Wednesday, February 5, 2003
4^th Week in Ordinary Time

1st Reading: Heb 12:4-7, 11-15
Gospel: Mk 6:1-6

Jesus returned to his own country, and his disciples followed him. When the Sabbath came, he began teaching in the synagogue, and most of those who heard him were astonished. They commented, “How did this come to him? What kind of wisdom has been given to him that he also performs such miracles? Who is he but the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James and Joset and Judas and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here among us?” So they took offense at him.

And Jesus said to them, “Prophets are despised only in their own country, among their relatives and in their own family.” And he could work no miracles there, but only healed a few sick people by laying his hands on them. Jesus himself was astounded at their unbelief.

Gospel Commentary

Jesus found little faith in the people of his own village. Those people did not want to acknowledge their lack of faith; that is why they found excuses to cover up their unbelief. Jesus, they claimed was not educated, the son of a carpenter. This happens to be our tendency too, when we try to camouflage our commitment to the faith: we insist on the human side of conditions set by the Church and Christianity in order not to accept her message.

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