Todays’ Gospel reading from Luke, chapter 4, verses 24-30 is about Jesus being rejected as a prophet in Nazareth. Jesus tells the crowd gathered in the synagogue, that they would want Him to do the kinds of signs that He did in Capernaum. He tells them, He cannot do those things. We know from another place in scripture that Jesus says that he could do nothing in Nazareth, because there was no faith among the people. Jesus points out to them that they rejected the prophets Elijah and Elisha and other people, outside of Israel, were healed by these prophets. Jesus’s words enraged the assembly. They drove him out of town and wanted to toss him off a cliff.

Being so rejected, is generally the true prophets fate. In speaking the truth, have you ever felt like you were figuratively thrown off the cliff? It’s a very familiar experience for myself, and probably for anyone, who challenges the powers that be and the status quo, whether in or outside the Church.

Let us hope we recognize the prophets in our midst, particularly in the Universal RC Church, and listen to them! One such prophetic voice is Pope Francis, but, I am sure there are others. Prophets point the way to conversion and renewal! That is certainly the Lenten agenda!

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