OMELIE / Omelie EN

21 gen 2024

21/01/2023 - 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - B

21/01/2023 - 3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - B

Reading 1 JON 3,1-5.10 Psalm 24 Reading 2 1COR 7,29-31 Gospel MK 1,14-20

Prayer for Christian Unity

Today we hear three invitations to repent. The first is from the prophet Jonah, a prophet not really humble nor likeable. In fact, he disobeyed God’s first calling, and instead of preaching to the people Nineveh about repentance, he tried to run far away. At the second calling he obeyed, as we heard, even if he was looking forward to the destruction rather than the repentance of the people of Nineveh. They instead believed him, and they were spared the punishment their sins had deserved.

Jesus too invites to repent. Such a big difference between Jonah and Jesus! The former was not happy about the pagan city coming to its senses, the latter is reaping the rewards of His preaching: Simon, Andrew, Jack and John left everything to follow Him and let their life be changed by Him. They have truly repented so they have welcomed the announcement of the kingdom of heaven as being present and have believed the news that God loves us, and His love is the person Jesus.

What does “repenting” mean? The word used by the evangelist refers to focusing our thoughts on something that goes beyond what we can see, beyond what we normally desire on this earth, beyond and far from what usually busies our hearts.

They who repent start to think and desire the life we call eternal, the life we live with God, immersed in His love and His faithfulness to humanity.

They who repent look for someone to take their hand along the new path they are starting on, just like the four fishermen of the lake of Galilee have done. They have followed in Jesus’s footsteps, have let themselves be guided by Him into a new life, all focused on His look and His Word.

The third invitation is coming from the Apostle. Saint Paul wants to help us taking our first steps towards repentance. First of all, he makes us look at the time we are living in now as a temporary situation: our eyes should look beyond the days and years left us. We will live them by centering our relationships with people, things and ourselves on the Lord Jesus.

The relationships with people we are living in, even those relationships made holy by the Word of God, like the one between faithful spouses, cannot come before our love for Jesus: the life comes from Him and it is He who fills and completes every relationship of ours.

The feelings of suffering and joy which are alternating in us, cannot take full hold of us: our heart will always belong to the Son of God and it will always find in His presence the reason for rejoicing, or, in His absence, the reason for true suffering.

Our relationship with the goods in this world is temporary, and we will have to be aware of this precariousness. All things, like all riches, are assigned by God, Father of everyone, not only to us, but also to those who need help with their life.

We will complete our repentance when we will be able to go beyond things, people and even ourselves, to reach the Father’s heart!

The repentance is the basis for recognising one another and for loving one another as children of God, it is the foundation for communion among us. Repentance is needed for all the Christian communities, which are praying so the unity Jesus has asked to the Father for His disciples may become real and visible.