Cesar Fernandez-Stoll

  Gospel text ( Mathew 1,1-17): This is the document of the origins of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar), Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron of Aram. Aram was the father of Aminadab, Aminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz. His mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed. His mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David, the king. David was the father of Solomon. His mother had been Uriah's wife. Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Then came the kings: Abijah, Asaph, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah. Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the deportation to Babylon. After the deportation to Babylon Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel and Salathiel of Zerubbab

Gospel text ( John 5,33-36): Jesus said to the Jews, «John also bore witness to the truth when you sent messengers to him, but I do not seek such human testimony; I recall this for you, so that you may be saved. John was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were willing to enjoy his light. But I have greater evidence than that of John: the works which the Father entrusted to me to carry out. The very works I do bear witness: the Father has sent me».

The people is continuously being told that the way to win their vote is to get as close to the center as possible. What does that mean? The left is painted as some sort of ideal where collectivism is taken to some level, it could be an extreme level, which is never clearly defined, or some ‘moderate’ level, which is everybody’s guess what it means.

Gospel text ( Lc 7,24-30): When John's messengers had gone, Jesus began speaking to the people about John. And He said, «What did you want to see when you went to the desert? A tall reed blowing in the wind? What was there to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? But people who wear fine clothes and enjoy delicate food are found in palaces. What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. For John is the one foretold in Scripture in these words: I am sending my messenger ahead of you to prepare your ways. No one may be found greater than John among those born of women but, I tell you, the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. All the people listening to him, even the tax collectors, had acknowledged the will of God in receiving the baptism of John, whereas the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, in not letting themselves be baptized by him, ignored the will of God.

Gospel text ( Luke 7,19-23): The disciples of John gave him all this news. So he called two of them and sent them to the Lord with this message, «Are you the one we are expecting, or should we wait for another?». These men came to Jesus and said, «John the Baptist sent us to ask you: ‘Are you the one we are to expect, or should we wait for another?’». At that time Jesus healed many people of their sicknesses or diseases; He freed them from evil spirits and He gave sight to the blind. Then He answered the messengers, «Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind see again, the lame walk, lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the poor are given good news. Now, listen: Fortunate are those who encounter me, but not for their downfall».

Gospel text ( Mathew 21,28-32): Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people, «What do you think of this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said to him: ‘Son, today go and work in my vineyard’. And the son answered: ‘I don't want to’. But later he thought better of it and went. Then the father went to the second and gave him the same command. This son replied: ‘I will go, sir’, but he did not go. Which of the two did what the father wanted?». They answered, «The first». And Jesus said to them, «Truly, I say to you: the publicans and the prostitutes are ahead of you on the way to the kingdom of heaven. For John came to show you the way of goodness but you did not believe him, yet the publicans and the prostitutes did. You were witnesses of this, but you neither repented nor believed him».