14th Sunday in the
Ordinary Time
July 4, 2015
Mark 6:1-6
“A
prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin
and in his own house (Mrk 6:4).”
Being misunderstood, misjudged
and rejected even by persons whom we consider close to us are not uncommon to
many of us. Jesus surely shared the same experience and feelings. He came home
and preached the Good News. Unfortunately,
instead a warm welcome, the people of the small town Nazareth saw Him in more
negative perspective and they ridiculed Him. The people who supposed to accept
Him most, turned to be the first who refused Him. The feelings must be
suffocating.
However, at the face of this
rejection, Jesus was unfazed and continued with His mission. He did this
because He knew well who He was. He was a prophet and like the other true
prophets of God, he had to share their lot: misunderstood, misjudged,
mistreated and even murdered. But, who is a prophet and why did some people do
not like them? In essence, the prophet is a person who speaks the truth. Yet,
his unwavering commitment to the truthfulness is not because he thinks of
himself as righteous, but he really cares and loves the people he serves. He
does not like the idea that the people he loves will turn their lives into a
misery or worse, a problem for others. Consequently, he boldly tells them what
they really need to hear.
Every follower of Christ is
called to be a prophet and it means also to preach the truth despite the
possibility of misunderstanding, mistreatment and rejection. I experience
myself how difficult it is to preach the truth. The US Supreme Court’s decision
to declare same-sex marriage as ‘constitutional right’ few weeks ago brings a fresh
tiding of attack against those who uphold the traditional marriage, especially
the Catholic Church. I am called to defend our Church and proclaim the truth of
our human nature. It is easy to engage in online debate over the Facebook, yet,
things are becoming complicated and highly sensitive, when some of my friends
and even relatives create a different position. I do not want to be
misunderstood as ‘intruder’ or ‘self-righteous’, but again my love for them is
greater than my fear. I decide to critically challenge them, and at the same
time, express my deep compassion and concern for them.
Being a prophet is actually our
daily mission. Parents who do their best and want nothing but the best for
their children, are being misinterpreted as ‘controlling’ by their own kids. Teachers
who try to inculcate the value of study life and culture of discipline, are
considered to be ‘terror’. At times, however, being a prophet means nothing but
total sacrifice. Many priests, religious and lay people work tirelessly and
courageously in the most dangerous places around the globe, serving the poor of
the poorest. Some of them even eventually were abducted, tortured and never
returned. Special mention goes to the Late Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero of
San Salvador, El Savador. His love for his people and even enemies impelled him
to preach the truth and boldly challenge the abusive and corrupt practices in
his society. He incurred the wrath of his enemies. In 1980, he was shot at
point black when He was celebrating mass at the Divine Providence Hospital
Chapel. His blood was mingled and united to the Precious Blood of Christ in
that Holy Eucharist.
It is really tough to become a
prophet, but this is our vocation and mission. If we really care and love
people we serve, then preaching the truth is the best we can do for them.
Br. Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno,
OP
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