22ND MONDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 4:16-30) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.” (Lk 4:24)

FIRST READING - 1 Thess 4,13-18

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep."

A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians

¹³ We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵ Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,^[a] will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together^[b] with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore, console one another with these words.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Lk 4:16-30

"He has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. No prophet is accepted in his own native place."

✠From the Gospel according to Luke

¹⁶ He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom^[a] into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read ¹⁷ and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,^[b]    because 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,¹⁹ and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

²⁰ Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. ²¹ He said to them, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”^{[c] 22} And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” ²³ He said to them, “Surely you will quote me this proverb, ‘Physician, cure yourself,’ and say, ‘Do here in your native place the things that we heard were done in Capernaum.’”^{[d] 24} And he said, “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. ^25 [e]Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. ^26 [f]It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. ²⁷ Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” ²⁸ When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

22ND MONDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 4:16-30)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

The Word of God today, God the Father recounts the journey of Jesus Christ – the Only Begotten Son of God. What was it like when the Only Begotten Son of God returned to His hometown? So that His children today, when facing persecution and condemnation from their loved ones and fellow villagers, may also remain steadfast in the plan of God. For when walking in the plan of God, living according to what He teaches – which is to practice charity, love, gentleness, and humility – one will also be condemned and persecuted.

The Word of God today warns His children to understand that when they have chosen to follow God the Father, obeying His holy will, then they must live according to what God the Father teaches: which is to love all their brothers and sisters around the world, because wherever one may be, God the Father is present, and wherever that may be, those are our brothers and sisters.

The Word of God today also reminds the prophets and priests of God the Father in this new era that:

• When one is born in a certain homeland, in a certain family, it is also within the plan of God the Father. That place shall be the place of growth and nurture that God the Father has appointed within His plan. But later, when the time and hour come and God the Father calls us to go forth as a prophet and priest of God the Father, then one must abandon all former personal human affections, and go forth in complete obedience to the holy will of God the Father, loving all the children of God the Father across the world. One must have a universal love and must not reserve personal affection for any individual or circumstance.

• God the Father also calls the prophets and priests of God the Father that when the time and hour come, and God the Father invites you to go forth and carry out the mission that God entrusts, then also be mindful of those in one’s family and homeland through sacrifice, prayer, and gratitude, so that God the Father may save the souls in the place where one was born and raised, which God the Father appointed; for God the Father does not call for ingratitude or rejection toward those who nurtured us.

Next, the Word of God the Father calls the prophets and priests of God to be faithful, courageous, and obedient to the holy will of God the Father above all things; not to act according to personal human emotions or ways of living. To live in such a way is more pleasing to God the Father!

Look upon the image of Jesus Christ, the Supreme Prophet — He accomplished all that God the Father willed, and yet He was despised, insulted, condemned, and rejected; how much more so for small, ordinary, sinful human beings whom God the Father has appointed to a prophetic and priestly office of the Most High God. Be watchful of this, in order to fulfill what God the Father teaches — which is to be faithful and obedient to His holy will above all things.

Thanks be to God. Amen.