Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 02-03-13, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 02-03-13 | Revised New American Bible

[Salvation]

February 3, 2013

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Reading 1 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.

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.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15-17

R. (cf. 15ab) I will sing of your salvation.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, and deliver me;
incline your ear to me, and save me.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.
R. I will sing of your salvation.
My mouth shall declare your justice,
day by day your salvation.
O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
R. I will sing of your salvation.

Reading 2 1 Cor 12:31—13:13 or 13:4-13

Brothers and sisters:
Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts.
But I shall show you a still more excellent way.

If I speak in human and angelic tongues,
but do not have love,
I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
And if I have the gift of prophecy,
and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge;
if I have all faith so as to move mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing.
If I give away everything I own,
and if I hand my body over so that I may boast,
but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

or

Brothers and sisters:
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
it is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.
If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing;
if tongues, they will cease;
if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing.
For we know partially and we prophesy partially,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
When I was a child, I used to talk as a child,
think as a child, reason as a child;
when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror,
but then face to face.
At present I know partially;
then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
So faith, hope, love remain, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

Gospel 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.

[Salvation]

Just A Minute (Listen) Some of EWTN's most popular hosts and guests in a collection of one minute inspirational messages. A different message each time you click.

[Salvation]

The Angelus 

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: 
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. 

Hail Mary . . . 

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. 

Hail Mary . . . 

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. 

Let us pray: 

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen. 

[Salvation]

Saint Blaise, Bishop & Martyr

Saint Blaise, Bishop & Martyr
Optional Memorial
February 3rd

Traditional Prayer card

History:
St. Blaise has been extremely popular for centuries in both the Eastern and Western Churches. He was a physician and the Bishop of Sebaste, Armenia. He once saved a child who was choking on a fish bone, which led to the blessing of throats on St. Blaise's feast day. He was beheaded in 316.

Collect:
Hear, O Lord, the supplications your people make
under the patronage of the Martyrs Saint Blaise,
and grant that they may rejoice in peace in this present life,
and find help for life eternal.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.

Gospel Reading: Mark 16:15-20
And He[Jesus] said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."

So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.

---

Blessing of Throats:

Excerpt from Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year by Monsignor Peter Elliott (Ignatius Press 2002)

85. On the day after the Presentation of Our Lord, the memorial of Saint Blase, it is customary in many places to bless the throats of the faithful with two candles tied together with a red ribbon to form a cross. The candles are privately blessed with the paryer provided in the Book of Blessings or the preconciliar Roman Ritual, title IX, chapter III. The rite of blessing of throats may take place before or after Mass.

86. The priest or deacon places the candles around the throat of whoevers seeks the blessing, using the formula: "Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you free from every disease of the throat, and from every other disease. In the name of the Father and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit. R. Amen."

Because the celebrant makes the sign of the cross with his right hand, it is best to apply the candles with both hands. Then the celebrant withdraws his right hand to make the sign of the cross, while continuing to hold the condles in place with his left hand. For the convenience of the celebrant the formula should be printed on a small card, attached to the candles.

[Salvation]

St. Blaise and the Blessing of Throats [Catholic Caucus]
On Blaise and Throat Blessings [Ecumenical]
Catholic Caucus] Feast of St. Blaise
Blessing Throats on the Feast of St. Blaise
St Blase, Bishop And Martyr

[Salvation]

Saint Ansgar, Bishop

Saint Ansgar, Bishop
Optional Memorial
February 3rd

History:
Saint Ansgar was born in France, become known as the "Apostle of the North" for his great evangelical work in Denmark and Sweden. He was the first Archbishop of Hamburg and then of Bremen. Pope Gregory IV appointed him as his delegate to Denmark and Sweden. In reply to those who questioned some miracles attributed to him, he said, "Were God to choose me to do such things, I would ask Him for one miracle only: that by His power He would make me a good man."

Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003

 

Collect:
O God, who willed to send the Bishop Saint Ansgar
to enlighted many peoples,
grant us, through his intercession,
that we may always walk in the light of your truth.
through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: Isaiah 52:7-10
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." Hark, your watchmen lift up their voice, together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

Gospel Reading: Mark 1:14-20
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."

And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets and followed Him. And going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed Him.

[Salvation]

Saints' days are superseded by the Sunday liturgy.

St. Ansgar, [Anskar] "Apostle of the North" (Scandinavia)

[Salvation]

Information: St. Blaise

Feast Day:	January 24
Born:	Armenia
Patron of:	Animals, builders, choking, veterinarians, throats, infants, stonecutters, carvers, wool workers

[Salvation]

Interactive Saints for Kids

St. Blasé

 
Feast Day: February 03
Died:316

St. Blase was an Armenian who came from a rich family and was given a Christian education. As a young man, Blase thought about all the sufferings and troubles in the world. He found that only spiritual joys can make a person really happy.

He became a priest and then bishop of Sebaste in Armenia which is now modern Turkey. Blase worked wholeheartedly to make his people holy and happy. He prayed and preached; he tried to help everyone.

Later he lived in a cave on Mount Argeus. He had the gift of healing and both men and animals were brought to him to be healed. According to legend, sick animals would come to him on their own for help, but would never disturb him at prayer.

When the governor, Licinius, began to harass the Christians, St. Blase was captured. He was sent to prison to be beheaded. On the way, people crowded the road to see their beloved bishop for the last time. He blessed them all, even the pagans.

A poor mother rushed up to him. She begged him to save her child who was choking to death from a fishbone. The saint whispered a prayer and blessed the child. He worked a miracle that saved the child's life. That is why St. Blase is called upon by all who have throat diseases. On his feast day, we have our throats blessed. We ask him to protect us from all sicknesses of the throat.

In prison, the saintly bishop converted many non-believers. No torture could make Blaise give up his faith in Jesus. Thrown into a lake to drown, Blaise stood on the surface and invited his persecutors to walk out and prove the power of their gods; they drowned. When he returned to land, he was beheaded. Now St. Blase is with Jesus forever.

Reflection: Each of us experiences a need of healing in some area of our lives. Today, invite God to come into these places with the comfort of his presence.

[Verginius Rufus]

In Mark's Gospel (6.3) Joseph is not mentioned but Jesus himself is referred to as a carpenter (tekton--the Greek word can also apply to someone who works in stone or metal as well as in wood).

The translation they were using today had St. Paul say "so that I may boast" in I Cor. 133 instead of the more familiar "to be burned." The Vulgate has ita ut ardeam. (Latin ardere, ardeo, arsi, arsus: to burn)

The Greek manuscripts are divided. There is just a one-letter differnce in the Greek...if the reading with a theta is accepted, it means "burn," if the reading with the chi is accepted, it means "boast."

[Verginius Rufus]

I left out a period. “I Cor. 133” should read “I Cor. 13.3”

[Salvation]

From: Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19

The Lord calls Jeremiah

---

[4] Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
[5] “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.”

Vision of the boiling pot

---

[17] But you, gird up your loins; arise, and say to them everything that I com-
mand you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. [18]
And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls,
against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests, and
the people of the land.[19] They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail
against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1:1-19. The book of Jeremiah is a collection of the prophet’s oracles arranged
more by subject than in chronological order and interspersed with stories about
his life. The heading (vv. 1-3), as in most of the prophetical books, introduces the
prophet and tells when he lived. Then, as an introduction to the book, comes an
account of the call of Jeremiah (vv. 4-10) along with two visions that give a good
description of the man (vv. 11-12 and 13-19).

1:4-10. This account of the call of Jeremiah gives a very good idea of the myste-
rious nature of every divine call — a call from all eternity and involving no merit on
the part of the person called, in which God makes known to a soul the why and
wherefore of his or her life. No one comes into being by accident, for everything
that happens is part of God’s providence (v. 5).God’s action in creating a person
is described graphically — “formed” you in the womb — a word used to describe
what a potter does when he models something in clay. The Lord “knew” Jere-
miah — a reference to his choosing him for a specific mission (cf. Amos 3:2;
Rom 8:29); God has a plan for each person, and he endows each with talents
that equip him or her to put that plan into effect. The passage also talks of a
“consecration”, that is, the earmarking of a person or thing for the service of
God. God’s plan for someone, made before the person is born, emerges in due
course, when he or she is old enough to take on the assignments that God has
been preparing him for. Glossing this passage, St John Chrysostom, has God
say this: “I am the one who knit you together in your mother’s womb. Your life
is not a work of nature, nor the fruit of suffering. I am the origin and cause of all
things: you should obey and offer yourself to me,” and he adds: “It does not
begin with I consecrated you: first, I knew you; then I consecrated you. Thus
is the original choice shown, and after the original choice, the particular calling”
(Fragmenta in Ieremiam, 1).

When the mystery of a person’s calling begins to be revealed, their initial reac-
tion can be one of fear, because they are very conscious of their limitations and
feel that they are not up to the tasks that the Lord entrusts them with. Jeremiah,
for example, argues that he is too young (v. 6).We do not know how old he was
at the time, for the word he uses to describe his age (na’ar) is imprecise. He was
probably only an adolescent (cf. Gen 37:2; 1 Sam 2:18; 3:1-21). In responding
to a vocation, one needs to listen, above all, to God who calls, who never leaves
his chosen ones on their own, and who always gives them the wherewithal to
carry out the mission he is charging them with (vv. 7-8).

The Lord’s symbolic gesture of putting out his hand to touch Jeremiah’s mouth,
as if to fill it with divine words, is similar to other gestures found in accounts of
the calling of prophets (cf. Is 6:7; Ezek 2:8-3:3; Dan 10:16). It is to tell the man
not to be concerned: he can rest assured that God will give him the right words
to express himself. It is a promise similar to that made by Jesus to his disciples:
he assured them of the Holy Spirit’s help when the time came for them to bear
witness to him (cf. Mt 10:19-20).

The assignment given to Jeremiah implies a heavy responsibility; he will need
fortitude if he is to carry it out (v. 10). It involves in the first place doing destruc-
tive things (plucking up, breaking down, destroying and overthrowing) and only
then come constructive roles (building and planning). St Gregory the Great will
apply the same idea to the attention that is called for in the pastoral care of the
faithful: “One cannot build up if what disturbs the foundation has not been des-
troyed. In other words, the sweet words of good preaching are sown in vain if
the thorns of self-love have not first been plucked from the hearts of listeners”
(Regular pastoralis, 3, 34).

13-19. Jeremiah is shown a pot that is beginning to boil over (v. 13). He is given
to understand the meaning of the disquieting news that is reaching Jerusalem —
rumours of advances by foreign armies that threaten the holy city from the north
(vv. 14-15). These reports are a warning that God sends his people to encourage
them to admit their unfaithfulness (v. 16). In this way the Lord is beginning to an-
nounce a future punishment, which we shall hear much more about as the book
develops — a chastisement to be inflicted on the people of Judah and Jerusalem
for failing to keep the Covenant.

It will be up to Jeremiah to speak to them, reproaching them for their sins and
explaining the reasons for events (vv. 17-18) — not an easy task, but God will
give him the strength to perform it (v. 19).

This passage outlines the framework, the setting, of the oracles and narratives
contained in the book. God never forgets his people and, in a time of crisis, when
the kingdom of Judah is about to collapse, he chooses Jeremiah and sends him
out on his mission. God means him to show the people the real reasons for all
the distress they will meet and, once all the various disasters have come to pass,
he intends Jeremiah to console them and assure them that God never abandons
them.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

[Salvation]

From: 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13

[31] But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you still a more excel-
lent way.

Hymn to Charity

---

[1] If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy
gong or a clanging cymbal. [2] And if I have prophetic powers, and understand
all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing. [3] If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my bo-
dy to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. [4] Love is patient and kind;
love is not jealous or boastful; [5] it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist
on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; [6] it does not rejoice at wrong, but
rejoices in the right. [7] Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.

[8] Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they
will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. [9] For our knowledge is imper-
fect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect
will pass away. [11] 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. [12] 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. [13] So faith, hope,
love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

31. “Earnestly desire the higher gifts”: according to some Greek manuscripts
this can be translated “earnestly seek the greater gifts.” St Paul is encouraging
his Christians to put greater value on those gifts of the Holy Spirit which contri-
bute most to the goal of the Church than on those which are spectacular. He pro-
bably has in mind the teaching he will develop (chap. 14) about the superiority of
graces and charisms to do with teaching and catechesis.

“A still more excellent way”: this undoubtedly refers to charity, which he goes on
to describe and praise (chap. 13). Therefore, what is called his “hymn to charity”
is not a digression, much less a later addition, but an outpouring of the Apostle’s
soul, which perfectly explains why charity is the greatest of all gifts, a sure route
to holiness and salvation, and the identifying mark of the Christian: “the first and
most necessary gift is charity, by which we love God above all things and our
neighbor because of him. [...] This is because love, as the bond of perfection and
fullness of the law (cf. Col 3:14, Rom. 13:10), governs, gives meaning to, and per-
fects all the means of sanctification. Hence the true disciple of Christ is marked
by love both of God and of his neighbor” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 42).

1-13. This wonderful hymn to charity is one of the most beautiful pages in Pau-
line writing. The literary style of the chapter is designed to present charity in all
its splendor. St Paul sings the praises of love as seen from three points of view
— the superiority and absolute need of this gift (vv. 1-3); its features and practical
expression (vv. 4-7); and the fact it endures for ever (vv. 8-13).

Love, the charity of which St Paul is speaking, has nothing to do with selfish de-
sire for physical passionate possession; nor is it restricted to mere philanthropy,
whose motivation is purely humanitarian: charity is a love which is to be found in
the new order of things established by Christ; its origin, context and purpose are
radically new; it is born of the love of God for men, a love so intense that he sacri-
ficed his only-begotten Son (In 3:16). The Christian is enabled to respond to this
love of God by this gift of the Holy Spirit, charity (cf. Gal 5:22; Rom 15:30), and
by virtue of this divine love he discovers God in his neighbor: he recognizes that
all are children of the one Father and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ: “Our
love is not to be confused with sentimentality or mere good fellowship, nor with
that somewhat questionable zeal to help others in order to convince ourselves of
our superiority. Rather, it means living in peace with our neighbor, venerating the
image of God that is found in each and every person and doing all we can to get
them in their turn to contemplate that image and learn to turn to Christ” (St. J.
Escriva, “Friends of God”, 230).

To make this clear St Paul mentions those gifts which appear to be most excep-
tional — the gift of tongues; knowledge; and heroic actions.

Firstly, the gift of tongues. St Thomas Aquinas comments that the Apostle “right-
ly compares words lacking in charity to the sound of lifeless instruments, to the
sound of a bell or cymbals, whose sound though clear is a dead sound. The
same occurs in the speech of someone who has no charity; no matter how bril-
liant it be, it comes across as something dead, because it is of no help as far as
meriting eternal life is concerned” (”Commentary on 1 Cor, ad loc.”). By way of
emphasis St Paul speaks of the tongues of angels as the highest degree of the
gift of tongues.

“I am nothing”: this conclusion could not be more emphatic. A little further on (1
Cor 15:10), St Paul will himself say that “by the grace of God I am what I am”, to
make us see that from God’s love for man (grace) derives man’s love for God and
for his neighbor for God’s sake (charity).

Knowledge and faith, which need not ever be separated, also acquire their full
meaning in the Christian who lives by love: “Each one according to his own gifts
and duties must steadfastly advance along the way of a living faith, which arou-
ses hope and works through love” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 41).

Strictly speaking, martyrdom is the supreme act of love. St Paul is referring here
as in the previous points to hypothetical cases or merely external gestures,
which seem to be token detachment and generosity, but are in fact mere appea-
rances: “If someone does not have charity”, St Augustine says, “even though he
may have these gifts at the moment, they will be taken away from him. What he
has will be taken away because he is missing the main thing, that whereby he
will have everything and which will keep him safe [...]. He has the power to pos-
sess, but he has no charity in what he does; and because he lacks charity, what
he has in his possession will be taken from him” (”Enarrationes in Psalmos”,
146, 10).

4-7. In his listing of the qualities of charity, St Paul, under the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit, begins with two general features — patience and kindness — which
the Bible attributes to God. Both of these lead on to thirteen particular ways in
which love expresses itself.

Patience is a quality often praised in the Bible: in the Psalms God is said to be
slow to anger (Ps 145:8); patience means great serenity in the face of injury;
kindness has to do with being inclined to do good to others. St Thomas Aquinas
explains this by starting with the etymology of the word: “Kindness [”benignitas”,
benignity] is like good fuel [”bona igneitas”]: just as fire causes solid substances
to become liquid and start to melt, charity sees to it that a person does not keep
his things for himself but distributes them to others” (”Commentary on 1 Cor, ad
loc.”). Since to charity are attributed qualities which in the first instance apply to
God, we can see the excellence of this virtue: “Charity towards our neighbor is
an expression of our love of God. Accordingly, when we strive to grow in this vir-
tue, we cannot fix any limits to our growth. The only possible measure for the
love of God is to love without measure: on the one hand, because we will never
be able to thank him enough for what he has done for us; and on the other, be-
cause this is exactly what God’s own love for us, his creatures, is like: it over-
flows without calculation or limit” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 232).

“Love is patient”, St Gregory the Great comments, “because it bears serenely
the injury it suffers. It is kind, because it repays evil with good. It is not jealous,
because it covets nothing in this world: it does not know what it is to envy world-
ly prosperity. It is not boastful, because it yearns only for spiritual reward and it
is not carried away by external things. It is not arrogant, because it thrives only
on the love of God and neighbor and avoids whatever would take it from the path
of righteousness. It is not covetous, because although it ardently pursues its
own spiritual goals, it does not desire the goods of others. It does not insist on
its own way, because it scorns as alien those things it temporarily possesses
here below: it seeks to hold on only to what is enduring. It is not irritable, and
even though injuries seek to provoke it, it does not let itself have any desire for
vengeance, for no matter how difficult a time it may have in this life, it hopes for
greater rewards in the next. It is not resentful, because it has invested its thought
in the love of purity, and having rooted out all hatred it is incapable of harboring in
its heart any type of aversion. It does not rejoice at wrong, because it feels affec-
tion for others and does not rejoice at seeing the ruin of its enemies. It rejoices
in the right, because by loving others as it loves itself, it is as pleased to see
goodness in them as if it were indeed something to its own personal advantage”
(”Moralia”, X, 7-8, 10).

7. The repetition of the word “all” reinforces the absolute, essential, value of cha-
rity. This is not hyperbole, much less a depiction of utopia: it is recognition of the
fact, as the Word of God confirms, that love lies at the very source of all Christian
virtue. “Since we are all children of God,” the founder of Opus Dei reminds us,
“our fraternity is not a cliché or an empty dream; it beckons as a goal which,
though difficult, is really ours to achieve.

“As Christians we must show that affection of this kind is in fact possible, what-
ever cynics, skeptics, those disappointed in love or those with a cowardly out-
look on life might say. It may be quite difficult to be truly affectionate, for man
was created free and he can rebel against God in a useless and bitter way. But
it is possible and people can attain it, because it flows as a necessary conse-
quence of God’s love for us and our love for God. If you and I want it, Jesus also
wants it. Then we will obtain a full and fruitful understanding of the meaning of
suffering, sacrifice and unselfish dedication in ordinary life” (”Friends of God”,
233).

8-13. Love is enduring; it will never disappear. In this sense it is greater than all
God’s other gifts to man; each of those gifts is designed to help man reach per-
ection and eternal beatitude; charity, on the other hand, is beatitude, blessed-
ness, itself. A thing is imperfect, St Thomas comments, for one of two reasons
— either because it contains certain defects, or because it will later be superse-
ded. In this second sense knowledge of God and prophecy are overtaken by see-
ing God face to face. “Charity, on the other hand, which is love of God, does not
disappear but, rather, increases; the more perfect one’s knowledge of God, the
more perfectly does one love him” (St Thomas Aquinas, “Commentary on 1 Cor,
ad loc.”).

St Paul is constantly reminding us to pursue the goal of charity, the bond of per-
fection (cf. Col. 3:14). Following his example the saints teach the same mes-
sage; St Teresa of Avila puts it in this way: “I only want you to be warned that, if
you would progress a long way on this road and ascend to the mansions that we
desire, it is not a matter of thinking much, but of loving much; do, then, whatever
most arouses you to love. Perhaps we do not know what it is to love; that would
not greatly surprise me; for love consists, not in what most pleases us, but in the
strength of our determination to desire to please God in everything and to endea-
vor to do everything we can not to offend him, and to pray him ever to advance
the honor and glory of his Son and the growth of the catholic Church” (”Interior
Castle”, IV, 1, 7).

11-12. “Then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood”: the
Old Testament usually avoids mentioning God by name; these words in effect
mean “Then I will know God as he knows me.” The knowledge which God has of
men is not merely speculative: it involves an intimate, personal union which em-
braces a person’s mind and will and all his or her noble aspirations. Thus in Sa-
cred Scripture God is said to know someone when he shows a preferential love
for him (1 Cor 8:3), particularly when he chooses him out to be a Christian (Gal
4:8).

Happiness in heaven consists in this direct knowledge of God. To explain this
better St Paul uses the simile of the mirror: in those times mirrors were made of
metal and produced a reflection which was blurred and dark; but it is still easy
for us to understand what St Paul means; as St Thomas explains, in heaven “we
shall see God face to face, because we shall see him directly, just as we see a
man face to face. And by seeing in this way we become very like God, becoming
sharers in his beatitude: for God has knowledge of his own substance in its very
essence and therein his happiness lies. Therefore does St John (1 Jn 3:2) write:
‘When he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is”’ (”Summa
Contra Gentiles”, III, 51).

In this connection the Church’s Magisterium teaches that “in the usual provi-
dence of God, the souls of all the saints who departed this world [...] see the di-
vine essence with an intuitive and even face-to-face vision, without the interposi-
tion of any creature in the function of object seen; rather, the divine essence im-
mediately manifests itself to them plainly, clearly, openly [...]. We also define
that those who see the divine essence in this way take great joy from it, and that
because of this vision and enjoyment the souls of those who have already died
are truly blessed and possess life and eternal rest” (Benedict XII, “Benedictus
Deus, Dz-Sch”, 1000f).

13. Faith, hope and charity are the most important virtues in the Christian life.
They are called “theological” virtues, “because they have God as their direct and
principal object” (”St Pius X Catechism”, 859), and it is he himself who infuses
them into the soul together with sanctifying grace (cf. ibid., 861).

When discussing the superiority of charity over faith and hope, St Thomas Aqui-
nas says that the greatest of these virtues is that which most directly unites one
to good: “Faith and hope attain God in so far as we derive from him the know-
ledge of truth or the acquisition of good; whereas charity attains God himself that
it may rest in him, not that something else should come to us from him” (”Sum-
ma Theologiae”, II-II, q. 23, a.6).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

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From: Luke 4:21-30

Jesus Preaches in Nazareth

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[21] And He began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in
your hearing. [22] And all spoke well of Him, and wondered at the gracious
words which proceeded out of His mouth; and they said, “Is not this Joseph’s
son?” [23] And He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to Me this proverb,
‘Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here al-
so in your own country.’” [24] And He said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is ac-
ceptable in his own country. [25] But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows
in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six
months, when there came a great famine over all the land; [26] and Elijah was
sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who
was a widow. [27] And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet
Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” [28]
When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. [29] And they
rose up and put Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow on the hill on which
their city was built, that they might throw Him down headlong. [30] But passing
through the midst of them He went away.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

21. Christ’s words in verse 21 show us the authenticity with which He preached
and explained the Scriptures: “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hea-
ring.” Jesus teaches that this prophecy, like the other main prophecies in the Old
Testament, refers to Him and finds its fulfillment in Him (cf. Luke 24:44ff). Thus,
the Old Testament can be rightly understood only in the light of the New—as the
risen Christ showed the Apostles when He opened their minds to understand the
Scriptures (cf. Luke 24:45), an understanding which the Holy Spirit perfected on
the day of Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:4).

22-29. At first the people of Nazareth listened readily to the wisdom of Jesus’s
words. But they were very superficial; in their narrow-minded pride they felt hurt
that Jesus, their fellow-townsman, had not worked in Nazareth the wonders He
had worked elsewhere. They presume they have a special entitlement and they
insolently demand that He perform miracles to satisfy their vanity, not to change
their hearts. In view of their attitude, Jesus performs no miracle (His normal res-
ponse to lack of faith: cf., for example, His meeting with Herod in Luke 23:7-11);
He actually reproaches them, using two examples taken from the Old Testament
(cf. 1 Kings 17:9 and 2 Kings 5:14), which show that one needs to be well-dis-
posed if miracles are to lead to faith. His attitude so wounds their pride that they
are ready to kill Him. This whole episode is a good lesson about understanding
Jesus. We can understand Him only if we are humble and are genuinely resolved
to make ourselves available to Him.

30. Jesus does not take flight but withdraws majestically, leaving the crowd para-
lyzed. As on other occasions men do Him no harm; it was by God’s decree that
He died on a cross (cf. John 18:32) when His hour had come.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

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Catholic

Almanac:

Sunday, February 3
Liturgical Color: Green
Today is the optional memorial of St. Blaisé, bishop and martyr. St. Blaisé saved a child from choking. In commemoration, we have our throats blessed asking God's protection against choking and other problems and diseases of the throat.

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Catholic Culture

Daily Readings for: February 03, 2013
(Readings on USCCB website)

Collect: Grant us, Lord our God, that we may honor you with all our mind, and love everyone in truth of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

RECIPES

• Cool Sunday Dinner Sample Menu

ACTIVITIES

• Pre-Lent, or Carnival in the Home

PRAYERS

• Ordinary Time, Pre-Lent: Table Blessing 3
• Ordinary Time, Pre-Lent: Table Blessing 4

Ordinary Time: February 3rd

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Old Calendar: Sexagesima Sunday

There is a shocking turnaround in today's Gospel. The people with whom Jesus grew up were assembled in the Nazareth synagogue. After they heard him read Sacred Scripture and give a one sentence homily "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" St. Luke tells us that "all spoke well of him and were AMAZED at the gracious words that came from his mouth." But that amazement soon turned into doubt and then into fury. — Fr. Roger J. Landry

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

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Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the book of Jeremiah (Jer 1:4-5, 17-19). Jeremiah is the second of the four great prophets of Israel; a contemporary of Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk. He was born in the last part of the reign of Manasseh, about 645 years before the birth of Jesus and almost a century after Isaiah. Today's reading comes from the prologue which gives an account of Jeremiah's calling. It is a dialog between Yahweh and Jeremiah.

The second reading, taken from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 12:31-13:13), continues last week's comparison of the Church to the human body. Each part of the body is no greater than any other part; rather, all work together to serve the common good. The second reading also discusses the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel reading is taken from St. Luke (Lk 4:21-30). This rejection of Jesus by his own townfolk must have sincerely grieved him. But it was only the beginning of similar rejections. Their attempt to murder him was an indication of what was yet to come. "To his own he came but his own did not accept him" as St. John says (1:11). The reason was that the Messiah they were looking for was a political leader who would make Israel a political power not only among the nations but over the other nations. Nearly all the messianic prophecies had references to the universality of the messianic kingdom–this universality they interpreted in a political, worldly sense. Their interest in things spiritual was then at a very low ebb and therefore the message of Christ had little interest for them. They did not want a spiritual kingdom.

For seventeen centuries they had been God's Chosen People, and they were proud of their superiority over the sinful Gentiles who did not know the true God. That very pride of theirs was their undoing. The Gentiles were God's children too, and they also were to share in the new kingdom which the Messiah would establish, but the very thought of this was abhorrent to the vast majority of the Jews.

In spite of all their opposition, however, Jesus spent his public life amongst them. He gave them the first offer of entering the new kingdom. They could still continue to be God's Chosen People together with, and alongside, the other nations of the earth. They refused. And their refusal went so far as to call in the aid of the hated Gentiles to crucify the One—their own fellow Jew—who had come to bring them the message of the true kingdom and the offer of being its first citizens.

There were exceptions, of course, and honorable exceptions at that. Christ founded his Church, the new kingdom of God on the Apostles, who were Jews, and through their noble sacrifices and efforts, the kingdom spread to all the Gentile nations of the earth. Because of their sacrifices, we are Christians, members of Christ's kingdom on earth and heirs to his eternal kingdom in heaven. Through our Christian teaching we have learned that our life on this earth is but a period of preparation, a period during which we can earn the true life as citizens of his eternal kingdom. How often do we, like the Jews of Christ's day, forget this and bend all our efforts to building for ourselves a kingdom of power or wealth in this world, a kingdom which we will have to leave so soon?

We would not, of course, openly deny Christ, much less try, like his neighbors in Nazareth, to throw him to his death over a cliff: but how often in our private actions, and in our dealings with our neighbors, do we push him and his doctrine quietly aside and act as if we knew him not. In this we are no better than Christ's neighbors of Nazareth and we grieve his loving heart as much as they did on that sad day. Am I one of those (each one of us can ask himself)? Do I really love Christ or, to put it in a more personal way, do I really love myself ? If I do, I will not risk losing my place in the eternal kingdom for the sake of some paltry pleasure or gain in this present life which will end for me so very soon.

Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

Things to Do:

• Read or reread Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter, Dies Domini on Keeping the Lord's Day Holy

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The Word Among Us

Meditation: 1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:8)

Addressing the fractious Corinthian church, Paul urged the believers to “strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:31). He even told them how to get there: by practicing love. Not the overly romantic love that musicians sing about but divine love—the love Jesus poured out when he died on the cross. Paul wants us to learn how to operate out of God’s infinite love, not just our own limited version of it.

The sad truth, however, is that we are all fallible. We all fail to meet the standard of love presented in this reading. So how can we love in the way God is asking us to? By receiving it as a gift. Prophecy, tongues, miracles—all these spectacular gifts of the Spirit will fade. But not love. It is limitless. It never fails.

Just as Jesus taught his apostles the way of love, he wants to teach us as well. But we have to come to him if we want to be taught. As we take up a life of prayer, Scripture, and the sacraments, something happens. Often enough, it is a gradual process, and we may not even notice what is happening. But something prompts us to look back over our lives, and we begin to see the ways that God’s grace has made us more kind and generous. We can see how he has made us more alert to other people’s situations and needs.

All this happens because we are becoming like Jesus. We are receiving him in the Eucharist and soaking up his wisdom in the Scriptures. And the Holy Spirit is responding by shaping our hearts and minds according to Jesus’ own image and likeness.

So let God fill you with his perfect love at Mass today. There will be plenty of time for action in the week to come. For now, just sit still and receive. This, after all, is the greatest of all the gifts!

“Lord, I surrender my relation-ships to you. Come and fill me to overflowing so that your love can flow from me to everyone in my life.”

Jeremiah 1:4-5,17-19; Psalm 71:1-6, 15-17; Luke 4:21-30

1 Corinthians 12:31–13:13

 

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion

1. In the first reading, the Lord tells Jeremiah that even before he was born, he was known by God and had been called by God to serve him. God has also called each one of us to his service as well. He has also given us the spiritual gifts we need to serve him and build his Church. In exercising these gifts (the first reading uses prophecy as an example), God promises his strength and protection. He promises to be with all of us who respond to his call. What are the gifts you believe God has given you? How have you used them to serve him and others,? What steps can you take to use them even more in the future?

2. In the responsorial psalm, we state that our hope, trust, and dependence are in God who is our strength. Can you share an example of how God gave you the opportunity and strength to share your gifts with someone?

3. In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us to “strive eagerly” for spiritual gifts, but that no matter how important the individual gifts each of us has, unless we exercise love in their use we “are” and “gain” nothing. How open are you to “strive eagerly” for spiritual gifts? If you are not, why not?

4. The well know definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13 contains a list of elements that should resonate with each of us and cut to the heart of our weaknesses, whether we are quick-tempered, keep score of injuries received, etc. Take a close look at this list. How can you use it to pray for the grace to change in certain areas, and learn what St. Paul calls the “more excellent way” of love?

5. In the Gospel, we see the reaction of people to hearing the word of God from someone close to them. The initial reaction to his “gracious words” was positive. When he went on to challenge them, the people reacted angrily to Jesus’ words? What is your response when someone close to you challenges your preconceptions either of yourself or of God? Is there room for improvement? In what way?

6. In the meditation, we hear these words: “Just as Jesus taught his apostles the way of love, he wants to teach us as well. But we have to come to him if we want to be taught.” Why do you think our ability to love others in the same way the Lord has loved us is so tied to the depth of our own personal experience of his love? What steps can you take to open yourself more to the love of Christ and the “way of love”?

7. Take some time now to pray for one another to know and experience Jesus’ love more deeply, so that you can give it to others. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as a starting point.

 

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A Christian Pilgrim

LET HIS LOVE MELT OUR HEARTS

(A biblical refection on the 4^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, 3 February 2013)

Gospel Reading: Luke 4:21-30 

First Reading: Jer 1:4-5,17-19; Psalms: Ps 71:1-6,15-17; Second Reading: 1Cor 12:31-13:13 

The Scripture Text

And He began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke well of Him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth; and they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” And He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to Me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here also in you own country.’” And He said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian. When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and put Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down headlong. But passing through the midst of them He went away. (Lk 4:21-30 RSV) 

When you think of a biblical prophet, do you imagine a rather thin, ascetic-looking man who speaks angrily against the sins and evils of his day? In fact, three of the prophets mentioned in today’s readings – Jeremiah, Elijah, and Elisha – might well have fit that description. But what about Jesus?

In this today’s Gospel, Jesus identified himself as a prophet. However, the image that Jesus gave throughout His ministry would probably be better summed up by today’s second reading, which is all about Christian love. In all His words to the people of Israel, Jesus consistently spoke with the kind of love Paul described in this passage: a love that is patient, kind, and selfless. So even when He chastised His fellow Nazarenes for not accepting Him, He did it out of a loving concern and even anguish over their hardness of heart.

Think of how Jesus could have responded to His townsfolk’s hostility. He could have lashed out in anger. He could have denounced them as hypocrites. He even could have singled out one or two people He knew well and exposed all their faults and sins just to silence them. But He did not. Instead, He simply walked away and continued His preaching, hoping that some of them might finally accept Him.

Jesus wants to teach us how to become prophets after His example. He wants to show us how to deal with people in the compassion and humility of godly love. It is one thing to learn how to be bold – and Jesus certainly was that. But it is another thing to be able to join that boldness with both shrewdness and gentleness. And the only way that can happen is if we spend time with Jesus. In prayer, let His love melt your heart, even as His words prick your conscience. As you do, you will find yourself becoming just as prophetic as He was.

Short Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am awed at the depth of Your love, especially when I look at the shallowness of My love. Fill me, Lord Jesus, and teach me to bring Your word to everyone I meet. Amen.

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A Christian Pilgrim

GENUINE PROPHETS WILL LEAD YOU TO GOD

 (A biblical refection on the 4^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, 3 February 2013)

First Reading: Jer 1:4-5,17-19; Psalms: Ps 71:1-6,15-17; Second Reading: 1Cor 12:31-13:13; Gospel Reading: Lk 4:21-30  

Tell people they’re attractive, intelligent and suave, they’ll sing your praises and call you the greatest. Admonish them for imprudence or sinfulness; they’ll lose composure and you’ll lose their friendship. Most of us do not accept correction gracefully and usually tell our monitors to mind their own business. 

It was, however, the sacred business of the biblical prophets to solicit reforms from society with avenging messages from God. Faithfulness to the demands of their office normally left them with few friends. 

In the first reading today, we meet the outstanding prophet of the Old Testament – Jeremiah. For forty arduous years he exposed the national guilt of Judah and wrote the longest book of the entire Bible. He endured violent abuse from discontented people he tried to reform. Although God promised him personal protection like that bestowed on “a fortified city,” he found his work perilous, displeasing and often revolting. Candidly he confessed his continual struggle between public commitment and personal doubt. So what motivated him to continue? It was the profound conviction that his prophetic vocation was genuine, conferred by God. Although tempted many times, he would not abandon it, lest he offend his beloved Yahweh. 

Jeremiah’s articulate words and unchanging pleas present a stimulating challenge for today’s society which so easily “does its own thing,” ignores the commandments and glibly terminates binding promises. Religious vocations, business commitments, marriage vows and personal obligations are daily forsaken in the face of whimsical conflicts. Even though his vocation was thrust upon him without choice, since he was appointed before birth as “a prophet to the nations,” Jeremiah lived and died his calling. He would no doubt call our “burn-outs” “cop-outs” and term us a lax generation. Of course that would disturb us, but that was his profession. 

Six hundred years later, the greatest prophet of all times faced similar problems, as noted in today’s Gospel. A mutinous and selfish crowd escorted Jesus from His hometown, intending to hurl Him over a cliff. He had dared to preach religious and social improvement to a very unreform-minded people. 

The prophets continue to speak to us today, not only in scripture but in the souls and voices of those who promote the timeless values of love and honesty. Genuine prophets preach not their own words but God’s, and they will suffer and even die for the message. If you can find a true prophet, you’ve found a real friend. He or she will lead you to God. 

Note: Taken from Fr. James McKarns, GO TELL EVERYONE, Makati, Philippines: St. Paul Publications, 1985, pages 236-237.

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Marriage = One Man and One Woman

Til' Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for February 3, 2013:

1 Cor 13:4-8 is a scripture often used at weddings. Which element of love is most challenging for you: Patience? Kindness? Goodwill? Humility? Self-Sacrifice? Tolerance? Long Suffering? Optimism? Hopefulness? Faith?

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Sunday Scripture Study

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle C

February 3, 2013

Click here for USCCB readings

Opening Prayer  

First Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19

Psalm: 71:1-6, 15-17

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:31 - 13:13 or 13:4-13

Gospel Reading: Luke 4:21-30

• This Sunday’s Gospel is a continuation from last Sunday’s (Luke 4:14-21). Jesus, speaking in the synagogue in Nazareth, has announced that the Old Testament prophecies have been fulfilled in him; that the long awaited Messiah is here (see last week’s study).

• The people are at first filled with excitement at his words. Their amazement turns to skepticism, however, as they recall that they have known Jesus and his family his whole life and he has never seemed exceptional or performed miracles for his own townsfolk, many of whom were relatives (see Mark 6:1-6a).

• They are further incensed when Jesus, pointing out their lack of faith, compares them to the faithless people of Israel in the time of the prophets. These saw no miracles by the prophets, except for the despised Gentiles, or non-Jews (1 Kings 17:1-16 and 2 Kings 5:1-14).

• In a foreshadowing of what will later happen to many of his followers (Acts 7:58, 13:50), the crowd attempts to avoid hearing Jesus’ message by getting rid of him—permanently. Jesus, however, is always the master of his own destiny.

 

QUESTIONS:

• What is Jesus saying through the proverb (verse 23)? Through the Elijah and Elisha stories? How does this relate to the prophetic statements in Luke 2:14, 2:32, and 3:6? In what way do these words of Jesus to the villagers in Nazareth strike a chord in your own heart? 

• Why do Jesus’ words to them turn the people’s amazement (verse 22) into anger (verses 28-29)? What might your reaction be to his words if they were directed toward you?

• Elijah (1 Kings 17:1-16) and Elisha (2 Kings 5:1-14) performed miracles for Gentiles at a time and in a culture where it was frowned upon. Who are the “Gentiles” God desires you to care for? How might you do it?

• Jesus was set aside from all time (see the First Reading) to be the Messiah, the anointed One of God (see verse 4:18; the word Messiah means “the anointed one,” as does the Greek word “Christ”). How are we also set apart by God from all time and for what purpose are we set apart?

• Jesus’ neighbors reject him because he grew up among them (verses 22-24). How have you fared with evangelizing your relatives (or being evangelized by them)? How do you deal with the reactions?

Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 547—549

 

It is human to err; it is devilish to remain willfully in error. -St. Augustine