In the days of Josiah, the word of the Lord came to me saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” But you, gird up your loins; stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not break down before them, or I will break you before them. And I for my part have made you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall, against the whole land-against the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests, and the people of the land. They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you.
Second reading 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” But you, gird up your loins; stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not break down before them, or I will break you before them. And I for my part have made you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall, against the whole land-against the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests, and the people of the land. They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you.
Second reading 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Jesus began to say to them in the synagogue, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”
He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.'” And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”
When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.'” And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”
When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Reflection
By Grace B. Madriñan
“And He said, "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.” – Luke 4:24
I have to admit, I am one of the skeptics like those people in the Gospel today. I don’t easily believe or trust what I see. I would often judge them based on their background and doubt if they were as good as what they seem. Like when an acquaintance publishes a book or came up to me as a motivational speaker, I would be the last to buy their book or even attend their talk. In my mind, I would think “How come in a short span of time, he was able to come up with a book? “ or “Is there something new I can learn from this guy?” I was too proud. Very un-Christian of me, eh?
But after a while, I would snap out of it …my prejudiced self will take a back seat. In the end, I would find myself hoarding the books and attending their training.
In today’s Gospel, even Jesus did not escape skeptics like me. He was under their scrutinizing magnifying lens and checking His moves. They thought of Him as “too good to be true” for someone who is just a carpenter’s son. They are waiting for any sign that will reveal His fraudulence. But then, Jesus continued to amaze them with His works, an authority beyond their understanding.
Nowadays, where we are surrounded with fraud and fake news, it is but right to put due diligence to research before labeling it as truth or lie. But if we meet persons who speak truth and their acts bring good fruit, then we need to applaud and encourage them regardless of who they were in the past.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” - Hebrews 10:24-25
I have to admit, I am one of the skeptics like those people in the Gospel today. I don’t easily believe or trust what I see. I would often judge them based on their background and doubt if they were as good as what they seem. Like when an acquaintance publishes a book or came up to me as a motivational speaker, I would be the last to buy their book or even attend their talk. In my mind, I would think “How come in a short span of time, he was able to come up with a book? “ or “Is there something new I can learn from this guy?” I was too proud. Very un-Christian of me, eh?
But after a while, I would snap out of it …my prejudiced self will take a back seat. In the end, I would find myself hoarding the books and attending their training.
In today’s Gospel, even Jesus did not escape skeptics like me. He was under their scrutinizing magnifying lens and checking His moves. They thought of Him as “too good to be true” for someone who is just a carpenter’s son. They are waiting for any sign that will reveal His fraudulence. But then, Jesus continued to amaze them with His works, an authority beyond their understanding.
Nowadays, where we are surrounded with fraud and fake news, it is but right to put due diligence to research before labeling it as truth or lie. But if we meet persons who speak truth and their acts bring good fruit, then we need to applaud and encourage them regardless of who they were in the past.
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” - Hebrews 10:24-25
Prayer
Father God, often we are dominated by our prejudices that we fail to see Your works through our brothers and sisters. Be more patient with us, Father and open our eyes and hearts to see their goodness so that we may encourage one another and glorify You through our unity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Father God, often we are dominated by our prejudices that we fail to see Your works through our brothers and sisters. Be more patient with us, Father and open our eyes and hearts to see their goodness so that we may encourage one another and glorify You through our unity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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