Gospel Reflection

February 03, 2013

Sunday – Year of Faith

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

by Rev. Fr. Stephen Mifsud (Mission Society of St. Paul  – Quezon City)

MSSP House Chapel / Mass for the poor)

Anticipated Sunday Mass   

 

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.

HOMILY

Today we have a very particular gospel in which we find two extreme reactions of the people.  At the beginning the people were full admiration for Jesus.  At the end of the gospel, the same people wanted to kill Jesus.  What happened? What caused this change of behavior towards Jesus.

First they were hearing that Jesus is the one who will bring the Good News.  I can imagine the sign of relief that they felt in hearing that he will bring healing to the sick and liberty to the captives. And so they were thinking that Jesus is the one who will free them from the oppression of the Romans and will make revenge over the enemies ... but then they said “how this Jesus can do this if he is a son of a carpenter?” In other words they started doubting the words of Jesus.  Then Jesus explained more what he was thinking by mentioning the examples of the widow from Serafta who Elija helped her in the time of starvation  and the healing of Naman from Syria who was a pagan leper. 

So what is the reality that Jesus wanted to bring?

God loves and want to help everyone... Jewish or unbelievers, poor and rich, men and women, child or adult, healthy or sick, friends or enemies.

The people around Jesus, who were all Jews, forgot that God is love and God wants to save everyone.  They thought God is their possession and salvation is only for them... That’s why they were so jealous and became so angry, that they wanted to kill him. 

Today’s reading speaks of the Love of God... not only for me personally but for everyone ... even those who i think they don’t deserve it. 

If you stop and reflect a bit on the people you hate, you realize that sometimes you wish that something bad happens to them!!

·         If you are playing basketball and you are losing you wish the opponent will fall and get injured!!

·          If your neighbor is a headache for you, you wish something happens to them and they would leave the place.

But what is God saying today? ... I came to bring salvation and healing to everyone and I and you need to have the same mentality of God.  Not of hatred but of love, not of bad wishing but of helping and healing.

St Paul in the second reading shows us what type of love we need to have: love which is

Patient, kind, not jealous, not inflated, not rude, not selfish, not rejoice of wrongdoing , bears all things, hopes, endures.

It’s very difficult to love... but possible.    

So let us remind ourselves today to love everyone and love with the same love that God loves us.