Introductory Prayer:  Lord Jesus Christ, I am a weak creature. I suppose those two words, weak and creature go together. It is only with your grace that we can do the things that you invite us to and obtain our greatness in you, our Creator. I turn to you now to ask of you the strength I need to fulfill the plan that you have for my life and leave behind in this world the example of fidelity and conviction that we are called to as Christians.

Petition: Lord, grant me strength to be a more faithful and courageous apostle of your Kingdom.

Gospel:  Lk 4:21-30

And he began to say to them, Today this scripture passage has been fulfilled in your hearing. And all spoke well of him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth and they said, Is not this Josephs son? And he said to them, Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, Physician, heal yourself; what we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here also in your own country. And he said, Truly I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. But in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian. When they heard this all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and put him out of the city. And led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. But passing through the midst of them he went away.

1. All Spoke Well of Him.

Christ loved the people of his hometown synagogue. It could be no other way. He looked at them with love. He taught them with love. They experienced his love and were convinced by it. For this, all spoke well of him. They were fascinated with him, with his words, with his attractive personality, with the hope that he gave them. This is the experience of every Christian, isnt it?

2.  But in Truth I Tell You.

Then there comes a time when Christ, the good coach, the mentor, the teacher, manifests his love in another way. He invites these souls that he loves to accept him in a deeper way, to grow in their experience of him leaving behind everything that is not Christ nor his interests. Christ knows how materialistic these people are and how they want signs, miracles, works as were done in Capernaum. Yet, Christ knows that this is not what they need. They need to be free from this and truly cling to Christs words alone, words that will never pass away. He challenges them and shows them examples from the times of Elijah and Elisha to help them reflect and accept this challenge. If we believe that Christ loves us, then we should also expect displays of this love in the form of challenges. Nobody would want a coach that left his athletes in mediocrity. Christ, the best coach, challenges us to leave behind our mediocrity. But in truth I tell you

3. Filled with Wrath.

Unfortunately, the reaction to challenges is not always positive. This was the case with the synagogue full of souls in this gospel passage. They rose up against him. They were filled with wrath. Surely none of them even thought they could come to be so angry with the one teaching them such marvels in the synagogue. Maybe Christs challenges to us lead us to be angry with him, or think it unjust that we should shoulder such burdens in our lives, or that he could possibly think to call us to carry out this or that mission. What must be remembered here is that Christ loves us and that all he can do is love us and that anything that is asked is asked in love.

Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, time spent with you is always fruitful. Thank you for the graces of these moments of prayer and for the understanding that you have given to me of my life. Lord, go ahead and challenge me as you will, I know that with your grace and patience I will be able to rise up and reach new heights as I journey through this brief life to be with you forever having fulfilled your plan. I am convinced of your love.

Questionnaire:  This optional questionnaire is intended to help you evaluate your life in light of the inspirations God just gave you in these moments you spent with him in prayer.

1. How often do I marvel at the presence of Christ in my life, in the sacraments, in so many who manifest his love for me? Is this a regular topic of my examination of conscience, in which I put my finger on his love for me and on my love or lack of love in my response? Which are my resolutions?

2. Can I say that I truly want Christ to challenge me? In which areas am I still afraid of Gods will? Why?

3. How much am I convinced that Christ is love? Could I envision becoming angry or changing my own attitude toward Christ if he tells me something I do not like or asks me to do something I do not want to do? What are such occasions, and where are they rooted?