Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
It is the time of the poor people
Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people (followed) from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” He warned them sternly not to make him known. Mk 3,7-12
In the towns and in the important sites of the Galilee they decided to kill Jesus and they are seeking an opportunity to implement their intent. From now on his mission, until when he will decide to definitely focus on Jerusalem, will be held in solitary places and along the lake, not being in fear, but due to the desire to be with his people. In fact, while the nobles remain in the cities to take care of their business and to attend the prayer in the synagogue, the poors, the sicks and the sinners follow Jesus wherever he goes. It begins to form the first germ of the Church. This gospel passage recalls the birth of the Charismatic Renewal. In January 1967, a group of theology students of Duquesne University, United States, not finding in their studies and in the everyday life the Spirit which hovered over the early Church described in the Acts, decided to spend a weekend in prayer.
After nearly two days praying and invoking the Holy Spirit – Kevin Ranaghan, who participated, told us – at one point they began to feel something extraordinary, a great love for each other, accompanied by an irrepressible desire to praise the Lord and to sing. There were prophetic events, some began to speak in unknown and mysterious languages, as people did at the beginning of the Church, and all were in great joy and great peace of mind. In a short time, similar groups were born in the United States and later in Europe, Mexico and Latin America. In a few years, like a fire which spreads over the bush, many people, also not used to frequent their parish church, began to gather in prayer groups, singing and praising the Lord, often asking to be healed from illness or to be set free from negative situations in which they were. Many prayers were answered and they gave their testimony of what the Spirit had accomplished. It was a great breath of Holy Spirit, which occurred initially outside the parishes, in which the people were then inserted, contributing substantially with joy and praise to the liturgy and to the parish life.