(How does today’s Gospel speak to me during this lockdown? Allow me to share a humble reflection.)
Now after
John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. (Mark 1.14)
Today in
the Catholic Church, we celebrate “the Sunday of the Word.” Pope Francis’s
reflection this morning resonates with me. He draws my attention to a
particular difference between John the Baptist and Jesus: while John preached
in the desert, Jesus preached in the villages of Galilee. People had to leave
their homes to go listen to John; Jesus leaves his own home to go out to meet
them. He visits their homes, their workplaces, their synagogues and their
public places. In this way, he manifests God’s desire to be close to all God’s
children.
Even today,
Jesus comes to me. Thanks to Sacred Scripture, I can welcome him into my home,
listen to him and converse with him in prayer. Thanks to his Spirit, he abides
in my heart. Even during this lockdown, Jesus wants to draw closer to me, to
console me, to enlighten me and give me his courage. I only need to open the
Book and read.
Abba,
Father, I bless you because, in Jesus, you have made yourself close to us. Your
living Word reaches us where we are. Help us to welcome it, to meditate on it,
to let ourselves be transformed by it. Make us messengers of your Good News for
so many men and women who are struggling in these difficult times. May this
Sunday of the Word shine throughout 2021 so that, despite everything, it will
be a year of grace.
Amen.
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