Daily Retreat 08/04/06

2006 Aug 4 Fri: John Mary Vianney, p M
Jer 26: 1-9/ Ps 68(69): 5. 8-10. 14/ Mt 13: 54-58

From today’s readings:  “Thus says the LORD: If you disobey Me, not living according to the law I placed before you and not listening to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I send you constantly though you do not obey them, I will treat this house like Shiloh, and make this the city to which all the nations of the earth shall refer when cursing another....  But I pray to You, O LORD, for the time of Your favor, O God!...  Jesus came to His native place and taught the people in their synagogue....”

Close to Home

The people of Nazareth were honored by God to have Jesus grow up there, and yet when He began His public ministry, teaching with divine wisdom, and working miracles with divine power, and returned for a visit to His native place, they were scandalized!

This same attitude is reflected even among some nominal Christians today, those who are comfortable with Jesus only in peripheral parts of their lives.  But as for taking His divine wisdom seriously and considering the implications of His omnipotence and living their lives accordingly, they take offense  at the idea that anyone would dare tell them how to live their lives!

It’s all too easy, in fact, to only accept Jesus and His Gospel up to the point where there starts to be a bit of personal discomfort, where His message begins to hit too close to home!  And yet, that’s where we especially need Jesus and His wisdom and divine power in our lives - not to scandalize us, but to put an end to the scandalous in us!