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July 8: 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Scripture readings:
• Ezekiel 2:2-5
• Psalm 123:1-4
• 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
• Mark 6:1-6
Synopsis: The readings this week deal with a “cheery” subject: rejection. In the first reading, Ezekiel is called by God to minister to the exiles in Babylon. But God warns him that they may not accept him or his message. It was their defiance and lack of faith that landed them in exile, and they are still, God says, “obstinate of heart” and a “rebellious house.” Nevertheless, Ezekiel must go to them. They need to know that the exile will not last forever. But they also need to repent. They need to change. It’s a message of “tough love” that Ezekiel must preach. Whether they accept it or not isn’t his concern. His concern is to deliver the message.
Second Corinthians is one of Paul’s most personal letters. Among other things, Paul has to defend his ministry as an apostle against those who questioned his authority. There has been much speculation about the exact nature of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh,” but the fact is no one knows what it was. It’s possible that Paul’s affliction was caused by the frequent rejection of the Gospel, and him personally. We know that his own people’s rejection of Jesus as the Christ caused Paul much distress (Rom 9:1-5).
In this week’s Gospel we hear about how Jesus was rejected by friends and relatives in his home town of Nazareth. He had travelled the region of Galilee preaching, teaching and healing in many towns and villages. Many people believed and followed him. But many didn’t, including his relatives. Like the prophets before him, he was rejected by his own people because of their unbelief. Still, it was necessary that he should preach the good news to them too.
Key verse: “Our souls are more than sated with the mockery of the arrogant, with the contempt of the proud” (Psalm 123:4).
Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Jesus calls all people to come together around him. Everyone is called to enter the kingdom. First announced to the children of Israel, this messianic kingdom is intended to accept men of all nations. To enter it, one must first accept Jesus’ word” (Nos. 542, 543).
Pope Benedict XVI: “The Church in the United States is called, in season and out of season, to proclaim a Gospel which not only proposes unchanging moral truths but proposes them precisely as the key to human happiness and social prospering. There can be no doubt that a more consistent witness on the part of America’s Catholics to their deepest convictions would make a major contribution to the renewal of society as a whole” (Address to American bishops, Jan. 19).
Life application: The Church, and each of us individually, is called to proclaim the Christian message faithfully and not worry about how people will react. Sometimes we’ll be mocked. Sometimes we’ll be hated. Rejection of the Gospel and all that we hold dear is part of being Catholic, but that mustn’t stop us from sharing our faith. As Blessed Mother Teresa famously said, “God has not called me to be successful; he has called me to be faithful.”
James Cavanagh is director of Evangelization and Catechesis for Metro-area Parishes of the Denver Archdiocese. Cavanagh’s column is distributed by the Denver Catholic Register.
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