March 24, 2014

Read It:
Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:
“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 of the hill
on which their town had been built,
to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

Reflect on It: No prophet is accepted in his own native place. Today's Gospel shows us that the Lord is asking us to be faithful, not for us to be accepted. Today, we see that Elijah was rejected over and over and over again, but he still followed God. Preaching the good news isn't always easy, especially in our native land. How are you being called to challenge a friend today? How are you being called to be uncomfortable?

Pray about It: Sweet Jesus, help me to follow you even when it's difficult.

Live It! Challenge: Today, talk with someone at work or school about the good things Jesus is doing in your life.