14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
It has always been a puzzle why the people of Jesus’ hometown rejected him. One might think they would have been proud that a local boy had made good. In fact, they took offense at him. The gospel tells us that he spoke in the synagogue and that many heard him and were astonished. The rest of the text reveals the nature of the astonishment, and it’s a bundle of mixed feelings. The initial positive reactions soon turn sour. Questions are posed, each charged with hostility. They focus on the man they think they know rather than accept the man who confronts them now. And they reject him. This is not a happy homecoming! What’s going on?
Not surprisingly, Jesus provides an answer. “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” Jesus recognizes that the response of his own people recalls the persistent rejection of Israel’s prophets whenever their message asked more than they were willing to accept. In his own town, Jesus is amazed at their lack of faith. He sees that believing in one’s own preferences is greater than the human capacity for faith. And there lies a warning!
At our celebrations of the Eucharist, we, too, are confronted by a Jesus who will discomfort us by his Word and at his Table. There, we learn the ways of the Kingdom – ways that will often challenge our own personal preferences. There, we are given a mission to break down walls of prejudice, narrow-mindedness, suspicion, and fear. The Eucharistic Congress will endorse our calling as Eucharistic Missionaries.
Let Us Pray:
O Lord, day by day, bring our conduct closer to the life of heaven.
