Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 4, 16-30

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

Rolling up the scroll,
he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They also asked, “Is this not the son of Joseph?”
He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb,
‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place
the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'”
And he said,
“Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

No prophet is accepted in his native place

1. He stood up. As we begin a new month, I suggest you get up and get going. You’re probably already feeling the year’s fatigue, just like I am. But don’t let routine kill your spirit and certainly don’t let any overpowering feeling make you forget your mission and goals. You need to keep doing things for yourself and for your loved ones. You need to be brave enough to try new and different things, but most importantly, to achieve your goals.

2. He has sent me. It’s so important to understand that you are in this world not to complicate anyone’s life, but to help, comfort, relieve, and encourage. How often does the negativity from people around us make us forget the beautiful things we can discover in and through others? You are a light for many who might be going through darkness today. You are comfort for those who are overwhelmed. You are solace for those experiencing frustrations. You are simply that presence that helps someone just by being there and accompanying them. Help isn’t always about doing something for others, but rather about being with them.

3. Accepted. We all experience the pain of rejection; it’s not something you avoid; you simply live through it. Back in 2015, a friend once asked me, “How many priests in your diocese congratulated and encouraged you to keep making your audio messages?” I didn’t know how to answer. When I replied truthfully, “one”, he said, “Then you’re on the right track,” because you have to go through everything Christ lived through to preach Christ. So, take heart and don’t give up, because you gain life’s strength in the adversities and unrest that those close to you create. 

Have a good Monday and remember something good is on the way! 

God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.