January 31, 2016
Gospel: Lk 4:21-30
Jesus began speaking
in the synagogue, saying: "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in
your hearing." And all spoke highly of him (1) and were amazed at the
gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, "Isn't this the
son of Joseph?" 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.'" And he said, "Amen, I
say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. 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. It
was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in
the land of Sidon. 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." When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled
with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow (2) of the hill on which their town had been
built, to hurl him down headlong. But Jesus passed through the midst of them
and went away.
(http://usccb.org/bible/readings/013116.cfm)
The difficult words
(1) To speak highly of someone means to say what that person
said or did was of great value.
(2) The brow of the hill is the peak of a
very steep hill, for example the edge of a cliff.
This week’s spotlight
Faith, hope, and charity
Faith, hope, and charity are known as the theological
virtues. They are gifts from God that help us to do things we couldn't do
without his grace. Faith helps us to believe in God and in the teachings of his
Church. Hope is the gift that helps us to trust in God's love and salvation,
even in difficult times. Charity is God’s own love which reaches out to others
through our love.
General intercessions
Right after reciting
the Creed, we turn to God with our prayer intentions for the Mass. We pray
together for world leaders, for the leaders and members of the Church
throughout the world, for the sick and suffering, and for those who have died. Other
prayers may be added for people in the parish or events in the news. As we pray
together, we are connected in Christ to the whole Church and to all people in
the world. These prayers are very important and powerful, so pay attention!
Reflection
Love as the only answer
What could Jesus have possibly said or done to make
the people of his village so angry that they were ready to throw him off a
cliff to silence him? The people of Nazareth thought they knew Jesus. They
didn't want to believe that he was the promised Messiah of God. Their hearts
were not ready to accept that God could be so close to them. If you think about
it, were not so different from the people of Jesus' village. Sometimes it's
easy for us to be kind to our friends, but very hard for us to get along with
our family members. Maybe it's easy to love our teachers at school, but hard to
remember that Jesus is present in our parents. Sometimes we're ready to spend
time or money to help the poor in faraway lands, while we forget to pay
attention to those who are suffering right next to us. Jesus wants us to open
our eyes and see how close he is, to open our hearts to love others near and
far.
Discussion questions
1. What was the first response of the people of Nazareth to Jesus'
words?
2. What do they want to do to Jesus at the end of the Gospel?
3. What happened in between?
4. Did the people of Nazareth really recognize who Jesus was? Why?
Praying after Communion
After
receiving Holy Communion,
you can say this prayer silently to yourself. If you
have not yet
received your First Communion, you can still say this prayer because of your desire to
receive Jesus.
Father, through Jesus, in
communion with the whole Church, I thank you for coming into my heart. Thank
you for allowing Jesus to be known as the son of Joseph from Nazareth. Open my
eyes to recognize his presence in this Eucharist and in everyone I meet.
This week…
Look at others in different ways
This
week, try to remember what Jesus did and try not to say anything bad about
anyone. Also, try to give a little love and kindness to those who need it.
Crossword Puzzle
