My Dear People, 

In today’s Gospel we find Jesus encountering the most hostile reaction from his own hometown folks. Those in the synagogue are particularly offended when Jesus cites examples from the Old Testament when the great Israelite prophets did not minister to the people in Israel, but went to heal and bless the Gentiles, the Sidonian woman of Zarephath, and the Syrian general Naaman. This is similar to what happened to Jeremiah (Jer. 11:18-23), when Jeremiah’s own townsfolk plotted to kill him. 

The people of Nazareth were good Israelites. In fact, Benedictine Bible scholar and archeologist, Fr. Bargil Pixner, argues they were largely descendants of the royal house of David.  Regardless, they felt they were special and had a unique claim on God. God’s blessings were for them, they thought, not for the wicked Gentiles! 

They forgot the reason God chose Abraham as the father of the Israelites. Abraham and his descendants were chosen to bring blessings to all the families of the earth (Gen 12:3). They forgot that the great prophets foresaw salvation for all the Gentiles, as mentioned in a famous passage of Isaiah: 

And now the Lord says: “who formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring

 Jacob back to Him, and that Israel might be gathered to Him, for I am honored in 

the eyes of the Lord and God has become my strength.  

“It is too little that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” (Isa. 49:5-6)

Again, we have the theme of the “prophet formed from the womb” who brings salvation to all the nations. Surely from a biblical perspective, God knows each of us from the womb and has planned for each a mission and purpose for our lives. As prophetic people of God, we cannot be silent about this good news. 

The readings for this Sunday call us to face persecution with courage, knowing that persecution is the mark of the true prophet. Those who share Christ’s prophetic role through Baptism cannot hope to avoid persecution in this life. At the same time, we cannot give in to hatred, bitterness, and self-righteousness. Unlike the people of Nazareth, we have to practice love and remember that the good news is for all people, not our personal possession. Prophets speak out about injustice, yes—but in the hope all will repent and be saved by entering into the love of God. 

Through Baptism we acquire a prophetic role. This means it is the responsibility of all Christians to share their faith, and especially share the truth of the faith, often rejected by society.  It takes courage to speak truth, and in speaking the truth, the individual might be opposed in the same way Jesus was opposed by his own townsfolk.  Many Christians are afraid to speak the truth and stand up for their values. For this reason, those who oppose the Christian values speak the loudest and try to influence society. The prophetic role of each Christian is very important.  Without the Christians to speak out for their faith and for the truth, there can be no evangelization. 

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Vincent Clemente        

Jesus, Savior of the world, Save America