Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 101
Reading 1
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.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 123:1-2, 2, 3-4
R. (2cd) Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.
To you I lift up my eyes
who are enthroned in heaven —
As the eyes of servants
are on the hands of their masters.
R. Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.
As the eyes of a maid
are on the hands of her mistress,
So are our eyes on the LORD, our God,
till he have pity on us.
R. Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.
Have pity on us, O LORD, have pity on us,
for we are more than sated with contempt;
our souls are more than sated
with the mockery of the arrogant,
with the contempt of the proud.
R. Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.
Reading 2
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.
Alleluia
Cf. Lk 4:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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.
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Faith and Miracles
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. Mark 6:4–6
Why was Jesus “not able to perform any mighty deed” in His hometown of Nazareth? Because the people who had known Him since He was a youth lacked faith in Him. But why wouldn’t Jesus simply perform awe-inspiring miracles with the hope of winning them over? Why not try to convince them by raising someone from the dead or by revealing His transfigured glory to His kinfolk, as He did on the Mount of Transfiguration to three of His disciples? The answer goes to the heart of the workings of faith in each soul.
Jesus’ goal in His hometown was not to convince the people that He was the Son of God, the Messiah. He could have easily convinced them of this by the most incredible of miracles and proved Who He was. But doing so would have undermined the reason He came. He came to ignite authentic faith in people’s hearts, not to convince them through clever reasoning or by the proof of miracles. Miracles were offered to those who already had faith, so as to increase their faith and to show them mercy. But when one lacked faith, a miracle could not increase that which was absent. It might have convinced them on a rational level, or at least impressed them greatly, but that is not true faith.
By analogy, say your spouse said to you, “I love you,” and your response was “Prove it.” How would they do so? What could they do to prove that they truly love you? Perhaps they could show charity, kindness, compassion and the like. These qualities certainly are manifestations of authentic love. But deep down, no one can prove they love another. Instead, love must be offered and received in a spiritual way. When that happens, each person somehow simply knows they love and are loved. This is the mystery of spiritual and authentic love.
The same is true with faith. Faith can’t be proved. It can’t be analyzed rationally. It must be embraced and lived. If the people in Jesus’ hometown were to have faith in Him, this gift of faith would start within their own souls. They would look at Him and listen to Him. By their openness and a special personal revelation from God, they would come to know and to believe Who He was. Faith comes first from within, when God communicates to the heart.
Reflect, today, upon your own level of faith in Jesus. When you look into your own soul, what do you see? Do you see a heart that knows Christ Jesus as its Lord? Have you discovered the presence of God within you, speaking to you, revealing Himself to you? Or do you primarily look for external signs and proofs of God’s presence and love? Look into your soul today and ponder the depth of faith that you discover there. When you discover this gift, gaze at it with love, for you are seeing God’s revelation of Himself to you.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
“FOLLOW THE SPIRIT’S LEAD” (GAL 5:25)
“The Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet.” —Ezekiel 2:2
Are circumstances going poorly in your life? Are you being opposed by neighbors, co-workers or family members? (Mk 6:1-6) Are those with whom you live “hard of face” and “obstinate of heart”? (Ez 2:4) Are you weak? (2 Cor 12:9-10) Beg the Lord to pour out the Holy Spirit upon you (Rm 5:5)
When the Holy Spirit comes to us, we are strong (2 Cor 12:10). The Spirit enters into us and sets us on our feet (Ez 2:2). We are weak and simple children (2 Cor 12:9-10), but through the Holy Spirit’s gift of wisdom (Is 11:2), He is wise in us. The Holy Spirit makes the difference. The Spirit sets our feet on a rock (Ps 40:3). He gives us courage (2 Tm 1:7) and words to which no one can take exception (Lk 21:15).
The Church burst into the public arena when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and disciples in the upper room (Acts 2:2ff). Walls, locked doors, and fear no longer restrain God’s people once they are filled with the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, beg the Lord for the Holy Spirit (Lk 11:13). Thirst for the Holy Spirit. Stir up the Holy Spirit (2 Tm 1:6-8). Then “follow the Spirit’s lead” (Gal 5:25).
Prayer: Father, Your Son told us to beg You to give us the Holy Spirit (Lk 11:13). I therefore ask You to pour out Your Spirit upon me and seal me in the Spirit (2 Cor 1:22) so I do not leak. Make me a vessel that serves You in all circumstances (2 Tm 2:21; Acts 20:32).
Promise: “My grace is enough for you, for in weakness power reaches perfection.” —2 Cor 12:9
Praise: All praise be to You, risen Jesus. Thank You for lavishing the Spirit on me (Ti 3:6).
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
The people of Jesus’ hometown found him too familiar, ordinary and like one of them. They knew him as the carpenter, the son of Mary. They were amazed at his work but failed to accept his divine power. In spite of being close relatives in his hometown, they lacked faith in Him. Due to their unbelief, Jesus was unable to perform any mighty deeds there, apart from healing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. Although we are aware of his presence in our lives, we still live in sin and fail to follow his teachings. Saint John says, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (1 Jn 4:15). Putting our faith in Jesus is the secret of the indwelling of God in our hearts. Let us not allow Jesus to be amazed at our shallow faith, but rather marvel at our deep faith in Him.
Prayers
My revealing Lord, You continuously speak to me in the depths of my heart, revealing to me Your divine presence and love. Give me a heart that is truly open to You on the deepest level, so that my faith will grow and I will know for certain Your divine love. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, you are the fulfillment of all our hopes and desires. Your Spirit brings grace, truth, freedom, and abundant life. Set my heart on fire with your love and truth.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 188: The Demands of the Lord
If the Lord asks you to do something, do you have an option? You do insofar as you can say “No.” And this is a sin. But if you have chosen to follow Christ and your goal is Heaven, then it’s proper to say that we are obliged to do whatever the Lord asks of us. His requests are certain and immovable commands of Love. He will not budge. He will not change. This is only hard to accept if we are stubborn and unwilling to submit to Him. But if we understand the nature of His Will, as described above, then we should be overjoyed when we hear His crisp clear voice speaking to us with commands of Love. We should see His Will and His Law as the perfect answer to every problem and every need we have in life. The demands of the Lord are demands we must give in to. And one of those demands is that He desires that we all enter into and distribute His abundant Mercy (See Diary #998).
Reflect upon the demand from our Lord that you dispense His Mercy. He not only invites you to do so, it is His immovable and irrevocable perfect Will. He will never change His Mind. There is only one option you have. You must concede to be a missionary of His Divine Mercy if you choose His Will for your life. Are you willing to accept this calling? Are you willing to say “Yes?” Ponder this question today and make a choice that reflects the certainty of God’s perfect Will. Say “Yes” to our Lord and you will not regret it.
Lord, Your Will is perfect and the delight of my soul. I thank You for inviting and obliging me to be an instrument of Your Divine Mercy in the world. May I embrace this calling with zeal, love and devotion. Use me, dear Lord, as You will. And I thank You for the incredible honour of serving You. Jesus, I trust in You.
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