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01 February 2013
FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Green) Cycle C, Year I (February 3, 2013)
Jer 1:4-5, 17-19/1Cor 12:31-13:13/Lk 4:21-30
Jesus came back to His home town Nazareth and there, during one Sabbath, He read a scroll of the Bible referring to the Messiah. He applied the text to Him, pointing to Himself as the Messiah referred to in the reading. Everybody was astonished to His words of wisdom and they began to question His authority because they knew that He was the son of Joseph who was only a carpenter. He said: "In truth I tell you, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country" (Lk 4:24).
The society usually judges a certain person according to his background, whatever it is, whether social, familial, educational, economical, moral, etc. The society puts a certain person into a box according to his background and, with that background all his actions are judged by the society. Jesus knew very well that He came from a simple and poor family and that the people would criticize Him if ever He would preach to them. Still He did His mission, proclaiming the good news of salvation and preaching the truth even to the point of sacrificing His life on the cross.
Nowadays, the Catholic Church is being battered by different sectors of the society including the government for her stance against the RH bill. The Church proclaims the truth because it is the mission entrusted to her by her Lord Jesus Christ. The Church has to continue the very mission of Christ and make the presence of Christ felt in the society with her presence and teachings.
Just like Jesus Christ who was rejected by His own people, the Catholic Church is also rejected by her own people. Many of those who are in favor of RH bill, of contraception, of abortion, of divorce, of same sex marriage and of other immoral actions belong to the Catholic Church. This is a hard truth but this is what is happening. We only have to know that the Jews who rejected Jesus Christ did not receive the favors from Christ. Christ said that it was hard to make miracles for them not simply because they rejected Him but rather because they lacked faith in Him.
Any Catholic faithful who rejects the teachings of the Catholic Church is, tantamount to say, rejecting the teachings of Jesus Christ because the Church, as an extension of the presence of Christ, has no other thing to teach except the teachings of Jesus Christ, her Master and Lord. Such faithful, then, in rejecting the teachings of the Church, also rejects not only the teachings of Christ but also Christ Himself. To reject Christ is to detach oneself from the fountain of life and from the source of grace, blessings and miracles. How, then, can one expect for a miracle to happen in one's life if he keeps rejecting the teachings of the Catholic Church. Only those who believe in the Catholic Church and in Christ can expect for the miracle to happen in their lives.
The gospel passage about the rejection of Christ by his town mates wakes us up to the truth that Christ is doing His best to be with us and to teach us through His Catholic Church. It also reminds us of our obligation to listen to Him by keeping alive in our lives the teachings of the Catholic Church. Let us not follow the example of the town mates of Jesus Christ. Let us rather humble ourselves in front of God and of His Church and acknowledge the truth regarding the dignity of life and of human persons. It is only when we treasure the gift of life can we say that we are true Christians and children of God.
