1st Reading: Ezekiel 2:2-5
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 123:1-2a.2bc.3-4 (R. 2ef)
2nd Reading: 2 Corinthians12:7-10
Gospel Reading: Mark 6:1-6
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 123:1-2a.2bc.3-4 (R. 2ef)
2nd Reading: 2 Corinthians12:7-10
Gospel Reading: Mark 6:1-6
Okoha, Friday Emmanuel NworieGod's will is not devoid of humility
In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel is commissioned by God to speak to Israel despite their rebelliousness. God humbles Ezekiel, putting him on his face, and speaks to him, emphasizing His power and authority.
In the second reading, Paul shares his experience of a "thorn in the flesh" that keeps him humble despite his remarkable revelations. He acknowledges that God's grace is sufficient, and His power is perfected in weakness.
In our gospel, Jesus, the ultimate example of humility, visits His hometown and is rejected. Despite His divine authority, He is limited by the people's unbelief, demonstrating that even God's power is subject to human freedom.
These passages emphasize the importance of humility in serving God. Both clergy and lay faithful must recognize their limitations and dependence on God's power. Ezekiel is humbled before speaking God's word, Paul embraces his weakness as a means of God's grace, and Jesus submits to the people's unbelief despite his might and power.
In God's service, humility is not optional; it's essential for effective ministry and a genuine relationship with Him. Humility is essential for authentic service, as it allows us to: Recognize our limitations, Depend on God's power, Embrace weakness as a means of grace, and Submit to others, even in the face of rejection.
Nzeakor EugeniaMy Grace Is Sufficient For You.
Greetings brethren!
The first reading talks about the rebellious people in the house of the Lord, who in actual sense supposed to be the beloved of the Lord, become among the chosen of the Lord. Are you among the rebellious ones amid the people of God, are you a wolf amid God's sheep, Do you rebel against the people of God? God is letting you know today that a prophet is in your midst, retrieve your step this day, and change your ways.
The second reading talks about the Grace of God being sufficient for us even in our weaknesses. God Himself sometimes allows some certain tragedy to befall us, just for Him to prove Himself in our lives. God teaches us lessons most times by allowing afflictions into our lives and at the same time sustains us with His Grace. The question here is, do you at all learn those lessons from God when theSaturday of the Word of Gody come to you? Know you today that God knows all you are passing through, and try to understand that His Grace is sustaining you and that He shall surely see you through at the appointed time.
In the Gospel, Jesus was looked down upon in His own town, and that stopped Him from performing miracles among His people. They disregarded Him simply because they knew everything about Him, but they ended up losing at last. The miracles and healings they would have gotten were denied.
Value evening true servant of God you see, whether you are familiar with him or not, God has specially given him that Grace, and the least you can do is to respect and honor them as supposed. When honoring them, you are honoring the God who calls them.
Remain blessed
Chika Nwaozuzu My Reflections
Familiarity is a kind of containment.
To know people in only little ways prevents us from thinking of them in any noble or honorable way. 🙇♂️
Seeing Jesus grew up as a boy, then to a youth and to a tradesman prevented the Nazarenes from seeing him as a Messiah🤴🏻.
Many of us today would have fallen into the sin that these Nazarenes committed if Jesus had come from our own villages and towns with every information about his family in our heads.
But the truth is this, it is very hard to receive something from someone you don't really hold high reverence for.
We can never experience miracles where God is not in attendance, welcomed or appreciated. The active unbelief of the Nazarenes prevented miracles in their lives and community, so too does our unbelief and lack of expectations before God prevents miracle of good things in our lives. When we play the roles of these Nazarenes at mass, recite the creeds, sings the hymns, joins in the litanies and offer our prayers without the expectations, reverence and acknowledgement that God should be at the center of all these, when we come with a lackluster faith into a lackluster church and perform everything in a lackluster manner, we should never expect any miracle of any sort.
In the 1st reading, we are warned not to be a rebellious people like the Nazarenes who rebelled against the identity of Jesus Christ but rather, we should always have our eyes fixed on the Lord our God like the psalmist till he shows us his mercy and grant us every miracle necessary especially the miracle of the salvation of our souls . May the grace of God be always sufficient for us as we journey in this world of sin through Christ our Lord 🙏.
Hallelujah, the Lord is good and slow to anger and abounding in mercy and Love
I learnt alot from this readings as follows..
First reading..
Arrogance, ignorance of the word of God can bring his anger on any nation,or people,just as it was when Pharaoh and the whole Egyptians mocked him and insulted him,but they where never aware of his prophet among them.
Today God send Prophet Ezekiel to them,to let them know that he is still God ,and he has his eyes on them..
That is, what ever we do In Life today God is seeing us..and we can not hide from him
"Responsorial psalm"
''The Psalmist made us to understand the need for us to depend our hope on God,Because what ever we are Looking for in Life,it comes from God to men and from men to men..so we must depend on him wholely just as servants and slave depends on their masters and mistress..
"Second reading'
St Paul made us to understand that it is when we feel we are weak that the Lord made us strong..
Gen 18:1-14 was God and Abraham and Sarah
Reflection
The readings of today call our attention to the presence of the prophet in our midst, his role, and the need for us to pay attention to his voice. Whether we accept it or not, the words of the prophet shall come to pass, because they are from God. The Church is prophetic. Through her ministers, God reveals His will and desire to humanity at both individual and general levels. These revelations are found in His Word and the teachings of the Church. They open our eyes to the truth about ourselves. If we are humble enough to admit to the truth, the grace of God is sufficient to save us, but if out of pride, we refuse to admit to the revelations of the prophet, then we shall, in God's own time, come to realise that truly there are prophets among us. Our openness and willingness to accept God's words, reverently use the Sacraments, and accord respect to the ministers in the Church will open the treasures of God's blessings and favours for us.
Going through the readings, one question kept coming to my mind, "what is the source of your strength and the source of your courage?"
The prophet in the first reading had his trust in God. Paul in the second reading had cause to boast of his weakness because God was his strength. Unfortunately, in the Gospel, the people expected Christ's source of strength and courage to be in his family and this was their greatest undoing.
The readings of today remind me of the need to hold on to God as my sure foundation, this I say with the psalmist "my eyes are on you o Lord, till you should me your mercy." Amen!!!
