14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Date: Sunday July 5, 2009, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Ezekiel 2:2-5 Psalm 123: 1-4
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Mark 6:1-6

Ezekiel's visions frightened him so much, he hid himself, thinking he didn't want to be a prophet.
He was a priest of God and the word of God came to him in the Spirit. He was told to speak in God's name, of the Israelite's faithlessness and their abominable behavior of adoration of strange gods.
The words of Ezekiel were an attempt to turn God's people from their irresponsible ways, back to the one God, who sustains them. God knew they were rebellious, however, he urged them to repentance. The gods of power, prestige and materiality pull us in their directional all the time. They are relentless in their pursuit.
However, we must imitate Paul. Even though there is no concrete evidence of the "thorn the side" Paul sustained, he recognized the power of Christ would triumph in the end, for those who remain steadfast in spirit and fact. In another place, Paul states confidently," In Christ I can do all things. Neither life or death, demons or principalities, hunger or thirst will ever remove me from the Love of God my savior.
We need to put things in perspective; set priorities.
Union with God is our ultimate goal. He must be first in our thoughts, words and deeds. We come after our neighbors and enemies. What a strange concept for Americans, who are consumed with the "number one" philosophy!
When we were younger, all of us have experienced an embarrassing moment we wish could be blotted out of our past. However, no matter what we may have accomplished, our hometown folks will point to the embarrassment, rather than our successes.
Jesus came to His hometown, Nazareth and, while He was preaching, as they had never heard before, the hometown folks, with tongue in cheek, said," Who is this, where did He get His obvious education. Aren't His father, the carpenter, and His mother, our neighbors? Don't we know His whole family?" The Scripture states He was unable to perform the same deeds He did in other places. Why? Did He suddenly lose His Divine prerogatives? Not at all!
The ingredient missing from His hometown was Faith in Him. Because they knew Him only as a kid, playing in the street and doing as
boys do, they scoffed at His Abilities!
The words," He was unable to perform mighty deeds" should be induce us to pray for an ever increasing Faith.