1st Reading 1 Corinthians 2: 1-5
R. Psalm Ps. 119:97.98.99.100.102 (R. 97a)
Gospel Luke 4: 16-30
May Christ help us. We shall be concerning ourselves with Luke's Gospel with particular attention given to his activity in Galilee, as well as Paul's first letter to the Christian community in Corinth, as our first reading. Invariably, we are set to see missionary work outside the normal domain. Paul will preach to the Greeks, not Jews, while Luke, a Gentile Physician, will use stories of healing as any physician will do, and even due to his area to be outside the Jewish land, he will reference examples outside the expected areas to counter reactions against Jesus, especially from Pharisees and Scribes.
Our lives can be that which mirrors Christ's, if we learn to recognize the needs of the time, even among the very people we grew up with. These people, this community, our various communities are gifts to help us learn in order to help and serve as Christ exemplified. We find Jesus in Nazareth giving hope to his people in his 'programmatic discourse' which he read from Isaiah's book in a synagogue.
The Gospel places this whole activity in a liturgical setting, and continues to inform us about the people's decision to do harm to him after he told them about a prophet's unacceptance in his own town while citing examples. This, I believe, becomes the case when our people perceive that we have disdained them, while they see us doing good in other places.
At a point, Jesus was praised. At another, he was being pursued to be harmed. Life cannot continue to be the life of the likes, but must harmonize with the dislikes, those moments we encounter the difficulties. Verily, we cannot be comfortable everywhere. We must learn to adjust, to face and outdo the uncomfortable situations.
As a counter to the many people who yearn to harm us, even after praising us, love should be the path. Love for your own people, at length everyone, cures society of its wickedness and 'conflicting twin nature', a nature projected to be good today, and bad tomorrow. Well, the Lord himself may wish that we go through trying moments for our own sanctification.
Nevertheless, he promised not the absence of troubles and challenges. Setting the pace for an expectation of challenges, and even finding a way by which he was able to manoeuvre it even in a town where he grew up, we are sure to follow suit.
May the Lord help us to stand and outdo whatever obstacle we encounter. Amen.
Pax et Bonum
Comments
Post a Comment