1/28/2010 We are prophetic when we proclaim together
Mary Jo Tully Chancellor, Archdiocese of Portland
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Jeremiah 1:4-5,17-19 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 or 13:4-13 Luke 4:21-30
“No prophet is accepted in his own country.” While there is a certain amount of truth in the adage, its veracity lies mostly in the convenient excuse it provides to those who use it. Many are reluctant to claim their place in the prophetic role of the Church.
There is little denying that prophets make us uneasy. Their stories in the Hebrew Scripture make us understand why those whom God called to prophecy tended not to want the job. Yet, this is a calling we accept at our Baptisms.
People sometimes speak of the Church as if it were only an institution. They too easily forget that we are part of that institution and that what we call Church leadership is part of the movement toward the kingdom we more easily claim. We share the call to prophecy. A wise professor once said, “The Institution makes the movement possible and the movement makes the Institution credible.” We are, in fact, most effective when we proclaim as both institution and movement.
Today’s Gospel is a continuation of the story we heard at last week’s liturgy. The cast is the same. Jesus taught and he was praised—until he spoke the hard lessons. Those who opposed him found it easier to point to his humble beginnings than to talk about their displeasure with what he was teaching.
Luke seems to combine several episodes into what we see as a single instance. Jesus refers to Elijah and Elisha. Both ministered to the Gentiles. Many Scripture scholars tell us that the Jews were displeased because Jesus seemed to be praising the Gentiles. Luke seems to be giving his own explanation for why Jesus was rejected by the majority of the Jews. So, the question remains. Was Jesus rejected because his hearers knew him too well or because his message was a hard one?
Today Jesus lives in his Church and prophecy is not simply a call to a chosen few. It is a summons to all of us. The Lord speaks to us today and says, “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.” The prophecy that we utter is the word of God that gathers us together.
The message of the Church is not always an easy one for the world to hear; nor is it always easy for us to proclaim. St. Paul reminds us that our prophecy may be imperfect but the love of the community gathered in Christ’s name makes it an acceptable gift. Like Jesus, we are called to proclaim the coming of the kingdom wherever there is a possibility that the message may be heard.
“No prophet is accepted in his own country.” The adage often seems true of the Church. Today we pray that our witness will be so strong and so true that those who know us well will welcome the words of Christ they hear in our community.
