Scripture readings for today's reflection can be found at Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB
There’s an old saying that goes, “Familiarity breeds
contempt.” We hear in our gospel for today how the people that Jesus grew up
with rejected Him and His teachings. They were saying, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?” I can imagine them saying, “Who does he think he
is?” The gospel goes on to say that they took offense at Him.
These are people that thought they “knew” Jesus
throughout His life. Before His public ministry He went about His work as a
carpenter. He didn’t appear to be anyone special. He went about His day-to-day
life performing the tasks necessary as a carpenter. I’m sure, also, he was a
regular at the synagogue on the sabbath. So, they “knew” him. They just didn’t
think of him as anyone special. Then the next thing they know, Jesus was going
all throughout the area teaching about the love that God has for all people and
performing miracles. They found it hard to wrap their minds around the fact
that this person, this Jesus, was more than just an uneducated carpenter. They
were deaf to the truths he was teaching and blind to the miracles He was
performing in God’s name. But Jesus didn’t let this rejection stop Him from
continuing with His ministry of God’s love to others beyond His hometown.
We, in turn, can learn from Our Lord in how we live
out our faith. We are called to follow Jesus and grow ever deeper in faith.
There may be people in our lives that reject us for this faith in Jesus Christ.
They may know things about our past that may not be so flattering. We, as
sinful people, have a past that we may not be proud of, a past that other
people may know and remember. But once we turn away from whatever sins we may
have committed and put Jesus as the center of who we are, we are then called to
share this good news of God’s love with those in our lives. People may ask, “Who
do you think you are? You were never always that way!” Our turning towards God
should be an ongoing conversion and an example of how others can lead a life of
in relation with Him. We will always struggle with temptations that may attempt
to bring us away from God, but we need to place these temptations in God’s
hands to help us grow deeper in our relationship with Him. There will be those
in our lives that may not understand us as we pursue this relationship with God.
But don’t let that stop us. We are called to continue to get closer to Him
through frequent prayer and meditation on scripture. Also, as we continue to
grow in our relationship with God, we are called to make frequent use of the
sacraments. In addition to receiving the Eucharist often, we should use the
sacrament of reconciliation for the times we fall short in our following the
Lord. Finally, let us pray for those in our lives that may not understand our
relationship with God and are away from Him. Pray that they may come to know and
understand the love, peace and forgiveness that can only come from God.
Everytime I hear or read this Gospel I wonder at Our LORD's reaction to the people's comments. I think it would be normal for the people to be amazed at Our LORD's eloquence & the authority of His teaching & still wonder how all this could be coming from someone who had seemed pretty normal & ordinary to them in the past. I guess the people would have expected someone supernatural to LOOK supernatural. I never really thought of their words as insulting--I think the version in Luke refers to more of His words in response-- but apparently Our LORD was able to read their thoughts that were behind their words & that their amazement & questions had reached the level of doubt. Maybe it is true that what they meant was "Who does He think HE is!" in a manner that this is usually expressed.
ReplyDeleteI come from a very faithful Catholic family, thank the LORD, & my parents rejoiced with me when I drew closer to the LORD through retreats & through the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. But there have been times when I began to feel closer to the people in my prayer group than to a few of my relatives. I was pretty much the same person, because I always have been a faithful Catholic living a good life like them, but I had new experiences of the LORD that they did not share. Sometimes my new fervor was a turn off. I still had to be who I am but I also had to learn to accept them as they are. I think in time we arrived at mutual respect & mutual acceptance.
From my email: A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and home
ReplyDeleteYou began with the Reading's main idea:
"We hear in our gospel for today how the people that Jesus grew up with rejected Him and His teachings. They were saying, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?” “Who does he think he is?” ...They were deaf to the truths he was teaching and blind to the miracles He was performing in God’s name. But Jesus didn’t let this rejection stop Him from continuing with His ministry of God’s love to others beyond His hometown."
Then, interjected your own personal experience to these comments:
"We, in turn, can learn from Our Lord in how we live out our faith. We are called to follow Jesus and grow ever deeper in faith. There may be people in our lives that reject us for this faith in Jesus Christ. People may ask, “Who do you think you are? You were never… that way!”
Sadly, but, true, this is usually a pattern most frequented by many of us, but, as you stated:
"We, in turn, can learn from Our Lord in how we live out our faith. We are called to follow Jesus and grow ever deeper in faith.”…"Our turning towards God should be an ongoing conversion and an example of how others can lead a life-in relation with Him. We will always struggle with temptations that may attempt to bring us away from God, but we need to place these temptations in God’s hands to help us grow deeper in our relationship with Him” So true! But it is not so futile… as you also stated: "We are called to continue to get closer to Him through frequent prayer and meditation on scripture. Also, as we continue to grow in our relationship with God, we are called to make frequent use of the sacraments.”, in addition, "Finally, let us pray for those in our lives that may not understand our relationship with God and are away from Him.”
As I understand it, in our pursued relationship with the Lord, we become committed to pray not just for our needs and those of our loved ones, but most of all, for those in most need of His mercy.
God’s Blessings,
Nilda, OCDS