Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12,1-7
At that time:
So many people were crowding together
that they were trampling one another underfoot.
Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,
“Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees.
“There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness
will be heard in the light,
and what you have whispered behind closed doors
will be proclaimed on the housetops.
I tell you, my friends,
do not be afraid of those who kill the body
but after that can do no more.
I shall show you whom to fear.
Be afraid of the one who after killing
has the power to cast into Gehenna;
yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.
Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?
Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.
Do not be afraid.
You are worth more than many sparrows.”
The crowd seeks him
1. Crowding together. When I reflect on this, it reminds me that Jesus is the one who calls people together. One of the problems we have in the Church (and I offer a self-critique) is that often, instead of evangelizing, what we do is clone. That is, instead of seeking out those who are far from the Church, we look for those who are already indoctrinated and speak the same language as us. The problem is that cloning and indoctrinating Christians has led us to be the same old people. And instead of seeking the lost, we have created an antibody that leads us to say: “We are the saved ones, and they are the lost ones; we are on the path of holiness because we follow the rules, but those others are lost and condemned.” Once, a woman even stopped speaking to me because she said she only spoke with priests who wear a cassock and belong to a certain movement. How often do we stay with the one sheep we like and fail to go out and look for the 99 lost ones?
2. Hypocrisy. Don’t fall into the trap of having many faces, of being one thing in one place and another somewhere else. Show yourself as you are and keep your identity. Stop selling your life to people who only want to use you. Many times, in trying to be liked by fellow priests and even bishops, I sold my personality. I tried to be the person and the priest they wanted, and I paid a very high price: I paid it with depression and with loneliness. I pulled away from those who loved me just to be around and beg for attention from those who didn’t want me. Therefore, don’t live in hypocrisy, because it can take away even what you thought you had: your life.
3. Do not be afraid. In these times, when we face threats and even insults, hearing these words from Jesus brings me calm. Remember that the first Christians were persecuted, and the power of the Holy Spirit shows up right there, in those tough, difficult, trench-like moments. Don’t give up; keep walking. As long as there is a mind that thinks about fulfilling God’s will, a heart that beats in God’s presence, and hands that work for your happiness, then you have no reason to fear anyone or anything that comes to threaten you.
Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
