Monday 21 March 2022

Today is Monday the 21st of March, in the third week of Lent.
The monks of Pluscarden Abbey sing Passer invenit sibi domum. "The sparrow has found a home for itself, and the dove a nest where she may lay her chicks: - your altars, O Lord of Hosts, my King and my God! Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they will praise you for ever."

Passer invenit sibi domum,
et turtur nidum, ubi reponat pullos suos:
altaria tua Domine virtutum, Rex meus, et Deus meus:
beati qui habitant in domo tua,
in saeculum saeculi laudabunt te.

Today's reading is from the Gospel of Luke.
Luke 4:24-30
And he said, 'Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's home town. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.' When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

Jesus in today's story is back home in Nazareth; is this a tale of "local boy makes good"? Imagine for a moment how it must have been for Jesus returning back to this place…
Why were his hearers so cross with him? Place yourself in the scene… what does their anger sound like? Look like?

Now listen as the story is read again, and notice the moment that Jesus "passed through the midst of them, and went on his way?" What is significant about this moment to you?
Now, finally, try and sum up all that you are feeling now, in the form of a prayer to God.


You have given all to me.
To you Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace
That is enough for me.