Here is the text of the homily I prepared for this Sunday's celebrations of the liturgy with the people of God.
This week, thousands of young people from all corners of the world are gathered in Panama to celebrate the 34th World Youth Day. As I heard the news of this gathering, I was immediately drawn back in time to the times when I myself was able to attend other World Youth Day gatherings. Each of them was a celebration of faith and an opportunity to encounter the joy of youth, and a privileged moment for all those who were there to experience an encounter with Jesus. Each time I came back home, there was exciting news to share about new friends I had made or about an experience that had helped me to grow in faith. I wonder what stories the young people who are gathered in Panama will bring home with them, and I wonder how those stories they have to share will be received.
Today’s gospel account speaks of a time when Jesus himself came home with stories to tell. Even before he arrived, he was already gaining a reputation throughout Galilee. People in his hometown must have been excited to hear the stories that he would have to share. Is it any wonder then that after he had read those words from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him (Lk 4:20)? I have often wondered about the thoughts that might have been going through the minds of all those people at that precise moment: Did some in the crowd still remember him as a child? Were they truly excited to hear all about his adventures? Did they think that he was home to stay?
And what about us? Have we ever had the experience of someone in our family going away, perhaps even moving away for a time and then coming back home to visit? Were we excited to sit around a table and to hear about all the adventures that had been encountered? This is the fervour that I imagine might have been present in the crowd as they listened to the priest Ezra reading the Law of God before the assembly (cf Neh 8:2-3). They too would have been excited to hear the good news that Ezra had to share.
In fact, every time we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, we have another opportunity to hear a portion of the gospel – the good news – that Jesus wants to share with us. Sometimes the news he has to share brings us consolation, at other times it excites us and fills us with great joy; sometimes it encourages us, and at other times it compels us to ask ourselves some serious and difficult questions. Each time we hear it, the gospel invites us to grow in our relationship with our God and in our relationships with others.
We see a prime example of this in the second reading that we have heard today. Saint Paul writes to the Christian community at Corinth – and across the centuries, to us as well – comparing our role within the Church to the different parts of a body. Just as the body is one and has many members ... so it is with Christ ... in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body (1 Cor 12:12). Therefore even though we may all have come from different ethnic backgrounds, even though we each have our own story to tell, we are all united in faith; we are travelling the same road, hand in hand with one another. This alone is exciting news worth sharing.
Sharing the news
This week, thousands of young people from all corners of the world are gathered in Panama to celebrate the 34th World Youth Day. As I heard the news of this gathering, I was immediately drawn back in time to the times when I myself was able to attend other World Youth Day gatherings. Each of them was a celebration of faith and an opportunity to encounter the joy of youth, and a privileged moment for all those who were there to experience an encounter with Jesus. Each time I came back home, there was exciting news to share about new friends I had made or about an experience that had helped me to grow in faith. I wonder what stories the young people who are gathered in Panama will bring home with them, and I wonder how those stories they have to share will be received.
Today’s gospel account speaks of a time when Jesus himself came home with stories to tell. Even before he arrived, he was already gaining a reputation throughout Galilee. People in his hometown must have been excited to hear the stories that he would have to share. Is it any wonder then that after he had read those words from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him (Lk 4:20)? I have often wondered about the thoughts that might have been going through the minds of all those people at that precise moment: Did some in the crowd still remember him as a child? Were they truly excited to hear all about his adventures? Did they think that he was home to stay?
And what about us? Have we ever had the experience of someone in our family going away, perhaps even moving away for a time and then coming back home to visit? Were we excited to sit around a table and to hear about all the adventures that had been encountered? This is the fervour that I imagine might have been present in the crowd as they listened to the priest Ezra reading the Law of God before the assembly (cf Neh 8:2-3). They too would have been excited to hear the good news that Ezra had to share.
In fact, every time we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, we have another opportunity to hear a portion of the gospel – the good news – that Jesus wants to share with us. Sometimes the news he has to share brings us consolation, at other times it excites us and fills us with great joy; sometimes it encourages us, and at other times it compels us to ask ourselves some serious and difficult questions. Each time we hear it, the gospel invites us to grow in our relationship with our God and in our relationships with others.
We see a prime example of this in the second reading that we have heard today. Saint Paul writes to the Christian community at Corinth – and across the centuries, to us as well – comparing our role within the Church to the different parts of a body. Just as the body is one and has many members ... so it is with Christ ... in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body (1 Cor 12:12). Therefore even though we may all have come from different ethnic backgrounds, even though we each have our own story to tell, we are all united in faith; we are travelling the same road, hand in hand with one another. This alone is exciting news worth sharing.
Des nouvelles passionnantes à partager
Cette semaine, des milliers de jeunes de tous les coins du monde se sont réunis à Panama afin de célébrer la 34ème Journée mondiale de la jeunesse. En apprenant la nouvelle de ce rassemblement, je suis immédiatement revenu à l'époque où j'avais moi-même pu assister à d'autres rassemblements des JMJ. Chacune d'entre elles était une célébration de la foi et une occasion de rencontrer la joie de la jeunesse ainsi qu’un moment privilégié pour tous ceux qui étaient présents pour vivre une rencontre avec Jésus. Chaque fois que je rentrais chez moi, il y avait des nouvelles passionnantes à partager à propos de nouveaux amis que je m'étais faites ou d'une expérience qui m'avait aidé à grandir dans la foi. Je me demande quelles histoires les jeunes qui sont réunis à Panama ramèneront à la maison, et comment ces histoires qu’ils ont à partager seront accueillies.
Le récit évangélique d’aujourd’hui parle d’un moment où Jésus lui-même est rentré à la maison avec des histoires à raconter. Même avant son arrivée, il gagnait déjà une réputation en Galilée. Les gens de sa ville natale ont dû être enthousiasmés par les histoires qu’il devrait partager. Est-il alors étonnant qu'après avoir lu ces paroles du rouleau du prophète Isaïe, tous dans la synagogue avaient les yeux fixés sur lui (Lc 4, 20)? Je me suis souvent interrogé au sujet des pensées qui pourraient avoir traversé l'esprit de toutes ces personnes à ce moment précis: certains dans la foule se souvenaient-ils encore de Jésus comme d'un enfant? Étaient-ils vraiment excités d'entendre parler de ses aventures? Pensaient-ils qu'il était chez lui pour rester?
Et nous? Avons-nous déjà vécu l'expérience d'un membre de notre famille qui partait, peut-être même s'éloignait un peu pour revenir ensuite à la maison? Avions-nous hâte de nous asseoir autour d'une table et d'entendre parler de toutes les aventures vécues? C’est cette ferveur qui, j’imagine, aurait pu être présente dans la foule alors qu’ils écoutaient le prêtre Esdras qui lisait la loi de Dieu devant l’assemblée (cf Ne 8: 2-3). Eux aussi auraient été ravis d'apprendre la bonne nouvelle qu’Esdras voulait partager.
En fait, chaque fois que nous nous réunissons pour célébrer l'Eucharistie, nous avons une autre occasion d'entendre une partie de l'Évangile - la bonne nouvelle - que Jésus veut partager avec nous. Parfois, la nouvelle qu'il a à partager nous apporte la consolation, d'autres fois elle nous excite et nous comble de joie; parfois cela nous encourage, et d'autres fois cela nous oblige à nous poser des questions sérieuses et difficiles. Chaque fois que nous l'entendons, l'évangile nous invite à grandir dans nos relations avec notre Dieu et avec les autres.
Nous en voyons un excellent exemple lors de la deuxième lecture que nous avons entendue aujourd'hui. Saint Paul écrit à la communauté chrétienne de Corinthe - et à nous également à travers les siècles - comparant notre rôle au sein de l'Église aux différentes parties d'un corps. Le corps – dit-il – ne fait qu’un, il a pourtant plusieurs membres; et tous les membres, malgré leur nombre, ne forment qu’un seul corps (1 Co 12, 12). Par conséquent, même si nous venons tous d’origines ethniques différentes, même si chacun de nous a sa propre histoire à raconter, nous sommes tous unis dans la foi; nous entreprenons la même route, main dans la main. Cela seul est une nouvelle passionnante à partager.
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