Divinely Strong though Humanly Weak

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 4 June 2021

Readings: Ezekiel 2:2-5; Psalm 123:1-2, 2, 3-4; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6

(Picture courtesy: Jean-Marc Arakelian)

To listen to my audio reflections please click here

1. Seeing the ordinary in an extraordinary way

Often when we are too much engrossed with the ordinariness of everyday life, we fail to see extraordinariness in such things. One of the beautiful particularities that we can notice in the lives of saints and mystics is that they saw or did ordinary things in an extraordinary way. Jesus and other prophets belong to this category. Unfortunately, they are not recognized in their lifetime for being who they were and what they did. 

This Sunday comes to us the day after we celebrated the feast of St Thomas, the Apostle of India. His life is distinguished by his curiosity to recognize the Risen Jesus in its ordinary as the Gospel of St John tells us (20:19-31). St Thomas is a straightforward man, and without any hesitation, he says bluntly:  “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:24). Who will not ask such a question if the person has never seen or heard in his or her life that person has come back to life? In his question, we can see Apostle Thomas's sense of curiosity, interest, and extraordinariness in the life of Jesus. Thomas the apostle was not absolutely a doubting man, he was a man who looked for something extraordinary and therefore he confesses boldly “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Jesus does not question his doubt but his belief. For Thomas, seeing is believing. In fact, Jesus purifies, the belief system of Thomas.  Nowhere in the Gospel, we find any other disciple or other person calling Jesus as God. Thus Thomas becomes an authentic disciple where he does not require any other sign to see the extraordinary factor in the life of Jesus and sets straight his way to India to preach his "Lord and his God."

2. Disowning your own means disrespecting who you are

“A prophet is despised only in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house” (Mark 6:4).  Jesus is saying these words with utter disgust because of the kind of treatment he received in his hometown of Nazareth. Jesus deserved better. Jesus carried a tag of a carpenter, son of Mary, in spite of him being a miracle worker, healer, prophet, comforter and consoler. People not only simply disapproved of him but also derecognized him in his own land.  They rely on their own power. Probably, listening Jesus meant for them being vulnerable, loosing their temporal authority on the son of the soil. That is why it pains Jesus very much. Today’s Gospel is blunt: “He was not able to perform any mighty deed there” (Mark 6:5). When your own close relatives, friends disown you, insult you, say all sorts of bad words about you, rarely do we keep quiet. We cannot remain silent spectators. The very disowning or disapproving Jesus in his hometown means they don't want to be part of Jesus' mission; don't want to witness his power and finally, they don't want to encourage him. They treat Jesus very badly.

What does this mean by disowning your own? It means disrespecting who you are and looking down upon the job or work that you or your family does. The experience of Jesus also is our experience today. We have constructed societies based on the skill or work one does. This applies not only to our wider society or country but also in our ecclesial structure. How many times we look down upon those who do simple jobs in our schools, colleges, parishes, convents, religious houses, congregations, hospitals, social work centers, etc.? The list is endless. How many of us fail to recognize the work and effort people put in doing those works which often go unnoticed, unrecognized? How many of us appreciate the work of others or send a note of gratitude? In a world of titles, positions, protocols, procedures, and status, we miss a very important dimension of our life to give the respect one deserves for the work he or she does. The people of Nazareth are not far away from us, they are with us, among us and in us!

3. Childlike wonder at the mystery of life

Strangely, the Gospel of St Mark says, Jesus "marvelled because of their unbelief" (Mark 6:6) in his hometown. The good that Jesus was doing and intend to do in his hometown comes to an abrupt end. People are astonished by his wisdom and the miracles performed, the people of Nazareth cannot believe that God could act through someone so familiar. Their closed hearts and minds make them unable to receive the transformation and healing which Jesus could have brought.  Even in our lives we fall into this trap too easily missing much of the wisdom and goodness that we could have received because simply we do not expect it from ordinary people. The problem of people in Jesus' day was their unpreparedness to receive the surprises in their ordinary life. They lost in themselves in small and petty things. They could not see the bigger picture. Their God was very small and tiny. 

We are called to live in a culture of encounter where we must engage in dialogue with one another, in spite of the differences and challenges it brings along.  We are called to be involved deeply with others for the glory which God has called us. We must cultivate a sense of childlike wonder in the familiar and recognize the presence of God in each person. To do this we will have to open our hearts to others, to dialogue and relationship. The current pandemic has shown how interdependent we are and how our life can be uncertain and temporal. 

4. Humanly weak but strong in grace

There is a fascinating message from St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians. Paul believes insults and hardships are God’s way of teaching us to rely solely on His grace. He says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) and further again, "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak,  then I am strong" (2 Cor 12:10). Only a person who is graced could make such declarations. In our weakness and limitations, insults and tribulation we have to look at Jesus. Holy Spirit will work no mighty deeds in our lives unless we abandon ourselves to Him in faith. Blessed then are those who take no offence in Him (Luke 7:23). Instead, we must look upon Him with the eyes of utter trust in him. Then we may find ourselves experiencing the presence of God more often than we thought possible.

St Paul exhorts us how to build ourselves and our communities around Christ and live out our faith more confidently.  That is not easy.  In order to live out our faith more boldly, Paul reminds us we are going to have to let that faith put constraints on our wills and allow ourselves to be made vulnerable.  Whether we like it or not, following Jesus means taking up our daily crosses with Jesus and let the Spirit work through our weaknesses. Let us not be ashamed of our weaknesses. Let our weakness be filled by the mighty power of God. Let not our human strength diminish our divine grace. Life does not have to wear us down.  With Christ, it can make us stronger.  No matter what happens to us in this life, we can not only hear, but be agents of, the good news to the poor that Jesus brings.  Through Jesus, we have been made strong enough. 

Questions for Reflections:

1. Try to imagine Jesus in his hometown as a teacher and miracle worker. Yet the people disregard not just his teachings but also the person. In place of wonder, Jesus is greeted with contempt!  Can you recall a time when you’ve felt too quickly disregarded or dismissed by those closest to you, those who know you too well?  What did that feel like?  

2. What is that inner voice told you when you were discouraged, disregarded, mocked, fooled, shouted, scorned, and in place of reward you are shunted out in your family, community, parish, diocese, province, or congregation?

3. Having imagined the scene in Jesus' hometown, take yourself to his village, sit with Jesus and have a chat. Listen intently to what he has to say to you. Could such an amazing man come from such an ordinary town?  

4. Don't you think sometimes even those cruelties that people inflict upon us do good in our lives, thus allowing us to take a different course of action? Recall those moments because of such unworthy moments your faith has increased; you were able to see God's power and love in all the ordinary things; you were amazed at the way things have move around you. Talk to God and listen to what he has to say to you.

Prayer: 

Loving God,  send us your spirit of encounter. Enable us to recognise your presence in each person, to see the world as you do and love it with your love. Bless Lord the day you have made. Mighty Lord God, and pray that I may spend this day rejoicing in your creation. I pray for your Holy Spirit to fill me with the joy of my salvation, so that your light may shine through me into the world, that your honor and glory may be known to all people.  Remind me of your blessings, I pray, with every tribulation I may face, so that I may act with energy, forgiveness and love, ever mindful of the grace You have shown to me. Through Christ, I pray, Amen. 

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

03 July 2021