Gospel text (Mark 1,14-20): After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began preaching the Good News of God. He said, «The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News». As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, «Follow me, and I will make you fish for people». At once, they abandoned their nets and followed him. Jesus went a little farther on and saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee; they were in their boat mending their nets. Immediately, Jesus called them and they followed him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men.
Comment: + Fr. Lluís ROQUÉ i Roqué (Manresa, Barcelona, Spain)
Change your ways and believe the Good News
Today, the Church invites us to change our ways and, through Jesus, is telling us: «Change your ways and believe the Good News» (Mk 1:15). We will, therefore, have to pay attention to what Jesus Christ is saying, while correcting and improving what is needed.
Any human action connects with God's eternal designs about us and with the vocation to listen to Jesus, to follow Him in everything and to proclaim Him, just as the first disciples did, as millions of persons have done and as we try to do, too.
We now have the opportunity to find God through Jesus Christ; it is now, therefore, the moment of our life to connect us to either a happy or miserable eternity; it is also now, the time God provides us with, to meet Him, to live as his sons and to make our daily events to become loaded with the divine transcendence Jesus Christ —with his life through time— has poured on them.
We cannot miss this opportunity!: our life may be more or less lengthy in time, but will always be too short, «for the world in its present form is passing away» (1Co 7:31). And afterwards, the eternity; with God and His faithful followers, in a life full of happiness and glory, or far away from God —with those unfaithful to Him— in a life of total darkness.
The hours, days, months and years, are not for us to waste, nor to spend in relaxation while letting them go by almost unnoticed with a futile “not too bad”. They are rather for us to live up —here and now— following what Jesus Christ has proclaimed in the saving Gospel: live in God, by loving everything and everybody. This is why, those who have loved —Mary, Mother of God and our Mother too; the saints; and those who have remained faithful till the very end of their earthly life— have been able to hear that: «Well done, my good and faithful servant (…). Come, share your master's joy» (Mt 25:23).
Let us be converted! It is worth our while!: we shall love, and we shall be happy, starting right now!
Any human action connects with God's eternal designs about us and with the vocation to listen to Jesus, to follow Him in everything and to proclaim Him, just as the first disciples did, as millions of persons have done and as we try to do, too.
We now have the opportunity to find God through Jesus Christ; it is now, therefore, the moment of our life to connect us to either a happy or miserable eternity; it is also now, the time God provides us with, to meet Him, to live as his sons and to make our daily events to become loaded with the divine transcendence Jesus Christ —with his life through time— has poured on them.
We cannot miss this opportunity!: our life may be more or less lengthy in time, but will always be too short, «for the world in its present form is passing away» (1Co 7:31). And afterwards, the eternity; with God and His faithful followers, in a life full of happiness and glory, or far away from God —with those unfaithful to Him— in a life of total darkness.
The hours, days, months and years, are not for us to waste, nor to spend in relaxation while letting them go by almost unnoticed with a futile “not too bad”. They are rather for us to live up —here and now— following what Jesus Christ has proclaimed in the saving Gospel: live in God, by loving everything and everybody. This is why, those who have loved —Mary, Mother of God and our Mother too; the saints; and those who have remained faithful till the very end of their earthly life— have been able to hear that: «Well done, my good and faithful servant (…). Come, share your master's joy» (Mt 25:23).
Let us be converted! It is worth our while!: we shall love, and we shall be happy, starting right now!
