Sunday, February 1, 2004
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

1st Reading: Jer 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.

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."

2nd Reading: 1 Cor 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: Lk 4:21-30

Jesus began to speak in the synagogue, "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.

Commentary

ST. Augustine lived more than fifteen centuries ago, but he was not the first to use the expression "familiarity breeds contempt;" he quoted it as a "a common saying," vulgare proverbium. It is an even more common experience. Jesus experienced it, and what he said on that occasion has itself become a proverb (unless perhaps it was one already), "Prophets are not honored in their own country."

The rejection of Jesus in his hometown was therefore no surprise. The whole world knows that familiarity breeds contempt! It's a bitter truth that the people closest to you are sometimes the least likely to support you. Is it true in your own experience? You may say, "No, my family is supportive." You are blessed. But look carefully and see if they support you only so long as you support their image of themselves. The people of Nazareth agreed with Jesus only just so long as he agreed with them! As soon as he began to say things they didn't like-in particular when he began to praise foreigners-they tried to throw him over a cliff. They knew so many superficial things about him that they couldn't see anything new in him. Is there anything in you or me that makes our familiars want to throw us over a cliff?-or are we perfect villagers? [see January 5]

Read also Sundays Into Silence:  He Broke All The Rules

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