August 3, 2012
- Category: brdaniel
- Published Date
- Written by Br. Daniel Thomas, OP
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Friday in the Seventeenth week of the Church year.
Saint for the day: St. Lydia Purpuraria (1st Century)
Scripture readings for today's liturgy:
Jeremiah 26:1-9
Psalm 69
Matthew 13:54-58
“A prophet is not without honor except in his own place and in his own house.” (today’s Gospel)
In today’s Gospel we here another familiar story about Jesus preaching in his own home town where the people can’t believe that this young man, whom they all know, could possibly give them anything worthwhile. I quoted the phrase above from today’s Gospel but we would more easily word it: “familiarity breeds contempt” and because of this Jesus couldn’t/wouldn’t perform any miracles there.
I presume that all of us would give anything to actually meet Jesus. Would we be willing to stand in a line – perhaps all night as people often do - to get tickets so some concert of sports event?
They tell the story of St.Thomas Aquinas, the great Dominican theologian and Doctor of the Church, that he so desired to be close to Jesus that he stuck his head inside the tabernacle! I don’t know if that story is true but it reminds me that we have the possibility of getting close to Jesus every time we approach the altar to receive Holy Communion. Yet the reality is still there and many people approach the altar in a routine or non-chalet manner and miss the very closeness they are looking for.
Our encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist gives us the nourishment for our journey or walk with Jesus. We need to be like the disciples on the road to Emmaus: “… were not our hearts burning within as He explained the scriptures to us?”
Yet many are still in a “ho-hum” condition and miss the power of healing and love that they could receive in Holy Communion. Even though we say those familiar words, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof… but only say the word and my soul shall be healed,” we often miss that last part because we have trouble believing that Jesus really will heal us. “Isn’t this just a little wafer? We know what that is. What can that really do for me?”
Just for today, try to put aside that familiarity and really believe that Jesus can heal you. You don’t need to make any special pilgrimage to some obscure holy site. We have the holiest of holies right here. Handed to us – as they say – on a platter! Can we believe Jesus’ words: “I am the bread of life. If you believe in me you will never die!”
Amen!
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