As I write this I am looking out over the green blue of the Caribbean. It is a clear warm day here in Cancun but our days here are quickly winding down. I know there has been cold and snow at home and soon enough, as you read this, I will be sharing it all with you once again. A nice break in a warm climate however.
As we move along in our liturgical calendar, today we celebrate the third Sunday in Ordinary time. Two things strike me as I reflect upon today’s scripture. Jesus has fully entered into His public ministry. Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus returned to Nazareth and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day which was His custom. St. Luke’s version of this story simply states that the eyes of all in attendance were intent upon Him. We know that in the other versions of this story, the people challenged Jesus and drove Him from their midst because they could not see Him as more than the carpenter!
Sometimes we all perceive God through our own limited understanding and thus miss the dynamism of God’s presence among us.
And that leads me to my second reflection. WE say we are in ordinary time but that doesn’t mean any think is happening. What this means is that in the ordinary, day to day lives that we live, God is present and active and speaking to us. We cannot limit our expectation of God. WE need to remember that God comes and speaks when we least expect and in ways we never thought about.
As we move toward our Lenten Season, let’s ask God to open us to the possibilities He has in store for each one of us.