The official name of the Redemptorists is the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. They are a missionary order founded in Italy by St. Alphonsus Liguori whose feast we celebrate today. The Redemptorists are dedicated to serving the poor and to preaching the Word. St. Alphonsus was popular in his day due in large part to his simple preaching style. He prided himself on his sermons being effective because they were easy to understand.
His sermons were also effective because of his devotion to proclaiming the truth. As a result, the truth of what he proclaimed often brought about conversions to the faith, as well as the return of many who had left. It seems appropriate, therefore, that today’s gospel is about hearing and accepting the truth, especially when it comes from unexpected sources.
After Jesus spent time in the desert, the Holy Spirit strengthened Jesus to begin his public ministry in his native town of Nazareth. Jesus enters the synagogue there on the Sabbath and reads the now familiar passage from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.” Jesus then says to his listeners, “Today, this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4:21).
The people of Nazareth do not accept what Jesus says, however, because they are hard of heart. They take offense at what he says, for they are sure that a mere carpenter’s son cannot teach them anything, let alone teach with authority. Their haughty attitude leads them to reject his teaching and force Jesus out of town. Saddened by their lack of faith, Jesus claims that no prophet is accepted in his native place.
Saddened but not deterred, however, Jesus next goes to the city of Capernaum where he has a very different experience. In Capernaum, Jesus also teaches in the synagogue, but unlike the people of Nazareth, the people of Capernaum listen carefully to what Jesus says. They accept his authoritative interpretation of scripture and the truth of what he proclaims. They are open to the teaching of Jesus because their hearts are open to the Holy Spirit.
The contrast between Capernaum and Nazareth has meaning for us today. On the one hand, we often act like the people of Nazareth. We box people in and do not let the truth of what they say reach our hearts. We do not hear the truth because they do not fit our idea of what a genuine teacher of truth looks and acts like. It is even easier to reject such persons when we know negative things about them. Then, we too are sure that a mere “carpenter’s son” cannot teach with any authority. We miss out on the truth.
There are other times, however, when we are like the people in Capernaum. We trust the Holy Spirit to guard our hearts and minds. This enables us to listen with an open mind to what others have to say. We then can accept the truth of what we hear, no matter who proclaims that truth. When we place our hope and trust in the Holy Spirit, we open ourselves to the presence of Jesus in others. The Holy Spirit in turn enables us to set aside our bias and preconceived ideas. Only then can we recognize and accept the truth being proclaimed.
No comments:
Post a Comment