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Message from Fr. Marca

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Reading this Sunday's Gospel, I was reminded of a conversation I had a few years ago after I finished preaching at a spiritual retreat. One of the participants approached me as we were saying goodbye and said: "You know, after what I've experienced these days, I've come to the conclusion that for years I've been very comfortable." That confession from a good and dedicated person stayed with me and has made me question myself many times about what my daily life is like.

Settling down, settling into a comfort zone, conforming to what we already do without committing to more, can be the great temptation for many good people. Therefore, it is important to realize that today's Gospel shows us that Jesus' usual success when meeting sinners who wanted to change their lives turned into a resounding failure when he proposed to someone, who was already good, to take a step towards a greater commitment in his life.

Like the rich young man, Jesus can also look at us with sadness if we allow comfort, routine, the desire for prestige or the consumerist and hedonistic atmosphere in which we live to bind us and prevent us from making him the center of our lives. Today Jesus calls us to the conversion of the good; to leave behind that routine and that comfort that prevents us from being better; to identify and name those things to which we cling and that prevent us from flying and responding with enthusiasm and joy to Jesus' call.

Becoming aware of our mediocrities, our reluctance to change and our limitations is always the first step to accept Jesus' invitation to follow him without reservations, being authentically happy..., without attachments or dependencies or ties of any kind. Happy Sunday!

2024 1013

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