Neh 8:2-4,5-6,8-1-; 1
Cor 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
All
of us who have read chapter 4 of Luke's gospel know that today's reading of the
gospel's passage is not complete story of what had happened to Jesus in his
hometown. For after Jesus explained to his listeners what he had read from a
scroll of the prophet Isaiah they took him outside of the town with the intent
of killing him. Each one of us could ask at this moment why? Why would they try
to kill him?
Jesus does
not seem to do anything wrong. He preaches, teaches, heals, and casts out
demons. He moves among the poor, the outcasts, the sick, and the blind offering
them better lives. So why, why would they try to kill him?
There is at
least one very important reason.
The people
of Jesus' hometown and Jesus himself understood the Scriptures and God's
promises included in them in different ways. The people of Jesus' hometown read
the Scriptures as promises of God's exclusive covenant with them, a covenant
that involved promises of deliverance from their oppressors. Jesus came
announcing deliverance, but it was not a national deliverance but God's promise
of liberation for all the poor and oppressed regardless of nationality, gender,
or race. When the radical inclusiveness of Jesus' announcement became clear to
those gathered in the synagogue in Nazareth, their commitment to their own
community boundaries took precedence over their joy that God had sent a prophet
among them. In the end, because they were not open to the prospect of other's
sharing in the bounty of God's deliverance, they themselves were unable to
receive it.
What a great
lesson for all of us.
God's grace
is never subject to the limitations and boundaries of any nation, church,
group, or race. Those who would exclude others exclude themselves. Human beings
may be instruments of God's grace for others, but we are never free to set
limits on who may receive that grace. The paradox of the gospel, therefore, is
that the unlimited grace that it offers might so scandalizes us that we might
be unable to receive it ourselves.
So I believe that the question directed to all of us today
is:
What
boundaries of our community, as St. Mary's parish or perhaps as Catholic
Church, are we willing to transcend and what limits of love that we ourselves
have erected are we willing to take down to allow the God's grace to be even
more fully present in our lives?
The Vatican
II Council has reminded us about the answer to this question in its different
documents. The documents which quite often contrasted sharply with the
defensive stance that had taken root in our church due to the Protestant
Reformation of the 16th century. In today's bulletin you will find some
highlights of the two documents of this council. The first one called The
Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, in Latin: Lumen gentium, the second one
called Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, in Latin:
Gaudium et spes. Let me give you several quotes from them. I have chosen those
quotes which seem to go along with the theme of today's reflections.
In Gaudium
et spes we read:
"27. Coming down to practical and particularly
urgent consequences, this Council lays stress on reverence for man; everyone
must consider his every neighbor without exception as another self, taking into
account first of all his life and the means necessary to living it with
dignity,80 so as not to imitate the rich man who had no concern for the poor
man Lazarus. In our times a special obligation binds us to make ourselves the
neighbor of absolutely every person, and of actively helping him when he comes
across our path,."
In Lumen
gentium we read:
"15. The Church recognizes that in many ways she is
linked with those who, being baptized, are honored with the name of Christian,
though they do not profess the faith in its entirety or do not preserve unity
of communion with the successor of Peter.
16. ...those who have not yet received the gospel... In
the first place there is the people to whom the covenants and the promises were
given and from whom Christ was born according to the flesh (cf. Rom. 9:4-5).
....the plan of salvation also includes those who
acknowledge the Creator. In the first place among these there are the Moslems
who, professing to hold the faith of Abraham, along with us adore the one and
merciful God, who on the last day will judge mankind.
Nor is God Himself far distant from those who in shadows
and images seek the unknown God, for it is He who gives to all men life and
breath and every other gift (cf. Acts 17:25-28), and who as Savior wills that
all men be saved (cf. 1 Tim. 2:4).
Those also can attain to everlasting salvation who
through no fault of their own do not know the gospel of Christ or His Church,
yet sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, strive by their deeds to do His
will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience. Nor does
divine Providence deny the help necessary for salvation to those who, without
blame on their part, have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God, but
who strive to live a good life, thanks to His grace."
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