Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by Fr Hermogenes Bacareza SVD – Catholic Trade Manila
Wednesday 4th Week in Ordinary Time
Image source : Father Treb Futol /FB
After the Second World War I went back to the place I grew up as a child. After the usual greetings and excitement, I ended up conversing with people about what we were doing during the past years. We remembered how we were when we were growing up. We recalled not only the good but the unpleasant things and funny jokes during our younger days. Some may even find it hard to believe that we have indeed become successful in our chosen professions. During all of those conversations, perhaps we began to understand the old saying, “You can never truly go back home.”
Jesus must have had the same experience when he went back to his own town. Immediately people began discussing who He was in light of his growing up years. As they recalled his parents, they were realized with astonishment that a carpenter’s son had indeed become a great prophet. Some even said that Jesus was the Messiah. Others found this hard to believe. Jesus own words, “no prophet is without honor except in his own native place” truly proved the townsfolk’s lack of belief. Though they wanted him to work miracles, their lack of faith kept Jesus from doing anything miraculous among them. Jesus was distressed that they could not move from their old perceptions of him into the new and present reality.
As Christians we realize the struggle of living out our faith wholeheartedly. We sometimes feel that people will ridicule us if we are too serious about living out our faith. Yet we realize that amid this tension, Jesus still draws us out. He calls us to be faithful to our Christian vocation. We are not to worry about what others think.
Although it is not always easy going back home, we are invited today to do just that. We are invited to go back to our beginnings in God’s house – to the baptismal font. We must ask ourselves: what does God think of how we have progressed in life since our baptism? Can we say in earnest that our faith is strong or has it become weak? Would God be proud of how we have chosen to live out our baptismal commitment in daily life or would we be a disappointment or even an embarassment to God?
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