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January 28, 2022Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mi 5:1-4a; Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; Heb 10:5-10; Lk 1:39-45
Love. A word used so often. Sometimes when we overuse a word it loses its potency. Thankfully we have Saint Paul’s poetic words in his First Letter to the Corinthians to remind us about the power and meaning of this word. Many of you have probably heard this reading proclaimed at weddings, maybe even your own. I find it interesting that this reading about love is included alongside a reading about Jesus facing opposition and anger in his hometown. I think the linking of these stories together as Sunday readings tells us something more about love. Jesus seems to be challenging the people of Nazareth by reminding them that God’s healing and love go beyond the boundaries they might be comfortable with. I think he does this when he reminds them of non-Israelites in the Old Testament who received healing from God. The people Jesus speaks to are so infuriated that they want to literally throw him out of town. Why this response? I think it is because real love can be difficult and uncomfortable. The call to love and care for the marginalized and the despised means we have to leave our comfort zone. The Psalm gives us strength for this journey out of our bubbles: God is described as the Psalmist’s rock, strength, hope, and trust. God, our solid rock and foundation, gives us the strength to weather the storms of other’s opinions and fears as we seek to love courageously. God, our rock, give us the courage to love fearlessly and relentlessly!
