A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mk 6:1-6
Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples. 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 placeand 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.
REFLECTION
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Since 1776 we have been celebrating the independence of America. We celebrate the strength and the bravery of our forebearers. We celebrate the birth of our nation and freedom from British rule with fireworks, parades, concerts, picnics, barbecues and family gatherings. We thank all who sacrificed their lives for the freedoms we now enjoy. When we unfurl the flags we are reminded of what was won--freedom from the tyranny of the British rule against religion of choice and mtaxation without representation.
What factors made an undisciplined, disorganized and unprepared army prevail over the large unbeatable British empire? How were the underdogs victorious?
The Continental Army was weak. They were short of qualified men and George Washington never had more than 20000 troops in his service. They lacked money, weapons, food, gunpowder and medicine. Many times the soldiers had to put down their muskets to go tend to their farms.
Their strength was in their patriotism, their love for their freedom and their love for their country . The British were far away and had to convince the Americans that independence was not important. But the British underestimated the Colonists. They did not think that the colonial army could win. America was telling the world that it was founded in liberty; that all men were created equal with God given rights.
Many in the synagogue listening to Jesus doubted, questioned and did not and would not believe . They questioned His family background and being a simple carpenter. How could He possibly preach to them? How could they learn from Him?
Do we underestimate people around us? Do we assume that we have the upper hand and refuse to meet them in their needs? Do we despise or dislike people because they are not as educated, distinguished or learned?
Jesus came to set people free from the tyranny of sin. Let's bend our knees and sit in silence before the best fighter of our freedom. We thank the Colonists for America's freedom. We bow down before Jesus thanking, worshipping and praising Him for His ultimate sacrifice for our freedom from sin.
How will we repay Jesus and all He has done for us? We spread His Word, we stand up for the God given freedoms of life and liberty: Freedom of life for the unborn and the elderly, freedom to worship without state mandates, freedom to follow the Ten Commandments without reproach or without fear of being chastised, condemned or made fun of. As we celebrate the liberties of 1776 with parades, fireworks and barbeques, let us speak up about Jesus, the Kingdom and the repentance of sin. That freedom that Jesus offers us is for eternity.
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