Daily Catholic Lectio
Mon, 9 March ‘26
Third Week of Lent, Monday
2 Kings 5:1–15. Psalm 42. Luke 4:24–30
Rejection and Resilience
From the third week of Lent, the Church gradually turns our attention toward the Passion of Christ. The readings begin to lead us more directly toward the mystery of the cross. Yet the suffering of Jesus did not begin only in the final days of his life. In many ways, the Passion accompanies him from the beginning. Even shortly after his birth, King Herod seeks to kill him. The shadow of rejection follows Jesus from the cradle to the cross.
Today’s Gospel shows another early moment of this rejection. Jesus returns to Nazareth, his own town, and speaks in the synagogue. The people know him. They have seen him grow up. At first they listen, but soon they begin to question: “Is this not Joseph’s son?” Instead of welcoming his message, they become suspicious of the messenger. They look not at what he says, but at where he comes from.
Familiarity becomes an obstacle to faith. Instead of saying, “Well done, son of our town,” they doubt him: “Is he not the carpenter’s son?” Jesus reminds them of a difficult truth: prophets are often accepted by strangers but rejected by their own people. To explain this, he gives two examples from the history of Israel. During a famine, the prophet Elijah was sent not to the widows of Israel but to a widow in Zarephath, a foreign land. And during the time of Elisha, although many lepers lived in Israel, it was Naaman the Syrian who was healed. God’s grace is not limited by familiarity, nationality, or human expectations.
These words deeply offend the people of Nazareth. Their pride is wounded, and their narrow understanding is challenged. What begins as curiosity quickly turns into anger. They drag Jesus to the edge of the hill on which the town is built and try to throw him down. In this moment we see again that the cross is already present in the life of Jesus long before Calvary.
Yet what is striking is how Jesus responds. He does not argue. He does not perform miracles to prove himself. He does not call down punishment upon them. The Gospel simply says that he passed through the midst of them and went on his way. This is a remarkable example of resilience. Jesus does not allow rejection to destroy his mission. He quietly continues his journey.
The first reading offers another perspective through the story of Naaman, the Syrian commander who suffers from leprosy. His path to healing begins with the simple words of a young servant girl who tells him about the prophet in Israel. When Naaman reaches Elisha, he expects a dramatic gesture. Instead, he receives a simple instruction: to wash seven times in the Jordan River. At first, he is offended and reluctant. His pride resists such simplicity. But when he humbles himself and obeys, he is healed. Naaman’s healing begins not with power but with humility.
The Word of God today invites us to reflect on two questions. First, how do we receive Jesus in our own lives? Sometimes we can resemble the people of Nazareth. We think we already know Jesus, and therefore we stop listening to him. When his words challenge our comfort or question our assumptions, we resist them. True faith requires openness and humility.
Second, how do we respond when we face rejection in our own lives? Anyone who tries to do good, to speak truth, or to live faithfully will eventually experience misunderstanding or opposition. The temptation is to respond with anger, resentment, or discouragement. But Jesus shows us another path. He accepts rejection without losing his peace and continues his mission without bitterness.
Psalm 42 expresses the source of such resilience: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” When our hearts remain rooted in God, rejection cannot destroy us. Our strength does not come from human approval but from our relationship with the Lord.
Lent teaches us this quiet strength. When rejection comes, we are invited not to react with anger but to continue walking in faith. Like Jesus, we move forward in peace. Like Naaman, we grow in humility. And like the psalmist, we keep our thirst fixed on God. In God’s hands, even rejection can become the beginning of a deeper mission.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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