Title: Meditation: Monday, March 4, 2002
The Catholic Calendar for Monday, March 4, 2002
Saint Casimir
Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
2 Kings 5:1-15
Psalm 42:2-3;43:3-4
Luke 4:24-30
A Reflection on Today's Scripture:
No prophet is accepted in his own country. (see: Luke 4:24)
One human tendency is to categorize people; and as long as they stay in
the confines we establish for them, we find them acceptable. When Jesus
returned to the synagogue in His native Nazareth, read and commented on
Isaiah's prophecy regarding Israel's deliverance through their Messiah,
they were impressed by His eloquence; for, after all, was not Jesus a
mere carpenter's son? What turned the congregation into an angry mob was
His suggestion that this prophecy was being fulfilled in Him this day.
Seeing their rage, Jesus reminded them of the prophets the Israelites
had rejected and abused in the past, and, in doing so, had shut
themselves off from God's blessings. Yet foreigners who were open to
receive God's word were healed. This truth hurt and turned the crowd
murderous as they tried to throw Him off the brow of the hill on which
the town was built.
Today such individuals have developed more finesse and sophistication in
disposing of pastors who make congregations uncomfortable with
themselves and their lifestyles. They simply label him as incurably
"retro" and refuse to accept that there is a better way, the true way
that requires making sacrifices, abandoning their worldly values,
attitudes and actions and acquiring holy virtues.
Yet all is not lost, for there will always be those who will continue to
proclaim the Good News, the truth and love of God. And there will always
remain a "remnant" who will hear, accept, and keep the faith.
Redeemer God,
fill us with the faith and hope of Easter,
that Your Love and Truth
will endure through every generation.
Amen.
- Marie L. Bocko, ocds ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
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All scripture quotes are from the Douay-Rheims edition of the Catholic Bible.
Full text from the New American Bible: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/index.htm
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