11 août 2024, 19^ème dimanche "B"

1Roi 19,4-8; Eph 4,30-5,2; Jean 6, 41-51 

H O M É L I E 

          Élie est une figure fascinante de la Bible. Un des grands prophètes, il était un homme d'action encore plus que de paroles. Je ne crois pas que l'Écriture nous rapporte un seul de ses discours. C'était un mystique, un solitaire venu du grand désert oriental. L'Esprit de Dieu le déplaçait constamment d'un endroit à l'autre : la Phénicie, le Mont Horeb, le torrent de Kerit, le palais du roi Achab, le Jourdain... Sa mission était liée à tous les mouvements de l'histoire de son peuple. Et partout c`était par ses actions qu'il parlait.

11 August 2024, ^19th Sunday "B

1Kings 19:4-8; Ephesians 4:30-5:2; John 6:41-51

Homily

Elijah is a fascinating figure in the Bible. One of the great prophets, he was a man of action rather than words. I don't think that Scripture records a single one of his speeches. He was a mystic, a loner from the great desert of the East. The Spirit of God moved him constantly from one place to another: Phoenicia, Mount Horeb, the torrent of Kerit, the palace of King Ahab, the Jordan... His mission was linked to every movement in the history of his people. And everywhere he spoke through his actions.

11 August 2024, ^19th Sunday "B

1Kings 19:4-8; Ephesians 4:30-5:2; John 6:41-51

Homily

Elijah is a fascinating figure in the Bible. One of the great prophets, he was a man of action rather than words. I don't think that Scripture records a single one of his speeches. He was a mystic, a loner from the great desert of the East. The Spirit of God moved him constantly from one place to another: Phoenicia, Mount Horeb, the torrent of Kerit, the palace of King Ahab, the Jordan... His mission was linked to every movement in the history of his people. And everywhere he spoke through his actions.

10 août 2024 - Fête de saint Laurent, diacre

2 Co 9, 6-10; Jean 12, 24-26

Homélie

          Saint Benoît, dans sa Règle, dit qu'il veut établir une "École où l'on apprenne à servir le Seigneur " (Schola dominici servitii). Quiconque vient au monastère vient pour y servir le Seigneur -- un service qui s'incarnera jour après jour dans le service des frères ou des sœurs. Or Jésus, dans le bref Évangile que nous venons de lire dit : "Si quelqu'un veut me servir, qu'il me suive". C'est pourquoi la vie monastique est aussi appelée une sequela Christi, une vie à la suite du Christ. Or, Jésus prononce ces paroles (Si quelqu'un veut me servir, qu'il me suive) dans un contexte où il annonce sa propre passion. On comprend donc qu'il décrive en quoi consiste cette marche à sa suite en utilisant l'image du grain de blé tombé en terre. Un grain de blé sec peut certes être croqué et mangé. Mais ce n'est qu'un petit grain, tout seul. Par ailleurs le grain mis en terre, s'il est sain, commence à germer dès qu'il est en contact avec l'humidité du sol. Il meurt en tant que grain de blé, mais il naît à une vie nouvelle en tant que tige, puis épi, et il produit de nombreux autres grains. Et Jésus de conclure cette comparaison par cette phrase mystérieuse : "Qui aime sa vie la perd; et qui hait sa vie en ce monde la conservera en vie éternelle."

10 August 2024

Feast of Saint Lawrence, deacon

2 Cor 9:6-10; John 12:24-26

Homily

          In his Rule, Saint Benedict says that he wants to establish a "School where one learns to serve the Lord" (Schola dominici servitii). Whoever comes to the monastery comes to serve the Lord -- a service that will be embodied day after day in the service of the brothers or sisters. Now Jesus, in the brief Gospel we have just read, says: "If anyone wants to serve me, let him follow me". This is why monastic life is also called a sequela Christi, a life of following Christ. Now, Jesus pro-nounces these words (If anyone wants to serve me, let him follow me) in a context in which he announces his own passion. We can therefore understand why he describes what this following consists of using the image of a grain of wheat that has fallen into the earth. A dry grain of wheat can certainly be crunched and eaten. But it is only a small grain, all by itself. On the other hand, if a grain is healthy, it begins to germinate as soon as it comes into contact with the moisture in the soil. It dies as a grain of wheat, but it is born to new life as a stalk, then as an ear, and it produces many other grains. And Jesus concludes this comparison with this mysterious phrase: "He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world will keep it in eternal life."

9 August 2024 - Feast of Saint Thérèse-Bénédicte of the Cross (Edith Stein)

Deut 10:12-22; Mt 17:22-27.

Homily

For this feast, the liturgical lectionary offers us first of all a beautiful text from Hosea, where God calls his bride to lead her into the desert and speak to her heart, in faithfulness and tenderness. Then we have the Gospel reading of the parable of the ten virgins invited to the wedding.