Open Bible |
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Some groups are appropriately updating and renovating the evangelical texts!
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For the last Sundays of the liturgical year, the evangelical themes are rather confounding in presenting catastrophic events. It is also the case for the first Sunday of Advent. The text of Luke could depress us. Fortunately we are directed toward the word of the end: "the life" It is as if life have the last word against the darkest nights, they are many in this text as well in the life of Jesus of Nazareth as in our own life.
| Once again Jesus points out to his disciples the mistaking lights, the ambiguity of the temples and gifts of the religious people. "Of it there will not be left stone upon stone, all will be destroyed". |
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A true encounter with the Lord starts with elementary evidences:
our God does not need temples or gifts; he is not enclosed in
a sacred place, away from the world. In another part, Jesus asserts:"
Destroy this temple I will rebuild it in three days"
Sure he is talking about his own body, but us, the members of
his body, we are called upon to have the same experience. Before
dying, we have temples to destroy or to leave.
We have to change our pagan concept of the divinity and open
up to the knowledge of a close God, his love comes to us, anywhere
we are. This intuitive spiritual feeling is not just the result
of our reasoning, it is the revelation of the Spirit, a gift
of the resuscitated Christ: " I will rebuilt" We learn
that we are living stones, every one having his place in the
building of a new structure among the humans.
Entering into this new structure, does not put us outside the condition of the humans on earth, it is not a protection against the difficulties of life. In this part of Luke, it is like the news at the television. All is mentioned: illuminated gurus, wars, earthquakes, epidemics, inquisitors and taliban who strike the innocent people…
To face all that Jesus gave two advices: " Be careful, do not let you mislead" and "do not be afraid, …you should not worry about your defense, …not a hair on your head will be lost". In short: carefulness and confidence. This way of life implies serenity about all that fade away: it is perhaps the end of a world but not of the world. Some people see only what is disappearing or shaking. But one can also see what is built today, what is renewed, what is invented.
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The kingdom of God is always under construction; Jesus gives it to us freely to make it grow. |
God has confidence in us, but are we confident in him? Where is our faith? "It is through your perseverance that you will obtain life"
