Repent, and believe in the gospel

MONDAY 13 JANUARY (Mk 1,14-20)

The conversion preached by the prophets before Christ the Lord was an invitation for the people of God to return to the sources of salvation in obedience to his Covenant: “Therefore, thus says the Holy One of Israel: Because you reject this word, And put your trust in what is crooked and devious, and depend on it, This guilt of yours shall be like a descending rift Bulging out in a high wall whose crash comes suddenly, in an instant. It crashes like a potter’s jar smashed beyond rescue, And among its fragments cannot be found a sherd to scoop fire from the hearth or dip water from the cistern. For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: By waiting and by calm you shall be saved, in quiet and in trust your strength lies. But this you did not wish. “No,” you said, “Upon horses we will flee.”  – Very well, flee! “Upon swift steeds we will ride.”  – Not so swift as your pursuers. A thousand shall tremble at the threat of one; if five threaten you, you shall flee, Until you are left like a flagstaff on the mountaintop, like a flag on the hill. Yet the Lord is waiting to show you favor, and he rises to pity you; For the Lord is a God of justice: blessed are all who wait for him! O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem, no more will you weep; He will be gracious to you when you cry out, as soon as he hears he will answer you. The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst. No longer will your Teacher hide himself, but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher, While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears: “This is the way; walk in it,” when you would turn to the right or to the left.” Walking in the Law is the obligation of every child of Israel for the pact of the Covenant contracted with God.

We are converted when we begin to observe the first commandment, when we abandon idols and every fruit that idolatry produces and generates: “And you shall consider unclean your silver-plated idols and your gold-covered images; You shall throw them away like filthy rags to which you say, “Begone!” He will give rain for the seed that you sow in the ground, And the wheat that the soil produces will be rich and abundant. On that day your cattle will graze in spacious meadows; The oxen and the asses that till the ground will eat silage tossed to them with shovel and pitchfork. Upon every high mountain and lofty hill there will be streams of running water. On the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall, The light of the moon will be like that of the sun and the light of the sun will be seven times greater (like the light of seven days). On the day the Lord binds up the wounds of his people, he will heal the bruises left by his blows” (Cf. Is 30,12-26). God and idols cannot be served. Who serves God does not serve idols. Who serves the idols, does not serve God. The conversion required by Jesus, as a key to enter his kingdom is different. Conversion is to his kingdom, it is to his Person, to his Gospel, to his Word, to his death, to his resurrection, to his grace and truth, to his light and eternal life. It is conversion from the Father to the Son to know the true Father, the true God, true salvation and redemption.

After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfilment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.

It is not a question of a moral conversion with Jesus, of a return to the Old Covenant. Instead, it is a passage to the New Covenant which must be stipulated in his blood. Whoever converts to Christ, whoever welcomes him, welcomes the Father. Whoever refuses Christ refuses the Father. Since the Covenant of the Father with man is only that stipulated in the blood of Christ, whoever rejects Christ, who does not drink his blood, remains outside the covenant with the Lord. The Ancient Alliance gives way to the New one forever. This conversion to Christ Jesus is urgent every day. Even those who believe in it must convert to it every day. Conversion is daily and is to the cross of Jesus. Until one does not carry the image of Jesus Crucified, one he must always be converted.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, give us the Holy Spirit of conversion and true faith.