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Evansville Courier & Press, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2004 - Fr.
Joseph L. Ziliak
It was snowy and cold yesterday morning. A little
before 8 o’clock one of the staff members said, “This seems like a
bacon and eggs morning.” About an hour later, we all sat down to a
family breakfast of eggs and bacon, muffins, fried potatoes and onions,
orange juice and the like. Two of the maintenance crew joined us.
We didn’t include the school personnel, for they had a two-hour delay.
It was all spontaneous. It was fun. The food was
delicious.
Some might accuse us of not using every minute of
working time to the fullest. I suspect that we will work more efficiently
and accomplish more by this on-rush of happy celebration. The phone
calls were handled, the dishes were washed and all were back at their
desks in fairly short order.
I would hope that a number of families had similar
spontaneous celebrations over the past few days. Changes in routines,
seeming setbacks in weather or other plan changes can often be sources
of joy and accomplishment. So much depends on how we react to outside
influences.
A good point of reflection might be for us to quickly
review how we react to issues or situations that are contrary to what
we want. Do we fight and try to force our own will? Do we acquiesce
to policies or practices in place? Do we look at things from only
our personal point of view? Do we give room for consequences that
may happen to our way of doing things, and the wisdom of the past
that says to do things differently?
This Sunday’s Gospel reading is the situation where
Jesus comes back to his home town of Nazareth and goes to the synagogue
“as was his custom,” the Gospel writer notes. Jesus quotes from Isaiah,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…to bring glad tidings to the poor…to
proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to
let the oppressed go free.” (Luke 4:18) Jesus gives the scroll back,
sits down and says, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in
your hearing.” (Luke 4:21)
The people were put out by the declaration that he
was fulfilling the prophet’s words. They knew him as Joseph’s son.
He was the kid down the street. Jesus responded, “No prophet is accepted
in his own native place.” (Luke 4:24) He goes on to remind them that
Elijah and Elisha both were sent to non Jewish people in time of need.
Whatever it was, or a combination of several issues,
we are told that the group at the synagogue service attempted to throw
him over the brow of the hill, but Jesus “passed through the midst
of them and walked away.” (Luke 4:30)
Is this how we react to things we’ve heard at church,
the mosque or the synagogue about issues with which we disagree? Do
we feel that our church bodies need to “get with it” and become part
of the modern world? Do we think our religious leaders are old fashioned
or incompetent? If we had the chance, would we be quite willing to
throw them over the brow of the hill?
How de we react to any issue that does not agree
totally with our view? It may well be that we need to hold back a
bit, reflect, pray and study the issue before blurting out in opposition.
One of the wonderful things about the Word of God
is that a wisdom is present that provides an intelligent guide to
practical as well as spiritual living. We can read of incorrect ways
of doing things, as well as proper outlines for righteous living.
Sometimes giving ourselves a break, doing something
different, spending some hours or a weekend or longer in special prayer
may be the very key to understanding reality and finding the path
offered by our God.
How about a breakfast of bacon and eggs?
Father Joseph L. Ziliak is pastor of St. John the Baptist Catholic
Church in Newburgh.
