Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Heb. 12: 4-7, 11-15 | Ps. 103:1-2, 13-1 4 | Mk. 6:1-6
The reading from Hebrews reminds us that we are God’s children. As such, we are in need of discipline. We need to develop habits of living which are in keeping with God’s laws and love. Our author tells us to pursue peace which is a necessity for those who wish to live God’s life. All of us need to establish patterns of living that include God in our daily lives. Doing so, we will be open to the many graces that God sends our way. Jesus returns to His own home and teaches in the Synagogue on the Sabbath. Those who are listening have not developed the skill of being open so that God’s grace might come to them. The great gift of Jesus Himself is with them, and they cannot recognize Jesus or the gift of God. Instead, they begin to criticize Jesus and are offended that He dared to share with them. This scripture is meant for us today as it was for those in Christ’s time. We are called to be open and to see those who are in our lives and be ready to hear God’s word that can come through them.
Spend time to see if you are open to your neighbors, spouse, children, or other relatives. Do you listen to them and respect them, or do you shut them out because they probably don’t know what they are saying? Ask God for the grace of openness to all the ways that God brings grace, love, peace, and God, Himself, to you. Give thanks for all those gifts now.