FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME TIME (B)

READINGS AT MASS

Ezekiel 2:2-5

Psalm 123

2 Cor. 12:7-10

Mark 6:1-6

Theme: CLOSING OUR HEARTS TO GOD

Dear friends in Christ, N'wokafu YESU KRISTO...

In today's First Reading, God called and commissioned Ezekiel as a prophet for a rebellious nation (Israel) in exile. His mission was to turn Israel's heart back to their God. Israel had been described as a rebellious nation because the Israelites closed their hearts to YHWH and His message; further, they abused His messengers.

We walk on dangerous grounds when we despise God and His message. Such rebellious nations (or persons) cannot experience the goodness of God; for, their hearts are closed.

In the Gospel, the people of Jesus' hometown could not receive the grace of God that Jesus had brought to them. Their prior knowledge of the person of Jesus and His background coupled with their familiarity with Him became an obstacle.

Gradually, we are closing our hearts to God and His life-giving message. Comfort in sin, negative familiarity with Jesus Christ and His Word, laziness, fatigue, friendship with the world, excessive delight in mere human knowledge, and human weakness among others are factors that are slowly closing our hearts and creating hostile environments that prevent us from experiencing the grace of God.

Academic knowledge coupled with the ability to think and ask logical questions is also tempting us to subject our faith and the good news to deep and critical scrutiny based only on human wisdom. (Is this not the Carpenter, Mary's son?). While it is good to ask questions concerning our faith, we mostly find ourselves asking derogatory questions that will degrade our belief in God to show that we are intelligent. We ask questions that lead to wrong conclusions. The consequence is that we're losing the reverence due to God and His Word and thus cannot experience the power thereof.

This present state of affairs is a danger to our faith. They create an atmosphere of rejection and doubts; a hostile environment that the grace of God, that comes through Jesus, cannot penetrate or thrive in.

Do not close your heart to God!

PRAYER

Lord Jesus Christ, you desire an open heart from those who come to you. May I always be docile to you so that I may receive your grace for my life. Amen!

May God bless you.

-Rev. Fr. Kenneth Debre

Sunday, July 7, 2024.

Holy Rosary Parish, Hohoe.