Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year C

Commentary of the day
Saint Cyril of Alexandria (380-444), Bishop, Doctor of the Church
On the Prophet Isaiah, 5, 5; PG 70, 1352 (trans. (c)Friends of Henry Ashworth)

"But he slipped through the midst of them and walked away"

Christ desired to win over the whole world and bring its inhabitants to God the Father... They are those among the Gentiles who, enriched by faith in Christ, have gained the divine, the heavenly treasure, which is the saving proclamation of the gospel. Through this they have become sharers in the kingdom of heaven and companions of the saints (Eph 2:19; 3:6)... To the brokenhearted Christ promises healing and release, and to the blind he gives sight. For those who worship created things, thus failing to recognize him who is really and truly God, are they not blind? Are not their hearts devoid of the spiritual and divine light? To these the Father sends the light of true knowledge of God. Having been called by faith, they know God, or rather, they are known by him. They were children of night and of darkness, but they have become children of light (Eph 5:8). The Day has shone upon them the Sun of Righteousness has risen (Mal 3:20), the Morning Star has appeared in all its brilliance (Rv 22:16).

All that has been said, however, could also be applied to the Israelites, for they too were poor, brokenhearted, captives in a certain sense, and in darkness. But Christ came, and it was to the Israelites first that he made known the purpose of his coming: he came to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Lk 4:19), and the day of retribution.

That was the acceptable year, when Christ was crucified for us, for then we became acceptable to God the Father. Through Christ we bear fruit as he himself taught us when he said: "I tell you truly that unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains as it is, a single grain; but if it dies, it bears a rich harvest" (Jn 12:24); and again: "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw the whole world to myself" (Jn 12:32). Moreover, on the third day he came to life again, after trampling death's power underfoot. He then addressed these words to his holy disciples: "All power has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go and make disciples of all nations" (Mt 28:18-19).

Arlington Catholic Herald

GOSPEL COMMENTARY LK 4:14-21

Mercy begins at home

Fr. Jack Peterson, YA

Homecomings can be powerful moments. In this account, taken from the pages of Luke's Gospel, Jesus returns home to Nazareth at the age of 30 after going away for some time to finalize preparations for His public ministry and to initiate it in Jerusalem. He knows that prophets often are not accepted in their own hometowns. He knows that it will be extra hard for the good folks from Nazareth to grasp that He is not only a prophet, but indeed the Messiah. Yet, He knows that He can't shy away from the task, so He goes home to proclaim the kingdom of God and reveal His identity.

Jesus, according to custom, enters the local synagogue on the Sabbath. I am sure that everyone in Nazareth was both excited and anxious to see what he would do or say. Jesus is handed the famous scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Our Lord unrolls it and announces in plain language that He is indeed the Messiah, the "Anointed One": "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me ... Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."

What comes next was also earthshaking. Jesus makes it clear that He has not come to overthrow the Romans and restore Jewish rule over Judea and Galilee, a most common hope and expectation for the long-awaited Messiah. He did not come to raise an army or reconstitute a government.

Rather, Jesus came down from heaven to build a kingdom of love and truth and to offer to the world the great gift of the Father's mercy: "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 ..."

Pope Francis is, not surprisingly, profoundly inspired by Jesus' mission of mercy. He is convinced that Christians, and indeed the whole world, desperately need to hear the good news of God's tender mercy. The pope thinks that mercy is at the very core of the church's mission and that significant pockets of the church have lost their focus on this mission.

So, our Holy Father has inaugurated a Jubilee Year of Mercy. Jesus came down from heaven and took on our human nature to bring to a hurting and broken world the merciful love of God the Father. In fact, Pope Francis begins his document, "Misericordiae Vultus," announcing this great year with a clear statement: "Jesus Christ is the face of the Father's mercy." The Holy Father goes on to say: "The signs he (Jesus) works, especially in favor of sinners, the poor, the marginalized, the sick, and the suffering, are all meant to teach mercy. Everything in him speaks of mercy. Nothing in him is devoid of compassion" ("Misericordiae Vultus," No. 8).

In this inspired document, Pope Francis is summoning Christians all over the world to a threefold mission: to experience the mercy of God, to contemplate it with grateful hearts and to be a living instrument, carrying that mercy into every corner of creation. "Jesus affirms that mercy is not only an action of the Father, it becomes a criterion for ascertaining who his true children are. In short, we are called to show mercy because mercy has first been shown to us" ("Misericordiae Vultus," No. 9).

Mercy, similar to charity, begins at home. Our homes need to be an oasis of mercy. Might this be the reason for Jesus' return to the synagogue in Nazareth? Is there someone in your family who needs from you a generous outpouring of the Father's tender mercy?

Fr. Peterson is assistant chaplain at Marymount University in Arlington and director of the Youth Apostles Institute in McLean.

http://www.theworkofgod.org/Devotns/Euchrist/HolyMass/gospels.asp?key=46

Year C - 4th Sunday in ordinary time

No prophet is accepted in his own country
Luke 4:21-30
21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”
23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’ “
24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown.
25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land;
26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.
27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”
28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage.
29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.
30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way. (NRSV)

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus
When the people of Nazareth heard me speak at the Synagogue, they were amazed. At first they approved my wisdom, but then they started asking questions about me.

Surely this is just the son of a carpenter, how can he speak with such wisdom, how can he be the man who has performed miracles if he is just an ordinary person from this town? How can he claim that he has the Spirit of God upon Him and that He can give sight to the blind, heal the sick, free those possessed by evil spirits and bring forth the Grace of God upon us?

I replied to them that no man is a prophet in his own land; that God preferred to bring healing to the pagans in the past instead of granting his favor to his chosen people. The reason is that they took the Kingdom of Heaven for granted and neglected the commandments of God.

After that, they decided to get rid of me, although I knew their plans and escaped from the menacing crowd.

In baptism, you are anointed with the Spirit of God and you become sons and daughters of the Most High. How come you donâ€™t enjoy the privileges and gifts of the rightful inheritance that is yours? The reason is your lack of faith.

Ah, if you only gave credit to God, if you acknowledged with the appropriate reverence the gift that God has given you. You are temples of the Holy Spirit, God is with you, the Lord is One with you, His Spirit moves you to come to him and to know him, love him and serve him, to become One with him.

Stop underestimating yourselves, stop denying the power of the Spirit of God within you, stop alienating yourselves from God through sinfulness and lack of faith. Come closer, enter the temple of the Presence of God within you, accept that God has come to save you, that his flesh and blood is a part of you now and that you belong to Him.

I am calling everyone to accept my Holy Spirit as the power that will act in you, think in you and will in you. Surrender your lives to the action of God who wants to make you saints. Repent of your sins and forget who you are now, accept what I can make of you through my mercy, and you will be transformed. I accept you as you are; I desire your sanctification in the power of my burning Love.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

A "Rule of Life" for Prophets -- A Homily for the 4th Sunday of the Year

A "Rule of Life" for Prophets - A Homily for the 4th Sunday of the Year

Msgr. Charles Pope January 30, 2016

Prophets are those who speak for God. They Love God and His people; they speak the (often painful) truth of God to His people. They do so not to win an argument, but because of their love and conviction that only the undiluted truth of God can save us in the end.

People-pleasing and other forms of human respect cannot supplant reverence for God and His truth. Prophets are willing to endure pain and suffering in order to proclaim God's truth to an often-unappreciative segment of God's people. But out of love for God and His people they press on to proclaim His truth willingly, even knowing that they may face death for their personal, persistent, and prophetic proclamation.

Today's readings set forth a kind of "rule for life" for prophets. And we, who are baptized into the order of the prophet, do well to listen to the teachings of these readings. Let us examine them in three stages.

I. The Call that is Declared -- The text says, In the first reading God says to Jeremiah (and to us): The word of the LORD came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. But do you gird your loins; stand up and tell them all that I command you.

We ought to note four things about our call as prophets.

1. The Prevenient nature of our Call -- The word "prevenient" is an adjective describing something that comes before, something that is anticipatory. God has not chosen us on a whim, as if to say, "I suppose you'll do." Before He made us, He considered our call and then equipped, empowered, and enabled us for our work.

God tells Jeremiah (and us) that He knew, loved, and cherished us long before He ever made us. And thus He made us in a way that prepared and equipped us for the very work of being a prophets.

"How?" you ask. The answer to that is as variable as is each person. There is no one who can proclaim God or announce the kingdom the way you can. Perhaps He has especially equipped you to evangelize certain individuals whom no one else can reach. Just know this: God thought a long time about you and prepared you in very specific and thoughtful ways. Whatever you need has "come before," is "prevenient."

2. The Purview of our Call -- The text tells Jeremiah (and us) that we are appointed unto the nations. Now Jeremiah himself did not journey beyond Israel. But since then, the Word of the Lord uttered through him has reached every nation.

Never doubt the influence you can exert by the grace of God. Even in and through reaching one person you can change the destiny of many. Stay in your lane and do your work, but remember that God can accomplish through you more than you ask or imagine. By His grace, your influence can reach the nations.

3. The Preparation of our Call -- The Lord tells Jeremiah (and us) to "gird our loins." This is an ancient way of saying, "roll up your sleeves." In other words, prepare to work by assembling what you need and being ready to expend effort.

For us this surely means daily prayer, weekly Eucharist, and frequent confession. It means prayerfully reading God's Word and the teaching of the Church. It means keeping fellowship with the Church and with fellow believers. All of this equips, empowers, and enables us for the work God has called us to do: being prophets.

Beyond this there may be other specific gifts God calls us to develop: music, a second language, healing, preaching, or administration. God will show you what those gifts are and help you to grow the talents you have received.

In all this you "roll up your sleeves" for the work God has given you (and prepared you for) so that you will be an ever more effective prophet.

4. The Prescription of our Call -- The text says, "[T]ell them all that I command you." In other words, leave nothing out; proclaim the whole counsel of God. Don't just proclaim what appeals to you or jibes with your politics and worldview. Don't just say what is popular or agrees with currently worldly thinking. Tell them the whole message, in season or out of season.

II. The Courage that is Demanded - The text says Be not crushed on their account, as though I would leave you crushed before them; for it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass, against the whole land: against Judah's kings and princes, against its priests and people.

And here note three qualities of a prophet:

Strong -- A prophet needs to be strong, for people are stubborn and hesitant to change. Indeed, we are collectively a stiff-necked people; we have necks of iron and foreheads of brass. We are thick-headed, willful, and obdurate. A prophet must be willing to endure a lot to move the ball even a few inches. If you don't think we're a hard case, look at the cross and see what it took to save us. Prophets need strength and persistence.

Supporting â€“ The prophet is called "a pillar of iron." That is, he is to lend support to a crumbling nation and culture. Whether our culture likes to admit it or not, it is crumbling and collapsing. If it is to stand any chance at all, we must be willing to be pillars of iron, calling this culture back to modesty, decency, chastity, self-control, maturity, obedience to God, and generosity to the poor. Otherwise, everything is destined for ruin.

Sadly, the Church has often had to pick up the shattered pieces of fallen cultures, nations, and eras that refused to repent. But this is what prophets must do: they must be pillars of iron when cultures go weak and soft, or crumble under the weight of pride, sin, and unrepentance.

And failing that, we must become, by God's grace, the new foundation and pillar of what rises from the ashes. All of this takes great courage.

Sanctifying -- Jeremiah is told that the priests, kings, and princes have all been corrupted and that he must speak the truth to them and summon them to repentance.

This is the hardest work of the prophet: to call those who most benefit from the current status quo to change and repentance. This is hard not only because they are at the top" of the current system, but it is also because, to one degree or another, they are owed respect and obedience as lawful superiors.

Finding the balance between respecting authority figures and summoning them to repentance is not easy and only God can really pull it off. Nevertheless, speaking the truth to powerful people is the unenviable lot of the prophet.

Well, fellow prophets, all of this refers to you and me. I would only urge prayer here. Bishop-bashing and ridiculing political leaders is not the solution. But neither is quiet acquiescence when those in authority need to hear a call from the Lord. Lots of prayer and a general tone of respect will surely lead the way. Practice clarity with charity, and light with love.

III. The Conclusion that is Determined -- The text says, They will fight against you but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.

In the end, the truth will out. The Light wins; He always wins. Every night gives way to day, when the light scatters the darkness. Darkness has its hour, but truth has eternity. Good Friday only points to Easter Sunday, when death is cast off like a garment. In the end, every true prophet is on the winning team. While he may face jail, laughter, ridicule, persecution, setbacks, and trials, what every true prophet announces will come to pass. History bears this out and it will be made definitively manifest on the Last Day. The darkness cannot prevail; it always gives way to the light.

The conclusion for the prophet, the Church, the Gospel, and the Lord is total victory. It cannot be any other way. God has spoken it and He will do it.

The Lord Jesus shows us this in today's Gospel, even if only in a small way. The text says, 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 Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away.

This is a preview of Easter: just when Satan is running his victory lap, the Lord casts off death and stands as Light in the shadow of the Cross. Satan loses; Jesus wins. That is the conclusion.

So get on the winning team. Pay little heed to the current struggle; it cannot last or win. Jesus has already won.

Sunday Gospel Reflections

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Jer 1:4-5,17-19 II: 1Cor 12:31-13:13

Gospel
Luke 4:21-30

²¹ And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
²² And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; and they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"
²³ And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Caper'na-um, do here also in your own country.'"
²⁴ And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country.
²⁵ But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Eli'jah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land;
²⁶ and Eli'jah was sent to none of them but only to Zar'ephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
²⁷ And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Eli'sha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Na'aman the Syrian."
²⁸ When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.
²⁹ 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.
³⁰ But passing through the midst of them he went away.

Interesting Details

It was customary in Jewish society for a son to carry on his father's trade and his grandfather's name. No one was ever expected to become something better than or to improve on the lot of the parents. This fact is the basic foundation of honor. Thus for Jesus to step shamefully beyond His family boundaries would be quite a scandal.
(v.22) "Isn't he Joseph's son?" Luke quoted the popular opinion and confirmed that Jesus did not follow Joseph's trade thus breaching His family honor.
In the Mediterranean world, the basic rule is also "look after your family first". Again, Jesus broke the rule. He healed the sick outside of His home town.
The examples of Elijah and Elisha working miracles for the Gentiles simply emphasize the point that God's salvation is not limited to the Jews.
The crowd's reaction foreshadows Jesus' passion and death, as His escape to continue His journey points ahead to Easter victory and the continuing spread of God's word.
The passage announces the theme of prophetic rejection that had been predicted by the prophecy of Simeon (2:34). Jesus is rejected by His own and accepted by foreigners. The comparison's equations are simple:
Jesus = a prophet
Nazareth = Israel
Capernaum = the Gentiles

One Main Point

Jesus confirmed that He is the Messiah.

Reflections

Jesus always shows His love through action. How do I show His love to my brothers and sisters?
How well do I listen or react to the people that I dislike even though their intentions are good?
It is difficult for us today to appreciate what Jesus suffered to show His love. Meditate on how great His love is for us.

'Let the end of life be considered, and there will be nothing in this world to be loved.'

St. Lawrence Justinian

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Luke
	English: Douay-Rheims	Latin: Vulgata Clementina	Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000)
	Luke 4
21.	And he began to say to them: This day is fulfilled this scripture in your ears.	Cœpit autem dicere ad illos : Quia hodie impleta est hæc scriptura in auribus vestris.	ηρξατο δε λεγειν προς αυτους οτι σημερον πεπληρωται η γραφη αυτη εν τοις ωσιν υμων
22.	And all gave testimony to him: and they wondered at the words of grace that proceeded from his mouth, and they said: Is not this the son of Joseph?	Et omnes testimonium illi dabant : et mirabantur in verbis gratiæ, quæ procedebant de ore ipsius, et dicebant : Nonne hic est filius Joseph ?	Et omnes testimonium illi dabant : et mirabantur in verbis gratiæ, quæ procedebant de ore ipsius, et dicebant : Nonne hic est filius Joseph ?
23.	And he said to them: Doubtless you will say to me this similitude: Physician, heal thyself: as great things as we have heard done in Capharnaum, do also here in thy own country.	Et ait illis : Utique dicetis mihi hanc similitudinem : Medice cura teipsum : quanta audivimus facta in Capharnaum, fac et hic in patria tua.	Et ait illis : Utique dicetis mihi hanc similitudinem : Medice cura teipsum : quanta audivimus facta in Capharnaum, fac et hic in patria tua.
24.	And he said: Amen I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in his own country.	Ait autem : Amen dico vobis, quia nemo propheta acceptus est in patria sua.	ειπεν δε αμην λεγω υμιν οτι ουδεις προφητης δεκτος εστιν εν τη πατριδι αυτου
25.	In truth I say to you, there were many widows in the days of Elias in Israel, when heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there was a great famine throughout all the earth.	In veritate dico vobis, multæ viduæ erant in diebus Eliæ in Israël, quando clausum est cælum annis tribus et mensibus sex, cum facta esset fames magna in omni terra :	επ αληθειας δε λεγω υμιν πολλαι χηραι ησαν εν ταις ημεραις ηλιου εν τω ισραηλ οτε εκλεισθη ο ουρανος επι ετη τρια και μηνας εξ ως εγενετο λιμος μεγας επι πασαν την γην
26.	And to none of them was Elias sent, but to Sarepta of Sidon, to a widow woman.	et ad nullam illarum missus est Elias, nisi in Sarepta Sidoniæ, ad mulierem viduam.	και προς ουδεμιαν αυτων επεμφθη ηλιας ει μη εις σαρεπτα της σιδωνος προς γυναικα χηραν
27.	And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet: and none of them was cleansed but Naaman the Syrian.	Et multi leprosi erant in Israël sub Elisæo propheta : et nemo eorum mundatus est nisi Naaman Syrus.	και πολλοι λεπροι ησαν επι ελισσαιου του προφητου εν τω ισραηλ και ουδεις αυτων εκαθαρισθη ει μη νεεμαν ο συρος
28.	And all they in the synagogue, hearing these things, were filled with anger.	Et repleti sunt omnes in synagoga ira, hæc audientes.	και επλησθησαν παντες θυμου εν τη συναγωγη ακουοντες ταυτα
29.	And they rose up and thrust him out of the city; and they brought him to the brow of the hill, whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.	Et surrexerunt, et ejecerunt illum extra civitatem : et duxerunt illum usque ad supercilium montis, super quem civitas illorum erat ædificata, ut præcipitarent eum.	και ανασταντες εξεβαλον αυτον εξω της πολεως και ηγαγον αυτον εως οφρυος του ορους εφ ου η πολις αυτων ωκοδομητο εις το κατακρημνισαι αυτον
30.	But he passing through the midst of them, went his way.	Ipse autem transiens per medium illorum, ibat.	αυτος δε διελθων δια μεσου αυτων επορευετο

21. And he began to say to them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.

CYRIL; But then He turned the eyes of all men upon Him, wondering how He knew the writing which He had never learnt. But since it was the custom of the Jews to say that the prophecies spoken of Christ are completed either in certain of their chiefs, i.e. their kings, or in some of their holy prophets, the Lord made this announcement; as it follows, But he began to say to them that this Scripture is fulfilled.

THEOPHYL; Because, in fact, as that Scripture had foretold, the Lord was both doing great things, and preaching greater.

22. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
23. And he said to them, You will surely say to me this proverb, Physician, heal yourself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in your country.

CHRYS. When our Lord came to Nazareth, He refrains from miracles, lest He should provoke the people to greater malice. But He sets before them His teaching no less wonderful than His miracles. For there was a certain ineffable grace in our Savior's words which softened the hearts of the hearers. Hence it is said, And they all bare him witness.

THEOPHYL; They bare Him witness that it was truly He, as He had said, of whom the prophet had spoken.

CHRYS. But foolish men though wondering at the power of His words little esteemed Him because of His reputed father. Hence it follows, And they said, Is not this the son of Joseph?

CYRIL; But what prevents Him from filling men with awe, though He were the Son as was supposed of Joseph? Do you not see the divine miracles, Satan already prostrate, men released from their sickness?

CHRYS. For though after a long time and when He had begun to show forth His miracles, He came to them; they did not receive Him, but again were inflamed with envy. Hence it follows, And he said to them, You will surely say to me this proverb, Physician, heal yourself.

CYRIL; It was a common proverb among the Hebrews, invented as a reproach, for men used to cry out against infirm physicians, Physician, heal yourself.

GLOSS. It was as, if they said, We have heard that you performed many cures in Capernaum; cure also thyself, i.e. Do likewise in your own city, where you were nourished and brought up.

AUG. But since St. Luke mentions that great things had been already done by Him, which he knows he had not yet related, what is more evident than that he knowingly anticipated the relation of them. For he had not proceeded so far beyond our Lord's baptism as that he should be supposed to have forgotten that he had not y et related any of those things v, which were done in Capernaum.

24. And he said, Verily I say to you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
25. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
26. But to none of them was Elias sent, save to Sarepta, a city of Sidon, to a woman that was a widow.
27. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

AMBROSE; But the Savior purposely excuses Himself for not working miracles in His own country, that no one might suppose that love of country is a thing to be lightly esteemed by us. For it follows, But he says, Verily I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in his own country.

CYRIL; As if He says, You wish me to work many miracles among you, in whose country I have been brought up, but I am aware of a very common failing in the minds of many. To a certain extent it always happens, that even the very best things are despised when they fall to a man's lot, not scantily, but ever at his will. So it happens also with respect to men. For a friend who is ever at hand, does not meet with the respect due to him.

THEOPHYL; Now that Christ is called a Prophet in the Scriptures, Moses bears witness, saying, God shall raise up a Prophet to you from among your brethren.

AMBROSE; But this is given for an example, that in vain can you expect the aid of Divine mercy, if you grudge to others the fruits of their virtue. The Lord despises the envious, and withdraws the miracles of His power from them that are jealous of His divine blessings in others. For our Lord's Incarnation is an evidence of His divinity, and His invisible things are proved to us by those which are visible. See then what evils envy produces. For envy a country is deemed unworthy of the works of its citizen, which was worthy of the conception of the Son of God.

ORIGEN; As far as Luke's narrative is concerned, our Lord is not yet said to have worked any miracle in Capernaum. For before He came to Capernaum, He is said to have lived at Nazareth. I cannot but think therefore that in these words, "whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum," there lies a mystery concealed, and that Nazareth is a type of the Jews, Capernaum of the Gentiles. For the time will come when the people of Israel shall say, "The things which you have shown to the whole world, show also to us." Preach your word to the people of Israel, that then at least, when the fullness of the Gentiles has entered, all Israel may be saved. Our Savior seems to me to have well answered, No prophet is accepted in his own country, but rather according to the type than the letter; though neither was Jeremiah accepted in Anathoth his country, nor the rest of the Prophets. But it seems rather to be meant that we should say, that the people of the circumcision were the countrymen of all the Prophets. And the Gentiles indeed accepted the prophecy of Jesus Christ, esteeming Moses and the Prophets who preached of Christ, far higher than they who would not from these receive Jesus.

AMBROSE; By a very apt comparison the arrogance of envious citizens is put to shame, and our Lord's conduct shown to agree with the ancient Scriptures. For it follows, But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias: not that the days were his, but that he performed his works in them.

CHRYS. He himself, an earthly angel, a heavenly man, who had neither house, nor food, nor clothing like others, carries the keys of the heavens on his tongue. And this is what follows, When the heaven was shut. But as soon as he had closed the heavens and made the earth barren, hunger reigned and bodies wasted away, as it follows, when there was as famine through the land.

BASIL; For when he beheld the great disgrace that arose from universal plenty, he brought a famine that the people might fast, by which he checked their sin which was exceeding great. But crows were made the ministers of food to the righteous, which are wont to steal the food of others.

CHRYS. But when the stream was dried up by which the cup of the righteous man was filled, God said, Go to Sarepta, a city of Sidon; there I will command a widow woman to feed you. As it follows, But to none of them was Elias sent, save to Sarepta, a city of Sidon, to a woman that was a widow. And this was brought to pass by a particular appointment of God. For God made him go a long journey, as far as Sidon, in order that having seen the famine of the country he should ask for rain from the Lord. But there were many rich men at that time, but none of them did any thing like the widow. For in the respect shown by the woman toward the prophet, consisted her riches not of lands, but of good will.

AMBROSE; But he says in a mystery, "In the days of Elias," because Elias brought the day to them who saw in his works the light of spiritual grace, and so the heaven was opened to them that beheld the divine mystery, but was shut when there was famine, because there was no fruitfulness in acknowledging God. But in that widow to whom Elias was sent was prefigured a type of the Church.

ORIGEN; For when a famine came upon the people of Israel, i.e. of hearing the word of God, a prophet came to a widow, of whom it is said, For the I desolate has many more children than she which has an husband; and when he had come, he multiplies her bread and her nourishment.

THEOPHYL; Sidonia signifies a vain pursuit, Sarepta fire, or scarcity of bread. By all which things the Gentiles are signified, who, given up to vain pursuits, (following gain and worldly business,) were suffering from the flames of fleshly lusts, and the want of spiritual bread, until Elias, (i.e. the word of prophecy,) now that the interpretation of the Scriptures had ceased because of the faithlessness of the Jews, came to the Church, that being received into the hearts of believers he might feed and refresh them.

BASIL; Every widowed soul, bereft of virtue and divine knowledge, as soon as she receives the divine word, knowing her own failings, learns to nourish it with the bread of virtue, and to water the teaching of virtue from the fountain of life.

ORIGEN; He cites also another similar example, adding, And there were many lepers in Israel at the time of Eliseus the Prophet, and none of them were cleansed but Naaman the Syrian, who indeed was not of Israel.

AMBROSE; Now in a mystery the people pollute the Church, that another people might succeed, gathered together from foreigners, leprous indeed at first before it is baptized in the mystical stream, but which after the sacrament of baptism, washed from the stains of body and soul, begins to be a virgin without spot or wrinkle.

THEOPHYL; For Naaman, which means beautiful, represents the Gentile people, who is ordered to be washed seven times, because that baptism saves which the seven-fold Spirit renews. His flesh after washing began to appear as a child's, because grace like a mother begets all to one childhood, or because he is conformed to Christ, of whom it is said, to us a Child is born.

28. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29. And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30. But he passing through the midst of them went his way.

CYRIL; He convicted them of their evil intentions, and therefore they are enraged, and hence what follows, And all they in the synagogue when they heard these things were filled with wrath. Because He had said, This day is this prophecy fulfilled, they thought that He compared Himself to the prophets, and are therefore enraged, and expel Him out of their city, as it follows, And they rose up, and cast him out.

AMBROSE; It can not be wondered at that they lost their salvation who cast the Savior out of their city. But the Lord who taught His Apostles by the example of Himself to be all things to all men, neither repels the willing, nor chooses the unwilling; neither struggles against those who cast Him out, nor refuses to hear those who supplicate Him. But that conduct was the result of no slight enmity, which, forgetful of the feelings of fellow citizens, converts the causes of love into the bitterest hatred. For when the Lord Himself was extending His blessings among the people, they began to inflict injuries upon Him, as it follows, And they led him to the brow of the hill, that they might cast him down.

THEOPHYL; Worse are the Jewish disciples than their master the Devil. For he says, Cast yourself down; they actually attempt to cast Him down. But Jesus having suddenly changed His mind, or seized with astonishment, went away, since He still reserves for them a place of repentance. Hence it follows, He passing through the midst of them went his way.

CHRYS. Herein He shows both His human nature and His divine. To stand in the midst of those who were plotting against Him, and not be seized, betokened the loftiness of His divinity; but His departure declared the mystery of the dispensation, i.e. His incarnation.

AMBROSE; At the same time we must understand that this bodily endurance was not necessary, but voluntary. When He wills, He is taken, when He wills, He escapes. For how could He be held by a few who was not held by a whole people? But He would have the impiety to be the deed of the many, in order that by a few indeed He might be afflicted, but might die for the whole world. Moreover, He had still rather heal the Jews than destroy them, that by the fruitless issue of their rage they might be dissuaded from wishing what they could not accomplish.

THEOPHYL; The hour of His Passion had not yet come, which was to be on the preparation of the Passover, nor had He yet come to the place of His Passion, which not at Nazareth, but at Jerusalem, was prefigured by the blood of the victims; nor had He chosen this kind of death, of whom it was prophesied that He should be crucified by the world.

Catena Aurea Luke 4

Jesus Christ in Nazareth

Saint John Bosco, Priest

Saint John Bosco, Priest
Memorial
January 31st

source unknown

St. John Bosco (1815-1888) founded the Salesian Society, named in honor of St. Francis de Sales, and the daughters of Our Lady, Help of Christians. His lifework was the welfare of young boys and girls, hence his title, "Apostle of Youth." He had no formal system or theory of education. His methods centered on persuasion, authentic religiosity, and love for young people. He was an enlightened educatior and innovator.

Collect:
O God, who raised up the Priest Saint John Bosco
as a father and teacher of the young,
grant, we pray,
that, aflame with the same fire of love,
we may seek out souls and serve you alone.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen.

First Reading: Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:1-5
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them, and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

"Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me."

Saint's Days are superseded by the Sunday liturgy.

St. John Bosco: Conquering Souls for Christ [Catholic Caucus]

The Many Miracles of Don Bosco
St. John Bosco and the Gray Dog
[CATHOLIC CAUCUS] Relics of St. John Bosco to tour US, Canada in September, October
Relics of St. John Bosco will travel to five continents
DREAM OF TWO PILLARS [Fr. John Bosco]
John Bosco's Mother Is Decreed "Venerable"
Prophecy of St. John Bosco Fulfilled?
The Sniper and the Novissima [St. John Bosco]
The Secret of Saint John Bosco
The Secret of Saint John Bosco

Holy Spirit Interactive Kids: A Saint a Day

St. John Bosco

Feast Day: January 31
Born:1815 :: Died:1888

John Bosco was born in Turin, Italy. His parents were poor farmers. His father died when John was only two years old. John and his brothers helped their mother work on the farm as she struggled to keep the family together. As soon as he was old enough, John, too, worked as hard as he could to help his mother.

He was intelligent and full of life. By the age of nine, John wanted to become a priest and his mother let him go to school. John used to wake up early in the morning to do his chores before he left for school. Finally, a holy priest, St. Joseph Cafasso, found out about John's wish to be a priest. Father Cafasso helped him enter the seminary.

He learned to do all kinds of trades. He was a carpenter, a shoemaker, a cook, a pastry maker and a farmer. He did many other jobs as well. He didn't realize how much this knowledge would help others later.

John would go to circuses, fairs and carnivals, practice the tricks he saw magicians perform, and then present one-boy shows. After his performance, while he still had an audience of boys, he would repeat the sermon he had heard in church that day. John became a priest in 1841.

As a priest, Don Bosco, which means Father Bosco, began his great ministry. This kind priest felt sad when he saw so many children living on the streets of Italy. Like a loving father, he gathered together these homeless boys and taught them trades. This way they would not have to steal or get into trouble.

Many rich people gave him money to help build workshops. He later started a printing press so he could print books and leaflets to teach people about God's love for them and how to be good Christians.

By 1850, there were 150 boys living at his home for boys. Don Bosco's mother was the housekeeper. He loved these children, however naughty they were, and the boys loved him because John Bosco always encouraged them.

"Do you want to be Don Bosco's friend?" he would ask each new boy who came to him. "You do?" he would ask happily. "Then, you must help me save your soul," he would say.

Every night he asked his boys to say three Hail Mary's, so that the Blessed Mother would help them keep away from sin. He also helped them receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion often and with love.

Every morning he would say Mass for his students giving them beautiful sermons and telling them interesting stories. He asked the young boys to imitate Jesus in everything they did - whether it was work, study or play and told them that God wanted everyone to be saints as He had a great reward waiting for them.

His advice to them was, "Pray when it's time to pray. Study when it's time to study. Play when it's time to play. Show kindness to everyone you meet. But do it all for the love of Jesus."

One of the boys listening very carefully was young Dominic Savio who told John Bosco that he would try very had to become a saint and please God. And he did.

Don Bosco started his own religious order of priests and brothers. They were called the Salesians, after St. Francis de Sales. Then he started the order of Salesian sisters with the help of St. Mary Mazzarello. These men and women pray and teach young people about God's love in countries all over the world even today.

Don Bosco died on January 31, 1888. All the people of Turin came out on the streets to honor him. His funeral became a joyous proclamation of thanksgiving to God for the life of this wonderful man.

Information: St. John Bosco;

Feast Day: January 31

Born: August 16, 1815, Castelnuovo, Piedmont, Italy

Died: January 31, 1888, Turin, Italy

Canonized: April 1, 1934, Rome by Pope Pius XI

Major Shrine: The Tomb of St John Bosco - Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians, Turin, Italy

Patron of: Christian apprentices, editors, publishers, schoolchildren, young people

Sunday

January 31, 2016

Scriptural Thoughts on Wellness

Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important for it promises a reward in both this life and the next. This is true and everyone should accept it.â€ 1 Timothy 4:7-9 (NLT)

A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. Proverbs 14:30 (NLT)

Donâ€™t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. Proverbs 3: 7-8 (NLT)

Thought for Today: “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” ~ St. Augustine

CATHOLIC ALMANAC

Sunday, January 31

Liturgical Color: White

Today is the Memorial of St. John Bosco,
priest. St. John founded the Salesian Order and
worked with orphaned and abandoned children.
He taught them the catechism and helped them
to develop work skills. St. John died in 1888.

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: January 31st

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

January 31, 2016 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Grant us, Lord our God, that we may honor you with all our mind, and love everyone in truth of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Recipes (1)

Cool Sunday Dinner Sample Menu

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Activities (1)

Pre-Lent, or Carnival in the Home

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Prayers (3)

Ordinary Time, Pre-Lent: Table Blessing 3
Ordinary Time, Pre-Lent: Table Blessing 4
Book of Blessings: Blessing Before and After Meals: Ordinary Time (2nd Plan)
Old Calendar: Septuagesima Sunday
There is a shocking turnaround in today's Gospel. The people with whom Jesus grew up were assembled in the Nazareth synagogue. After they heard him read Sacred Scripture and give a one sentence homily "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" St. Luke tells us that "all spoke well of him and were AMAZED at the gracious words that came from his mouth." But that amazement soon turned into doubt and then into fury. â€” Fr. Roger J. Landry
Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the book of Jeremiah (Jer 1:4-5, 17-19). Jeremiah is the second of the four great prophets of Israel; a contemporary of Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk. He was born in the last part of the reign of Manasseh, about 645 years before the birth of Jesus and almost a century after Isaiah. Today's reading comes from the prologue which gives an account of Jeremiah's calling. It is a dialog between Yahweh and Jeremiah.
The second reading, taken from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 12:31-13:13), continues last week's comparison of the Church to the human body. Each part of the body is no greater than any other part; rather, all work together to serve the common good. The second reading also discusses the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The Gospel reading is taken from St. Luke (Lk 4:21-30). This rejection of Jesus by his own townfolk must have sincerely grieved him. But it was only the beginning of similar rejections. Their attempt to murder him was an indication of what was yet to come. "To his own he came but his own did not accept him" as St. John says (1:11). The reason was that the Messiah they were looking for was a political leader who would make Israel a political power not only among the nations but over the other nations. Nearly all the messianic prophecies had references to the universality of the messianic kingdomâ€“this universality they interpreted in a political, worldly sense. Their interest in things spiritual was then at a very low ebb and therefore the message of Christ had little interest for them. They did not want a spiritual kingdom.
For seventeen centuries they had been God's Chosen People, and they were proud of their superiority over the sinful Gentiles who did not know the true God. That very pride of theirs was their undoing. The Gentiles were God's children too, and they also were to share in the new kingdom which the Messiah would establish, but the very thought of this was abhorrent to the vast majority of the Jews.
In spite of all their opposition, however, Jesus spent his public life amongst them. He gave them the first offer of entering the new kingdom. They could still continue to be God's Chosen People together with, and alongside, the other nations of the earth. They refused. And their refusal went so far as to call in the aid of the hated Gentiles to crucify the Oneâ€”their own fellow Jewâ€”who had come to bring them the message of the true kingdom and the offer of being its first citizens.
There were exceptions, of course, and honorable exceptions at that. Christ founded his Church, the new kingdom of God on the Apostles, who were Jews, and through their noble sacrifices and efforts, the kingdom spread to all the Gentile nations of the earth. Because of their sacrifices, we are Christians, members of Christ's kingdom on earth and heirs to his eternal kingdom in heaven. Through our Christian teaching we have learned that our life on this earth is but a period of preparation, a period during which we can earn the true life as citizens of his eternal kingdom. How often do we, like the Jews of Christ's day, forget this and bend all our efforts to building for ourselves a kingdom of power or wealth in this world, a kingdom which we will have to leave so soon?
We would not, of course, openly deny Christ, much less try, like his neighbors in Nazareth, to throw him to his death over a cliff: but how often in our private actions, and in our dealings with our neighbors, do we push him and his doctrine quietly aside and act as if we knew him not. In this we are no better than Christ's neighbors of Nazareth and we grieve his loving heart as much as they did on that sad day. Am I one of those (each one of us can ask himself)? Do I really love Christ or, to put it in a more personal way, do I really love myself ? If I do, I will not risk losing my place in the eternal kingdom for the sake of some paltry pleasure or gain in this present life which will end for me so very soon.
Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.
Things to Do:
- Read or reread Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter, Dies Domini on Keeping the Lord's Day Holy

The Word Among Us

Meditation: 1 Corinthians 12:31 -- 13:13

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Love is patient, love is kind. (1 Corinthians 13:4)

Homilists sometimes suggest beginning these descriptive sentences with your own name, as a form of examination of conscience. “John is patient, John is kind.” But this can lead to discouragement. What immediately leaps to mind is the many situations that called for patience, kindness, or endurance—but we came up short. “John never fails”? Not me!
Maybe a better approach would be to plug in the name of Jesus instead your name.
Jesus is patient. Picture him pausing and waiting until the man slowed down by blindness makes his way forward to ask for healing.
Jesus is kind. Imagine him taking the hand of the man who can neither hear nor speak and leading him away from the crowd to heal him in a more intimate setting.
Jesus never fails. See him, wearied from ministering all day, still tending to the multitudes who come asking for help.
Now, realize one more thing. Jesus Christ lives in you through your baptism. You have been given a share of his risen life—and his unconditional love. This means that you can draw on his stores of patience and kindness whenever you need to.
Pope Francis often reminds us that every command in Scripture is accompanied by a promise. Yes, God calls us to be loving, and this passage spells out what that love looks like. It’s a high standard. But we are also gifted in Christ with the power to love as he loves, to be patient as he is patient, and to share his kindness with everyone around us.
It’s one of the most encouraging paradoxes of the Christian life: the more inadequate you feel, the more effective you can be. It doesn’t take much to plunge your hands and heart into Jesus’ storehouse of love and find everything you need.
“Jesus, thank you for making your home in me. Help me today to extend your kind and patient love to everyone I encounter today.”

Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19
Psalm 71:1-6, 15-17
Luke 4:21-30

A Christian Pilgrim

ARE WE DENYING HIS POWER AND DESIRE TO HEAL US?

30 Jan

ARE WE DENYING HIS POWER AND DESIRE TO HEAL US?

(A biblical refection on the 4^th Sunday in Ordinary Time [Year C], 31 January 2016)

Gospel Reading: Luke 4:21-30

First Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-5,17-19; Psalms: Psalm 71:1-6,15-17; Second Reading: 1Corinthians 12:31-13:13

The Scripture Text

And He began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." And all spoke well of Him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth; and they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" And He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to Me this proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here also in you own country.'" And He 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. (Luke 4:21-30 RSV)

We may be tempted to feel a little indignant as we read about the people of Nazareth's attempt to silence Jesus. Didn't they recognize who He really was? But we would do better to ask ourselves whether we do not also try to silence Jesus. Are there areas of darkness in our hearts that we don't think He can heal? If we don't turn these areas over to Jesus, we are denying who He is, denying His power and desire to heal us. Every day, Jesus waits for us to open our hearts to Him and trust Him to change not only the weaknesses that seem easy to fix but also the ones that seem more complicated.

Are there areas of sin in our lives that we prefer to hold on to - areas where we are not yet willing to change? If so, those are places where in practice we are denying who Jesus is by not allowing Him to be truly our Lord and Savior. By keeping ourselves apart from Him, we are not acknowledging Him as the Holy One whose judgments are true and whose justice is perfect.

Even when the residents of Nazareth were ready to throw Jesus off the cliff, He looked on them with compassion. These were His relatives and neighbors, and He loved them. He knew them better than they knew themselves, and still He accepted them. He must have prayed every day that their hearts would be open to His word.

Jesus looks with compassion and understanding on us also. If we find ourselves bound by some sin, He asks us to open our hearts as best we are able and let Him change us. If we are carrying a burden that seems too big even for Him, He asks us to try to lay it down at His feet. He longs to see us put our trust in Him.

This week, let's choose just one area in our lives where we will listen more closely to the Lord and not shut Him out. Stick with that area and watch the Lord work. Let Him make a saint out of each and every one of us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I surrender my life to You anew. Break down the wall I have built around my heart. Come in, Lord, and bring Your freedom and life. Amen.

Marriage = One Man and One Woman Until Death Do Us Part

Daily Marriage Tip for January 31, 2016:

"No prophet is accepted in his own native place." (Lk 4:24) Sometimes the hardest place to evangelize and witness to Christ is within our own families. Even Jesus was misunderstood by those in his hometown. Pray today for the grace to share the truth in love even with your family members.