First Reading
Ezekiel 2:2-5
As the Lord spoke to me, the spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard the one who was speaking say to me: Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have revolted against me to this very day. Hard of face and obstinate of heart are they to whom I am sending you. But you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God! And whether they heed or resist–for they are a rebellious house–they shall know that a prophet has been among them.
Second Reading
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Brothers and sisters: That I, Paul, might not become too elated, because of the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Gospel Cycle Cycle B
Mark 6:1-6
Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.
God’s Spirit comes upon some people and then they must speak out what God is telling them. Ezekiel is one of those people. Jesus, too, is touched by God’s Spirit, although in a different way. You and I are touched by God’s Spirit, but generally we are less aware and less responsive to that Spirit at work within us.
In Ezekiel’s life, God calls Him to speak to the Israelites, who are described as God’s people, but also as “hard of face and obstinate of heart.” We who follow Christ are surely just as hard of face and obstinate of heart. Probably every people, every race and every nation is hard of face and obstinate of heart. You and I are the people. It is we who are hard of face and obstinate of heart. Today—and it has always been this way—we want a faith that promises us everything and yet asks nothing of us.
In the so called developed countries, fewer and fewer people believe in anything except money, power and sexuality. Perhaps in the past, if things went wrong, people would turn to God. But today even the bad things of life generally don’t push us to conversion of heart.
Those of us who do believe often find it almost embarrassing to admit that we do believe. The readings today speak directly to this reality of rejection. We must learn to speak about our faith, to testify to our faith, to express to others how and why we believe. And we will surely be rejected by many, if not by most.
Today the readings from Scripture can form us into people who do speak up—not obnoxiously, but gently and with insistence, saying: I do believe! I believe that Jesus truly is the Son of God. I believe in the Catholic Church. I follow the Master, my Lord Jesus. And so on. We don’t have to speak loudly but we do need to speak clearly and give witness to what we believe. How embarrassing! Just like Ezekiel, we can wish that God did not ask such things of us!
Like Jesus in the Gospel, we too may not be accepted, even by those who know us. We may find ridicule and rejection. But we shall also find that many people will respect us and even want to understand how we could possibly believe today. Let us follow the Lord Jesus and may His will be done.