In today’s Gospel Jesus goes home and is not well received by his neighbors and boyhood friends, even though large crowds from other towns and villages followed him around and he was causing a great commotion throughout the region by his preaching and the miracles he worked.
In spite of the fact that his hometown people were “astonished” by his words…they did not believe in him… perhaps their familiarity with Jesus and his family blinded them to his awesome power…and their lack of faith prevented Jesus from working great miracles in their presence.
Aware of their lack of acceptance of him, Jesus acknowledged that a prophet is seldom if ever accepted in his/ her home town.
Perhaps it was jealousy or fear that kept Jesus’ neighbors and friends from accepting and acknowledging his power and true identity.
Often enough our own insecurities prevent us from rejoicing in the successes of our family and friends…how sad when we cannot rejoice in and raise up the prophets in our midst…perhaps because they challenge us to see things with new eyes…perhaps it is because they challenge us to change how we live our lives!
Being a true disciple of Jesus means that we are all called to live prophetic lives, witnessing to the Gospel through our words and actions…and we, like Jesus, will be rejected in some places by those who refuse the challenge of living a Gospel centered life.
But we need not worry for like God told Paul… “my Grace is sufficient for you”! So we know that God’s grace is indeed sufficient for us to stand up to the powers that be and demand racial justice for all of our sisters and brothers of color, NOW! Let us fight against racist and bigoted actions and words wherever and whenever we see them or hear about them.
Our discipleship calls us to be the prophetic voices in the midst of this appalling manmade humanitarian crisis at the border! Let us continue to speak out and to act to bring about a humane and just immigration policy and an end to all the detentions and the turning away of lawful asylum seekers. Let us welcome the stranger among us as the sisters and brothers they are.
Knowing God’s grace is sufficient for us, let us all work for a more peaceful and just society through all we say and do!
Blessings,
Fr. Tim
In spite of the fact that his hometown people were “astonished” by his words…they did not believe in him… perhaps their familiarity with Jesus and his family blinded them to his awesome power…and their lack of faith prevented Jesus from working great miracles in their presence.
Aware of their lack of acceptance of him, Jesus acknowledged that a prophet is seldom if ever accepted in his/ her home town.
Perhaps it was jealousy or fear that kept Jesus’ neighbors and friends from accepting and acknowledging his power and true identity.
Often enough our own insecurities prevent us from rejoicing in the successes of our family and friends…how sad when we cannot rejoice in and raise up the prophets in our midst…perhaps because they challenge us to see things with new eyes…perhaps it is because they challenge us to change how we live our lives!
Being a true disciple of Jesus means that we are all called to live prophetic lives, witnessing to the Gospel through our words and actions…and we, like Jesus, will be rejected in some places by those who refuse the challenge of living a Gospel centered life.
But we need not worry for like God told Paul… “my Grace is sufficient for you”! So we know that God’s grace is indeed sufficient for us to stand up to the powers that be and demand racial justice for all of our sisters and brothers of color, NOW! Let us fight against racist and bigoted actions and words wherever and whenever we see them or hear about them.
Our discipleship calls us to be the prophetic voices in the midst of this appalling manmade humanitarian crisis at the border! Let us continue to speak out and to act to bring about a humane and just immigration policy and an end to all the detentions and the turning away of lawful asylum seekers. Let us welcome the stranger among us as the sisters and brothers they are.
Knowing God’s grace is sufficient for us, let us all work for a more peaceful and just society through all we say and do!
Blessings,
Fr. Tim
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