Dependence Day

Ezekiel  2:2-5; Psalm 123 Our Eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for mercy; 2 corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6

In the first reading, we encounter the call of the prophet Ezekiel.  

God says to Ezekiel, "whether they heed or resist- they are a rebellious house-they shall know that a prophet has been among them."

They shall know that a prophet is among them.

Each of us is baptized a priest, prophet, and king, which means we no longer live just for ourselves.  Everything we do has bearing on all of us.  We are sent in to the world like the prophet ezekiel to bear witness to the truth and justice of God.  

We do this by the words we speak but also by the life we life.  We are either a true prophet or a false prophet.  Which are we?

In our life do we reveal the face of God or do we reveal our own face? Do we rebuke the nations or do we go along with them and the latest trend?  Do we invite them to renew the promise of the covenant or do we write our own terms?  Do we help restore lasting hope or are we satisfied with temporary hoax?

Do we embrace the teaching of the church or do we pick and choose?  A true prophet stands firm on all not just some of the truth.

In the second reading St. Paul speaks of the thorn in the flesh.  Three times he begged the Lord to take it from him, but God chose for it to remain.  Sometimes, God's answer is no. 

How often have we asked God to remove things in our life that are difficult.  Time and time again we sought it gone, only to have it remain.  We thought God wasn't listening because he failed to heed our request.   Yet, we fail to realize that God is not at our beck and call. We don't carry him around in our back pocket to do as we please

We are at his.  Did we ever stop to think that perhaps, his prompt answer was let it be and stay the course. We discover that God wants us to enter deeper into our weakness, enter deeper into humility.

Here we learn true strength.  

In our weakness we learn compassion, we learn mercy, and we learn dependence. 

When we keep one eye on our own weakness, we have a tendency to no longer judge the other by their weakness but rather our hands reach out to support.  We discover that we can relate, thus compassion builds communities of love.

In our weakness God keeps us on our knees and keeps us looking up, here we truly can begin to serve and grow in holiness.  

In the gospel, Jesus comes home.  There is a homecoming.  Jesus is back at his old stomping grounds.  And the people recognize him. They know his trade, "he is a carpenter"; they know his mother, "son of Mary" and they know his kinfolk.  They know everything about him, yet they don't know him. 

They ate the same food, shopped at the same market, worshiped in the same synagogue, talked with the same accent, and probably hung out at the same places growing up.  Yet all this familiarity caused contempt not rejoicing.

What was to be a home coming turned into a gossip party, "who does he think he is."

They were so close yet they missed the Messiah right beside them because he looked too much like one them.   But this is the good news.

God comes as one of us so that we might finally recognize ourselves as ones loved by God.  

The people failed to recognize the holiness of Jesus because they had not accepted their own call to holiness.  They couldn't honor Jesus' relationship with God because they never fully explored their own relationship with God. 

How often we see people that look like us and we put on airs, put up walls, or make judgments.  Yet if we raise our expectations, carefully peel back our eyelids, we might catch a glimpse of God, in us and in them. 

Until this happens miracles will be scarce as rain.  

We can amaze God with our lack of faith or we let him marvel at our faithfulness, embracing the face of God in those around us.