GO TO GALILEE. THERE YOU WILL SEE ME The Gospel story that is read at the Easter Vigil is of exceptional importance. It doesn’t just announce the great news that the crucified one has been raised by God. It also shows us the path we need to take in order to see him and meet up with hi

THE SUPREME ACT Jesus counted on the possibility of a violent end. He wasn’t naïve. He knew what he was risking as he kept insisting on the project of God’s Reign. It was impossible to so radically seek a dignified life for the «poor» and the «sinners», without provoking the reaction

ATTRACTED BY THE CRUCIFIED JESUS A group of «Greeks», probably pagans, comes up to the disciples with an admirable plea: «We should like to see Jesus». When this gets communicated to Jesus, he responds with a vibrant discourse in which he sums up his life’s profound meaning. The hour

GOD LOVES THE WORLD This isn’t just one phrase more. Words that could be cut out of the Gospel without changing anything important. It’s the affirmation that gathers the essential nucleus of the Christian faith. «This is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son». This love of God

A NEW TEMPLE The four Gospel writers recall Jesus’ provocative gesture of expelling the «sellers» and the «money-changers» from the temple. He can’t stomach seeing his Father’s house full of people who make their living from religion. You can’t buy God with “sacrifices”. But John, the

DON’T CONFUSE JESUS WITH ANYONE ELSE According to the Gospel writer, Jesus takes Peter, James and John with him, heads out to a mountain, and there «in their presence was transfigured». These are the three disciples who apparently offer the greatest resistance to Jesus when he speaks

DRIVEN INTO THE DESERT Mark presents the scene of Jesus in the desert as a summary of his life. I’ll just point out a few key points. According to the Evangelist, «The Spirit drove Jesus into the desert». This isn’t his own initiative. It’s God’s Spirit who pushes him until he ends up

GOD WELCOMES THE «UNCLEAN» Out of nowhere, a leper «comes up to Jesus». According to the Law, he can’t come into contact with anyone. He’s «unclean» and has to live isolated. He can never enter the Temple. How could God welcome a being so repugnant into God’s presence? His destiny is

GO OUT TO PRAY In the middle of his intense activity as a wandering prophet, Jesus always made sure to stay in communication with God in silence and solitude. The Gospel writers have kept the remembrance of this habit because it left such a deep impression: Jesus often went out during

A TEACHING THAT IS NEW The episode is surprising and dramatic. It all occurs in the «synagogue», the place where the Law is officially taught, since it needs to be interpreted by authorized teachers. It happens on the «Sabbath», the day when practicing Jews come together to listen to