Wednesday
5th February 2020. Read 2 Samuel 24:2-17, Psalm 32 and Mark 6:1-6.
_“Is not
this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas
and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us? And they took offence at him.”
*(Mark 6:3)*_
The saying
is indeed true that the grass always looks greener outside. We never value that
which belongs to us. Jesus visits his home town, Nazareth, where he grew up and
spent almost thirty years of his life.
Jesus goes
to their synagogue on a Sabbath day and begins to teach but the people who knew
him simply as the Carpenter’s son are astonished at the wisdom issuing out from
his words and the power that was at work in his mighty miracles. “And they took
offence at him” in other words, they were cold and unreceptive to him.
Jesus made
a parable that “A prophet is not without honour except in his own country, and
among his own kin, and in his own house.” Jesus was not surprised by their
reaction. Their lack of faith was caused by their familiarity with Jesus. They
just couldn’t see beyond the carpenter’s son they knew him as. Even the
disciples of Jesus were still trying to grapple with the fact that Jesus is God
in human flesh.
It is
quite touching that their lack of faith became an obstacle preventing them from
receiving the miracles Jesus had wanted for them. Mark tells us: “He could do
no mighty work there, except that he laid hands upon a few sick people and
healed them.”
Could it
be the case that our lack of faith (familiarity with Jesus) is responsible for
the near absence of miracles today? Do I receive Holy Communion casually even
when I am fully conscious of mortal sins which I am yet to confess? Is my faith
as strong as the woman with the issue of blood who touched Jesus’ garment or am
I just like these people who failed to acknowledge God in the person of Jesus?
Our first
reading today teaches us a lot of lessons: One, the need to pray for our
leaders. David did something he wasn’t supposed to do. He took a census. And
for this sin of his, seventy thousand persons died. When our leaders make
mistakes, the masses suffer, when our leaders are clueless, insensitive and
concerned only about their personal enrichment, the poor masses suffer.
Secondly,
we learn to acknowledge our faults and quickly ask for mercy. Unlike Saul who
tried to justify his wrong deed, David went on his knees several times to beg
for God’s forgiveness. And on this occasion, God stopped the pestilence that
was scraping through the nation of Israel.
Today, we
remember St. Agatha, a virgin who was martyred for her faith. She was born in
Sicily, of rich and noble parents and consecrated from her earliest infancy to
God. In the midst of dangers and temptations, she served Christ in the purity of
body and soul, and she died for the love of chastity. St. Agatha, just like our
own Vivian Ogu of Nigeria died in defence of her purity. She chose to die than
to defile herself. We celebrate her as a parish today because our parish is St.
Agatha Catholic Church.
In Nigeria
today, countless Christians have lost their lives simply for the sake of their
faith. Religious persecution is really happening now in Nigeria. It was there
long before this present government and it has cut across both Muslim and
Christian faithful but has now assumed an unprecedented rate today.
As God
ended the pestilence in our first reading, we pray for God to end this persecution.
Also, we pray that our youths may be inspired to keep themselves pure and
undefiled and be willing to die to preserve their bodily purity.
Let us
Pray: Lord Jesus, deepen our faith and grant that we may never suffer for the
sins of our leaders. Amen.
Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. (Wednesday of the 4th week in
Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 2 Samuel 24:2-17, Psalm 32 and Mark 6:1-6).
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