Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Memorial of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church | USCCB
In
our gospel for today we hear of how the people that knew Jesus growing up had a
problem with who he was and the wisdom he was exhibiting as the Messiah. They
even had problems accepting the miracles that were attributed to him. They were
saying, "Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?” (Matthews 13:14) It reminds
me of that old saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” They had trouble wrapping
their minds around the fact that someone they knew from childhood could be so
special. They just considered him as someone ordinary.
These
people of His hometown thought they knew who he was. They were thinking that
Jesus was just a “nobody” from Nazareth. They thought he was just the
carpenter’s son. They thought they knew him and as a result looked down on him.
They were thinking that he wasn’t special. But as it turns out they didn’t
really know him. And because they did not have faith in him,
Jesus could not perform any miracles there.
This
shows that faith is essential in our relationship with Jesus. All throughout
his ministry while on earth, he would often tell someone that their faith in
him was the cause of their healing. For example, the woman with the issue of
the blood disease in Mark 5:34 and Luke 8:48, we hear Jesus
tell the woman that her faith has healed her and to go in peace.
As with individuals described in scripture who
experienced healing through Jesus, we need to approach Him in prayer concerning
the various challenges present in our lives.
We need to ask ourselves, “Do I really believe that Jesus can perform
this miracle for me?” In Mark 5:28 we hear the woman in need of being cured say
to herself: “If I but touch his
clothes, I shall be cured.” We need that same faith in Jesus in the issues that
we bring before him, whether it’s health issues, problems with family or financial
problems. We need to reach out to Jesus in prayer and believe that he will help
us in the way we need.
As we pray and bring
our problems to the Lord at Mass, let’s bring all our needs to him as we
approach him in Holy Communion and believe that he will bring us the healing and
peace we long for in our lives.
From Arlene B. Muller
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that makes faith a challenge is that although GOD answers prayers, He answers them in HIS OWN WAY, which is not always the way we (in our own limited minds & human flaws) want Him to answer, & He is sovereign, all wise, all knowing, He sees the big picture, & sometimes it is hard for us to trust that His way is the BEST way for us. Our LORD is still perfectly able to perform miracles, and sometimes He still does, but He does not always, & He has His own reasons. His answer might be YES. His answer might be WAIT, so that eventually He will work things out in the way we want, but we might need to be patient/persevering/enduring while we wait on His timing. His answer might be NO, because what we believe we want is not for our ultimate good and/or the good of others and/or the good of His Kingdom. If His answer is NO, the LORD is probably saying, "I understand your needs & your problem, but I have a better way", & probably we are supposed to learn something & grow in faith, virtue & holiness while we struggle through the process & learn to trust Him. For example, if we are struggling financially, we might want to be able to win the lottery, but He might prefer to open the door for us to work extra hours to earn more money & be more careful about our spending & get some help so that eventually, after time, efforts & patience we will be in better financial shape & be better able to avoid financial problems in the future. Or instead of a miraculous healing of a health issue (which is still possible, if GOD chooses), He might point us to a good doctor, point us to a better diet, & help us through a process of medical treatment. Or He might choose to purify us & have our illness end our earthly lives & bring us home to heaven.
We really don't know what GOD will do & there are no instant formulas or guarantees. When we ask, we will receive, but we don't know exactly what we will receive. When we seek we will find, but we don't know exactly what we will find. When we knock, the door will be opened, but we don't necessarily determine what door will open.
Sometimes GOD tells or shows us what He will do & we can have confidence that the outcome we receive is exactly the outcome for which we are asking (as He did with the woman with the persistent hemorrhage), & that is a really beautiful gift. But often we need to present our needs & trust that whatever way He answers is for our ultimate good, even if the process involves suffering. That demands greater & growing faith & trust.