First Reading: Ezek 2:2-5
Second Reading: 2 Cor 12:7-10
Dear friends we are in the Fourteenth
Sunday of the Ordinary Time. In the first and second readings of today, we are
given a warning about rejection we would face in being a prophet. As baptised
Christians, all of us are called to be prophets. In the first reading, God
calls Ezekiel for a prophetic ministry. God sends him to his own people;
Ezekiel is sent to his own people. God warns him that he would face rejection
and rebellion from his own people for prophesying. He had to face their
contempt with courage. His prophetic ministry among them would be like sitting
on scorpions (Ezek 2:6), yet the prophet should be fearless. In the Gospel too
we see Jesus facing contempt in His hometown; Nazareth. “Familiarity breeds
contempt” is the proverb fittingly used over the years to interpret this particular
passage of the Gospel. At the beginning of the passage, people show
astonishment for the great wisdom that Jesus is endowed with. They are happy
that one among them has become great and knowledgeable person in that region. To
have a Galilean who exhibits extraordinary powers and wisdom is a great assert
for the Nazarenes to remove the prejudice that is held by the Jews of the time for
years – that Galileans are unruly people. They are rejoicing that they could
remove that historical stigma with the person of Jesus. Yet, they want to tell
Jesus that among them He should remain in His place; a carpenter. This is very
relevant in today’s culture. People of particular land or nation come together
to fight against colonizers or oppressors. Once that is achieved, they get
preoccupied with having division among themselves based on race, language,
creed, caste and so forth. Not much has changed from the time of Jesus, we want
people of our own clan and nation to rise up against the common enemy but when
it comes to us we always try to belittle that person.
The hostility that Jesus and
Ezekiel face is much more than social problem. Jesus and Ezekiel are rejected by
their own people not for their social outstanding but for exhibiting religious
and spiritual supremacy over them. In our life too, whenever we face the need
for counselling or spiritual direction we seek for people who are not in our
family and friends circle. We feel more comfortable with outsiders to open up
and share, than with people who are familiar to us and with whom we share our everyday
living. We may be more receptive to the directions of people who are ignorant
and distant from our everyday living than with our near and dear ones. This is
what we see in the readings of today. They fail to take direction from the man
of their own. They feel ashamed to humble themselves to a person with whom they
are very familiar with. Apart from submitting oneself to the help of one’s own,
we are also called to be prophets to our own people – family, friends and
relatives. Even though they may rebel against our counsels, we are ought to carry
out this wonderful ministry as Christians.
In the second reading, St. Paul
speaks of a thorn in his flesh (2 Cor 12:7). He refers to some kind of chronic
disease he has been suffering with for a long time. He had appealed to the Lord
thrice for the removal of that illness as he was sure that it had been the
snare of the devil. The response of the Lord to his appeal is not a healing but
a grace to live with that illness. St. Paul considers that illness as good
weakness to prevent him from becoming prideful of his missionary activity. This
is the attitude we should cultivate in facing setbacks in our life. Most of the
time we look at our inability and limitations and pray for its removal. The world
tells us that our limitations, sickness, constant struggle and repeated
temptation toward particular sin are negative which needs to be ruled out if
one wants to excel in this world. When we pray for the removal of those weaknesses
we are approving the standard of the world. As Christians we should pray for
the grace to live with those weaknesses. God who is omniscient – all knowing –
is aware of our struggles. If those struggles are a lacuna in us, He could have
very well removed it. The presence of those limitations are a strength is us to
have constant recourse to His grace. Thus, when we are weak, then we are strong
(2 Cor 12:10). Let us be happy and boastful of our weakness to exhibit
prophetic courage and vigour in our life especially to our own people.
Comments
Post a Comment