To Whom Do We Listen

   "Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority." Lk 4:31

While very few would suggest that education is unimportant, it can be overrated. My own parents were bright and wise people who had little formal education, yet they were respected in my neighborhood. They worked hard, had a deep faith and understood life from the inside. Though they were rarely asked their opinion, they knew what they knew and were not afraid to ask for help. Like Jesus, when they spoke, they spoke with authority.

Jesus did not seem to worry much about the education of the the men he called to be his apostles, but the leaders of the Jewish people seemed to think this was a soft spot in the life of the new community. Anxious to stop Jesus' disciples from speaking about their Lord, they called them in and threatened them, only to have Peter and John insist that they had no choice but to speak of Jesus. Clearly, Peter and John were not worried about their lack of education and were not intimidated by threats from the Jewish leaders.

It is always good to take a few moments and ask ourselves to whom we are most likely to listen. Do the highly educated intimidate us into silence about important matters? Are we unwilling to speak of our faith to people of power and prestige in the community?

Today, take time to listen to someone you might otherwise ignore.

What most impresses you about the faith you witness everyday?

Weakness as Strength

  "I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling, and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God." 1 Cor 2:4-5

We rarely think of St Paul as full of fear and trembling. Because we know he was a respected rabbi and spoke his mind freely, our image of Paul more often makes us think of a CEO of a large company. It is surprising to hear him insist in his first letter to the Corinthians that any power he has is from God and that is the only reason anyone should listen to him.

It is important to ask ourselves what it is in others that causes us to listen to them with respect. Does their power or wealth frighten us? Are we unduly influenced by their position in the church or world? Or do we open our hearts to their message because we sense they are not speaking on their own but on behalf of God.

St Paul's honesty and humility are the qualities that strengthen him in his evangelizing efforts. Because he knows that the knowledge he had of the Torah prior to his conversion was a source of pride that made him arrogant and dismissive of others, Paul makes sure to rely totally of God's power in all his actions. When we learn to depend on God as well as use our God given gifts, we can be sure that God will guide and help us in everything we do.

Today, ask for God's strength to live the Gospel with joy.

Have you had experiences of your own weakness that taught you to rely more completely on God?

Prophecy

"You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped; you were too strong for me, and you triumphed." Jer 20:7

Not infrequently when we were children our parents duped us. Unwilling to get out of bed or do a simple chore, our parents reminded us we would not get dessert unless we got up on time. Reluctantly, we obeyed but still resisted. The same thing happened to Jeremiah the prophet. Thinking the role of the prophet would bring him honor in the community, Jeremiah accepts God's to be his spokeperson but struggles with the result. Overwhelmed by the constant mockery of the people who resisted his word, he accused God of alluring him with false promises of fame and importance. Jeremiah was indeed important to the people of Israel, just not in the way he envisioned it.

The same is often true of us in the United States and other developed countries. Our insistence that there has to be a better distribution of wealth, that immigrants have rights and that we need to care more deeply for the earth and all creation often leads to snickers or outright rejection. Some even accuse us of being disloyal to our nation. Speaking God's work simply and with power costs us and every person or church that risks announcing Good News for all.

Today, listen carefully to someone with whom you disagree religiously or politically.

What must today's prophets expect if they are willing to speak the hard sayings of Jesus?

The Passion of St John the Baptist

"He went off and beheaded John in the prison." Mk 6:27

Readers of John's gospel cannot help but wonder whether John the Baptist understood fully the import of his words about decreasing so the Christ could increase. Did he know he would die for the sake of the gospel? Surely he had enough time in prison to know that his prospects for a full life with Christ were small, and the evangelists remind us that it was John the Baptist's death that pushed Jesus to begin his public ministry.

When we are young and distant from the reality of our own death, it can be easy to make promises the depth of which we cannot really appreciate, but when we grow older, we know. If we are going to live the gospel with integrity there will be a price. The Good News might be good but it is not easy.
So many of us, sounding other centered, tell everyone that we are willing to endure whatever a gospel life brings, but we do not want to be a burden to others. How shallow these words can be upon reflection.  Allowing others to care for us as we would for them is essential to a fully human and gospel life. Not taking that care for granted is also important. Life must be accepted no matter what it brings.

Today, ask for the grace of accepting whatever God asks.

How do you explain the violence that emerges in the Gospel?