In these first weeks of Ordinary Time we are following Jesus through the early chapters of Luke's Gospel. Today we hear a continuation of what happened on the day that Jesus returned to the village where he grew up and delivered his first "homily" in his hometown synagogue. At first, we are told that all spoke well of him and were amazed by his words, but then they reminded themselves that this Jesus was really "just one of them" and were probably thinking "what business does he have to talk down to us as if he were someone so special." Well, in fact he was someone special, even if he was indeed "just one of them" too. The reaction is not surprising. Jesus reminds his congregation in the synagogue that when the people rejected God's prophets, the prophets simply lavished God's grace on individuals outside the circle of the "Chosen People," suggesting that it would be no different with them if they rejected him.

Our Gospel today is a good reminder that no group has a monopoly on God's love. God's grace, like the wind, blows where it will. Vatican Council II has taught us that God's grace can be found working among people even of different religious traditions than our own. No one can assume an exclusive claim on God's love. The people whom we reject, cast out, condemn may in fact, like the widow at Zarephath or Naaman the Syrian, respond more deeply to God's loving invitation than perhaps we do.