Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 9, 46-50
An argument arose among the disciples
about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child
and placed it by his side and said to them,
“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you
is the one who is the greatest.”
Then John said in reply,
“Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name
and we tried to prevent him
because he does not follow in our company.”
Jesus said to him,
“Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.”
It is what you are that matters
1. Who is the greatest? This was the argument among Jesus’s followers. To this day the same happens to us… priests who want to become bishops, bishops who want to be cardinals, parish secretaries who would like to be the owners of the church, ministers of the Eucharist who practically feel priests, and so on. But we are reminded that we must return to what is most authentic in us, our childhood. It’s not offices or positions that make you more or less important than others. It’s not that if you are the priest of the cathedral you are more of a priest than one in the mountains. You are a priest, that’s it. You aren’t greater if you’re a manager or a boss somewhere. You are a son of God, period. We have all been given life and dignity; the discussion should not be the position you have, but the position you take before life.
2. Children. There is nothing more authentic than children, they tell you what they feel, what they live, they are clear about their identity and they are becoming aware of their limits. That is what helps you to lead life in truth, to be clear about who you are and to be authentic. Discover your identity, what you like, what inspires you, what you are passionate about, what makes you be simply you and also, like children, become aware of your limits and your fears, your need for someone stronger and bigger than you. Abandon yourself in your Father God.
3. Do not prevent them. Evangelization is a massive task and it’s also a personal one. The Gospel cannot be trimmed or limited. Many have come to know Jesus in different ways. Today I want to thank you for evangelizing in your own way and manner. Thank you for spreading the audio commentaries, thank you parishioner and you, brother or sister of a different creed. Thank you for posting an evangelical phrase or a phrase of encouragement on your WhatsApp status. Thank you for posting an image of Jesus on Instagram or a nice thought on Facebook or Twitter. Thank you for being a digital missionary, even though you may not have realized you are one. Thank you for being you, because that’s how you show us a little bit of God that dwells in you.
Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
