(Ezekiel 2:2-5; 2Cor.12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6, 14th Sunday of the Ordinary Time: Year B)
In today’s gospel, St. Mark has a very apt description of the attitude of the people of Jesus’ own hometown towards him in these words - and they would not accept him. This attitude of non-acceptance had a direct consequence: no miracle! It is faith that prepares the ground for the experience of divine intervention. Where faith is lacking, no miracle is found. Interestingly however, Jesus cured a few sick by laying hands on them according the text. Even though he was displeased with their lack of faith, he did not subscribe to complete indifference to their plight. He still had to heal a few. So unbounded are God’s love and compassion that even lack of faith cannot place a limit on them!
His generous gift of grace to man is an outstanding sign of God’s unequaled benevolence. In the second reading today, St. Paul was assured of the abundance of this grace. Empowered by this grace, he made a discovery that stands ever true in the complexity of our spiritual struggle: I shall be happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me. He even put it more aptly: For it is when I am weak that I am strong. This Pauline assertion makes it very clear that our weaknesses, deficiencies and incapability far from being obstacles in the spiritual life, are in fact fertile grounds for the triumph of grace. In the face of divine love, our weaknesses lose their disqualifying and impeding character!
God generous gift of grace and the immensity of his love do not however take for granted man’s willful disposition and co-operation. In exercise of his God-given freedom, man may choose to reject this generous offer. It is this conscious rejection that we find in Ezekiel’s prophecy in the first reading. God warned the prophet in these terse words: “I am sending you…to the rebels who have turned against me.” It was like God saying: ‘They have rejected the life I offered them and opted for death. Yet, you have to go; I detest their rebellion but I can never be fed up with them. I still desire to save them’.
Many times, we rebel against God, rejecting the opportunities he offers us to take advantage of his love and draw closer to him. In love, he continues to offer us more and more chances and does not hasten to condemn us. We run the risk of passing judgment on ourselves when we threat these opportunities with indifference or outright scorn. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye
No comments:
Post a Comment