Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid

4 AUGUST (Mt 14,22-36)

The Gospel is a very special book. It has not already been written, it is always to be written. It has not already been made up, it is always to be made up. It has not already been experienced, it is always to be lived. You have to write, compose, live it every day, as if today it were the first time. Seeing the Gospel this way, the work to be written in my flesh today, tomorrow, always and for all the days of my stay on earth, fills me with an always present responsibility, which never goes down, never ends and is never extinguished.

So high a vision of the Gospel is missing  to all of us disciples of Jesus. We all consider it a book to be preached, reminded, quoted for some sentences, often taken out of context and with meanings for nothing in accord with truth placed in them by the Holy Spirit. We all see it as an event of the past, the event of Christ and his disciples. Almost no one sees it as the event of Jesus and his disciples in every age. What is the use then of the gospel? It serves to actualize in our lives what Jesus did in his life. The life of Jesus must be transformed into our life in the same way that it turns into life in the bread and wine presented to the Lord for the consecration of the Eucharist. As Jesus makes himself Eucharist, so the Gospel must be made real life in each of his disciples. If this does not happen never might we remind the Gospel. It is given in the same way in which the Body and Blood of Jesus is given, transformed into our lives.

Even for the Gospel, we should be able to speak of transubstantiation. It must be preached through the transformation of life in us. As the Father’s Word was made flesh, history and everlasting life in Jesus the Lord, so the Word of Lord Christ must perpetually make itself flesh in us, his disciples. This is the only right way to give Christ to the world. There are two ways of the true gift of Christ: in the bread and wine transformed into his Body and his Blood; in the disciple of Jesus also transformed into true Body and true Blood, in his disciples. As with no transubstantiation they is not life, but death, because you give a simple piece of bread, so even without the transformation of Jesus Christ, of his Gospel into the life of the disciple, you give a piece of paper, an empty word, a phrase from which never life might come because life comes only from the disciple turned into a living Gospel.

Then he made the disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once (Jesus) spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how (strong) the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret. When the men of that place recognized him, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought to him all those who were sick and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak, and as many as touched it were healed.

Who then is the disciple of Jesus? He is the one that knows how to pray to the Father, knows how to be in constant communion with Him, knows how to walk on the waters of history, knows every one of his brothers, knows how to invite others to live in perfect faith, knows how to create faith in the hearts, knows how to be a true tool of the work that the Father in Heaven has entrusted to Lord Jesus. If he know how to do all these things in the most excellent, perfect and holy way; the world will always know how to give its response of faith on him. It will see him a person different from all others. It will confess him in his supernatural truth. This is a true disciple of Jesus. This is the living Jesus. This gave transubstantiation to the Gospel. From a letter of a book he transformed it into a letter of flesh and blood, he made of it a letter of life.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints help us give life to the Gospel.