February 3, 2013

Bulletin February 3, 2013

4^th Sunday in Ordinary Time C

Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13; Luke 4:21-30
When reading different scripture passages we hear the words and they might sound really nice and sweet; but how much do I know about what the author is sharing? Initially, Jeremiah sounds wonderful because God says “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.” I like this because before God created me, He knew I would be a part of His creation, and an important part, as is each person created. It sounds so nice…like I don’t have to worry about anything.
Then Paul explains much more detail what love is all about…so many brides pick this passage and I imagine they view ‘love’ as something so wonderful and perfect that any problem that comes up in their lives, love will be ‘the’ solution.
But then Luke describes the people just not wanting to accept Jesus and my initial reaction like so many is ‘what is wrong with these people…don’t they know their own scriptures and understand who and what the Messiah will be?
I have found these three readings a special reflection on what it means to be a prophet. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines prophet as “One sent by God to form the people of the Old Covenant in the hope of salvation…John the Baptist concludes the work of the prophets of the Old Covenant.” A looser and I feel a fuller definition is that a prophet speaks the word of God. If this is the case, then each church member since they are to be Jesus share in His mission to be a person of love. Mt 5:16 Jesus spells this out in His teaching on the Sermon on the Mount, “In the same way your light must shine in people’s sight, so that seeing your good works, they may give praise to your Father in heaven.”
Now Jeremiah is not so much a writer as a speaker and he never stopped speaking out against the two major evils of his day: idolatry and injustice: what am I placing above God in my life; and how am I treating each person God created? Jeremiah lived this and it brought him great physical suffering and persecution. This is reality. People do not like to hear that they are not listening to God. ‘Who are you to tell me…I know God loves me and I can do anything I want.’ Jeremiah was relentless and also filled with compassion. He had great sensitivity both to what God asked and what people were searching for. As Dr. Lawrence Boadt, an Old Testament scholar states, “When the people refused to hear his words, Jeremiah felt the anguish personally. But he felt even more the pain borne by the God whom they had rejected.”
I deal with these dilemmas in my own life: of being good when those I’m with do not want to be good; choosing what I want because I want it; or not wanting to correct ‘non-goodness ’because who am I to ‘cast the stone.’ Yet I must be the person who lives Jesus and I can’t do that when I’m not living love. Paul helps with this by giving a much deeper insight into love according to God. Fr. Anthony Kadavil in Teaching and Preaching Resources brings this HOME so perfectly.
“Love is patient…love is kind…it’s not pompous, inflated or rude…it’s not quick tempered, and doesn’t brood over injury…it hears, believes, hopes, and endures all things. Love sounds rather easy, doesn’t it? After all, I’m a pretty good guy right? I try my best to be patient with people. I’m usually kind and polite and don’t ruffle too many feathers. I’m easy-going, often try to steer clear of conflict, and almost always try to avoid hurting others people’s feelings. I must be pretty good at this ‘loving’ thing, right? Love never fails…Well, that’s a whole different story, let me tell you. I can name countless times in which others have failed to ‘love’ me as they should. I’ve been wronged, lied to, deceived, mocked, and cheated more times than I can count. And it doesn’t feel good. That’s a fact. If ‘love never fails’, others around me evidently never got the message. It’s funny how that works. When it comes to ‘love’, most of us presume that we are pretty good at it, and are convinced that others are not. Part of that probably comes from not having consistent expectations. The standard to which we hold others often far exceeds the standard to which we hold ourselves. When others are short with us we think,’ How could they…?’ or ‘That person is a …’ But when we snap at others it’s just because we are ‘having a bad day’. When we hear that others are cheating on their taxes we get all self-righteous and moralistic, but if we do it, it’s ‘not that bad’. Or in a more serious vein—if others are being unfaithful to their spouses, we hope that they ‘get what’s coming to them’. However, if we stray, it’s not quite the same---‘They don’t know what it’s like to be in my shoes,’ we rationalize. Unfortunately, we don’t always look at our behavior and that of others in a fair way. ‘If more people were a little more like me, this world would be a wonderful place.’ I don’t have to tell you that that’s a dangerous place to be spiritually.’”

Paul is telling me that if I am not motivated by love, I am ‘nothing.’ Am I making God’s ways live fully in my life and are others seeing this? Jesus tells me today that ‘no prophet is welcomed in the prophet’s hometown.’ I love the comeback of Dorothy Day in her observation of how Jesus had to bear the resentment of others, “The greatest suffering of Christ was the temptation not to love His fellows anymore.” I know that temptation well. The people of Jesus’ hometown had closed their minds and hearts to the reality of the ways of God and His plan for salvation. I can never do that…then I’m denying Jesus. If I put it off…then I’m denying Jesus. If I let someone else do it, because I’m tired, or afraid, or whatever…then I’m not being Jesus. I’m judged on being Jesus.

So I reflect on:

• How many ways have I professed my faith in Jesus in words and actions of love so far today?
  
• What gifts do I need from the Spirit to do this with the people that I know will be in my life tomorrow?
  
• Whom do I really love? In what ways do I need to grow in love today? Tomorrow? This week?
  
• ‘Familiarity breeds contempt’ was present in the story of Jesus and His home town people and so many of them were relatives. What do I have to work on to be accepting, loving and more?
  
• I so often say that Paul is describing God’s love in this passage, what do I have to work on?