Homily for the Week of July 8, 2012

14th Sunday, 2012 First Reading: Ezekiel 2:2–5 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 123:1–2, 2, 3–4 Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7–10 Gospel: Mark 6:1–6 As we move through life many of us have used the phrase “if only” or something like it. When we use it we usually are complaining. It becomes like background music or a theme song for the worried, the complainer, the dissatisfied with life. If only I were younger, I’d have more energy. If only I were older, I could relax and retire. If only I had more time, I’d be able to do so much. If only others were more cooperative…. If only I had a better job, a better boss, nicer coworkers...If only they could see things my way.. If only I didn’t have arthritis… This was the problem with Ezekiel, the author of our first reading. He had been asked by God to tell people about God and about praying and worshipping God. But he complained. If only God would choose someone else...if only people would listen… if only they would believe God sent me to teach them. In the Gospel of Mark it may surprise you that Jesus was also complaining. Jesus comes to Nazareth, his home town, where he thought the people knew him since he had grown up with them. His family, friends and neighbors thought they knew him. In their mind he was just an ordinary laborer turned preacher. He did not have an extensive formal education in Jerusalem. Maybe a few were impressed, but most couldn’t believe he was anyone special, inspite of the stories that were being told about him. The more they got to know Jesus, the more they were confused about him. Because we know a person well does not prevent us from making wrong judgments about that person. In today’s reading we find that “he was not able to perform any mighty deed there.... He was amazed at their lack of faith.” For whatever reason the people of Nazareth rejected Jesus. Mark tells us that because of their lack of acceptance, Jesus was rendered powerless. We can imagine Jesus saying to himself: If only you could see and believe the gift that God has given you in me. But Jesus was able to accept the struggles and continued because he was doing what he believed God wanted him to do. Instead of only complaining Jesus was able to find and rely on God, and because of this, Jesus found the strength he needed to continue to do good. Our second reading today is written by St. Paul. He, too, complains. He says he was burdened by what he calls a “thorn in the flesh. We do not know what this thorn was, but we know it was troubling enough for him to pray to get rid of it. He prayed but God did not remove. He did not get angry with God. In his struggle Paul learned to lean more heavily on God and God’s goodness. He began to regard his thorn as an opportunity for greater love of God. He even learned to brag about his weakness because he saw it as a means in which God would be closer to God. The powerlessness of Jesus and Ezekiel and Paul is not saying anything about what God can and cannot do. In so many ways it may also be our story. We have to be careful not to tell ourselves that we know who Jesus is. We may know some things about Jesus. Surprisingly, the people whom I have met who are convinced that they know all they need to know about Jesus and their religion are those who know the least. Our challenge today is to examine how we might be blocking the voice of God in our lives. Statistics tell us frequently that more and more persons are taking their religion less seriously. We’ve heard the saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” Unfortunately our familiarity with our religion may be childlike and childish. We may at times take God for granted. Like a child we may have learned to make excuses to God for ourselves. Are we so familiar with God that we no longer take into account what He says to us through the Bible? Do we prefer that God leave us alone until we knock on his door? Have we reduced the idea of Church as an odd looking building where people sit in strange seats behind one another and mumble a few words now and then? Do we do to Jesus what the people in his native place did to Him? Do we find ways to make the voice of Jesus seem irrelevant to our lives and therefore let us feel less guilty? Do we just want Jesus to make us feel good but no longer want His message? And that is why we are have some time out of this weekend to come to church, to pray and to receive Holy Communion. We are here because we believe that the Jesus of the little town of Nazareth can do for us what he did for his own town. Today and this week as you make the sign of the Cross, remind yourself that Jesus is blessing you and healing the part of you that needs healing just as he did at Nazareth. On your part do all you can to promote the work of Jesus, sharing His love, opening yourself to the power of Jesus. And with Jesus renew your faith that God created all of us are equal.