieu, et espérer vivement d'être avec Lui pour régner avec Lui éternellement.

Gospel text

(Mk 12,13-17): 

Some Pharisees and Herodians were sent to Jesus to ensnare him in his speech. They came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion. You do not regard a person’s status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?”

Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at.” They brought one to him and he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They replied to him, “Caesar’s.” So Jesus said to them, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” They were utterly amazed at him.

The Application

The Pharisees and Herodians are still active in our days, including in our own house and communities. There are few around us, would like to put us in trouble, by provoking us to do something we don’t desire to or misterpreting our words and deeds into their tune of ways. In such situation, Jesus orients us towards His father.

He says that our God is a just and generous. Just, because He grants us, not all that we ask of Him, but all that we need, just like his response to these people who wished to put Him in trouble. He is generous, because He gives us, more than we can imagine. His generosity can't be measured.

I would liket to invite you to reread this gospel, with this approach. May we be just before God, granting him everything that belongs to him. That's to say, our very being, because God has created us in His own image.  Before this God who loves us, may we be generous, by sharing all that we have received from him, with his people, his beloved ones. It's through them that we can show our generosity to God.

Today's gospel asks us not to limte our thinking with this belonging and giving, rather to observe, discern, and to act according to this discernment. It invites us to  recognize the gifts we have received from God, and apply them according to His purposes. Our  personal commitment to the fulfillment of those purposes will be, de facto, gorify God in our small and little deeds.

Action of the day : Be proud that you belong to God.

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers:

Put off the earthly image and put on the heavenly one,

by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)

"Some people think that the Savior spoke on a single level when he said, 'Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar' - that is, 'pay the tax that you owe.' Who among us disagrees about paying taxes to Caesar? The passage therefore has a mystical and secret meaning. There are two images in humanity. One he received from God when he was made, in the beginning, as Scripture says in the book of Genesis, 'according to the image and likeness of God' (Genesis 1:27). The other image is of the earth (1 Corinthians 15:49). Man received this second image later. He was expelled from Paradise because of disobedience and sin after the 'prince of this world' (John 12:31) had tempted him with his enticements. Just as the coin, or denarius, has an image of the emperor of this world, so he who does the works of 'the ruler of the darkness' (Ephesians 6:12) bears the image of him whose works he does. Jesus commanded that that image should be handed over and thrown away from our face. He wills us to take on that image, according to which we were made from the beginning, according to God's likeness. It then happens that we give 'to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what is God's.' Jesus said, 'Show me a coin.' For 'coin,' Matthew wrote 'denarius' ( Matthew 22:19). When Jesus had taken it, he said, 'Whose inscription does it have?' They answered and said, 'Caesar's.' And he said to them in turn, 'Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.'" (excerpt from HOMILY ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 39.4-6)

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 12,13-17): 

On envoya à Jésus des pharisiens et des hérodiens pour le prendre au piège en le faisant parler, et ceux-ci viennent lui dire: «Maître, nous le savons: tu es toujours vrai; tu ne te laisses influencer par personne, car tu ne fais pas de différence entre les gens, mais tu enseignes le vrai chemin de Dieu. Est-il permis, oui ou non, de payer l'impôt à l'empereur? Devons-nous payer, oui ou non?». Mais lui, sachant leur hypocrisie, leur dit: «Pourquoi voulez-vous me mettre à l'épreuve? Faites-moi voir une pièce d'argent». Ils le firent, et Jésus leur dit: «Cette effigie et cette légende, de qui sont-elles?». «De l'empereur César», répondent-ils. Jésus leur dit: «A César, rendez ce qui est à César, et à Dieu, ce qui est à Dieu». Et ils étaient remplis d'étonnement à son sujet».

L’Application

Notre Dieu est un Dieu juste et généreux. Juste, parce qu'il nous accorde, non pas tout ce que nous lui demandons, mais tout ce dont nous avons besoin. Il est généreux, parce qu'il nous donne plus que ce que nous pouvons imaginer. Sa générosité ne se mesure pas. 

Je voudrais vous inviter à relire cet évangile, avec cette pensée. Que nous soyons justes devant Dieu, en lui accordant tout ce qui lui appartient. C'est-à-dire notre être même, car Dieu nous a créés à son image.  Devant ce Dieu qui nous aime, soyons généreux, en partageant tout ce que nous avons reçu de lui, avec son peuple, ses bien-aimés. C'est à travers eux que nous pouvons montrer notre générosité à Dieu. 

L'évangile d'aujourd'hui nous demande de ne pas limiter notre pensée à cette appartenance et à ce don, mais plutôt d'observer, de discerner, et d'agir en fonction de ce discernement. Il nous invite à reconnaître les dons que nous avons reçus de Dieu, et à les appliquer selon ses desseins. Notre engagement personnel dans l'accomplissement de ces desseins sera, de facto, la glorification de Dieu dans nos petits et grands gestes.

«A César, rendez ce qui est à César, et à Dieu, ce qui est à Dieu»

Abbé Manuel SÁNCHEZ Sánchez

(Sevilla, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, nous nous émerveillons à nouveau de l'ingéniosité et de l'initiative du Christ. Avec sa réponse magistrale, Il souligne directement la juste autonomie des réalités temporelles: «A César, rendez ce qui est à César» (Mc 12,17).

Mais, aujourd'hui, la Parole n'a pas seulement pour objet de se tirer d'embarras; elle agite une question d'actualité pour tous les moments de notre existence: qu'est ce que je suis en train de donner à Jésus? Est-ce réellement le plus important de ma vie? Dans quoi ai-je mis mon cœur? Parce que... «Là où est votre trésor, là aussi sera votre cœur» (Lc 12,34).

En effet, d'après saint Jérôme, «vous devez forcement rendre à César la monnaie où son image est gravée; mais livrez avec plaisir votre être tout entier à Dieu, parce que c'est son image qui est gravée en nous et non celle de César». Tout au long de sa vie, Jésus-Christ présente constamment des choix. C'est à nous de choisir et les termes de l'option sont très clairs: vivre selon les valeurs de notre monde, ou, ou contraire, vivre selon les valeurs de l'Évangile.

Il est toujours temps de choisir, de se convertir, temps de “mettre à nouveau” notre vie dans la dynamique de Dieu. Ce sera la prière, très spécialement celle que nous faisons avec la Parole de Dieu, qui nous montrera ce que Dieu nous demande. Celui qui sait choisir Dieu devient la demeure de Dieu, car «Si quelqu'un m'aime, il restera fidèle à ma parole; mon Père l'aimera, nous viendrons chez lui, nous irons demeurer auprès de lui» (Jn 14,23). C'est la prière qui devient l'authentique école où, comme Tertullien l'affirme, «le Christ nous apprend quel est le dessein du Père qu'Il réalise dans le monde, et quel est le comportement de l'homme, afin qu'il se conforme à ce même dessein». Sachons, donc, choisir ce qui nous convient le mieux!

Gospel text

(Lk 1,39-56): 

Mary then set out for a town in the Hills of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit, and giving a loud cry, said, «You are most blessed among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb! How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you who believed that the Lord's word would come true!».

And Mary said: «My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God my savior! He has looked upon his servant in her lowliness, and people forever will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is his Name! From age to age his mercy extends to those who live in his presence. He has acted with power and done wonders, and scattered the proud with their plans. He has put down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He held out his hand to Israel, his servant, for he remembered his mercy, even as he promised our fathers, Abraham and his descendants forever». Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned home.

The Application

On this day of the Feast of the Visitation, I invite you to discover the divine accompaniment in your daily life, as Mary discovered it. Today, Mary is invited to discover not only the title God gave her, 'the mother of God,' but also how that God accompanies her cousin. She had been under the impression that her service to her cousin would be a generosity or a duty on her part. In truth, in her ignorance, she discovers that she is accomplishing the divine will, a cooperation in the Trinitarian work.

There is a great meeting of men of great value and also a meeting of three persons together, totally invisible to men, yet visible to the eyes of faith, especially for Mary, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Zachariah, etc. God does not hide Himself, He allows Himself to be found, by men of good will.

Like Mary, we are invited to dwell, to dwell with God, in the homes of men. Is this dwelling of Mary, in her cousin's house, not a dwelling of God? God puts himself at the service of the people. Many of us see the visitation of Mary, and we are right. If we want to look deeper, in truth in Mary, there was the visitation of the Trinity, because the Father was there with his Son, and all were enveloped by the Holy Spirit. The men enveloped by the Trinity, are able to overthrow the powerful of the world and make the humble ones rise, fill them with joy, as God does. Shall we too be inspired bt the Holy Spirit and enact such visitations in our daily life?

Action of the day : Try to visit a person today and assure him or her your support.

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers:

John prophecies from the womb, 

by Maximus of Turin (died between 408-423 AD)

"Not yet born, already John prophesies and, while still in the enclosure of his mother's womb, confesses the coming of Christ with movements of joy - since he could not do so with his voice. As Elizabeth says to holy Mary, 'As soon as you greeted me, the child in my womb exulted for joy.' John exults, then, before he is born. Before his eyes can see what the world looks like, he can recognize the Lord of the world with his spirit. In this regard, I think that the prophetic phrase is appropriate: 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came forth from the womb I sanctified you' (Jeremiah 1:5). Thus we ought not to marvel that after Herod put him in prison, he continued to announce Christ to his disciples from his confinement, when even confined in the womb he preached the same Lord by his movements." (excerpt from SERMON 5.4)

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 1,39-56): 

En ces jours-là, Marie se mit en route rapidement vers une ville de la montagne de Judée. Elle entra dans la maison de Zacharie et salua Élisabeth. Or, quand Élisabeth entendit la salutation de Marie, l'enfant tressaillit en elle. Alors, Élisabeth fut remplie de l'Esprit Saint, et s'écria d'une voix forte: «Tu es bénie entre toutes les femmes, et le fruit de tes entrailles est béni. Comment ai-je ce bonheur que la mère de mon Seigneur vienne jusqu'à moi? Car, lorsque j'ai entendu tes paroles de salutation, l'enfant a tressailli d'allégresse au-dedans de moi. Heureuse celle qui a cru à l'accomplissement des paroles qui lui furent dites de la part du Seigneur».

Marie dit alors: «Mon âme exalte le Seigneur, mon esprit exulte en Dieu mon Sauveur. Il s'est penché sur son humble servante; désormais tous les âges me diront bienheureuse. Le Puissant fit pour moi des merveilles; Saint est son nom! Son amour s'étend d'âge en âge sur ceux qui le craignent. Déployant la force de son bras, il disperse les superbes. Il renverse les puissants de leurs trônes, il élève les humbles. Il comble de bien les affamés, renvoie les riches les mains vides. Il relève Israël son serviteur, il se souvient de son amour, de la promesse faite à nos pères, en faveur d'Abraham et de sa race à jamais».

Marie demeura avec Élisabeth environ trois mois, puis elle s'en retourna chez elle.

L’Application

En ce jour de la fête de la Visitation, je vous invite à découvrir l'accompagnement divin dans votre vie quotidienne, comme Marie l'a découvert. Aujourd'hui, Marie est invitée à découvrir non seulement le titre que Dieu lui a donné, " mère de Dieu ", mais aussi comment ce Dieu accompagne sa cousine. Elle avait eu l'impression que son service à son cousin serait une générosité ou un devoir de sa part. En vérité, dans son ignorance, elle découvre qu'elle accomplit la volonté divine, une coopération à l'œuvre trinitaire.

Il y a une grande rencontre d'hommes de grande valeur et aussi une rencontre de trois personnes ensemble, totalement invisibles aux hommes, mais visibles aux yeux de la foi, en particulier pour Marie, Élisabeth, Jean-Baptiste, Zacharie, etc. Dieu ne se cache pas, il se laisse trouver, par les hommes de bonne volonté.

Comme Marie, nous sommes invités à habiter, à demeurer avec Dieu, dans les maisons des hommes. Cette demeure de Marie, dans la maison de sa cousine, n'est-elle pas une demeure de Dieu ? Dieu se met au service du peuple. Beaucoup d'entre nous voient la visitation de Marie, et nous avons raison. Si nous voulons regarder plus profondément, en vérité en Marie, il y avait la visitation de la Trinité, parce que le Père était là avec son Fils, et tous étaient enveloppés par l'Esprit Saint. Les hommes enveloppés par la Trinité, sont capables de renverser les puissants du monde et de faire lever les humbles, de les remplir de joie, comme le fait Dieu. Allons-nous, nous aussi, nous laisser inspirer par l'Esprit Saint et mettre en œuvre de telles visites dans notre vie quotidienne ? 

«Moi, je suis le Chemin, la Vérité et la Vie. Puisque vous me connaissez, vous connaîtrez aussi mon Père»

+ Mgr. F. Xavier CIURANETA i Aymí

Evêque Emérite de Lleida(Lleida, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui nous contemplons la Visite de la Vierge Marie à sa cousine Élisabeth. Aussitôt qu'elle eut appris que Dieu le Père l'avait choisi pour être la Mère du Fils de Dieu et que sa cousine Élisabeth avait aussi reçu le don de la maternité, Marie partit avec décision dans la montagne pour féliciter sa cousine, partager avec elle la joie d'avoir reçu le don de la maternité et se mettre à son service.

La salutation de la Mère de Dieu fait tressaillir d'allégresse l'enfant qu'Élisabeth porte dans ses entrailles. La Mère de Dieu, qui est enceinte de Jésus, est la cause de cette joie. La maternité est un don de Dieu qui suscite la joie. Les familles se réjouissent à l'annonce d'une nouvelle vie. La naissance du Christ produit certainement «une grande joie» (Lc 2,10).

Malgré ce, la maternité n'est pas vraiment appréciée de nos jours. Fréquemment, on lui oppose d'autres intérêts superficiels, qui ne sont qu'une manifestation de complaisance et d'égoïsme. Les éventuels renoncements qu'entraîne l'amour paternel et maternel effrayent beaucoup de couples mariées qui, à cause des biens qu'ils ont reçus de Dieu, devraient être plus généreux et dire “oui” à de nouvelles vies d'une façon plus responsable. Trop de familles ne sont plus des “sanctuaires de la vie”. Saint Jean Paul II constate que la contraception et l'avortement «sont des maux qui s'enracinent dans une mentalité hédoniste et de déresponsabilisation en ce qui concerne la sexualité et supposent une conception égoïste de la liberté, qui voit dans la procréation un obstacle à l'épanouissement de la personnalité de chacun».

Pendant cinq mois, Élisabeth n'a pas quitté la maison, et elle songeait: «Voilà ce que le Seigneur a fait pour moi» (Lc 1,25). Et Marie disait: «Mon âme exalte le Seigneur (...) parce qu'Il s'est penché sur son humble servante» (Lc 1,46.48). La Vierge Marie et Élisabeth apprécient et sont reconnaissantes à l'œuvre que Dieu a fait en elles: la maternité! Les catholiques doivent retrouver le sens de la vie comme don sacré de Dieu aux hommes.

The Christian life is divided into three stages: 
- A divine knowledge that leads us to faith, faith in this God who loves us. Thanks to this faith, man begins to live his life to the full and it makes us live by giving us hope and a reason to live. 
- Our life is a response to this divine call, a call to the perfection of holiness, a participation in the divine nature, always remaining in our own human nature. By our concrete commitments we dive into the divine nature, because in our acts, it is God who acts. In the fruits of these acts we discover the divine desire, a God who desires to live in us and through us. 
- Consequently, others who do not know this God, will discover this God in us and in our human acts. Thus they will learn to worship this God, as we worship Him through our life of witness. 

For this God invites us to discover Him, as He invited Moses at Sinai. This is not the first time Moses has gone up the mountain, a place of divine encounter in the Bible. He has already done it once out of curiosity and today he will do it out of obligation, an obligation for the good of God's people. Before, he believed that God was silent before the suffering of God's people and in the fire God revealed to him his project of salvation.  Today he discovers another image of God, a God of mercy and love, generous in forgiveness. God reveals Himself, He reveals Himself progressively in the history of man, through daily events, so that His children may find Him, discover His love and love God in return.  An unthinkable, impenetrable God becomes a God close to humanity, a God who shares perfectly in the humanity of Jesus, in the joy and sorrow of men. 

This unique God as Jesus revealed to us, is not only one person, they are three, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Church reminds us that the baptism we received was Trinitarian in nature, 'Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Let us not try to understand everything, but let us be ourselves through our communion,  become this mystery to the people. The Church in its diversity will represent to the world, this divine unity, communion, by the way it celebrates and lives the sacraments. Saint Augustine tells us, the world is an image of God. If we look for a perfect image in the world of this Trinitarian nature, it is found in the sacrament of marriage, in the life of the couple, the family. By the visibility they are two persons, by the faith in the life of the couple, the way we love each other, we become one and we make visible to the world, this mystery of the Trinity. In this sacrament of marriage we are invited to respect individuality, and learn to live the Trinitarian communion. Let not man separate what God has united. 

Jesus came to reveal this God. By his death and resurrection, He made us understand how much God loves us in Him. "Love one another as I have loved you. "We raise our eyes to Christ, to better understand the Father and his love. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand all that Jesus has already taught us.  Parents are the perfect image of this Triune God to children. May the children discover in the hearts of their parents, the Father Creator, the Son who saves us and the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us.  If every home lives this Trinitarian life, this God who was not found, will become our flesh in the Eucharist and will nourish the family. 

On Mother's Day, let us present all the mothers of our parish to God, with the Virgin Mary, the mother of God. Let all the mothers, through her life as a mother, may she participate in the role of the Father the Creator, may she be the Christ who saves and may the Holy Spirit sanctify us through her motherhood. My brothers and sisters, may the Holy Trinity bless us and may the Trinitarian communion be a model for our families, Amen. 

Gospel text

(Mk 11,27-33): 

Jesus and his disciples returned once more to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple area, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders approached him and said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I shall ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me.”

They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”– they feared the crowd, for they all thought John really was a prophet. So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” Then Jesus said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Application

I look at Jesus and the way He answers people. They ask a very trick question and Jesus returns the same question with an interrogation.  Jesus teaches us how to respond to these people who are insincere in their questioning. He invites us to discern not only the value of the question, but also the intention of the questioner.

We must recognize that we do not have the same talent as Jesus, who was able to penetrate our inner thoughts. We need to pray for wisdom, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to be granted to us. By God's grace, with good discernment, we too can answer questions well, like Jesus. Our answer to these questions will help us discover the value system that guides us in our daily lives. It is here that we respect the divine authority in us and obey generously to God’s will.

Action of the day : Be wise in your discernment.

Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers:

Fearing the truth, 

by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Fearing a stoning, but fearing more an admission of the truth, they answered the truth with a lie, reminiscent of the Scripture: 'injustice has lied within herself' (Psalm 27:12). For they said, 'We know not.' And because they had shut themselves up against him, by asserting that they did not know what they knew, the Lord did not open up to them because they did not knock. For it has been said, 'Knock and it will be opened to you' (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9). But they not only had not knocked that it might be opened, but by their denial they barricaded the door itself against themselves. And the Lord said to them, 'Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things' (Matthew 21:27; Mark 11:33; Luke 20:7). (excerpt from TRACTATE ON JOHN 2.9.4)

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mc 11,27-33): 

Jésus et ses disciples reviennent à Jérusalem. Et comme Jésus allait et venait dans le Temple, les chefs des prêtres, les scribes et les anciens vinrent le trouver. Ils lui demandaient: «Par quelle autorité fais-tu cela? Ou bien qui t'a donné autorité pour le faire?». Jésus leur dit: «Je vais vous poser une seule question. Répondez-moi, et je vous dirai par quelle autorité je fais cela. Le baptême de Jean venait-il du ciel ou des hommes? Répondez-moi».

Ils faisaient en eux-mêmes ce raisonnement: «Si nous disons: ‘Du ciel’, il va dire: ‘Pourquoi donc n'avez-vous pas cru à sa parole?’. Mais allons-nous dire: ‘Des hommes’?». Ils redoutaient la foule, car tout le monde estimait que Jean était réellement un prophète. Ils répondent donc à Jésus: «Nous ne savons pas!». Alors Jésus leur dit: «Moi non plus, je ne vous dirai pas par quelle autorité je fais cela».

L’Application

Je regarde Jésus et la façon dont il répond aux gens. Ils posent une question piège et Jésus retourne la même question avec un interrogatoire.  Jésus nous enseigne comment répondre à ces personnes qui ne sont pas sincères dans leur questionnement. Il nous invite à discerner non seulement la valeur de la question, mais aussi l'intention de celui qui la pose.

Nous devons reconnaître que nous n'avons pas le même talent que Jésus, qui était capable de pénétrer nos pensées intérieures. Nous devons prier pour que la sagesse, l'un des dons de l'Esprit Saint, nous soit accordée. Par la grâce de Dieu, avec un bon discernement, nous pouvons nous aussi bien répondre aux questions, comme Jésus. Notre réponse à ces questions nous aidera à découvrir le système de valeurs qui nous guide dans notre vie quotidienne.

«Par quelle autorité fais-tu cela?»

Abbé Antoni BALLESTER i Díaz

(Camarasa, Lleida, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui, l'Évangile nous demande de songer à l'intention avec laquelle nous allons trouver Jésus. Il y a ceux qui y vont sans foi, sans reconnaître son autorité: «les chefs des prêtres, les scribes et les anciens vinrent le trouver. Ils lui demandaient: ‘Par quelle autorité fais-tu cela? Ou bien qui t'a donné autorité pour le faire?’» (Mc 11,27-28).

Si nous ne parlons pas à Dieu dans nos prières, nous n'aurons pas la foi. Mais, comme le dit saint Grégoire le Grand, «lorsque nous insistons avec véhémence dans la prière, Dieu s'arrête dans notre cœur et nous recouvrons la vue perdue». Si notre disposition est bonne, même si nous nous trompons, en voyant que l'autre a raison, nous accueillerons ses paroles. Si notre intention est bonne, même si nous traînons le poids du péché, quand nous prierons, Dieu nous fera comprendre notre misère pour que nous puissions nous réconcilier avec Lui, en Lui demandant pardon de tout notre cœur moyennant le sacrement de la pénitence.

Foi et prière vont de pair. Saint Augustin nous dit que «si la foi s'éteint, la prière cesse elle-même d'exister. Croyons donc pour assurer le succès de nos prières, et prions pour que notre foi ne vienne pas à faiblir. La foi produit la prière, et la prière à son tour obtient l'affermissement de la foi». Si notre intention est bonne, et que nous nous adressons à Jésus, nous découvrirons qui Il est et nous comprendrons quand Il nous demande: «Le baptême de Jean venait-il du ciel ou des hommes?» (Mc 11,30). Par la foi, nous savons qu'il venait du ciel, et que son autorité Lui vient aussi de son Père, qui est Dieu, et de Lui-même, car Il est la deuxième Personne de la Sainte Trinité.

Parce que nous savons que Jésus est l'unique sauveur du monde, nous nous adressons à Marie qui est aussi notre Mère, pour accueillir la parole et la vie de Jésus, avec bonne intention et bonne volonté, et pour avoir la paix et la joie des enfants de Dieu.

Gospel text

(Mk 11,11-25): 

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area. He looked around at everything and, since it was already late, went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry. Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went over to see if he could find anything on it. When he reached it he found nothing but leaves; it was not the time for figs. And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!” And his disciples heard it.

They came to Jerusalem, and on entering the temple area he began to drive out those selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area. Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written: My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples? But you have made it a den of thieves.” The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it and were seeking a way to put him to death, yet they feared him because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching. When evening came, they went out of the city.

Early in the morning, as they were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered to its roots. Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God. Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him. Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours. When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”

The Application

Faith and prayer go together. Yesterday, we already meditated on what caused this blind man to cry out and how Jesus recognized it in him. Jesus' presence in the temple and his act of cleansing the temple is an expression of his faith. Everything is possible in faith.

Prayer or contemplation is not a human act to receive a grace from God, but it is essentially a response to the divine call to listen to Him and to be with Him. The prayer of supplication is a drop of water in the ocean, not the whole sea.  

For this, Jesus invites us to purify the temple, the dwelling place of God, our heart, starting with forgiveness. Since prayer is a relationship, and contemplation is an immersion in the divine nature, and man alone can never acquire it, God has chosen to dwell in us, if we would welcome Him. Our generosity, which is best expressed in forgiveness, will help us to welcome not only the divine graces generously bestowed, but also God Himself within us.

Action of the day : Have faith in God.

«All that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it»

Fr. Agustí BOADAS Llavat OFM

(Barcelona, Spain)

Today, fruit and prayer are the key words to this Gospel. The Lord notices a fig tree and finds nothing but leaves: and He reacts by cursing it. According to St. Isidore of Seville, “fig” and “fruit” have the same root. Early next morning the Apostles, surprised, tell him: «Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered» (Mk 11:21). In reply, Jesus Christ speaks to them of faith and prayer: «Have faith in God» (Mk 11:22).

There are people that almost never pray and, when they do it, it is with the hope God will solve problems they do not know how to handle themselves. And they justify it with the words from Jesus we have just heard: «Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours» (Mk 11:24). They are right, and it is quite human, understandable and legitimate that, in front of a problem too difficult for us, we trust in God, in a much higher force.

But we must also add that prayers are “useless” («Your Father knows what you need before you ask him»: Mt 6:8), as long as they do not have a practical and direct utility, as —for instance— switch on a light. We do not receive anything for our prayer, because what we receive from God is grace upon grace.

Should we, therefore, not pray...? Of course, we should: now that we know that by prayer we obtain the grace, our prayer has become more worthy and valuable: because it is “useless” and it is “costless”. Furthermore, there are three benefits we do receive from the petition prayer: interior peace (to find our friend Jesus and to trust God is relaxing); to mull over a problem, rationalize it, and knowing how to raise it, is to solve half of it; and, in the third place, praying helps us to discern between what is good and what, maybe out of some personal whim, are the actual intentions of our prayers. Then, later on, we shall understand with the eyes of the faith what Jesus says: «Whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son» (Jn 14:13).