Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Who Does He Think He Is?

Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: I

Introduction

In the mind of God’s people, God was their defender; by creating an army through conscription, David was as if usurping the power of God, taking upon himself what was properly the task of God himself.

A man or woman like us from down the street, whose parents we know, how dare he or she speak God’s word to us – if it is God’s word! Jesus, the town carpenter whom everyone knew, how could he work miracles and where did he get this strange message? The Church, with all its faults, and the priest who is not any better than we are, how dare they speak to us in the name of God? God speaks through ordinary people. God’s word and message are stronger than the weak messengers he sends to speak his prophetic word. The people of Nazareth did not accept Jesus. Do we accept those who speak out for what is right and good?

Opening Prayer

God, our Father without equal,
Your Son, your living Word, came among us
as one of our own, our own flesh and blood.
Dispose us to welcome him always
and to listen to what he tells us,
Also, when his words upset and disturb us.
And give us too, the courage
to pass on his word to one another,
that it may liberate us all
and lead us to you as your one people.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

First Reading

2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17

King David said to Joab and the leaders of the army who were with him,
“Tour all the tribes in Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba
and register the people, that I may know their number.”
Joab then reported to the king the number of people registered:
in Israel, eight hundred thousand men fit for military service;
in Judah, five hundred thousand.

Afterward, however, David regretted having numbered the people,
and said to the LORD:
“I have sinned grievously in what I have done.
But now, LORD, forgive the guilt of your servant,
for I have been very foolish.”
When David rose in the morning,
the LORD had spoken to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying:
“Go and say to David, ‘This is what the LORD says:
I offer you three alternatives;
choose one of them, and I will inflict it on you.’”
Gad then went to David to inform him.
He asked: “Do you want a three years’ famine to come upon your land,
or to flee from your enemy three months while he pursues you,
or to have a three days’ pestilence in your land?
Now consider and decide what I must reply to him who sent me.”
David answered Gad: “I am in very serious difficulty.
Let us fall by the hand of God, for he is most merciful;
but let me not fall by the hand of man.”
Thus David chose the pestilence.
Now it was the time of the wheat harvest
when the plague broke out among the people.
The LORD then sent a pestilence over Israel
from morning until the time appointed,
and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beer-sheba died.
But when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it,
the LORD regretted the calamity
and said to the angel causing the destruction among the people,
“Enough now! Stay your hand.”
The angel of the LORD was then standing
at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
When David saw the angel who was striking the people,
he said to the LORD: “It is I who have sinned;
it is I, the shepherd, who have done wrong.
But these are sheep; what have they done?
Punish me and my kindred.”

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7

R. (see 5c) Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
For this shall every faithful man pray to you
in time of stress.
Though deep waters overflow,
they shall not reach him.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.
You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me;
with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.
R. Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

Alleluia Verse

John 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mark 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 Joseph 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.

Prayers of the Faithful

– That our Church may keep listening to the prophets among us, for the Spirit speaks through them, we pray:

– That God’s people may keep listening to the words Jesus speaks in our assemblies as a word spoken to each of us today, we pray:

– That in the silence of the voiceless, God’s people may hear the voice of the Lord crying out for justice and compassion, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
you ask of us to accept with faith
your word spoken by your messengers
and above all by your living Word, Jesus Christ.
Make us truly recognize and welcome
the humble coming of your Son
in these simple signs of bread and wine.
Let his word and that of his prophets
take root in us and change us
into a community in which prevail
the love, the justice and the forgiveness
of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord God, loving Father,
you let us share in your strength
through Jesus, your Son in our midst.
Let his word that we have heard
come true in our lives
and give us the courage to proclaim it
without false shame or fear
to anyone willing to listen.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Lord.

Blessing

We have heard Jesus: let his word not fall on deaf ears. And may we not keep it for ourselves, but pass it on as a challenge to create together a community in which justice and love rule with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

REFLECTION:

Mark 6:1-6

Too familiar to appreciate

After spending a few months in Capernaum, visiting the villages of Galilee, preaching the gospel and healing the sick, Jesus returns to his native village.Jesus in Capernaum was involved in tragic conflicts with the political and religious authorities. But, now, in his own native country, it is the ordinarypeasants of his country who do not understand and reject him. Jesus must have said or done something particularly provocative!

Sometime before, his relatives tried to convince him to return to his family and resume his decent work as a carpenter, but he did not accede to their proposal. Looking at those around him to listen to him, he exclaimed: “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to me” (Mk 3:31-35).

Now, on his own initiative, he returns to Nazareth, accompanied by his new family - the group of disciples who responded to his call. They had left their boats, nets and father and all they had and followed him.

As long as Jesus remains quiet in the house where he grew up, that is, as long as he remains within the traditional mould, and appreciates the religious beliefs transmitted by the rabbis and shared by all, no one has anything to say about him. Problems arise as soon as he makes public the decision to set up a new home and a new family.

With his message and actions, Jesus is demolishing the old house in which they have placed all their hopes. What guarantees can “the carpenter, the son of Mary” offer? For more than thirty years, has done nothing but fix doors and windows, make hoes and ploughs, and they knew his brothers and sisters. Where does the message that he expounds come from? Who gives him the power to work wonders? They wonder: are they done in the name of God, or, as the scribes that came from Jerusalem accused him of (Mk 3:22), or do they come from the evil one?

The attitude taken by the people of Nazareth is repeated even today. Today there is no lack of prophets, but we refuse to accept them as such. Simply because we know them. We use the same argument that Jesus' countrymen used. And we close ourselves off to the new possibilities, ways and hopes that God opens up to us through them. Certainly, they have their weaknesses as we all do,but through them the Spirit speaks. If we don't listen to them, too bad for us!

Who are the prophets for you today? To what extent do we listen to them? Do you feel that, if we listened to them, we could live differently?

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Mark 6: 1-6

Wisdom from God for restoring faith

True wisdom is a gift from God, leading us to reflect on our roots, embrace our relationships, and nurture our faith. Today’s reflection invites us to draw closer to God by seeking strength in our origin, love, and prayer.

First, Jesus’ return to His native place teaches us the value of reconnecting with our roots. Whether life brings success or failure, revisiting where we come from grounds us in humility and renewal. In moments of personal crisis, perhaps we could find solace and strength in people and environments that better understand us. If we spiritually or physically return to our essence, God revives and strengthens us, reminding us of who we truly are.

Second, Jesus' journey with His disciples highlights the importance of healthy relationships and purposeful work. Love and meaningful labour are pillars of a sound life. Surround yourself with people who uplift you and engage in work that honours God. If one pillar falters, lean on the other. Let Christ fortify these foundations so that our life remains strong and fruitful, no matter the challenges.

Lastly, nurture our faith through prayer and trust in God. A lack of faith leads to stagnation, but prayer empowers and uplifts us in times of struggle. Create a sacred space in your daily life to communicate with God, surrendering your heart to Him. In moments of doubt or rejection, your faith will sustain and guide you, lighting the path toward hope and renewal.

Remember, wisdom from God calls us to return to our roots, treasure love and work, and deepen our relationship with Him through faith. With these, we walk as pilgrims of hope, confident that something good is always on the way.

Wisdom from God for restoring faith - Youtube

Mark 6:1-6

Are you preventing God's miracles?

John Bosco was born in 1815 in Northern Italy. He chose to become a priest to minister to the poor and neglected boys who lived in Turin, Italy. As a result of his efforts, several centres were opened in which young people could gather to play and pray.

In order to assist in this work with children, he established a community of priests and named it the Salesians, after his favourite saint, St. Francis de Sales, and founded another Congregation of women to work with girls, called the Daughters of Our Lady, Help of Christians. John Bosco died on 31 January 1888 and was canonised on 1 April 1934.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is rejected by the people of his own town. For as he says, “A prophet is not without honour except in his native place.” But he astounded crowds throughout Galilee because he taught with authority. To the crowds who listened to him preach, he declared: “You have heard it said, but I say . . .” He was referring, of course, to the Torah, the teaching of Moses, the court of final appeal. And therefore, he was claiming for himself an authority greater than that of Moses.

A natural reaction of the crowd was to ask, "Who does he think he is?" This is a form of envy that destroys or discredits someone who performs better than you. Is it common for us to encounter such attitudes and reactions in our church communities?

The terrible reality is that this narrow-minded attitude of the villagers prevents Jesus from performing any miracles in his own hometown. Imagine, the envy of the people makes them capable of even preventing miracles. Consider the instances when miraculous events could have occurred in our parish or community but didn't happen because we refused to accept and appreciate our brothers and sisters for their uniqueness.

Are you preventing God's miracles? - Youtube