One of the most painful words in perhaps the whole of dictionary is the word … “Rejection”

And this is perhaps one word, that has been experienced in life, by most of us.. if not all.
•       Most of us have felt the sting of rejection…
•       Most of us can recollect instances and situations of rejection even now…
•       Most of feel a twinge within ourselves when we hear this word ‘rejection’…

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus, our Master undergoing the painful experience of ‘rejection’.

The background of the Gospel passage of the day is that Jesus is in the Synagogue at Nazareth at the beginning of His ministry.

Being handed over the Scripture from the book of Isaiah, Jesus spoke of the fulfillment of the text that was read:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor….” (Lk 4:18)

The graciousness of His words and the eloquence of His speech attracted the audience to Himself.

The first impression was surely a wonderful impression…
… but as time would prove, it is not always the best and lasting impression.

When He began to teach the people of how God has brought His salvation and the message of hope to not just the Jews, but the Gentiles also, murmurs of rejection began to crop up.

•       The message of straight talk to the heart, which affected their inner lives, caused uneasiness to His listeners.
•       The delivery of the truth which had a direct bearing upon their lives and attitudes, caused edginess to arise among His listeners.

And so, there happened a conversion…
…. a conversion, not for the good, but for the bad!

•       They were converted from having a good opinion of Jesus to forming a detestable view on Him
•       They were converted from nodding their heads in approval to shaking their heads and clenching their fists in refutation and denial.

How true a picture is this of many a human nature….
>> We appreciate those persons who speak what we wish to speak…
… but deny those who speak against us, even if they speak the truth!

>> We encourage those people who harp the same tune that we wish to hear…
… but terribly denounce those who play the melody for a genuine transformation!

The Lord was rejected!
>> And He Himself testified to this naked reality:
“No prophet is accepted in his own native place” (Lk 4: 24)

The Gospel of John presents this reality in a more dramatic manner:
“He came to His own and His own rejected Him!” (Jn 1:11)

Rejection is a part of each of our lives…
>> And the rejection is much greater and true, when one stands for the truth and the values of the Gospel!

•       We get rejected by our friends who don’t approve when we seek to live a holier lives…
•       We get rejected by the society which is unable to appreciate those wanting a sanctified life…

But the Lord assures us.. “In all your rejection, look up to me!”

“There was no one who was rejected as I was…
>>> I was rejected when I was born….
>> I was rejected when I lived…
>> I was rejected when I died….”

“Are you also going to reject me… I, who have risen from the dead?”

Some of us who use the mobile phones, in the dictionary mode, would have experienced this simple fact…
When one types the word “rejected” in the dictionary mode, in a mobile phone, it appears as “selected”…

Try it if you wish….

The same is true when we type in the word “rejected” in the Divine mode…. before the Lord!
•       He converts every “reject” to a “select”…
•       He converts our “rejection” to a “selection” for grace and sanctification
•       He converts our “rejection” to a “selection” for purification and strengthening.

Let us seek the intercession of St Don Bosco, whose feast is celebrated on the 31st of January.
>> In his words, “Take up the shield of faith so that you can resist the assaults of the devil.”

Our lives have suffered much pain and our hearts are a canvas of much agony of rejection.
>> But the Lord today invites us to go to Him and seek solace, healing and consolation from Him.

He Who was rejected, is the Lord of acceptance!
>> He Who was rejected, is the Saviour of hope!
>>> He Who was rejected, is the God of healing!

Let us choose Him as the Lord and Love of our Life!

God Bless! Live Jesus!