Third Sunday of Ordinary Time
Neh 8: 2-4a, 5-6, 8-10; 1 Cor 12: 12-14, 27; Luke 1: 1-4, 4: 14-21
Dc. Larry Brockman
They were remnants; those who were left over after everyone else had gone. That’s who the people were that Ezra and Nehemiah were speaking to in the first reading. You see, the entire nation of Israel was exiled to Babylon. And after many years, the King of Persia released the remnants. Most of those that had been exiled were no longer there- they had died during the exile. To say that they had suffered greatly would be putting it mildly. They were repressed captives; almost slaves to their captors. Only a few were living who remembered the good old days of freedom. But those that did remember returned to Jerusalem. They were a rag tag group of people, trying to reestablish themselves in their original homeland. And they brought with them their children and grandchildren who didn’t know anything about the past, except what this remnant could hand down to them.
Now in the scene described in our first reading, this rag tag remnant is experiencing a new found joy because they had finally reached their homeland; they had started reconstruction; and could finally see the effects. They were overjoyed at truly being free of their oppressors. Ezra, their prophet, reads the law to them- the law that they had hung on to despite many trials over the years of exile in hopes of this day. And that is why they were so emotional; that is why the people cried as the historic words of the law were read.
I don’t know about you, but I can identify with these people. I look back over the 70 or so years of my life, and remember many toils and trials with some great memories sprinkled in between. But I see a majority of my family gone. Three of the four parent figures between my wife and I are gone; and all of our aunts and uncles are gone. It was like I woke up one day and suddenly realized that most of the roots in my family were gone. We are a rag tag remnant of believers that is left. We are the elders now; all the young people look to us for the roots of their faith. And we find ourselves gathered together with others in a similar situation, celebrating our liturgy each week in hope of the joy of an eternal Kingdom, wary of the drudgery of physical life here that gets more taxing with every passing year. The mind is not as quick; the body is not as nimble; and we are easier victims to illnesses and infirmities. But there is hope, because the words of our faith still resonate each week as we hear them read, and deep down, we know that we are truly free of the grip of the world, because we have overcome decades of real trials and still have our faith.
And so, just as the Israelis cried with joy when they heard their precious law, we too, can be joyful when we hear our faith proclaimed, and so we say “Amen” to it. And the essence of our faith is that we are waiting in joyful hope of everlasting life in the kingdom of God, something that our faith and our lives have convinced us is real.
In the second reading, we come to see that all of us together, yes even the rag tag remnant that we are, constitute the real Church- we have our faith that unites us in the Body of Christ. And that is a strength that we share as a group. But we still have a mission. And that mission is to pass on the real faith to our own. You see, most of the people living today are focused on life in this world, not life in the kingdom of God. That being the case, they really need us. Because they need to be focused on what life is really all about. Those of us who are older and not as nimble, not as quick, and prone to infirmities- we have the experience that breeds wisdom, the wisdom to know what life is really not all about. Ultimately it is not all about fame and wealth and pleasure because all of these pass. Rather, it is about Faith and God and the promise of everlasting life.
And so, we still have a mission to evangelize others- our families and loved ones in particular. It’s ironic that the Gospel today shows Jesus launching his career. For 30 years- some 90% of his life, Jesus was just like any one of us- and in fact, was just a carpenter’s apprentice and then a carpenter. But he basically returns to Nazareth after his Baptism, and announces to the world that he is off on his mission- his mission as the Messiah.
Indeed, it is never too late for us to evangelize even if it is 90% or more into our lives. We do it with the prayer life and commitment to our faith that others see; we do it by the dignity of our acceptance of God’s will for us, and we do it when we project our hope for Everlasting life in the world to come. So let us all keep doing it.
Tags: evangelizing as a senior citizan, Evangelizing in Word and Deed