Daily Readings Reflection for 7/30/10

Reflection on Today’s Daily Readings by Fr. Bertrand Buby, SM

Scripture: July 30, Lectionary 405. Jeremiah 26:1-9. Psalm 69:5.8-10.14.
Matthew 13:54-58:

"No prophet is without honor except in his native place." Matthew cites
this maxim in referring to the people who were from Nazareth, the hometown
of Jesus with his parents Mary and Joseph. His neighbors could not accept
him for who he is in thinking that he is no different than their offspring.
They simply do not believe he could be preaching and doing what they had
heard about him.

Jeremiah is even threatened with death. He was maltreated by those refusing
to accept him as an authentic prophet of God. The King and his rulers and
soldiers thought it best to rid the city of him. His cry for repentance
and a return to the covenant is not heard. And we today are able to
commisereate with this prophet of sorrows and lamentations.He resembles
Jesus in the way he suffers and is a type of Jesus the suffering servant of
God.

We often honor certain sports figures as though they were great men. We
are duped by them when they fail us in their moral behavior and yet we want
them on our team. This is just the opposite of what the people and their
rulers did and thought of Jeremiah and Jesus.

If the hero of our sports does finally let us down we retaliate by burning
his effigies and our disgust leads us to damaging anything that reminds us
of the sports hero of our hometown. Then we are further infuriated when
the hero goes merrily on his or her way--usually, however, his way! It
does not bother the former "hero" who go elsewhere and is again well
received as another city or town's hero! Perhaps, we then realize that
wholesome people are faithful to their values and to their friends and
neighbors, their family and their children.
They are the real heroes and heroines for they resemble Jesus and the
prophet Jeremiah. They are worth our efforts to imitate them. Amen.