Monday, March 16, 2020 — Third week of Lent — Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 4, 24-30 — I hope in the Lord, I long for his word close to the Lord is love, the abundance of redemption.

The teachings of Jesus was not well received by the inhabitant of Nazareth, the village where he grew up. Hence his statement: "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place".

Often, we judge a man by his outward appearance without seeking to know his deepest being, here Jesus experienced it in the eyes of his fellow citizens. Either it is the Samaritan or Naaman the Syrian, both of them non-Jews has received through the prophet of Israel, Elijah and Elisha, the grace. The Word of Jesus about those prophets made the people more furious when we could say that not receiving the word of Jesus is a waste of grace.

The word of those prophets has changed the life of the people of their times: the widow of Serepta received an inexhaustible source of food performing the word of Elijah; Naaman was cleansed from leprosy by the words of Elisha. Wouldn't the words of Jesus be even more powerful in the hearts and minds of those who listen to Him? Jesus wants us to be changed by listening to his words, that would transform our lives every day.