By Kulandai Albert csc –
Readings: Jer 1:4-5, 17-19; 1 Cor 13:4-13; Lk 4:21-30
The first reading of the day describes how we are chosen even before we are born. As children of God, we are loved by him unconditionally. His greatest love is described through his actions and works towards his people. So, the second reading describes how this love is the greatest of all. With this love, we get everything and without it, all our actions and everything become nothing. But through history of Israel, we come to know that people’s response to this love is not reciprocal.
In the gospel reading, Jesus experienced rejection by people of his hometown. Jesus is the expression of that unconditional love that God was showing to the people of Israel. But when that same love of God was in action, people of his hometown rejected him. Still Jesus
did not stop. Instead, he moved onto the next place and continues to show love to people.
As I reflect on these readings, I was struck by the connection between response to love and love in itself. Love in itself is the greatest, because it expects nothing but gives everything. It is very well evident in the first and second readings of the day. The response to love is seen in action, it depends on the faith and reciprocal love that is shown in return. It is seen in the gospel, but people in denial showed rejection as a response to the love of God.
Therefore, today’s liturgy of the word invites us to have acceptance and faith as a response to the reciprocal love of God. Let us cultivate the qualities of acceptance and faith in response to God’s love.