DAILY- HOMILY

Jesus' name was becoming a household word in Galilee. The miracle he worked in Cana, turning water into wine, the numerous wonders he worked in Capernaum, and also the authority with which he taught: these had the entire province singing his praise.

Jesus comes finally to the town in which he was raised. It's the Sabbath. He goes to the synagogue for the weekly service. Everyone hopes he'll be the one to read the scripture and explain its meaning to them. He reads from the prophecy of Isaiah the text which promises a Messiah who will set Israel free. And then he speaks the line that for the congregation was the Good News, indeed, the best news, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." He makes himself one with Isaiah's prophetic proclamation of salvation. The reaction of the Nazarites is instantaneous. "He won the approval of all," says Luke, "they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips."

Then some remembered who this was who they were praising. This was little Jesus who grew up among them. His mother is Mary. His father was Joseph the village carpenter. Then they hear him speaking of Gentiles as recipients of God's favors and they reject his teaching outright and attempt to kill him.

Someone once asked Dom Helder Camara, Archbishop of Reciffe in Brazil, who was a prophet in his own country, "Is it hard being a prophet and being a prophet in one's own country?" Dom Helder replied that the word `prophet' is used in too narrow a sense, as though, he said, "the Lord only charged a small number of people with the responsibility of being one. Whereas we all as members of the Church have a prophetic mission." It's true isn't it? Every person baptized, in the baptismal ceremony is anointed a prophet, as was Christ. Each of us is anointed, as Dom Helder puts it, "to lend the Lord's voice to those who have no voice, to do exactly what Christ, when reading from Isaiah, declared his own personal mission to be, `the Lord God has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to open their eyes and set them free.' This," he said, "has always been the Church's mission."

Perhaps we could add to Dom Helder's words, this has been the mission also of each one who has been baptized and in the baptismal ceremony has been anointed prophet. I think, therefore, each of us should ask himself or herself, "when was the last time I brought the good news to the poor?"