He said to them,
"Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."
And all spoke highly of him
and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
On this Labor Day in the United States, the Church offers for our reflection Jesus' inaugural address in his home town of Nazareth. The local critics were divided about his performance. Some were "amazed at his gracious words;" others wondered how a local boy would dare to teach unconventional ideas. "Is this not Joseph's son?" they said.
Jesus' ministry appears like much human labor, both unusual and perfectly mundane. He shows extraordinary talent as a preacher; but he is, after all, just another preacher. "They come, they go, we've seen 'em all."
If some of the crowd is delighted by his message and style, that's little assurance of their "salvation." Jesus knows his people; he knows the seed falls on good ground and on stony. Only some of it will flourish and fructify. Some of it will spring up and show great promise, and then will wither for lack of root. Shallow soil is like the human culture given to endless diversion and cheap entertainment.
The Nazarenes certainly had the resources of a deep religious culture. Joachim, Anna and their daughter Mary, the Mother of God, lived among them; they found enough security to worship God, and sufficient opportunity to study God's word. They grew from grace to grace, even as Jesus did.
As we round the season's corner into the fall of the year, hitching up our trousers and pulling on our bootstraps, we celebrate the gift and opportunity of human labor.
Labor Day and the example of Jesus remind us that many people shun the blessing of work. Thinking that work is a curse, the wealthy one percent reap huge benefits off the work of others, and contribute nothing. When working people realize their own solidarity: uniting men and women; black, brown and white; clerical, manufacturing, and management in one force, the polarization of society will resolve and the wealth chasm will disappear.
In the meanwhile, let us not forget the spiritual labor of listening to God's word in the scriptures, the teachings of the Church, the lives of the saints, and the whispers of the Holy Spirit. Ignorance is not bliss; it is merely gullible. As we send our children off to school we recommit to our study of our Christian and Catholic traditions, especially the Church's traditional support of labor unions.
We are watching what happens to a nation that neglects its physical, intellectual, and spiritual infrastructures. They were happy to invest in exciting new ideas but could not be bothered to maintain them. They flourished like seeds in rocky soil, but could not bear fruit. This must not happen to the intellectual and spiritual infrastructures of our faith.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.