The 3^rd Mystery of Light is the "Announcement of the kingdom of God and the invitation to conversion". This is the Mystery that covers a longer period of time in the Lord's life: about three years! (read more: «Jesus walked (…) giving the good news of the kingdom of God»). This is a stage in the History of Salvation that is very rich in content, and crucial in terms of Revelation. The focus of attention falls directly on Christ; the presence of the Virgin Mary is rather “latent” (She will appear again explicitly on the Calvary).

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1^st) «In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors (…). In these last days, he spoke to us through a son» (Heb 1:1-2). The Revelation reaches its “maximum” intensity: «But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman...» (Gal 4,4). It is a “plenitude” that surpasses all human expectations! With good reason, in the Transfiguration, after accrediting his Son («This is my Son, the Beloved»), the Father commanded us: «Listen to him» (Mt 17:5). May our prayer be a true “listen”! (read more: «You may know the truth of all you have been taught»).

2^nd) «Jesus did and taught» (Acts 1:1). The teaching of Jesus soon aroused admiration among modest people; people noticed in him something special: «The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes» (Mk 1:22) (read more: «The people were astonished at the way he taught»). In fact, on occasion Jesus Christ had no choice but to discredit the scribes «for they preach but they do not practice» (Mt 23:3). One day (it was Saturday!), Jesus healed a stooped woman and, before the astonishment of those present, the synagogue leader started to tell off the poor people: «There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day» (Lk 13:14)... In short, without labors of love preaching is useless (read more: «And you also must testify»).

3^rd) «A prophet mighty in deed and word» (Lk 24:19): in this way Cleopas reminded Jesus as he walked nostalgically on the road to Emmaus on the morning of the resurrection. A few weeks later, Simon Peter presented him in this way to the people of Jerusalem: «A man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs» (Acts 2:22). In his “work” Christ showed a mastery over matter, time and the spirits that only God possesses. There are many examples: from the conversion of water into wine, the multiplication of loaves and fishes, to his walking on the water; cures from afar; he expelled evil spirits and returned the dead to life (even when he was decomposing, as was the case of Lazarus); not only read the thoughts of others but knew their lives (Nathanael, the Samaritan woman)... Only Jesus can tell us: «I am with you always, until the end of the age» (Mt 28:20). This is our hope and our comfort! The Kingdom of God is already among us... (read more: When will the Kingdom of God come over?; Joy for the presence of God among us).

4^th) «Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God» (Mt 4:4; cf. Dt 8:3). The authority of the Lord also came from his Wisdom: he knew and handled the Sacred Scripture like nobody else: in fact, the Scriptures were fulfilled in Him. One day, after quoting the famous Messianic passage Is 61:1-2 («The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me…») he said quite naturally: «Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing» (Lk 4:21). Christ is unique!: his arrival was long prepared and his stay widely biographed (¡four Gospels!, plus the rest of the writings of the New Testament). All the prophesied messianic titles: Son of man, Son of David, Servant of Yahweh, Son of God... converge in Him. (read more: «Their hearts filled with ardent yearning when He was explaining the Scriptures»).

If the Bible is the “manual of life”, the Gospel is the “manual of happiness”; if the Bible is the “biography of God”, the Gospel is the “portrait of the visible face of God”. Consequently, many prostrated themselves before Christ (the Syro-Phoenician woman, the father of the lunatic child, Mary Magdalene ...), and me?

5^th) «Every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old» (Mt 13:52). The message of Jesus Christ has a surprising relevance, going through all the times and eras of humanity (read more: «Today these prophetic words come true even as you listen»). The parables of Jesus are explanations of delightful pedagogy about the Kingdom of God for past, present and future. Let's take a single example, that of the yeast that ferments the dough: today more than ever Christians see ourselves as yeast that must act from within the world to encourage the world (yeast without dough can not exercise its function of giving consistency). Hence the importance of participation by all the baptized in the priesthood of Christ (the Church is composed of a Priestly people), the leading role of the lay faithful, the sanctification of work and marriage…

6^th) «Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin» (Jn 8:11). To receive the Kingdom of God we need converting to God. We can not receive God in any manner! From the beginning of his public ministry, Christ made a strong call to conversion (read more: «There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner»); but this is a call that includes the gift of mercy. The men of the Church may have insisted over the years more on the former, ignoring the latter. Whatever it is, the truth is that in more recent times the Holy Spirit has prompted the announcement of Divine Mercy, which —without humiliating— invites to conversion. From the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus sponsored by St. Margaret Mary of Alacoque, through the devotion to the Divine Mercy spread by St. Faustina Kowalska, etc., the Church has entered into what has been called “Time of Mercy”. This time is an irreversible advance in History our Salvation…