OMELIE / Omelie EN

24 gen 2021

24/01/2021 - 3ª Sunday in O.T.  - year B 

24/01/2021 - 3ª Sunday in O.T.  - year B 

Reading 1 JON 3,1-5.10 Psalm 24-25 Reading 2 1COR 7,29-31 Gospel  MK 1,14-20

“Good and upright is the Lord; thus he shows sinners the way”! The psalm in between readings is a good answer to God’s action, who can see men walking down paths leading them to ruin and jumps in to help them change their ways and going back to live obedient to Him. God’s intervention happens through the prophets and the preachers. Jonas has been sent for this reason even to a pagan city, the citizens of which were behaving in a “evil way”. Sent to preach to them, Jonas did not support the merciful thoughts of his God, on the contrary. He did not obey the first call, and when he could not avoid the task he had received, he carried it out with the inner desire to witness the realisation of His threats of destruction. But, despite his negative disposition, the Pagans recognised in his words God’s invitation, they believed, they converted, did their penance, started a new life and received mercy from God.

Jesus is so much more than Jonas! He too is walking the roads of a country who has mixed pagan elements in the faith in the true God, a country considered a dark land even by the prophets, the Galilee. He, knowing that John has been taken, tries to take his place in order to exhort to convert and hope.

The four sentences in which the evangelist Mark summarises Jesus’ preaching are very short and sharp. With the first two he announces the good news of God’s love: “This is the time of fulfillment”, so it is the right moment, the moment awaited for centuries, the time in which God offers men His salvation. We should not wait anymore, nor think of better times to come, because the time now is full of the Father’s love. This is the time to say our yes to God, the moment to welcome in our life his free gift. “The kingdom of God is at hand”: the kingdoms so feared by men are not scary anymore, now we can already start serving the God of Israel, the God who loves men and frees them from every oppressor. We can start rejoicing, enjoying the interior freedom, looking at God with sympathy, because He has started fulfilling His beautiful promises of peace, consolation, forgiveness and love. The king has arrived, the king ruling with justice, who lowers the proud and takes power away from the powerful, the king uselessly refused by the great, who looks at the poor and the weak with love. The rest of the sentences, are both an invitation: “Repent, and believe in the gospel”. “Repent”: this advice includes a returning in order to get closer to God, who does not have a look of reproach, but only of expectation in order to present us with an outfit, as happened to Adam and Eve, and celebrate with us. The same word means overcoming, overcoming men’s thoughts to take on those of the Father’s love, overcoming the selfish ways in order to learn God’s selfless ones. “Believe in the gospel”. The Jews Jesus was preaching to were believers, then what is Jesus' advice referring to? It is like He was saying: « Believe based on the good news I have given you; do not believe anymore as those who fear a punishment, but believe loving because you are loved. Base your faith on the love of the merciful Father and on my presence among you. Entrust yourself to God knowing that He loves you! ».

Once heard these words the first four who had been called, pairs of brothers, all four of them fishermen, answer without hesitation. Following Jesus, the king of the kingdom which is coming, is joy and safety, even if at first sight it might look like madness. Simon and Andrew and then Jack and John leave the security of the job and family in order to trust in God through Jesus. Earthly things, the very beautiful realities that have filled us with emotions up to now, have passed, they are among sad memories that are now useless. With Jesus has begun a new life, true, full. This is what Saint Paul too is firmly repeating: we can live without expecting any life and joy coming from human relationships, from even the holiest affections, and from earthly things, because we have everything and even more in the relationship with Jesus.

By living this freedom from things and circumstances, and basing our faith on the Father’s love, we become able to live in unity with the other Christians. We will peacefully enjoy what they can offer us through their experience of obedience to the Lord Jesus and show them our faithfulness to Him as a precious gift for their life.