When Samuel Morse explained his plans for telegraph communication in 1842, some people ridiculed him. When Bell Telephone applied for a patent in 1876, some communication experts dismissed the telephone idea as a toy. When Thomas Edison outlined his plans for an incandescent light in 1878, the British Parliament laughed at the idea. Something like that happened to Jeremiah in today's reading. He was not only ridiculed but threatened with death for speaking out in God's name. *****
How do we respond when people make fun of us for doing or saying what we think is right? "Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!" Matthew 5:10
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If someone were to ask you who preached the homily at Mass last Sunday, you might take a while to recall which priest it was.
But if the next question would be "So what did he preach about?" then we really have to crank up our memory in order to recall what we heard. And ten other persons who were there listening to the same homily would have ten versions of what was preached.
That could mean that people are doing their own reflections about the Word of God. Yet people also tend to listen with varying degrees of openness and receptivity. And that depends largely on who is speaking.
In the two readings of today, we see two types of people who are not open to what is said. In the 1st reading is the type who is not open to correction, and hence do not want to hear the truth.
In the gospel is the type who is not open to the person, and hence is not open to the truth. We have a bit of both in each of us. But when we challenge ourselves to listen to what is said and not how it is said or who is saying it, then we will be able to hear the truth. Then we will hear the prophetic voice of God.
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Friday of 17th Week in Ordinary Time
ARE PROPHETS WELCOME?
Introduction
Today the prophet Jeremiah warns the people that their trust in the temple as God’s presence among them is of no value unless they make God present in their lives by living their religion, and the temple will be destroyed as once the Philistines destroyed the sanctuary of Shiloh. The priests and the people threaten to kill Jeremiah. Jesus is not welcome either among his people, in his town, his home country, for he is disturbing people’s consciences. He confronts them with the challenging reality of God and his ways. Christ shakes his people from their security in laws and outward practices. How dare he, one from their own town and street? Who does he think he is? Dare we to be the prophet’s voice needed today? Dare we to be unconventional?
Opening Prayer
Lord our God, we are but timid people, and yet you expect of us to speak the word of your Son by the witnessing of our lives. We pray you for the courage to live the kind of life that your Son lived and to follow him wherever he leads us without the luggage of our securities. Grant us this conviction through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Commentary
Both Jesus and Jeremiah were prophets who were not honored in their own country. Although the people were amazed at Jesus’ learning and insight, he was such a “local boy” that he could not be taken seriously. Jeremiah’s message was so threatening with reference to the temple and the city that it seemed sacrilegious and out of place. The best solution was to be rid of the prophet. In many ways we are not much different. We settle into a particular way of thinking and make what we hear conform to that. We see acts of violence perpetrated against innocent people. When we wage a war we see only one side and fail to see the hurt that may be present in the opposition. We sometimes exploit the natural resources of poorer countries and then fail to understand their resentment. Let us try to have an open and understanding spirit. The law of averages tells us that there are times when we will be right and times when we will be wrong. At least we want to try to comprehend what others are saying. It is surprising to see how much we can change and learn from others.
Points to Ponder
Opposition to Jeremiah Jesus as the “local boy” A willingness to learn and to change
Intercessions
– That the Spirit of Christ may inspire our leaders of the Church with prophetic zeal to lead our people to true Christian freedom, we pray:
– That there may be prophets also among us today, however annoying we may find them, to remind us of what God expects of us, we pray:
– That the world of today may not turn a deaf ear to the voices of prophets who plead for peace and justice for all, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God, we want this bread and wine to signify that as we share your Son’s table we also accept to be with him signs of contradiction. Let him change us from weak and faint-hearted people into people with the courage to live as we believe and to speak out boldly for all that is right and good, as Jesus did, your Son, who lives with you and with us for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, your Son Jesus has spoken among us prophetic words and deeds of courage and self-giving. Make us bold enough to go with him his way to people, even if the best of our Intercessions are misunderstood. We say so in fear and trembling, but we want to be humble disciples of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
We should learn to listen to prophets, people who have something to say that is perhaps not pleasing but to the point. And we too should have the courage to speak up when needed, especially when we see injustice done to people. May almighty God give you this courage and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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Saint Ignatius of Loyola, 1491-1556
Feast day July 31
Sometimes change is scary.
Even if you know a big change is for the best, it can still be scary. For instance, you know that there must be a better way to spend your time than sitting in front of the television or playing computer games. You know that God created you for more than that. But it’s scary to even think about changing. You’re just so used to plopping yourself down in that chair and turning off your brain.
Just think—if you really tried to start living God’s way instead of the world’s, anything could happen. You might not be able to do it. You might not be yourself anymore. That funny, curious, energetic person you thought you were might become boring.
It’s okay to have these worries. But the stories of saints show us that we shouldn’t worry about change. Just look at St. Ignatius of Loyola.
Ignatius lived in Spain during the sixteenth century. It was a time of kingdoms and battles, armies and soldiers.
From the time he was a teenager, Ignatius had been a soldier. His life was full of adventure and excitement. He spent a lot of time in the palaces of dukes and princes. He was strong and full of life. Ignatius believed in God, but he didn’t do much about his faith. He didn’t do much more than go to Mass and say his prayers. He spent his spare time doing things that weren’t exactly admirable. He used his time and his talents for his own glory and pleasure and not much else.
Ignatius had been living this way for a long time when one spring day he found himself in a frightening position. He was fighting with an army of fellow Spaniards, and they were in a battle with the French. The French had taken all the land around the Spaniards except for one little spot. Ignatius and another soldier held on to that bit of land, which was high on a hill, inside a fort. Everyone else wanted to surrender because there was really no chance that they could win.
Ignatius stood before the troops. He called out to his friends in a clear, strong voice. They couldn’t surrender! They had the protection of the fort, and they had weapons. Why should they give up?
So the troops listened to Ignatius and continued fighting against the French. It didn’t work. They lost, and Ignatius was shot.
In those days, guns didn’t shoot little bullets, which are bad enough. These guns shot big, round pellets that were sometimes the size of small rocks, almost like small cannonballs. That’s what blasted through Ignatius’s hip and went straight through his leg and down to his other knee. This was a very serious injury.
But, as always, Ignatius was brave. He was strong on the painful journey back to his home, even as he was carried over rough roads, his shattered leg bumping harshly with every step. He was strong when dhen Ignatius’s leg finally started to heal properly, he discovered two things. One of his bones was still sticking out, forming an ugly bump under his knee. And the leg that had been broken was now shorter than the other one.
So Ignatius decided he would be strong again. He insisted that the doctors saw off that ugly bump under his knee. He chained a cannonball to his short leg and spent hours each day letting it hang free, hoping the ball would stretch the leg back out to its normal size.
Back in those days, there weren’t many ways to relieve pain. So this “therapy” Ignatius put himself through was probably incredibly painful and tiring. But Ignatius was a strong man.
Because he had spent all those months in his sickbed, Ignatius got bored. He asked for something to read. He was hoping for adventure books, tales that were popular back then: knights fighting for the hands of beautiful ladies, traveling to distant lands, and battling strange creatures.
But for some reason, two completely different books were brought to Ignatius. One was a book about the life of Christ, and the other was a collection of saints' stories.
Ignatius read these books. He thought about them. He was struck by the great sacrifices that the saints had made for God. He was overwhelmed by their love of Jesus.
And Ignatius thought, “Why am I using my life just for myself? These people did so much good during their time on earth. Why can’t I?”
Ignatius decided that he would use the talents God had given him—his strength, his leadership ability, his bravery, and his intelligence—to serve God and God’s people.
While Ignatius continued to heal, he started praying very seriously. God’s peace filled his heart and assured him that he was on the right path.
When Ignatius was all healed and ready to walk and travel again, he left his home to prepare for his new life. It wasn’t easy. He was 30, which was considered old in those days, and he was getting a late start in his studies for the priesthood. In those days, the Mass was said only in Latin, and Latin was the language all educated people used to communicate with each other. Ignatius didn't know a bit of Latin. So for his first Latin lessons, big, rough Ignatius had to sit in a classroom with a bunch of 10-year-old boys who were learning Latin for the first time too!
That takes a different kind of strength, doesn’t it?
Ignatius continued to travel. He gathered nine friends who felt the same way he did, and together they made a promise to God. They were the founders of the Company of Jesus, also called the Jesuits.
What started with Ignatius and his nine friends grew over just a few years into a group of priests and brothers that had more than a thousand members. They used their talents to teach and preach about Jesus all over the world.
And to think it all began because one man—St. Ignatius of Loyola—was strong and brave enough to change! Doctors discovered that his leg had been set incorrectly and told him that unless his leg was rebroken and reset, he would never walk again.
