4th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C, Year II)
Community Word: The light and glory of God is revealed in Jesus, our Savior.
Theme: Jesus, our Savior, is revealed when we accept and stand up for Him.
Promise: “They will fight against you, but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.” (Jer 1:19)
Reflection:
As Christian believers, the foundation of our faith is the genuine acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We recognize His full authority and lordship over us. And as we do, we give testimony about Him and proclaim Him as God’s beloved Son. We believe in His words and in all His works, and we are committed to continue His mission on earth up to the end, without counting the cost. Jesus’ mission was to save man from sin and spiritual death and to establish God’s kingdom on earth. His whole ministry on earth was in fulfillment of God’s divine plan which could only be accomplished by dying on the cross. Yet He went through it fully aware of the suffering and humiliation in obedience to His Father’s will.
To know, love and serve God is our life’s purpose. And as followers of Christ, our mission is serving the Lord through serving others. Our lives should be a testimony of our love of God, embracing Jesus’ teachings and to be like Him in heart and character. It is not an easy task to be Christ’s witnesses, to endure and not do anything contrary to God’s will. Yet despite all adversities, only those who persevere in faith and stand strong for Christ will make it to the end. Jesus tells us: “All nations will hate you for you bear my name. False prophets will appear and mislead many people and because of such great wickedness, love will grow cold in many people. But the one who holds out to the end will be saved,” (Mt.24:9b-13).
God sent many prophets to His people calling them to repentance. One was Jeremiah, who was a shy youth. Despite his protest, he was made to see that power comes from God and not from his own personal qualities. He accepted his mission and spoke the truth about God. He went to convince the king and people of Judah to turn away from their sinful ways. He carried God’s instructions faithfully without counting the cost.
The mission of John the Baptist as the precursor of Christ came with the cost of martyrdom. He preached to people to repent and invited them to be baptized for forgiveness of sins. He bravely pointed out the immorality of King Herod and because of this, ordered him to be beheaded. The apostles were martyred because of their faith in preaching the Good News. Today, martyrdom continues in one form or another for those who defend their faith and stand up for Jesus.
Jesus was killed because He stood up for the Truth. He spoke about goodness, kindness, mercy, compassion and love. He opposed the hypocrites, the judgmental, and the lukewarm. Those who opposed Him were uncomfortable with His preaching on morality and so they hated and rejected Him. Those who could not accept His teaching on being good rather than being right, ignored or abandoned Him. Yet, He loved all His enemies, asking God to forgive them for not knowing what they have done.
Many of us have experienced rejection in one form or another. In those situations, some are oftentimes tempted to give up. Let us draw inspiration from Jesus who, though He experienced utmost rejection, remained humble in spirit, accepting and forgiving. As we accept Jesus as our Lord and Divine Master, let us embrace God’s promise: “They will fight against you, but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord,” (Jer 1:19).
As God’s children, our encouragement comes from the words of Jesus Himself:
“If the world hates you, remember that the world hated me before you. This would not be so if you belonged to the world, because the world loves its own. But you are
not of the world since I have chosen you from the world; because of this, the world hates you.” (Jn 15:18-19).
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, there is none like You and I thank you for being merciful and compassionate. I lift up my heart and voice to You in prayer. Forgive me for the times that I may have turned my back on You and Your word. Give me the grace of fortitude that I may remain steadfast in my commitment to serve You and always be ready to stand up and defend my faith. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- As a true follower of Jesus Christ, how do I show my love for Him and defend my Catholic faith? Would I be able to witness to others that my life is Christ-like?
- What is my reaction when I am judged, rejected, ignored or falsely accused?
This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:
January 30, 2022 (Sun) – Jer 1:4-5, 17-19/ Ps 71:1-6, 15, 17/ 1 Cor 12:31-13:13/ Lk 4:21-30
January 31, 2022 (Mon) – 2 Sm 15:13-14, 30,16:5-13/ Ps 3:2-3,4-5,6-7/ Mk 5:1-20
February 1, 2022 (Tue) – 2 Sm 18:9-10, 14, 24-25, 30 -19:3/ Ps 86:1-6/ Mk 5:21-43
February 2, 2022 (Wed) – Mal 3:1-4/Ps 24:7, 8, 9, 10/ Heb 2:14-18/ Lk 2:22-40
February 3, 2022 (Thu) – 1Kgs 2:1-4, 10-12/ 1 Chr 29:10, 11, 12/ Mk 6:7-13
February 4, 2022 (Fri) – Sir 47:2-11/ Ps 18:31, 47, 50, 51/ Mk 6:14-29
February 5, 2022 (Sat) – 1 Kgs 3:4-13/ Ps 119:9, 10, 11, 12, 14/ Mk 6:30-34
“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ. Read your Bible daily!”
