The Holy Gospel according to Matthew (13:54-58).
Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.
They were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us? Where did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and in his own house.” And he did not work many mighty deeds there
because of their lack of faith.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection: In today’s Gospel, Jesus returns to His hometown and teaches in the synagogue. The people are amazed, not because of faith, but because of doubt. The people there knew him because he grew up in front of them. But now he returned to preach, teach and heal the sick and the people were suspicious of him. The people questioned, “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother Mary?” The people saw him as the carpenter and as the one who grew up in their midst and found it difficult to believe in him as a religious leader.
This passage is a reminder to us of how easy it is to become blind to God’s presence in the ordinary. This should make us think about the people that we are most familiar with, our immediate family, our spouses, our parents, children, brothers and sisters, our neighbors. These are the people that God has place in our midst. These are the people that God has given us to love. But there are times when we fail to recognize God’s presence in them because they are close to us and we are familiar with them. We are not able to see beyond the “ordinary” in them. The people of Nazareth could not come to accept Jesus’ divine wisdom with the fact that He was one of them and came from them. They thought they already knew him, and they could not see Jesus for who He truly was, the Son of God.
Jesus responded to their unbelief by saying, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own house.” This lack of faith did not deter Jesus from his mission and ministry. He continued his mission knowing that some peoples’ hearts would remain hardened. Faith opens the door to God’s grace. Jesus does not force himself into our hardened hearts. He waits for us to have open hearts. When we have faith, God meets us where we are and does great things.
Today is also the Memorial for St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. Born in 1696 in Italy, he was ordained a priest in 1726. He left a promising legal career to serve the poorest and most neglected people. In 1732, he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, commonly known as the Redemptorists, to carry Christ’s message to rural communities. He was an author and moral theologian. He taught people how to pray with openness, trust and confidence. He encouraged people to have a personal relationship with God through prayer. St. Alphonsus changed people’s lives because he changed the way they prayed.
Action for the Day: May we pray for the grace to recognize God’s presence in our everyday lives and in those around us, and remain steadfast in our mission, regardless of how we are received by others. May we see Christ in the people closest to us, and more importantly, may they see Christ in US!
Audio Reflection:
Thank you, Deacon Mike. God bless you and Martha.