Jer 1:4-5, 17-19
The word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
But do you gird your loins;
stand up and tell them
all that I command you.
Be not crushed on their account,
as though I would leave you crushed before them;
for it is I this day
who have made you a fortified city,
a pillar of iron, a wall of brass,
against the whole land:
against Judah’s kings and princes,
against its priests and people.
They will fight against you but not prevail over you,
for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.
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Lk 4:21-30
Jesus began speaking in the synagogue, saying:
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”
He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,
‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say,
‘Do here in your native place
the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”
And he said, “Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a 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 not 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 Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”
He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,
‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say,
‘Do here in your native place
the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”
And he said, “Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a 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 not 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 Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.
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These passages impressed me once again when I read them on Sunday, January 31, 2016. They are from the Daily Readings - the daily readings for Mass. Watch the brief video reflections if you wish. Fr. Greg Friedman, OFM always gives a good reflection.
We were in Nazareth in the fall of 2014 and saw the church Fr. Friedman mentions, as well as the hill that is much like the brow of the hill where the townspeople tried to throw Jesus down to His death.
Fr. asks the question, “What makes a prophet?” They often provoke people, making them uncomfortable. We can see in the Luke 4 passage that Jesus did, indeed, make people feel uncomfortable.
Elijah and Elisha were rejected and threatened by their own people and were then sent to Gentiles. The parallels are striking.
He mentioned a quote from a Christian writer who said, "There is no evidence to suggest that anyone ever asked a prophet home for supper more than once.” We can see from the Gospel passage how the people in Jesus' own hometown reacted to His provocative words. He thus established Himself in the office of Prophet. Jesus is Prophet, Priest, and King.
Fr. Friedman then spoke of how Pope Francis has annoyed and upset many by saying shortly after his election, “How I would like a Church that is poor and for the poor.”
Fr. Friedman then challenged us to pray for the grace to accept these prophetic words in this Jubilee Year.
See, the Catholic Church wants us to focus on God’s mercy in this year. Well, not just in this year, but in this year to keep our focus on mercy.
As I said, this passage impressed me once again, and the reflection shared by Fr. Friedman was spot on.
If you want to know more about the Catholic Church, then a good way is to sign up for the Daily Readings at the website of the USCCB. That way you can follow her thought the liturgical year as you read and meditate on the Scriptures and listen to the brief reflections videos.
Some of the reflections are better than others, but most of them are very good. Some are outstanding. Fr. Friedman is always great. He can pack a lot of information and exhortation into just a couple of minutes.
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