1. Let Prophets Speak; Listen to Them
2. Someone from Down Our Street
Introduction
1. Let Prophets Speak; Listen to Them
What do you think when you see around you people being trodden down and exploited? Most people do nothing. They think: “Who am I to speak up? What can I do to correct such situations? No one is going to listen to me. After all, no one is a prophet in his or her own town or country.” Too many people leave too much good undone because of this self-doubt and lack of courage. Let us ask the Lord Jesus for the boldness to speak out with him and to go about doing good.
2. Someone from Down Our Street
A man or woman like us from down the street, whose parents we know, how dare he or she speak God’s word to us – if it is God’s word? Jesus, the town carpenter, whose mother and relatives everyone knew, how could he work miracles and where did he get his strange message? The Church with all its faults and the priest who is no better than we are, how dare they speak to us in the name of God? God speaks to us through ordinary people. God’s word and message are stronger than the weak messengers he sends to speak his prophetic word. And each of us too has to stand up and speak out for what is right and good. Jesus will help us.
First Reading: God Entrusts His Word to an Ordinary Person
Ezekiel, an ordinary priest, is called by God to be a prophet. He has to speak God’s word insistently to a people not disposed to listen.
1 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.
Responsorial 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.
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.
Second Reading: The Strength of God Appears in Someone Weak
Paul defends the legitimacy of his ministry. In Paul’s human weakness God’s power stands out all the stronger.
2 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.
Alleluia cf. Luke 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: Jesus, Just Someone from Down the Street?
The people of Nazareth reject Jesus and his teaching. They know him: a young carpenter from down the street. How can he bring any special message and do wonders?
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 honour 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.
Commentary:
“We must face the fact,” wrote George Bernard Shaw, “that all society is based upon intolerance.” He may have been overstating the case, but the test is whether the hat fits. A well-known novel called The Valley of the Squinting Windows exposed the bitter cruelty of village morality. The smaller the society, the more controlling this narrow spirit. “Beneath the charm of the rural town or village, there often lurks a lethal intolerance.” Nazareth was such a place. People who have known you all your life see you as the child you were, even when you are a middle-aged man or woman. They see where you came from and they remember all your youthful mistakes. If they are villagers they also want to make sure you are not getting above yourself; “who does he think he is?” This is a sort of envy, or perhaps something more primitive: a tribal spirit. It tries to destroy you – or at least discredit you – if you are not exactly like everyone else. The terrible fact is that it works! It tied Jesus’ hands: “he could work no miracles there” (v. 5). It is a frightful thought that we have the ability to prevent miracles.
Blessing
God comes to us through weak people.
He entrusts to them the message of his word
and even the body of his Son.
May God strengthen them,
that they may not obstruct our way to God
but speak God’s word with boldness.
May we welcome them
because they bring God nearer to us.
And in our own weakness
may God be our strength and bless you all,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go, take the word of God with you,
live by it and speak it without fear.
R/ Thanks be to God.