Texts taken from the “On Your Word” Missal July-August 2021

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
2nd week psalter

FIRST READING

From the book of the prophet Ezekiel (Ez 2:2-5)
In those days, a spirit entered into me, made me stand on my feet, and I heard the one who was speaking to me. He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a nation of rebels who have turned against me. They and their ancestors have revolted against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are stubborn and obstinate. You shall say to them: ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ Whether they listen or resist - for they are a rebellious house - they shall know that a prophet has been among them.” The word of the Lord.

Commentary on the First Reading

Ezekiel’s words today are very harsh. They seem to be addressed to the hardened faces of his contemporaries and therefore not concern us: it seems like nothing more than a story. Instead, the word of God is always relevant; it has no time limit. That rebellious people are also us today. Ezekiel is speaking to me as well: stubborn and obstinate, rebellious and unwilling to listen. These words that God addresses to me frighten me. Do I not see where I am stubborn and hard-hearted, or am I afraid to see it? I cannot get off by blaming only society or others, because I am society, I am others. The expressions in this reading also tell us that today, as in the past, there are prophets. Men with their weaknesses like everyone else, but entrusted by God with an immense, countercultural mission. When there is peace, they remind us that we are children of God; in moments of discouragement, they are hope.

SECOND READING

From the second letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (2 Cor 12:7-10)
Brothers and sisters, so that I might not become conceited, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan to beat me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and distresses for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong. The word of the Lord.

Commentary on the Second Reading

Everyone has their trials, sometimes so difficult that they seem unbearable. God’s grace and power are made perfect in our weakness. When we feel powerless, overwhelmed by events and difficulties, without solutions or hope, God tells us to trust, not to be afraid, because only in complete powerlessness do we strip away that part of ourselves that wants to control events, in order to abandon ourselves completely to him. When we are in difficulty and distress, that is when we become strong, because Christ is at work. We have only him, and no one else. Every useless idol has been eliminated; all, absolutely all, false securities have rolled down from the mountains of pride. Sometimes, it is only in the depths of anguish that we truly encounter Christ.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Mark (Mk 6:1-6)
At that time, Jesus came to his native place, and his disciples followed him. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. He made the rounds of the villages in the vicinity, teaching. The Gospel of the Lord.

Commentary on the Gospel of the Day

Jesus teaches in the synagogue of the community of Nazareth, the town where he grew up. He comes from an ordinary family, and his work is a common trade for those times... so why does he presume, in God’s name, to change the lives and hearts of his fellow citizens? To the people of Nazareth, Jesus has absolutely nothing that distinguishes him from them; therefore, he is a cause of scandal and is rejected. But what does this scandal consist of? His own people admit that the things Jesus did and said do not have a human origin, that wisdom comes from above, and that the mighty deeds performed by his hands come from an unknown elsewhere. Their unbelief arises from the fact that God’s decisive word and liberating action are closely linked to a man about whom they know everything. It is the scandal of the Word made flesh. The inhabitants of Nazareth, and indeed the people of our own time as well, seek great signs in the sky or on earth, but are unable to recognize the simple signs of everyday life and give them meaning. Instead, we must recognize God’s silent presence every day, wisely, without pride and without trying to dictate his laws ourselves. Only by opening our hearts will we notice all that God does in our daily lives; we are often so caught up in complaining that we do not notice it and continue to ask for signs that are not right or useful for us.