Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

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Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

The Christian Courage

Today’s readings seem to be about COURAGE, the source of  courage for someone sent by God to an obstinate people. A people who would listen to anything but God’s Word. The one sent to bring God’s word will therefore be perceived as provocative, annoying, and every attempt will be made to intimidate or even silence his or her voice of truth.

The first reading of today from  Jeremiah 1:4-5,17-19, reveals this difficult situation of God’s messenger, who is sent to be the light shining in the darkness of this world and to point out to the people that they are missing the way and are hostile to the one true God in whom they are to find meaning to their lives.

 I think we can relate to this situation today in our time. This is a time when there is every attempt to silence the voice of truth and the gospel. The only voices allowed to operate with ease are those that in the end leave the people empty and create a void in their hearts which has left a lot confused.

And this situation we have found ourselves can be very scary for believers today. In a sense we now feel that our outreach and evangelization will make no impact on the people. As such we are tempted to resort to a private religion which isn’t really Christianity.  For this reason, God reminds us of his constant presence and the need to be aware of his presence before which every mountain of fear and hostility melts.   And as we know, it is the presence of God that guarantees victory.  If you remember, in Exodus God promised Moses and said: my presence will go with you and I will give you rest”. Moses in turn told the lord, “if your presence will not go with me, do not carry us from here.  So, it is the presence of the Lord that guarantees victory. And this is why the Lord says the Jeremiah, I am with you to deliver you. Perhaps, there is an invitation for us to hear these words again as we continue in our Christian mission, “I am with you to deliver you”.

Yes, challenges and hostility will come on account of our faith, if we are to be faithful to our vocation in Christ. But God’s presence guarantees our victory.  In the Gospel of today from Luke 4:21-30, Jesus, the Son of God, full of power and wisdom faced the same oppositions to the extent that his people wanted to throw him off the cliff. Why?  Because they could not accept the truth for their deed were evil. So, they would rather kill than accept the truth.

So, what do we do in this situation in order to walk in this presence that guarantees victory? We turn to the second reading to find the path we must walk if we are to run till the end and obtain the price of victory. In the second reading from 2 Corinthians 12:31-13:13, Paul presents to us the path of Charity, the path of love. Every other thing, even our most profound spiritual insights are insufficient and are subordinated to this Love. To love God in our neighbour is to walk in God’s presence. And when we walk in God’s presence, in love, (being patient, excusing offence, kind, trusting, and enduring all things) our actions, words and deeds issue from the very being of God. And this is what makes our witnessing powerful.

As we now turn to the altar, perhaps we could pray for the grace to love, and in the midst of all our fears, to trust the One who said to Jeremiah and indeed says to us today “I am with you to deliver you.

Let us pray

Eternal God, through the merits of your Son’s life, death and resurrection, grant us the spirit of Courage that we may never cower amidst all the challenges that come to us on account of our faith. We may our prayers through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen

The Lord be with you,

May the Almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

God in peace and happy Sunday.