“Today, these prophetic words come true, even as you listen.”

2022-01-30

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊ 

Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19

 A word of Yahweh came to me,

“Even before I formed you in the womb I have known you; even before you were born I had set you apart, and appointed you a prophet to the nations!”  But you, get ready for action; stand up and say to them all that I com­mand you. Be not scared of them or I will scare you in their presence!

 See, I will make you a fortified city, a pillar of iron with walls of bronze, against all the nations, against the kings and princes of Judah, against the priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but shall not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue you – it is Yahweh who speaks.”

 

Ps 71:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 15-17

I will sing of your salvation.

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

1 Corinthians 12:31 － 13:13

 Be that as it may, set your hearts on the most precious gifts, and I will show you a much better way. If I could speak all the human and angelic ton­­gues, but had no love, I would only be sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

  If I had the gift of prophecy, knowing secret things with all kinds of knowledge, and had faith great enough to remove mountains, but had no love, I would be nothing.   If I gave ev­erything I had to the poor, and even give up my body to be burned, if I am without love, it would be of no value to me.

 Love is patient, kind, without envy. It is not boastful or arrogant. It is not ill-mannered nor does it seek its own interest.   Love overcomes anger and forgets offenses.   It does not take delight in wrong, but rejoices in truth.  Love excuses everything, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

 Love will never end. Prophecies may cease, tongues be silent and knowledge dis­appear.  For knowledge grasps something of the truth and prophecy as well.   And when what is perfect comes, everything imperfect will pass away.   

When I was a child I thought and reasoned like a child, but when I grew up, I gave up childish ways.   Likewise, at present we see dimly as in a mirror, but then it shall be face to face. Now we know in part, but then I will know as I am known.   Now we have faith, hope and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊ 

Luke 4:21-30

 Then he said to them, “Today these prophetic words come true even as you listen.”  All agreed with him and were lost in wonder, while he kept on speaking of the grace of God. Nevertheless they asked, “Who is this but Joseph’s son?”   So he said, “Doubtless you will quote me the saying: Doctor, heal yourself! Do here in your town what they say you did in Capernaum.”

 Jesus added, “No prophet is honored in his own country.   Truly, I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens with­held rain for three years and six months and a great famine came over the whole land.

  Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow of Zarephath, in the country of Sidon.   There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha, the prophet, and no one was healed except Naaman, the Syrian.”

 On hearing these words, the whole assembly became indignant.   They rose up and brought him out of the town,   to the edge of the hill on which Nazareth is built, in­tending to throw him down the cliff. But he passed through their midst and went his way.

 

Grace as Love

Read:

Through Jeremiah, God reminds us that every human life is willed, called, named, and conmmissioned by Him. Paul sings the hymn of love, the greatest of theological virtues. Upon declaration of his mission, Jesus meets with hostility from his own people.

Reflect:

We are revisiting this passage and its neighboring events for the third time (see January 6 & 23). Perhaps the Liturgy is trying hard to drive home this central message of the Gospel that is so evident that we often miss it: the message of Mercy and Good News.

Of freedom and healing. Of Grace , in short. Jesus “spoke of the Grace of God.”This grace manifests itself as love, of which Paul sings today. It is this love that reaches down to the womb and knows us by name even before we are born.

Unfortunately, the world fears this love. It rises up, takes love out of the town, to the edge of the hill, wanting to push it down the cliff this love refuses to leave and sneaks back into us, as Grace again.

Pray:

Pray that you may grow in the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love.

Act:

Examine yourself against each of Paul’s pronouncements about love. Do you pass the test?