First Reading - Ezekiel 2:2-5
Second Reading - 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Gospel - Mark 6:1-6
There is an English phrase: "familiarity begets contempt." This means that when we know a person or thing too well, we tend to lose respect, attention, or importance for him or it. The Gospel also illustrates this concept.
I would like to draw our attention to a phrase in the Gospel that struck me deeply during my meditation. Jesus "marveled at their unbelief." People had heard about everything Jesus had done in other parts of the region. They were amazed, but they didn't want to believe in Jesus because they knew Him too well. This is unbelief. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 2089 defines unbelief as "neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it." In the Gospel, people demonstrate this mindset. They neglect the truth revealed in Jesus and refuse to follow it because, to them, Jesus was one of them, not someone sent by God.
Dear brothers and sisters, our situation is not different from that of the people in Jesus' time. We know Jesus very well, and as a result, we often forget to respect the presence of God in the Eucharist, the other sacraments, the Word of God, and our daily lives. God continues to reveal Himself through the sacraments, His word, and our daily lives. Are we ready to believe and draw near to Him in faith? If not, we neglect the revealed truth. There are also people who willingly refuse to follow the truth revealed in and by Jesus. This is nothing but unbelief. We must confront unbelief through prayer, which is our weapon. We must confront unbelief with the Word of God, by reading and striving to understand it. We must confront unbelief with the help of our spiritual companions, discussing our doubts with them to deepen our faith.
Let us pray today that God strengthens our faith and helps us grow in it.
Second Homily
What defines the life of the Church is its mission. The Church exists to fulfill this mission. But what is the mission of the Church? It is to spread the Gospel of God. This task is not just for the priest; it is the work of the whole Church and all its members. However, spreading the Gospel is not easy because it requires perseverance against resistance, faith against unbelief, and strength against weakness.
In the first reading, we heard how God gives perseverance to the prophet Ezekiel. God tells Ezekiel to be persistent in the face of resistance because of the hardness of people’s hearts. We find a similar situation in the Gospel. People did not believe in Jesus because they knew Him as one of them, they knew His parents and His family. Despite this, Jesus does not stop spreading the Gospel but continues to work tirelessly for it.
The second reading reminds us that we have the important task of spreading the Gospel, but we must face our weaknesses. As Saint Paul says: "I was given a thorn in my flesh." We are weak and need the strength that God gives us. This strength comes from God through prayer, our sacrifices, and our faith.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us always remember the mission of the Church. We are called to bring the word of God with perseverance, like the prophet Ezekiel. Remember that it is not easy because many do not believe in God and resist. But we must not stop sharing the word of God; a word that brings comfort, joy, hope, and consolation to those in need. Let us also remember that we must spread the Gospel of God through our Christian lives, our actions, and our words that show our faith.
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