FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY, July 4, 2021
(Ezekiel 2:2-5; II
Corinthians 12:7b-10; Mark 6:1-6)
The woman feels
rejected. She is president of a parish sodality responsible for various tasks.
But it seems to her that she cannot count on anyone for help. Members of the
sodality only give her excuses. One says she doesn't have time. Another says
she is going on vacation. The woman wonders if she would have to do all the
work herself. We see Jesus feeling a similar rejection in today’s gospel.
Jesus has been
touching people with his words wherever he has preached. They like his way of
explaining the Kingdom of God with parables. When Jesus asks them to repent,
they take it seriously. But no sooner than he arrives in Nazareth, his own
town, that the welcome goes sour. Although
his neighbors hear his words, they do not respond to his teachings. Rather they
wonder where he got his bright ideas. They treat him like a fast-talking
salesman; that is, fascinating to listen to but untrustworthy of their confidence.
Of course, Jesus is
not the first prophet who has experienced the rejection of the people. In the
first reading Ezekiel faces a similar predicament. The Israelites are to be
defeated because they have neglected the Law. The Lord sends Ezekiel to give
them one final chance. They may be saved from the Babylonian army if they submit
to God's will. Ezekiel will show with symbols such as a morsel of bread and a demitasse
of water that they do not have much time. But people will not listen to him.
Sometimes we wonder if
something similar is not happening in our society. Today we Americans celebrate
Independence Day. We thank God for the benefits that freedom brings. We have
the rights to participate in the selection of our rulers, to own property, and
to speak freely. However, these rights carry responsibilities that we often
forget. In a current phenomenon called the "culture of cancellation",
one can see the abuse of freedom of speech. The reputations and well-being of
honest people are being ruined by lies and half-truths made on social media.
What else is this but an advanced type of gossip that has destroyed people's
good names for millennia? It is true that we have the freedom of speech, but
this freedom must be linked with the responsibility to say what we believe to
be true.
In the second reading
Paul speaks of "a thorn stuck in (his) his flesh." Because he doesn't
describe the affliction more, we have to intuit its nature. It can be a doctrinal
error like the need to be circumcised to be a Christian. It may be the
inability to preach well as Paul himself admits in this Second Letter to the
Corinthians. Although he has prayed to the Lord to remove this test, he only
receives the answer that no, it is better that he keep fighting. The Lord says
that in this way the Lord will reveal his glory. Here we see the key to
overcoming the sense of being rejected or canceled. We must develop our
relationship with Christ to accomplish two goals. First of all, we want Christ to
grant us the grace not only to speak but also to live the truth. Second, when
we are persecuted for speaking the truth as best we know it, we want Christ to strengthen
us.
The national anthem of
the United States tells of the American flag on top of a fortress. Despite
several ships unloading their cannons against the fortress through the night,
the flag could be seen at dawn. The fortress remained in American hands! This
story can represent our hopes when we feel rejected. By our prayers to the Lord,
we hope not to be defeated by criticism. Rather, by the same prayers, we hope
to go on saying and living the truth.
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