Ezekiel 2:2-5 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Mark 6:1-6
In the First Reading and the Gospel we read of situations where the Israelites, who are supposed to be “People of God”, are not paying much attention to God. In fact, they are rebellious, obstinate and hardhearted. In the Gospel Jesus even goes so far as to say: “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin….”
I am reminded of my own shortcomings in this regard - those times when I have not honored God, or have perhaps even gone so far as to forget (for a time) that God is supposed to be the central focus of my life. After all, God’s goodness and God’s love for me should compel me to act always according to God’s precepts, using the 10 Commandments and the Beatitudes as my guides for living a life of grace, charity and peace.
A recent example of my own hardheartedness comes to mind. During the past several weeks my wife and I have been very busy buying a new house and selling our previous house. During that time, my sister and brother-in-law volunteered to drive four hours in order to help us move the precious items we wanted to transport ourselves. They spent several days with us, out of the goodness of their hearts. Yet, on more than one occasion I found myself growing impatient with my sister and snapping at her when her opinion on a specific aspect of the move did not match my own. I realize that my sister and I have a lifetime of family history and sibling dynamics that effect how we relate to one another - and I know that I was often tired during the move. While such conditions may explain my loss of patience, they cannot be construed as excuses for my insensitivity to my sister.
I can do better. I want to do better. With God’s principles, God’s love and God’s grace to guide me, I resolve to do better…and to apologize to my sister!
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