Thursday 25th week, even numbered year
“Herod was in power in Galilee and heard about all that was going on; and he was puzzled, because some people were saying that John had risen from the dead”
Jesus was recognised as a prophet because of the miracles he would accomplish. Many began to follow him and Herod himself wanted to meet him, inspired by curiosity. Many people would speak of Jesus for his way of behaving reminded the people about prophets : Elijah, John the Baptist, Herod, against his will had had John the Baptist decapitated. He had been taken in by the game of his own pride and he didn’t want to tarnish the image he had of his own power.
Herod wanted to dominate Jesu, he had something he couldn’t understand. We always need to ask ourselves why we seek Jesus. We too can go through frenzied race for human glory or for power, using God for that!
In the heart of the world, there is what is invisible, hidden, we can come across it in an attitude of adoration.The disciples saw Jesus himself present in flesh, they heard from his own mouth the words they announced to us. And we heard, even if we didn’t see.
“Others said ’’It is the prophet Elijah who has reappeared’, and others said that one of the ancient prophets had come back to life.”
We have within us the hidden desire to see Jesus. This desire to see God is written in each persons’ heart. All the saints considered as very little everything they obtained so long as they couldn’t see God.
Moses said : ’If I have found grace before you, show me your face.’
There is in each person, despite his distress, something deep which un consciously seeks to quench his thirst for life.
For ’man’ on earth has been made as God :’ Let us make him in our image and in our resemblance.’
God knows that men are tormented by their desire to see him. He chose Jesus to show himself on earth, he who was in heaven, he came to mankind through a man.
We have the same faith as the apostles. We wish to be attentive for we can announce that we have seen and heard through them.
The Holy Spirit Himself comes in person to instruct us, no one knows where he is going nor where he comes from.
Wat is essential for us is to always be in the moving of this Holy Spirit and to do what comes from Him.
“But Herod said ’John? I beheaded him. So who is this I hear such reports about?’ And he was anxious to see him.”
We ought to make up our mind to seek God so that he transforms the way we see ourselves and life. It is a consolation to get to know Christians sensitive to t he emotions of the Holy Spirit so as to come back to the sources of the Gospel in a very concrete way.
God is with us and we don’t know Him. Jesus is present in so many and so many of our sisters and brothers who are marginalised, who suffer and who have no one to watch over them.
The love of our neighbour is anchored in God’s Love, it is a task for each one of us to come to their help.
Our spiritual life is hidden to ourselves and yet God does his work in us in a secret way.
Jesus took on flesh so as to be seen by us. Maundy Thursday is a day par excellence to see Jesus in the Eucharist. H e is always waiting for us : He is not there for Himself but for us. We are fortunate to be witnesses of what others have seen and heard for we are I communion with them.