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The Lord said to me: Son
of man, eat this book that I give you and let it fill your innermost
being. Then I ate it; and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.
These
words spoken to the Prophet Ezekiel sum up the experience of every monk
who reads the Scriptures prayerfully.
The following reflection was given on Monday 1
September, on which day the Church begins to read St. Luke's Gospel at
Mass. The reference is Luke 4: 16 - 30
Every priest has had the disheartening experience of
seeing people lose interest in what he is saying in the homily.
Sometimes he sees people turning the pages of a hymn-book, or reading
the parish newsletter. But on the other hand, he will also know those
moments, when, inexplicably, a sudden hush falls on the Church. Babies
stop crying, there are no more coughs, or rustles of paper. People are
really listening.
Jesus rolled up the scroll, handed it to the
attendant and sat down. All waited expectantly. What was he going to say? The book of
Wisdom has a text which we read at Christmas: While gentle silence
enveloped all things, and night in its swift course was now half gone,
your all-powerful Word leaped from heaven. It is in deep silence
that Jesus speaks a word to the human heart.
And what does this word speak of? Of his anointing by
the Holy Spirit, of Good News being proclaimed to the poor, release to
captives, sight for the blind, freedom to the oppressed. No wonder St.
Luke describes what Jesus said as gracious words, that is, words
that bring grace, a sense of God's presence deep within us.
So why the violent reaction which follows, when the
people try to throw him off the cliff, on which Nazareth is built. It
was because he called himself a prophet, one who would follow the
tradition of Elijah and Elisha. Each of these prophets were sent to
Gentiles, the one to the widow of Zarephath, the other Naaman the
Syrian. Our Lord is also sent to the Gentiles. The blessings which he
had read out from Isaiah were not only meant for Israel, but the whole
world.
But just as they are about to throw him over the
cliff, he turns. The people fall back, and he passes through and went
his way. This last phrase is better translated He began his
journey. The journey which will take him to Jerusalem, where he will
be glorified in his Passion and Resurrection. Significantly, the last
time this same very to journey is used by St. Luke about our Lord
is the story of his Ascension: The disciples watched him as he made his
journey to heaven.
Today we are beginning a journey, accompanied by St.
Luke. We will hear his account of the ministry of Jesus every weekday
until Advent. Listening to the special emphasis he gives to each
incident, we too will come too grasp more clearly that the blessings of
the Messianic age are really and truly ours.
Father Abbot Laurence
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