C: 4th Sun of OrdTime (3 Feb 2019) - COURAGE UNDER PERSECUTION - Lk 4:21-30

Our readings today start with the call of Jeremiah as prophet of the Lord. His vocation is similar to Moses as both were called to the higher office of prophesying against those in power, versus the kings of Judah in the case of Jeremiah (Jer 1:15, 18), and against the Pharaoh in the case of Moses (Exo 3:10). Similarly, both expressed an initial hesitation to the knowledge of their call, the former was arguing that he was too young (Jer 1:6), while the latter was claiming that he knew not how to speak (Exo 4:10). Jeremiah was finally urged after hearing God’s fatherly assurance of “They will fight against you but shall not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you – it is the Lord who speaks” (Jer 1:19), while Moses with the comforting words “And I will be with your mouth” (Exo 4:15). Despite their primary reluctance, both were later obliged to heed the divine voice, becoming two of the greatest prophets in Jewish biblical history.

This theme is sustained in the Gospel today as we find Jesus being rejected by his countrymen as he began his mission as God’s prophet. The scenario though is a bit different: Jesus was not doubting his call, rather it is his own people who was skeptical of him. Even though he did not explicitly receive a supernatural encouragement from God like Jeremiah or Moses, he still continued with his mission, lifting his spirit up and challenging his persecutors: “no prophet is ever accepted in his own country” (Lk 4:24). This display of bravado filled his townmates with anger, becoming more resolute in putting him to death (vv. 28-29).

The three given stories of biblical prophets, viz., Moses, Jeremiah, and Jesus, show us that denunciation and oppression are part and parcel of the vocation of being God’s mouthpiece. The even sadder reality is that they usually come from one’s very people: Jeremiah was hounded by his fellow Benjaminite villagers (Jer 11:21-23), Moses by Pharaoh’s court where he grew up (Exo 5–14), and Jesus by the Nazareans whom he had known for the past 30 years. However, a true envoy of God should be courageous in the midst of persecution. Indeed, God’s grace is always at hand, albeit more often perceived not in extraordinary means. We just need to know how to encourage continuously ourselves on our own at most times.

The Philippine Church for the past months has been persecuted by her own people and by the government to which she belongs, led most particularly by the public tirades of the Philippine President who has indiscriminately badmouthed her leaders, her doctrines, her practices and even her God. To all of these accusations, she has remained mum. However, this harassment has reached to the brim when a cathedral in the Southern tip of the country (Jolo, Sulu) was bombed last Sunday, killing at least 20 people and injuring around 111, during the celebration of the Eucharist. We are in no way competent to connect these two scenarios, nor to make a hasty conclusion that it is a direct attack to the Catholic hierarchy. What we only know of is that the same persecution experienced by the prophets is being experienced now by the Philippine Church. Appropriately, in imitation of Christ’s ways, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines recently published three statements: the first condemns the brutality of the bombing, the second expresses her fidelity to the prophetic mission of speaking the truth, and the third cautions her flock to vote wisely on the midterm elections in May 2019.

Truly, in these trying times there are no angels nor supernatural voice from heaven that will encourage her. But she has all her members to do that… hoping that they will support her in the midst of intimidation and threat. But even in the absence of any strong support, the most important thing that will sustain her from this terrorization is by conquering evil by love (see http://cbcpnews.net/cbcpnews/conquering-evil-with-good/). And this is what our Second Reading reminds us: “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor 13:7). Certainly, love conquers all (1 Pet 4:8)!

- Rex Fortes, CM