“It was to none of these (widows in Israel) that Elijah was sent,

but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.

... Not one of them (lepers in Israel) was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

This Sunday, we hear Jesus reminding us of two stories from the Old Testament, that is, the story of prophet Elijah and the widow, and the story of prophet Elisha and Naaman, the leper. These stories demonstrate that God calls the Israelites to reach out to the outsider, to share their abundance with those who are in need, and to be willing to hear and see how God is at work in the outsider, the non-Israelites. Just some weeks ago, we celebrated the Advent and Christmas mysteries, in which the Son of God entered into human history as helpless, homeless, poor – poorest of the poor. The Son of God was born with nothing. It's almost impossible to believe that God would enter into our history in this way. But God, in Jesus, wanted to identify with those who are the poorest in our society so he could lift them up, proclaim good news to the poor.

Reflecting on that, I believe we are also called to reach out to the outsider as well. Who are the outsiders in our life? They are the strangers sitting beside us on the subway, the annoying neighbors, the difficult coworkers, and even those who wrong us. We are called to go to any places, anyone, and any missions Jesus sends us to. Sometimes we are the only ones serving in our communities. But we can do better, we are called to do more. As Pope Francis mentions that the Church is called to come out of herself and to go to the peripheries, not only spaces but also the existential peripheries of sin, of pain, of injustice, of ignorance and indifference, of resentment. In this way, we become the witness of mercy to leave the zones of security and comfort behind and to go forth to anyone in need. By our Baptism, God calls us to be prophets like Jesus, sharing his prophetic mission. The task of a prophet is to speak and to live out God’s truth.

To do this mission, let us face rejection with courage and optimism, which we learn from Jesus and prophets. The story of Jesus' rejection in his hometown is a story that we can identify with, because it is a story that has happened to most of us. Perhaps we have experienced the pain of rejection, betrayal, abandonment, violated trust, and abuse. What about rejection by those closest to us? Sometimes our friends, families, relatives, or neighbors fail to listen to us, refuse our advice and reject the words of grace, love and encouragement that we offer to them. Perhaps, we are guilty of such rejections. Imagine the time when we ask someone out for a date, and they turn us down. Or we apply for a job that we really want and are rejected. How do we feel? It is easy for one who has been rejected to lose heart. It is seemingly easy to give up. In some cases, when rejected in love, we might stop loving. For others, we may become angry, bitter, and resentful. Nevertheless, even though we understand that rejection will happen in our lives, it does not define who we are or how we live our life. Listen to St. Paul. He said three times he prayed to God to remove the thorn from his side and God finally tells him that His grace is enough for him (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9). God did not remove the thorn. Paul was rejected; however, he did not give up. Rather, he rejoiced in his affliction and thought of his affliction as a grace to motivate him to do more for God. That is the mystery of rejection. Rejection is not negative unless we allow it to be. Hence, we should realize that God's power is always available to transform even the most unlikely people and that His power may come to us through unlikely instruments. We are called to go deeper in our love for Jesus Christ and our commitment to his mission.

Fr. Quan Nguyen