The Gospel
Luke 4:24‑30
No prophet accepted in his hometown.
...many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha,
none of them cleansed except Naaman, the Syrian.
St. Gaspar
"Assiduous prayers, etc. and courage through the merits of the divine Blood. The works of God are the fruit of tears and of suffering. In short, let us serve God and even though troubled by things, let us glory in the crosses through which we will attain salvation.[1]
"So prayers. I realize that perfection is not attained in a single day, but if the sick person pays no attention to the remedies for a cure, nor does he bother to listen to the advice that respectfully I keep giving him, what are we to do?[2]
Reflection
Naaman had expectations of the healing powers of the prophet Elijah. He wanted a display of power, but his expectations were not fulfilled. The people of Jesus time had expectations of the kind of Messiah they were waiting for, but Jesus took the part of the poor and the foreigner, and so their expectations were not met.
Often in our relationships with other people we approach them with our expectations rather than meeting them as they are. Married people sometimes fall in love with their ideal spouse and their hopes and dreams before discovering the person as they truly are. Religious men and women do the same thing with their communities.
Experience then sometimes provides a disappointment for us, when people do not meet our expectations. On hearing Jesus as he is, they rose up an attempted to kill him. We are challenged too to see if we approach Jesus as he is in himself, or if we have developed expectations that govern this relationship. St. Gaspar calls us to a listening posture, and even if the encounter provides an experience of the cross we are to glory in that cross as a way to salvation.
[1] letter 1447, to Msgr Bellisario Cristaldi, May 16, 1826, Resources 11, pg 10
[2] letter 1521, to Fr. Pietro Butti, October 5, 1826, Resources 11, pg. 5
Luke 4:24‑30
No prophet accepted in his hometown.
...many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha,
none of them cleansed except Naaman, the Syrian.
St. Gaspar
"Assiduous prayers, etc. and courage through the merits of the divine Blood. The works of God are the fruit of tears and of suffering. In short, let us serve God and even though troubled by things, let us glory in the crosses through which we will attain salvation.[1]
"So prayers. I realize that perfection is not attained in a single day, but if the sick person pays no attention to the remedies for a cure, nor does he bother to listen to the advice that respectfully I keep giving him, what are we to do?[2]
Reflection
Naaman had expectations of the healing powers of the prophet Elijah. He wanted a display of power, but his expectations were not fulfilled. The people of Jesus time had expectations of the kind of Messiah they were waiting for, but Jesus took the part of the poor and the foreigner, and so their expectations were not met.
Often in our relationships with other people we approach them with our expectations rather than meeting them as they are. Married people sometimes fall in love with their ideal spouse and their hopes and dreams before discovering the person as they truly are. Religious men and women do the same thing with their communities.
Experience then sometimes provides a disappointment for us, when people do not meet our expectations. On hearing Jesus as he is, they rose up an attempted to kill him. We are challenged too to see if we approach Jesus as he is in himself, or if we have developed expectations that govern this relationship. St. Gaspar calls us to a listening posture, and even if the encounter provides an experience of the cross we are to glory in that cross as a way to salvation.
- How can I be more open to other people as they are?
- Where might I allow my friends or spouse to be different from my expectations.
- What freedom must I have to allow my friends to change?
[1] letter 1447, to Msgr Bellisario Cristaldi, May 16, 1826, Resources 11, pg 10
[2] letter 1521, to Fr. Pietro Butti, October 5, 1826, Resources 11, pg. 5
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