Reflection for July 7, 2024

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

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

​Have you ever felt overlooked when sharing good news? Have you discovered that your weaknesses can actually be a source of strength and power? What steps do you take when the people you're serving turn you away? Today's readings remind us that neither rejection nor personal limitations can hinder God's power from working in our lives.

Maridel, a newly commissioned Lector was assigned to proclaim the second reading in jampacked St. Pius X Parish one Sunday. She was a bag of nerves. She trembled on her way to the ambo and her knees were shaking as she stood to read. In her sheer nervousness, she started the reading this way: "A proclamation from the letter of Saint Paul to the Philippines." And while she proceeded with the reading, she had mispronounced many words. And to conclude the reading, she said: "The end of the world." And the people responded: "Thanks be to God."

​​A prophet's role is to convey God's message to the world, our communities, and our personal lives. The people of Israel ignored the prophet Jeremiah's warnings against forming military alliances and waging war. Consequently, they were drawn into conflict, utterly defeated, and Jerusalem was destroyed. The people were taken into exile. In our First Reading, Ezekiel was sent to his own stubborn and hardened people. Filled with God's spirit, he tried to help them recognize their mistakes, repent, and return to God. Ezekiel knew he might be rejected, just like what happened to Jeremiah. But God, in His compassion, wouldn't abandon His people to their enemies. He always sends a prophet to deliver crucial, life-saving guidance.

Once, there was a farmer named Fernando who owned two wooden water buckets, one painted blue and the other red. Every day, he used these buckets to bring water home. The blue bucket had a crack and leaked water constantly, while the red bucket remained perfectly intact. Over time, the blue bucket became saddened by its leaks and decided to talk to the farmer about it. Upon hearing the bucket's concerns, Fernando took it for a walk. They followed their usual path, and along the way, Fernando pointed out all the beautiful flowers and plants that had grown there. He explained to the blue bucket that it was responsible for this beauty because its leaks had nourished the plants. The blue bucket realized that despite its imperfections, it played a crucial role in helping the surroundings thrive.

In our culture, we often focus on being strong and view weakness as something to be hidden or discouraged. When writing to the Church in Corinth, Saint Paul mentions a "thorn in the flesh," a painful affliction he asked God to remove three times. He believed this handicap hindered his ability to preach the Gospel effectively. However, the surprising answer to his prayer was that God's power was more evident in his weakness. Stan Lee, the head of Marvel Comics, revolutionized superheroes by giving them flaws and weaknesses, making them more relatable than perfect figures like Superman. Do you recognize the purpose of your flaws and shortcomings? Each of us faces different struggles at various times in our lives. It could be a disease, disability, persecution, oppression, or a persistent sin we battle. Jesus understood suffering and relied on God, and through His weakness, death was conquered, sin was overcome, and the world's salvation was achieved. The life of an apostle reflects the cross of Christ. Jesus loves our imperfections and has a plan for our lives, not despite our past, but because of it. Our "thorns in the flesh" can help us relate to Christ, turning our weaknesses into sources of strength and power.

In one of his reflections, Dutch priest and author Fr. Henri Jozef M. Nouwen lamented on how hard it is to witness for Christ within one's family: "I had a dream that I would be the priest of my family. Everybody would love me. I would baptize the children and bury my uncles and aunts, and I would be connected to everyone else. Now my mother has died, my father is 90 and becoming blind. My sister got separated from her husband and neither wants that much to do with me... One brother has a very shaky marriage... Another brother's wife has cancer... And they ALL left the church. Nobody had their children baptized. They don't even go to church. They think I am an interesting medieval figure, but they don't know what I am all about. When I come home, they say, 'Just be our brother, don't talk about religion.' That is a loss. I cannot be a minister, a priest for my own family. The little children don't know anything what their Uncle Henri is about. They know he is doing strange things, he goes to this church... He has this white thing on. My own family, my own flesh! Wonderful people who have suffered a lot, but part of a culture that has moved away from the church. It took me a long time to not feel guilty about that, to not feel that it was my fault."

In today's Gospel, Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth after teaching in the synagogue, but it wasn't a warm welcome. The townspeople rejected Him because He was one of them, someone they watched grow up. They questioned His background and qualifications, not out of curiosity, but with cynicism and doubt. They insultingly questioned His authority, seeing Him only as the carpenter's boy and the son of Mary down the road. Their limited perspective led them to dismiss Him. Jesus responded by healing a few sick people and then left. He didn't argue or defend Himself; He stayed true to His mission as a prophet and moved on to share the Good News with those ready to receive it. Like Jesus, we might face rejection when sharing God's wisdom and power with those close to us. Remember, Christ understands your pain and disappointment personally. Some will reject you because your light shines too brightly for them. Keep shining God's love and bringing life wherever you go.

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