Reflection for January 23, 2022

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Nehemiah 8:2-4A, 5-6, 8-10 | Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15 | 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27 | Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

​In today’s world of disconnection, multi-tasking, and disturbance, the art of listening is very important. We live in a noisy world. It is difficult to find a quiet place with televisions, radios, horns and the Internet’s endless talking, and now cell phones. The generation is on the move. Much time is given to doing and little to reflecting. The readings on this Third Sunday in Ordinary Time invites us to be attentive to the Word of God and to each other. 

Before refrigerators, people stored ice in caves and pits to preserve their food. In winter, when lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the Morris Ice Company in Philadelphia, and covered with sawdust. One man lost a valuable watch while working in an ice house. He searched for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but didn’t find it. Others also looked, but their efforts, too, proved futile. A small boy who heard about the fruitless search slipped into the ice house during the noon hour and soon emerged with the missing time piece. Amazed, the men asked him how he found it. “I closed the door,” the boy replied, “lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking.” 

Our first reading tells of the reconstitution of the Jewish community after the Exile, the dispersion and the destruction of Jerusalem. The prophet Ezra reads from the book of the Law for the first time and interprets it for all to understand. They listened attentively to the Torah for some six hours and were touched by the Spirit of God. They listened to this proclamation in a deeply spiritual and emotional atmosphere. Some began to cry tears of joy at being able once again to listen freely to the Word of God after the tragedy of the destruction of Jerusalem and to start rebuilding themselves as a Jewish nation. Like the Israelites, we must also rejoice when we hear the Word of God proclaimed. If we wish the Philippines to recover and bounceback to life we must be attentive to God's call. We must become more receptive to the truth about who we are and whose we are. We are refreshed and renewed in every hearing of God's Word. Whenever we really hear God, we are empowered to respond with thanksgiving and hope.

Some years ago I came across the following advice about listening—which I’m still in the process of learning and applying:

• When I’m thinking about an answer while others are talking — I’m not listening.
• When I give unsolicited advice — I’m not listening. (Unsolicited advice always sounds like criticism.)
• When I suggest they shouldn’t feel the way they do — I’m not listening.
• When I apply a quick fix to their problem — I’m not listening.
• When I fail to acknowledge their feelings — I’m not listening.
• When I fidget, glance at my watch, and appear to be rushed — I’m not listening.
• When I fail to maintain eye contact — I’m not listening.
• When I don’t ask follow-up questions — I’m not listening.
• When I top their story with a bigger, better story of my own — I’m not listening.
• When they share a difficult experience and I counter with one of my own — I’m not listening.

The Apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, explains that all were baptized into the one body of Christ. We become one, though many different individuals. Just as the Word of God brought all the people together to begin rebuilding the temple and their homes after the Exile, we come together every week and listen to God's Word to enable us to form deeper bonds that makes us a community. Listening is the foundation to good communication, and brings us closer to one another as one body. Unfortunately, everyone wants to be heard but no one wants to listen. We all have pains, emotions, and challenges. We get too wrapped up in our own to listen to those of others. And this can be an endless painful and hurtful cycle. When one has been listened to, one will be more ready to listen to others. No wonder, there’s an ‘ear’ in the middle of heart. God gave us two ears and only one mouth. I believe this is God's way of reminding us to listen twice as much as we talk. Listening attentively will keep us united in faith and action with Jesus and with the Church. As one body, we listen intently how God loves us and do our best to respond to that love to God and to one another. As German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "Christians...so often think they must always contribute something when they are in the company of others, that this is the one service they have to render. They forget that listening can be a greater service than speaking".

Have you all heard about the new iPhone 13 Pro Max?  It’s an incredible phone; one of the most amazing phones to ever hit the market.  Well, one thing about it is that it has a tremendous camera.  Some people have been saying that the camera is a little too good.  When they look at pictures of themselves that they’ve taken with the iPhone 13 Pro Max, they say that they notice too many blemishes on their faces.  They notice things that they don’t want to notice.  They say that camera is a little too lifelike.

In our Gospel, Jesus, in the synagogue at Nazareth, reads aloud from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and announces that this Scripture is now fulfilled. Through this text from the prophet Isaiah, Jesus announces God's salvation. The ‘year acceptable to the Lord’ refers to the Jewish tradition of Sabbath years and jubilee. A Jubilee year was celebrated every fifty years. It was a year of renewal in which debts were cancelled and slaves were freed. The observance of the Jubilee is the framework for God's promise of salvation. Jesus not only announces God's salvation, but also brings this salvation about in his person. His ministry will include bringing good news to the poor, freedom to captives, healing to the sick, freedom to the oppressed, and proclaiming a year acceptable to the Lord. If we continue reading to the succeeding verses of the Gospel story, we realize that the mood of excitement, awe and wonder quickly change when the prophet of Nazareth doesn't speak the words that they wanted him to say. Jesus failed in making himself heard and understood and he had to leave in haste... for his life (4:30). The people of Nazareth refused to hear his message of liberation. We, too hear God's Word fulfilled in the person of Jesus, the Word made flesh. We, too stand to hear God's saving message and feel his presence in every liturgy. He declares to us: "I'm here to change the world, to make it clearly the kingdom of God where everyone has a chance for a full human life, where there is peace and joy, and fullness of life for all." Did you hear what Jesus read or did you selectively choose what parts you like to have fulfilled? Like iPhone 13 Pro Max, the Bible is sometimes going to point things out for us that are uncomfortable for us to hear, or see, or feel.  We can choose to ignore it, to forget about it, or to allow our lives to be changed by the Word of God. We may think that we are okay by simply knowing the Word of God, but we are deceiving ourselves. Be attentive of the fact that Judas heard all Christ's sermons. We must do what the Word of God tells us to do! The effectiveness of the homily in your life, the effectiveness of your daily personal devotional, and the effectiveness of our Bible studies can be measured by how our lives are changed. Plain and simple, it is not enough just to hear God’s Word. We are to move beyond listening alone and do what God’s Word tells us to do, and keep doing it! We must listen and do!  We must let it shape our lives! <enrique,ofs>