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

Gospel text

(Lk 5:17-26): 

One day as Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set [him] in his presence. But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.”

Then the scribes and Pharisees began to ask themselves, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.” He stood up immediately before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God. Then astonishment seized them all and they glorified God, and, struck with awe, they said, “We have seen incredible things today.”

The Application

In order for this gospel to become a reality in our daily lives, I invite you to do a rereading of life.

Faith: The faith of the people is totally invisible, yet well expressed by the bearers of this paralysed man. How do I express my faith?

The gaze of the people and of God: The way we look at events and people reveals all that dwells deep in our hearts. The paralyzed man had a look that is totally different from the look of the spectators. The gaze of the bearer and the elites was not comparable. The look of Jesus is filled with love and compassion. What look dwells in you and what look would you like to imitate?

Forgiveness and sin: God alone knows the inner self of this man and this paralysed man will accept the forgiveness given very graciously. It was not physical healing that was this man's priority. His soul was thirsty for God, the living God. Since forgiveness was not the priority of others, they are totally upset, this forgiveness visibly granted by a man. Do you recognise the divine presence in every human encounter? It is up to you to accept this encounter and enjoy it, or reject it.  

Divine glory: This is the testimony of the people. All gave glory to God, for they saw extraordinary things. Do you see in ordinary things the extraordinary doings of God? Can you sincerely give glory to God? Do your actions help to give glory to God?

Action of the day: Watch the way you look at people.

“As for you, your sins are forgiven.”

Fr. Joan Carles MONTSERRAT i Pulido

(Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain)

Today, the Lord preaches and cures at the same time. Today we see the Lord teach those who considered themselves to be the more learned of their times: the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. We can sometimes think that because we live in the century we live in or because of the studies we have under our belt, there is little for us left to be learnt. This non-supernatural logic frequently leads us to think that God should fit into our way of thinking and not the other way around.

In the attitude of those who want their friend to be cured, we can see how resourceful we human beings can be when it comes to getting what we really want. What they wanted was something that was essentially good: that a sick person to be cured. But it is not enough. Our Lord wants a complete cure for us. And that's why he starts with what He has come to do in this world, with what his holy name means: to save man from his sins.

—My sins are always the deepest source of that which is bad in me “As for you, your sins are forgiven” (Lk 5:20). Very often, our prayer and our interest are purely materialistic, but the Lord knows what we really need. The doctors' surgeries are full of sick people, just like they were in the times of Jesus. And like the people of that time, we run the risk of not going, with quite the same diligence, to where we can make a full recovery: to encounter the Lord in the sacrament of Penance.

It is fundamentally important for the believer to have a sincere encounter with the mercy of Jesus. He, rich in mercy, reminds us especially today that in this Advent we cannot forget the pardon He is more than willing to give us. And that if necessary, we must rid ourselves of the impediments —the roof— that prevent us from seeing him. —We all need to remove the tiles of our prejudices, of our comforts, of our worries, our lack of trust that is an obstacle to us setting our sights higher than the rooftops.

Texte de l'Évangile

(Lc 5,17-26): 

Un jour que Jésus enseignait, il y avait dans l'assistance des pharisiens et des docteurs de la Loi, venus de tous les villages de Galilée et de Judée, ainsi que de Jérusalem; et la puissance du Seigneur était à l'oeuvre pour lui faire opérer des guérisons. Arrivent des gens, portant sur une civière un homme qui était paralysé; ils cherchaient à le faire entrer pour le placer devant Jésus. Mais, ne voyant pas comment faire à cause de la foule, ils montèrent sur le toit et, en écartant les tuiles, ils le firent descendre avec sa civière en plein milieu devant Jésus. Voyant leur foi, il dit: «Tes péchés te sont pardonnés».

Les scribes et les pharisiens se mirent à penser: «Quel est cet homme qui dit des blasphèmes? Qui donc peut pardonner les péchés, sinon Dieu seul?». Mais Jésus, saisissant leurs raisonnements, leur répondit: «Pourquoi tenir ces raisonnements? Qu'est-ce qui est le plus facile? de dire: ‘Tes péchés te sont pardonnés’, ou bien de dire : ‘Lève-toi et marche’? Eh bien! pour que vous sachiez que le Fils de l'homme a sur terre le pouvoir de pardonner les péchés, je te l'ordonne, dit-il au paralysé: lève-toi, prends ta civière et retourne chez toi». A l'instant même, celui-ci se leva devant eux, il prit ce qui lui servait de lit et s'en alla chez lui en rendant gloire à Dieu. Tous furent saisis de stupeur et ils rendaient gloire à Dieu. Remplis de crainte, ils disaient: «Aujourd'hui nous avons vu des choses extraordinaires!».

L’Application

Pour que cet évangile devienne une réalité dans notre vie quotidienne, je vous invite à faire une relecture de la vie.

La foi : La foi du peuple est totalement invisible, et pourtant bien exprimée par les porteurs de cet homme paralysé. Comment est-ce que j'exprime ma foi ?

Le regard du peuple et par le regard de Dieu :Le regard que nous portons sur les événements et les personnes révèle tout ce qui habite le fond de notre cœur.  L'homme paralysé avait un regard totalement différent de celui des spectateurs. Le regard du porteur et des élites n'était pas comparable. Le regard de Jésus est rempli d'amour et de compassion. Quel regard vous habite et quel regard aimeriez-vous imiter ?

Le pardon et le péché : Dieu seul connaît l'intériorité de cet homme et cet homme paralysé va accepter le pardon donné très gracieusement. Ce n'est pas la guérison physique qui était la priorité de cet homme. Son âme avait soif de Dieu, du Dieu vivant. Comme le pardon n'était pas la priorité des autres, ils sont totalement bouleversés, ce pardon visiblement accordé par un homme. Reconnaissez-vous la présence divine dans toute rencontre humaine ? Il ne tient qu'à vous d'accepter cette rencontre et d'en profiter, ou de la rejeter.  

La gloire divine : Voici le témoignage du peuple. Tous ont rendu gloire à Dieu, car ils ont vu des choses extraordinaires. Voyez-vous dans les choses ordinaires les actions extraordinaires de Dieu ? Pouvez-vous sincèrement rendre gloire à Dieu ? Vos actions contribuent-elles à rendre gloire à Dieu ?

«Tes péchés te sont pardonnés»

Abbé Joan Carles MONTSERRAT i Pulido

(Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Espagne)

Aujourd'hui le Seigneur nous instruit et nous guérit en même temps. Aujourd'hui nous voyons le Seigneur qui enseigne aux pharisiens et aux docteurs de la loi, ceux qui à son époque se considéraient très cultivés. Quelquefois en pensant à l'époque dans laquelle nous vivons et/ou aux longues études que nous avons faites, nous pensons qu'il ne nous reste pas beaucoup de choses à apprendre. Cette logique, qui n'a rien de surnaturel, nous amène parfois à vouloir faire que les chemins de Dieu soient les nôtres et non vice-versa.

Nous voyons dans l'attitude de ceux qui souhaitent la guérison d'un ami la résolution que nous mettons pour obtenir ce que nous désirons vraiment. Leur souhait, que l'infirme marche, n'est pas mauvais en soi. Mais cela ne suffit pas. Notre Seigneur veut réaliser en nous une guérison profonde. C'est pour cela qu'il commence par ce qu'Il est venu faire au monde, la signification même de son nom: sauver le monde de tous ses péchés.

La source la plus profonde de tous nos maux est le péché: «Tes péchés sont pardonnés» (Lc 5,20). Très souvent, notre prière ou notre intérêt est purement matériel, mais le Seigneur sait ce dont nous avons le plus besoin. Comme dans ce temps là, de nos jours les cabinets de médecins sont remplis de malades. Et à l'égal de ces malades, nous avons du mal à aller là où se trouve notre guérison complète, c'est à dire: à la rencontre du Seigneur dans le sacrement de la pénitence.

La rencontre sincère avec Jésus Miséricordieux est un point essentiel dans la vie de tout chrétien. Lui, qui est riche en miséricorde, nous rappelle, dans ce temps de l'Avent, que nous avons besoin du pardon qu'Il nous donne à bras ouverts et qu'il ne faut pas le délaisser. Parfois nous aussi nous avons besoin d'“écarter les tuiles” qui nous empêchent de Le voir. Je dois aussi “écarter les tuiles” de mes préjudices, de mes conforts, de mes préoccupations, de mes méfiances, qui sont un obstacle pour Le voir.

Gospel text

(Mt 9:35—10:1.6-8): 

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

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

The Application

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

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

Action of the day: Be a person of peace.

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

Fr. Xavier PAGÉS i Castañer

(Barcelona, Spain)

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

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

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

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mt 9,35-10,1.6-8): 

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

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

L’Application

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

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

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

Abbé Xavier PAGÉS i Castañer

(Barcelona, Espagne)

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

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

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

Gospel text

(Mt 9:27-31): 

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

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

The Application

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

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

Action of the day: Be a person of faith.
 

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

Fr. Josep Mª MASSANA i Mola OFM

(Barcelona, Spain)

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

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

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

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

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

Gospel text

(Mk 16,15-20): 

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

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

The Application

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

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

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

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

Fr. Eduard MARTÍNEZ Quinto

(Mirasol, Barcelona, Spain)

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

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

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

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

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

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mt 9,27-31): 

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

L’Application

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

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

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

Abbé Josep Mª MASSANA i Mola OFM

(Barcelona, Espagne)

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

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

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

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

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

Gospel text

(Mt 7:21.24-27): 

Jesus said to his disciples, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven”.

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

The Application

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

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

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

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

Action of the day: Trust the Lord.

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

Fr. Jean-Charles TISSOT

(Freiburg, Switzerland)

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

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

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

Texte de l'Évangile

(Mt 7,21.24-27): 

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

L’Application

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

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

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

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

Abbé Jean-Charles TISSOT

(Freiburg, Suisse)

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

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

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

Gospel text

(Mt 15:29-37): 

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

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

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

The Application

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

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

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

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

Action of the day: Be generous.

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

Fr. Joan COSTA i Bou

(Barcelona, Spain)

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

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

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

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