THE CHRISTIAN PROPHETIC MESSAGE CANNOT BE SILENCED BY REJECTION OR PREJUDICE: CATHOLIC SUNDAY SCRIPTURE REFLECTIONS: 4TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, CYCLE C, 2022

THE CHRISTIAN PROPHETIC MESSAGE CANNOT BE SILENCED BY REJECTION OR PREJUDICE

The Christian prophetic message is a the heart of Christianity. These faith convictions cannot be silenced through rejection or prejudice. Hence, as Christians, we are all called and commissioned by God to be prophets. Prophets who speak and live out the truth without fear or favour. 

Our Christian baptism and profession of faith in Christ Jesus make us prophets. The word prophet in Greek “prophetes” means mouthpiece. This implies that as Christians, we are prophets, the mouthpieces of God in society or wherever we may be. 

Furthermore, it means that we are saying or speaking what God indicates us to say on his half to his people. 

A prophet of God has no personal agenda of his own. He is only a spokesman for the Lord who called him to this prophetic role in the community. However, being a prophet is not an easy task among the people of God. 

Actually, prophetic utterances are highly controversial and provoke different reactions among the people of God. It is often met with rejection, prejudice, bloodthirsty rages, prosecutions and sometimes death. Yet, prophetic messages are meant to be spoken with courage and conviction with fear or favour to anyone. 

Though, God wants his prophets to speak with firmness irrespective of the reactions of his people. We must also learn to speak out the truth with love and compassion. That is, in a way that encourages our hearers or listeners, that we are not passing judgement but that we must speak our convictions even though it sounds condemnatory.

OUR THEME

 The central theme of scriptural readings of this 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time is that we should speak out our Christian conviction without fear or favour of anyone. We ought to have and show in our faith communities. The courage to speak out the truth regardless of whether we are rejected or prejudiced for our conviction. 

Therefore, the Christian faith and its practice require prophets who speak out the truth. Even when they face hatred, rejection or prejudice because of them.

FIRST READING: JEREMIAH 1:4-5, 17-19

We all have a vocation from birth. When we are called by God to live as a human beings with a divine design or plan over us. In the same way, the Prophet Jeremiah had a vocation before birth. He was formed, called and consecrated by God to be a prophet to his people: Israel and other nations.

God empowers Prophet Jeremiah to a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall against the powerful and influential who may oppose the truth or prophetic messages from him. In other words, he was appointed as a prophet by God to denounce evil before kings, princes, priests and his people. 

The prophetic messages or utterances will provoke reactions, and those outside the truth will feel threatened by it. These people will come against him and the truth with brutal assaults, prejudices, rages and rejections. They will try to discredit the messenger and his messages through personal attacks and even with political or religious authorities to oppress the truth. 

However, God assures Prophet Jeremiah and all of us that these individuals and their powers, authorities and influences or schemes will never overcome or prevail over him or his truth.

The truth is that like, Jeremiah, we are formed, known, called and commissioned by God to be prophets in our families, societies, churches and even religious groups or congregations. Do we stand among them today as prophets? Do we speak out the truth with convictions and without fear or favour of anyone?

PSALM 70 OR 71. 

Our responsorial Psalm offers us a prayer in times of persecution for speaking out the truth or our faith convictions. With a declaration of our trust in God, who is our refuge, hope and justice from time immemorial. 

Hence, the psalmist declares: I will sing of your salvation, O Lord because you recused from shame and the hands of the wicked ones. 

He equally invites us to acknowledge the Lord as our rock, stronghold who knew us to form the womb. And through the stages of life to be his prophets that proclaim his truth and salvation to all. 

SECOND READING: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:31-13:13

The Apostle and Prophet Paul, a messenger of God to the gentile nations, sang a hymn to love as the highest virtue of the Christian life. 

St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 ends his teaching on the different gifts or services, including that love is the highest gift of the Holy Spirit. For Paul, the gifts of the Holy Spirit is given to the body of Christ: the Christian community for the common good of all and the glory of God, love should be an operating force. Additionally, he Invited all Christians to embrace the three most durable gifts of the Holy Spirit: Faith, Hope and Charity. 

Charity or love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends or fails in life and with God. 

Remarkably, for Paul to be a prophet is to speak out the prophetic messages with a tenderness of love. A prophet must speak the truth with convictions and without fear or favour to anyone. Yet, he must also learn to speak out the truth in love for the hearers or listeners. 

Thus, in the second reading, we hear Paul speaking with the courage of his Christian convictions in correcting the Corinthian Christian community. Where the exercise of the gifts of God was causing competition, jealousy, and divisiveness. 

Thereby, Paul courageously presents to them a “way” that surpasses all others, namely, the way of love. He admonishes them all to aspire for the highest gift: love and instructs them to exercise their gifts with love.

THE BASIC THINGS IN CHRISTIAN PROPHETIC LIFE

1. Paul begins by declaring that a man may possess any spiritual gift. However, if it is unaccompanied by love, it is useless. 
2. Paul lists fifteen characteristics of Christian love, every Christian should live and practice towards others. When we think of the qualities of this love as Paul portrays them, we can see them realized in the life and person of Jesus Christ himself. 
3. In 1Corinthians 13:8-13, Paul has three final things to say about this Christian love. 

(i) He stresses its absolute permanency. Everything we glory in will pass away, but only love and deeds out of love will stand forever. 

(ii) He stresses its absolute completeness. Christian love brings us to full maturity, profundity and wholeness of life in Christ Jesus.   

(iii) He stresses its absolute supremacy. Great as faith and hope are, love is still greater in the service of God and humanity. Faith without love is cold, and hope without love is grim. Love is the fire that kindles faith. It is also the light that turns hope into certainty. 

GOSPEL: LUKE 4:21-30

The gospel continues the story of the beginning of the public ministry of our Lord Jesus. Though, his teaching was impressive and gracious. He met opposition, rejection, prejudice and even death threats on his ministry and life. 

What happened in the Synagogue of Nazareth can happen today in the Church when, especially, we allow ourselves to carry prejudices into our places of worship. By doing so, we block the message God of grace, mercy, healing and liberation wants to give us.

Today, Jesus shares the fate of prophets. He was rejected by his people because they were familiar with his background. 

ESSENTIAL POINTS OF THE GOSPEL 

1. Jesus said to the people of his town: Nazareth, today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you listen to it. This means Jesus is the interpretation and fulfilment of the Holy Scripture. The assertion the scripture is being fulfilled is a Messianic statement that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)
2. The initial reaction of the Nazarenes was one of joy and amazement of the gracious words and perhaps deeds of Jesus Christ. 
3. Some people in the crowd were prejudiced or envious of the great admiration in the community for Christ and his gracious teaching. It was different from that of the Scribes and Jewish religious authorities.
4. After all, Jesus is the son of Joseph, the pleasant carpenter and Mary, the poor widow. Therefore, the homeboy background of Jesus became the prejudiced point of reference to rejecting or opposing his beautiful message of salvation. 
5. Hence, Jesus told them the unpleasant and bitter truth, which made them uncomfortable and filled them with deadly rage against him. 
6. The proverb of Jesus doctor cure yourself and the statement no prophet is accepted in his hometown were revolutionary to the religious prejudice and opposition to truth. 
7. Furthermore, Jesus compared them to the gentile widow at Zarephath in Sidon or the Syrian leper, Naaman, the time of prophets Elijah and Elisha. It was a sort of declaration that the gentile nations or people were better off than them. 
8. The gospel of Luke is considered as a gospel for the gentile nations. However, the anger of the Nazarenes was that Jesus did not only compare them to the gentiles. He was like declared there is salvation beyond the Jews that included all gentile nations that embrace God and his will or way.   
9. These declarations of historical and religious truth spoken as a warning to their prejudices provoked a monstrous reaction of rage and rejection from the people. 
10. Despite their rejections, prejudice, bitterness, rage, and murderous intent against Christ, God was his refuge, rock and stronghold that Kept him safe. He went through the midst of an angry mob and went his way unharmed because God was with him. 

THE LESSONS FROM THE READINGS OF THIS SUNDAY 

1. We must have the prophetic courage of our faith convictions. Through, our Baptism, God calls us to be prophets like Jesus, sharing his prophetic mission. The task of being a prophet is to speak and live the truth from God. 
2. We should never be frightened to speak out what we know to be the truth regardless of the reactions of others. 
3. Our faith stance on religious and societal issues should be cleared. We ought to speak out the truth and not worry about its consequences. 
4. If we are so emotionally concerned about what other people think or say about our faith convictions. Then, we are not going to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ or be able to be the prophets of God as his mouthpiece to the world. 
5. Jesus was opposed from the beginning of his public ministry due to his faith conviction to speak out the truth without fear or favour. This reminded us of Simeon declaration in the temple during his presentation. That Jesus will be a sign of rejection and contradiction for many people. As followers of Christ, we must be disposed to face rejection with prophetic courage and optimism, as did Christ.  
6. Jesus did not enter into apologetic dialogue to convince the people of his faith conviction and spoken truth. He told the truth to the people and went on with his life and teaching. We must learn to speak out the truth and move on regardless of people reactions. We do not have to justify, defend or explain the gospel truth to anyone. 
7. Some truths are often bitter. It may anger or agitate some of us when someone (even a preacher?) tells us a truth that we do not want to hear. Had Jesus glorified the Jews and told them that they were exclusively privileged people of God. Probably, he would have received bouquets instead of brickbats, appreciation rather than criticism. 
8. We need to follow Christ, not political correctness, and to speak the truth of Christ in love without being hypocritical or disrespectful. https://frtonyshomilies.com/2022/01/21/o-t-iv-c-jan-30-sunday-homily/
9. There is a purpose of God for us. That is to live our lives plainly to the fullest. Let us not be like the people of Nazareth who reject God in our lives just because of familiarity with who Christ was among them.

A PROPHET IN THE CHURCH OR RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS

Today, there is an urgent need for prophets in our religious or ecclesial circle than before. We often pray for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. However, we hardly bother to pray for prophets in the Christian Church. Especially among those who are called to holy order. 

The fact is that there may be fewer vocations to priestly and religious life. One thing is sure if these vocations are convinced of the faith and speak or live out the truth of the gospel, there would be a tremendous change in our lives and the world. 

Sadly enough, today, instead, we have priests and religious who flow with the current to maintain the status quo. Men of God who lack the courage to speak or live out the truth or challenge individuals, institutions and authorities with anti-truth policies.   

Our prophetic utterances or messages should revolutionize our Christian testimonies and not a life of complacency to the truth that suits us. While rejecting and opposing the truth that pricks or unsettles our conscience. 

God needs prophets in the Church, religious institutions and among. Those who are not too prudence with the truth. Prophets who do not and will never water down the truth because of political correctness or acceptance to the world.   

URGENCY OF PROPHETS TO RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND AUTHORITIES IN THE CHURCH

Emphatically, a priest or religious cannot be a prophet of God only to lay Christians and perhaps in the Church community alone. They must also be prophets who stare the unsettling truth to the religious authorities and leaders. 

The Prophet Jeremiah, the apostle Paul and Jesus were prophets who challenged the existing religious, political and social status quo of their time. They did not speak the truth to the people or religious communities alone. 

They spoke and challenged those supposedly champions or custodians of the truth among the people. Especially, when they stand for swallow religious life or falsity to natural and moral truth. 

Today, more ever, the Church and our religious institutions need genuine prophets who speak the truth of God to everyone irrespective of their ranks, positions and statuses. 

A PRIEST OR RELIGIOUS IS A PARADIGM OF TRUTH 

A sociological study in Mexico among catholic after a series of waves of sexual scandals in the Church shows that more Mexican Catholics have less confidence in religious priests. It is worse still when they have lesser trustworthiness in local priests and less trust in bishops.      

These statistics seem pretty disturbing to the Church works of evangelization and mediation between God and men. It is like saying religious authorities and leaders are antitheses of truth, trust and integrity. 

If the truth of God cannot be found and championed among religious authorities and leaders, then Christianity is doomed. Urgently, instead of us, praying more vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. We should pray for more courageous and fearless prophets should rise among the existing ones. 

Men and women who not only speak the uncomfortable truth to the world, the church or Christian faithful. Rather, prophetic priests and religious that speak out the truth to each other in the inner circle of religious affairs. 

Besides, religious authority or leader should not be the antithesis of truth, goodness, and integrity. Today, things are messy in Christianity because of the inability of most Christian leaders to stand up or out for the truth. 

The fact is that many of them are cowards or schemers when it comes to speaking the truth to power and authority. They speak out the truth is hypocritical to the powerful and disrespectful to the poor and helpless. Even at times, they lie, give excuses or schemes their way, not confront the bitter truth. 

Whatever, they should never clamp down or sanction the speakers of truth. As they often do in the name of prudence which is by the way glorified pretence. Nor should they be carried away by praise singers who stand for mockery of the truth of God. 

FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS

Do you see or consider yourself a prophet who speak and live out the truth of God among Church, friends or family members? 

Am I speaking out what I believe, or do I water it down because of what other people say or think of me and my faith convictions today?

Do you take prejudices into your place of worship, family or religious institution? Are you prejudiced against individuals or communities that blind you to the truth?

Why do we not pray that God raises prophets who will speak out the truth without fear or favour to anyone? Do we not need them today in our churches, institutions or families?

A Church without prophets: does it not run the risk of walking deaf to God’s calls to conversion and change?

A Christianity without prophetic spirit: is it not in danger of remaining controlled by order, tradition and the fear of God’s newness?

The fundamental truth in the scriptural texts of this 4th Sunday is that no matter the rejections, oppositions, hatred and prejudices against the truth or the gospel of Christ. The truth will always prevail. 

Yet, God’s Will is inevitable, intractable, and inviolable. Prophecy is fulfilled. Love conquers, and despite the antagonism, Jesus prevails over forces of darkness and evil. 

OUR PRAYER

Lord Jesus Christ, the truth does not need to be defended against falsehood. Yet, it has to be spoken out without fear or favour to anyone. Like all prophets of the truth, the Christian life has a price: oppositions, rejections, persecutions, prejudices, threats and death. Help us with the most necessary and durable gifts of faith, hope and love to prevail as you did. Amen