Commentary on the Gospel – December 2, 2025

Dear brothers and sisters,

It may sound like a cliché to say that “gospel” means exactly “good news.” But Advent arrives, and we need to repeat it. This is how Jesus began His ministry: “Believe in the good news, the kingdom of God is near” (Mark 1:15). And He continued in Nazareth: “The Lord has sent me to bring good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). Have we ever betrayed the gospel, turning ourselves into killjoys for our brothers and sisters? Too often, as a child, I heard the phrase—perhaps used as a kind of blackmail to stop me from my normal mischief—“God is watching you, He’s looking at you…” With the best of intentions, we can distort what Jesus really meant. Those who understand Christian interior life have valued God’s gaze in another way: “Now You may look at me, since You already looked at me once, leaving grace and beauty in me” (St. John of the Cross).

Those who dive deeply into the Gospels notice a first stage of the Master’s activity, often called the “Galilean spring.” He appears as the prophet of new times, bringing joy and a desire to live where there was despair. He is the messenger foretold in Isaiah 52:7: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who says to Zion: your God reigns.”

At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, everything shines. He preaches beatitudes—joy for the poor, the hungry, and the sorrowful—and He Himself brings joy by comforting broken hearts, announcing the Father’s forgiveness and love, and bringing peace to the discouraged. Sometimes Jesus Himself seems amazed at what is happening through Him: “Lift up your eyes and see the fields, they are already ripe for harvest” (John 4:35); “When the fig tree becomes tender and sprouts leaves… summer is near” (Luke 21:30).

At times, our politicians have spoken of “green shoots” as signs of economic recovery or social improvement. But they were not original; Jesus’ followers had already seen those signs much more clearly: Jesus was transforming the world. Naturally, Jesus rejoices and calls them to joy. He congratulates them for what they see, hear, and experience. Those close to Jesus gain a deeper vision; they see things and see beyond them. He tells them clearly: “To you has been given the mystery of the Kingdom of God,” while to those who look from afar with skepticism, “everything remains a riddle” (Mark 4:11). Jesus asks for little: a simple heart and clear eyes are enough for wonder.

Can we congratulate ourselves for what we see and hear? Perhaps we are too quick to make lists of what is missing, without knowing how to give thanks for what is already here—often the fruit of faith in Jesus. The miracles happening around us are countless. Jesus set in motion a chain of goodness that does not stop. So many people dedicate their time and energy to doing good for others, forgetting themselves in order to bring the good news to others. (How many Spanish missionaries work freely in Africa, Asia, or Oceania?) How much goodness there is in our world! Blessed are our eyes…

Your brother,