20220130 FIDELITY TO OUR CALLING TO BE PROPHETS OF LOVE
30 January, 2022, Sunday, Week 4 in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Jeremiah 1:4-5,17-19 © |
'I have appointed you prophet to the nations'
In the days of Josiah, the word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying:
‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
before you came to birth I consecrated you;
I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.
‘So now brace yourself for action.
Stand up and tell them
all I command you.
Do not be dismayed at their presence,
or in their presence I will make you dismayed.
‘I, for my part, today will make you
into a fortified city,
a pillar of iron,
and a wall of bronze
to confront all this land:
the kings of Judah, its princes,
its priests and the country people.
They will fight against you
but shall not overcome you,
for I am with you to deliver you –
it is the Lord who speaks.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 70(71):1-6,15,17 © |
My lips will tell of your help.
In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me, free me:
pay heed to me and save me.
My lips will tell of your help.
Be a rock where I can take refuge,
a mighty stronghold to save me;
for you are my rock, my stronghold.
Free me from the hand of the wicked.
My lips will tell of your help.
It is you, O Lord, who are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, since my youth.
On you I have leaned from my birth,
from my mother’s womb you have been my help.
My lips will tell of your help.
My lips will tell of your justice
and day by day of your help.
O God, you have taught me from my youth
and I proclaim your wonders still.
My lips will tell of your help.
Second reading |
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 © |
The supremacy of charity
Be ambitious for the higher gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any of them.
If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever.
Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.
Love does not come to an end. But if there are gifts of prophecy, the time will come when they must fail; or the gift of languages, it will not continue for ever; and knowledge – for this, too, the time will come when it must fail. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophesying is imperfect; but once perfection comes, all imperfect things will disappear. When I was a child, I used to talk like a child, and think like a child, and argue like a child, but now I am a man, all childish ways are put behind me. Now we are seeing a dim reflection in a mirror; but then we shall be seeing face to face. The knowledge that I have now is imperfect; but then I shall know as fully as I am known.
In short, there are three things that last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love.
Gospel Acclamation | Jn14:6 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, says the Lord;
No one can come to the Father except through me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 4:21-30 © |
No prophet is ever accepted in his own country
Jesus began to speak in the synagogue: ‘This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.’ And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips. They said, ‘This is Joseph’s son, surely?’
But he replied, ‘No doubt you will quote me the saying, “Physician, heal yourself” and tell me, “We have heard all that happened in Capernaum, do the same here in your own countryside.”’
And he went on, ‘I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.
‘There were many widows in Israel, I can assure you, in Elijah’s day, when heaven remained shut for three years and six months and a great famine raged throughout the land, but Elijah was not sent to any one of these: he was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town. And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.’
When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.
FIDELITY TO OUR CALLING TO BE PROPHETS OF LOVE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JER 1:4-5,17-19; 1 COR 12:31-13:13; LUKE 4:21-30]
When God calls someone to be a prophet, it is to proclaim the Word of God, to direct His people, guide them to walk the path of truth, justice and love. At times, it comes with warning of disasters if they do not repent and take heed of the call to live a life of integrity. That is why, prophets are seldom welcomed by those in power or those who have vested interests, just like the political and religious leaders of Israel. They were not ready to listen to the prophecy of Jeremiah spelling doom and disaster for the country. Instead of taking his warnings seriously, they accused him of treason for speaking against the King and the Temple.
Jesus also met with the same reception in today’s gospel. He came to His own townsfolk. After reading the text from Isaiah on the work of the Suffering Servant in reaching out to the poor, the blind and those in captives, He concluded by declaring, “This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.” In that moment, “he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips.” Indeed, this was good news. Certainly, the text from Isaiah brought hope to the people, especially those who were suffering. Jesus gave them hope that it would be realized in their time.
Unfortunately, the incredibly Good News that Jesus came to bring was soon rejected when they began to doubt His credentials. They said, “This is Joseph’s son, surely?” In Mark’s gospel, the evangelist was even more explicit. “What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands!” (Mk 6:2f) St Mark even noted, “They took offense at him.” Indeed, it is difficult for us to accept a prophet from our own country as the Lord remarked. Such prophets are not welcome because they know the truth too well, unlike the prophets from abroad who are often not in touch with the ground situation. This explains why Jeremiah and Jesus were not welcomed prophets. The people challenged their credentials and their authority. They were always prejudiced against them.
Secondly, prophets were rejected because the prophets did not say what the people liked to hear. Jeremiah was predicting the fall of the country to the Babylonians. Jesus reminded the Jews that the Good News for the poor was not confined to the Jews as the Chosen people only but also for the Gentiles as well. And if they did not repent, and were unreceptive to the gospel, they would face the same lost opportunities as the Israelites during the time of Elijah and Elisha. The Lord illustrated this possibility when He gave the examples of how Elijah, among the many widows in Israel, was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town that was suffering from famine. “And in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.”
The immediate reaction was not one of humility but that of a wounded pride and ego. “When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff.” They could not accept the truth of the message which was based on the scriptures. They wanted to keep the Good News to themselves and saw themselves as superior to the Gentiles. To think that God would offer the Good News to the Gentiles instead was an insult to them. Hence, both Jeremiah and our Lord were rejected.
Yet, both Jeremiah and Jesus were genuine prophets because they knew that they were called for the good of their people. Jeremiah was called by the Lord even before he was formed in the womb. The Lord said, “before you came to birth I consecrated you; I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah was already in the plan of God. This explains why he was ready to bear the persecution because the Lord had prepared him. Indeed, he would suffer for the cause of God but he would be protected. The Lord said, “So now brace yourself for action. Stand up and tell them all I command you. Do not be dismayed at their presence, or in their presence I will make you dismayed. I, for my part, today will make you into a fortified city, a pillar of iron, and a wall of bronze to confront all this land: the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests and the country people. They will fight against you but shall not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you.” So convinced was he of his call that he could not reject the Word of God. When under persecution, he remarked, “O Lord, you have enticed me, and I was enticed; you have overpowered me, and you have prevailed.” (Jer 20:7)
Truly, fidelity to one’s calling depends on our convictions and motivations in taking up a task, a calling or a responsibility. If it is a matter of choice based on one’s interests and especially worldly rewards, such as popularity, recognition and material remuneration, we will give up when the tide turns against us, when our personal interests are not met. This is because we are hired shepherds. As the Lord says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away – and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.” (Jn 10:11-13)
Indeed, this was the same conviction that drove Jesus to His mission. He had encountered the Father’s love at His baptism when “the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Lk 3:21f) As Son of the Father, He knew that His life must be identified with the Father’s love and compassion. As Son of the Father, He loved the world just as the Father loves the world. St John wrote, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16) Today’s gospel is a continuation of last Sunday’s gospel when the Lord, filled with the Holy Spirit, taught in the synagogues and declared the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah in Him. for the “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” (Lk 4:18)
Secondly, without this conviction of being called to our vocation accompanied by an experience of God’s love we will not be able to carry out our mission right to the end. In today’s second reading, St Paul again reiterated that it is the love of God in us, poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that is the basis for building a community of love. It presupposes that we have encountered the love of God in the Holy Spirit. He made it clear that our service to the community must be motivated by love. “If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever.”
Whether it is our Lord, Jeremiah or St Paul, the prophet is only able to remain focused and committed to his mission in spite of the rejection of his own people because he is filled with God’s love. This is because he seeks nothing for himself but the good and wellbeing of others and their salvation. Only because of God’s love, was St Paul able to exhort the Christians to love like the Lord; “Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.” No one can love the way St Paul describes of love, but with God’s grace, and knowing He loves us, we will be able to love with God’s strength. So let us take heed of St Paul’s calling to “be ambitious for the higher gifts.” Let us seek the love of God in Christ so that we can be empowered like Him. Only then we can we be prophets of love with conviction.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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