A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 4:24-30
Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth: “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 he passed through the midst of them and went away.
REFLECTION: "he passed through the midst of them and went away".
With three children in my family, I got to know many of their friends. There was the young boy who would go to the teacher "to tattle" about all grievances, and now he is head of the Internal Medicine department at a medical school. The young man who was timid, bashful and clumsy, now is head of a theology department in a catholic high school, lecturing at many spiritual conferences I attend. The young girl who cried when she could not bake 's’mores' at girl scout camp now is head nurse in a local hospital. A mischievous little boy is now a priest. Everyone of these young adults were used by God to show us His love, mercy and grace. If I had gone with my “what if's" I would not have known what fine people they would become.
Jesus Christ was known by the townspeople of Nazareth. To them, their expectation of a rabbi or the Messiah did not seem possible because they knew of Him when a small boy. "Is He not the son of Joseph, the carpenter?" They were not impressed with His message, and, therefore, He was met with doubt, distrust and skepticism. They were not willing nor wanting to take a listen to Jesus and when He told them the truth, they were filled with anger and rage and were ready to toss Him over the cliff but it was not time and "he passed through the midst of them and went away".
Sometimes the Holy Spirit asks us to see what God sees in others. God speaks to us in many different instances in our lives, picking the moment when He will make Himself known. Be open to the new priest who has just arrived. See what God has planned for him and you. Please pray that we will have an open mind when we meet others. Please join in praying the Prayer for Priests.
God Bless You
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