MY daily reflection and prayer:
Monday, February 29, 2016
The Third Week of Lent
Dear my friends,
Here is the Gospel for us today according to St. Luke 4:24-30
And Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. But passing through the midst of them he went away.
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
***
BOTH readings today, the first and the Gospel, are linked by the story about Naaman. Who’s Namaan? He was a Syrian general, who was miraculously cured by Elisha the prophet.
In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us Naaman’s experience for critizing his hearers in the synagogue in Nazareth where Jesus officially announced his mission as Messiah, Saviour and Liberator but they rejected him. There was amazement but no real faith in him.
So he says, “No prophet is ever accepted in his own country.” He then goes on to give example taken from the life of Namaan who was miraculously cured by Elisha the prophet. There were many leprous people in Israel, says Jesus, but Elisha was sent to cure Naaman the Syrian, another Gentile. What does it for us today?
We, too, can very easily fail to recognise the voice of God in certain person who in fact is bringing a message from God. Like the people of Nazareth, we can think we know him too well to have to listen to him. We feel it would be inconceivable that God could speak to us through such person. This probably happens most of all with someone we meet every day of our lives. He or she may be one of our friend, or one of our family and relative.
In the Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist, while worshipping Jesus Christ we learn to confront our sins of indifference and unbelief. We trust in him who will set us free from every sinful habit and every harmful way of relating to our neighbor.
Let’s pray: Lord Jesus Christ, cleanse and heal us from our sins of indifference and unbelief. May we trust in you with love and confidence now and forever. Amen.
Kredit foto: Ilustrasi (Ist)
