A Talk for the Fourth Sunday in O.T.
January 29th, 2012
“called to be prophets?”

In the jail this past Wednesday one of the inmates asked me to comment on his dream which was that he lost half of one of his back teeth, and one of his front teeth. So I asked him what do we call our back teeth, and a few present answered –‘wisdom teeth’. So I said, well if you are in here, you have lost some of your wisdom, but I added not all. And the front tooth could convey that if you ‘bite down’ on everything that appears desirable, that is not a healthy approach to life. The fact that the dream is focused on and around the mouth also could convey that this young man is hanging on to what we call the oral stage of development. That as you know is when the child puts everything ‘into the mouth’. Hopefully as we grow older, we’ll learn what is good for us.

Our responsorial psalm, which is our response to God’s Word, reads as follows; Come let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us, for He is our God, and we are the people He shepherds, the flock He guides’. I believe that god communicates with us constantly, through the events of our lives and the lives of others, as well as through dreams. I also believe that God is calling us to ‘chew’ on many issues in our society and in our church. I have a plough at the retreat center, which I encourage those on retreat to ‘look at, to reflect on what it does, and what it may imply for us in the spiritual life. The plough, pulled by two horses –hard work- penetrates the earth, goes below the surface so as to provide a ‘safe, warm environment’ for the seed. So too, you and I have to go below the surface of life, to engage more thoroughly, the roots of the troubling issues that confront us today-in our society, and in our church.

In our first reading, we read 'Moses spoke to the people, "a prophet like me will the Lord raise from among your own kin, to him you shall listen.”' We need prophets desperately in the church and in society. And yet we have a debate whether or not people who make a lot of money should pay more taxes then those you don’t---folk’s this is basic Christianity-to whom much is given much is expected. What would Christ say to us about this issue? At baptism we are all called to be ‘prophets, priests, and kings, and given a lighted candle to show us the way. All of us have arrived where we are today through the prophets, priests and kings who led us thus far. Now it is our turn to lead others by the way we live our daily life. The Time magazine for Jan 30th had an interview with one such person-Jimmy Carter, the former president, who has taught Sunday school for thirty five years, who has said that we are” in bed with the Israelites, who are not treating the Palestinians very poorly. Furthermore he states that most conflicts now can be resolved through diplomatic channels. The NCR had this to say about Catholics: “it is noteworthy that helping the poor is almost as core to catholic identity as their belief in Jesus resurrection, with 67% rating this dimension of Catholicism as very important.”

So by trying to be prophetic-Christ-like, life will become more challenge for each of us. Yes prophets are not very popular. Just a few sterling examples: Stephen, the first martyr, he railed against the establishment and Saul, who was later to become the great St. Paul, was instrumental in Stephen’s stoning. St. Perpetua and Felicity in the 3rd century proclaimed their allegiance to Christ, and were tortured by wild animals in the Roman arena. So being a prophet is challenging but life giving and s most unpopular. Because we do not like what they say. Paul reminds us that we need to “chew on” our priorities and make sure Christ is very clearly at the center. In the Gospel the demons recognize Jesus –
“I know who you are — the son of God.”   Do you and I?