Readings: Ezekiel 2.3-5
2Corinthians 12,7-10
Mark 6.1-6
Are we able to see the presence of God in others? Are we able to recognize that God speaks through others? Do we see and acknowledge the prophets of our own time? Today's readings call us to open our hearts, our minds and our whole being to the presence of God in others. The first reading today is from the Prophet Ezekiel. God sends prophets to His people. We don't always like to ear the words that a prophet speaks. On the other hand, not everyone who speaks is a prophet. The Old Testament and the New both understand clearly that a true prophet must according to the word of God, and not according to the the words of men.
Today many claim to be prophetic, but most lack any claims to speaking the word of God. A true prophet in our Christian tradition must reflect both the Holy Scriptures and the Church. The message if the scripture remains the same from the beginning to the end of the Scriptures. The messenger always demands that we give up our own concerns and be concerned only for God and God's message for us. The moment we begin to seek our own good, our own enrichment, our won way of thinking- then we become unfaithful to the word of God.
The Second reading today form the Second Letter to the Co9rinthians. here we also listen to God's word: "I am content with my weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong." We are invited to embrace this word of God of Jesus Christ with al our strength and all our being. When we do embrace this word of God, we shall surely suffer and know our own weaknesses. This also is a form of prophecy because the more we embrace Christ and and follow his way, the the more our lives speak about God and His incredible love for us. we prophesy simply living.
The Gospel today is from Saint Mark and takes us back to the challenge of rejection. We should remember that Ezekiel told us that it does not matter if a prophet is recognized or not. What matters is that the prophet speaks the word of God. Today's Gospel points out that we can reject a true prophet simply because we don't believe that Gd acts in the ordinary events of our lives ad in seemingly ordinary people.
God is always speaking to us: in others, in the events of our lives, ion the Church, in our world. In order to understand God we must be attentive first of all to His revealed word. When that revealed Word is our whole way of living, then we begin to recognize His word in all the other realities of our lives. Today God invites us: listen to the prophets! Open your hearts and minds and beings! God loves you and wishes to speak with you. Harden not your hearts today!
