From the holy Gospel according to
Luke, Chapter 4, verses 24 to 30 |
| JESUS AT NAZARETH Image from jesusfootprints.wordpress.com via google.com |
Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth,
"Amen I say to you, no prophet is honored in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel when the sky was closed for three and a half years and severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet none one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."
When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of the and went away.
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Personal reflection on the reading.
Sharing for the Day
The Jews take pride in being the Chosen People of God. Rightly so, being the descendants of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, they have everything to be proud of for they are the fruits of God's promise to these Patriarchs. Being the Chosen People, they believe that they occupy a very important place in God's design and as the Chosen People they are the obedient ones: the ones who have the Law of Moses and the ones to whom God sent His prophets.
In those days, the Romans felt superior because of their military might that they were able to conquer a vast territory; while the Greeks, especially the Athenians, for their part considered themselves superior because of their intellectual prowess; and the Chinese because of their advanced civilization compared to their neighboring countries. For the Jews it was because of their being the Chosen People of God. Hence being compared to Sidonians and Syrians is an insult to their dignity.
But of course, the Lord Jesus Christ did not want to insult the Jews, especially His fellow Nazarenes. He just wanted to point out that they could not expect to see miracles just for the sake of experiencing miracles for the miracles that the Lord do are meant to support His preaching and not as spectacles. The mission of the Lord is not to be an entertainer - he is neither a genie nor a magician - but a Shepherd who will bring the lost sheep of Israel back to God's fold. This they didn't see for their eyes were clouded by their feeling of superiority: previous to this reading they have already identified Jesus as the son of Joseph, the carpenter [verse 22]. So they questioned His authority and since He wouldn't do any miracle, they thought that He was insulting them.
As Catholics we have the very significant gift of Faith that have been handed down from the Apostles. Amid the many attacks on the Catholic Church, we maintain the fact that of all the churches that exist today, the Catholic Church is the only one that can truly and fully identify its roots from the Apostles, not only in hierarchy but much more on the teachings. At times, perhaps, we consider ourselves as something superior than others because of our Faith. However, we must not forget that the Faith that we have is but a free gift that God has given us through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have nothing to add or to detract from this gift so we have nothing to be proud of personally. As gift, we must share it generously with others.
As friends of the Lord Jesus Christ, the proper attitude is not considering ourselves superior to others but humbly of being mere instruments for the conversion of others. We need not tell non-Catholics to be converted; we only have to show them that we love each other for that is what the Lord said, "The world will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another [John 13:35]."
Application of the Message
[1] Prayer
Pray for humility and for openness to become an instrument of the Lord in order to make other people as His friends and disciples.
[2] Abstinence
Abstain from something that makes you proud or feeling superior than others in any way.
[3] Almsgiving
Share anything material as a manifestation of distancing yourself from pride and attitude of superiority.
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