Jeremiah in today's first reading is directed by God to give witness to God whose saving justice and compassion yearn to steer a wayward people from disaster. Warned about the obstacles he will encounter, Jeremiah will have to rely on God who has called him. Like Jeremiah, we too have been called by God to prophetically confront suffering and division - to help lead the world toward peace and new life. The journey will not be easy. Opening ourselves is not easy. We may want to hide from God and the mission we are given, nevertheless, God is sending us to speak out when we encounter injustice of any kind.

In the second reading, Paul speaks of love - a wider understanding of love - a love for others that will give us the strength - to love - to move us to truly be a compassionate people - not just to love our family and friends but also people we find it hard to love. Paul calls us to love like God loves us! No small challenge! Unconditional love!

In today's gospel, Jesus tells the people who are in the synagogue (church goers) he has come to "preach good news to the poor and free the oppressed." They had been subjected to oppression - they were hearing Jesus say! God was going to release them. God would punish their enemies.

But Jesus did not promise vengeance. In fact, he actually tells them that Elijah helped a pagan widow. God reaches out to all people. The people were so angry at Jesus' message! They were ready to throw him off the brow of the hill. They were good people religious people who observed the Sabbath.

We must ask ourselves as religious people. Do we see ourselves as people who are ordinary? Jesus summons us to belong to each other. Because we are incomplete without each other, we learn to delight in and cherish all people. When God became human then He embraced us just as we are. Thomas Merton wrote, "God himself glorified in becoming a member of the human race." There are no strangers. If only we could see each other as we are all the time. There would be no more war, no more greed.

Do we see ourselves as special? Have we responded to God's love by sharing it with others? Jesus reminds the people their God reaches out to all people in need. Are we a prophetic sign to the world of God's loving embrace?

Sr. Joseph Mary, OP