Dear brothers and sisters,
In the Gospel we have just heard, there is an expression of
Jesus that always strikes me: “Give you them to eat. (Lk 9:13)” Starting from this sentence, I let myself be guided
by three words: discipleship, fellowship and sharing.
1. First of all: who are those to whom we are to give to
eat? The answer is found at the beginning of the
Gospel: it is the crowd, the
multitude. Jesus is in the midst of the people: He welcomes them, talks to
them, He cures them, He shows them the mercy of God. In their midst, he chooses
the twelve Apostles to be with Him, and like Him, to immerse themselves in the
concrete situations of the world. People follow Him, listen to Him, because
Jesus speaks and acts in a new way, with the authority of someone who is
authentic and consistent, who speaks and acts with truth, who gives the hope
that comes from God, who is revelation of the face of a God who is love - and
the people with joy, bless God.
This evening we are the crowd of [which] the Gospel [tells]:
let us also strive to follow Jesus to listen to him, to enter into communion
with Him in the Eucharist, to accompany Him and in order that He accompany us.
Let us ask ourselves: how do I follow Jesus? Jesus speaks in silence in the
Mystery of the Eucharist and every time reminds us that to follow Him means to
come out of ourselves and make of our own lives, not a possession, but a gift
to Him and to others.
