for August 31
Monday of the Twenty-Second Week of Ordinary Time

The Jesuit Province I joined years ago worked in and supported a mission to the island nation of Jamaica. It was a tough mission but also very rewarding. Friends of mine worked in this mission at various times and along the way they first introduced me to the engaging sounds and lyrics of Jamaican reggae music—in particular, to the music of the great late Jamaican Bob Marley. Because of his creative work and that of others in this style of music, reggae became an international global music phenomenon and inspired musicians and many others around the world. In addition to the music itself I also found intriguing and inspiring the prophetic themes evident in the lyrics of reggae music. Marley’s song writing often acknowledges intractable problems of economic, social, and racial injustice. In Luke’s Gospel today and also in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians we also hear about prophetic mission activity in these scripture readings.

St. Paul writes about what it means for him to personally be on mission. And Jesus is beginning his public ministry. In a way both Jesus and Paul are sharing about the joys and challenges that are part of their respective missions. Paul speaks of his own personal situation of weakness of fear but he may also be using a rhetorical strategy here to help him communicate better with the community at Corinth. Paul makes clear that his mission is not based upon nor will it be successful due to fancy or wise words but rather because of the Spirit and power of God. Both Paul and Jesus remind us that struggle and conflict are always part of life on mission for the Gospel. True prophets (I think of Dorothy Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, and others) can often make us uncomfortable as they call us to deeper moral integrity and to more actualized social justice. We find this and more in today’s passage from Luke’s Gospel.

Here in this highly developed passage with multiple layers of meaning early in Luke’s Gospel we learn that Jesus is clearly a prophetic Messiah. It is significant that this narrative is set in Luke at the very start of Jesus’ own mission and ministry. In reading from Isaiah Jesus claims that he is anointed by the Spirit. Paul is also making a similar claim in the Corinthian passage. Here in Luke we also encounter early in this gospel the theme of “prophetic rejection” as Jesus encounters this conflict—and, as is evident in the long view of history, do all true prophets. Luke makes clear early in this gospel narrative that God’s salvation is offered to the poor and the oppressed and not only to the people of Israel. This expressed universality of Jesus’ mission infuriates his hearers who try to run him out of town. In many ways this story repeats itself throughout history as the mission and work of the prophets disturb and challenge our sinful and narrow-minded ways of living. In the end true prophets led by God’s Spirit come to help, aid, and heal us, and we would do well to not only hear their voices but deeply listen to the important call to conversion of our hearts, minds, and ways of being and living in the world.
—Francis T. Hannafey SJ

Today’s readings can be found on the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website.